Lucy
In my father’s study, I sit in the chair closest to his desk while he has his head bowed, signing documents. He called me this morning, asking me to meet him here before I head to school.
“What do you need to speak to me about, Daddy?” I say sweetly, knowing he loves when I call him daddy, like I’m still five years old.
My father used to be a doting father to me when I was little, but as I got older, he showed me some of his hidden identity asEl Diablo. That’s when I started to fear him like he was the devil himself, and mostly, my father is the devil. He’s evil and ruthless and is always five steps ahead of everyone else.
I know he knows about the loss of my angel. He won’t show sympathy for what happened because he didn’t approve of it, and I wasn’t married. He will make me pay somehow or openly make Mason pay. It’s why I have to bargain with him eventually, because if I don’t, he will kill Mason.
He stays silent while he reads and signs more documents and when he finishes, he looks up with a hard stare he usually reserves for his business associates. My hands sweat, and I place them on my lap. Even though I’m trembling inside, my eyes don’t waver from his, and my expression is stone.
“I heard you and Khalani have made significant progress in your training.” He folds his hands together on top of his desk. “I am going to need you to step into your role and do a couple of things for me. I know you’ve heard of the Southside GuNz by now since you’re hanging around the east.”
I blink because that means he knows about my fling with Alex. I quickly compose myself and nod. “Yes.”
He smiles and opens the left drawer of his desk and takes out a blue folder. He slides it in front of me. “That is your trust fund account with bank and credit cards in your name. It is time you earned your place within our organization, Luciana. I didn’t name you Luciana for nothing.”
“Why did you name me Luciana?” I ask curtly, curiosity beating like a mallet inside my head.
He smiles and gives a slow chuckle. “I was only supposed to have a son, but when the doctor told us we were also having a girl, I gave you a name worthy of the surprise in having a daughter. I couldn’t name you Lucifer, son of the devil, so I named you Luciana. Your mother didn’t like it, but I let her name your brother. No one will see you coming. A pretty face with a certain complexion to shoot up anydesgraciadothat crosses your path. I find it amusing that no one knows how well you truly are at defending yourself. Not even the boys have trained as hard as you have.”
“They have a slight advantage with their size,” I quip.
“Nothing a gun and a knife can’t fix,mija.”
“I suppose.”
He nods toward the blue file, and I open it. It has the account he mentioned, and my heart pounds at the amount of my trust fund. I look up and he stares at me.
“Generous, isn’t it? I made sure you had more than Aiden because… you have endured more personal issues.”
My eyes scan the papers and there’s a report with pictures of different guys. They have SS tatted on their faces and a tattoo in the shape of a revolver on their necks.
“Those are thepinche hijo de putasthat are trying to infiltrate the streets of Hillside.”
I scan the information and notice that these guys are from Honduras. My father explains they come from their country with a plan to form a gang and enter a less populated state that doesn’t have too much rivalry and infiltrate it. They flood the streets with drugs, prostitution, and human trafficking if it makes them a buck. Then they get small business owners to pay up, like a franchise fee for operating on their turf. They won’t pull this shit in Mexico or California, too many gangs and too many connections they would have to break. So, they start out small.
They think the East Hillside Kings are a small gang because they don’t see the usual drug-related activity on the streets.
“I need you to be ready in case something goes down. The boys are busy with football and if something goes down, you need to respond. Khalani can help you out, if necessary, but I’ll let you handle your brother about involving her. You know how he gets erratic with Khalani and where she goes.”
I nod in agreement. This is my only chance to reason with him in case he plans to act out against Mason. As much as I hate him for how he handled things between us, I don’t want my father to hurt him.
I scoot to the edge of the chair and sit up straight. My father watches me with interest, like he knows I am going to ask for something in return. I can see it in his eyes.
“I want to ask you to do something for me as your daughter. I have never asked for anything from you. I don’t want you to think I am ungrateful for everything you have provided for me and Aiden. My trust fund of close to a billion says it all. I know the sacrifices you have made and continue to make for our family’s legacy, and I will fulfill what is required of me, but I ask you to not hurt Mason.”
My father’s expression turns dark, full of malice.
I swallow and squeeze my hands into fists. “Please consider it. It is the only thing I will ask of you.”
He takes a deep breath and leans back in his chair, tapping his finger on his wooden desk. The door to the study opens and my mother walks in like a breath of fresh air, all cheerful and joyful.
“There you are.” She smiles at me. “I was wondering if you had left, but then I saw your car parked in the garage.”
“Hello, Mom. I was just talking to Daddy before heading to class.”
“Oh, I’m sorry,” she says, looking anxiously at my father. “Do you two need a minute?”