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  Preface

  Maria Santiago Wilson

  New York City 7:36 pm Wednesday April 4th, 2018

  “Devin things are getting pretty bad,” I told him as I put my son Kevin to sleep in his crib. I stood up and gently patted my stomach. The young ones were moving around again. It wouldn’t be too much longer until they would be born. Devin, my loving husband and father of my children, looked up from cleaning his pistol.

  “Maybe but we expected this,” he replied and then he froze. “Are you okay?”

  The question confused me for a second and I reflexively put my hand on my stomach. But I doubted that’s what he was talking about. I sighed and went to sit down on the loveseat because I was starting to feel light headed from standing for so long. Devin had put down his gun and was making his way toward me.

  “I guess I’m just worried about what our children will have to face when they grow up,” I answered finally, as I leaned back in the loveseat. Devin’s expression softened and he sat down beside me, wrapping his arm around my shoulders and pulled me close.

  “They will be fine, Maria,” Devin replied but he didn’t sound completely sure of himself. That started to make me more nervous then I already was. I don’t know if he was doing this on purpose or if he was just doing it absently, but he had started to draw circles on my back with his fingers. We were both silent for a good while, stuck in our own thoughts I guess.

  “We need to do something just in case something was to happen to us,” I said in to the quiet room. My throat felt like I had something caught in it and my eyes were starting to sting. Devin nodded silently but tightened his grip on me. I didn’t want to let him go but we had dug a hole that I’m afraid was too deep for us to get out of without casualties. I don’t think I could stand to lose anyone else.

  If I do die though I want to make sure that I take as many Mafia members with me as possible. I will protect my children and Devin at all costs. With that thought I got up and went over to our little writing desk and pulled out a book of blank pages and a pen. Devin and I will have to write all of the information that they will ever have questions about and all of the proof they need to split the Mafia. The Mafia will pay for what they have done to so many other families.

  After I wrote a couple of things Devin came over and wrote down some things. It would probably be a couple of days to get everything down but we will, and who knows we may not actually have to use it.

  Stephanie Wilson

  New York City 10:35 pm Tuesday December 24th, 2019

  My younger brothers were asleep upstairs and I was sitting on the couch with our grandparents. The TV was turned onto a Christmas special, but we weren’t really watching it. Presents were stuffed under the tree and we had set out cookies and milk. Everything was set, everything that is except for our parents. They had called us and said that they would be late, but this was starting to get ridiculous.

  Even though they tried not to show it, I could tell that our grandparents were starting to get anxious. Grandpa kept glancing at his watch and grandma kept looking at the clock up on the wall. Where were they? Maybe they decided to rent a room and wait till morning to surprise us. I smiled to myself.

  But I was jerked out of my daydreaming when the phone rang. Grandma and Grandpa jump at the sound. Grandma recovered first and went to get the phone that was hanging on the wall in the kitchen. I looked to Grandpa but he just smiled and shrugged his eyes wary and anxious.

  I heard Grandma call for Grandpa, her voice unsteady and detached. Grandpa rushed into the kitchen and I followed him, curious as to what was going on. The first thing I noticed when I entered the kitchen was Grandma crying. The next thing was that Grandma was saying what we had all hoped wouldn’t happen especially tonight. That phone call turned our lives upside down.

  Next thing I knew we were at the hospital with our dying mother. Watching as a bunch of people tried to save her to no avail, hearing the beeping of her heart monitor slow down to a solid blare. It kind of reminded me of the sound of a fire alarm. They couldn’t find my father’s body so they claimed him as dead. I was seven years old when they died…on Christmas day. I was so stunned that I didn’t cry until two days after their funeral.

  Antonio Caine

  Tokyo, Japan 12:00 pm Tuesday December 31st, 2019

  My parents thought it would be a great idea to spend New Years Eve in Tokyo. But I thought it was just an excuse so that dad could go to work. He admitted that work was part of the reason we were going to Tokyo but not the entire reason.

  That day my mom took me around to see the sights and sounds of Tokyo. We went shopping at Ginza, did some karaoke and we went to watch karate and judo. After a while I didn’t feel too bad and began to enjoy myself. We went to the Tokyo Tower, the Asakusa shrine and the Kaminari gate that led to the Sensoji temple.

  It’s kind of strange all of the fun and interesting things I’ve done have been with my mom. The only thing my dad has done for me is put me in different fighting classes and teach me how to use different weapons. I was hoping my dad would spend New Years with us instead of doing work.

  It’s because of my dad’s job that I don’t make any friends. I guess that’s what happens when you are the son of one of the highest ranking leaders of the Mafia. But as long as I had my mom I didn’t care where we went.

  My mom and I went back to our hotel room at 6:00 pm to make supper. My father didn’t come home until late. It was about 10 minutes before New Years Day when there was a knock at the door. My mom got up and went to go answer the door. My father was suspicious as to who it was at such a late hour. I heard the creak of the door, then some muffled conversation. My mom screamed and gun shots rang long and loud in my ears.

  I jumped off my chair and went to see what all the commotion was about. I stopped dead in my tracks when I saw my mom on the floor and the blood surrounding her body. I ripped my eyes away from her and saw a dead man in the door way and my father clutching his arm, a gun in his hand. Father glanced at me then my mom, then back to me. I couldn’t move. My eyes kept darting back to the dead bodies.

  I didn’t notice that my father was on the phone, and I didn’t know what he was talking about until he hung up. He grabbed my arm and took me away from there, to a different hotel. As we walked I looked at my watch, it was 12:01 am, happy New Years to me. For my resolution don’t ever get close to anyone ever again and show no emotions at all.

  Chapter 1

  Antonio Caine

  Bahamas 2:45 pm Thursday August 28th, 2025

  Today my dad is remarrying to a young girl (about 24 years old) named Darcy Jones. I never liked Darcy. Whenever my dad isn’t home she treats me horribly but I try not to show anything on my face. I’m getting used to showing no emotion. I didn’t show anybody anything; my father said it was good for when I take over the business.

  Ever since mom died I’ve done whatever my father asked me without question. Even going to a bunch of the meetings with him and taking a bunch of fighting classes. And I’m not the only one who’s hardened up; my dad rarely shows any emotion to anyone including me and, now, his new wife Darcy. Although it doesn’t seems like she cares about anyone let alone me or my father.

  I just stick with my father, get good marks in school (not that I need them), don’t make any friends and travel to wherever my father’s business takes us. Eventually I’ll have to take over the business, pick a wife and continue my father’s legacy. That’s pretty much my whole life planned for me and I don’t really mind. In fact I find it all the more easier and interesting. Sure I don’t really like my father’s business but it makes good money, and it is the one job that I’ve been training my whole life for. I’m not going to waste this opportunity; I’m going to make my father proud.

  I was partnered up with one
of Darcy’s younger cousins, Sandy Thompson. I walked with her down the aisle, although I wouldn’t exactly call it an aisle because we were walking along the beach with chairs on either side of us. Sandy kept leaning up against me and I kept trying to dodge her without bringing to much attention to myself. As soon as we got to the end of the aisle I stood to the side of it with the rest of the guys and waited for the ceremony to end.

  I glanced up just as Darcy came walking up the ‘aisle’. She was beautiful no doubt about that. But for some reason I have this weird feeling of distrust and discomfort whenever I’m around her. I wonder why that is. I looked around and met the eyes of Sandy…she looked sympathetic…towards me? Why? Did she know the reason why I felt uneasy around Darcy?

  As soon as Darcy got closer Sandy looked away from me and looked at her, and smiled a bright smile that was…fake? Wait a minute, was Sandy scared of Darcy? I kept my face expressionless as I thought through many of my questions. When I was called to bring the rings I was in a half trance and wasn’t really paying that much attention to what was going on. But I saw Sandy making gestures to talk to her later. I guess she meant after the ceremony. I held out the rings and they took them.

  I went back to where I was suppose to be standing and waited out the rest of the ceremony. It wasn’t very long until it was over and everyone was free to go to the dining hall. The food was excellent and the décor was interesting. When it was time to dance Sandy grabbed me and took me to the dance floor.

  It was a song that I hadn’t heard before but it was pretty catchy. Sandy rested her head on my shoulder. I stiffened, but she whispered for me to relax. Hesitantly I relaxed and we danced for a little bit before she said what was bugging her.

  “Be careful around Darcy, she is not to be taken lightly,” Sandy said. “She is planning something.”

  “How do you know this?” I whispered into her ear making it look like I was pulling her closer to me.

  “I over heard her talking to a friend of hers,” she replied shifting her head to look at me.

  “Do you know when?” I asked, now I was worried but I dare not show it.

  “Not any time soon I don’t think,” she was right up against my ear now. “I’ll tell you if I find anything else out.”

  “Thanks,” I replied as the song ended and we parted on our separate ways once again. I think Darcy was a little bit suspicious but she didn’t show it. She was too busy making goo-goo eyes at my father and vice-versa. I think I threw up a little in my mouth just glancing at the scene.

  In no time at all it was midnight, and people were starting to leave because A) They were tired, B) They were drunk and C) They wanted to leave because everybody else was starting to leave. Darcy and my father both drank a little too much so I had to help them back to their room, which really wasn’t easy. I took them to their room and with more difficulty then I would’ve expected from a couple drunks.

  Once they were in bed I went to the room that I was sharing with my grandparents. They were already in bed so I just went to bed myself. I didn’t even bother to change out of my clothes I was just too tired. So I just threw myself onto the bed and fell asleep, but not before I thought about what Sandy said. What could Darcy be planning? Before I could think too much more about it, darkness encompassed me.

  I guess I was more tired then I thought. But that night I had the worst nightmare of my entire life. When I woke up I was panting and sweating and…I was scared. I haven’t been this scared since…well now that I think about it since the day my mom died. I threw the blankets off and sat on the side of the bed. What was going on with me?! I got up and started to pace my room. I could only remember bits of the dream but the bits I do remember were terrifying.

  I had felt like I was being chased, and all I could do was run. I felt defenceless and cornered against some unknown evil. There were dead bodies in front of me and blood on my hands. I don’t remember much more then that. I wonder, should I tell my father? I stopped pacing and looked at the clock. It was 3:08 am; I’ve only been asleep for about 2 hours maybe less.

  That nightmare is probably just a combination of my worst fears and exhaustion. That wedding really dragged all the energy out of me, that and Sandy’s warning that she gave me the night before. That really spooked me. I shook my head and went back to bed. Could it be a bad omen? I stifled a laugh, how stupid was I to think something like that?

  But before I fell asleep again that one thought kept nagging at my mind, bad omen. I shook off the thought and tried to think of happier things. I couldn’t really think of many happy things but I tried my best. And before I knew it I fell asleep and started to dream about…nothing.

  I awoke to the sun coming through my curtains and coming across my face. I ducked my head under the pillows and tried to go back to sleep but my grandma knocked on my door. I groaned and turned over, away from the door. My grandma took that as her okay to enter, and barged into my room to make sure I was awake.

  “Good morning, Antonio,” my grandmother said as she went to open the curtains. The sun shone very brightly and made me duck deeper into my pillows.

  “Oh come on now, it’s a beautiful day,” my grandma said sitting beside me on the bed, “you should be outside enjoying this kind of day and being thankful that your father decided to get married in someplace warm.”

  I grumbled something unintelligible and tried to block her out. My grandma, having had enough of my attitude, stripped me of my pillows and blanket before walking out of my room and shutting the door behind her. I forgot how tough she could be if she wanted to be. I sat up and rubbed the sleep from my eyes. I looked down at the ground and found the blanket and pillows that my grandma took from me.

  I had a split second thought about grabbing the blanket and pillows and going back to sleep, but I knew my grandpa would be the one to check on me next. That thought scared away any thoughts of going back to sleep. I hopped off my bed and headed for the shower. I turned on the shower and watched the steam fog up the mirror.

  Unconsciously I drew a smiley face in the mirror. I smiled, just a twitch of lips, before I quickly erased the face in the mirror and reburied my emotions, much deeper this time. I tore off my clothes and jumped into the fiery hot water. The water burned streams down my back and chest, but I didn’t care, the pain helped me forget things that are best not to be remembered.

  I stayed in there for a while thinking about nothing but the pain of the hot water running down my back. Once the water started to get uncomfortably cold I washed up and got out. I dried up and put on a fresh set of clothes. These were much more comfortable then the tuxedo I had to wear the night before. I had on my favourite khaki shorts and a white muscle shirt.

  I walked out to the kitchen/living room/dining room combination. Grandma was cooking in the kitchen and grandpa was reading the newspaper on the couch in the living room. I walked over and kissed my grandma on the cheek before taking a seat at the counter. I must’ve had a weird expression on my face because my grandma raised an eyebrow at me as if asking something wrong? I just shook my head as if to say I’d rather not talk about it.

  She handed me a plate with my breakfast of bacon, eggs and toast on it from the room service tray. I ate it without really tasting it, because my mind kept drifting to different thoughts. I tried to just focus on one thing but there were so many things going on in my head. I felt like my brain was pounding the inside of my skull.

  “Hey Grandmother, do you have any Gravol or Advil?” I asked rubbing my forehead. “I feel like my head is pounding.”

  “I think I might have something,” she replied leaving the kitchen to go to her room. I started to feel dizzy so I went to go lie down on the other couch in the living room. My grandpa took one glance at me and called my grandma into the room. She looked at me and checked my temperature with her hand.

  “Maybe we should have him checked out by a doctor,” my grandma said to my grandpa. That was the last thing I heard before I passed out. I remember only f
lashes of what happened; a truck drive…darkness…a friend of my fathers’…darkness…a bunch of different tubes and monitors…darkness…

  “…Antonio…Antonio…” I heard voices calling my name, a male voice and…a female voice. I tried to move but I felt heavy, so I tried to open my eyes. They were also heavy but not as much as everything else. Everything else felt like 100 pound lead weights, but my eyes felt like 20 pound weights, heavy but functional. It took me a minute before I could remember how to open my eyes.

  Once I started to open them and saw a small crack of light, I couldn’t stop until I opened my eyes completely. At first it was a blur, like a baby’s first glance at the world, and then it became fuzzy. Slowly it became clearer and clearer until I could make out shapes, objects and faces. I was still working on finalizing colours when I heard someone say something.

  “…waking up!” I couldn’t tell who it was but I had a good guess.

  “…Sandy…” my voice sounded rough and hoarse.

  “Yeah, hey you okay?” she asked. No I wasn’t okay. My body felt like a dead weight, it was hard to breath, my throat was dry and I had no idea what was going on. But I didn’t want to tell her that, especially with others in the room.

  “I’ve had better days…” I replied wincing at the pain in my throat. I heard a couple other voices in the background, I caught a word or two but not much made sense, until I caught the one word that I don’t think I was suppose to hear, poisoned. My heart monitor picked up just a fraction, not enough for anyone to really notice. Anyone that is except for my father he glanced at me then told his friend (who is our doctor) to discuss this later. His friend glanced at me and nodded to my father.

  “How long…” I asked but I didn’t know where to start, what questions to ask.

  “You’ve been in and out of consciousness for the past couple hours,” Sandy replied answering one of my many questions. “And it is now…2:17 pm.” I gasped at her.