3

Thalia

“This is it,” I whispered to myself as I looked at the large house right in front of me. 

I let out a sigh as I let my eyes wander through the cold exterior of the place. Everything about it just seemed dark. However, I need to get used to it—this house will technically be my home from now on. 

“Best of luck, Miss Thalia,” I heard Ben, our chauffeur, call out from the car. 

I turned around with a small smile on my face. “Thanks, Ben. Take care of Rosie for me.”

He nodded his head. “I will, Miss Thalia. That little retriever is already making her way inside my heart. I’ll send you some updates from time to time.”

“That’d be much appreciated.” Although, I don’t even know if I can use my phone that often from here on out. 

“Do you need help with your luggage?” he asked. 

I shook my head as I fixed the position of the duffel bag on my shoulder. “No need, Ben. I’ll take it from here.”

I didn’t bring much stuff anyway since I knew that we wouldn’t have the luxury of having our own space. 

“Well then,” Ben tipped his hat. “See you when I see you, Thalia.”

I gave him a small salute and watched as he drove the car out of the driveway. I let out a sigh once more before finally walking over to the entrance of the house. 

“Halt,” a tall man held his hand out in front of my body, prohibiting me from entering the door. “Who are you?”

 I cleared my throat and straightened my posture. “Thalia. Apprentice guard,” I shortly introduced myself. 

He raised one of his eyebrows. “A female guard?” he whispered under his breath. “Well, the apprentice guards are not allowed in this area. Weren’t you informed about that?”

I looked up at him, confused. “No, I wasn’t.”

He sighed. “This is for the main family and the official associates only. The living quarters for the apprentice guards are located over there,” he pointed. 

I looked at the direction he was pointing in and pursed my lips together. Next to the big ass mansion was a beat-up two-story house with moss growing on its walls. Heck, I don’t think I can even call this a house. It’s like a big slab of concrete with makeshift windows. 

“Thanks,” I briefly bowed my head before walking over to the building.

I entered the house and was utterly shocked when I saw the scene right in front of me. I already knew that it wouldn’t be luxurious from the stories that Reese told me. However, I didn’t think that it would be that bad. About thirty other apprentice guards were cramped inside the 300-square-meter lot. The beds were next to each other, with no partitions or curtains to divide them. 

It seems like I also entered late since they were already changing into their uniforms. They stopped and stared when they saw me come into the room. I paused in my tracks as I watched their hungry eyes look at me as if I was their prey. 

“Damn, there’s a sweetheart in this place? I didn’t know that the qualifications were that low,” one of them shouted. Others chuckled while others continued staring. I decided that ignoring them would be the best option for now, so I trudged over to one of the empty beds. I looked around the place and saw some other women, about three of them scattered around. However, they appeared to be much older than me, and one of them had the body of a bodybuilder. 

I settled beside the kindest-looking woman in the room. It seemed like I picked my place well since she smiled at me warmly as I fixed my things. I was in the middle of changing into the uniform when two people suddenly came into the lot—one man and one woman. I suppressed the smile that threatened to form on my face when I saw who the man was. It has been three months since the last time that I saw him, so it’s quite delightful to see that he’s still doing well. 

“Good afternoon, apprentices,” the woman greeted. “It is our honor to welcome you to this training system. I’m sure all of you already know what kind of place you have entered. We are happy that you chose this path, but just know that it will only get more difficult from here on out.” 

“That’s right,” the man added. “Today, we’re going to brief you about what’s going to happen in the next three months, what kind of rules you will abide by, and what we expect from you after all of this is over. But before all of that, let us introduce ourselves,” he looked at the woman next to him. 

“I am Andrea Lancaster, your vice-captain for the training system.”

“And I am Reese Ricci, your captain for the training system.”

My brother’s and I’s eyes met for a split second, but we acted like we didn’t know each other to not create any suspicion from the other trainees. 

“Alright,” Andrea clapped her hands. “Let’s start with the orientation. You will all be undergoing a three-month training program to shape you into the best guards for the Romano family. We are the only mafia clan that has this system, and it has been effective in keeping internal and external threats at bay. It will be a combination of physical, emotional, and mental programs that will strengthen your assets in different areas. Reese and I will be here to guide you in the next three months.”

Reese nodded his head. “Don’t be complacent just because we’re here, though. We may appear kind now, but we’re not afraid to eliminate the members who are deemed incompetent to become a guard. We expect nothing but the best from each and every one of you.”

We all nodded our heads. 

“Now, I’m going to state the house rules, which aren't hard to abide by. One,” he started walking around. “Always adhere to the time schedule. One thing that I hate the most is people being late. If we say that the training will start at 5 AM, then it’s going to start at 5 AM. Those who cannot attend at the right time will be eliminated.”

“Two,” Andrea continued. “You must never betray any of the secrets in this Cosa Nostra. Everything you see, hear, and witness while you're here shall never be divulged to anyone. Violating this rule does not only entail elimination in the guarding system, but a different kind of elimination,” she looked us all in the eyes. 

Some took sharp intakes of breaths, but I remained unfazed. I knew that deaths would be inevitable to witness in this place, so I’ve already prepared my heart not to be bothered much by it. 

“And last but not least,” Reese stated. “No love affairs are allowed in the three months that you’ll be here. Not with your fellow apprentices, not with any of your trainers, and definitely not with any of the members of the mafia,” he jokingly added the last statement, lightening up the atmosphere a little bit. Some even chuckled but quickly shut their mouths when Reese looked at them sharply. 

“I know some of you may find this funny, but I’m saying this with all seriousness. It seems like a simple rule, but so many people have been eliminated from the system because of this rule, mostly from dating their fellow apprentices.”

I tuned him out in the latter part of his speech since I was sure it wouldn’t be a problem with me anyway. I came here for one thing and one thing only—to become a guard and to finally gain my family’s approval. 

“That would be it for tonight,” Andrea concluded. “I’m expecting you all to hit the gym on the second floor at 4:00 in the morning. Remember, don’t be late.”

And with that, the two of them left the building, causing the crowd to burst into small chatters. 

As I was fixing my bed. I felt someone suddenly inching closer to me. I put my guard up and heightened my senses. Their presence only became closer, so I quickly turned around, ready to give them a blow to the face, when I saw that it was the woman on the bed next to me. 

She raised her hands up in surrender when she saw my fist in the air. “Woah, Woah,” she exclaimed. “Calm down, girlie. I’m only here to strike up a conversation.”

I cleared my throat and took a step away from her. Even if she looked harmless enough, I knew that I shouldn’t trust her yet since I barely knew her. “Yes? Do you need anything?”

“Geez,” she said, sitting down on my bed. My eyes widened in surprise at her shamelessness. “I didn’t expect you to be so uptight. But then again, I feel like everybody here is on their toes. I just thought you would be different or something.”

I raised my eyebrows. “Do you need anything?”

“A friend,” she smiled. 

I let out a sigh of disbelief. “I’m pretty sure you’re in the wrong place if you came here to look for friends.”

“Oh, come on. Loosen up! It’s only our first day, so I want to make some friends. We’ll be here for three months, so wouldn’t it be best to make some comrades to make things easier? Besides, I’m your best option,” she boasted. “Look around you, princess.”

I did as she told me to do so. 

The guys were still looking at me with their lustful stares, while the other girls looked to be appalled by my presence. I then looked back at her smug face and let out a sigh. 

“What’s your name?” I caved in. 

She smiled in delight and stood up from her seat. “Hi, I’m Daisy Dukes. I’ll be at your service from now on.”

I scoffed. “Your name is Daisy?” I asked, amused by the contrast between her name and the job she was pursuing. 

“What?” she asked. “It’s very fitting, I believe. What about you? What’s your name?” she excitedly asked. 

“Thalia. Thalia Ricci.”

Her eyes went wide like saucers, and she pointed at me with her mouth agape. 

I frowned. “What?”

“Holy shit. You’re a Ricci!”