Red rose

Athena POV

"I am not going to carry a gun and kill people just to help your stupid gang!" I yelled at Karol.

"I'm not asking you, I am telling you. Do not provoke me Athena," Karol growled, holding my wrist tightly until I winced in pain. "Take it." He drew and gave me the gun.

I held the gun shaking. 

He didn't care if I was scared or not, and I felt like shooting him.

I was a dancer not a gangster, I had always avoided involving myself in my brother's gang business which he used to get into fights, kill people, steal...

He was such a pathetic asshole, but he was also my father and my mother.

I didn't expect to meet him at home, especially not during the weekdays. I just got back from the club after a rough night of pole dancing and of course, my whole body ached badly.

It was obvious that he had gotten into a fight, he was sweating like a Christmas chicken and like he had ran a thousand miles. 

"Karol, I can't do this." I told him nervously and placed the gun on the couch seeing him wearing his black leather jacket. "I am not going to get involved in your fights." I added and turned away.

"You bitch!" I heard him yell and the next thing, I found myself pushed to the wall and his sweaty face dangerously close to him. His alcohol breath smelt like shit and oh god I just wanted to throw up.

"Don't forget that I raised you, you are not even my blood sister I found you on the dirty streets." He said without remorse.

His every word pierced my heart and I couldn't control tears from falling out of my eyes.

"I know you are a pole dancer, you have no business with my business, but I fucking need you now or else you will have no one." He added, pushed the gun in my hand and moved away from me carrying his guns on the table.

I swallowed hard not knowing what to say.

What could I say?

That he was lying?

The asshole wasn't lying, he did find me in the streets when I was six years old, but he had never said it to me no matter how angry he got until now.

"Now wear appropriate clothes, we are going to meet the guys." Karol said to me and walked towards the door.

I sighed and walked into my room which was the cleanest room in the messed up apartment. I dressed up in all black to match with the atmosphere. My hands kept shaking like they wanted to fall off my arms.

Carrying the gun, I placed it in my jacket pocket and walked out of the apartment to see Karol seated on his bike waiting for me with a cigarette in his mouth.

I walked towards him and decided to beg him one last time. 

"Please, I don't want to get involved in this."

"Fuck!" He yelled and slapped me hard.

I felt my own blood in my mouth and my cheek felt like a thousand fire ants were biting it. I held back my tears, I had to. I didn't know what had happened to my brother, but I wasn't the type who took shit.

Glaring back at him, I could see that he held no regret of slapping me.

"This is how you want to persuade me? By slapping me?" I removed the gun and pointed it at his head. "You know how crazy I can be." I said through my teeth and held the trigger.

"You cannot kill me," Karol scoffed. "Stop this bullshit and let's go. You can vent your anger on who we are facing tonight." 

I sighed and placed the gun back in my jacket pocket and sat behind him with my hands on his shoulder.

I wasn't going to talk to him, he was pathetic.

He started the bike and the ride was superfast but I wasn't scared, I just wanted to stay away from him and wanted the night to end fast.

We arrived at an old abandoned train station that led to the woods. As Karol drove deeper, I was having second thoughts regretting why I didn't run away. Karol's behavior exposed that it was something really, really dangerous and oh jeez… I didn't want to be a part of it.

Sighting small bikes which were similar to that of Karol's, I recognized his gang members were looking as anxious as he was, and they were all drinking and smoking to calm themselves down.

Karol parked his bike and I got down from the bike staring at his gang members.

"You brought your sister?" One of them, Mateo Sevilla who was the most attractive of them all asked Karol looking disappointed. 

"Trust me, she is good with guns." Karol said proudly.

"Yes, only shooting birds," I scoffed at him and rolled my eyes.

Karol had taught me fighting skills and shooting skills since I was little. I couldn't call myself perfect, but I was very good at protecting myself especially from those horny idiots at the bar that wanted me in their bed.

"Bringing her doesn't solve our problems. Our gang is connected to a mafia organization and now, they have involved us in their big war with their rivals." Brandon said and groaned with frustration.

There were just four of them present… I thought they were eight. 

Wait up! Mafia organization? War?

"Dude what are you thinking? We almost died tonight and here you are putting your sister in danger," Reuben said with a scoff.

"Look! Boss called me!" Karol yelled and his gang members all looked shocked.

"What? Boss?" Brandon asked, trying to process Karol's words.

"He wants us to go to red rose club and cause a distraction… Probably kill too," Karol continued.

"Which means his rival is there?" Jonah asked calmly.

"Yes. Athena will be the distraction." Karol told them, and they all stared at me like I kicked a puppy.

I couldn't believe my ears. 

My life was going normal as a pole dancer who lived with her gangster brother but still lived a quiet life. But now, I was involved in my brother's gang which was connected to a mafia organization that is in war with another mafia organization.

"Hell no!" I yelled at them and turned away crossing my arms on my chest.

"Dude, we don't even know who we are going against, we cannot just obey our boss, knowing that this shit will probably kill us," Mateo said and so far, he was the only one who thought rationally unlike the others including Karol who thought with their asses.

"I…" Karol was immediately interrupted by his phone ringing and I turned to look at him staring at his phone with horror written on his face.

"Who?" Brandon asked. 

"B… Boss." Karol replied, trembling.

I had never seen him so scared in my entire life. 

"Pick it up then," I told him shrugging my shoulders.

"Do not get involved!" Karol yelled at me and I just frowned.

I had had enough from him tonight. I turned away, but Mateo ran to my front looking worried.

"I thought they were eight of you. Where are the others?" I asked curiously. I wanted to forget about Karol for now.

"Dead," Mateo replied with a sigh then walked away towards Karol while I froze in shock.

"I…I… I want to take a walk." I muttered not caring if they heard me or not then walked away into the woods.

I removed the gun out of my jacket taking slow steps, my heart was pounding, squeezing, pinching, I just wanted to scream.

Karol had disappointed me tonight, he was like a different person and had exposed his true colors because he was afraid of death.

I checked my pocket wanting to remove my phone to call my best friend Alexei but dammit I totally forgot my phone.

I met Alexei two years ago in the bar. He always paid the most and always called me a stripper, but I wasn't a stripper, I just hung on poles. 

He was such a mysterious guy that wore clothes that covered all of his body including his neck and always came to the club on weekends. I hadn't seen him since last Saturday and I missed him badly because he was always the one I looked forward to seeing.

Arriving at the roadside, I could feel goosebumps popping out of my skin and at the side of the road, I could see some men walking into the woods holding guns and knives.

Holy shit!

I didn't expect that.

I ran back into the forest to meet the guys. I was confused as they all looked pale and lost in their thoughts. Their boss must have told them a very bad news, but I was there to tell them another piece of news.

"Some men heading towards here..." I was trying to catch my breath. "Holding guns." 

"Dammit!" Mateo exclaimed and they all hopped on their bikes.

I didn't want to stay with Karol. Instead, I sat behind Mateo.

They drove like maniacs, and we could hear gun shots until we arrived at the roadside.

"Where are we heading to?" I asked cursing in my thoughts why they weren't wearing helmets.

"Red rose, we have to do what Boss says." Mateo replied and I frowned.

"Of course," I muttered and rolled my eyes.

The city was bright at night especially the club line. I had never been in any of the clubs that we were passing by because they were all home to dangerous, prominent people. I had always been careful not to get involved with mafia and the rest.

Finally, we arrived at the red rose club and god was it beautiful and filled with people. 

We all got down from the bike and my hair was a freaking mess.

Mateo stared at me like he wanted to burst out laughing, but he controlled himself which made me glad.

Meeting a random girl who looked like a stripper in the club talking to a man, Mateo asked her for a brush, and he handed it to me.

"Thank you," I smiled at him and brushed my black hair until it was silk and shiny.

We gave the girl the back the brush and walked into the club meeting Karol, Brandon and Reuben talking to men dressed in black suits.

"He is upstairs, in the dancers' path." One of the men said and looked at me.

"Do good girl or else he will kill you." The man said, sending chills to my spine.

Mateo held my hand, and we all walked to the stairs.

The club was booming with music, it was colorful and luxurious. Clubs were like my second home, but my head was filled up to even admire the place.

"Wait." I told them and they stopped.

"It is too late to back out of this Athena," Karol said angrily.

I rolled my eyes and looked at Mateo. 

"You said it yourself, we don't know who we are facing..." 

Mateo interrupted me. "He is a very dangerous man, he rules the underworld and is..." 

"Enough! Do not tell her." Karol growled at him and Mateo glared at him.

"Why can't he tell me?" I asked him angrily. 

I couldn't believe him! I just heard that the person I was distracting was a dangerous man who ruled the underworld?

I pushed Karol out of my way and ran up the stairs. My eyes moved around seeing the pole dancers dancing sensually as usual but something else got my attention, and that was the bar where I saw a familiar person. Familiar but still different.

The tattoos on his muscular arms couldn't be unseen and earrings. 

I blinked rapidly to check if I was blind, but I wasn't.

"Alexei?!"