CHAPTER ONE

Lyla(16 years)

A heavy force had landed on Mama's face. I closed my eyes and ears, haunted by the sickening yet familiar sounds. My father hits her while she sobs silently. I wondered what she had done this time, what exactly had triggered this beating. My sister faced the wall, pretending to be engrossed in whatever music was blasting from her headphones but I knew she was listening to the same sound.

Suddenly, it was very quiet. Too quiet. “What's going on?” I asked Silvia. She removed the headphones and sent a glare my way. “Why don't you go see it?”

My younger sister could easily choose to accompany me, but I knew she hated the smell of blood that our mother was covered with after a beating from my father. Blood and alcohol. He only hit her when he was drunk, or when his meetings went bad and he got drunk. I sighed and got up, going to the office. My father was punching,sweat dripping over his brows and his fingers were covered with blood.

My mum wasn't moving.

We had clear rules in the house. Whenever papa had an issue with mama, we were not to interfere. For any reason. We stayed in our room and waited, going to help her after it all ended. The next day we would all take a trip, splurge his money and pretend like we didn't have to use three different concealers to cover the ugly yellow and blue marks he left on her skin.

I ran towards them and pushed my father off her. “She's not moving you bastards.” I cried out. My mother's nose was broken, her lips swollen more than the last time he beat her and her eyes were shut. “What the actual fuck is wrong with you?”

We were also forbidden to curse. I couldn't care less. My father, this monster that my mother couldn't leave because divorce was forbidden in the Mafia deserved to be cursed out.

“Lyla, are you talking to me like that?” My father thundered. I wasn't scared, my only fear was my mother's unresponsive form. “Open your eyes mama. Can you hear me please?”

I felt the lashing of the belt before I heard the sound, the sting slicing up my back in true fashion. My father was flogging me. Before he could react, I grabbed the belt mod air, staring down at him. My father had never laid a hand on us before. He couldn't beat his precious babies, he said.

“Lyla” my mother's soft call came from the ground. “Lyla,” she called again, a blood stained phlegm following. “Mama, I'm here.”

“I'm okay. I'm okay.” She said, I shook my head, ignoring the sounds she made.

“You will not curse and be disobedient in our house,” my father was spewing trash—his breath smelling foul. “Lyla, did you curse?”

My mother was asking if I cursed. “He would have killed you mama.”

“Don't be dramatic, your father wouldn't kill me. I'll call Doctor Rafael.”

That's when it dawned on me. My mother would never leave my father. No matter how much I wanted her to.

“I need air.”

I ran, making sure to slam the door behind me. Silvia stood at the edge of the stairs, her eyes swollen with tears. “Go to your room, Silvie.”

“Where are you going?” She sounded so vulnerable.

“Out of this place.”

“But papa-” I didn't wait to hear whatever she had to say. My father could go and fuck himself. Luckily for me, he rarely brought security guards to the house. Something about not wanting to give away who he was.

The gate was easy to unlock, I had been studying my driver's passcode for years, if I ever wanted to run away. I didn't think what would trigger me would be seeing my mum's bloody face chastising me for protecting her but yeah? There was always a first time for everything.

I had never left the house alone before, and wondered how long it would take before my father sent his men to come find me. I already had a plan though. I had the necklace my mum got me for my birthday. I had googled the cost, almost a thousand dollars. That was more than enough money.

The walk to the road was short, and I stopped the first cab I saw.

“Where are you going to ma’am? I've never seen anyone on that road before?”

I mumbled my response and he started driving. Then the tears came. My mother believed all she was good for was to be perfect for my papa. Anything he wanted, his rules, his choices, his life. I was doomed to the same life. The Sicilian cartel has a basic way of dealing with women. We were only good for breeding and marriage, and we had to be perfect, clean. No tattoos, no boyfriends. Must be a virgin. That was how it was, from our father's house to our husband's. It was a sad life.

I had two more years before I turned 18 and I knew my father would start receiving interests for my hand. Mama had promised she would push it till we were 20, but I couldn't trust her. She didn't have any say in my father's life.

The ride was short and I came down in front of the huge McDonald's store. I had never tried a burger and today would be the day I tried all of it. I ordered a large burger and the waitress looked at me like she couldn't believe I would finish it. I didn't blame her. I was small, even my sister was already taller than I was.

While I devoured the burger, I saw a tattoo shop across the road. “Interesting,” I muttered to myself. I wasn't brave enough to lose my virginity — I just didn't want the poor soul to get killed but, I could get a small tattoo. Something that was mine.

The tattoo shop was cold, and suddenly I longer for my jacket. “Hello, I want to get a tattoo,” I smiled at the receptionist.

“Bookings only.” she rattled without looking up at me.

“I'll pay a thousand dollars.”

That got her attention. “You look like a kid. Where do you have that money from?”

I shrugged. “I have the cash.”

“Fine, go back to the first room on your left. His name is X.”

X. Simple. I nodded in thanks and went to the back. I was so excited, I didn't notice that the room had three men in it already. One was on his back, the sound of a tattoo gun moving steadily against his skin while the other was fixed on the tattoo. The last man stood in the corner, a white shirt and jeans so low I could see his waistline. He noticed me first.

“Hey, um. I was told to look for X?” I asked hesitantly. The guy on the table looked at me and suddenly my throat felt even drier. His grey eyes stared into my soul.

“I'm X.” The one holding the gun said and I looked at him, my heart going through the same combustion as earlier. Three men, similar faces.

Brothers.

“I'm so sorry, I could come back-” I started.

“No. If Sienna still sent you here despite our warning then you may as well come in.”

I nodded and took a step into the room, aware of the smell of men. Axe body spray and sweat.

The only men I have been close to are my father's and my brothers. Everyone knew you didn't mess with the daughter of a Capone. This men had no idea who I was.

“I want a tattoo.”

“Figured. What do you want?”

I looked at the guy that was on the table, the intricate design of a dragon on his back. It looked beautiful, free.

“I want that.” I pointed at it. “But on my thighs.

The men stared at me. “That is a family sigil.”, the one on the table said, his eyes getting darker.

“Well, I just like it. It looks amazing.”

“How old are you?”

I started back. “It doesn't matter. I have the cash.” I didn't have it yet but they didn't need to know that.

X smirked. “Very well, young lady. Get up Achilles.”

Achilles. Like the Greek God. He looked like it too. Muscle, tall and tan.

He grunted and slid of the table while X gave it a quick swipe. “Here, clean.”

I nodded and took off my trousers, careful to hide my blush. “Can we do it at once?”

The gun hurt. He was free handing it, the tattoo against my thighs. I slowly realized I had a high pain threshold but Iot still hurt. It was nothing compared to my period cramps though.

“Your pain tolerance is quite high.” The one on white commented. He was quiet, just focused on what I was doing. I decided I didn't want to have small talk either, but none of them had made a move to leave the room.

“Done.”

It took three hours. I had been out of the house for almost five now. “Thank you.”

I looked down at my leg, the dragon, green like my eyes. The details in the scales, the fire. It was majestic.

“Don't bother paying.”

Oh. “Well, I want to. It's beautiful.”

“Yeah, just go. You look like trouble.”

It was Achilles. I wondered what his problem was but I couldn't be bothered. X gave me a few instructions and wrapped the tattoo, complaining about my choice in clothing.

I stood for a few minutes, the pain increasing a bit. “Take some pain killer when you get home.” X instructed.

“Thank you.”, I said again, looking at three of them. Hopefully I will never see them again.

“You should be careful. Don't wander in the city while it's dark.” the one on white said. I looked at him and suddenly noTiced the white line close to his eyes. And the crazy in them. He smiled, his canines sharp. “Bye little bird.”

Little bird.

I closed the door behind me, ignoring the way they made my tummy coil. It was time to go home. I had to return home now.

The journey back home was the same, except from the pain from my thighs. My sister stood at the entrance of the house. “Lyla, papa is furious.”

He'll be alright.