Page 1 of Mafia Kingdom

CHAPTER ONE

Sasha

I STEP OFF the bus, the familiar scent of pine and earth filling my nostrils. Home. It's been months since I've seen Ireland, since I left for that internship abroad, leaving Dad and Lily to manage on their own. Months away from the place I love most.

I almost forgot how green everything is. I understand why people call it the Emerald Island. You never really appreciate what you have until it’s gone.

Well, I’m back now. With my culinary degree, I can start looking for work in one of the local hotels. I shoulder my backpack and head up the overgrown pathway. Pepples dance in front of my feet as I kick them up. The sound of birds and the rustle of leaves makes me want to stop and take in the silence; it is such a different contrast from the hustle and bustle of Sydney. I take a lungful of air; even the air here is clean. As I near the end of the path, I turn onto our driveway, the crunch of gravel under my feet a welcome sound. Each step feels like a blend of relief and anxiety. How much has changed since I left?

The sight of the house stops me in my tracks, a lump forming in my throat. The once-neat garden is now a jungle of overgrown grass and weeds, the gate hanging off its hinges like a broken limb. The path to the front door is barely visible,swallowed by the wild growth. The shed in the corner of the yard is a sad, dilapidated mess, its roof caving in and walls leaning precariously. The decay is almost symbolic, reflecting the state of abandonment I feel in my gut.

"Guess no one's been doing any yard work," I mutter to myself, my voice tinged with a mix of disappointment and guilt. I push through the foliage to the front door, feeling the tall grass brush against my legs. I used to take pride in this garden, spending weekends pulling weeds and planting flowers with Lily. It’s disheartening to see it reduced to this.

The front door is unlocked which isn’t strange for our family. No one would bother venturing so far down the lane. But what is odd is that no one is here to greet me. I wasn’t exactly expecting a welcome home party but to be greeted would have been nice since I told Dad I was coming home today.

Inside, the house feels eerily silent. Too silent. I drop my bag in the hallway and head straight to the kitchen, my footsteps echoing off the tile floors. The silence is oppressive, as if the house itself is mourning the absence of care and life. Buddy's empty food bowl and water bowl catch my eye immediately, the once-shiny stainless steel now dull and neglected. His leash is tangled in a knot by the back door. My chest tightens with worry. Dad wasn’t ever the best housekeeper, but this is a new low even for him. Dishes are stacked up in the sink, the faucet dripping like it always had. He had promised to get it fixed, but his idea was to wrap a cloth around the bottom of the tap, but that didn’t fix the problem.

More guilt tightens knots in my stomach. I shouldn’t have left. I shouldn’t have left Lily.

"Buddy?" I call, my voice echoing in the empty house. "Here, boy!"

A moment of panic surges through me as silence answers back. What if something happened to him? I can’t bear thethought of losing Buddy on top of everything else. I start to search the rooms, calling his name louder, the tension in my voice unmistakable.

Finally, I hear the familiar jingle of his collar and see him rounding the corner, tail wagging but eyes sad and tired. Relief floods over me. I kneel, hugging him tightly, burying my face in his black fur. He had gotten bigger since I left, and the smell of his fur is like stagnant water and has me releasing him.

"Hey, Buddy. Sorry I was gone so long." I ruffle his fur, feeling a pang of guilt. His coat is matted, a sign that no one’s been taking care of him properly. "Let's get you some food."

I stand up, heading to the pantry. The shelves are almost bare, just a few cans and boxes scattered around. I manage to find a bag of dog food tucked away in the back. I fill his bowl and watch as he eats hungrily. As he eats, I rinse out his other bowl and get him some fresh water.How could things have gotten so bad?

"Buddy, what happened here?" I ask, knowing he can’t answer but needing to voice my concern.

After making sure Buddy is settled, I call out for Dad. "Dad? Are you here?"

The silence is unnerving. The house, once filled with the sounds of life and laughter, now feels like a hollow shell. My heart pounds as I make my way through the house, checking each room. The living room is cluttered with old newspapers and unwashed clothes pouring over the tops of the two white laundry baskets, the air heavy with the smell of neglect. Nothing. Panic begins to set in as I realize he's not here. Where could he be? And where is Lily? She has no school as it’s summer now.

I head to the garage, the last place I haven't checked. The door creaks open, revealing a sight that makes my blood run cold. A group of strangers huddled around a makeshift lab, theirfaces shadowed and sinister. And there, in the corner, is Lily, looking terrified and disheveled.

"Lily!" I cry out, rushing toward her.

A man steps in my path, a cruel smirk on his face. He pulls out a knife, the blade glinting menacingly. "Not so fast," he says, his voice a low growl. "Wouldn't want anything to happen to your sister, now would we?"

I stop dead in my tracks, fear paralyzing me. "What do you want?" I manage to choke out, my voice shaking.

The man steps closer, the knife just inches from my face. I can see my reflection in the blade, my eyes wide with terror. "We have everything we need here," he says casually, as if discussing the weather. "You must be Sasha; your dad had mentioned you would be coming home.”

Confusion slams into me over and over again as I glance at the men who all watch and Lily, who trembles in the corner. What the hell is going on?

“Where is my father?” I ask.

He shoves me back, the knife disappearing. My mind races. What are they doing here?

He shrugs. “We are done for the day.” He clicks his fingers, and his men stop what they are doing, each one filing out but not before giving me a side glance. Lily races into my arms, and I hug my sister to my chest but never take my eyes off the leader.

“Your father will learn not to renege on our agreement again.” Are his final words.

Agreement? My father knows these men are here? That can’t be right. He would never put Lily in danger.

As soon as they're gone, Lily starts to sob.

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