Little Mafia Boy - Chapter 9: Chapter 9

{Max}
The whole situation disgusted Max.
Nico was acting like a girl with a high school crush. Of course, it was important to point out that he still kept his Mafia-like demeanor but Max wasn't blind. He saw the hints of a real smile whenever that guy, Mikhail, would say or do anything at all directed towards Nico. Whether it was to insult him or push him away.
Max couldn't understand what was so special about Mikhail. He looked average. Average usually got tossed aside by Nico. The only thing that might have actually been interesting about Mikhail would be his maroon eyes and even then they still didn't really stand out when in a crowd. Mikhail looked like the average bookworm who focused all his time on studying. His face looked like it had been frozen into a gloomy state. For the past ten minutes or so that they had been sitting at the food court, Mikhail hadn't smiled once.
Max took a sip of his smoothie that he begged Nico to buy for him. Dylan offered to pay for it but Max refused. He never needed charity from anybody and he sure as hell wasn't going to start now.
Dylan kept asking him every two minutes if he was sure that they hadn't met somewhere before. As if he hadn't heard that line before. He didn't recognize the guy. Max figured he was probably just some horny teenager looking to get laid and hoped a stupid, outdated pick-up line would work.
No money. No sex.
His number one rule that he would never break. Max needed as much money as he could get but asking Nico for it was unthinkable. No matter how much he needed the money, it was his problem and he would handle it alone. Even if selling his body to dirty men and sweaty teenagers was the way to do it. He knew that if he asked Nico for the money then he would give it to him. No questions asked, but he still couldn't do it.
"You okay?" Dylan asked as he bumped Max's arm with his own.
Max shifted uncomfortably from being touched suddenly and glared at Dylan, "Don't worry about it."
"I was just wondering." He said. Dylan sunk slightly into his seat and looked away.
Max shook his head as Dylan seemed to be sulking. Max looked towards Sera and Dan. Sera looked way too comfortable with her for someone who was nagging at Nico about not getting close to these people. Their bodies were facing one another as they laughed about some joke that Dan had said.
Sera was someone he had to keep a close eye on. She was hiding some thing but he didn't know exactly what. Whether she was working with Elisha to overthrow Nico or she was a spy from a different group was still unknown. He wouldn't let his guard down. Despite having his own problems to work through, he still owed his life to him. Max treasures Nico like the older brother he never had. If Nico hadn't picked him off the street and given him a second chance at life, then he would have died within a couple days and left his business unfinished.
"Max. Quit glaring at everyone."
Max tore his eyes off of Seraphina and Dan and looked towards Nico. Even though he was glaring, it was much softer when he looked at Nico. "I wasn't."
"Sure you weren't." Nico said with a small grin. "Why are you so angry today? Did You and Sera pull a Freaky Friday or something?"
Dan, who was in the middle of chewing, nearly choked. She swallowed roughly the food in her mouth as Sera pat her back gently, "You've seen that movie?" She asked behind a napkin. Sera seemed like she was trying to hide her smile behind her hand but it failed miserably.
"Huh!? What is that suppose to mean?"
Dylan laughed along with Sera and said, "Dont take any offense to it. It's just you look like you belong in a gang. It feels weird to imagine you watching Freaky Friday."
Nico clicked his tongue slightly and leaned back into his chair, "Then don't imagine it. Weirdo. I was once a kid, you know?"
Sera spoke up, "In his defense, you didn't exactly have a 'normal' childhood." She said making air quotations around the word normal.
"What's wrong with the way I was brought up?" Nico retorted back.
"I can name a few." Mikhail muttered under his breath and sipped soda through his straw as he pretended he hadn't said anything.
Nico looked over at Mikhail and leaned forward slightly towards his direction with a small, lopsided grin and said, "So, you've been paying attention to me? That makes me happy."
"Don't twist my words as you please." Mikhail said. The smile on Nico's face grew wider as he pushed back on his chair to stand on two legs. He seemed to be beaming with joy.
Max frowned and shook his head. He didn't think Mikhail was right for him. For one, Mikhail knew nothing about how the Mafia was run. Everyday Nico risked his life just by stepping outside of the estate. If they ever did get together, Max was afraid that Mikhail would start demanding selfish requests from Nico. He'd seen it in the past with his exes. Nico was the type of guy that spoiled his significant other, whether it was a boy or girl. It didn't matter to Nico. He always thought of the other person more than himself. His lovers were his weak points. If one day, anyone got a hold of his lover then he would bend to their will to ensure their safety. It was ridiculous.
Though, Max could understand it to a certain extent.
"Well, we're going to do some shopping. Bye boys." Sera said as she stood up and winked flirtatiously.
Dan blushed and stood up as well. "I'll meet up with you guys later."
"Dan-" Mikhail said in what seemed like a warning tone.
"She'll be fine." Sera assured as she placed an arm around Dan's waist. "I won't do anything that she'll hate."
"Relax, Mikhail. Sera won't harm her." Nico assured him. "I give you my word."
"What good does your word do me? I want her word." He said keeping his stone faced stare on Sera. Dan looked embarrassed as she fidgeted in her spot and dropped her head so her hair would cover her face.
Max watched them closely but didn't intervene. It wasn't his place to. He didn't really care much for Sera or Dan or anyone, except Nico.
"I give you my word." Sera said with a sly smile. The girls walked off and up the escalator. Sera was whispering something in her ear and held her closely.
"We should go look around too, Miki." Nico said putting his chair back down on all fours.
"I don't want to." Mikhail said keeping his eyes on Dan until he couldn't see her anymore. He turned towards Nico and said, "You can go now. I came here to enjoy my day with my friends."
"Such harsh words. You'll break my heart that way Miki."
"It's Mikhail. Stop acting friendly. We're not friends."
Nico sighed dramatically and looked at Dylan, "Is he always a ray of sunshine?"
Dylan smiled and shrugged slightly, "You kind of get used to it."
Mikhail rolled his eyes slightly and looked away. "You both are so similar. Please go somewhere else and hang out alone."
Nico laughed and said, "Then you're just like Max."
Max grimaced and shook his head, "I'm nothing like that."
"That has a name." Nico corrected, "it's Mikhail. I suggest you use it."
Mikhail looked slightly surprised as he looked towards Nico. He got his composure back quickly and said, "I don't understand you."
"In a good way?"
"Definitely not. It's frustrating to be near you."
Max was glaring daggers into Mikhail's skull for talking in such a manner towards Nico. He was going to say something but his phone rang. He pulled his phone out of his oversized sweater. His eyes widened as soon as he saw the caller I.D. "I'll be back." He said standing up quickly and walked outside, ignoring the weird looks he got from Nico, Mikhail, and Dylan.
He waited until he was outside standing against the wall and put his phone to his ear. "I swear I'll kill you if you even touch her-"
"Maxwell. I don't think that's the kind of tone you should be using with your uncle."
"What the fuck do you want? I'm working on getting you your stupid money. You promised you would keep her until then-"
"Yes, yes. She's perfectly fine, alright? No one has laid a single finger on her." He said.
Max couldn't help the sickening feeling he got when talking to his uncle after so long. He felt like he was going to be sick just from hearing his voice. He had nothing but horrible and traumatizing memories of living with his uncle.
"You said you wouldn't contact me until-"
"I hardly need your permission to call my own nephew." He said wickedly, shutting him up. Max could practically see the man grinning on the other side of the phone. "Cut off your leash for tonight. I'll send a car a block away from the Delacroix estate."
"If I say no?"
"Then I can't guarantee Rachel's safety, now can I?" He responded. "Don't make things more difficult then they have to be. Get in that car tonight." He didn't leave room for discussion as his uncle hung up the phone.
He looked down to make sure the call ended and slid down onto the floor. He didn't want to go back. That place was like Hell on earth. That's why he ran away when he was younger. He felt his throat closing up as he was having difficulty breathing. He could smell the dead corpses and the dry blood filling his nose again. He gagged as he felt like he was going to vomit from the nausea. He held his hand tightly over his mouth and focused on the sound of his own breathing. Slowly, he was brought back to reality. He looked up and focused on his surroundings. The cold wind smacking him in the face reminded him that he wasn't held back in chains anymore. He stood up and moved slightly as if to be sure. He looked into the street and thought about running but quickly removed that idea.
He was free now.
He had to remind himself as he took a deep breath and walked back inside to regroup.
{Dan}
"You've seriously been clubbing downtown? I've tried getting in more times than I can count!" Dan said amazed as they walked inside a store to look around
"Couple times." Sera said with a small smile as she pushed her short red hair back out of her face. "It's easier to get in once you have connections."
Dan marveled at sera. She took a good look at the girl in front of her. Unlike Dan, Sera had all the curves. She was taller than Dan too even if Dan were to wear heels. Dan couldn't help but think that Sera was the very definition of beautiful. Dan coughed nervously as she found herself staring at Sera for too long.
"We should go sometime. It'll be fun." sera said looking back at Dan with a smile. "If your mother lets you, that is." She said teasingly. Dan knew she was referring to the way Mikhail was being over dramatic.
"He doesn't control me. I can make my own decisions." Dan said crossing her arms over her chest.
"Good." Sera said and turned back around to look at the different snow globes on the shelves. "It's important to make your own decisions."
"What?" Dan asked. It sounded like Sera was talking to herself rather then Dan because she spoke quietly.
Sera ran a finger on the globes as they passed them slowly, "because, that way if you mess up it's on you. You can't blame anyone else for your stupidity."
"Ah, you're right. Uhm, do you want to talk about it?"
This time it was Sera's turn to look confused. She took her finger away from the globes and turned around to face Dan, "What?"
"Sorry if I'm speaking out but it seems like something is troubling you? I don't really know you but sometimes it's best to talk to someone who doesn't know everything about you. You can get an unbiased answer that way if you're having doubts." Sera looked stunned as she looked down at Dan with wide eyes. Dan shifted slightly and looked down, "Sorry. That was rude. I didn't mean-"
At that moment, Dan felt Sera's lips on her forehead. "Thank you, but I'm okay." She said pulling away and moving a piece of Dan's hair behind her ear.
Dan felt her heart skip a beat as Sera smiled down at her and walked away to continue looking around. Dan felt her whole face heating up. She knew she was falling for Sera already. Something about her captivated Dan. Perhaps it was her beauty and how easy it was to talk to her or maybe it was the way sometimes her eyes looked a little lifeless.
She watched as Sera looked around the store with somewhat of a blank look. As if her mind was somewhere far away. She bit her lip gently and jogged over to catch up to Sera.