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Micah
“Hey,areyougoingto be slumming it again tonight?” Talon asks, as he eyes me carefully.
Ason and Scarlette sit on the back porch, holding hands and looking too cheesy for my taste. They are in town for the weekend, visiting from college. Ason had some business to help take care of as the Antoni Mafia Family was venturing into an entirely different world—owning a bakery. Apparently, Ason’s now fiancé, Scarlette, has a thing for sweets, so they are opening a small bakery just outside of Savannah.
“Nah man, I wasn’t planning on taking out any of your girls,” I joke back.
Talon rolls his eyes at me, but I can see him try and hide a chuckle. This is just what we do—we banter back and forth. Sometimes we even fight, but at the end of the day, we are brothers, and we would do anything for the one other.
“Listen, we have a meeting tonight. You have to be there,” Talon reminds me.
Nodding my head, I straddle my bike and put my black helmet over my head. “I know. I am just going to fill my bike up with gas and then come back. My race isn’t until midnight,” I remind him.
What I don’t tell him is that I am moving to a different track tonight. At my last race, I heard some guys talking about an illegal track down by the old warehouse district. The place had been abandoned for years and only housed trash and the homeless. It was the perfect place for illegal racing as no one ever dared to venture down that way—even the police. If I let any of the guys get wind of what I was doing, they would try and stop me.
“Hey, Micah,” Ason yells, as I kick off the stand.
I turn to face him and see the seriousness on his face. “Yeah.”
“Don’t do anything too stupid,” he yells.
Ason was the first person I told when I started racing. He wasn’t happy with me, but he wasn’t surprised either. I’ve always had a streak for doing things a little...wild. Ason promised that he would keep everyone off my back as long as I promised to be safe. So far, I had done just that.
“I wouldn’t dream of it,” I say, smirking as I take off down the long driveway.
As I begin to drive, I pass by Gabby as she enters the property. Her red hair dances around her face as her window is rolled down, allowing wind to rush inside the car. She offers a wave, but doesn’t stop. She’s been pretty quiet lately, so I make a mental note to remember to ask her what’s up later.
Driving through the streets, I take in everything as I make my way to the gas station. After filling up my bike, I make it back to the house where everyone is now settled inside. I spot my dad standing next to Aiden, Solly, Chance, and Gabby’s mom, Gia. They are talking in hushed voices, but when they notice me walking through front door, they all stop and stare at me.
“What?” I ask, not liking the way silence has filled the area.
“You are five minutes late,” my dad warns.
To be honest, I hadn’t been too concerned with the time. I didn’t think I’d been late, though. Now I knew I had pissed everyone off.
“Sorry, I guess I lost track of time,” I stated.
Everyone turned and walked into the large dining room where Gabby, Talon, and Ason were already seated around the table. No one spoke until I was seated, which made me nervous. The vibe of the room had shifted, and I felt tense and uneasy.
“Now that everyone is here, we can begin,” Aiden says, glaring daggers my way.
As our capo, Aiden is the one we all answer to. Upsetting him could literally be a life-or-death situation. Knowing I’m in trouble only sparks more frustration inside of me.
“Ason is in town this weekend to discuss a few new business ventures we are partaking in,” Ason continues. “I am looking at each of you to take on another venture,” he says, eyeing each of us kids carefully. I gulp as his eyes linger on me. “I need to trust that who I pick for this role is smart, logical, and has a primary focus on the Antoni Mafia Family name,” he finishes.
My dad nods as Ason looks to him. “We are looking at creating another casino and hotel near Atlanta. This one would be more for the high rollers and people who want to enjoy the life of luxury, but without the nonsense of the general public,” he says.
What he really means is they want to cater to the super wealthy; celebrities, politicians, and mafia. People who don’t want to be seen and want all of their dirty secrets kept hidden, but for a cost, of course.
“Talon has already shown an interest in this, but this will take two of our men to run successfully,” Chance speaks up.
“Gabby already has stated that she wants to work closely with her mother and run intel with our gun shipments,” Solly says, looking over to his daughter adoringly.
Listening to them speak, I know that they are looking for Talon and I to take this on, but I see the worry laced in their features. They don’t trust me. A pit forms in my stomach, but I try to hide any worry that I may feel. I guess I will just have to prove to them that I am worthy of this.
“Talon and Micah,” Ason begins, turning in his chair to face us, “You two need to start thinking about your future and how you are going to carry on our legacy.”
All I can do is nod and Talon does the same. My life revolves around the mafia, and I know that one day I will have my place with the made men. But for now, I want to enjoy my last few years of freedom—or as close to freedom a guy like me can get. The tension in the room is so thick you could cut it with a knife. Ason and Talon expect me to be in the mafia mindset already. In some ways I am, but mostly, I just want to race my bike and have fun. In due time I will be faced with the evils and seriousness of the world. Until then, I just want to live my life.
“We know what we need to do,” Talon speaks up.
The meeting continues, but I drown out all of the chatter. All I can think about right now is getting back on my bike and enjoying a late-night ride.
