Mafia Lover

Chapter Thirteen: Heir to an Empire

Our parents were still warm in their graves as Jasper and I took control of an empire. I followed Jasper's requests to keep all of the businesses on a lockdown for now. I joined the team heading the investigation mostly. I joined Henry with meetings with the Chief of Police and the FBI. They had confirmed the identity of the man as Kane Ito, an Asian-American man aged thirty-three. He had come to the state about six months ago but he had taken up no work. His apartment showed a wall dedicated to my family. He had been following us very closely.
"A hitman maybe?" I wondered aloud. 
"It's possible. We're looking to see if he's part of the Golden Tigers. They're a group that we have been keeping tabs on for a little while now."
"I have a meeting with the vice president of Francois Publishing. Will you keep me updated?" I asked, standing. Everyone else stood too. 
"Of course, Miss Francois. And once again, you have our sincerest apologies for your loss. Matthew was a great man, aided by a lovely lady." I shook hands with everyone then left with Henry and my updated security detail.
My detail had shifted from my lovely gang of five of Tsuki, Blake, Jacob, Alex and Max to a new group. I had kept Tsuki and Blake but now I was to have Lillian, Tobias and Lydia from my mother and father's details. Jasper too had an updated detail. All of the guards on our detail were now the best of the best. Ex-military, trained in martial arts or self-defence, perfect gunmen and extremely experienced. I had never felt safer but the deaths of my parents had been a blow. However, I felt stronger for it.

I had my meeting with the vice president of the publishing business who again gave his condolences and agreed to postpone opening the business to more clients and staff. We were keeping it locked down as best as possible. After this meeting, Tsuki and Henry left the detail so as to update the rest of the members and Jasper. Lillian took me to my next destination with Tobias, Blake and Lydia. We stopped at a tattoo parlour. Lillian paused and checked the address on the satnav.
"I'm so sorry we seem to be at the wrong place..." She said with a frown.
"No, this is it," Everyone looked at me in surprise. I smiled and shrugged. "I'm a part of this now. No going back."
They were surprised but they didn't protest as they followed me into the parlour where the guy called Leon was already waiting for me. I told him what I wanted and he nodded then told me I would have to undress for this. I paused and looked at my detail.
"We will wait outside," Blake said, nodding to Tobias. They left and stood outside the door to the parlour. 
"We're going nowhere. We have the same bits and bobs. You'll have to live with it." Lillian said with a shrug. I smiled.
"I didn't say anything." I took off my suit skirt, thankful to be wearing a pretty matching lilac bralette and thong set. I then rolled my shirt up and lay down on the black leather chair.

Damn, a tattoo is not an easy thing to get. Addictive though? Kinda. Art? Absolutely. And the finished product? A stem with two roses on and a snake climbing up the stem going from the side of my thigh up to my ribcage. It took forever. Lillian ensured I was well stocked up on iced coffee which the boys went to get for me. I put my headphones on and listened to music while Leon did the outline. He took a break and got his colleague to do the whites and lights. We didn't get to finish it first session but after two more trips, it was done and it looked fabulous. Hurt like hell though. For me, it felt like I belonged. I truly felt like my parents' daughter. 

The third session, it was finally done and I knew who I wanted to see the finished product. Tsuki had no idea of what I had been doing for the past trips. He had let Max take his place in my detail while he worked closely with Henry. So after the third trip, I went back to the house and dismissed my detail. I knew they would still keep an eye out for me vaguely but I needed to find Tsuki and show him my new tattoo... Something that would require a little bit of privacy. 
I went straight to the dining room, where Henry's task force was arranging their investigation. However, he wasn't there.
"Where's Tsuki?" I asked Henry.
"He got a phone call. Think he's upstairs."
"Any new developments?" Henry shook his head.
"None that I'm aware of." I nodded and left the room. I went up the stairs and listened. I could hear a voice. I followed it to my father's study. The door was shut but I could hear Tsuki's voice talking. I put my hand on the doorknob to open it and then stopped when I heard my name.
"Aria was in huge danger! No! I'm out of this. You were never supposed to do this. It was a search and listen mission only. You failed. If she finds out, she'll never forgive me..." A silence as someone spoke back. I couldn't hear their end. I held my breath. "You killed her parents. You just started a war and I'm slap bang in the middle of it!" Another pause. "What am I supposed to do? I risk getting exposed from the Golden Tigers. You can't trust anyone in it!" My stomach fell fifty feet. I felt like I was going to cry or be sick or both. As it turns out, my stomach flipped and I dropped my bag and ran for it. I made it to my ensuite bathroom and vomited into the toilet. It went on and on. I couldn't breathe. Someone held my hair back but I pushed their hands away.
When it was over, I managed to get up. I looked at him. He looked horrified. I reached into my suit jacket and pulled the gun out, flicking the safety off. I pointed straight at him. 
"You have ten minutes. Five to explain then five to run." I pointed straight to his chest. Tsuki raised his hands. Tears were falling down his face. 
"My father is Kenji Li, head of the Golden Tigers. I'm his son and the heir to the gang. Our fathers met for the first time at the charity ball where I met you. The shooter that night was from our gang."
"What the fuck?" Tsuki bit his lip then continued.
"He was supposed to take Jasper out. He failed. He was taken down by your security. My father saw the next plan would be for someone to get close to the family. It was made easy by the fact your father was hiring guards who were well trained and well experienced. Made even easier if that person was me who had been trained to take over an empire. Your father thought my age would help you to listen to me more. What no one expected was for me to fall for you."
"And the second charity ball? Three minutes." 
"It was never supposed to happen. I don't even know what happened myself but yes... The shooter and the bomber were from the Golden Tigers."
"Times up."
"Aria! Please...!" I took a deep breath and looked Tsuki in the eye.
"You killed my parents. You tried to take out my brother. And I fell in love with you. You dare even have the audacity to stand in front of me? Get. Out. Before I kill you. Run." Tsuki looked at me with genuine fear in his eyes. He then turned and fled. I shot the wall and collapsed to the floor. I broke down. 
"Aria!" Blake burst in with Lillian, Henry, Tobias, Max and Lydia behind him. As they swept the room with their guns out, Blake knelt beside me. "What happened? Who was here?"
"It was Tsuki."
"Wait... You shot at Tsuki?" Blake looked genuinely anxious as I looked straight at him, the tears still falling.
"He was the one behind the shooting. He killed my parents."