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⊰ 20 ⊱ Trip Down Memory Lane: Part 1
I’m in way over my head…
As utterly sexist as Guillermo’s comment was, I almost feel inclined to agree with him. Not because I think that a woman can’t do this job, but because I’m starting to really believe that I can’t do it.
Why couldn’t I just major in mechanical engineering instead? This would be so much easier…
…
But nooooo, like a fucking loser, I majored in math and now I’m a semester away from not finishing my Physics degree because I’m probably gonna die trying to build this fucking thing.
…
I really need to stop saying ‘fuck’. I sound just like Levi.
…
Fuck, fuck, fuckety, fuck, fuck, fuck!
An audible groan vibrates from my throat as I bring my forehead to the lab table. My arms swaying freely at my sides, I huff loudly as I shut my eyes and internally cry in frustration.
I’m exhausted, but my br
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The Mafia's Mercy ⊰ 21 ⊱ A Night of the Past: Part 2
With the music playing softly from the sound system, Marcel drove us into the city where he warned me to stay in the truck while he ran into a store and came back with a bag of food and drinks that he placed in the backseat. For another quarter of an hour, he drove us down a country road, up a hill where he backed the truck into the familiar unmarked spot with a beautiful view of the city lights. Now, as he shifts the gear to ’Park’, I turn to look at him, my eyebrows furrowed, confused as I ask, “What are we doing here, Marcel?” He doesn’t say a word, unfastening his seatbelt as he pops the door beside him open. With a quick click of a button, he turns the engine off and steps out of the truck, swiftly shutting the door behind him. I watch him walk around the back of the truck through the rearview mirror, hearing the click from the tailgate as he lowers it seamlessly before continuing his movements to the passenger side of the truck where he opens the door
The Mafia's Mercy ⊰ 21.5 ⊱ A Hopeless Future
⊰ Marcel ⊱ I lean back into the driver’s seat, one hand on the steering wheel, the other holding my chin as I prop my elbow against the door beside me. The sound of the wind brushing against the truck is hardly enough to pierce the deafening silence between Mercy and I as she sits in the passenger’s seat beside me, her head turned away, looking out the window. Was I too harsh? The soft sigh that passes my lips is hardly audible, and while my gaze is fixated on the empty road ahead of me, driving through the dark path illuminated by the headlights of my truck, my thoughts are submerged by the events that took place no more than half an hour ago. The buzz from the cigar clouded my pride deeply enough to drag me back down into the pit I’d spent so long pulling myself out of. As I sat on the bed of my truck, next to her, I forgot about how I let her take a hold of me and she discarded me as easily as she captivated me. I
The Mafia's Mercy ⊰ 22 ⊱ Veiled Intentions
The annoying urge to pee prompts my eyelids to snap open, my eyebrows furrowing, disoriented. Out of the corner of my eye, I catch the bright sunlight beaming from beneath the blackout curtains concealing the windows and balcony door of my bedroom, and as a heavy sigh parts my lips, I shift my legs, throwing them over the edge of the bed as I tuck my arm beneath me, propping myself up to sit upright. A soft groan emits from the back of my throat as I straighten on my feet, feeling the cold marble floor through the thin cloth of my black ankle socks as I make my way to the bathroom. I hook my thumbs into the hem of my black cheeksters, slipping them down to my knees as I lower myself onto the toilet. I could literally go back to sleep right now. I almost have to fight to stay awake as I listen to the light tinkle over my soft breathing, my eyes flickering up to the decorative clock positioned above the towel rack. 6 o’clock? It’s probably
The Mafia's Mercy ⊰ 23 ⊱ Fragments of Vulnerability
Okay…maybe I should leave a couple wires disconnected… I sit back on the swivel chair, setting the pliers down as I eye the circuit board I’m just about done working on. I’m a few steps away from putting together the trial product and though, theoretically speaking, the only thing that can trigger these things is the switch I’ve already finished building, I don’t want to leave anything to chance. A shaky breath parts my lips as I avert my gaze to the clock on the display screen across the table, reading ’10:12PM’. Oop. It’s as if I’ve been on autopilot since I sat down and had dinner with Marcel, 2 days ago, which consisted of silence. The blue pill I’d taken played its effect just ten minutes after, and while, in the back of my mind, I was curious about what had transpired at that hilltop, I was more concerned with the plan I’d put together and implementing it. It’s true what they say: you can accomplish anything if you set your mind to it. Needless to say, 2 days of working wh
The Mafia's Mercy ⊰ 24 ⊱ Between Heartbeats
My body shifts, jostling with the black SUV as Rick drives us through the uneven terrain of the unpaved road in the middle of God knows where. Beside Marcel, I sit in the back seat, the middle seat conspicuously empty between us as Frank sits on the passenger’s seat, beside Rick. With my hands on my lap, I find myself fixated on them, twiddling my fingers beneath the sleeves of my sweater in my desperate attempt to find comfort that I haven’t been able to since I stepped foot into this vehicle, almost an hour ago. I like to think that if there wasn’t another black SUV trailing behind us, carrying Guillermo and three of his men, I’d be far less stressed. However, given that I’ve hardly given him any thought within the past hour, I know that my anxiety has nothing to do with him and everything to do with the three explosives we’re transporting in the trunk space. If they fail…I’m just gonna kill myself ’cause ain’t no way. …
The Mafia's Mercy ⊰ 25 ⊱ Crossing Doubts
After a successful trial, Guillermo insisted that “we celebrate”, and while Marcel, his father, and about 20 other people that I don’t know, sit on the long, roundabout, cushioned bench around the fire pit, drinking, smoking, talking, and laughing, I lay on one of the many white chaise lounge chairs surrounding the pool, silently. The cool night breeze flicks the stray hair strands from my loose low bun, the chilly air penetrating my sweater as I cross my legs in front of me. I draw my cheek between my teeth, chewing thoughtfully with my eyebrows furrowed ever-so-slightly and my gaze fixed on the whipped cream of the Piña Colada in my hands as my mind wanders to the thing I wish I could stop thinking about: the bomb. Damn it. Thinking back to the assembly, I don’t know how the bombs managed to go off. I missed a couple of wires, and I remember this now because I remember telling myself not to forget about the hidden wires beneath the circuit board before I forgot about them. I onl
The Mafia's Mercy ⊰ 26 ⊱ Heart's Betrayal: Part 1
I watch Levi approach us, and almost instantly, Marcel’s demeanor changes. He shifts me on his side, almost as though he’s trying to shield me from something—or someone. When it seems as though Levi is walking directly toward us, his direction suddenly changes, his reddened and tired eyes landing on Guillermo. “Mi hijo!” Guillermo calls with a genuine pleasure, standing from where he sits to move toward Levi as Levi walks directly past Marcel and I, hardly acknowledging either of us. (“My son!”) Guillermo embraces Levi with a fatherly hug, patting him on the back as he asks, “How are you, my boy?” His hands find the sides of Levi’s face, their gazes meeting for a brief moment before Guillermo relinquishes his hold on him, Valentina rising from her seat to hug Levi in the next moment. He really doesn’t know… But why didn’t Marcel tell him? “Where the hell have you been, huh?” Guillermo asks. Levi offers him a half-hear
The Mafia's Mercy ⊰ 27 ⊱ Edge of Loyalty: Part 2
As I stand here, in the parlor, looking at them, I feel the anger, sadness, and frustration inside of me churning, threatening to spill over. “You were supposed to stay outside,” Marcel’s voice is a steady reprimand. Despite his obvious disapproval, he sets his glass down with a calmness—a testament to his control beneath the mask of his own frustrations. I’m fighting to swallow the knot in my throat, holding back the tears that so desperately want to build in my eyes, but my voice betrays me, quavering slightly as I muster the courage to speak, “I’d like to get back to work.” “You’re not working tonight,” Marcel responds, his voice firm as he wears the stoic look on his face. I stare at him, the bridge of my nose stinging, and I can’t help but lash out, “Why? So you have a reason to keep me here longer?” My raw and unfiltered accusation hangs in the air, and though he tries to keep up with the facade of his stoicism, his eyes betray him. He k
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The Mafia's Mercy Epilogue
The Mafia's Mercy ⊰ 29 ⊱ In His Arms: Part 3
The Mafia's Mercy ⊰ 28.5 ⊱ House of Cards
The Mafia's Mercy ⊰ 28 ⊱ The Devil's Game: Part 2
The Mafia's Mercy ⊰ 27 ⊱ A Day Like Any Other: Part 1
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The Mafia's Mercy ⊰ 26 ⊱ Love's Fragile Thread
The Mafia's Mercy ⊰ 25 ⊱ A Stolen Moment
The Mafia's Mercy ⊰ 24.5 | 2 ⊱ Shelter
