"Oh my God!"
Rule #1: Always carry a weapon on you.
"Look at that car."
Rule #2: Never let the weapon be seen unless you're using it.
"Who drives a Ferrari around here?"
Rule #3: Don't attract attention from the cops unless absolutely necessary.
"Do you know who that is?"
Rule #4: Don't form any attachments that are difficult to break.
"Whoa. Look at that chick."
Rule #5: Look good at all times. It makes you seem less suspicious.
My godfather's golden rules. Memorized by all of the men following him. And, as of right now, essential to my daily existence. Starting high school is a bitch, especially when the man taking care of you is a mob boss. Liam says I have to go to high school to come by informants. I already have informants all over the world, but I can understand what he's thinking. Growing up with the mob means two things to me: respect and violence. Money isn't a concern unless someone is stealing from the family. Then it becomes a huge deal. My place in the family now is Exterminator, a 'coded' term for hit man. There are some other women in the family, but all of them are wives, working girls or strippers. Most people don't see me as a threat to their safety and well being. Long, dark brown hair, 5'10", green eyes and a slight tan doesn't typically equal death dealer. Oh well. Taking in my surroundings while still in Liam's car, I see the school and men in black suits placed strategically around it. Great, bodyguards. Eyes rolling at Liam, I step out of the car. Feeling the stares of everyone on the campus, I walk slowly to the main office. A guy around my age comes up to me and his gang of lackeys surrounds me. All of the bodyguards at this side of the school are staring intently at this scene, ready to attack and knowing that they won't have to. The boy has black hair of medium length and dark chocolate brown eyes. He is well muscled but built for brawling, not fighting. Yes, there is a difference. He addresses me with arrogance and contempt.
"We're the law here. Remember that."
This comment has no significance to me, so I wave my hand and walk around the leader. He grabs my right upper arm as I walk by. I look down at his hand and then up at his face. He swallows subtly. Removing his hand, 'the law' steps back to let me pass. One of the bodyguards comes up to me and quietly asks if he should deal with the boy. I shake my head slowly to show that he is not a threat and he bows slightly and backs off. Murmurs about the guards and who I am follow me to the main office. The principal has a problem with my tattoo for all of one minute. While saying it's a family thing, he says it's okay. My tattoo is a snake of words around my wrist. Black and in a sloping, old world type of script, it draws a lot of attention. Three Latin sayings actually. 'De die en diem', 'Gnothi seauton', and 'Ense petit placidiam sub libertate quietam'. They mean day by day, know yourself and by the sword we seek peace but peace only under liberty. Maybe it was my quiet stare, or possibly the bodyguard standing directly behind me, but either way, he hands over my schedule without anymore of an argument. I find all of my classes by asking the bodyguards and get caught up in the classes with the teachers. During lunch, I talk to the guards in undertones about the family and recent jobs. Not many people stare, but those that do, do so with wary eyes. I wait for Liam at the end of the day, when a branch snaps behind me. I turn my head and see the boy from this morning. I ignore him and instead of going away, he starts talking.
"Who are you? No girl could ever intimidate me before, but you can with just a look."
"Not that hard. Growing up with alpha males gives you a stare that could frighten even God." Liam's car rolls up at this point and I slide into the car. Turning to face forward, I see, out of the corner of my eye, his jaw drop. Smiling, I greet Liam and he starts talking business. A dress is waiting for me at home. We have a party to go to that night. Kind of a sizing up event for the major mob bosses. I am going because I have to scope out the competition. It's an all afternoon and evening party, and I have half an hour to get ready. Curling hair, applying makeup, and putting on the slinky black dress and matching heels. Looking in the mirror, I heave an inner sigh as I take in the plunging neckline, lack of length and many sequins covering the dress. For a godfather, he sure isn't afraid to show me off. A briefing is going on as I descend the stairs. Entering the main living space, Liam nods his approval at my appearance. Many other heads turn and nod their own approval but say nothing. I sit in the back and quickly establish that the meeting is about security at the event we must be at in ten minutes. I get Liam's attention and tap my wrist to remind him to move it along. He shoots me a dirty look and continues on his plan for security.
"This is also an event where we go over the major failures of the organization as a whole. Ki, the deaths of your parents will be discussed in detail. You may block it out, but show no emotion and do not leave the room. That you are living with and working for me is currently a secret and will be revealed at the end of the first major presentation along with all of the other newbies. Even though you've been working since soon after your parents died." He looks straight at me to punctuate his statement and I nod to show that I understand. Inside, I am seething. They have no right to discuss my parents' deaths. They were caused by the mob war and entirely the other groups fault. Letting none of the emotion I was feeling show, I get up and head for the car. Taking this as a signal, the meeting is dismissed and everyone gets into and starts their cars. Arriving just on time, we sweep into the grand hall and take our seats. The host, a cousin of some sort, announces our arrival and the meeting begins. I look around with interest at the ornate carvings in the wall and ceiling. Angels and dragons intermingling, what an appropriate mural to cover the meeting place of the local mob. When I look back down, there is food in front of me. Chicken and an exotic looking vegetable covered in a cream sauce sitting on French china that was as delicate as it was beautiful. A red wine was served with it and a burst of talking began. I track the movements of another person who is walking similarly to how I move. Silently and in shadow, but still drawing attention because of the fact. He is slightly taller than I, with blond hair and what look to be golden-green eyes. Tapping Liam on the shoulder to indicate I am leaving the table, I walk toward the young man. By the time I reach him, he is looking at me with mild interest. I reach out my hand and his eyes become larger when he sees the tattoo on my arm that so many people have seen before they see nothing else.
"Hello. I am Ki. And you are?"
"I am Kile. How do you do? And you need no introduction. I have heard much about you recently."
This launches a conversation ranging from length of our workouts to our favorite method of torture. He talks with his hands and it provides a much better description of his character than anything else. This shows me he does not stand still often but is very good at his job. We both relax as the conversation delves deeper into what we are comfortable with. Suddenly, the mike screeches and the presentation of recent and past failures begins. I stand next to Kile and we quietly discuss the details of the cases. The 'failure' of my parents' deaths quickly comes up and I listen to Kile talk of my family. Detached from reality at this point, I hear Kile talk of the daughter of my parents, me. After this last part of the presentation I excuse myself to go back to the table. Liam informs me that we will now go up onstage and formally introduce me to the community. A sick little debutante ball. Liam starts his speech and I stand silently behind him until he begins to introduce me.
"Just recently, we saw the failure of the deaths of the assassins, Marria and Joseph Integna. As all present know, they had a daughter that they had begun to train as an assassin. I now formally introduce Ki Integna."
As he says this, a dagger is thrown at me from within the audience. I move to get alongside it and catch it at the tip of the blade. Turning to get the right amount of force and spin on the blade, I throw it to the feet of the man who had thrown it. A second of silence is followed by the sound of hurrying feet. Bosses were lining up to have the chance to meet me. My parents had been legendary assassins until they had been ambushed at our house the day after taking out the head boss of another group.