The Mafiosa's Thorn

Game

"Ha!" 

Smack! 

Bounce!

A Chinese woman with a similar face to Jian, hits the ball with a hard swing of her racket. The ball goes over the net as her friend returns it. Back and forth until she scores on her friend.

"Good one, Jia!"

She adjusts her black ponytail before resuming. "Thanks!"

Sunlight dances on her engagement ring.

Xianmao watches her granddaughter from outside the tennis courts with her henchmen nearby. She grimaces while her grandchild is playing. However, Jian smiles that his sister is having fun. He's also glad that she's not apart of the Triad. To him, she deserves a peaceful life.

The Panda sighs. "She could have gone far with that talent. Trophies, scholarships. It's sad to see her waste it."

"Maybe she likes the fun of it more," Jian reasons.

"Fun doesn't matter. At least Jia's marrying a rich man that I approved."

You mean pre-selected, that thought stays in Jian's head since he knows the truth about his sister.

"Please, don't tell her." His sister's teary words to him after finding out about her lesbian lover. He will keep that secret to the grave. If her soon to be husband hurts her, Hell would be a mercy.

"Jian? Jian?!"

"Yes, Nainai?"

The swift swing of a cane hits him in the back of the knee. He holds back a wince from the pain.

"Listen to me the first time! What do you know-" She stops and almost jumps up. 

Jian follows her eyes; they widen. Her guards stand in front of her.

Orchidea walks over wearing a green two-piece tennis outfit with a smile on her face. Her short skirt revealing the underline of her butt with her shirt exposing the middle of her bosom. Her men walk behind with Alejandro holding a garment bag. She stops to practice some swings with her racket.

"Why. are. you. here?" Panda questions with anger from her sultry appearance.

Her smile doesn't change. "Let's cut the bullshit, Xianmao. Your men attacked me yesterday and took all of the money that you gave me. I'm not upset about you taking the money." Her smile changes to a deadly freezing glare. "You killed members of my familia. That is unforgivable."

Xianmao glares back with a blank expression. "Can't you see you're too foolish for walking in like this? Even with your men, you won't get out alive," the Panda laughs at her foolishness.

Orchidea's smile returns. "Remember when I said I had someone to do after our meeting?"

She raises a right hand. Xianmao is blinded by something that enters her vision. She readjusts her eyes.

Jian wonders why-- and pulls his "boss" back from the red light hovering on the side of her head.

"You could have died right there if I said it. Turn to your right and say hi to my favorite weapon: El Segador."

The cane wobbles from hearing that name. That can't be true!

Bianca calls her phone and puts it on speakerphone for them to hear.

"Xianmao, if you or your men misstep, you will all die where you stand."

The distorted voice freezes the men in place.

"That can't be him. He's someone-"

"Remember the Navarro group?"

Jian's legs tremble. He read about The Night of Death. The Navarro Organization had just taken over another group. Within a few days, the entire group was eliminated.

Xianmao scoffs. "Anyone can just bring that up. It's public-"

"C4 to take out the walls. Couple of flash grenades. Portable gatling guns to tear their bodies to pieces. Joseph Navarro's eyes each shot out with a bullet. His heart carved out and left in his hands."

The Panda's heart wants to jump out of her chest. The last two sentences aren't public information. Those details were only known by the other gang leaders. The way he said it with such conviction.....

"P-P-Please, understand! I didn't send those men after you!"

Jian's pupils shake. His grandmother had never expressed fear until now.

Bianca's lips open, but close to torture them emotionally.

"D-D-Don't do this, here. I'm trying to figure out who did it too. Please don't hurt Jia!"

"El Segador......I believe she didn't do it."

The red light vanishes to the Panda's relief.

Bianca taps her racket against her knee. "However, someone is guilty and needs to pay. Now who should I pick to remove?"

"If-If you're going to kill someone, choose me. I had nothing to do with this. Just take me far from my sister," Jian volunteers to the others' surprise. 

A man with a triangular brush up of hair at the front steps cautiously. "Master Jian, don't do it! Madame Xianmao, I implore-"

"Take him then. He's been useless to me anyway."

Jian's heart skips a beat. He almost clutches his chest from the ripping sensation inside. His eyes get teary, but he forces his feet to accept his death.

"Consider this a mercy," Orchidea's words halt him. "Hope you get to plug in that leak. What a fun game this all was. Ciao!" She says sweetly before walking away with her men.

Jian's heart becomes frozen just like how he's standing.

"Master Jian, we're glad you're okay. Let's get out of here," his servant tells him.

Xianmao sighs with anger. "I can't believe that jinu (whore). She now has the deadliest man in this country. Find out who did this, Jian. Once you do, end them and get the money back to her," while hobbling to her limo.

Jian couldn't find the strength to walk until his servant guides him into his ride. When the door closes, he stops the tears from streaming down his face. He knew his sister was the favorite, but this broke him. She treated him like a disposable pawn.

Terrifying thoughts cross his mind. She would never give me the reins. I will be stuck in the same position under someone else.

"A drink sounds good right now, Fu. Take me to the nearest bar. Wherever that is."

----

Orchidea's SUV picks up a tan suited man with a bag and a crow mask blocks away. Miguel takes the mask off once Richie got far away.

"Great job," she compliments him.

"Thanks....I feel bad for him."

She tilts her head at him. "Why?"

He grips his knees. "He put himself as a shield only to be thrown away." His eyes ask her if she would ever do that to him. She quickly grasps his hand while gazing into his eyes.

The look in her eyes relieves his heart..... 

He shifts up as her hand grabbed onto his crotch. His member awakens as she nears him. Vanilla perfume invades his nostrils. 

"Found my racket with two balls," she whispers while licking her lips. She returns to her seat to avoid suspicion from Richie. "To keep things running smoothly, let's head out to my club tonight. I will invite Seamus and Vlad so they can meet our new asset."

"Understand," Richie says.

She sees Miguel has turned his head away from her. She smirks from how cute he is while wrapped around her finger. Yet, he has her feeling the same way.