Guns and Roses

Fifty Four ~ Rya

Sensitive subjects mentioned

I wake up to someone knocking on my door. Theres a weight around my shoulders and I'm lying on something that's not my mattress.

My eyes open and I see a bare chest. Quinn's bare chest. A smile finds it's way to my face as I carefully sit up, so as to not wake him, and slide out of the bed.

I quickly search for something to put on so I can answer the door. "Two seconds!" I call out as loudly as I can without waking Quinn up. I grab a night shirt from my drawer and throw it over my head before tripping over the bodysuit that nearly ruined everything.

I dont fall but I do stumble and my hand smacks into my dresser. I try not to scream as I realise that it was my broken one.

I hear the door handle turn and then the sound of someone trying to open a locked door.

I tug down the night shirt as far as it will go and then open the door. I step out of the room and close the door behind me before turning to face the guest.

Oh fuck it's my dad.

"Your door was locked," he says with a confused look on his face, "Why would your door be locked?"

I decide that this is not a conversation to be having with my father and lie, "I hadn't even realised I'd done it."

He doesnt look convinced but drops the subject. "How is everything healing?" He asks me.

I shrug and start to roll out my stiff neck. "What is that?" He asks me in Portuguese and that's when I realise I've fucked up.

I slap my hand over what can only be a hickey that hes looking at, "Nothing," I say which only makes me sound even more guilty. "Anyway, so I'm healing fine. Goodbye!" I try to dash back into my room but he grabs my arm to stop me. I close the door again so he doesnt see Quinn and turn back to him.

"Minha," Dad says softly but theres something in his voice that I cant decipher, "No more locked doors."

I cant help the scowl that appears on my face. "What? Why?"

His face becomes hard, "Because I said so. You may be Koroleva now, but I am still your father."

"That's not fair," I cant help but whine, "So I'm old enough to run the fucking mafia but I'm not old enough to have someone in my room with the door locked? Do you realise how fucked up that is?"

"Yes," He says. He reaches out and puts his hand on my shoulder, "But you're my little girl and I want to protect you in any way that I can."

"Then why the fuck did you leave me when Mum was attacked?" I snap and then storm into my room, locking the door behind me.

****

Quinn has went home so his disappearance doesnt arouse suspicion. Kira and Reggie promised to cover for him if anyone wanted to know where he was but they could only do that for so long.

I sit on my bed, picking at the brace on my arm. It should be in a cast but this is all we had. The tip of the scar below pokes out of the end and I trace it with my finger.

After my outburst, I cant stop thinking about the past few weeks and how awful they've been. The thoughts are no longer crushing and although I feel awful thinking about it, it's not overpowering.

The door opens and Mum stands there. "Can we come in?" She asks and I realise that Dad must be with her.

I'm not angry with him anymore. I'm not even sure if I ever was or if everything just got to me.

I nod and they both walk in. Mum sits on the bed beside me and Dad sits by the foot in front of me. I don't look away from the scar on my arm.

Right now is perfect timing to ask about what Sean told me but I'm concerned that I wont like the answer I get.

Mum saying it will make it true and I don't know if I could handle that. Through everything, I held onto the fact that I knew who I was and what I came from. Now, I'm not so sure.

"Sean said something to me yesterday," I say quickly, "About Elijah." I keep all my focus on my arm and the tender skin there, "And about me."

"What did he say Bubbs?" Mum asks me. Theres worry in her voice and I almost dont want to continue but I need to know.

I gulp, "That Elijah is my biological father. That he... that... that he raped you and got you pregnant with me."

Theres silence in the room and my words hang in the air. No one says a word and my heart breaks, "Its true isn't it? He raped you?"

I turn to Mum and see that theres tears in her eyes. She nods and I feel like I've been hit by a train.

She grabs my hands, "He did. But Rya, that was over a year before you were born. It's impossible that you are Elijah's. Viktor is your father and theres no doubt about it."

I pull her into my arms and I can feel myself shaking. I'm so unbelievably relieved but equally horrified that even some of what Sean said was true.

I feel a hand on my back and look up to see my dad, my actual dad, looking back at me. He comes closer and Mum lets me go so I can hug him. "I love you both so much," I whisper into his chest.

"I love you too, minha."