Who really killed Wanda Day! - Wedding Bells (DAY! Series Book 2)

Chapter 9 - A Night, A Name, And Nasty News

Milosz Szymanski was born on a night so magical, it's a wonder he didn't arrive with a halo and a harp! As his dear mother, Malgorzata, was busy ushering him into the world, she noticed a shooting star streaking across the sky. In her moment of sheer agony and perhaps a touch of delirium, she managed to squeeze in a wish – that her little 'Milo' would grow up to be an angel.

Despite their humble beginnings in that cozy, cramped two-room apartment, young Milo and his four sisters were showered with an abundance of parental love and the literary riches that awaited them at the local library, where their mother worked. While most kids were busy playing hide and seek, the Szymanski clan was busy getting their Dickens and Poe on.

Little Milo was the scrawny shrimp among the school sharks! Being the constant target of older students' taunts and jeers had been enough to make the boy cry every single night. And when his sister tried to step in and defend his honor, well, that just added insult to injury. But Milo's parents had a secret weapon up their sleeve – a little thing called martial arts. Through friends, they managed to snag Milo a spot at the local dojo, where he could finally channel all that pent-up frustration into some good old-fashioned butt-kicking.

In a mere six months, Milo had transformed into a lean, mean, karate-chopping machine. And when that brave (or perhaps foolish) teenager decided to challenge him to a fight, little Milo must have had the element of surprise on his side, because he emerged victorious! Milo strutted home, chest puffed out, while his doting mother whipped up his favorite dish, Kaczka z jabłkami (that's duck with apples, for all you non-Polish speakers). And as Milo lay in bed that night, basking in the glory of his triumph, he felt like he could take on the entire school bully population single-handedly.

But, oh, the cruel, fickle hand of fate! Just when young Milo was feeling on top of the world, riding high after his triumphant victory, the universe decided to pull the rug right out from under him just a day later. In a cruel twist of events, his dad, who was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time, met an untimely demise when he was struck by a car fleeing the police.

Soon, the mother could no longer afford the rent, and the only option she had was to sublet one of her rooms. From that day on, the family's nightly slumber party had a whole new meaning, as all six members squeezed into one cozy room, like sardines in a tin can. Young Milo, determined to be the hero of the household, made a silent vow to one day become a championship fighter, all in the hopes of earning enough to buy his mom a mansion.

As the years ticked by, Milo became a training machine, pumping iron and perfecting his signature moves - the Spinning Backfist of Doom, the Atomic Wedgie Takedown, and the dreaded Wet Willy Submission Hold. Finally, at the ripe old age of 17, his coach decided it was time to throw him into the lion's den. Milo stepped into the spotlight, ready to show the world his mighty skills. But the other guy must have been taking lessons from a silverback gorilla because poor Milo ended up on the receiving end of a beatdown that would make both Klitschkos wince.

With his self-confidence shattered, Milo trudged home through the dark streets, a storm of anger brewing within. How dare he, the supposed 'man of the house,' be unable to provide his family with anything better than a glorified bug motel?

Feeling the weight of the world on his shoulders, Milo decided a change of scenery was in order. Instead of walking home, he turned right and headed for a well-known pub in the village, known to the locals only as 'Dom Umarłych' – The House of the Dead. The owner of this fine establishment was a fellow by the name of Czeslaw Sablonski, or as he was more commonly referred to, 'Śmierć' - which, in the local tongue, translated to 'Death.'

Now, Śmierć wasn't an average barkeeper; he also moonlighted as the neighborhood's premier drug dealer, with a criminal empire that stretched far beyond the borders of Poland. His gang of merry men was stealing cars all across Europe and then reselling them piece by piece, like a macabre automotive jigsaw puzzle. While Milo wasn't exactly thrilled about getting in touch with Śmierć and his shady crew, the word on the street was that the man paid handsomely for certain... services.