Page 4 of Skating Towards Danger

Momma and Daddy decided to pick me up from school today with Royal instead of me catching the bus after I finished my skating lessons. They watched the whole time I skated, and I loved it because making Momma proud is the best feeling in the world.

She used to be a very famous figure skater who won awards and everything. Since the day I could walk, she's had me on the ice, and I love it, and so will Royal.

I put my finger to my chin, look up, and pretend to think, making Momma and Daddy chuckle before I say, “Spaghetti.”

“You and your spaghetti bumblebee,” Momma chuckles, “you'll turn into spaghetti at this rate.”

I grin wide but shrug, then admit, “Uncle Rocco said I could even eat it for breakfast when I'm at his house.”

Daddy chuckles, “Darling, remind me never to allow my brother to watch our children again.”

Momma laughs, and I just grin and look back down at Royal, who is still staring at me with wonder. My grin softens.

I hope he grows up always looking at me like this.

“Shit,” Daddy curses, and I look up in shock because Daddy never curses in front of me, only to see him looking in the mirrors and he demands, “Rose, call Rocco and tell him to contact David. The Cartel is on our ass.”

Momma quickly gets her phone out as loud bangs echo on our car, causing Daddy to swerve, and I scream causing Royal to cry and instantly I feel bad for scaring him.

“Rocco, we're under attack,”Momma shouts, and more bangs hit our car, making me scream louder.

“Paige Pumpkin, lie your body over your brother,” Dad commands, and I listen and quickly pull my seatbelt as long as it will go before leaning over my little brother as Uncle Rocco's voice echoes in the car.

“Peter, talk to me,” he commands as Royal fists my jacket, and Daddy replies, “Cartel, three vehicles, all shooting at us…. Roc, the kids are in the car…”

“Fuck,” he curses, and I scream again when more bangs echo, and Royal cries louder, tugging on my jacket and I look down at him as my tears fall.

I whisper, and sing, “Twinkle-Twinkle Little Star,” trying to ignore everything around me and gently take Royal's hand.

His lips pout, tears staining his cheeks as he sniffles, and I try continuing to sing to him when suddenly our car is smashed into, jolting us on the road, and I bite my bottom lip to stop my scream and scaring my brother.

“Shit, Rocco, I can't shake them, I-I, the kids…” Daddy starts, and Uncle Rocco cuts him off and snaps, “No, don't give up, do you hear me? Don't you dare fucking give up!”

Our car jolts again and I scream,“Daddy…”as I feel like we’re flying upside down. Momma's screams echo and I look and see a flash of her black hair then watch in horror as she smacks onto the car roof as Daddy shouts,“Rose, no….”and Royal's crying deafens me, and everything feels like it's happening in slow motion. I lock eyes with Daddy, and fear etches off him before the car smashes hard upside down. I try to cover Royal but end up banging my head hard on the window, and the sounds of crunching metal and banging is the last thing I hear, and everything goes black.

Beep, beep, beep….

“When will she wake,” I hear whispered over the annoying beeping sound, and I squeeze my eyes tight.

My head hurts, why does my head hurt?

“She should wake up soon,” a strange voice replies, “She may not remember what happened.”

“What-what do we tell her?” I hear, and it sounds like Aunt Tyra…

She sounds sad, why does she sound sad?

“What we discussed,” another voice adds, a voice I don't recognize.

“Her whole family Lorenzo…” Another voice adds that it sounds like Uncle Rocco.

The second man replies yet again, “I know Rocco. Our job now is to make sure she's protected. I wasn't aware the Cartel reached out to Peter for an arranged marriage, if I was, I would have personally declined. Peter didn't want his family part of this life, and they crossed the line but right now, our main priority is Paige and her safety. They believe she didn’t survive the crash and that is how we need to leave it unless you want to go to war, something we’re not equipped for just yet.”

“Lorenzo, he told them Rose, Paige, and Royal are not a part of our world, and he still went after him and why because he wanted Paige, an eight-year-old little girl, to marry his son who is already eighteen. It’s fucking wrong and now my family is, is…” my uncle struggles and I hear a sigh before the man replies, “It's because he knew I wouldn't allow my daughter to marry his son, he knew how high up Peter was in our organization and no other made man underneath him has a daughter yet…I'm so fucking sorry, Peter, so sorry.”

“She's never going to be the same,” I hear my aunt sob, and I open my eyes, hating her cries, but squeeze them tight again, groaning at how bright it is in the world.

“Paige, sweetheart,” my uncle whispers, and I open my eyes again before locking them with his gray ones, like my own, Royal's, and Daddy's.

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