The game: Mafia. The rules: Lies are required, deceit is essential, betrayal is highly encouraged. Who wins? The remaining one left at the top. Who loses? The one who falls in love first. Eirene Evander's identity had always been kept a secret, her family made sure of that. Since she could remember, she was trained in the art of illusion and deception. But a tragic event led her to run off and enlist in the Marines as Rein. Now that she’s come home, it’s time to see what the mafia’s up to these days. Will pretending to be a man help with her mission for the military? Will she finally find the truth about her father’s death? Or will it lead to her demise just like her predecessor? Delian Leofric is a calculated, mean-spirited brute. Every person he meets would warn others to avoid even just a glimpse of his shadow. But what they don’t know is that he’s more than that. Now that he’s about to become the mob leader, will he turn things around? Or in the end, will he be swallowed up and forced to do their bidding until he’s replaced by another? A vengeful soldier, a puppet mob king, with all the other players from the underground organization and more. These combinations may just bring tragic deaths, unexpected greatness, or maybe a concoction of both.
View More“Thank you for your service,” another civilian commented with a bright smile as Rein pushed her way to the Ambrosia Pub. She tipped her cap to the person before heading straight to the bar.
“Finally,” she thought after seeing the bartender come into view. Choosing the furthest seat by the bar, she dumped her luggage on the floor and leaned on the brick wall. “Two pints of your best beer, and keep ‘em coming please.”
As much as Rein enjoyed seeing her hometown after years of being deployed to the most dangerous places, she never did like attracting any attention to her. She looked around the establishment and saw several other soldiers who also just arrived. Oh, how she wished she changed to a more casual fit first. “Any battle buddies to drink with?” The red-headed bartender approached, placing the tall glasses of lager on the lacquered wood.
“Yeah, seems like he’s running late,” Rein replied, then quickly chugged the whole drink down in seconds, amusing the bartender and making him laugh. That damned Damon, she knew for sure he would be late. After hearing his sappy tale of having to recover his lost love with an ex-girlfriend, she wondered why he agreed to have a drink with her in the first place.
“These love-sick men and their obsession with women.” Rein cringed at the thought. She has always wondered why people would subject themselves to commitments that would only hurt during the process and then end in heartbreak.
She looked back from her stool once more, hoping to see her military friend among the waves of patrons coming in. Giving up, “He ditched me, I think,” she informed the barkeep with disappointment. He was the one who insisted on getting plastered at a pub, instead of doing it in her house, which was more stacked with various types of alcohol compared to any pubs in the city. And they didn’t have to spend any dollars, despite how expensive those would be in the market. But no, the most morally upright Damon Mitchell should only be entering a mafia house if it was work-related.
“More drinks for ye then. First two’s on the house lass,” the bartender replied as a comfort. Well, at least someone was being considerate. From their sparse conversation, his name’s Lou and he owned the place. The old man understood she preferred less talking and let her enjoy her beer.
But speaking of old men, “Ugh, I forgot to call him.” Coincidentally, her phone vibrated with the words ‘Drama Queen’ spelled out on the bright screen.
“Hey uncle, I’ve been meaning to call you,” she greeted in a sweet sing-song way. “At least you answer calls from a lowlife like me, Eirene Evander.” The person on the other line let out an obviously fake chuckle and with a sinister tone continued, “And here I heard you’ve been drinking at the Ambrosia, alone.”
Well, that was quick. She’d only been there for less than an hour and someone was already reporting on her activities. The Evander spies are getting better. “It’s not that-”
“Here we go,” she thought. “cue the waterworks.” And on the dot, she heard sniffles from her relative. Rein could only sigh. “Everyone’s excited to meet you but you blow them all off to drink cheap drinks alone? Do you have any idea-” Rein had to quickly cut him off. His theatrics usually lasted hours and she never had the patience for them, hence his contact name.
“Uncle Aidon, first of all, just cause beer’s cheap, doesn’t mean it tastes bad. Second, I’ll be home soon, alright? I just wanted to get around Erebus without anyone knowing and turning it into a circus.” Many soldiers were just coming home from deployment so no one would notice Rein mixed in with the crowd. Not that anyone recognized who she was anyway.
Aidon finally gave in and said, “Fine, but don’t have too much fun there,” Rein knew his next words were serious. “We still have a lot to discuss, especially your coming activities in the city.”
“Yes, sir.”
While facing the wall talking to Aidon, a creak from the chair beside signaled her of a newcomer. “We’ll talk again later, my friend’s here.” She swiftly dropped the call to chew out Damon for almost ditching her.
She flung her arm hard, hitting what should have been Damon’s shoulder. “Asshole! I’ve been waiti- shit.” Rein’s face quickly dropped at the sight. Not only was this person not her friend, but it had to be someone like him. She retracted her hand as fast as lightning and pulled her cap down to her nose.
“Well,” the guy cleared his throat from shock and straightened his jacket from Rein’s assault, “This asshole’s sorry for making you wait, Miss.” God, she’s so dead.
She motioned toward him and bowed her head. “No, I’m sorry. I thought you were someone else.” She wanted to go on, “I didn’t know the Erinyes mafia heir, Delian Leofric, would be coming to a place like this,” but knew better than to say it.
The man towered over her, even as they were sitting. His serious demeanor was clearly that of a person you should never mess with. Anyone could see even from his thick clothes, that there was a fit and sturdy build hiding underneath. His clean-cut hair and chiseled face could sweep any person off their feet, at the same time strike fear in them.
She heard another creak coming from her side. “Sorry, I must have made you uncomfortable. I’ll just move further.” His voice sounded sincere but Rein knew better.
She remembered a story from her superior during their briefing. “Be careful now, a young boy who accidentally bumped into Mr. Leofric was found floating in the river the next day. They don’t call him the ‘Untamed Adonis’ for nothing.” “’Untamed Adonis’?” She inquired about the moniker. “It’s cause despite having good looks, he’s one scary man that you can't trifle with.” Whether that was true or not, she didn’t wish to be in his bad graces.
“No please, you didn’t. It’s fine.” Rein kept readjusting her uniform from being a bundle of nerves. Her palms started to get sweaty as she anticipated his reaction. “Alright then.” was all she heard. She didn’t know she was holding her breath until she had to burp it out.
Rein could feel eyes on her as she downed another glass. “Marines?”
She was not ready for this. Yes, it was her mission to get as close to the core of the mafia as possible. But she just got home, can’t she celebrate her arrival just for one night? Why did this Leofric guy have to show up right away?
“Remember stupid,” she scolded herself, “you were the one who volunteered yourself. Remember why you’re doing this.” Besides, it felt weird that she didn’t feel afraid as she should be, just nervous. “Like a first date,” suddenly came into mind but was quickly swept away by Rein before she would puke at the thought. After a few seconds of pause, she answered, “Yes, sir.”
His following questions were simple, and she did her best to respond as politely as she could. Though his slurred words let her know that this man was clearly quite drunk.
“Where’re you stationed?”
“Rison.”
“What’s, what’s your rank?”
“Sergeant.”
“Was it dangerous there?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Anyone waiting for you at home?”
“Just relatives.”
Still finding it awkward to do anything else, Rein took out her phone and typed D-A-M-O-N. “Hey, sorry for not coming,” a gloomy voice whispered. She knew it, that ex of his was bad news. “I told you that Dear John letter was real. Do you need me to come over?” She made sure her present drinking buddy heard that question. Rein had been itching for an excuse to leave.
“No, I think I’ll just sleep. Sleep until I forget her,” Damon lamented as he kept sighing. Taking her duffle bag by the shoulder, Rein gestured to Delian that she had to go and mouthed thanks to Lou.
“What are you talking about? I’ll come over to your house.” Rein continued to head for the door but quickly stopped in her tracks. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
At the corner table near the pool tables, were two men with the blondest heads on them. They didn’t even bother to look normal as their table was void of food or drinks, and their eyes were focused solely on the back of the mafia underboss.
“You know what, why don’t you come here instead?” She slowly made her way back to the bar, making sure she wasn’t imagining it. “I’m in a cluster fuck, might need backup.”
Damon, knowing that the phrase meant serious trouble, said, “Stay alive in the next ten minutes. I’ll be there.”
“Just my luck.” First, the Leofric heir, now, the Nordic mob. The Stockholm mafia had always been the Erinyes’ biggest competition when it comes to smuggling liquor and contraband into Europe. But Stockholm wins when it comes to who’s more violent. Them being in the same vicinity as the second-highest person in the mafia meant someone will surely die.
“On second thought,” Rein called out, “I might just have one more beer or five shots of brandy. I don’t know.” She went back to her seat next to the puzzled Leofric and almost threw her luggage in frustration. His eyes actually lit up and seemed more alert this time. “Uh, great. Lou, more drinks this way.”
Rein went back on her phone to type a message to Aidon, “Uncle, there are Swedes here tailing Delian. I saw two but I’m not sure if there are more.” Ever her doting uncle, he replied, “You’re on a first-name basis with him now?” Rein wanted to throw her phone. She can never catch a break with this man. “Seriously uncle, can you not make a joke out of everything? This is Stockholm we’re talking about.”
The typing bubbles on her screen were making her anxious. “Eirene, you should know since you’re an Evander. If a Swede steps foot in Sielyum, we’d know. That also means whatever happens to them had been decided.” Her uncle continued, “I suppose if you want to see how Delian truly is, you could stay there for a while.”
Rein thought back at all the rumored reports and concluded that they were exaggerated. But when she looked up from her phone, both the Swedish duo and Delian were out of sight. Only his suit coat was neatly placed on top of the stool. Panicked, she inquired Lou where the drunk guy was.
“Better go home, lass. Ye cannae be seeing those kinds of thugs and what they do,” he advised while wiping a few shot glasses clean. “No use getting bothered for people like that.” His thick Scottish accent made the warning sound like a threat.
Grunts and metal clanging suddenly boomed from the back.
Running towards the metal door, Rein replied with, “Too late, Lou.”
Rein sighed. Of course, it all went back to the trust that was absent between them. This cycle had become too tiresome for her. If only she knew where his alliances truly lie, then maybe she could directly ask him what he knew to help with their mission.But alas, she didn’t. Although, maybe it was best to know him better after all. “Curiosity is a dangerous trait, Sir Delian…”Rein observed as his eyes grew darker at her statement so she continued, “But I’ve been taught that it is likewise important. It helps us learn and see possibilities that are usually invisible. So, I’ll make this easier for you. I’ll answer 3 questions truthfully if you do the same.”Delian kept his strong gaze at her and she could see the gears turning in his head. He slowly opened his mouth, “N-”Fortunately for her, their focus was taken out by a soft knock on the door. Delian growled, “What is it?”The knob turned to reveal the young lady who was getting harassed earlier. Her voice became quieter as opposed
“Sir, from what I’ve gathered, most of the rival gangs began to lie low after what happened to the Hives. They knew better than to mess with our affairs, especially since the gang completely disappeared.”“Not one of them acted up?”“None at all. I checked several times and it had been years since one of them tried to.”That was strange. Every information he had ran through Delian’s mind as the car decelerated. “It doesn’t make sense. Except for Sylvester Cobb and his men, no other groups ever again attempted to make contact with any of our members. And the drug and weapon deals all stopped right after Julius Dai was killed. Someone should have taken action by now.”Rafiq answered while parking the vehicle into the manor’s extensive garage, “That means the person or people we’re looking for is not associated with any of them. We’ve already investigated and determined that none of the city’s politicians and police would go against us. Which leaves us to outsiders or even the possibilit
“The people we’re paying in Customs reported about an incoming alcohol import tax hike so they’re asking for additional compensation. Since they are bringing in our products into the UK without much clearance, I’d say we give it to them.” Rein pored over the reports as their finance executive droned on and on about increasing taxes. She sat on Aidon’s right side of the conference table. But all she could think about was her dilemma with Kora. This was not a misunderstanding that could easily be fixed with a simple, “Hey, you got it all wrong. I meant something else.” If a man showed even the slightest intention of wanting to marry someone in the mafia, that was equal to proposing already. The man would have to expect a marriage within the year whether he wanted it or not. Aidon watched as Rein squirmed in her seat, her furrowed brows burning through the papers. He recognized that his niece wasn’t mentally present and let her be. This was the first time since the incident that Rein
Kora checked herself in the mirror one more time, making sure that the demure image she was portraying really stood out. Instead of her usual red lipstick and heavy makeup, she opted to wear a natural look to show off her rosy cheeks. And she wore a flowy and simple sage dress with long sleeves.“Being sultry doesn’t seem to get anything more than a flirty comment from him. Maybe I’ll get a better reaction with this,” she told herself as she smiled at the reflection. This always worked when she wanted to tap into some of the men’s overprotectiveness and bravado.Maybe Rein Evander was one of those men who thought that women couldn’t defend themselves.Kora continued to look around what seemed to be the smallest parlor in the manor. The off-white walls made the room brighter while black, suede chairs gave it contrast. Dark brown wood with gold linings served as furniture, completing the whole minimalist ambiance.“I’ll have to change a lot of things and add more color if I start living
“The Leofric boy has shut himself off from the outside world. From what I’ve gathered, we won’t see much of him for a while. Who knows what crazy ideas he’s got up his brain again?” Elus frowned, irate with his inability to read through Delian’s actions. “After that last stunt, he should be ashamed to show his face. Causing Rein to-” Kora cut herself off after realizing what she was about to say. Causing Rein to be injured instead of going on a date with her. She cleared her throat, “Causing Rein and Don Evander to bring out their troops like that. So unnecessary for our mafia.” The Renaud don only watched her squirm out that sentence, his gaze piercing through. “Hmm.” “I mean, what would have happened if the mafia was suddenly attacked? We would have had a hard time with the Evander family preoccupied because of Delian’s stupid actions. Then, there would’ve been no mafia for us to take over-” Her father’s harsh hiss stopped her from speaking this time. “If you know what’s good fo
Rein fixed her messy ponytail and cuffed her wrists, making sure the rope burns were not visible. It didn’t matter if she was soaked, as long as she had no injuries. She stared at the metal door for a few seconds before making up her mind.She knew better than to believe Sylvester Cobb’s words blindly. Anyone could have known of the Evander’s covert phrase including him. And judging from their short interactions, Cobb seemed like the type to drain another person of their very use to the very last drop before he would do them any favors.“I will make you give me a name. If I have to do the unimaginable, then I will,” Rein thought as the door let out a deep groan when she pushed it open.And true to her warning, most of Cobb’s men lie bleeding on the ground. What appeared to be a large storage facility was now turned into a slaughterhouse. And facing her by the entrance was the Evander Don holding a man up by his head, using him as a shield against whoever opened the door.A stand-off w
A sudden cascade of ice water forced Rein awake from her pained stupor. She jolted violently as a reaction but was unable to move further.“What the?” She said in a hoarse voice as she looked down to see her limbs tied to a chair. This reminded her of what happened before she passed out. “Shit, this can’t be happening now,” Rein thought.Before she could further assess her situation, a baritone voice rang out from the other side of the room, “Is our Evander prince awake?”Sylvester Cobb puffed out a ring of smoke in the air as he sat a few feet from her, the cigar in his fingers close to burning them. He seemed to have waited there for some time already, a light haze having surrounded them.Panic rushed in Rein’s veins. The water felt too warm now as compared to the dread that a rival group knew her identity. Still, her face remained stoic through her aching head injury and stress. “There must be a way out of here,” she reminded herself.“What do you-”She was instantly cut off by the
“What time should I come by your house? I should at least talk to Don Renaud if I’m taking his daughter out on a date.” Rein put on her cufflinks, the very same heirloom Aidon passed on to her, as she prepared for the movie and dinner date with Kora. Not able to get more information from Dona Agatha during the mafia gathering, the military trio decided on squeezing whatever intel they can from Kora who was obviously smitten with Rein’s facade. A feat that the Evander was quite proud of. Turns out, being a female was all it took to attract Kora. The woman on the other line gave a soft chuckle, “Don’t you think it’s too early to be meeting my parents?” Oh, it was far from that. Rein had already met individually with all family leaders except for Elus. And though the latest evidence pointed towards the Dais, she had to check every family. Kora continued, “I’m actually not in the house and I’m close by. So why don’t I pick you up in a few minutes? Let’s try changing roles this time.” Re
“So, how was the business trip?” Delian’s inquisitive tone asked. Thankfully, Rein’s boss bought her excuse of traveling around the Evander properties. Something she was allowed to do after recovering, per doctor’s approval. After speaking on the phone several times, both now felt comfortable with each other. Phone calls that Rein surprisingly enjoyed. As dense as Delian was, he had some humor and real sense in him: a rare quality in the mafia. “It went well. Some workers just needed reminding.” It was a common occurrence to have laborers protest and mafia businesses were no exception. A first for Rein to get involved with the family affairs. “You beat those people up?” Delian scoffed. “Sir, you insult me,” Rein almost spoke in her natural voice. Clearing her throat, “It’s still a business so no, I didn’t. All I did was listen and broker an agreement, making them an offer they’re not allowed to refuse.” “Oh,” was all he could say. “I see now why your uncle fought for you to be my
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