Ecstasy

07

"Oh there you are Flower I need to talk to you,". Mateo says as he moves his hand to make a gesture telling me to follow him. We walk down the corridors until we reach a big black door that is around 7 feet tall. Of course, they have to have the most gigantic door I've ever seen making this chat seem even more intimidating. 

I nervously swallow as I enter only the see multiple big tall brown bookshelves filled to the brim with books old books my nerves were replaced with fascination as I scan the room seeing all the different books even though they have an old edge to them they make the room look more airy more feel and it has that old wooden smell that makes me calmer. But that moment was over when he put his hand on my shoulder.

"It's nice right I went to a lot of places over the years and brought back books as souvenirs you can take one if you want," he says not noticing how tense I've gotten since he put his hand there. I look up at him giving him a smile and nodding my head as I try to focus on anything else but his hand.

Just ignore it.

"You worthless!-". No, you're fine.

He was just being polite.

He clears his throat mumbling a sorry as he tells me to sit in one of his empty chairs in front of his desk.

"I just want to talk to you about the house rules and everything that you need to follow as you live here okay?" he says looking me in the eyes and studying me trying to figure me out. I nod my head.

"First of all are you comfortable I know this must be a lot for you to deal with having to move from home to home but your stay here is permanent alright?" he asks. 

"Yes, I understand," I say my voice barely above a whisper from my throat being so hoarse and my nails hurting from snapping them so much. A bad habit I've had since I was young.

He looks at me with a particular look in his eye that I can't seem to make out right now. 

"For right now I want to explain to you what happened in the alley you saw us in. As you know we are in something dangerous. But that was before we knew you were alive. I want you to get comfortable around the house and around us before I tell you what happened with our parents but I wanted to tell you that we are a part of the Italian Mafia." he says his face turning serious as he explains everything I've been questioning. 

Oh.

Great. Of course, they are why does the universe hate me so much now I'm going to get killed off but I'll be in peace then because there is nobody coming to my funeral except granny but she'll try to kill me in my casket for getting killed in the first place.

"I know this must freak you out but our father was the Don of the Mafia and now I am. It's a family tradition until it repeats again and again," he says eyeing me in concern probably thinking I'll do something. I mean I know I can be stupid but trying to go up against 8 men that are all at least 6 ft tall would not be best. I mean I'll have a better chance at going up against two drunk men in a club. So I just nod again giving him a fake genuine smile so he won't be so trigger-happy around me. 

"So for the rules, I want you to know that everybody in this house has a role to play in doing things like chores and going on errand runs for the house but for the first few weeks of you here I want you to rest but you will have to start school we'll get into that later,".

Rule number one: You will get all your schoolwork done before doing anything.

Rule number two: There will be no fighting but if there is you will give yourself a few hours to calm down and then you will apologize same goes for everyone.