The elevator dings and opens up. Going straight to the double wooden doors, I don’t knock. I kick the doors open.
“Surprise, motherfuckers!” I show tune, and Luna giggles behind me.
My father stands abruptly from behind his desk, his ugly black and white striped shirt enough to make me shoot him right now.
“What the hell has gotten into you, Romeo!” he scolds.
I hold up my finger. “Tisk tisk.” You shouldn’t talk to your son like that,” I taunt, walking farther into his office.
I can feel myself becoming manic, the noticeable behavior of when I’m off my meds. But like I said, this is the perfect time to be clear-headed and be… well, me. It’s huge inside his office. The man is obviously loaded with money and couldn’t give two shits about doing any good for this city. His desk in front of a row of windows, an electric fireplace with a fur rug on the left, and on the far right there’s a giant bar stocked with the most expensive spirits you’ve ever come close to.
In front of his desk sits two chairs, both of them harboring my uncle Gio and Leo. They’re standing looking at me with wide eyes and parted mouths.
“How’d the deal go?” Father probes, ignoring my out of character behavior.
“Act more like your brother. You’re sick. Take your meds. You fucking bore me!” I mock, ignoring his question and repeating his hurtful words he’s spewed at me my whole life.
“What is wrong with you? Why is she here?” He keeps asking questions, but not the right ones. Scratching my head with the barrel of my gun, I look to Luna.
“This is Luna. You bought her, remember?” I remind him. He just stares, dumbfounded, and it irritates me.
“Yeah, that’s going to be a problem for me, because I promised her I’d kill anyone that hurt her, and you buying her makes you a part of that equation,” I say with a wild tone.
Dad holds his hand out, catching on to what’s happening.
“Romeo, don’t. You can have her, and just be on your way,” he says timidly.
Holding both my hands out, I shrug.
“I wish it were that easy, but it’s not.”
“Have you taken your meds?” he criticizes, that fucking voice and question fueling my fury.
“Poppy?” Luna’s questionable voice has me look back at her, she’s staring at Gio with wide tear-filled eyes.
“Who?” I ask confused, that’s Gio, not Poppy.
She grits her teeth, her body shaking she’s so angry and upset. It makes me frown, I don’t like seeing my Flower like that.
“It’s you. You were like a father to me, and you left me to rot in that hospital. Because of you, I was sold into trafficking!” she spits through clenched teeth.
“Oooh.” I step out of the way, this is the man that left her in the hospital. Crazy, I guess it is a small world.
“Luna, I—” He stands, shaking his head, his suit wrinkled just like the worry on his face. “You were my girlfriend’s daughter, I couldn’t raise a kid,” he tries to reason with her, but she closes her eyes and lowers her head.
“No, you could have tried. You could have made sure I was in good hands. You could have done something!” She’s screaming now, her face red.
I slide up behind him and grab him by the chubby cheeks.
“Want me to cut him for you, Flower?” I offer, flicking open one of the knives I took from the men at the ring.
She pulls up her gun and I step out of the way. I’ve taught her well and she has this one under control.
“No, this one’s mine,” she sneers, and I grin. Watching her closely.
“Your mother was flashing her shit all over town like she was fucking Paris Hilton. I thought someone else would take care of you!” he tries to defend and plead for his life. Talking shit about her mother is not going to save his life. One thing I’ve learned from Flower is she loved her mom.
Sliding away from him and leaving him in the open, I say, “X marks the spot.” Referring X target on the pig at the butcher shop. She shoots him in the chest three times, the loud bang making my ears ring. She nails him in the same spot with all three bullets.
Fuck, she’s a good shot!
“Romeo, stop this!” Dad orders, looking at me with wide nervous eyes, as if he doesn’t recognize me.
Taking my attention away from Luna, I step over my uncle’s dead body and come around my dad’s great big desk. He grasps his chair, taking a step back as if he’s scared of me. He should be. If I kill him, not only will I take the crown of the DeAngelo family, I can make sure there’s not another trafficking ring in New York City. My family can come back together again.