Chapter 1: The Beginning

*

"What should we do with him now boss?" one of the members asked.

"I don't care what you do with him, send him off nicely or rough him up a little more, whatever pleases you. But be careful girls, we wouldn't want to get caught now, would we?" She said in a red dress under a black trench coat and sleek red pump heels.

She removed her mask and black gloves and passed them to one of the girls as she turned her back on the half-dead man.

"Oh and ladies don't forget to gift him one of my special roses, we wouldn't want to be disrespectful." She said once more before she walked into the parked van and drove off.

The ladies looked between themselves and with a smile they understood what the rose meant and that would be the last Mr Andrews would ever be heard from again.

"I'm sorry your Dad had to end up like that, but you already know I despise men and men who betray me, face the worse type of punishment." Adira started.

"He was never a father to begin with, all he ever wanted was money, he never really cared about me once. I'll miss him but I'm glad my mother can finally be at peace now knowing that cheater got exactly what he deserved. I say cheers to getting rid of one problem." The unknown lady gave a toast.

"Well then, I guess it's time for you to come out of the shadows, it's time everyone meets our consigliera. It's great to have you back." the lady in red said taking a sip of her champagne.

"In good time boss and it's consigliere to you." they both laughed as the black van drove off into the night.

Adira Alexander, also known as AA, Leader of the Black Rose gang. One of the strongest gang groups around, people called her the leader of the new generation. The Female Mafia Queen.

And Adira rose to the name Mafia Queen, only recruiting women into her gang. At first, everyone called her a girl who wanted to play mafia saying that a mafia was no place for a woman. One of them being the man brutally beaten up, going by the name Mr Andrews, the former legal advisor of the Black Roses and the only man to ever work with the gang.

His daughter, Stephanie Andrews now the new Councilor, legal advisor and also best friend to Adira brought his crimes and atrocities to light hence his punishment.

The Black Roses first got recognition when a guy from a gang around Area B bit more than he could chew with the Black Roses.

Some say he was beaten half dead and tied up in an empty alley with a black rose left beside him. Normally this brought problems between the Night Howlers and the Black Roses and as usual, they had it out with each other.

And as no one expected, the Black Roses left the fight with little or no bruises and every member of the night howlers beaten up with a black rose by their side. Some say that the leader of the gang wasn't even present at their first fight and others thought they just got lucky as women and kept on challenging them.

On the day of the fight with one of the strongest gang in Area D, The Anvil, it was recorded as one of the bloodiest fights in gang history that year. While the ladies came empty handed the Anvil gang came with the intent to eliminate the group. This was where Adira made a name for herself as the Mafia Queen.

Rumour has it that she took on 20 men at a go, before she let the other girls attack, many of the girls were hurt but not before causing more harm to the Anvil gang, they went home with more casualties than they had expected.

Since then the Black Roses were a group you would rather ally with than mess around with. Some still whisper that the leader of The Anvil and some other gangs are still missing to present.

But the Black Roses was not only a violent group of girls fighting, they also owned a good number of businesses in different areas, both legal and underground, all run by women, men were excluded from all runs, they were only seen as workers at the workplaces owned by the Black Rose with the exception that is.

The biggest income comes from their security company and fleets of salons and restaurant and illegally their underground weaponry and arms factory. This way, the young girls brought into the group could decide to either work for their bread one way or another. While some chose to work clean, some chose to give their lives up to Adira but every girl and woman was trained in combat.

Sadly it hasn't always been easy for the girls. Many of these women and ladies who join the Black Rose had dark and broken pasts and were looking for where to belong in a judgemental and unfair society, the same went for Adira and the other founding members.

(Adira's P.O.V)

"I've always led a peaceful life, not perfect or full of riches but at least we wouldn't starve. I didn't become like this overnight, everything you see here was worked hard for and some had to pay with their blood, which is why we have a room with their pictures to keep their memories," Adira said to the new girls recruited.

"Some of them left families and children, who we take care of to this day. I wasn't always like this, it all happened twelve years ago..."

*Flashback*

<12 years ago>

I woke up on that good day in spring to the sound of chipping birds and as usual the smell of my Mom's pancakes which were practically the best in the world.

I walked into our small kitchen to see Dad and Charlie my little brother having breakfast before they would head out for the day, Dad to work and Charlie to school. I was a college student studying psychology in my third year so I only went out when I had to or to see my boyfriend who by the way I was seeing this evening.

It was our fourth anniversary this year, we've been together since the graduation of senior year, I was so sure that it was going to be a really romantic evening.

I texted my best friend who was studying law in Italy about my big night, from the beginning she never consented to my relationship but she was always so supportive, and when I told her about tonight all she said was to have fun but be careful. This is why I can't love her any less.

My boyfriend, Hugo Fletcher was handsome, tall, had ripped muscles, dark brown curly hair, brown eyes and was extremely rich, but I didn't love him for his money even though he was tagged as THE Rich bad guy and he also had anger issues but I still loved him.

Time went by and I was getting ready to meet Hugo at a club at Area C which was a bit far from the area I lived, Area V. We lived in sections called Areas because of the increasing number of crime and gangs in the country.

We had Area A, B, C, D, for the rich and V, W, X, Y, Z for the rest of us and minor gangs.

I wore a short black dress with sequence purse containing my phone, my ID and money in case Hugo gets mad and I have to go home myself again. I bid my parents and Charlie goodbye since they were also going out to visit a cousin of mine in Area X.

I took a cab all the way to Area C which was at least a hour long or longer. I kept calling Hugo but he never returned any of my calls or text messages, I would definitely give him a piece of my mind when I get to the club.

I got to club Zer0 and it was booming with music and lights as usual and with a long line to get in to the club. I walked up to the bouncer and whispered a secret password to get in but he just stood and said that the password had been changed.

I tried calling Hugo again, why would he change the password without informing me of it first, strangely enough he still wasn't picking his calls.

"He might not be here though" I said to myself as I walked towards the private parking lot and surely his sport car was there, I told myself that it's a club he probably couldn't hear his phone over the loud music, so I joined the long line and waited for almost another hour before I could get in.

As expected, I wouldn't expect less from club Zer0, it was loud as hell with bodies grinding everywhere, weird place for an anniversary but hey, who am I to judge?

I made my way to the VIP section and saw the bouncers, I was about to leave when I bumped into another one, I guess to change shifts.

"Ouch!" I said stepping back abit.

"Adi??" I was confused when I heard my name and looked up and saw Tony a friend of mine from school.

"Tony! I didn't know you worked here." I asked after I recognized him.

"Well, the student loans ain't gonna pay itself you know, anyways, what are you doing here?" Tony asked curiously.

"I'm supposed to meet my boyfriend here but he changed our secret password and now I can't get in." I explained to Tony.

"Wait.... You mean... Your Boyfriend... Is the party animal in that VIP lounge?" Tony asked with wide eyes almost shouting.

"Yes, I know he can be a bit loud but he's okay." I said with a smile but the look Tony gave me was a sad one.

"Adi, I think you should get out of here" Tony said sternly.

"But... I can't, today's an important day for us, it's our anniversary." I said innocently.

"I don't want you to get hurt and I'm sure what you'll see will hurt you really bad." Tony said again, this time with pity.

"I don't understand, can you just let me through." I demanded.

"I warned you Adi, just take it easy." Tony said as he nodded to the other guy to moved aside.

I looked at Tony one last time as he gave me a sad smile and I proceeded to climb up the stairs.

With every step I took I felt heavier, the music grew louder in my ears, I began to sweat and the crazy light blurred my vision abit.

But what I saw at the top, I saw as clear as day.