Saving Her

Chapter 11: Papa?

A Week Later.

Audriella's POV:

I am over Zayn. I finally feel like all of my anger and bitterness are gone. The only thing left is pain. I no longer watch the news, I don't want to hear about more of his kills. It's just a constant reminder that I truly never knew him. So instead, I am focusing on my birthday party tomorrow. And trying to get ahold of Leo, who I haven't seen in a week.

I sit on my bed with my best friend Luna. She's tall and half-Arabic-Italian. Like Zayn. She has long stark black hair, she says she gets it from her mother. A large tattoo takes up the entire right side of her neck. And she has dark brown eyes. I've always loved her eyes. She's been my best friend for years now, she used to hang out with me and Zayn as kids. I can't bring myself to tell her about him, somehow feeling like I need to protect him and his identity. The only person that knows what I know is Elio, and he only knows because in my fit of anger I called him and vented about it.

Luna and I are both currently sitting on my bed waiting for our friend Erika to show up, she is always late.

Erika is beautiful. With ebony skin and long brown braids with green ends. She has a tattoo on her left arm, "Verlieren Sie nie aus den Augen, woher Sie kommen" written in german, where she spent four years living for school. "Never lose sight of where you are from." And a small "E" tattooed in white, on the side of her neck.

Luna and I met her in town one day a few years ago; when I was sulking over Zayn not coming back. We were sitting on a bench, watching the Seagulls eat soiled french fries. She complimented my hair and eyes and asked if she could sit with us. We immediately clicked with her. She was also there for me the day I ran into Zayn coming out of a meeting with my father. The day everything fell apart.

They provide a good distraction from Zayn. Every now and then I think I see him, lurking around corners, in stores, or simply walking down the street. But whenever I look again, he's nowhere to be seen. According to my friends, he went on a killing spree after he left last time. But now, apparently, his kills are closer together, and in a strange pattern. They don't know they are talking to me about Zayn, of course. They still think they are two separate people. Having no reason to think they were the same person. Just like I had.

Unlike normal, these people are all connected somehow, like he's looking for someone. But that's just what my friends have told me. They said that the news says he is even crossing into other Mafia families as well. Killing anyone who doesn't give him whatever information he is looking for. I stopped listening after a while of them talking about it. Feeling like it was somehow my fault, I hurt him. Probably made him angry. Maybe he's on a spree because of me.

I have tried to become more involved in the family business, but Pa said he doesn't want me to worry until I turn 18. Then I can begin to learn, he has promised that the business will be mine one day. I am 100 percent sure it has something to do with the Mafia. Why else would everyone be so okay with Zayn and Leo just hanging around?

He has a meeting set up with me before anything happens tomorrow for my birthday. Pa said he wants to start me in the business as soon as I turn 18. He wants me to have a more active role in how things run within the business.

Finally, Erika joins us in the room, moving to sit on the bed.

"Sorry, I got held up in a meeting." She explains, pulling a box of decorations into her lap to start going through them.

My phone beeps and I pick it up reading the text

L- Hey, wanna hang tonight? Z is going to be busy; some stuff came up. I'm going with him to a meeting right now, but I'll be free after. We can walk down to the old bridge behind your dad's. I'll bring some study material for your test tomorrow.