Mafia Intrigues

“Take a deep breath, Mija. There’s nothing we can do. The FBI will get them all out. Agent Gordon promised to watch out for them.”

“I don’t know if we can fully trust him,” Ágata replied.

“He’s done nothing but help us, Mija. He’s a nice man.”

“He’s arrogant and rude.” And Mama, despite everything she’d been through, was way too trusting.

“Why? Because he doesn’t immediately give you what you want?” Mama teased.

“Yes. Exactly.” Ágata liked to get her own way. Sure, she didn’t always get what she wanted.

But most of the time, she did. And that was the way it should be. However, Agent Braden Gordon didn’t see things that way.

He’d learn. One day, Ágata would be a force to be reckoned with.

“Ágata, siéntate.” Mama patted the sofa cushion beside her. “It will be over soon, and then you’ll be reunited with your friends.”

Ágata walked over and sat next to her mama. She felt a pang of concern as she took in her fragile state. Ágata had thought life would be better away from the Camp. And in many ways, it was. She was mostly free to do what she liked. Although Mama and her friends had rules for her.

Pfft. Ágata Nuñez did not like rules. And she tried to find ways around them as often as she could. Not that she wasn’t grateful to Mama’s friends for helping them. Without Elisabeth and Adam, things would have been so much more difficult.

Adam had used all his contacts with the NYPD to help them build enough of a case against the Deity to go to the FBI. In the end, it turned out that the FBI had been gathering information already. Ágata and Mama had given them enough to act.

After today, the Deity and his Sentinels would be going to jail for a long time.

And Ágata would have her friends back. Where they belonged.

That was the shit part about life away from the Camp. She missed her friends. Desperately.

Worried about them all the time.

Elisabeth had insisted they enroll her in school, but everyone had been cagey about how to go about that. In the end, they’d registered her under Adam’s last name, Brown.

She didn’t know how they’d managed that or why Mama didn’t want her information to be given to the school. That was a problem for another day. Ágata had been so focused on getting her friends away from the Deity . . . but as she looked at how fragile and stressed her mama was . . . maybe it was time to focus on her.

“Mama?” she queried softly.

The older woman still startled.

“Sorry, Mija, what were you saying?”

“Are you all right? Is something the matter?”

“What are you talking about?”

“I know we moved to the Camp for a reason. You weren’t fooled by the Deity. And the only reason you left is because he wanted to fuck me.”

“Mija, language.”

“Mama, it’s just the truth. He’s a dirty old man who uses his charisma and false promises to get people to follow him. He brainwashed them. But he didn’t do that to you, did he? There’s a reason why you chose to live with the Children of the Divine. What is it? You can tell me, Mama.”

Whatever the problem was, she’d fix it.

“My Mija, so strong, so fierce. You’re always trying to take care of me when it should be the other way around.”

Ágata sighed. “I’m not a child, Mama. I can handle whatever it is. Tell me, and I’ll take care of it.”

Something stubborn filled her mama’s face, and that’s when Ágata knew she wasn’t going to tell her anything more.

“It’s not for you to worry about, Ágata,” her mother said firmly.

“But—”

“No, I am the parent. I made a mistake joining the Children of the Divine. I thought it would be safe . . . but it wasn’t. You were nearly harmed because of my poor choice. It’s my job to take care of you, and I will, Mija. I promise you that.”

Ágata’s phone started ringing and she snatched it up. “Gordie?”

“I’ve told you not to call me that,” Agent Braden Gordon replied, his voice filled with exasperation.

“Sorry.”

She wasn’t. Not at all.

And Gordie knew it too as he sighed. “You’re a brat.”

“I don’t think that’s an appropriate thing to say to me,” Ágata replied.

“I don’t think anyone would disagree with me,” he shot back. “Here I am, calling you as soon as I have some information, and all I get is disrespect and sass. Bye.”

“No, wait, I’m sorry. Are they all right? My friends?”

“Yeah, Ágata. They’re all fine. A bit traumatized, but they’re all here, safe and sound. One of the girls isn’t talking much, but the big guy has them both close to him, watching over them.”

She breathed out a sigh of relief. “Thank you.”

“First nice thing you’ve said to me.”

“Don’t let it go to your head. Can I come see them?”

“Soon. I’ll get one of our agents to bring you to them.”

“And the Deity? His Sentinels?”

He breathed out a sigh. “That part isn’t such good news.”

“What do you mean? What happened?”

“They’re all dead. They poisoned themselves.”

Six months later

Ágata yawned as she walked in the back door of the small house in Queens. It was actually a pretty nice house. A little cramped with the four of them living here, but she hoped that she and Mama could move out once they had some more money saved.

It would help if Mama could get a job. But Ágata had been working at the local diner, earning as much as she could so they could get their own place. Didn’t have to be fancy or anything. She’d be happy sleeping on the sofa if she had to.

She just wanted a home. A place she could settle down.

Maybe they could even move closer to her friends. She hated being separated from them. But Mama insisted on staying with Adam and Elisabeth for some reason.

Not that Ágata didn’t love them. They’d been wonderful.

But they weren’t her friends.

She glanced at the oven clock. Nearly eight. It had been a short shift at the diner, but she still felt tired. And she had geometry homework.