The Killer Fix

Chapter 17

Hanging with her insomnious head above a steaming cup of coffee, Sofia stares at the empty seat in front of her. For the first time since she lost Noah, she finds herself in their regular corner booth at Gigi's. Her arms stretched out across the table, she plucks at the ends of her mustard colored sweater. Her distant mind has reduced the people around her to a vague blur. Other than occasionally blinking, her body feels incapable of movement, to a point where she fears she might sink into a coma. The loud music entering her mind through her earphones does its job of dissociating her from the world. So much so that when Riley sits down in the empty seat she's been staring at, it doesn't seem to reach her. Only when Riley leans over and pulls one of the earphones out does she return to the world of the aware. 

'Morning.' Riley smiles gently. 'You look like you should be drinking that coffee.' 

Finally able to move, Sofia sits back and wraps her hands around the cup. 

'Did you sleep at all?' Riley enquires, now genuinely concerned. 

As Sofia opens her mouth, it takes her a moment of effort before she manages to actually produce sound. 'I remember closing my eyes... but then my mind started racing, and what felt like hours passed, and then I opened my eyes and three minutes had gone by. The rest of the night was pretty much a repeat of those three minutes.' 

As Sofia begins to sip her coffee, Riley ruminates possible responses, finally deciding none would help. 'I talked to Bryn and Alice. Bryn is in Vermont for the day, she'll be back tonight. Alice has some business to take care of but will be at the Wolf later.' 

Nodding slightly, Sofia gazes out the window, still feeling far away. Like her body returned to the ground but her mind is still floating somewhere above the table. 

'Sof... we should talk about last night. I really need you to explain some things to me.' 

Taking a deep breath, Sofia turns to face Riley. 'Yeah, I know.' She pauses as she takes another sip of her coffee, no longer afraid to tell Riley the truth, but still not sure how to phrase any of her thoughts. 'I wanted to tell you before, I should have. The reason why that drug dealer from last night knew me, and feared me, as every criminal in this city does, is because of my family. I know you think all our families are corrupt, well... not one as much as mine.' 

'I'm not sure I know what you mean...' Riley expresses, almost afraid to want to know more. 

'My family's company is a front for the Korean organized crime syndicate here in the States.' As difficult as it had seemed before, just as easily does Sofia manage to blurt it out now. Desperately she tries to read Riley, looking to spy a reaction. But Riley remains perfectly still, expressionless, as she processes. 'The women in my family have been leaders of the Korean... mafia, for years. Dating back I don't know how many years, originating in the old country.' Sofia explains, hoping to help Riley understand further. She still experiences difficulty using the word mafia to address her family's business. 

'The women? So...?' Riley suggests carefully. 

'Yes, that means me. While my brother was meant to run the official family company, I spent my life being trained to... lead the underbelly of it. That's why that guy did everything I asked, because he knew one word from me could mean his end otherwise.' 

Breathing deeply, Riley sits back, staring at her hands as she thinks. 'I'm so sorry, Sofia. I spent years complaining about my parents wanting me to join the family business, and all the while your parents were forcing you to become a criminal. I can't even imagine...'

'So you don't hate me?' Sofia asks.

'Why would I hate you?'

'Because you're a good person. And I may not be now, but someday I'm going to be a horrible person, do horrible things...'