Cleopatra
" Boss, all the threats have been removed, what should we do next?" a guy in his late twenties asked with a slight bow. He was covered in blood holding a rifle in his one hand.
" Nothing for now. Good job subduing them, Sam. Take the others and go." I said grimly.
" W-what? But boss lady shouldn't we find out who was behind the attack this time?" Sam questioned, he was right this was not the usual way I did things.
I shook my head, " There is no need. Go. Take the weekend off, you guys fought well." I said dismissively to him. I did not offer any explanations because none were necessary, I was their boss, the queen of the mafia so what i did and how I did it was none of their concerns, all they had to do was to obey. Obey orders, my orders.
" Alright, boss, See you on Monday." Sam said as he bowed once more before retreating leaving me in the bloody battlefield with a fresh scent of death still looming over proof of the fight that had just transpired.
I will introduce myself again, my name is Cleopatra, Cleopatra Santiga and I am 24 years old. I am the sole daughter to my late father, Fredrick Santiga, once the leader of our Mafia family, The Santiga Family after my grandad. Both of them died in a plane crash 5 years ago when they were heading to a press conference in New York from Italy. Back then, I wanted nothing to do with my family business.
I had a business of my own, an entertainment company, yes, a celebrity-making company making dreams true for many, turning them into stars and idols for many in the world. Then this tragedy occurred, I remember I was in a meeting discussing the promotion of my next big project, a young upcoming, and promising artist, and then i heard the news. I saw them on national TV, the death of two moguls of the mafia world, my father, Fredrick Santiga and grandfather, James Santiga. Though I hated their ways, I broke down. A lot of people in the meeting room were very confused because nobody knew that I was a mafia princess. My story to the press was a poor girl worked hard to achieve her dreams of opening a company.
This was not all false, it was true, I started in college, I worked on just about everything and anything I wanted without asking for my family for help. Shortly after their funeral, which occurred on the same day, I did not even get time to grieve when our family faced a problem, a threat, someone was planning to eradicate the family business because the two big leaders were gone. And I thought, whatever, I may have loved both my dad and granddad but I never loved what they did for a living and they knew it.
Sorry, Dad and Granddad, your business is about to come to an end, I won't save it.
This thought did not even last a few seconds in my mind when I also got threatened, my precious company and everyone in it, they would get dragged into this and burned for my family's sins. I couldn't accept it, I had worked too hard for Startwit Agency, I wouldn't let anyone touch it, even it meant getting my hands in the mud i avoided for nearly half my life. Then I took over the family business and became the new boss, the leader, queen of the mafia.
In just six months after various bloodbaths, the family stabilized again, they were at the top of the food chain, I wanted to leave but then realized it was too late, I was in too deep, and soon, 6 months became a year and a year became years, 5 years to be exact.
I sighed. I had not moved an inch from my spot, the spot I was in when I took the final shot at one of the traitors who planned a coup against the Santigas. It was an isolated warehouse where I was supposed to meet one of my cilents in secret away from prying eyes. But sadly, our locations got found out. Looking around, there were bodies everywhere and I started counting them. Yes, I had developed that habit over the years, it was either this or get paranoid that if i missed one enemy he or she would come for me at night at my apartment.
One, two, three....twenty-three. I froze. My hands trembled involuntarily and my chest rose a little bit quicker, a panic attack. but i hid these, no one could know except for me going through them." One is missing," I muttered.
"He was shot and he fell into the river." My right-hand woman said walking to my side. Her name was Harley, two years younger than me but very efficient and reliable.
" Oh?" I said unfazed.
"Then make sure the clean-up crew gets his location, we don't want the local fisherman filing a police report tomorrow morning," I instructed her.
" Yes, boss." She said and I paused.
" I thought I said you could call me by name?" I said, we had been through this, I was only strict with the guys, the ladies not so much.
" Yes, boss." She repeated and my lips twitched.
" Then why are you not?" I asked her.
" Because I was drunk that day, boss so i figured I will call you by name in ocassions I am drunk boss." She said. This was most laughable.
" What? Why?" I asked her.
" It makes you less scary boss." She said and I did not know whether to cry or laugh.
" Okay." I said and resumed walking towards my car.
Scary? I was not used to being described that way. I was more used to charismatic, beautiful, genius, the youngest self-made millionaire, youngest female CEO. But I guess these were from an identity that did not belong to me. I looked at my hands, fresh sprinkles of blood painted my palm, this was my real identity, the one I ran away from, heir to the mafia, princess of the Maifa, and now, Cleopatra, the mafia queen.