How to Date the Gangster

Chapter 1

Pyra Salazar

"Pyra, iha." lola said while lolo was standing beside her. I looked at her face and her eyes were swollen, it looked like she cried.

"Your mom and dad ---" I was waiting for lola to finish her sentence but she wasn't able to when tears started flowing down her face. Lolo tried to calm her down but it seems like she can't fight the tears.

I looked at both of them, they both looked tired. I remember sleeping last night at around 10 pm, it was past my curfew but I was waiting for my parents since they promised that they would tuck me to sleep. I looked around but my parents still weren't around.

I was confused since mom and dad would always be here with me in the morning. It was our daily routine to eat breakfast together. Maybe there was an emergency, maybe lolo and lola knew where they were.

"Lolo, lola ---" I was about to ask them, but it seems like they already know what I was about to ask.

"Pyra, your parents..." I looked at lolo and waited for him to finish his sentence. He sighed deeply and held my hands. I knew lolo as someone who always looked tough, I never saw him shed a tear but this time was different, he was crying. I don't know what's going on but my heart started beating faster than normal.

"They're dead." My gaze was turned to lola when she suddenly spoke and finished lolo's sentence.

"They were killed" the sentence that made the heart of a 5-year-old girl stopped.

"Penny for your thoughts, my lovely cousin?" I was pulled back to reality when I heard Liam's voice. He sat beside me and also asked the bartender for a drink. He's wearing a black eye mask, the one's people wear at masquerade balls. I don't know what happened with his original mask but I was too occupied with my own thoughts to ask.

"You look stupid" I said while he's busy drinking his scotch. He sighed and put down his almost empty drink at the table. He looked worried, why wouldn't he be?

"I want to say happy birthday but with this fucked up family tradition, I can't" Liam looked really pissed and worried at the same time. And yeah, it's my birthday.

"Do you want me to get you out of here? Hayaan na natin na magalit sila lolo" He added. We're the same age but he still treats me like a baby.He's been like that since my parents died, we were 5 years old at that time but he felt like he needed to fill the role of being my older brother. I can handle myself. He knows I can.

"Liam, stop. I've been doing this for the last 3 years. It's family tradition that we must obey" He still looked worried but I think deep down he agrees that we can't do anything but to obey the family rules.

The salazar family tradition, being one of the 5 families who are ruling the underground society, we were obliged to show our strength and bravery on the night of our birthday starting at 18 years old. It's really simple, I just need to stand inside the arena and fight whoever brave soul enters. There are no rules.