"Woah! Woah! Slow down, sweetie," the Debonair Don, Zayden Hall shouted as he picked up his four-year-old daughter with one hand near the pool area. As usual, he was dressed sharply in a three-piece suit.
"She never listens to anyone, Dad," 15-year-old, Josie came running to her father. She was panting hard, trying to make her sister stop from running near the pool area.
"Dad, dad, when is Zion coming?" asked 8-year-old, Zane. "He is turning six next week. I have an early present for him."
Zayden put his youngest daughter down and knelt down to their level. "They will be arriving soon, dear. Now you two, take care of your sister. She is getting naughty day by day. Sweetie, listen to your brother and sister."
"But Daddy, I want to thwim," she replied cutely. The little girl still had difficulty pronouncing the letter S.
"Thwim, my thweetie wants to thwim?" smiled Zayden and again picked her up. "But my little fish is so little, that I can just gobble her up." He opened his mouth and pretended to eat her everywhere. He put her small fist in his mouth and pressed his lips hard on her wrist. While she was trying to get her hand out of his mouth, he started tickling her. All three kids giggled loudly. The youngest one had the sweetest laugh.
A kind-looking, slender woman came out of the house. She was wearing a summer dress and had an apron over her dress. Everyone smiled as soon as they saw her. "What are you guys doing here? Everyone would be arriving any time soon. Get ready," she scolded.
"Yes, my dear," said Zayden and smiled at his wife, Adelyn. Her children immediately ran inside after they heard her command.
She kept smiling at her kids but as soon as the kids went inside her smile faded. "Are you sure this is the right time to host this party?" she asked.
"I just want to get rid of any misunderstanding that is between us," replied Zayden and held her waist softly.
"But you heard what Caden told you. He is your right hand and if he tells you about a coup inside your organization, I think you should listen to him," explained Adelyn.
He looked into her eyes and assured her, "Dear, he is wrong about Zachary. He is my brother. Why would he make a move against me? There is some misunderstanding and I intend to clarify it."
She tenderly placed her hands over his chest and asked, "is it necessary to bring them here?"
"We will gather here as a family. Family is the strongest bond. Blood never betrays blood," said Zayden.
"Fine, dear. You know him the best. If you trust your brother, that is enough for me," smiled Adelyn.
"I love you," said Zayden, adoringly.
"I love you too," replied Adelyn.
He delicately put his lips over hers and kissed her lovingly. She smiled at him after they broke the kiss.
She then moved to the kitchen where she kept instructing her maids on how to cook and proper table placements. All were waiting for friends to arrive.
The doorbell rang and friends and family started getting in for the party. The first to arrive was Caden. He was 6.5 feet tall with large muscles. He brought a team of armed men with him.
"I told you we don't need security," complained Zayden.
"This is for my peace of mind. Just go with it," Caden shut him up.
"Fine," said Zayden and smiled at him. Caden then gave explicit instructions to his team and his team spread all over the house.
A few families of his organization came after Caden. Zayden was at the door to receive all of them. Finally, Zachary arrived with his Melissa and Theo and his team of armed men.
The little girl saw him, ran up to him and jumped in his arms. "Uncle, uncle." He too fondly picked her up.
"You are late," said Zayden, smiling.
"Sorry, Boss," said Zachary, condescendingly.
"You are here as my brother, not as someone who is a member of my gang," educated Zayden.
"Right, Zayden, sorry." He then turned to the sweet girl in his arms. "So how's my angel doing?"
"Not good, Dad ith not letting me thwim," pouted the girl.
"Ha-ha, Jo, we will swim together later," Zachary replied.
"Yay!" Jo shouted.
"Uncle, Jo is my nickname," sulked Josie.
"Both my sweeties are named Jo. It's so confusing," teased Zachary.
"I will go and see if Adelyn needs my help," said Melissa.
"Where is Zion, Uncle?" inquired Zane. He looked around but could not find his friend.
"Oh, sorry, Zane. He was not feeling well so we had to leave him at the house with his nanny," replied Zachary. Zane's face fell with disappointment. He would not get a chance to give his early gift to Zion.
"Okay, let's meet everyone," Zayden signalled his brother.
They all went to the pool area where the bar area was open for everyone. His gang members were enjoying drinks.
"Zach, I need to talk to you about something," said Zayden.
"Yes, brother, anything," replied Zachary.
"I have heard a rumour," Zayden started sceptically.
"What?"
"Don't take this otherwise but the rumour is that you are planning a coup to take his organization away from me," laughed Zayden, uncomfortably.
"What?! That is just…" Zachary started laughing. Then suddenly raised his head and looked directly into Zayden's eyes. "That is just so true," he said with bitterness.
And sphhhlt! The air was sucked from Zayden's body as soon as he realized that a knife had plunged into his stomach. His eyes widened, it was getting impossible for him to breathe. His dapper suit was changing its colour to red. Zayden's feet started stumbling. He moved an inch back showing everyone the knife in his body.
At that very moment, Adelyn walked out to the pool area with hor devours in her hand. The tray with the food fell down to the ground with a loud boom. Her husband before her eyes was all bloody, she could only scream.
The loud scream was heart-wrenching. Her scream was like a signal to everyone. Those who were on Zachary's side took out their guns and shot Zayden's people straight between their eyes.
The chaos ensued. All started running in every direction. Zayden's people were getting killed left and right. But Adelyn never stopped screaming. Zachary was getting annoyed by her shriek. He took out his gun and shot her point blank between her eyes.
Bang! Splat! Her brains flew all over Zayden's face. He forgot that a knife was sticking out of his stomach. He dragged himself to his wife. Tears were streaming down his face. There was a big hole in his wife's face.
"Aahhhh!!" he screamed with anger. "I WILL KILL YOU. You bastard, family is off-limits. Family is off-limits," he broke down, dejected. He held her wife tightly in his arms and kept sobbing.
But to his horror the next moment, Theo walked out with his three children with a gun pointed at them. The older two kids were shivering with fear. The sight of blood and the stench of gunpowder was making them cry harder. The moment Josie saw her mother and father, she wailed loudly. She was grabbing her brother and sister tightly.
After Zachary heard her wail, without speaking a single word or asking them a question, he shot Josie and she fell next to her brother and sister.
"Nooo…." cried Zayden. He slithered to his daughter and put her head in his lap. He could not stop crying.
Both little kids gasped and stopped crying. Their nervous system was overloaded with action and reaction.
"Jo, come here," Zachary spoke to the little kid, politely. He had a creepy smile on his face. "You too, Zane."
Theo pushed them and they started walking toward their uncle.
"Zach, please stop. Please let my kids go. They never did anything to you. Family is off-limits. Blood never betrays blood," pleaded Zayden. He was a mess of tears and blood.
"STOP!" suddenly Caden shouted. All looked at him. He had Melissa in a headlock and a knife pointed at her.
"Kill her," shouted Zachary.
"Zach!" Melissa was heartbroken after what she heard.
"Don't worry darling, he will not kill you. He is righteous that way," smirked Zachary. "now, Zane, you know who would inherit this vast empire after your dad is gone?" asked Zachary. But the little kid could only sniffle. He had no answer for him.
"I had a present for Zion," muttered Zane.
"Don't worry I will give him that," he hugged Zane closely and then turned him towards his father. While everyone was watching, he took another knife and slit the little boy's neck, mercilessly. This body fell to the ground with a soft thump.
"You bastard, you bastard, my kids," wailed Zayden, miserably. Caden gasped at all the blood spill but had no courage to punish Melissa for it. This time Zayden didn't even try to move. All the hope, all the trust, all the energy from his body was drained. He didn't even try to remove the knife from his body.
"Do you know, what are we going to do, sweetie?" asked Zachary.
"Please, Zach, please stop," sobbed Zayden.
But Zachary ignored him. "We are going to swim. Yay!" The little child could only look at her uncle who was smiling as if nothing had happened and then at her family who were lying in the pool of their blood.
Zachary flashed a devilish smile and picked the little girl up. "You wanted to go swimming, right? Now go swim," he said and chucked the little girl into the swimming pool.
"Jo! Be a mermaid," cried Zayden. Jo fell in the swimming pool. For a few seconds, she flapped her hands and tried to swim above water but ultimately she started sinking.
Before he could see her only remaining daughter die, he pulled the knife from his stomach and plunged it into Melissa's stomach.
"Noooo…" cried Zachary. Zayden just stared at him with pure hatred and took out the knife and again stabbed Melissa. She fell to her knees and Zayden got his revenge. With his last breath, he looked into the swimming pool where Jo was floating with her face down.
Zachary ran to his wife and held her tightly. "I am sorry, I am sorry. Call for help, someone," he cried.
"But sir," Theo contrasted and pointed at the bloodshed around him.
"Pick her up, let's go. Everyone, get underground. Police would be arriving soon, sure they must have heard the gunshots," commanded Zachary.
But before going, Theo pulled the gun a final time. He shot Caden in his stomach and they left everyone to die. That day was known as Hall Massacre in history books. It changed everything in New York. There was a new crime boss who was ruthless and cunning and murdered his own family to get power.