MAVERICK
And here I thought I would have a better life after college, a great career, away from danger. Then there it was, facing another threat- the monster himself. At least, that was how his enemies saw him, and they feared him for a reason.
Staring at my brother, I was overwhelmed with many emotions and protective instincts towards him. I just met him months ago, yet I had so much love and loyalty to him.
My heart crashed in my chest, thinking that I might not see him again, that it was okay for him to die, and that he’d accepted his fate at his father’s hand.
I wanted to run to the room, curl into a ball, and cry until I couldn’t. I guess life had never been fair, and deep inside, maybe he was also scared for his life like me. He was just an expert in masking his emotions.
“Don’t do this,” he’d been trying to talk me out about meeting our father.
“I know there is no guarantee I can convince him, I mean, zero chance. At least I did my best, whatever the outcome, asshole. Unlike you, you’ve accepted your death like receiving the award of your life’s work. You’re insane, You can be this stupid and moron and brave at the same time. This is death, Terzo. We are talking about your death sentence in the hands of your father. Look at this on a larger scale. You’re still young to die, no legacy to be left to your future generation, you idiot.” I wiped the tears on my cheeks.
“Baby, calm down.”
“No!” I glared at Lake, standing at the corner. “I want him to understand what we are talking about here because this is not a joke.”
“I’ll be fine.”
“You’re stupid!” I took my high heel off and threw it at him. It didn’t even get to him. He caught it mid-air. “Why in the hell did you work with the agency when you know the consequences can cause your life?”
“He was arrested last year.”
“What?” I stared at Lake in horror. “Why? How?”
“It doesn’t matter, sis.” I didn’t buy it. There was more to it, larger than the both of us. “I took the deal to protect my father, my people, and the family business. I knew and understood that it would come down to this because, for Papa, this is a weakness, treachery, and disloyalty.”
“So he’d rather want you dead or die in prison? That’s barbaric.”
“You’re just wasting our time, Maverick. You don’t know our father than I do. He shaped me and molded me into this person in front of you. He can’t be bent. No one has ever crossed that line.”
“I’ll try my best, and maybe I’ll just call the FBI to arrest him.”
Lake and Terzo stood straight in mere seconds, eyes glued on me.
“Don’t. Don’t ever do that. You have no idea the repercussions of your action. His associates and army of soldiers will come after you. They only live with one code. If you touch the boss, their don, they will eliminate every last one of your bloodline, friends, and every living being around you, including your dogs and cockroaches-”
“I get it!” I screamed at him. “Asshole!” I rushed to the door, but Lake stopped me, pulling me into his arms and hugging me tight. I cried and sobbed in his arms.
***
“You only have five to ten minutes, honey. You have to tell him what you want when you sit with him. He’s impatient, and you know he’s not safe here.”
“Gosh. He’s already a father of the year. Thank you, sir.”
“Just be respectful even if he is what he is.”
I nodded. “Understood.”
“You don’t have to do this, sis.”
“I’m doing this not to play a hero, Terzo. Honestly, I’m terrified. You saved my life once. I’m just returning the favor. I don’t want to owe something to someone.”
He looked away. For the first time, I saw his pain. I regretted already lying to him, and there was a huge chance that I might not see him again.
“Just kidding.” I caught and gripped his hand. “Look, if you ever can get away with this, take the chance. Go somewhere and start a new life.”
“That’s impossible. You know that.”
“I know, but nothing is impossible if you don’t give up.”
The ride to the location where I would be meeting with Gaetano seemed like it took longer than I expected. I realized we seemed just riding in circles.
“We can still go back.” Lake gripped my hand.
“No, babe. We can’t. I have to do this, and I want to look this man in the eye.”
“But if you feel not safe, walk out, okay?”
I nodded and put a confident smile on my face. “I will.”
“Guys,” Linden called us from the passenger seat, showing us the layout on the tablet screen. “This is the blueprint of the restaurant. These are the exits. I won’t come inside. I have to make sure all possible angles are safe. I have two teams inbound. One was behind us, the other was watching the road exits, and I put snipers to make sure no one could crash the party.” He looked at me. “Don’t worry, Terzo is safe.”
“Why can’t he just ask for help from Kelsey or just run away?”
“They will take his father instead. Gaetano is more valuable than Terzo. They can’t know he’s in town.” That made sense.
I blew a shaky breath as I stepped out of the SUV. We were meeting at a Chinese restaurant. As soon as I stepped in, I felt an instant coldness seeping through my veins. There were no customers, one woman at the cashier, and then three men sitting on the stool. They looked like they weren’t from around here with their dark outfits.
“Sir, this way, please?” We knew Lake couldn’t come with me, that I had to be alone talking to the mighty Gaetano.
At the second-row-end corner, I noticed a man, the same man I met this morning. The man standing in the aisle went to whisper something in his ear, and then he nodded.
I took a deep breath when my heart began pumping hard. I slid to the bench and sat across from him. He had a teapot and a steaming cup half full of tea before him.
“Thank you for meeting me.”
“No problem.” He had a thicker accent than I met him. I guess that was one way for him to blend in and hide his true identity.
-0pqa Who would have thought that I just shook hands with a mafia boss? Bad guys and their faces could really be deceiving, and he deceived me.
He poured tea into a cup in front of me. “I stopped drinking coffee a long time ago. This is way better than I have at home.”
“Thank you.” I picked it up and sipped it. Then I put it down when it almost spilled. “Sorry.”
“I would never hurt you. That’s the reason why I stayed away from you. You are way better without knowing your father. I can’t change who I am before. Even now. When someone started digging into your father’s identity, I know Terzo would interfere.” He seemed calm talking about his son that he was about to torture and then probably kill.
“You can’t do that. I know why you are here. It’s not because you went to watch your daughter graduate.”
“Part of it, I went to see you.”
“Terzo did not betray you. You can hurt him or kill him.”
“He betrayed the organization. He has to pay for what he’d done. I can’t help him get out with this.”
“To save your name? This is not what an organization is supposed to be.”
“You have no idea what you’re talking about, Maverick. There’s a lot at stake here. Even my old friend, Moses, can barely comprehend what kind of business I’m running.”
“Terzo did this to save you, your family, your men, and your business.” My voice cracked in the end. He didn’t even look surprised. He clearly knew what happened. “He deserves that a reward, a promotion instead of punishment. You are the head of this family and the organization. I’m sure you can make an exception.”
“No. I have to make a good example that none is above the code of a Don.”
“How do you live like this? You choose to end your son’s life, your heir, over this? And it’s okay with you? Oh, my God.” I wiped my tears. “I’m glad I wasn’t raised in your family. But, please, you can’t do this to Terzo, who has been your best and only son, the best soldier, who never broke your order. It was just terrible circumstances that left him no choice unless it was okay for you that he was captured and tortured just to protect your family legacy.”
“I’ve made up my mind. It all depends on him now.”
“Then make a better example than criminals, like how people see you as you are.”
“I’m sorry, Maverick.”
“That is barbaric and the worst heinous crime in history. How can you live with this? He is your son, for God’s sake.”
“The organization is bigger than any of us. He made his decision to be captured.”
“Instead of what? Did you expect him to kill himself instead?”