Politics

Charlie

My body is sore. I've been training for hours and I feel like I'm either going to pass out or my arms are going to fall off.

"COME ON, CHARLIE! I DIDN'T RAISE YOU TO BE A QUITTER!" My father practically spits in my face.

"What happened to being your little princess?" I pout at him.

I've always trained with my family, and even though I'm not involved with their business I still train because I wasn't really given a choice. My father pushes me to the edge hoping one day I snap and show him what I'm capable of, but I'm not going to let him see that side of me because it's going to start a whole new set of mind games.

"I'm toughening you up, girl." He throws a jab at me and I duck it, hooking him in the side and coming straight up and jabbing my father in the chest.

"You can toughen me up without resorting to physical torture." We sidestep each other in the ring waiting for someone to through the next punch.

"Carry on and I'm taking you to the shooting range." A sly smirk tugged on his face, knowing full well I HATE the sound of guns. It's one of the reasons why I'm not a part of my family's mafia. The power a weapon gives you is disgusting.

Even with what happened a couple of years ago I never considered killing the man that sexually assaulted me down a dark alley, only a few feet away from a safe place.

The man who hurt me never got caught, so in return, he never go convicted and sent to jail. My family worked hard to try and hunt him down but I came to terms with the fact that he may never be caught. A good year after it happened we simply gave up which kind of hurt since my family is one of the biggest competing Mafia in the country.

My padded fist comes around and connects with my father's jaw, sending his face to whip to the side. In that split second, I pummel at his body sending jabs, hooks and combos to his body, playing his blind spot to my advantage until he is up against the corner of the ring. I continue my assault until the bell rings and we touch gloves as a sign of respect for one another.

My father pats me on the back and kisses my head, "you got a strong punch on you, girl."

I rip off my glove and grab my drink, not caring if I drench my face, "can I ask you something?" I already know the answer but I want to hear it from him just to confirm it.

"What's that love?" He says unwrapping his wraps.

"Why are you so adamant that I join the business?" I cringe at my own words, expecting him to get mad at me.

He sighs and throws his wraps on the floor, "I know you think it's all politics; the more people we bring in the more stronger we are." He pauses, "and it was."

"See, that's why-" I start.

"It WAS. It's not anymore... not for you."

My heart swells. I've never seen this side of my father before. He's always talked about his mafia leading and that's why I thought him trying to get me to join was all about. But now I'm thinking about it: I think this sad-sack has a heart.

"What's it about now?"

" ever since that incident happened, I want you to be able to defend yourself and be safe. For the first few months after it happened, I was terrified of leaving you out of my site." He releases a shaky breath, " I want you to know how to fight."

My brows draw together. I think he can see the sympathy in my eyes because he looks at me and says, "but you don't have to if you don't want to."

"I'll think about it." I look at him for a good second, "I will, dad. I'm not saying that just to make you feel better. I never knew you felt like that.

I leave the gym and head upstairs to my bedroom. Once there I strip off my clothes and head to the shower. I turn on the hot water and go over to my mirror. I look at myself for a minute, I've gotten more muscular and lean since I was 16. before then I never wanted to train I was all skin and bones but since the incident I agreed to let my father train me, fuelling my training using the anger I felt knowing the man who hurt me is still out there probably hurting more women, maybe even younger girls.

stepping into the shower I let the warm water wash over me and relax all my sore muscles. I just stand there for a while completely allowing my environment to wipe my thoughts clean and concentrating on the important question: Should I join my family's mafia? realistically, I don't need to make a decision yet. At the end of the day, I'm only 18, I'm still in education.

Once I step out I wrap a towel around me and head to my bedroom. I open my wardrobe and pick out some fluffy pyjamas and lay them on the bed. Going to unwrap my towel I let out a sigh when my phone goes off.

Letting my towel sit loosely around my body I answer the phone, "Charlie."

"I'm not going to lie, Charles but I'm liking the view."

What? I look around me and my eyes are fixed on the body that's standing on my balcony and I let out a gasp. I rush over and swing the doors open, "My days, Ryder. You scared the shit out of me."

"Don't pretend like you didn't like it." Ryder laughs and I smile back at him.

"Bugger off, you shouldn't be here." I nudge his arm and grab my pyjamas.

Ryder is a part of the Lovelock Empire. Mine and his family are competing to be the ruling mafia so by default we were taught to hate each other but it's hard to hate each other when you grew up together and when you share a birthday.

"I need help." that's all he said.

"I'm not helping you cover up anybody. I'm not holding your tools or being a hitman for anyone." I fold my clothes over my arm and head to the bathroom, locking the door behind me. I learnt that the hard way when Ryder tried opening the door when we were 14. He was a horny ass boy.

He still is.

I hear him laugh through the door, "Calm down, I need help with my Physics."

"Ahhhh okay, so I'm your tutor?" I pull my top over my head and take my hair out from underneath.

"I'll pay."

Now I'm intrigued. I open the door enough so he can't see the fact that I'm not wearing any bottoms, "In what?"

He looks at me with a hitched eyebrow, "Chocolate?"

I close the door and hastily put on my bottoms. whipping the door open again I sit on the bed and tap the spot next to me, "okay."

"Okay?" Ryder questions, "You'll help me?"

"yep. And I don't want any of that knock-off store brand shit."

I open Ryder's workbook and look at the questions. I'm a higher-ability worker so my homework is different to his.

"What's the graph telling you?" I move the book so it's facing him.

"I don't knowwwww. That's why I'm here." He pouts. He falls back on the bed and groans.

"Come on." I grab his arm and yank him up, "It steadily increases until floor 4. That flat line at floor 4 means that It's staying on that floor. It stays at that floor from minute 3 to minute 5, meaning it stayed on that floor for two minutes before steadily increasing again to floor 10."

"So what do I write?" He's looking at the paper like it just sprouted legs.

"Exactly what I just told you. You're describing what the graph is showing you."

His head falls into his hands and he groans again, "I can't, I'm going to fail."

"You're not if you're paying me in chocolates." I grab his pen and start writing, explaining everything to him until he understands.

"So... Newton's Third Law of motion is... that everything has an equal and opposite reaction?"

"Meaning?"

"Meaning... If A exerts a force on B, B will exert the same force on A?"

"Example?"

"If I was the hit a car their force will make me move too?"

"close enough!" I lift my hand, "high-five." Ryder smiles and high-fives me. He has a gorgeous smile. I would be lying if I said I didn't have the smallest crush on him. I think it's the fact that he's "forbidden" that makes it seem so... naughty? Is naughty the right word? no, that sounds like I'm in a porno.

My cheeks flush and I try to disguise it by coughing. I look up and Ryder is giving me a look as if to say, "Yeah you were just checking me out". He's so full of himself... but I kinda was checking him out. I try and hide my face as it heats up knowing that I've just been caught, I look at my clock and see that it's 11 at night.

"It's getting late. I should head off to bed." I say as I let out a yawn.

"Okay, I'm going to head out." Ryder says as he gets up and heads to my bedroom door.

I start to panic knowing that when he opens that door he'll be greeted by one of my father's men standing guard at my door. I quite enjoy the little chats I have with Eugene in the mornings as we sit down to have a cup of tea whilst my family is off dealing with business. He's genuinely a very nice man but he follows orders and the Lovelock family is under one of them that if they show up here you shoot them.

"wait!" I whisper-yell. I jump up to grab his hand and Ryder twists around to face me, "You almost just got yourself killed!" I walk over to the balcony and let go of his hand, "Go down the way you came." I point down to the pile of rubbish bags on the floor under the ledge, the bin they came out of is on its side, meaning he probably kicked it over trying to get up.

"But I'm going to get dirty." Ryder begins to whine but I cut him off.

"I don't care, I'd rather you be dirty than killed." yeah, that didn't sound good

"ahhh, okay then," a smirk plays at his face, "kiss goodbye then?" He leans in. Is he actually expecting a kiss? Two can play at that game.

I lean in as Ryder closes his eyes, a smile spreads across my face as my hand curls around his neck and I thread my fingers through his hair. I can feel the hairs on the back of his neck stand to attention and I let out a breathy laugh, we are so close we are practically kissing but I'm not going to let him have the satisfaction of doing so. I put my free hand on his chest and in response, his hands snap to my waist and tugs so I'm flushed against him. I forget what I'm supposed to be doing as my breath stills. My hand snakes out from the back of his neck and joins the other one of his chest, It's a firm chest... a very firm chest. I'm about to carry out the rest of my devilish plan when Ryder's lips come down onto mine. I'm stunned, I didn't think he'd actually kiss me. I grab the side of his jaw and his him back: It's both playful and so so hot at the same time. My breathing becomes heavy as the kiss prolongs and when we break apart Ryder lets out a satisfied sigh.

"goodbye," I say and with one hard thrust I push Ryder, sending him flying off of the balcony and landing on the rubbish bags with an umpf!

"You bitch!" Is all he says back to me as I turn around and shut the doors behind me, leaning against them as I put my hand to my lips reliving the kiss I just shared with the rivals son.

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