Chapter 6
Arlington POV
“You're him,” her lips parted, I could see how moist they were from where I stood, and they were captivating, “You're Arlington Crown,” she continued Her eyes glistened with fear and I could tell she has heard the stories, some of which are absurd, but others are very true. I grew up around crime, my father was a criminal mastermind, scams, drugs, gun trades, you name it, he did it all. I liked the look on people's faces like the one Paige was giving me right now when they hear the name, and they automatically know they shouldn't fuck with me.
“So you know me?” I observed her, she was scared “I know of you,”
“Good... Goodnight Paige, see you in the—”
“Are they true, the stories... The murders?” She cried out, “Because if they are, you can go ahead and kill me right now,”
“And children I know... But didn't you remove a man's face once? Mailing it to his wife and kids is just as cruel as death,”
Watching her, I said nothing, she was judging me, probably thinking I have no morals, or I didn't get a good education, but when the most important person in your life is taken from you, it triggers something... vengeance, but what does she know, her mother was an addict, died from an overdose but my father was killed.
“So now I am the bad guy? I found you hanging from a steel pipe in the ceiling, you mind telling me about that? Why would a man leave his loving stepdaughter to die?”
I watched as her body became tense, it seems as if my words have touched a spot. Trying to get out of the bed, her hand was snatched back. Did she think I would have her walking around here like she owns the place?
“Why am I cuffed to the bed?” Her eyes glued down on it, yanking it a few times.
“Why were you chained to the ceiling?”
“You're the mafia... The great Arlington Crown, why don't you find out and tell me,” she snarled
“Careful Paige, remember whose roof you're under now,” I warned, closing the door behind me softly.
Marching down the steps, I pulled out my cellphone, on the home screen was a missed call from my sister Lorraine, millions of scenarios played in my head as I swiped my thumb across the screen, what if someone has finally braved up and hurt her, because of me.
“Hey... you,” her sweet voice chirp on the other end of the call,
“Hey, big head, what's up with you? Sorry about missing the call,”
“That's ok, I was just checking on you... But now I am curious what could make you miss your favorite sister call,”
Rolling my eyes, I leaned against the wall, chuckling lowly, “You're my only sister Lori, you have to be the favorite without a doubt,”
“I know, but still you never miss a call, you have some bitch laid up in your bed don't you,” she taunted,
“Lori,” I warned, she knows I don't like her snooping around my relationships, not that I ever had any, “Come on Crown you can tell me, it wouldn't be surprising— oh which reminds me, a girl came around since night, asking a lot of questions,”
“What kind of questions... What did she look like?”
“I— I don't remember, it was dark, and she had a hood on and...” She stopped halfway in her sentence, a loud commotion following right after,
“Lori?” But I heard nothing, “Lori is everything ok?” I grew worried, “Yeah— sorry, it's a stray cat, it must have gotten in here through the broken window. These streets are filled with them, you know strays,”
“Yes Lori, I know,” rolling my eyes from annoyance, she does this every time she calls, tries to guilt-trip me
“Do you? Because It's been a while since came around here, what's going on?”
“Nothing is going on,” I slowly began to approach my office, “I have everything under control, ”
There was a long pause between us and all I could hear was her breathing, she was worried, "Arlington? There's— I have heard about Uncle Carlton...”
“I know, I heard it too, but I am trying my best to figure out what happened but there was no eye witness and all of the men... That was at the meeting with him are all dead, I am yet to find out who is behind it, but I will,” I whispered, and I will keep my promise to her, Uncle Carlton was a family friend, we weren't related, but it's loyalty that makes you family, not blood. Now I have to deal with his death and make sure his murderers pay, and they will... They all will.
“I am sorry Crown, I wish I was a badass sister that's capable of... doing what you do,”
“You're not like me, nothing like me... And that's good,”
“Mama is asking for you by the way Arli, you really should stop by sometimes," she mumbled, hearing her say that made me feel horrible. Her mother, a wonderful woman I called 'Mama' since the first day I met her. Lorraine and I only share a father, a man she didn't meet before he met his demise, she didn't carry the Crown's legacy, the last name and that's because of his neglect, he didn't want a daughter, so he sent Lor's mom away, brushing them under a dirty rug. I loved my father, I did, and as much as I sit and try to tell myself he was a good man, I couldn't find a single reason why he did what he did, he might have been the greatest mafia of all times, but he was a coward.
“Crown? You still there?”
“Yea,” I cleaned my throat, “I am still here,”
“When are you coming to visit? We miss you... I miss you,”
“I will come one day, I promise... Tell Mama I'll have one of the boys pick some fruits for her one of these days and... I will deliver them my self,”
“I am worried about you, being alone in that countryside with no woman in the house... Come out here in the city, it is beautiful here,”
Rubbing my eyes, I stood at my office door, listening to Lorraine's crap, as my bigger sister, she sure knows how to act the part,
“And here is quiet... Plus women live in the house,”
“The maids don't count... And I hope you're not out there screwing them,”
“Lorraine, do you think so little of me?”
“I don't know what to think brother, you refuse to have a girlfriend and I know you need your rifle cleaned every once in a while,”
What the hell is she talking about, I clean my guns every da— she isn't talking about an actual firearm, is she?
“Ok, this is where I end this call,” I chuckled twisting the doorknob,
“Boy, I am the oldest and you ashamed to talk to me about your sex life, I mean... I never thought a man like you could fear a little chit-chat,” she snickered,
Seated in my office was Sebastian, my right-hand man, he was waiting for me,
“Can we do this another time? I have to go,”
“Ugh oh,” her voice grew worried, “Is something wrong?”
“No Lor, everything is fine, I will call you later. Kiss Mama for me,”
Pulling the phone from my ear, I closed the door behind me, staring down at him in the chair,
“What is it now,” I ambled past him, up to the liquor cabinet, pouring my self a glass of whiskey,
“I just came to check on you... To see how you are holding up,”
My throat tingled as I chugged down the whole thing, how can I be ok? Morris still owes me and Carlton is dead,
“I want you to put out an ad or something... I will give one million dollars in cash to anyone who has information about what happened at the terminal,” I sat down behind my desk, not wanting to deal with any of this right now,
“And what about Morris?”
“What about him?” I glared at Sebastian,
“I know about the girl, the one you have upstairs... Who is she to Morris?”
“If you have heard so much then why are you asking me such a bizarre question?”
“Crown, I have been in this family business for a long time, and with all due respect, you're the mafia now but watch your tone when you speak to me,”
Taking a deep breath, I leaned back in my chair, pulling out a cigar from the box as I look for the match,
“She's Sandra's daughter, which makes her the stepdaughter of Morris,”
“You carried— you carried Sandra's, daughter here? Are you crazy?”
“How so? She might be what I need to drive Morris out of hiding, he doesn't only owe me, I visited him, and he attacked my men and me, and we need to finish what he started,”
“Listen to me—” his voice sank into a whisper, “You need to get her out of here... This will gain you, enemies, and attention... The kind you don't want right now,”
“And what do you suggest I do huh?” I lit the tip of the cigar, “She is already here so what can I do that will help the situation?”
“I don't know— Do what... Do what you need to do,”
Tapping the ash off the cigar in the tray, I glared up at Sebastian, knowing what he meant, he was indirectly initiating that I had to kill Paige,
“I see,” I chuckled lowly, Pulling the firearm from my waist, I scattered the rounds on the table, leaving one single bullet in the magazine, before sliding it across the table to Sebastian,
“No, I don't want her dead... You clearly do, so you do it,”
“Arli—”
“I am done talking, that's an order.”