A LOVE THAT NEVER FADES (A MAFIA ROMANCE)

Sofia'S POV
"Are you going to eat that, or are you just gonna throw it away like everything else your mother and I gave you?" My dad scoffs, his voice stern.
The irritation inside me rises, feeling as if it'll spill over like a pot of boiling water. He jumps at me any chance he gets, and I'm fucking tired of it. He preaches about how he's given up everything for me, but he hasn't done anything but drown himself in alcohol for as long as I can remember.
I take a deep breath before simply saying, "I haven't thrown away anything, I appreciate everything you two have done for me."
I mostly mean my mother. I'm not too fond of her, either, but she's there when I need her.
My mother clears her throat. "Your father and I worked hard to get where we are today. We work countless hours to ensure your future, not for you to throw it away to become some artist? It's worthless. You're worthless."
Her words struck me like lightning. She's insulted me so many times, but tis just felt really different. Why would she call me "worthless"? The one thing I want from her is for her to see things from my perspective and respect my decision. It seems like I will never get that because she is incapable of seeing how much I long for her motherly love.
I scoff. "Worthless? If anybody's worthless around here, it's your deadbeat husband."
"Hey young ladyYou do not speak of your father that way. Do you understand me?"
Her sternness amuses me. "He's not my father. He never has been."
"Why couldn't you be more like Laura? She would never approach us with even an ounce of the disrespect that you do." She's a raging mess.
"Well, you know what? Laura's dead, so stop fucking comparing me to-"
My father slams both his fists into the dinner table. "ENOUGH!"
I jump at his sudden outburst, shutting my mouth immediately. His voice has always been able to put me in a trance of obedience. He's held this control over me since I was a little girl. He's used fear to keep me in line my entire life. I'm so sick of this.
My mother stares into the blank space on the table, her eyes glossy, and her lips quivering a bit. She's hurt - as she should be. It's her own fault, anyway. If she hadn't been such a controlling bitch, Laura would still be alive. Maybe I wouldn't feel so lifeless, either.
A tear falls from her eye. Usually, I start to feel guilty, or one of them slaps me to the ground. Instead, the room falls silent. I never say anything about Laura when they compare me to her, but I'm simply sick of it. Their comparisons are nothing but a constant reminder that I will never be as good as she was.
"Go to your room, and if I ever hear you mention your sister's name in vain again...there will be consequences."
I stand from my chair, defeated. "Fine, whatever. What more consequence could be worse than how you teat me" I stomp up the stairs.
I hate my life so much.
I plop onto my bed, unplugging my phone from its charger. It chimes, and the name 'Gabriella' pops up on my screen with purple hearts. Finally. She's the one person that's always been there when I need her, even if she doesn't realise it. I smile before answering.
"Girl, please tell me you've made up your mind. I do not want to go to this club alone," she groans, exaggerating the 'please'.
"I was literally just about to call you." I giggle.
She lets out an exaggerated gasp. "So, you're coming?"
'If you ask dumb questions, I'll change my mind," I tease.
"Okay, okay. I'll be there in 30."
"Yes, but when you get here, don't blow the horn," I remind her.
She reassures me she won't, and ends the call.
******************
My phone pings.
Gabriella: 10 mins away
I quickly grabbed my makeup bag and tried to apply very light make up, then i rushed to my wardrobe to find a dress i can put on. I have to hurry up because I know once Gab gets here and she doesn't see me outside, she'd begin to honk, and I do not want that.
As I creep down the hall, past my parents' room, loud obnoxious snores fill the halls. Definitely mom's. I doubt my dad is in there. He's probably slumped on the couch. Please be slumped on the couch.
I reach the stairs, holding my breath. The wooden floor boards squeak as I take my first step. The first few creak, but the fifth one is the loudest of them all. I leap over it, and stop in my tracks. There's glasses chiming against one another. My father pours himself a glass of poison. It's poison to him at least.
Slowly, I back my way up the stairs, a small creak echoing. Please don't notice.
I take inward deep breaths, hesitantly taking small steps back up. I'm almost back up the stairs when that fucking fifth step makes a noise. I immediately clear the rest of the stairs, hiding myself behind the wall.
"Shar, is that you?" His voice is groggy.
I peek at my father from behind the wall. He stumbles as he turns, gazing up at the stairs. "Sharlette." He slurs out again. He turns to place his glass on the island, but he drunkenly knocks it over. The glass clashes with the floor, shattering into tiny pieces.
"Ahh fuck!"
He stumbles down to pick up the pieces of glass, mumbling to himself.
My phone vibrates.
Gabriella: What are you doing, are you coming or not?
My father gets up to take the glass to the trash. Lucky for me, my mother likes to keep the trash can in the garage. He's gone, but he won't be for long. I sprint down the stairs, not caring about the noise they make. My father shouldn't hear me from the garage, anyway. My palms are sweaty and my heart is racing.
The safest option is the back door. I don't know why, it just feels that way. Once I'm out the door and over the fence, the soggy wet grass underneath my feet makes me cringe. My face contorts as mud and pebbles get between my toes.
Gabriella's car sits waiting for me across the road. It's white with a little glitter that sparkles under the street lights, and her headlights are the shape of hearts. She's been working on this car since she was sixteen, adding something to it nearly every week.
I run around to the passengers side of the car and get in. Gabriella starts to pull off, and we zoomed off.
"It's about to be a lit night!!!" Gab yelled.

Sofia's POV
Before I knew it, we were pulling up in front of "Eclipse," the most exclusive club in town. Neon lights flickered above the entrance, casting a glowing halo over the crowd lined up outside. The music thumped from inside, the bass vibrating through my bones. It promised escape. That's what I wanted. No, what I needed.

Gabriella parked the car with a smirk on her face. She adjusted her red dress, pulling it up slightly-though it wasn't like there was much left to pull up. I caught a glimpse of myself in the side mirror, making sure my black dress hadn't wrinkled. Tight, but not too revealing. I looked... good.

As we walked toward the entrance, the security guards-a pair of massive, stone-faced guys-sized us up. The line stretched down the block, but Gabriella had no intention of waiting.

"Follow my lead," she whispered, flashing me a wicked grin. I just nodded, trusting her like I always did.

She sauntered right up to the rope, smiling at the nearest guard like she owned the place. "Good evening, gentlemen," she purred. "We're on the list."

The guard gave her a once-over, clearly skeptical. "Names?" His voice was deep, like he was bored of this whole scene.

"Gabriella Ramirez and Sofia Fernando," she said, her voice dripping with confidence.

My stomach tightened as the guard checked his list. Gabriella might've been calm, but I wasn't. My heart pounded in my chest, and I tried not to look as nervous as I felt. I hated this part-the waiting, the uncertainty. But Gabriella? She looked like she knew we'd get in.

After what felt like forever, the guard nodded. He unhooked the velvet rope and stepped aside. "Go on in, ladies."

Gabriella shot me a look, her eyes gleaming with triumph, and we breezed through the entrance like VIPs. The second we stepped inside, the pounding music hit me like a wave. It was dark, loud, chaotic. People packed the dance floor, moving in sync with the heavy bass. The air was thick with the scent of alcohol, perfume, and something else-a kind of electric charge, like anything could happen.

"This is what I'm talking about," Gabriella shouted over the music, leaning close to my ear.

I nodded, a grin spreading across my face. "Yeah, you were right. This is exactly what I needed."

We pushed our way to the bar, the flashing lights casting everyone in blue and red glows. Gabriella signaled the bartender, and before long, two drinks appeared in front of us. I took mine, staring at the golden liquid, feeling the rush of adrenaline all over again.

"To a night we won't forget," Gabriella said, raising her glass high.

I clinked mine against hers, feeling a strange mix of excitement and dread swirling in my gut. "To freedom," I said, hoping that's what tonight would bring.

*******************
The music thumped through the club, a heavy bass that seemed to vibrate inside my chest. I was starting to relax, the tension from sneaking out finally melting away as I sipped my drink. Gabriella was in her element, laughing and tossing her hair as she eyed the dance floor.

Just as I was about to suggest we join the crowd, a man appeared beside us at the bar. He had dark hair slicked back, a sharp jawline, and a suit that seemed a bit too fancy for this club. He looked a little older than the usual guys hanging around here, but his smile was smooth, almost practiced.

"Hey, ladies," he said, leaning in just enough to make himself heard over the music. "I couldn't help but notice you two from across the room."

Gabriella turned to him first, her eyebrow raised in interest. "Oh? And what exactly did you notice?" she teased, already playing along.

The man's eyes flicked between us, but they lingered a little too long on me. "You both look incredible," he said, but then his gaze locked onto mine. "Especially you."

I gave him a polite smile, feeling a little uncomfortable under his stare. Something about the way he looked at me felt off, but Gabriella didn't seem to notice. She was already grinning, clearly enjoying the attention.

"Thanks," I muttered, glancing at Gabriella to see if she felt the same weird vibe I did. But she just winked at me, completely at ease.

The man shifted closer, his voice low and smooth. "How about I buy you both another drink? My treat."

Gabriella's eyes lit up at the offer. "Sure, why not?" she said with a shrug. "Free drinks are always welcome."

I hesitated, that uneasy feeling stirring again. But I didn't want to seem rude or paranoid. It was just a drink, after all. "Okay, thanks," I added, trying to sound casual.

The man waved over the bartender with a quick gesture. "Two more of what they're having," he said, his tone confident.

As the bartender turned to mix the drinks, the man leaned on the bar, his eyes still focused on me. "What brings you two to Eclipse tonight? Celebrating something?"

Gabriella answered before I could. "Just having fun, you know? Needed a night out."

I nodded in agreement, though I could still feel his eyes on me. "Yeah, something like that."

The bartender set two fresh drinks in front of us, and the man slid them toward us with a smile. "Here you go, ladies. Enjoy."

Gabriella raised her glass, already taking a sip. "To new friends," she said with a grin, raising her drink toward me.

I forced a smile and lifted my glass too. "To new friends," I echoed, though the words felt hollow. Something still didn't sit right with me, but I pushed the thought aside. It was just nerves, right? I was overthinking it.

I took a sip of the drink. It tasted the same as before-sweet, with a slight burn of alcohol. But as the music pulsed around us and Gabriella started chatting with the man, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. I told myself it was nothing, just a guy being friendly at a club.

David'S POV

 "Diego." I look over at him. He's filling his nose with white dust as a topless stripper dances on a platform in front of him. He looks up at me. His eyes wide, and his irises, nothing but a thin blue ring around the black voids inside them. "What, now?" He says. "Thought tonight was a night for us to chill, you know, get away from work, or is that a foreign concept to you?" I could wring his fucking neck. Lucky for him, I need my underboss breathing. "You need to relax," He says. I narrow my eyes at him. "Get up." He hesitantly stands and approaches me. "Doesn't that guy down there look familiar to you?" I point to a rather short man who stands in a section on the first floor of the club. Diego rests his elbows on the railing leaning forward for a better view. "Isn't he from the Marchetti Mafia? Didn't we see him at the sit-down we had with them?" "Yeah, I thought that was him," I say eyeing the man. "He's not supposed to be here, right? I thought the agreement was for them to stay out of the Capon's territory." "No, it was for them to not carry out business in the Capon's territory. If you weren't so high, maybe you'd remember." I say. He should fucking know this. "Thought I was free that day, so you can't count that against me," He says. He's right I did tell him he was free, but he should always be prepared when there is work that needs to be done. He knows this line of work can be very unpredictable. "It doesn't look like he's 'carrying out business' to me, so I say we leave him alone." My eyebrows knit together. I turn to look at him. "Diego, Do we ever step foot into a Marchetti-owned building without having business to attend to?" "No," He replies. "Exactly. He's definitely up to something." Last week I made a deal with the South Marchetti Mafia. My father told me it would be a good idea to make peace with them. He also told me to keep an eye on them. They're slick and have been known for crossing fatal lines. I didn't think it was a good idea at the time. I felt like he was still trying to run the mafia through me. Although I wanted to let him know who was capo now, he had a point. Making peace with them would give us more connections. "Go down there and keep your eyes and ears on his men. I'll keep mine on him," I say to Diego. "Yes, Capo. You got it." He gives a few slaps to my back, and I find myself wanting to break his face. Before I can give in to my urges, Diego heads to the first floor and I take a seat. I need to figure out why he's in my club. I'm watching him when he approaches two girls sitting at the bar. One of them is blonde and tall in a red dress, the other is shorter with black hair. She's wearing a little black dress that appears to hug her body just right. She seems a little shy compared to the other. She just sits, holding her drink in both hands, looking up every so often. I find the way she just sits there quietly, cross-legged and armed quite attractive. It isn't until the man leaves that I take my eyes away from her. He heads to the other side of the bar and orders two drinks before moving to a less populated area. He sits the drinks down and slips a powdery substance into one of them. "Capo." I hear Diego's voice. "You were right." "When am I not?" I say annoyed. "I overheard a few of them say something about trafficking. I think they're looking for girls-" "I know," I say, holding up my finger to silence him. I watch the man stir the drink with a straw before he takes the drinks back to the girls. I keep my eye on the spiked one. He hands it to the timid girl. He leans into her. She stirs in her chair and slightly leans away. An awkward smile sits on her lips. His being so close to her sort of infuriates me. I already feel the need to protect her coursing through my being. He leaves back to his section. I watch the girl gulp down her spiked drink. Didn't look like she even thought twice about it. "What are you going to do?" Diego breaks my train of thought. "Haven't decided yet," I lie. I know exactly what I want to do. I watch him watch the girl and her friend as they head to the dance floor. She looks worried. She looks like she knows he's watching her. The blonde is carefree, having the time of her life. I sit and watch a little longer. The man gets up from his seat and leaves. That's my cue. I leave the top floor of the club, still watching him as I head down the stairs. I reach the bottom of the stairs, and my heart is racing with excitement as I push through the crowd. When I finally reach the restroom, I push the door open and there he is, taking a piss. I watch his face as he finishes. I relish in knowing his life is about to crumble beneath the hands of my own. Once he finishes, he looks up. His eyes meet mine. I can see the color drain from his face. It's almost cartoonish. "Mr. Capon," He exclaims. "What a fine club you ha-" "What are you doing here?" I question flatly. "Oh, I was in the area and I thought I'd stop by. I've heard I lot about this place and I wanted to-" I cut him off once more, but not with my words. I hold my suppressed Glock 19 to his face. "What's your name?" I want to know the name of the man who so obviously doesn't take our agreement seriously. "Felipe, Sir." His voice is shaky. "Well, Felipe..." I say walking closer to him. My gun is now resting on his forehead. "You've crossed a boundary." "Now, It's my turn." A sinister smile can't help but spread across my lips. "An eye for an eye, Felipe. Don't you think that's fair?" A tear rolls down his face. So fucking pathetic. It does nothing but excite me more, quite frankly. I move my gun from his head to the dead center of his neck. A headshot would be too quick. I want to see life itself slowly drain from his being. "Please, Mr. Capon. Javier Marchetti sent me. I only do as he says." Javier Marchetti, capo of the South Marchetti Mafia. Something told me he'd cross us, I guess he's taken the new capo for a joke. "Please, Mr. Capon. I have a family. A wife, son, and daughter. They need me, Sir. Please, spare me." God, I fucking love it when someone's life is hanging in the balance of my hands. I love it when they beg me to let them go. "Well, that's too fucking bad." I pull the trigger sending a bullet straight through his neck. He clutches his throat dropping to his knees. His eyes are wide and his mouth is gaped open in shock. Blood floods through the gates of his fingers. I watch as the white floors are painted a dark red. He lets go of his neck causing even more blood to gush out. He falls onto his side and then to his back. I watch him gasp for air but he can't get any. Instead, he chokes and gargles on his own blood. He finally stops moving. I take a couple of steps forward before squatting down next to his body. I take in the scene. His eyes are still wide open. An expression of terror frozen inside them. What a sight for sore eyes. I spit right into the face of his corpse. "Fucking rat." Just for being a rat, he deserved to die anyway. I head for the bathroom door. I open it and I'm sure to twist the lock before closing it behind me. I'll have to find someone to clean that up later. I push through the crowd to get to the dance floor. I'm in search of the girl I saw earlier. I'm scanning the area when I see her across the dance floor in a chair. I'm getting closer to her when I realize she's unconscious. When I got to her, even though I knew she needed help, I couldn’t help but stare at her for a minute, taking in her beauty. Such soft and round features, rosy pink cheeks and lips, and full lips that I can only imagine are the softest on this Earth. She's perfect. I pick her up and throw her over my shoulder. I don't know exactly why I'm so drawn to this girl. I've never been pulled in by any girl like this before. If it was anyone else I probably would just leave them there, but I want her. So, I'm taking her.