Guns and Roses

Eight ~ Rya

After Quinn leaves, Dad calls me downstairs. When I reach the living room, Mums already putting her boots on and Dad's got his jacket on. "My cousins just arrived at yours" he tells me.

I nod and go to pick up my stuff. I guessed that they would be staying with me and I kind of hoped they wouldn't be.

Dad never spoke about his family. I know his dad was... well, he was Elijah Guerreiro. I know that Italians killed his mother in a raid that was intended to get Alexander back when they were kids.

I looked into his mother a few years back. Natalyla Petrov. Koroleva. She was the last Russian boss which is strange considering it's the Russian Mafia. Her name is known in the media but not her face. I had to ask Lisa for pictures of her. She didn't really look like us. Dad looks a lot like his father.

Natalyla Petrov was one of the most ruthless bosses they're ever was. She still is one of the most respected even generations later.

The Petrovs are never mentioned in the house. I know they run everything in Russia still, but we're in charge. The Guerreiros rule but the Petrovs run things. Or so I've heard.

When we get to the house, I see one of them immediately. A young man, blond hair cut close to his head, blue eyes watching the car as he takes a drag of his cigarette.

When I get out, I smell weed and his eyes never leave mine. They seem to be challenging me to look away first, so I don't. Eventually he drops what's left of his joint and steps on it, looking away to check it's extinguished.

"Rafa Petrov" he introduces as I approach him. "It's great to finally meet you" He speaks in Russian with a thick accent. "My family are inside"

I turn to my parents and mum shrugs with a confused look on her face. She was never really involved in the business. She helped out every now and then but not in the politics of things.

I walk inside first and push the doors open to see them in the foyer. A girl my age sits on one of the bottom steps and her parents stand to the side of her talking to Artie. Everyone's speaking Russian.

The older man with grey hair smiles at me as I walk in. It's a smile I'm all too used to in this business. "You look just like your father don't you?" He says, still in Russian.

"Some would say that" I reply in English. It's my house I'll speak whichever language I please and I would rather that Mum was able to know what was being said. "And you are?"

He chuckles "Dimitri Petrov" he says in English this time but his accent is thick. "This is my wife Galya, she's your father's cousin"

"Is there trouble in Russia" I ask him "Or is this a visit for pleasure"

Galya steps forward and tries to put her hand in my shoulder which I quickly side step. I don't know these people and family or not, I don't trust them yet.

"We only wanted to see our family. You're already 16 and we've never met. Our family is intense, but we're still family" She smiles at me with the same smile her husband gave me as I walked in. Her Russian accent is nearly undetectable but she trips slightly over some words.

I step away from her and start to take off my shoes as I usually do by the door. Lisa hates it when we track mud through the house. I see that none of our guests have taken their shoes off.

"Before this week, I'd never heard anything about you. I knew of your existence of course, but not any details. What makes you come now?" I take off my jacket and hang it up. Mum and Dad have done the same and Dad is watching me with curiosity.

"Rya" He says to me "Why don't you show your guests to their rooms and we can discuss this over dinner?" He speaks to me in Portuguese which no doubt irritates the people in the room. I turn and see that my suspicions were correct as Galya's face has crumpled into one of disgust.

I say "Follow me"

****

Their daughter is named Mika and she is staying in the room next to mine. She seems to be the best at speaking English. You can't even tell that she isn't from the area.

Rafa is staying on the other side of her and hasn't said a word since we first spoke.

Galya and Dimitri are staying along the hall towards Alexander's room and out of my way.

I lay down on my bed and fully intend not to move until someone comes to get me for dinner. I'm already exhausted and they've only been here half an hour maximum.

I've spent my entire life learning how to judge people's character from a single glance but they completely through me off. They've learned the same things and we've also learned how to stop someone from doing that to us.

I don't like it.

Someone knocks on my door and I groan loudly. I was hoping for some more time to myself before someone ruined it.

"Come in" I call out without moving.

Lisa makes her way in and sits down beside me. She strokes my hair off my face and rubs my cheek the way she did when I was little. "You look stressed jagadka" she whispers even though the door is closed. "What's wrong?"

I shake my head "Nothing. Just a lot happening at once"

She smiles at me and kisses my forehead. "Listen to me. You've got your father's blood in your veins And your mother's brain in your head. That will make sure you're okay"