2. P2: 'HER'

Illinois, USA

2019

ICE

Life has never been a bed of roses for someone like me. I was born into a mafia family and learned everything from the ground up. I was raised in a strict way, was spoiled beyond belief, and was punished harshly for any mistakes.

There is no such thing as a perfect family, but mine is even better than perfect.

All of our needs and wants have been met.

We were able to acquire anything we desired.

And I have a collection of autos and other products because I wanted to do so.

I am one of the FSO heirs. The FSO stands for two Mafia clans, the Ferreiras and Silvas. 

Years ago, in exchange for an alliance, the son of the Silva family became engaged to the daughter of the Ferreira family, and the two families eventually merged into one. The FSO of Brazil was founded by their union. 

I'm a member of the Ferreira family. We even outnumber the Silvas nowadays because the Silvas' lone representative is reluctant to take his seat.

Tio Michael Ferreira Silva, the only one supposed to represent both clans, waived all his rights years ago, even before I was born, all out of love. He fell in love with an enemy's daughter, mafia heiress Svetlana Petrov of one of Russia's most powerful mafia families.

Tio Michael was a lot like me in that aspect; we both ended up marrying the one we truly loved. But I didn't give up on the family's organization. I'm still in charge as the only person representing my father, Anselmo Ferreira, the Ferreiras' eldest son. My father has twin siblings, Tio Antonio Federico and Tia Ana Francesca.

Atlas, a cousin of mine, represents Tio Anton. And Trace, another cousin, is supposed to be Tia Ana's heir and representative. Still, that cousin of mine, Trace, was so full of himself that he proudly told everyone in FSO about his Foedus Corp., which he and his friends founded.

A message notification disrupted my thinking, and I checked where the message came from.  

From Libby: 

Where are you, Sid? We are here now in Mom's house. I hope you get here anytime soon. We are waiting for you.

I pulled over and replied to Libby first...

Me: 

Almost there. 

After I sent the message, I continued driving. 

Libby is not my first love. I fell in love with someone before, but I was still in college then. We were young and in love and...

No! I should not think of her, for it will be unfair to Libby. My wife gave me a family. A beautiful and typical family. A family I always dreamed of. A family that my mother always told me that she once dreamed of for us too.

My mother is a beautiful Mexican-Filipina that grew up in her mother's land. The Philippines. 

When my mother was looking for her father, without knowing that her father was a Mexican gun smuggler, she met my father, a mafia heir, where my mother's father had a debt of a lump sum of money. And to make a long story short, my mother was used as payment for some debt of her father. 

They had a love-hate relationship before, but gladly, I was conceived, which made my father realize he couldn't live without my mother and me, for he needed his family more than anything.

Mama always told me how she fell in love with my father, that even though she married a ruthless one, my mother still found her way to make father fall in love with her too. 

Papa was a man who believed that safety meant being a powerful mafia boss that had controlled underlings, but mama changed my father's belief. For mama, safety means a family to protect and live for... without a family... you are nothing. 

My perception is like my mother's. Family matters to me. FSO matters, too, because it is an organization controlled by two families only. 

Family matters... and when I fell in love with someone before, I thought of having a family with her, too, that she would be the one I would fight for, but sadly she was gone...

I thought I would never find another woman to think of making a family again after she left me... but after years of pushing myself to forget her, I met Libby.

Libby is a beautiful teacher and the moment I set my eyes on her... I know she is the one who will make me continue the dream I have had after 'she' left me.  At that moment, I knew that  Libby would be the one to continue my aspiration of a family that my first love and I had planned when we were young. 

And Libby is precious. She is the only child of a brilliant doctor who raised her alone. Libby's father died when she was a baby, and her mother mainly was often busy with work as she was growing up. Libby became an introvert and had no confidence in herself. She is a teacher but a shy one. 

My wife's aloofness made me decide to make my family's identity unknown. I don't want Libby to be afraid of the Ferreira family's way of living since the time of our forefathers, I don't want her to experience what my mother experienced, and I want her to live a life normally. I consider not introducing her to my family, to the Ferreiras, for her safety.

No one in my family knew Libby, too, and neither my papa nor my mama questioned me. I must keep my family safe from people against our organization, as I must keep Libby's peace of mind by thinking her husband was just a simple and average joe.

I sighed. I dismissed my thoughts regarding the past and focused on being a typical family man in America. That is what I need to think of and my thoughts about my lovely wife. Libby's simplicity and beautiful positive outlook every time we talked made me feel that my cultivated evilness could somehow turn into goodness. 

I smiled contentedly as I concentrated on driving. I only have ten meters left before I reach my mother-in-law's house.

Today is my mother-in-law's birthday, and Libby is excited about the gift she had prepared for her mom. I had just returned from Brazil and promised Libby I would attend her mom's simple celebration, which is why she keep on texting me.

Being married to a high school teacher, I lied about who I was and made a lie about my job. I told Libby that I am a teacher, too, which made her and I work at the same high school. Libby teaches science while I teach math.

I admit that my life here in America is very different from how I was raised, but as long as my wife, Libby, is happy with our modest and simple life, I'm glad to keep it that way for the rest of our lives.

Living with a double identity is challenging, so I lied to Libby and her mom and said I didn't have any relatives and was alone in this world.

It is unfair. I know... but as long as it answers my problem, who cares?

Just as I was about to get near my mother-in-law's house, I spotted a car heading in the same direction.

Despite my gut screaming at me otherwise, I have to pretend nothing is wrong. Libby and I talked and planned this party for Liza's 60th birthday, and I didn't want anyone to ruin it.

My wife and daughter have already been here in Illinois for a week, so I took the chance to go to Rio de Janeiro and attend our annual meeting before I joined them. That was a chance to attend FSO's meeting, so I took it. 

When I talked to Brix, Tio Michael's youngest son, who now secretly represents his father on the board, I realized something. Brix told me his wife must not know about him representing Tio Michael. My cousin's wife knows what kind of family her husband has but believes that her husband won't join the organization no matter what.

That made me realize I was right all along. It is risky for my wife to know about the FSO. Libby will not understand... that I better go with my act of being an orphan to protect Libby and our family and to make everything safe.

But being safe is questionable now as my attention returned to the car that stopped at the nearby house. That's strange because of the car that parked, but no one got out.

They can't be trusted. My instincts told me so.

I looked around for something I could use, but all I could find were my black cards, which disappointed me. But yeah, if the worst does happen, these cards will come in handy.

I got out of the car and stood there for a while. I'm thinking of getting inside as quickly as possible to protect my family. I moved three steps when I was hit by a bullet.

Fuck!

My gut feeling is right—they're here to hurt my family and me. The fact that I am still alive suggests that they are not expert marksmen. They failed in their attempt to eliminate me; thus, they had better be prepared for my response.

The bullet hit the side of my head, and it deafened me, but I thank the devil they missed the shot.

A few minutes had passed, and I was still acting dead when I saw them get out of the car. There were four of them. Two of them went to the house's back door, and the other two started coming closer to me.

"Cosa stai facendo?" The man walking to the doorway asked the other, who stopped and changed directions, to get near me.

"Assicurandomi che questo sia morto." The other one answered and aimed his rifle at me, drawing nearer.

And that's all there is to it. 

I hooked the guy's legs with my right leg, and as soon as he lost his balance, I took his gun, pointed it between his neck and jaw, pulled the trigger, and I smirked as I saw blood spurt out of his head. Perfect!

As soon as he was dead, I turned my attention to the man standing in the doorway, and before he could fire, I let go with the second round of bullet that struck him square in the forehead.

"Damn good, Isidro!" I told myself this with pride.

I was going towards the house to save my family when I noticed a woman running toward the back entrance. She possesses a tanned complexion and long, straight, dark hair. Although I can't see her face, I can see that she has a tattoo on the top of her upper thigh. Large tattoo.

So they are actually five, not just four.

I had just taken five steps toward the door when a loud explosion knocked me to the ground.

Stunned. I can't think of anything as fear envelops my system. 

"Libby!!!" I shouted my wife's name, but the bomb's ear-splitting boom drowned my voice. I can't even hear my voice. 

Libby... Millie…

“Deus!”

My eyes are bulging, and my heartbeat has doubled to the point where I may suffer a heart attack. 

My family... 

My mouth is agape at this unbelievable turn of events. The truth is starting to emerge in my system.

I tried to get to my feet, but I couldn't. I tried to stand up, but the effect of the bomb on me made me weak. 

As I was thinking of death and before I lost consciousness... the last thing I remember seeing was a tattoo on the woman's thigh, her blurry face as she pointed a gun at me, and... 

Incognito. 

Yeah, the woman had that word tattooed on her ankle.

I raised my eyes at her, and I don't know why it was 'her ' again that I could see...