Roses, Bullets and Knives

Gia stood with her feet apart and aimed at her target before firing shots at it. She got the head and chest with an impressive precision.

Zeke stood beside her while she fired the next couple of shots at another target. "Penny for thought?" he asked softly so as not to startle her.

"Zeke," she said his name with a sigh, and took off the soundproof headphones. "I didn't notice when you came."

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"What do you think?" she dropped the small gun on the table next to her and picked up a sniper.

"You know that your father won't let you go without a fight, right?" he asked her.

Gia closed her eyes with a sigh. "I know. But what if Omri decides to use violence?"

"Then the Redneck Syndicate will fight back. We can't let anyone bully our little princess," he said and ruffled her hair.

Gia swatted his hand with a slight pout, "I don't want to fight."

"You will be fine," he patted her shoulder and watched her get on her knees to aim the sniper at a moving target. One shot and she hit the bullseye.

"Your mother wants to see you," he told her.

Gia nodded her head and waited for him to leave. She sucked in a deep breath before leaving the shooting range to meet her mother.

She saw her mother kneeling down on her praying mat muttering prayers and running her hands over her tasbih. She bowed her head a few more times before standing up.

Gia kicked off her shoes and walked into her mother's waiting arms. 

"I pray for you every day that no one will take you away from us," Zara patted her head.

Gia held her mom even more firmly.

"Come on," Zara patted her head, "Sit down, I have something for you."

Gia obediently sat down on her parents' bed and watched her mother pick up her praying mat from the floor before folding it neatly then placing it in a corner.

She walked to her closet and pulled out a small wooden box from the bottom of the closet.

"I had one of these on when I was getting married to your father," she told Gia fondly, a gentle smile on her face.

Her parents' story was one of the rarest of it's kind. At sixteen, Zara was forced by her own father to marry Capri who had just turned nineteen at the time. They hated each other at first but eventually grew to love each other.

"Things don't always go as planned," she told Gia and got on one knee in front of her. She gently touched Gia's head, "but don't lose hope, child. You will have children in the future and they will be your biggest strength. Make sure you heal from your pain before they have to heal from having you as a parent," she slowly moved her eyes away from Gia to the box before her then she opened the lid.

"Why are you talking like this?" Gia asked, her voice cracking with emotion, she was at the verge of bursting into tears. "Has papa decided to _," her voice broke at the end of her sentence.

Zara smiled and pinched her cheek gently, "Don't be silly, Gia. I am just trying to prepare you for the worst. Just in case we can't protect you."

Gia gulped.

Zara pulled out a thigh sheath from the box.

Darius barged in and a dagger narrowly missed him and ended on the frame of the door. 

"Ma!" he cried when he saw his mother's innocent face. 

Gia giggled.

Darius shut the door and another dagger came for his head but he dodged, "What if you killed me?"

"A true love's kiss would have done the magic," Gia grinned at him.

Darius ignored her and eyed the dagger in the little box, "Is that for me?"

He tried to pick it up but Zara slapped his hand away.

Capri walked in.

Darius and Gia stood up immediately to acknowledge his presence.

"Why are there daggers on my door?" Capri asked without turning to look at the door.

Darius and Gia exchanged looks before they immediately pointed fingers at each other. 

Capri shook his head and turned to Zara who was already on her feet too. 

"Gia is going to have to leave," he said.

All playfulness vanished from the room.

"It is the only way to protect her. She will make her last public appearance at the gala next week. After which we will fake her death and she will move away to somewhere quiet to start a new life with a new identity," he explained.

Zara gulped as she processed Capri's words.

Gia didn't know whether to cry or to laugh. Darius stared at his father in shock.

Turning to Gia, Capri said, "It only gets lonelier from here. Your mom and your uncle, Salim will be with you. Omar is going to be the only source of contact between you and us. He will mostly be in the shadows so you won't see much of him."

"Is there no other way?" Zara asked hopefully.

"The other way is to dissuade Omri and we know that's not even possible. We can't risk going to war considering our current situation."

"What does he want from me?" Gia asked.

Capri's silence was enough for Gia.

There were majorly two reasons why marriages were arranged between two mafia groups. One was for alliance and the other was to show dominance over a weaker mafia group.

"The first reason is pretty obvious. Second, you're pretty infamous in the mafia world," he said the last part with a small smile. In fact, he was proud of the woman she had grown into.

Gia was good with combat, guns and daggers. She was an amateur when it came to business but her talent and smarts was evident. She had the potential of a good leader. She was a walking weapon, a very pretty one at that, and many eyes were on her.

"I'm sorry you have to go through this. If this is the only way to protect you, then so be it. I will protect you with my life," Capri said.

Gia smiled at her father despite the tears running down her face. She embraced him, "I can see that you are trying so hard. Thank you," she said and tried not to fall apart as she spoke.

"Can I go with her?" Darius asked.

Zara wrapped her arm around his shoulders and rubbed his arm comfortingly.

Gia managed a smile and teased, "Is someone missing me already?" 

Zara looked up at Capri when Gia and Darius were gone. She was worried.

"We cannot afford to lose her again. It's not been long since we got her back. Without even knowing her past, they will break her till she snaps," Zara said with a shaky breath.

"No one is going to take her away from us. I won't let it happen," Capri assured.

"Is this the only way? Separating Gia from her loved ones_" Zara didn't even know how to explain herself.

"She will have you and Omar. Besides it's only temporary and much safer than sending her off to another mafia where everyone hates her for just being a Salvatore," Capri sat down next to Zara and wrapped an arm around her.

She leaned into his chest and closed her eyes. 

"I will do whatever it takes to keep her safe," Capri assured her.

"I know," she sighed. "Do you think Omri wants her just to punish us? Why did he spring up on us like that? Why is he demanding for Gia instead of money or other assets?" she pondered.

"As far as I know, the man is too hungry for power and control. He wants to have a leverage over us. I won't be surprised if he's building his own little army and wants to blac

kmail Gia into becoming a part of." He looked down at Zara and said, "But I'm not letting him go through with any of that."