Vengeance (Updating Weekly)

Part 13

I sit at the dining table beside Atticus and across from Angelis, the five of us preparing for our meal. Atticus invited me along again, seeking a redo for last week's debacle. It's already going better than last time. The room is far less tense. I'm not sure if that's because we've already met once before, or because I'm in a better mood.

Atticus and I spent all afternoon going over my plan. I'm more convinced it'll work than Atticus is, but he's been tainted by a million failed attempts. It definitely is something worth trying. We haven't been able to come up with anything better yet, anyway. It's going to take a few days to organise. It's complicated and convoluted. We're going to need people outside the family to help us. Atticus is handling most of it. All I have to do is write a letter, which we'll get to tomorrow.

"I'm so glad you came back," Catarina takes a sip of her wine. "We never have people over for dinner."

"Your friends are here all the time," Santos points out.

"But never for dinner. You always kick them out when you're back from the office."

"That's because I want to have dinner with you," he explains. Catarina shakes her head. "It's only a matter of time before we have kids and don't get any time to ourselves anymore."

"Don't worry, bro," Angelis shoots him a cheeky grin. "I'll look after your kids if it means you can make more."

"Please," Santos scoffs. "You're not going to want to be interrupted when you have a wife of your own."

"Well, I don't have any wedding plans, so we're good for now."

"Hey, that can change," Atticus points out. "Whenever you're ready."

"Nah, I'm too young for that shit," he shakes his head. "I'll try my own luck first, before you go setting me up."

"Is that usually how it works?" I ask. I'm not sure if it's rude, but I do anyway. "You won't have an arranged marriage unless you ask for it?

"That's right, yes," Santos responds. "There's an expectation for us to get married, and there's always a few people we've been recommended to marry, but if we find someone else, that's okay, too."

"So you don't already know who you're going to marry?" I glance at Atticus and Angelis.

"Nope," Angelis shakes his head. "I don't want to get married at all."

"You'll change your mind," Santos says. "You need to give it more time."

The brothers bicker. Santos is clearly the most conventional. Angelis on the other hand, likes to cause trouble. I don't know where Atticus stands on this, but I can't help but feel strangely relieved that he doesn't already have someone waiting for him.

"I always knew I wanted an arranged marriage," Catarina interrupts the boys.

"That's because you had a good example," Angelis snickers. Vassilis had more wives than I can count. The first one or two might have been arranged, but I'm sure they gave up after that. They all would've met the same fate my mother did.

"You still kept me waiting a while," Santos gives his wife a pointed look.

"Hey, I agreed straight away!" she defends, a cocky smirk appearing on her face "It just took me a few years to make my way over here. A girl's gotta have fun, you know?"

"Oh, I see," I laugh. I like Catarina. I thought she would be too ditsy for me, but she's great.

"What about you?" she turns to me. "Do you have anyone back home?"

"Nope," I shake my head. "I didn't really have time to date."

"What about that neighbour of yours?" Angelis' words catch me off guard. "What was his name again? Something with J?"

"Jeremy," Atticus reminds him. Great. Of course, they know. If they were working with Simpson to keep me safe, it would only make sense for them to keep tabs on me.

"Oh, who's this?" Catarina lifts her eyebrows up and down suggestively.

"Nobody," I wave them off. "It was nothing. I just saw him a few times."

"A few times?" Angelis scoffs. "You were there every week."

"No, it was... I don't know... casual?" My attempts to be discreet are destroyed by Angelis' big mouth.

"So you were friends with benefits?"

"Something like that."

"Hell yes," Catarina grins. "We've got another slut on our hands. I knew we'd be good friends."

Oh, god. This is so embarrassing. I pour myself more wine.

"Alright, that's enough," Atticus speaks up. "Let's change the subject."

"Great idea," I jump on board. Time to get to the important stuff. "I see you guys have been keeping tabs on me."

"Uh-oh," Angelis says. He turns to Atticus. "She didn't know?"

"No, I figured," I chuckle. I didn't mean for it to be an accusation. "I was just curious what else you know about me."

"We know you're top of your class at law school," Santos tells me. He pauses when a team of waiters enter to deliver us our food — a calamari dish with another feta salad. Santos continues once they're gone. "We didn't know how well you could fight."

"I think that took us all by surprise," Angelis jokes.

"Your fighting skills are just another reason why would be a great asset to the family."

"Santos," Atticus drops his fork down on his plate, scolding his brother. Santos responds to him in Greek, and the two have a conversation with words I don't understand.

"It's okay," I interrupt. I'll listen to his pitch. I'd rather get it over and done with so we can enjoy this dinner without any more bickering. "I just don't understand what I would be doing here. I don't even know what you guys do all day."

"Atticus and I work, Angelis drinks, and Catarina does whatever she wants," Santos explains. Angelis scowls at him but doesn't protest.

"And what would you want me to do?"

"Join our legal team."

"But I'm not a lawyer."

"You're close enough. Qualifications are unnecessary here. You're clearly capable enough," he tells me. "If you were back home, what would you want to be doing?"

"Well, I wanted to go to Harvard Law and work for a Big Four, but because of the whole situation with Vassilis, I can't do that anymore, so I figure I'll end up working at a community law firm once I pass the bar."

"And you'd be happy with that — working in petty crimes instead of corporate law?"

"I don't know," I admit. "It's not idea, but my options are limited."

"We're giving you another one," Santos responds. "Work for our legal team in whatever type of law you prefer, work the hours you want, live on a private island, and get paid twice as much as you would elsewhere."

Alright, I see the appeal. But I would still be working for a criminal organisation, a mafia, who I've fought against for years.