The Ones I Hate The Most

chapter twenty seven

The dinner sure is awkward. I am currently sitting in my seat, munching a slice of pizza and trying to find conversation starters, but my father beats me to it.

"I have come to a decision. Ami, I am going to explain everything to you, about the business, as well as your mother, and my divorce. Okay?"

I sit appalled in my chair for a couple of seconds. Out of all the conclusions that my father could have come to, that was not one that I expected. I nod my head in response but add in a small 'yes' since I know that my family expects being addressed properly.

"Your great grandfather established the mafia when he was young, probably sometime in his twenties. He had a... problem with a few of his old friends. The business was an efficient way to kill people. His small gang grew and grew. Then, his wife gave birth to four boys, the oldest one would take over his gang. That just happened to be your grandfather. He did a great job at seizing opportunities, and our alliances grew... but so did our enemies.

"Then, his wife- your grandmother, had me, another two children. Your uncles. I was the oldest, so when I turned eighteen, I took over the mafia. I made it into what it is today. Dangerous. Of course, I have six sons, and you, meaning that there is no rush for Alex to take over. However, when that day comes, he is fully prepared, with Alec as his second in command. Any questions so far?"

My mouth is agape, and I can't think of any reaction. For a couple of seconds, my mouth opens and closes, trying to say something. Anything.

"Why did you and mum divorce?" That is my first question, and I guess that it was a sensitive subject for the entire table, since they all exchanged some very knowing looks, contemplating whether or not they should tell me.

"Well, she claimed that the mafia wasn't a place where a little girl should grow up. Of course, I disagreed. I knew that we could keep you safe. But Vivian was adamant, so when we filed the divorce, she did not receive custody over you and took you illegally. We spent ten years looking tirelessly for you."

I turn to my mum, who sits, looking ashamed of herself. Her head is looking down, and I am sure that she is ashamed that it was announced publicly. I look at my brothers, trying to gauge their reactions to this news, but all of them seem like this is no surprise.

A lot of mean death glares are being sent at my mother.

"Is that true?" I ask my mum. The woman I loved most in the entire world. The one I cried to when I was sad. The one I always relied on. My voice comes out shaky and is filled with anger.

She nods her head tiredly, and I don't know what to think.

"Vivian didn't notice that you had injuries after coming home from school. She didn't notice that you needed a tutor for maths. She didn't notice that your old friends were mean to you and didn't include you in anything. She didn't notice how desperate you were to find out the truth regarding me and your brothers. If I wanted it, Vivian would have a life sentence in prison for neglect and kidnapping." My father's threat is not nice at all, and my mother doesn't seem to think so either, since she stands up to face her ex-husband.

"Do not sit here causally like you own this place, and threaten me." She directs her finger at his face from across the table.

He chuckles, as do all of my brothers, and in sync, they swirl the goblets of alcohol around the cup's rim. "Oh, but my dearest Vivian. I do own this place, and on top of that, the entire fucking country is currently sitting under my hold. Do. Not. Test. Me."

"Anyway, teroso, where were we?" My father ponders for a second, before seemingly remembering. Sweetheart. "We only kill those who owe us things or are bad people. Of course, we do own other styles of business, like drug trafficking, and weapon companies, however, our mafia is very against human trafficking. Your two uncles and their boys- your cousins, are also deeply involved in the business and are coming to our home in a few days, to see you again, as well as your grandparents. They were very unhappy to find out that we had been keeping you from them."