Don André's House was always buzzing with activity. Usually nefarious activity, but occasionally there was loud parties with exotic dancers and expensive champagne.

At least one person ends up dead at these things. For the culture, you know?

Today is slightly busier, as the kingpin awaits his godfather's arrival.

"Extra security everywhere, and I do mean everywhere, José."

Sitting in his luxurious office, he wonders why the godfather has decided to take him by surprise.

Maybe he's thought over my proposition?

Suddenly, he hears a high pitched scream that could only have come from his daughter.

The heavy double doors were designed in a way that he could hear whatever was going on outside, but nobody could hear what happened inside.

"Get out of my way! I demand to see my father!"

Don André sighs, almost slouching in his seat.

Teenagers

"The Don refuses to have any visitors until after the godfather's visit," Lionel, one of his trusted men says, almost robotically, to the 17 year old. Perez remains silent.

"Bullshit!" Andrea yells, frustrated. "Father, I know you can hear me! Let me in or I'll hurt myself!"

As the daughter of a Don, Andrea knew not to make empty threats. If she said she was going to do something, she would. Nevermind the physical pain she may have to go through.

She got the stubbornness from her mother, that wench

Don André leans over, albeit sluggishly, and speaks into the intercom, "Let her in."

"Yes, boss."

The doors slam open less than a minute later and a Latin teen storms in like a bat from Hell.

"Where the Hell is Chris?" She grits out.

"Good morning to you too, darling," is his response.

"Cut the crap, father! He's been missing four days and I know you never liked him!"

"So you think I made him disappear?"

"I _know_ you did," she narrows her eyes at him.

"I had nothing to do with your boyfriend's death. You can go now," Don André sighs, willing her to disappear. It's seconds later he realizes exactly where he'd gone wrong.

_Oh, ****_

Andrea stares, shell shocked as tears roll down her cheeks. " You really did it... You monster!"

He blinks owlishly, as if asking why she's so surprised.

Whatever she's about to say is lost to him, as he hears the fleet of cars roll into his house.

_He's here_

"Take her to her room. Or take her shopping. Whatever she wants," he instructs Perez.

Carefully, he doesn't meet her eyes as she throws one last filthy glare before stalking off the way she had come.

_There are more important matters to attend to._

André walks slowly and with purpose to the top of the stairwell, scanning the position of his guards. Satisfied, he makes his way downstairs and into the foyer, just as the godfather steps in.

The man, in his late 60's, was rumoured to have a Lazarus pool underneath his home. He had a spring in his step, didn't even look a day over 40.

He was always _happy_, and that irked André. One did not get to be happy in their line of work. How dare he?

Nevertheless, he snaps his fingers and six of his guards moved to flank the godfather. Had to keep up appearances after all.

"Don Antonio!" He says, with a sharp smile, bending to kiss the ring of the godfather.

"Rise, André," the old man says nonchalantly. "Tell me, how is business here in the US?"

"Splendid, godfather. We've managed to monopolize the market on drugs and weapons, and supressed all rival families," André rattles off, pleased at himself. "And back home, father?"

"Oh, Italy is most wonderful, André. We wiped out most of the Martells not so long ago," Don Antonio says with an easy smile.

"Fantastic!" André says, and he means it.

"How is your beautiful daughter?" The old crone asks as they enter the office.

Ah yes, the other reason he loathes the man. He has an unhealthy interest in his daughter. He'll die before he lets him have his way with her.

"She's alright," André says offhandedly. "A bit miffed though. I had the Fed she was dating killed, you see."

"Ah, that is rather unfortunate," Don Antonio frowns, "but you did what had to be done."

André simply smiles. Cold hearted he may be, it's nice to hear that he's not a complete failure as a father.

"Now, to the reason I'm here..."

"Oh, yes, why are you here, father?" André queries, eager.

"I've considered your proposition," Antonio says with a somewhat sly smile.

_There's a catch_

"...and?"

"You want to extend into Africa? No problem. But first, I'll need you to exterminate the last of the Martells there."

"Consider it done!" André says, rather thrilled. "How many countries are we talking?"

Don Antonio strides over to the world map on the wall. "Just one." He places a pin on Nigeria.

"Excellent," André smirks, "the exact country I intended to start with."

Don Antonio laughs, clapping his subordinate on the back. "I knew I could count on you, André!"

"Of course, father, I won't let you down," he assures, beginning to escort the godfather back out.

_I can't believe you came all the way here for that. That's why we have cell phones, old man_

"Remember Andre! There are no brothers in Mafia so Do not **** this up." The older man says, strangely stern as he gets into his rolls Royce.

André merely offers a stiff nod.

As soon as the gates close, he seems to perk up.

"José?"

"Yes, boss?"

"Pack up. Nigeria. 24 hours."

A beat.

"And pack for Andrea too. A little heat and sunshine will be good for her."

_They won't know what hit them_

"Nene, we're here," Onome says softly as he observes the 8 year old reading a storybook through his rearview mirror.

His daughter's eyes meet his and she grins brightly, dimples displayed. "Does that mean I can finally see mummy today?"

His breath catches in his throat. "...no Sugar, but she'll see you." He forces a smile.

"But daddy, why? Why doesn't she want me to see her? Doesn't she love me anymore?" Nene adopts the look of a kicked puppy, tears welling up in her eyes.

"No, no, it's nothing like that, Sugar," Onome rushes to pacify her, then sighs. "You'll understand when you're older, I promise."

Nene scowls, but takes his word for it. "Let's go in," she says quietly.

Father and daughter exited the car and stepped into the church, hand in hand.

It was the 3rd anniversary of his wife's death. She'd lost her fight against cervical cancer. He could still remember the dreadful day like it was yesterday. Her last words, "Always take care of our baby..." replayed in his head all the time.

"I will," he says to himself.

Nene either doesn't hear him or pays him no mind. At this point, he thinks, bemused, she must be used to me randomly talking to myself.

"Guy, na wa for you o! See when you dey show for your wife memorial!" His best friend, Chijioke, scolds him.

A number of family members, friends and well wishers had been waiting for quite some time.

"Make una no vex biko, I took Nene to buy ice cream, naim make," Onome apologizes.

"To think, you were once a SARS commandant," his older brother, Kelechi, mocks him. "Please you guys should take your seats, let the service begin."

"Nene, come, let's sit down before your uncles chew me raw," he says with an awkward smile.

Nene has never liked his family or his friends. It's something that has slipped past him ever since, but now as he watches her eagerly slip into the front row, far from any of them, he begins to wonder why.

The service ends rather quickly, and afterwards Onome exchanges pleasantries with friends and well wishers.

"Nene looks so much like Ihuoma," his elder sister, Barbara, tells him, and then laughs. "I pity whoever will want to marry her sha."

"Not just any guy will come for my Sugar's hand," Onome says offhandedly.

"I trust you na, the world's most overprotective father," she mocks with a smile.

"I promised Ihuoma I'd protect her, and I will. She's all I have left," Onome replies.

Barbara's smile fades, and understanding shines in her eyes. "It will all end in praise."

"I know, I know, everything will be alright in the end."

"That's my boy," she grins. "Well I have to get going now. I'll see you later, alright?"

"Have a safe trip," Onome waves. " And greet George and the kids for me."

"Will do," she smiles cheekily. "Now let me rush home and cook for them before they swear for me."

"Nene!" She yells just as she gets in the car. " I'm going o!"

"Bye, auntie!" Nene waves with a bright smile.

Alright. She likes Barbara.

He stares after her as she leaves in her white Mercedes-Benz, until he feels a huge tap on his shoulder.

"O-boy, how're you holding up?" Chijioke asks.

"I'm fine, guy. What else can I be?"

"Have you told her?" His friend continues, not beating about the bush. "It's been three years. Don't you think she deserves to know what happened to her mother?"

"Guy, she's 8 years old. How do you expect me to break the news?!"

"Wouldn't it be better to know her mum is dead, than to believe she's alive and doesn't want to see her?" Chijioke counters with a raised eyebrow.

"Alright, fine," Onome sighs. "I'll do it."

"Better!" His friend claps him on the back. "I'll be heading back now. The kids are waiting to go and swim."

Onome chuckles. "Okay na. I fit drop by tomorrow sha."

"No shaking, I dey wait you," Chijioke says before he leaves in his Ford.

Onome smiles to himself. They went way back, the two men, from high school, to university, to the police academy.

Honestly, what would I do without him?

He bends down to his daughter's height. "Sugar, it's time to go and see mummy."

"Oh, yay!" She races towards the car. "Do you think she bought me new dolls?"

"We're going to find out now, won't we?" Her father laughs.

"Yippee! I can't wait to see her again!"

Oh Lord, please give me the strength to break this news.

They arrived at the cemetery sooner than expected.

Time sure flies when you're anxious

"Daddy... what are we doing here?" Nene says softly, subdued by the silence of the place.

"Patience, Sugar, patience," he assures her.

Father and daughter strolled through, until they came to a tombstone which read

IHUOMA CHRISTINE AMADI (1980 -2016)

"We're here," he sighs.

"I don't understand," his daughter says bluntly, eyeing the stone.

He squats down in front of her. "Well... Sugar, your mother died three years ago and... I'm afraid we may never actually see her again."

"But... mummy was a good person, right?"

"Oh yes, mummy was the sweetest person I ever met."

"They taught us in Sunday school that if a person is good, they'll go to Heaven when they die. And if we're good, we'll can meet them when we die. So don't be sad, daddy, we'll see her again," Nene says with a bright smile.

He smirks. "Okay, Sugar, I promise to stop being sad." He pauses. "Now who wants pizza?"

"Last one to the car is a rotten egg!" She yells and darts for the car.

"Oh you're on!" He yells back as he watches her scurry away.

Onome turns to his wife's tombstone. "She's growing up."

"Promise you'll protect her…"

I will. Always.

"Isn't Port Harcourt simply amazing, dear?" Don André asks his daughter with a wicked grin. That roughly translated to ' _I don't give two fucks what you think_ '.

Right now, father and daughter - and two bodyguards, of course - had just left the  airport and were in a sleek black Mercedes Benz; one Lionel had arranged for.

"You didn't have to bring me here, father," is Andrea's frosty reply. "I can survive very well on my own in the US."

"Oh, I know, darling. But what would I tell your dear sister if she asked?"

"Elena's here?" Her frigid mask lifts briefly, replaced by surprise.

"Of course Elena's here," he rolls his eyes. "Do you really think I would show up here, out of the blue, without securing local help?"

"You're using her husband," Andrea says, scrutinizing the heartless being before her.

It wasn't a question, but her father smirks in response anyway.

She scowls, turning her attention to the tinted windows. ' _This place sure has changed since Elena's marriage ceremony. But then again, seven years is a long time._ '

Don André observes his daughter, knowing full well she hasn't forgiven him for getting rid of her boyfriend.

"...Andrea," he starts slowly. "I never meant to..."

A fire in her eyes, the 17 year old lashes out. "You didn't mean to do what exactly? Hurt me? What were you expecting when you killed the love of my life?!"

André is sorely tempted to roll his eyes again, but he resists. "First, I didn't kill him. I have people for that." He lifts a finger, ignoring her protests. "And second, you don't know the full story so at least hear me out."

"Hear you out? HEAR YOU OUT?! I DO NOT WANT TO HEAR YOU OUT! I HATE THAT I'M RELATED TO YOU AT ALL AND I DO NOT WANT TO BE IN THIS GODFORSAKEN CAR! DRIVER, PULL THE **** OVER!"

The driver, Timini, a family man with three daughters and a son, simply gives Andrea a sympathetic look. He values his life, after all.

"I said stop the fucking car!" She screams. Desperate and frustrated, she begins to fumble with the door.

Smack!

Silence.

"Chris was FBI, by the way," her father says, calm and unbothered.

With a hateful glare, she spits at his feet. "You'll say anything to justify yourself, you monster."

But secretly, in her heart of hearts, she wonders if he really was in the FBI, and if he'd only gotten close to her for information. The thought makes her sick.

"We're here, sir," Timini announces as they pull into a large golden gate.

"Is everything ready, Perez?" Don André questions the man who sat shotgun throughout the journey. Said man had been making phone calls ever since.

"All is in order, boss. Also, Elena is here to receive us."

"Perfect. It's time for business."

Minutes later, he steps out of the car, at last getting a chance to observe the compound of his in-law, chief Tonubari Deekae.

Elena stands beside her husband on the foyer, waiting.

"Your father has a very intimidating presence. Perhaps it's because this is the first time I'm meeting him?" Chief Deekae whispers to her.

She snorts out a laugh. "Trust me, dear, you don't even know the half of it." She straightens almost imperceptibly as her father approaches.

Flanked by Lionel and Perez, Don André gives a signal for Timini to escort Andrea out.

"Welcome, father," Elena kneels gently to kiss her father's ring and subtly signals her husband to do the same.

"Greetings, kingpin," Chief Deekae kisses the ring as well.

"Rise, " André says, almost sounding bored. The couple gets to their feet.

"Decay," everyone winces at his intentionally butchered prononciation of the name. "I must say, this is a really nice place you've got here."

André has to admit, although grudgingly, that this... palace is almost on par with his mansion. Almost, though.

Two acres of land protected by a solid 10 inch fence and a majestic golden gate, Chief Deekae's compound is nothing to sneeze at. Perfectly manicured lawns, a large water fountain, professionally managed topiaries and statues - there was even one of Elena. How sweet - and a four story palace painted in white and gold were just some of the things that made it exquisite.

"Thank you, sir," the chief says with a stiff smile. "This is all possible because of you."

"Well, of course it is. I'm pleased to see you're not the same lonely, frustrated man my daughter used to talk my ear off about. You've used my money well, Decay."

More wincing.

But Don André wasn't quite finished. "Ascending from Local government chairman to minister of transport? What a feat! Good job, young man."

"Thank you, kingpin." Another forced smile. "Might I suggest we go inside and discuss?"

"Of course, of course, lead the way."

He side eyes Elena. "I believe you and your sister have some catching up to do?"

"Yes, father."

"Good. I'll see you in thirty minutes."

He is flanked by Lionel and Perez once more as he walks in behind chief Deekae.

Elena then frowns. She's long since given up on her father letting her have a say in the family, but sometimes, just sometimes.

She shakes her head and spots her sister sitting by the fountain.

"Hey".

Andrea's response is a huge grin and a hug. ' I missed you! I missed you! I missed you!' she cries.

"I missed you" Elena returns the hug then pulls back. ' look at you! Seven months and you're all grown up!".

Her sister wrinkles her nose. "your sense of humor is horrible. Seven months? Really?".

"Anyway how've you been? and how are the twins?"

" I've survived, at least. The last few months have been hectic because of the preparations for father. And the twins are just fine. They're at school and they'll be staying with deekae's mother for now". She finishes with a nervous smile.

"And how about you? And how's that boyfriend of yours? Chris?".

Andrea recoils as if she's been slapped.

" what's wrong? Are you no longer together?" Elena asks, worried. Her sister was the type to have changed boyfriends like she changed shoes, but chris had lasted two years. That had to count for something.

"He's dead". Andrea wails, latching unto her sister once more. " that monster you call a father killed him".

"Oh dear" Elena breathes out. "I'm so sorry dearest. There, there. Let it all out".