Chapter 2 POV ALLEGRA

The sword is large, visibly heavy and has symbols that the darkness does not allow me to identify, made of a material that must be stronger than steel. It is like the devil's weapon that is now about to slit my throat. All I can think about is my father, my little sister who barely sleeps without me and refuses to eat before at least seeing me home.

" Mr. Richelli? " My boss's voice makes me open my eyes, making the icy tip of the dagger stop pressing against the skin of my neck. " Please let her go, Allegra is an excellent waitress and only came to deliver the order because I ordered at the last table. This was just a misunderstanding, I assure you she was not snooping."

" Your girl made a mistake. " He puts his eyes on me, but I avoid reciprocating, making eye contact with him makes me terribly afraid.

" She's just a dying woman, no danger to you. Let her go, please. " The beast thinks for a few seconds about my boss's request, staring at me.

" Fine, but my bill will come out of your pocket in retaliation. " He warns, taking the dagger from my neck. Only then do I feel the blood trickle down my neck and involuntarily, I run my finger over it, squeezing the wounded spot.

" Get out of my way, Allegra, go home! " Furious that I have to defend myself and end up losing a lot of money, I am sent away.

I don't object. I run out of the alley and the bar, returning home without even looking back and feeling my body slicing through the wind. My hair flies out of the air, my heart beats at a rapid pace after almost dying, and those eyes don't leave my mind. With each step, I remember that man's hand on my arm, his dagger on my neck, and those damn eyes on me.

I only stop when I reach the gate of my house, one of many on a busy street. It is small, only two rooms, one of which I share with my sister, and the other which today belongs only to my father after my mother's death. Behind the gate is just a battered wooden door that I open after checking that the blood on my neck has stopped.

" Alle, daughter! " My father exclaims when he sees me. His eyes roam over my body, noticing my red arm, my neck is surely also still scarred, and my crying face certainly doesn't help much. "What happened?"

" Nothing, I'm fine. " I lie. My sister comes running from inside the room as soon as she hears my voice, hugging me so tightly that I stagger back and almost fall. "Relax, sweetheart, I'm here."

"I missed you. " My little sweetheart, as I have nicknamed her since she was a baby, continues with her arms around me.

"I'm already here. Now go get some food, I'll be right in bed with you. " I kiss the top of her head and she nods, leaving me alone with Daddy.

"Did someone hurt you? Who did you meet? Did they follow you here? " I know that my father is involved with strange, dirty things. I've found out how bad those people can be in the worst way, but I live outside of that world, only my father is still involved with those nasties. Now he looks scared. "Talk to me, Allegra!"

" There was nothing, just a fight at work. " I frown, trying to understand. "I ask myself, what happened?"

"Come here. " Dad takes my hand and leads me to the small table in the living room. I'm a little bewildered by everything that has happened today and with the amount of papers and things on the table I can't focus on anything. Dad takes a rolled up piece of paper and puts it into a little wooden box, before closing it and holding it out to me. "Take this, go outside, and bury it."

" Bury it? " Has everyone gone crazy today? I look at the little box in my hand and try to open it, but Dad slaps my hand away and stops me.

"Don't open it. Just do as I say, please, I have things to finish here."

"I don't understand, what is it? Why do I need...?"

"Allegra! Don't ask questions for God's sake. " I look toward the kitchen where my sister has gone, I worry about her, about Dad, about the things that might come out of this.

My sister doesn't seem to live without me, not if she doesn't even eat or sleep, not when she is in therapy and needs medication to keep her calm. We are simple people, we live in a small house, but I know that Dad makes a lot of money in his dirty dealings, that I prefer to blind myself about it and keep out of it, so I work, not to get involved in this kind of thing. He tries to hide it, others may even believe in our poverty, but not me.

" Father ...

"Trust me, child, there is nothing else to do. " He grabs my face with both hands, staring at me steadily. I don't know what that means, but I obey.

I nod my head at him, and walk out the back door. I walk a few meters away from the house, dig using my bare hands, and bury the little box.

The weekend went by too fast, it was two quiet days and although I like it that way, sometimes calmness is not synonymous with tranquility, but rather the storm that follows. I barely saw Dad, I spent the days taking care of my sister and reading.

It is Sunday evening, I am sitting in the living room watching TV, with my sister with her head lying on my lap for company. That's when the door is opened and my father walks through it, or rather falls through it, because as soon as it opens he falls to the floor. Dad is badly hurt, his face is bleeding, his hands are bleeding, his legs are bleeding.

" Dad! " I scream, scared. My sister says nothing, but starts shaking and crying on top of me. I hug her, hiding the scene from her face. " Don't look, sweetheart. Stay seated."

I leave my sister on the couch, face toward the backrest, and run to help my father up. He groans in pain; even with my help it's hard to stand upright, and I get blood all over my hands and clothes.

"Take this... " He tries to put his hand in his pocket, but groaning in pain, he can't. I help him, finding a piece of paper with him.

"Where is this place? " It's an address.

" Get out of here, Allegra. Take your sister and run away. Get protection for both of you, find Guerra."

Guerra, the Guerra I'm thinking of?

" No, Dad, what are you talking about? " I don't like your farewell tone, by now tears are rolling down my face. " Not me."

" I love you, Allegra, I love you both, just remember that. I don't want you to suffer the same fate as your mother, so please, daughter, leave this house!"

That's when I understand that if I don't do what he says, I will lose my father and my sister. I am not able to save them both. I help him up and take my sister by the hand, pulling her toward the exit. I don't even look back, because if I see my father's face I won't be able to leave.

"Come on, sweetheart, please. " My sister is reluctant and I have to carry her by force, I sob loudly trying to get her out of the house.

But only then do I realize that it is too late for us, hearing the sound of the iron gate opening and footsteps coming toward the already open door. They have arrived.