He laughs again, tossing his head back and letting out a belch of triumph. “You fucker,” he muses. “You never stood a fucking chance.”
My fingers dig into Adrian’s side. “What are we doing here!” I demand angrily.
“Just watch, Athena.”
I want to yell at him; to demand he take me out of this place, but I can’t tear my eyes off my father.
He stands up, leaning across the table and using his arms to scoop poker chips toward himself. The other men at the table look bitter.
“You’re a fucking cheat, Ricardo.”
“Fuck off, Snake. You never exactly played fair yourself.”
“Yeah? Asshole? How about you pay back the money you owe, then we talk about fair?” The other guy stands up and leans threateningly over my father.
To my absolute shock, my father takes out a knife and waves it in the guy’s face.
“Sit down before I cut your eyes out,” he snaps.
The other man packs up laughing.
“Fucking Ricardo. Calm down, you asshole. Deal me in again. Do you want another drink?”
“Is the pope catholic?” My father laughs, looking relaxed again.
I watch in silence. I watch my father laughing. Talking to his friends. Gambling away money that we don’t have. I started wondering why I had to work double shifts to buy him food. Why do I always have to help him out with the heating bill or a bit of money for smokes? Why did I have to work my ass off while he can come here and play poker?
“I don’t… I don’t understand,” I whisper, feeling the weight of what I really do understand.
“Your father has a gambling problem, Athena. He is in massive amounts of debt with a number of these seedy casinos across the city. It’s why he was trying to steal money from my business. It’s why he was willing to sell you to get me off his back.”
“But he… he looks happy,” I mutter.
“He doesn’t care that he owes people money. He has an addiction. He only chases the high.”
“No… I mean… he doesn’t even care about where I am or if I’m ok after. after you took me,” I say.
My hands are shaking. I don’t think it’s shock. I think it’s anger. Maybe both.
I set my untouched beer on the bar and turn my back on my father. “I would like to leave now,” I say sternly.
Adrian doesn’t hesitate. He keeps me close as he leads me out of the bar and back to the car.
I don’t say a word.
I don’t know what to say.
Chapter 5 - Adrian
She hasn’t said a word since we left the bar.
It’s no surprise her father was at a place like that. The Mafia runs those dives. Lower-level families make their money by getting people into debt and charging astronomical interest on those debts. Of course, if you are stupid enough to gamble or take a loan from a place like that, then I have no pity for you to begin with.
The thing is, no one who goes there can claim they don’t know who they’re mixing with. It’s not the type of place you land up in by accident.
You get invited. You get pulled in. You get warned, even. The warning is a play on the bookie's responsibility.You knew what you were getting into… We warned you when you loaned you the cash…. You know Lenny doesn’t take late payments lightly…
Yes, her father knew the moment he walked into that place, and all the other places like it, that he was getting involved with the mafia.
