Chapter One: Unfair
"Mia, get up sweetheart. You need to get ready for class," said a familiar voice. I woke up and seen my mom sitting at the side of my bed, stroking my hair. It's such a struggle waking up in the morning. I looked at the time and sprung out of bed. "Why didn't you wake me up earlier?!" I yelled. "What are you talking about love? It's only 7:30am," she laughed.
I rushed into the bathroom and brushed my teeth while coming out and heading towards my closet to put on my clothes. "No mom! I was suppose to meet my professor at 8am to give him my extra credit assignment!" I ran down the hall. "Whoa Mia! Where are you going in such a hurry?" asked Cardo, as he stopped me. Uncle Cardo, also known as me and Carlo's godfather. Cardo has been by dad's side since God-knows when.
He's like dad's right hand, bestfriend and brother. "I'm late with meeting my professor, Uncle Cardo," I added. "Ahh, okay bella, stay in school," he said. I continued running down the hall, waving him goodbye. I passed by dad's office and then stopped in my tracks. I decided to retrace my steps backwards as I noticed Carlos was in the office along with my father. I walked towards the doorway.
"Figlio, there's just somethings I haven't taught you yet that I think you're ready to learn," said Luca. "You know I'm ready, dad. I'm ready for anything," said Carlos. "Principessa, shouldn't you be heading to class?" asked dad, as he noticed me standing by the door way. "Oh— uh, I was just wondering what Carlos was doing in here?" I asked.
"I'm just preparing Carlos for what's expected when he becomes leader, after me," he continued. "Can you prepare me too? I should know what to expect also, right?" I asked. Carlos and my dad looked at each other. "Sis, this is dangerous shit—" said Carlos. "Carlos you know your mother hates swearing—" added dad. "—Sorry. Look Mia, you know this isn't just some walk in the park.. This is Mafia duties we're talking about. It's not safe," said Carlos.
"Dad taught you just as much as he taught me. I learned how to shoot and to fight," I argued. "Principessa, it's not just about defending yourself, it's about surviving. This isn't just a normal business baby girl, this is Mafia business," said dad. I rolled my eyes. "You're going to thank me for not involving you," he continued. "But don't you see, Papà? I'm already involved! Since the day you became the leader of this Mafia, since the day you and Mamma decided to have Carlos and I. I'm just as much in this as Carlos," I said as I turned around and walked out.
~~
"Mia?" I called out, as I watched her stormed out her father's office. Luca looked at me. "Carlos, I'll meet with you later," he said. Carlos left. "Esme, she's been talking about it again," he continued. I folded my arms and sat on the arm of his leather chair. "Luca you know she's going to have to learn these things too," I said. "But she's my little girl—" he said. "—Who isn't a little girl anymore," I added.
"You know that if anything were to happen to the both of us, Mia and Carlos are going to need each other. Although Carlos seems capable of handling business on his own, he would possibly need a right hand like how you have Cardo," I continued. "Esme, I can't allow Mia to be apart of this dirty business. It's just not right. Look at my father, he kept Alivia safe, and he hasn't involved her mentally and physically in the business we do. This is a man's job," Luca said, sternly.
"Not until he thought she was capable enough of handling her own. Look at Alivia now, she's in Sicily with your cousin's handling business," I argued. "ESME, THIS IS MY FUCKING DAUGHTER AND I WON'T ALLOW THIS!" he said as he slammed his fist down on the desk. I flinched, but then raised an eyebrow at Luca. "Well, I just think, anything a man can do, a woman can do too," I said as I walked out his office door.
~~
I pulled into the parking lot of the university. Grabbed my books from the passengers seat and my bag. "Miaaa!" I heard someone called my name. It was my bestfriend Avery. Avery and I have been bestfriends since middle school, and she's always been by my side through thick and thin. The realest bitch, and someone I can trust with my life. That's the definition of a 'Ride or Die'.
"Hey Avery. You know you didn't have to come so early for me," I said. "Pft, and miss out the chance of being alone with our sexy professor? I think not," she said. I rolled my eyes and laughed. "Avery, you know that I'll still be there, right? And besides, I don't think faculty allow students to have relationships with their professors... Sexually," I said.
"What they don't know, won't hurt," she replied. I laughed, "C'mon, I have to hand in this extra credit assignment to him." Avery and I walked into the university and to our class to meet our professor.
As we walked towards the lecture theater, Avery pulled the door to open, but it was locked. I looked at my watch. "He's probably running a bit late," said Avery. "I guess," I replied. We waited. Avery studied my face, "What's wrong Mia?" I looked at her. "Oh it's nothing," I replied. "Did something happened at home?" she asked. I sighed. "I brought it up to my dad again," I told her. Avery widened her eyes and looked around. "You mean, the Mafia thing?" she whispered. I nodded at her.
"He told me that I'll thank him for not involving me. I told him that I'm already involved the moment he became leader, and when he had Carlos and I, " I vented. "I stormed out on him because I felt like he isn't treating me equally like how he treats Carlos and that I'd have to prove myself worthy of taking on such a huge role," I continued. "A huge role on what?" A familiar voice added.
"Good morning Ryder," called out Avery. "Good morning, Mr. Dellucci," I followed. "Now Mia, you know I told everyone to call me Ryder," he said. "Sorry—," I apologized as I tucked my hair behind my ear. He smirked. "Let's go into the lecture theater so you can hand in that extra credit assignment for me," he smiled as he unlocked and held the door open for Avery and I.
I rushed into the bathroom and brushed my teeth while coming out and heading towards my closet to put on my clothes. "No mom! I was suppose to meet my professor at 8am to give him my extra credit assignment!" I ran down the hall. "Whoa Mia! Where are you going in such a hurry?" asked Cardo, as he stopped me. Uncle Cardo, also known as me and Carlo's godfather. Cardo has been by dad's side since God-knows when.
He's like dad's right hand, bestfriend and brother. "I'm late with meeting my professor, Uncle Cardo," I added. "Ahh, okay bella, stay in school," he said. I continued running down the hall, waving him goodbye. I passed by dad's office and then stopped in my tracks. I decided to retrace my steps backwards as I noticed Carlos was in the office along with my father. I walked towards the doorway.
"Figlio, there's just somethings I haven't taught you yet that I think you're ready to learn," said Luca. "You know I'm ready, dad. I'm ready for anything," said Carlos. "Principessa, shouldn't you be heading to class?" asked dad, as he noticed me standing by the door way. "Oh— uh, I was just wondering what Carlos was doing in here?" I asked.
"I'm just preparing Carlos for what's expected when he becomes leader, after me," he continued. "Can you prepare me too? I should know what to expect also, right?" I asked. Carlos and my dad looked at each other. "Sis, this is dangerous shit—" said Carlos. "Carlos you know your mother hates swearing—" added dad. "—Sorry. Look Mia, you know this isn't just some walk in the park.. This is Mafia duties we're talking about. It's not safe," said Carlos.
"Dad taught you just as much as he taught me. I learned how to shoot and to fight," I argued. "Principessa, it's not just about defending yourself, it's about surviving. This isn't just a normal business baby girl, this is Mafia business," said dad. I rolled my eyes. "You're going to thank me for not involving you," he continued. "But don't you see, Papà? I'm already involved! Since the day you became the leader of this Mafia, since the day you and Mamma decided to have Carlos and I. I'm just as much in this as Carlos," I said as I turned around and walked out.
~~
"Mia?" I called out, as I watched her stormed out her father's office. Luca looked at me. "Carlos, I'll meet with you later," he said. Carlos left. "Esme, she's been talking about it again," he continued. I folded my arms and sat on the arm of his leather chair. "Luca you know she's going to have to learn these things too," I said. "But she's my little girl—" he said. "—Who isn't a little girl anymore," I added.
"You know that if anything were to happen to the both of us, Mia and Carlos are going to need each other. Although Carlos seems capable of handling business on his own, he would possibly need a right hand like how you have Cardo," I continued. "Esme, I can't allow Mia to be apart of this dirty business. It's just not right. Look at my father, he kept Alivia safe, and he hasn't involved her mentally and physically in the business we do. This is a man's job," Luca said, sternly.
"Not until he thought she was capable enough of handling her own. Look at Alivia now, she's in Sicily with your cousin's handling business," I argued. "ESME, THIS IS MY FUCKING DAUGHTER AND I WON'T ALLOW THIS!" he said as he slammed his fist down on the desk. I flinched, but then raised an eyebrow at Luca. "Well, I just think, anything a man can do, a woman can do too," I said as I walked out his office door.
~~
I pulled into the parking lot of the university. Grabbed my books from the passengers seat and my bag. "Miaaa!" I heard someone called my name. It was my bestfriend Avery. Avery and I have been bestfriends since middle school, and she's always been by my side through thick and thin. The realest bitch, and someone I can trust with my life. That's the definition of a 'Ride or Die'.
"Hey Avery. You know you didn't have to come so early for me," I said. "Pft, and miss out the chance of being alone with our sexy professor? I think not," she said. I rolled my eyes and laughed. "Avery, you know that I'll still be there, right? And besides, I don't think faculty allow students to have relationships with their professors... Sexually," I said.
"What they don't know, won't hurt," she replied. I laughed, "C'mon, I have to hand in this extra credit assignment to him." Avery and I walked into the university and to our class to meet our professor.
As we walked towards the lecture theater, Avery pulled the door to open, but it was locked. I looked at my watch. "He's probably running a bit late," said Avery. "I guess," I replied. We waited. Avery studied my face, "What's wrong Mia?" I looked at her. "Oh it's nothing," I replied. "Did something happened at home?" she asked. I sighed. "I brought it up to my dad again," I told her. Avery widened her eyes and looked around. "You mean, the Mafia thing?" she whispered. I nodded at her.
"He told me that I'll thank him for not involving me. I told him that I'm already involved the moment he became leader, and when he had Carlos and I, " I vented. "I stormed out on him because I felt like he isn't treating me equally like how he treats Carlos and that I'd have to prove myself worthy of taking on such a huge role," I continued. "A huge role on what?" A familiar voice added.
"Good morning Ryder," called out Avery. "Good morning, Mr. Dellucci," I followed. "Now Mia, you know I told everyone to call me Ryder," he said. "Sorry—," I apologized as I tucked my hair behind my ear. He smirked. "Let's go into the lecture theater so you can hand in that extra credit assignment for me," he smiled as he unlocked and held the door open for Avery and I.
