Niks

Damn it. I had it all thought out. How was this going to work? Ug, I seriously got to stick to criminal profiling and my work. "Parlare di chiamare la fidanzata nero bollitore!" I know enough Irish to know when she's insulting me. I also minored in languages at college. Majored in Sciences and minored in Languages. I was taught Spanish, French and Irish. Though she don't know that I know the basics. Plus like Italian, the Irish language has loads of semi cognates so I guess what she's saying.

"What she'd say?" Asked Danny as we walked back to our stations.

"Bout we're here to work not flirt. She's one to talk, she's flirting with Don more than she's willing to admit. " I answered, slipping the coat back on. I winked at Danny smiling.

"He needs to get a girlfriend anyways, you up for drinks after the case?" With you, hell yeah. We went to our stations and got back to work, making up for lost time.

"Can never turn down a beer." About an hour later, I'd finished processing the clothes and Danny was just about done with the DNA results. "So, who did Luka scratch?" I asked leaning onto his station, smiling.

"A guy named Angelo Carrettiere." merda. merda merda merda merda. "What's that look for?"

"How much Italian do you know?" I asked. He looked confused but tried to figure it out. "Carrettiere is Italian for Carter. That Angelo is my brother and why the cazzo is he in NYC. He was in Tampa last I heard."

"When did you last hear from him?" Me and Ang are close but not that close. He's as old as Lee. He never was the big brother everyone wanted. He's not an angel that's for sure. I heard he became a firefighter in Tampa last year.

"Bout a year ago, we're not exactly the closest of siblings. Last I checked, he hated di botte me outta. Wait a minute, let me see the screen." I walked round to see the screen and my brother, Angelo Dante has a sanguinosa rap foglio. " Papà ain't gonna like this. What the cazzo? Brother of Antonio and Primo Carrettiere. All are part of the Miami Italian Mafia. Excuse me, I need to make a few calls." I looked at Danny with a worried look on my face and sped outside to the front of the CSI Building. I opened up my phone and scrolled down my contacts. Ma. I put the phone to my ear as I waited for Ma to pick up.

"Nicola, how's the new job?" Why can't she call me Nika? Or Nikki? Or something other than Nicola?

"Va bene, mamma. But tell me something. Do I have 2 older brothers and are they along with Angelo part of the Mafia italiana ?" How could Ma not tell me about this. Explains why I never saw Papà as a kid. Business trip my zia Petunia.

"Sì, ma mai tuo padre che tu sappia o farti coinvolgere. And as for Antonio and Primo, they are 7 years older than you respectively, so you wouldn't have known them as I sent them to live with your father once you were 3." Buon Dio, come potrei non sapere di questo?

"Parlando di papà, come sono io non sono mai riuscito a vederlo? Tu sai quanto ho pregato di vederlo mamma, ma tutto quello che mi ha detto tutto in tutta la mia intera infanzia era in viaggio d'affari. Voglio sapere la verità. Questo non è il momento di mentire a me, mamma." I was getting annoyed, I mean I've been lied to about where my Dad is and I have to find out via my job and a friend that my brother is in the Italian Mafia along with 2 brothers I've never met.

"Your Dad is the Head of the Italian Mafia and it's code to keep the women out of it. The only woman in the family who is to know is the wife. It's like the Godfather but this is real time and place. Look, you were never meant to find out. I'm assuming something Angelo did something to get caught. Look, Nika, I know sorry can't make up for what we did, but it was for your own good. If you got involved, your Dad would've been killed. You know when you got shot on the Gideon case?"

"Of course, Ma, how the heck could I forget? I just about managed to break out of the coma it put me in." Sometimes, I wonder whether Ma remembers that I'm the smart child in the family with the extensive memory.

"That was an Mafia Shot. A rouge member of the IM shot you in insanity, he completely lost his sanity and was shooting everyone in sight. He was later put into the closest mental facility and because he was completely insane thankfully nobody believed that he was a part of the Italian Mafia. Look, Nika, we, me and papà, we never meant for you to find out. But we hope we can trust to treat our boys fairly, that's all we can ask."

"Ma, I'm not going to treat the boys special, I'm going to introduce myself to Antonio e Primo, but I'm not going to give them any special treatment, that could cost me my job. Plus that would be disrespectful to them, if I've only just met them, I have to trust them first before doing anything for them. That's the way you brought me up and hopefully they know that too. I better get back to work. Ciao Mamma, io vengo a Miami al più presto."

"Ciao cara. Ci vediamo presto." And with that I hung up the phone. I sighed as I leant against the wall, tapping my phone against my forehead.

"You okay?" Danny asked in front of me. He moved next to me and leant against the wall. I was following my gut when I leant my head on his shoulder.

"Bella, proprio bella. I mean I just found out, I'm a Mafia Daughter. Peachy, just peachy." I did not want to do anything. Apart from have it out with Ma and Angelo and go find papà and have it out with him too. "See what connection Angelo has to Luka if any."

"Already done. Tox report came back and Luka had cocaine in his system and it just so happens that Angelo is his closest known dealer. With a crew up Queens." And just as he finished the car with the flirtatious co-workers appeared. "Siate pronti a vomitare." I giggled as Lee and Flack walked up.

"Ho fatto questa mattina. I wouldn't get comfy, we have a familiar face to go see. " I said to Lee. "Ho bisogno di parlare con te più tardi. We need a ride up to Queens, care to oblige?" Luckily I said something in Italian Lee could understand. We established our calls for help long ago and it was good cuz it was the only when we could understand each other in our respective languages.