Guns and Roses

Thirty Three ~ Quinn

Offensive language used.

My neck is stiff as I come to about ten hours earlier than I would have liked. Rya mumbles something in her sleep and I stroke her damp hair back from her face. She frowns and grips onto my trouser leg.

I'm sitting with my back on the headboard and shes got her head on my lap. She probably got about half an hour of sleep last night after I managed to get her to stop shaking.

The last person I saw that distraught was my mother when we got the news that dad had been killed. I just hope Rya can recover like Mum never did.

A shrill sound makes me jump and Rya groans as she sits up. "I fucking hate that sound" she grunts as she grabs her phone and turns off the alarm. "Is it Tuesday?"

"Yep" I tell her, my voice is rough from sleep. I try to stretch out my neck as she gets up and starts to look for her uniform. "What are you doing?" I ask her.

She drapes her clothes over her arm and then starts running her fingers through her hair. "I'm going to go for a shower and then get dressed"

I stare at her in disbelief. "Rya, you can't go to school. You have to be at home to grieve"

She laughs "What do you think I was doing this morning?" She asks me as if it's the most obvious thing in the world. "I know it's hard for you to understand but in this house, there's no time for grief. Especially not when everything's going to shit"

I stand up and walk over to her. "Rya. What you saw this morning was traumatic and you've just lost someone close to you. No one will judge you for being upset by that"

She presses her lip together. "In this house they would"

****

I sit at breakfast and immediately feel the change in atmosphere. Lisa is nowhere to be seen and neither is Artie. Rafa and Dimitri are discussing something in Russian and Mika is on her phone, distracted.

Other than Rafa and Dimitri's quiet voices, the room is silent. Usually by this time Alexander has cracked a joke that has pissed off Rafa or Mika and Rya have gotten into some sort of argument.

Galya walks in with Rya and I'm still disturbed by Rya's composure. When Dad died I couldn't bring myself to get out of bed for days and even after that, I wouldn't have even thought about having a conversation about business which I believe Rya and Galya are talking about.

Rya sees me and then glares at the two men talking in the corner. "What have I said? Speak a language everyone can understand or dont speak at all"

Rafa narrows his eyes "Something bothering you Rya?" Rya refuses to answer him and sits herself next to me to pour herself some cereal. "Everyone in this house is too goddamn emotional"

Galya tuts. "Now Rafa, its early. Let's at least wait until everyone has something in their stomachs before we have a brawl in the kitchen"

Switch walks in and jumps up to sit on the counter. He shakes his head "What a night" he says to no one in particular.

Dimitri smirks and I suddenly get a horrible feeling that something going to go down. "I see Daddy Guerreiro has struck again"

Rya freezes beside me and I grab her knee to try and calm her. "And what's that supposed to mean? You think that Dad killed Alexander?"

Dimitri shrugs "I'm just saying, if you wanted to impress the Russian mafia, taking out the trash would be a good way to go about it"

Rya takes a deep breath "He's been dead not even six hours. I recommend you watch your mouth"

Rafa smiles at her and Mika puts her phone down. "He's starting again. Taking out all trace of his failed reign"

Dimitri nods in agreement. "He started with your whore of a mother, then the Italian scum he called a brother. Next is the faggot and then it will be his daughter who can't even shoot"

"What the fuck?" Switch yells and I jump. I've never seen him angry and even though I knew he was violent, I'd never seen this side of him. "Who the fuck for you think you are to come in here and say shit like that?"

Rya jumps to her feet and her bowl spills over. "Are you trying to get yourself killed? I dont give a fuck you who are, you do not disrespect my family ever again or you'll wish I killed you here and now"

He smiles, completely unaffected by the threats. "What are you going to do? Shoot me?"

I grab Rya's arm "We should go" I tell her, my voice shaking.

Rafa scoffs "What's Daddy going to do with your little pet once you're dead?"

Switch grabs his jacket off the back of a chair and looks at the two of us. "I'll drop you off" he says and storms out of the kitchen.

Mika gets to her feet and I dont even realise she's moved until Rya picks up a knife and launches it at her. Rya slides another knife from the block and turns back to a cowering Mika, the knife having only missed her by a hairs breadth and had actually pinned a few strands of blonde hair to the cupboard door. "I'm going to go and when I get back, I want you all to have found a way back to Russia or for you to have a fucking amazing reason for why I should let you stay"