From the moment I stepped out of the taxi, a half mile away from the forest leading to my house, my stomach filled with dread at the thought of seeing my siblings again.

They probably hate me, especially knowing only what Dad told them. For them, they just woke up and found out I was missing. No note, or letter, or anything. I should have just stayed in America, it would have been easier for everyone that way.

No, someone is trying to kill my brothers and I may be the only one who knows.

I walked through the trees rather than on the road so that every car passing by didn't see me.  I didn't want everyone seeing me, a boy who is supposed to be dead, walking around. I am trying to blend in with the crowd, so I wore a black suit designed specially with secret pockets inside the jacket and sleeves for two throwing knives and one gun. I am also wearing a black fedora hat perfect for covering my green eyes.

At the gate, guards were body searching and checking in the guests. I wait for a group of 7 black cars to pull up and blend myself in with all the guests getting out of the cars.

"Sir, may I see your invitation," says one of the guards. Are you kidding me?! Of course, dad didn't give me an invitation. He's still trying to keep me on my toes.

"Tsk," I mumble under my breath. My eyes scan around under the hat, checking to make sure all the other guards are busy with the other guests.

"Look here," I say, raising my head slightly so he can see my family's green eyes while holding a knife an inch from his stomach.

"Your-"

"Alive," I cut him off in a monotone voice not even having to guess what he was trying to say. "Yes, and if you say even a single word, I will shove this knife right through your throat," I threaten. "After all, that is what us assassins like to do."

It doesn't matter that I haven't killed anyone in 6 years. In the mafia, that fear equals power and I intend to use it as long as I can.

I ignore the guard's wide eyes and walk past him into the crowd of people here for the funeral.

For the funeral, giant white tents and chairs were set up. The chairs were in rows of 10 on both sides leaving a small gap in between acting as an aisle.

"God, what the hell is wrong with my brother. Having a giant party wouldn't bring him back to life," my aunt sneers. Behind her, walking through the gate were my cousins and uncle. I was standing at one of those tall tables a few feet from them.

"He always did like to throw big parties," my uncle says, holding his wife close to his chest.

"Why don't you two go find your cousins, I'm sure this isn't easy for them," my aunt says, turning around to her two sons, Louis and Pierre. Louis was one year older than me and Pierre was Alexandre's age.

Louis used to be an inch taller than me but scrawnier, giving us an even playing field whenever we got into fights. Now he was the same height as me, but had a heavier build. Pierre on the other hand had a slightly less build then Louis, but was 6 inches taller leaving him at 6 '5.

"Ok," they both say, walking away from their parents, taking the girls' eyes with them.

My aunt and uncle continue walking to the seats and find four in the front row.

"Did you hear? The new don doesn't have an heir yet." Two young women in modest black dresses and hats gossip to the right of me.

"Some say he is still messing around in bed with different women."

I internally laugh at that one. Lucien would never do that, he walks around anything mafia related with a stick up his ass. He also says that one night stands are annoying and the woman always tries to take more after it, thinking she is someone special after hooking up with a millionaire.

"I hear he was showing off a girl at one of the latest parties."

Now that piqued my interest? Dad gave me month to month run downs of my brothers' lives, but he never said anything about my brother's girlfriend. Anyone else and I could say they forgot, but dad never forgot anything. Or else we would all be in prison.

I walk up to the two women while putting on my American persona, as I called it. It was going to be harder for them to open up to me because they couldn't see my eyes, so I had to show them that I was not a threat to them and they could easily take me down.

"Hello, I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but I overheard you talking about the future don's girlfriend." I give them a bright smile.

"What's it to you," one of the women asks, dropping the smile she was giving her friend.

"Oh, I'm sorry," I say, biting my lip. God, I am so happy to be wearing this hat. If any of my brothers saw this, they would bully me about it forever. "I just wanted to learn more about the new don."

"That's ok," the other girl says with a slight blush on her cheeks. "We don't know much, but it seems that she is an innocent (what we call people who are not involved in the underground). Honestly, I don't know why he would date someone like that, especially after losing his brother. People are going to eat that girl up."

"How did you learn of the girl in the first place?" I question, they didn't act or look like they were close to any of the division heads to be invited to those parties.

"Oh so now you don't trust the information we gave you, god you mafia men are all the same," the first woman says defensively. This girl just further proved my point, she's scared. She's trying to keep her walls up so she can protect herself from the other people here. She isn't used to this type of environment.

"April, please," the second woman says, turning to send a message to the first girl, April, through her eyes.

"Oh, come on Megs you don't seriously..." God I hope not. I just wanted some information, not a girl.

"I didn't mean to create tension," I start, trying to leave the scene, but Megs, as her friend said, locked me in place with her eyes.

"You're fine, it was the former don's sister who told everyone after the party." Meg says, staring at my face trying to find my eyes from under the hat. "So, um you're kind of cute. May I get your number."

Bloody hell, I scream internally while keeping a smile on my face.

"Of course," I reply, slowly reaching for my phone hoping something will distract her.

"May I have your attention. Would everyone please make their way to the seats located in the back."

Perfect. I look over at Meg. "I have to go find my seat, but I'll find you later." I give the woman one last smile and turn to leave.

"Ok, my name is Megan. See you later." She says before following her friend.

I walk over to the chairs and find a corner seat in the back to sit down on. A lot of people were already seated in that area so I blended right in with the crowd.

The seats were facing a stage with four chairs next to the podium and the coffin. My dad's coffin.

Just then, four tall figures walk through one of the side flaps of the tent onto the stage in a line. What do they think this is, primary school?

They were all wearing the same black suits, but each one stood out to me. My four brothers. They decided to walk in from oldest to youngest starting with Lucien and ending with Mylan.

The four sit in the order they walked in, besides Lucien who immediately goes up to the podium.

"Hello family and friends, I want to thank you in place of my father for coming here today and let you all know that this isn't the end of this mafia, but a new start. He was a great father, husband, brother, friend, and boss..."

It is at that when I start to zone out, my eyes drifting over to the man in the coffin. I couldn't see very well because of my seat, but I could still see his now older appearance. His hair was now mostly gray and a few wrinkles covered his forehead and the corners of his eyes.

"In that car accident..."

A car accident?! What sort of sick humor was this? My dad could dodge bullets, and stab wounds, but it was a car that put him down. God, that killer wanted to make my dad look like a fool. Where was his security? Were they paid off? Maybe one it was one of the guards, and they told them to not follow him; but that doesn't sound right?

I look back through the people to were my dad rested. All the color from his face was gone and he looked more pale and sickly then I had ever seen. I continued to look till my vision got blurry. What the? I try blinking, but my vision only gets worse. Tears balance in my eyes, inches away from falling.

I try to focus on finding the killer, but I failed, something my dad would have had my head for. But for the moment, I ignored that. All I could think about was how my final connection to my previous life in France was now gone. He was all I had left. My brothers thought I ran away and my best... I was as good as dead to them.

Tears rolled down my face into my lap in heaps and no amount of anger could stop them. I barely could remember what he looked like, but now, all I could see was him lying dead in front of me in that stupid suit. I silently sob behind my hat till my eyes are no longer green, but red.

"Even though my father and youngest brother may not be around, this family has tighter bonds that any other mafia can even think of touching. We will fight through this together for as long as we live," Lucien says ending his speech looking the same he did when he walked on. The only sign that showed their sadness was Mylan trying to grab his twin's hand. Of course though, Matheo still hated showing weakness in front of others so he slapped Mylan's hand away from his behind the chair. Dad always taught us to never show weakness in front of others. Only I had failed at that.

Everyone stood up preparing to leave and go to the second party tonight which was a party to celebrate the new don. Yes, I know a party right after a funeral, depressing. Or at least my brothers and I thought.

At the funeral for our grandfather, my brother and I boycotted the party after and told dad that he can't have a party after a funeral. Well more like Lucien and Alexandre boycotted, the twins and I were only 11 and 9 so we just followed them. Dad told us how it was a 1,000 year long tradition and they had to continue it to bring good fortune to the mafia, but Lucien and Alexandre didn't listen and we stayed in and watched horror movies instead.

Now the party I hated so much was going to work perfectly in my favor. Of course, Lucien can't destroy a life-long tradition. Some of the members would throw a rebellion at that and he didn't need that as soon as he came into power. So during this party I am going to sneak into my dad's former office and find out what he figured out on his computer.

"Attention please," Lucien says. Oh god. "I have decided, with the help of my brothers, that the celebration party will take place in two days giving you time to relax after today."

Are you fucking kidding me?! Fricking revolutionist! Of course Lucien would be the one to change a 1,000 year long tradition.

"Hey you can't do that! This party is a tradition!" Screams a man a couple of rows in front of me. This makes me lower my head even more.

"Why not, as of today I am your new boss so choose your next words wisely," Lucien says calmly, as if talking to a fly on the wall. His dark green eyes pin the man down in his seat like a predator stalking his next prey. Besides dad and I, only Lucien received dad's eyes out of my brothers. All of my other brothers got mom's navy blue eyes.

"N-nothing sir, that is a great idea sir," the man stutters.

"Good, you may all leave now," Lucien nods to the guards who kindly guide us all out.

I guess I have to come back tonight. What a waste of time.

AN: Hey everyone, I know this chapter was slightly longer and a bit over the place; but I hope I was able to convey Cameron's emotions on his father's death. That was all, thank you so much for reading. :)