CHAPTER TWO

CHRISTMAS GRIEF

"Just a little more won't hurt" Bella sighed as she gulped down the little drink in the glass she held. As she dropped the glass her eyes darkened as she recalled what had transpired that morning. She was on her couch when she received a call from Don.

"Oh! Come on Don, you promised that I get to kill these men single-handedly, why the sudden change of plans?"

" You know our next target isn't child's play Bella, I can't let you do this alone, we all have something against the devil but we have to be careful, especially with him".

She didn't need to argue with Don Armando, his words were final. he was the leader, the mafia drug lord of the La Gambino Gang, she wouldn't dare contradict his words.

After taking two more glasses Bella was completely wasted, rising gently from her seat and in wobbly steps she began to find her way to the bathroom. She felt so dizzy and nauseous. Why wouldn't she be after taking five glasses of whiskey? A waiter approached her noticing how cautious she was with her steps, he tried to support her.

"I can walk myself, don't bother!" she snapped raising her hands and he backed out. As she walked into the bathroom, she noticed a silhouette earlier trailing behind her, perhaps it was her exhausted brain playing tricks on her or the effect of the excess shots of whisky, she puked in the sink and turned on the tap washing her face and rinsing her mouth, she raised her head and looked into the mirror, standing behind her was a man, A tall Caucasian man dressed in a thick Black clothes with his head covered with a black Hoody. He grinned wrapping his big hands around her throat, her eyes followed his other hand which held a 2-inch knife.

"Let me help you, young lady, I think you need some hands, he grinned and Bella couldn't guess if his teeth were black or brown, her vision was blurry, and she didn't like this feeling of being vulnerable. or was she?

"I can't believe I'm doing this!" she muttered, and in a flash, she used her knee to hit him hard in the groin, he crouched in pain. Swiftly she snatched the knife from him, while her other hand pulled down the hood covering his face and he muffled in pain.

"Men! All a bunch of dogs!" She cursed with her small hands twisting his arms behind his back.

She pushed him into a toilet room and locked him in. In her wobbly steps, she found her way outside the club, leaning on a shiny black BMW M8, tears clouded her eyes, she sobbed, and the memories she wished to forget resurfaced.

Syrdah Yakutsk SIBERIA December 24th 1967.

It was a cold December night, the trees and rooftops were all covered with thick snow. In a little house, a middle-aged woman sat near the furnace with her six-year-old daughter clad in thick clothes, beanie, and mittens. She watched keenly as her mother knitted a little blue and pink sweater.

"Mum!" She called in her tiny voice.

"yes, Isabella" She responded abandoning her knitting for a moment.

"Why are you mixing the colors, I wish the sweater was just pink" she pouted.

"The color Pink is mostly preferable for girls, and blue for the boys" the woman tried explaining to the little girl who didn't seem to Understand.

"so…?" Isabella curiously scratched her head.

"We don't know if you're gonna have a baby brother or sister, so I'm combining both colors". She explained patiently but, the little girls squeezed her face in disgust.

"Ewww! I don't want a baby brother, I don't like boys" she cried, her mum raised a brow.

"So you don't like Santa Clause and your daddy " her mum laughed.

"I do like them but, I don't want a brother it has to be a girl" She pouted.

"But why honey?" she asked.

"boys in my class are very naughty and stinky stinky. They don't play with dolls" she pouted. her mother couldn't help but laugh at her kid's outburst.

"I like girls better. They play dolls, and they...."

"Shhhh!!!" Her mother rushed to put a finger on her lip cutting Isabella off, her eyes were widely alert and filled with fear, they had caught silhouettes outside in the dark.

Isabella had never seen her mom so scared before, Her mum was the toughest one, Even tougher than her Dad and she knew it.

Her mum pulled her towards the wall and locked her in a cupboard camouflaged like the wall breathing fast her mother instructed.

"No matter what you hear do not make a sound or come out, understood!" her mum warned shakily, it looked like she knew this day would come.

Isabella nodded in fear, her mum tossed the keys to her and just as she returned to her previous position, the door was kicked down. Four huge men clad in black from the crown of their heads to the soles of their feet marched in and the tallest who looked more menacing threw down a man who looked badly beaten and bruised, Isabella peeked through a small crack and as the man raised his face that was covered in blood Isabella whimpered silently.

"Daddy.."

"Let him go Ice, this is between me and the Don"

Her mother stood opposite them her face was painted with pain rather than fear.

"Hahaha, how pathetic... So this was the reason you ditched the gang, for this piece of sh*t!" He said kicking the man on the floor roughly on his stomach.

"Ice!" She gritted her teeth trying hard not to look at her husband squirming in pain on the floor.

"I agree, I fucked up big time, but I know deep down in your heart, you want this... you want a normal life, a family, and freedom, nobody wants to follow orders especially those that involve killing the innocent!".

"Wow! Just a few years and you are sounding like a civilized and innocent person, you are pathetic, aren't you... the so-called almighty MIST" he grinned circling her like a predator stalking its prey.

"I bet your kid has no idea what her mum is... A merciless, cold-blooded killer, just like the rest of us" he scoffed and all the hairs on her skin stood, she knew it, they had been watching.

"Your kind neighbors told us about her, a sweet 5-year-old, dark-haired and green-eyed mixed Spanish American brat" he smirked, Her heart skipped.

"I thought you were smart MISTY, being Don's favorite and all but turns out you're just another dumb female ".

"I knew you've always hated me Ice, it was obvious that you were jealous... If the Don sent you to me then why don't you kill me and leave Sergio alone" she stressed, her strength failed her this time, or was obvious that it was all over?

"No Misty, I didn't come for you alone... I came for all of you, and I didn't come to listen to your annoying voice, Don's orders he said raising his hands and a loud gunshot echoed throughout the room.

"No ooo!" She screamed and another gunshot followed, the bullet pierced her abdomen and she fell on her knees with her hands on her bleeding stomach as she watched Sergio's body drenched in blood, he was dead and she was in great pain, Ice wanted her death to be slow and painful.

Just then, red lights and beeps echoed in the room.

"That's a red alert! let's go, the house is under military supervision, move!" Ice yelled and all the men scampered out.

"Ice, the girl!" Twine yelled, their mission was incomplete without the girl being dead.

"I'll handle it," he said throwing a gallon of gas and a lighter inside the house and the building went up in flames.