Marco Romano

"What does this mean?". Arielle asked me, her doe eyes staring into mine as she pointed her finger to the teardrop under my left eye. Something I hated, something that didn't matter to me. Only my d- Only Crowne.

I gently grabbed her wrist and held her hand instead, softly sighing. I wanted to express myself to her more, she deserved to know a bit more from such a quiet person like me. And with the situation, I didn't know if I would be around for much longer, for her safety.

"Nothing baby, my father did this. He wanted it for me". I noticed her small smile form into a sad frown and she raised an eyebrow slightly tilting her head to the side, "Just like Gio.. and Mario...". She trailed off and I just nodded at her, gripping her hand a bit tighter.

"Yes princess, just like them. You know.. what you saw in the basement the other day.. You shouldn't have seen it but you did. And i'm sorry to say but that's just who we are, we never got to be ourselves. But you do princess, our father did everything but be a father to us. He used us to rise in his business, ever since we could walk and talk". He stopped talking to take a breather, having not spoke so much in what felt like decades. I gently took his thumb to wipe away her eyes as they began to tear up.

"When my father made me first harm a man, and take his life. I was only 9. And that's also when I got this..". I spoke, referring to my teardrop. And I remembered my father's words before opening my mouth again.

(13 years ago) Authors POV

"The ink son, this ink. Is what makes you powerful, feared by any man. These tattoos I am getting for you and your brother are for your own good, you are the son of Crowne and you have to be ready for anyone who tries to cross you and your brothers". He pierced the tattoo gun into Marco's skin more, I looked in the mirror with tears in my eyes and I looked at the black mark that sat under his left eye a bit sore and red.

Blood stained his shirt and hands, a lifeless bloody body laid behind his father in the mirror completely unrecognizable by the hands of his own father. He had Marco pull the trigger, and after that. He beat the man to a pulp, he was in shock. He wasn't talking, he couldn't, he wasn't even crying from the pain of the needle. It was the fact he just took someone's life so carelessly following his father's instructions.

The task was, to get rid of one of Crowne's close mate and the guys whom he worked with to feed information to. Crowne didn't like traitors, he felt as if it was utter disrespect. Taking people under your wing, only for them to turn on you and not be genuine in the first place. But his name was Crowne, what did he even know about genuine if he was putting his kids to his dirty work?

Three small boys walked into the room, with towels sniffling and shaking. Their backs sore after receiving a tattoo of a kingdom with a crown on top. The kingdom stood for Romano, cause there was so many, and most of them stood together or most would fall apart. And the crown of course stood for their dad since he was the highest in the family right now. The ink was in black and red, the whole kingdom being black and the crown being red. A blood red. Cause that's what Crowne liked, blood.

"My sons, you look magnificent. Just like your dad, the ink is about the meaning behind it. If it has no meaning then it can't be a tattoo". He smiled peacefully, turning his head back to his work on Marcos back not giving the children any breaks from the first time pain of a tattoo.

"D-dad why did you m-make us do it?". Marco asked, and Crowne stayed silent for a bit before stopping and turning off the tattoo gun. He looked at Marco in the mirror, fluffing up his hair and rubbed and patted his shoulders in a bit of a rough way.

Moving one of his hands back up, he brung it up to Marco's face up his cheekbones to his under eyelids. He then pressed down his fingers, squeezing hard. Making Marco whimper, and squirm in his seat as his finger was painfully irritating the skin of the ink.

"Death to all traitors, death to those who are ungrateful..". He tightened his fingers, bending down close to Marco's ear. "Death to those who question my daily life!". Crowne pulled away from Marco yanking his face forward in the process, and he then packed up his tattoo gun and left the room leaving the guards and the small boys to clean up his mess.

Marco Romano (present)

"That's basically how I got this". I sighed deeply, scratching my stubble with one hand. I used the other one to wipe her tears away. "I'm so sorry, you guys didn't deserve that. It must have been so hard for a kid to have to go through and do things like that, be forced too. It isn't fair for any of you". She sniffled, looking down at her fingers as she held them together.

"If you don't mind me asking, where is your father now?". I looked up at her with a blank face and responded after a bit

"He's a dead man walking, princess. That's it, that's all". He smiled at Arielle, and leaned forward to kiss her cheek and he then pulled away glancing up behind her seeing his brothers walking in the lounge/living room.

"That he is". Giovanni simply agreed, coming towards Arielle to kiss her cheek. Arielle scrunched her nose and giggled softly in response, my brothers took a seat around the couch now that it was just us. And everyone else was around the big house doing their own thing, we had a chance to talk to Ari. Explain to her why we have been so weird with her. I know she wants to know.

"Do you guys think I can do this?". She quietly asked making us look at her, I bit my lip. I knew she was referring to our conversation in the office earlier our plan. It required all of us to set it into motion, but it ends with my princess being all by herself soon. I didn't like the idea of it, of this. I felt this was a bad storm, and she was walking into something very dangerous.

"So obviously, we have been being watched. And we probably are being watched right now. But this is the only room we get privacy in. So, i'm only going to explain this once and everyone needs to listen. Elias and his little goons are no joke, we've been dealing with his since we were babies we all know this. But they do not. It's obvious what James, Justin and Elias want. What there target is because of all this, all the threats and such, and that is-". Giovanni was cut off by a small voice in the corner of the room.

"Me". We all looked at her, and I looked back at Giovanni and he ran a hand through his hair something he did when he was stressed and when he really didn't like where things were headed. "That's right baby, you. Now we don't know why, so that's why we need you to find out yourself. Whatever Elias is after, he will only speech it out to one person. A person who is fragile like you princess. He seeks prey, not predators who are out for him". Giovanni said his words softly, not wanting to hurt Arielle with the truth cause that's simply what it was. Arielle didn't even know what compliments felt like, let alone she has no idea what this life will do to her. She just wasn't ready.

"How will I?". She spoke up, and my head snapped towards her and she immediately set her eyes on mine. "I can't let others close to me be harmed anymore, everything you guys worked so hard for can't be destroyed because of simply me. Your lives shouldn't be at stake because of this". It was more to it than that, I couldn't pin point it but Elias wanted more than Arielle. I just felt it. She is just simply an easier target for him to get to.

"Friday Night two weeks from now, Elias and his men will be at a club. A well known club in fact, a club of his. We will execute a plan and get this into motion before then, you will be ready for a small encounter and if it becomes anything more we will be right in the dark watching. This plan will only work, if we all follow through with it correctly". Arielle Anders

Just a month ago, I spent my time reading books, studying them, writing my name on multiple papers, opening my computer every class to get an assignment or two done. I spent my time studying alone in the cafe, a donut and a coffee with tons of books, tons of papers scattered onto the table. Trying my damn hardest to get into nursing school while on track to graduate early.

Now, I'm in a house full of people who protect each other. But also kill people in the process of it, they hurt themselves they hurt others. They have lived this dangerous life, while i've lived peacefully and happily somewhat. This life it was overwhelming, definitely overwhelming for me. But different. I mattered to people, I was noticed, I was seen and heard. Even now it's bad, I felt as if it was worse then than now. I didn't want to spend my life looking over my shoulder it just wasn't fair, after looking over my shoulder for so long as a child. I have to do it again? I didn't want to. But, I knew I had too. For the people I cared about, Skye, Gio, Marco, Angelo... the list goes on.

I'm doing this for them, and to keep us alive. ~~~~~~ Chapter Eighteen, 1835 words!

This story has gotten so good so far and it's going to get even better, I want to make sure the story isn't so cluttered for guys so i'm taking my time with editing. Please let me know of any errors.

Do you have any idea of that the plan may be? We have so many terrible parents in this story 😭. Please go and read Stella's Lost! Much Appreciated!

Please send your love and feedback, positive comments and suggestions I would love to hear them!