Chapter 9
Genevieve
15 years ago
I run around the corner, Mason right behind me.
“Tag!” he calls as he taps my shoulder.
I let out a squeal, laughing. “Noooo! That’s not fair.” I pout. “You’re faster than me.”
He crouches down in front of me, a finger covering his mouth. “Shhh, I’ll help you sneak up on Rico or one of the other boys and you can tag them.”
Smiling from ear to ear, I nod. “Okay! Let’s get them.”
Jumping to my feet, I run off around the corner again, searching for the others. I only know who Rico is because he is always hanging around with Mason. He is tall and I don’t think he ever smiles. The corner of his mouth lifts up so it looks like he is half smiling but he doesn’t smile like Mason does. Mason is friendly, I like spending time with him, and Mum always lets me play with him. After his own Dad died, my Mum said that he is my new brother and that we would look after him until he is old enough to take care of himself.
I don’t have any real brothers or sisters. She always says that it is because I am enough. I am their Princess who will one day rule this kingdom.
I don’t think I have seen Mum and Dad together when no one is around though. He says he loves us, but when they think I am in bed asleep, I can hear them yelling at each other.
I think Dad lost his temper the other night because the next morning, when Mum came into my room, she had a blue-and-purple-coloured mark on her face. All she told me is “It’s ok Sweetie, Mum just fell.”
“You ready Princess?” Mason is behind me, his voice a whisper in my ear.
I nod, smiling. “I’m ready.”
“I’ll sneak up on Sean over there, and you come in and tag him, okay?” He holds out a fist, waiting for me to bump mine against his.
“Let’s do this!” I whisper as he runs over to where the other boys are standing.
Watching as he stops next to them, he is distracting them by talking to them. He glances over to me and winks before turning his head back to the boy he called Sean. I am light on my feet and we are playing on the grass, so I am able to sneak up on him.
Three… Two… One…
“TAG!” I scream as I slap the boy’s arm. “You’re it!”
I run away from them, giggling. No sounds are coming from behind me, so I think they were caught off guard. “Genevieve!” I hear Mum call from the stairs I am running towards. “Time to come inside now, Sweetie.”
“But Mum, I’m not ready to come in. I wanna stay out here and keep playing!” I stop at the bottom of the stairs. “Please.”
“No Sweetie, you need to get ready for dinner. The boys over there will be ok and you can play with them again tomorrow. We cannot be late for your father’s dinner.” She holds her hand out towards me. Stomping up the stairs, I take hold of it before she starts pulling me down the hallway into the bedroom.
“What’s so special about this dinner anyway?” I ask as she walks me into the bathroom, removing my dirty clothes and telling me to climb into the already full bathtub.
“It just is Sweetie, please don’t ask any more questions.” I can tell she is worrying. Her voice is shaky when she speaks.
“But why, Mum?” I just want to be back outside playing with the boys.
“Because I say so Genevieve.” Her voice rises before she inhales deeply and then lets the air out through her mouth slowly. “We cannot make your father mad.”
The rest of the time getting ready went by quickly. Mum told me to wash my hair and not to play in the bubbles.
“Time to dry off Sweetie,” Mum says, knocking on the door. “Out you hop.”
I don’t want to make her upset again, I don’t like when she yells at me, so I climb out of the bathtub, standing quietly on the mat as I wrap a soft towel around myself. Mum walks in and pulls me close to her, holding me tight. “It will all be ok, Sweetie,” she whispers before she turns and walks back out to the bedroom.
After drying off, I walk into the bedroom, making my way over to the seat and flopping down into it. She is moving quickly around the room, gathering my hairbrush, clothes, and shoes before she rushes over to me. She moves so fast that I just sit on the bed until she finishes helping me get ready for tonight.
“There, you look beautiful,” she says, lifting me off the chair and standing me on the ground in front of her.
The doors to the bedroom fly open and Dad walks through them. “Dad! Don’t I look beautiful, Mum says I look beautiful.” I run towards him but he just holds his hand up.
“Yes, yes, you look lovely,” he says, not even looking down at me. “Marie, are you ready? Our guests are waiting.”
“Yes, Salvatore. We are both ready,” she says, walking over to me, taking my hand in hers.
I wonder who the guests are. I don’t want to sit around a dinner table, I want to go out and play. I had been having too much fun before I had to come back inside and now, I am following behind Dad with Mum at my side. She squeezes my hand gently every now and then.
The large wooden doors to the dining hall swing open and Dad’s voice is so loud, it echoes through the room. “Welcome to Murwood. It is an honour to have you all here on this night.”
Glasses clink together around me and the men all stand, the wives remaining in their seats. They all glance towards Mum and me, they look sad too, even behind their smiles. A hand on my shoulder guides me over to the chair next to Dad and Mum sat down on my other side.
“Now let us eat,” Dad says as the house staff brings out the food. I sit back in my chair, trying as best as I can to hide from everyone’s eyes focusing on me as I glance around. There is one set of eyes that stand out from everyone else.
Rico is sitting on the other side of my Dad and his eyes are always on me. He is a little taller than Mason, his eyes dark, and he is staring at me. It’s not like the times where he watches me outside playing, this feels different. The darkness in his stare sends an uneasy shiver through my bones. He has been doing things with my Dad for a few weeks now. Maybe Dad is training him?
I still want to hide, I don’t want to be in the room. It is too loud and I’m not feeling hungry but just as I reach out towards Mum, a plate is put down in front of me. There are vegetables and meat, mine has already been cut into small pieces and it smells yummy but it feels like butterflies are fluttering in my stomach.
“Just eat a little bit Sweetie,” Mum says. “I know there are a lot of people here but it will be over soon.”
I nod, taking one of the forks in my hand and stabbing it into a green bean. Eating the bean slowly, I glance around the table before my eyes land back on Rico. He smiles at me, not exposing his teeth, before mouthing ‘It will be ok’. Then he continues to eat.
Dinner goes by quickly, and everyone leans back in their chairs, full from the meal. Dad stands up, out of his seat, holding a glass in the air, tapping the side to draw everyone’s attention.
The room goes quiet and all eyes focus on him. “Tonight is not just about us working together, but a night for a big promise. One that I have not considered lightly.”
I watch as he steps out from behind the table, walking around behind everyone, the heels of his shoes clicking against the tiled floor as he walks around slowly. “Don’t do it Salvatore.” Mum’s voice is quiet. Scared.
I don’t know what promise dad is talking about but I want to know what it is, maybe I can help him with it. I want to make him proud of me.
He ignores my mother’s plea and continues. “I am promising my daughter’s hand to one of the boys here who has been training with me, learning about the organisation. He is a strong boy and shows a lot of potential, and I am sure all of you will be most welcoming to him.”
“Well, Salvatore, spit it out,” one man at the end of the table says.
“Who is he?” calls out another.
“The young boy that will come on as my second is Ricochet.” My father points to Rico and my mother’s eyes widen. She reaches over to me, taking my hand in hers.
The men are clapping and the women gasp. I am looking around at everyone. I don’t know what’s going on, but Mum is scared so I am too. Dad has his back turned to me and he is talking to a man. Mum quickly stands up from her seat, pulling me by the arm and running out into the hallway towards our bedroom.
“Marie!” Dad calls out. “Get back here now!”
“It’s ok baby, we will get you out of this,” she whispers. “I promise you that I will not let this happen.”
She rushes into my bedroom and tells me to sit down on the bed, then rushes out again, locking the door behind her. I listen as she closes her bedroom door. “Marie!” Dad calls out again.
I climb down off the bed and hide on the other side but he continues past my room. The doors to the room next to mine open with a bang. “You are making me look like a fool in front of the other families, Marie!”
“I’m sorry Salvatore, but you cannot just spring that announcement on me and not have me react the way I did.” This is the first time I have ever heard Mum angry.
To my left is Chess, my Cheshire Cat teddy. I take him in my arms and snuggle up to him. Dad is the one who does most of the yelling. I am scared.
The yelling continues, the sound of glass breaking on the ground and things being thrown at the wall. He is very angry; I want to go in there and hug him because I know that would calm him down. Cuddles always calm me.
Tears escape my eyes and all I remember is Dad yelling, Mum crying, and the world around me going quiet as I fall asleep.