Chapter 14
14
AMARA
“You know what you should do, Gia?” Sienna giggles excitedly, sitting cross-legged on the stool she pulled from the corner of the bathroom, next to the chair Gia is sitting on in front of the mirror. “You should do something wild and crazy like rainbow colors. Really give Nico something to freak out over.”
Gia’s eyes widen in shock. “No!” she gasps. “No, I could never do that. I’m not brave enough. I was thinking some highlights or something. Wild colors are definitely more a you thing.”
Sienna purses her lips, staring at her reflection contemplatively. “I could probably rock it, but it sounds like a lot of maintenance.” She looks over at me questioningly.
I nod. “Yes, it’s a lot of work to maintain. Color fades too, so it won’t stay as vibrant if you don’t follow steps exactly.”
“I’m too lazy for that,” Sienna pouts. “I mean, not saying I can’t rock it, and I might do something cool eventually, but I need to think on what color I want.”
“You could always get some wigs, or even clip in extensions,” I suggest. “There are also dyes that wash out after a day or two. There are lots of ways to try out colors without commitment.”
Sienna grins. “Yeah, maybe I’ll try that. Do some role playing with Alessio to spice things up.” She winks saucily.
“I don’t think you need to worry about that,” Gia giggles. “The two of you are plenty spicy already. Any spicier and you might burn the place down.”
Sienna laughs wickedly, but doesn’t deny it.
It’s funny to watch them interact. You’d think that they’ve been sisters, and close ones at that, all their lives. I’d never have guessed that they only just met a few short weeks ago, neither knowing the other existed. Both of them are completely relaxed, open, and comfortable to tease and joke. Maybe there’s a sisterly connection that just always exists, no matter the circumstances.
When they originally brought me up here, I was sure they were going to start grilling me, wanting to know every little piece of my life, but so far, they haven’t asked me a single question, other than ones about my hair, a couple superficial questions about my favorite products to use, and one small question about my middle name. I feel like I’m on edge, just waiting for their masks to drop and their true natures to emerge. For them to show me they’re just like the women back home, not wanting another woman in their ‘territory’, stepping on their toes.
The bathroom we’re in is huge, complete with a giant walk-in shower, and a clawfoot tub nestled between ornate windows. This bathroom is opulent like mine, though on an even grander scale. Hell, when Gia and Sienna led me into the bedroom, I gasped out loud. That room is cavernous, boasting a huge bed, a sitting area, and a set of stairs that lead up to a second level that Gia mentioned is a library.
It also has a walk-in closet with more square footage than my entire salon, complete with an island in the middle full of who knows what. The racks are empty, so I don’t think this room is being used, but damn, it’s something.
“It’s a lot, I know,” Gia says then, pulling me back from my thoughts. She’s looking up at me with a knowing smile. “Trust me, the first time I saw it, I was shocked too. I had an apartment and I thought it was super nice, but this is something else.”
“I’ve…I’ve just never been in a place like this before,” I admit, not wanting to offend her. No need to piss off the lady of the house.
Sienna snorts. “None of us have before now, trust me. Though, if you like this, you’ll love the Caruso castle in Sicily. It’s freaking huge, like something out of a fairytale. This place reminds me more of the villain’s lair.” She laughs when Gia gives her a playful shove. “What? You know it’s true.”
“I like my house,” Gia sniffs, though she never loses her smile. “But you’re right, the castle is gorgeous.” Then she looks back at me. “It can be a lot to take in, but don’t worry, it’ll get easier after a few days.”
“You’re probably going to want a map to find your way around,” Sienna adds. “I know I still need one.”
“You’d need a map even if you were trapped in a box with only one door,” Rori laughs as she walks into the bathroom, Hades at her side. When he sees me and the others, he rushes forward, quickly making the rounds to us all for attention.
“I’m not that bad!” Sienna argues, glaring at her. “You get lost in a giant maze one time and you never hear the end of it.”
“If you mean the maze when we were in college, where we had to send in a search party to find you, yeah pretty much,” Rori sneers. Sienna flips her off. Rori ignores her and then turns her attention to me, smiling. “How are you, doll? You all look like you’re getting along well up here.”
“What did you expect to happen?” Sienna demands with a scowl. “That we were going to torture her?”
“If she had to sit and listen to you explain color theory like you did to me that one time, then pretty much,” Rori shoots back.
The two of them start to toss insults back and forth, and with each one, my eyes get comically wider and wider. Are these two friends or not? The way they’re talking makes it seem like they may very well be enemies, but they’ve clearly known each other a long time.
“Yeah, that’s about what I feel when the two of them get going,” Gia whispers, moving to stand next to me. “I just stay out of the way in case they start throwing punches.”
I blink at her. “They hit each other?”
Gia nods. “Well, to be fair, Sienna punched Rori in the nose once when she found out Rori had snuck onto the grounds. That was just before Alonzo left to come and get you and Lazaro, so it’s only been a few days. Sienna told me that they spar and stuff a lot, so that’s when they get their licks in.”
I’ve never heard of such a thing, but I guess it kind of makes sense as we watch them. “I’ve never been around people like everyone here,” I admit. “It’s going to take some time, I think, before I get used to it.”
“I don’t think anyone can get used to a lot of the dynamics around here. But just know that the group of us girls, and Sofia, we’re solid and we stick together. You’re part of that now, so if you need one of us, you’ll have someone in your corner no matter what.”
That surprises me. “Why would you do that? You don’t know me.”
“Because you’re family,” Gia says simply. “Our cousin.”
“But that doesn’t mean anything,” I argue with a shake of my head. “Family doesn’t always mean trust. Just because we’re family doesn’t mean you have to like me, or that I like you. Though I do,” I rush to add when Gia’s face falls. Damn it. I’m not trying to hurt her feelings. “I do like you, Gia, but this, this is a lot, and just because we share a blood relation doesn’t mean that everything will be great and easy, like it is with you and Sienna.”
“It can be if you give us a chance,” Sienna suddenly says, turning to look at me with a serious expression. “I know saying that isn’t easy, especially considering the circumstances, but you deciding that you can’t like us is your own choice.”
I stiffen at her words. Rori eyes us curiously, but doesn’t say anything. Not that I really expect her to, I guess. “I’ve barely known you for what, an hour?” I remind her tightly. “What? Are all my problems solved, now that I’m stuck with a bunch of strangers who act like everything will be fine? Well, it’s not fine. None of this is fucking fine . Not one single part of my life has been fine . And just when I’m about to start building something for myself, it’s ripped away from me, like most things in my life, and I’m supposed to suck it up and be happy about it?”
“No, you’re not,” Sienna returns, her voice even but direct. I can see the worry on Gia’s face out of the corner of my eye, though I’m not sure if that’s because of the tension or because I’ve offended her. “And you know what, I would be a fucking hypocrite if I didn’t say that I understand. I ran for weeks. I fought Alessio tooth and nail before he finally brought me back to their family home in Sicily, and finally here. None of this situation is anything short of fucked up, but there is one thing that I’ve figured out. We have a choice about how we deal with it. I chose to put my relationships with my sister and Alessio ahead of my own reservations, because my parents taught me how important family is, no matter what that family might look like. And you are our family.”
“I’m sure your adoptive parents said the same thing, right?” Gia asks softly.
Well, that answers the question of if they know my background. I give them both a brittle smile. “No, actually, they didn’t because I’ve never had one,” I inform them, stepping away, letting the motion speak for itself. “I was raised in the foster care system, and I was abused through the majority of it. So you’ll have to excuse me if I’m not all that certain about what I’m doing right now, because this whole ‘unconditional family’ concept is new to me.”
The tension in the room is thick, and I see horror in Gia’s eyes, while Sienna looks stunned. I glance at Rori, who doesn’t look surprised at all, and she gives me an encouraging smile. “Welp, you stuck your foot in your mouth once again, didn’t you ’enna?” she tsks. Sienna winces. “How about we take it down a notch and focus on a couple of things before we turn this whole mess into something that will have Lazaro, Alessio, and Nico all charging in here to find out why you’re either fighting or crying? Because that seems to be where we’re heading.”
“I’m so sorry, Amara,” Gia whispers sadly. “I didn’t know. The men have kept that information from us. We figured that, like Sienna, you were adopted out with a loving family and just upset to be yanked away.”
“People have been making assumptions about me my entire life. I’m used to it.” My voice is bitter, but I keep my expression empty. I don’t need to give them any ammunition against me.
I’ve never fit in with women, and it looks like this isn’t going to be any different.
“You’re right, we shouldn’t have assumed.” Sienna sighs, her shoulders slumping. “I’m sorry, Amara. Sometimes I can’t see the darker parts of the world until I’m confronted with them. And you’re right, I have gotten along easier with Gia, but that is probably because we’ve spent so much time together and I like to make friends. I forget that not everyone is ready for that, and clearly, you’re not at that point yet. I want us to be friends, and I really do think that we can get there sooner than later, but if you’re not ready, we can tone it down.” Gia bobs her head quickly in agreement.
Well, now I feel like a bitch. Shit. Parts of me still want to keep the space between us, but the other parts, the ones that have been buried so deep inside me, are craving the connection; craving finally having some kind of family in my life, even if we’re completely different.
“I’m sorry, I’m not trying to cause problems,” I finally say stiffly. “I just…this whole situation is overwhelming.”
“Of course it is,” Rori agrees briskly. “I mean, an hour ago you were meeting everyone downstairs, and before that you had to deal with your man being all growly and overprotective. That’s a lot for one day, not to mention running from those fuckers in Arizona. I’d say you’ve earned yourself a bit of a break and some time to get yourself oriented.”
“Wait, what?” Sienna asks, eyes widening. “You were running from someone in Arizona? Who?”
“Girl, we need to work on your spying skills,” Rori huffs. Sienna glares at her. “Amara, you better tell them, or they’re just going to annoy you with questions.”
I hesitate, but finally recount the entire story of the last couple of days. Their eyes widen comically, but neither of them interrupt. Finally, when I finish, Sienna breathes, “Holy shit. That is so cool. Well, not the being chased part, but the underground bunker and stuff. And you found all that on your own?”
I shrug. “I like solving puzzles, and I’m pretty good at it. When I was little, one of my first foster homes that I can remember was a family that was big on puzzles for their kids, and then by extension, me. They would give us different kinds to do, and if we excelled at one, they would give us another one that was slightly harder. I got pretty good at them before I was moved to the next home.”
“Why were you moved?” Gia asks.
I pause, trying to think back. God, it’s been so long since I’ve really thought about my earlier homes. “Ah, I think they were moving,” I finally reply. “I’m pretty sure the father got a new job and it was taking them to a new state. That meant I couldn’t go with them unless they adopted me, and they didn’t want to.”
“That must have been so hard,” Gia cries sympathetically. “How could they do that? Just leave you behind? No other explanation?”
“That’s the way of the world in the foster system,” I tell her matter-of-factly. “They weren’t the first or last home I was in, and after awhile, you learn to expect it. Sure, I was sad, but eventually, you just forget. As a kid, school and other kids quickly take over some of that sadness.”
“But they did give you the ability to learn puzzles and work on problems, right, so that’s something,” Sienna reminds me. “So they left their mark on you. And they treated you okay?”
“I don’t remember them being terrible, but I don’t remember much from that age, in general. I do know that the house after that wasn’t like them. I had to stay quiet and out of the way, and there was no eating unless it was at meal time. So, no snacks, and if you tried to sneak food, you were locked in a closet for awhile.” That was one of my first experiences with being afraid of the dark, but I don’t share that detail. I’m definitely not letting that weakness slip.
Gia gasps, and Sienna’s mouth hardens. “That’s terrible,” Gia whispers. “I’m sorry you had to go through that.”
“I got used to it. The majority of the homes I was in, I was either abused, or only there so they could get a paycheck.”
Gia shakes her head sadly, while Sienna regards me carefully. I can see the wheels in her head turning, and I also can see the questions in her eyes. She wants to know how far that abuse went, but I’m not about to share that with her. With any of them. I told Lazaro, and that’s as far as that information is going. Thankfully, Sienna doesn’t ask those questions, and instead asks, “So after you aged out, you went to school to become a hairstylist?”
“Yes. I’ve always been good with hair, and I taught myself a lot when I was in the last home. I helped a couple of the other girls in the home with their hair, and I thought it’d be fun to do for a job, so I worked and went to school. I finally saved up for my own salon, and opened it a few months ago.” I sigh, my shoulders slumping. “But I guess that’s over now. I can’t go back there, so when this is all over, I’ll have to figure out how to start again in a new city.”
Sienna and Gia share a look, but I can’t decipher it. “We’ll help you however we can,” Gia promises firmly. “But in the meantime, I’d love it if you would help me with mine, and I’m sure there are other people in the house that would love to have theirs cut and stuff, too.”
“We could open you up a little spot right here in the house!” Sienna beams excitedly. “There has to be a perfect room in this gigantic place, right?” She looks at Gia expectantly.
“I’m sure there is,” Gia agrees with a grin. “Hell, we can build one if we have to. You heard Nico, I can do whatever the hell I want. And if it means he doesn’t have to leave to get his hair done, even better. Not that it really needs much done to it, but I think it’s starting to get long in the back.”
Somehow, I can’t see the scary Don allowing me anywhere near his head, let alone with scissors, but I’ll let her have that thought for now.
“I don’t know if your husband will be too keen for me to set up a salon in his house, Gia,” I warn her. “I mean, if they’re getting their hair cut, that would mean they’re not working, right?”
Gia waves that away. “Everyone is entitled to a break, and it’s not like we’ll be ordering them to have a haircut. And if there’s a lot of people, then we set up appointments for them, just like a regular salon.”
“I’m about ready for my hair to be touched up, so that will save me from trying to find a new stylist here,” Rori agrees with a smile. “And you were worried about not having anything to do. I think this solves that problem, right?”
“I guess, but I don’t have any tools here to do hair.” Or the money to buy the supplies, but I don’t mention that. Maybe Lazaro will let me borrow some money and I can pay him back. Or maybe I can figure out a way to sell the clothes he got me. Surely all those clothes will be worth something. The fun part will be getting out of here to meet someone.
“We’ll send someone out to get some. All you have to do is make a list,” Gia assures me. “Let me get a pen and paper and we can get started.” She hustles out of the bathroom, a pep in her step.
Sienna looks at me, her gaze intense. “If you don’t want to do any of this, Amara, you don’t have to. You’re free to tell us to fuck off.”
“I don’t want to be bored,” I admit. “If I can at least do something like hair, that might make me feel less useless.”
“You’re not useless,” Sienna says firmly. “And we don’t want you to be bored either, because right now, we’re stuck here. I’d love to say that you’re going to see Lazaro or any of the other men, but they’re all going to be busy with all the shit going down outside the walls, so that leaves us women to find stuff to do on our own. And short of convincing Gia to start redecorating this whole place, we’re running out of ideas.”
“I kind of like the house,” I admit.
Sienna blinks, then rolls her eyes. “You’re a hairstylist, doesn’t that mean you’re supposed to like color?” she asks me jokingly.
I shrug. “I do, but sometimes spaces call for dark tones, and too much color will just throw it off.”
“If you say so,” Sienna huffs. “I really hope when we find the other two girls, they’re on my side of the color wheel. I mean, you, Gia, and Rori all are on that side, while I’m over here by my lonesome. I’m not quite sure where Sofia sits, though, so maybe she’s on my side.”
“Where is Sofia anyway? I haven’t seen her since we got back,” Rori points out.
“She’s running the house,” Gia answers as she rushes back in, a notebook and pen in hand. “She was pretty pissed at Massimo and Zeno for making a mess of one of the gym spaces where they were sparring. Some things got broken, and then they made a mess of the showers or something, and I think she read them the riot act for like an hour.”
Sienna grins. “Yeah, that sounds like her. We’ll have to pull her away from all of that soon so she can get some peace.”
Gia snorts. “When her family is here, I doubt that’s possible. Especially not with them wanting to kill Dante every time they see him.”
“She’s Lazaro’s sister, right?” I ask. “She’s the one that Lazaro said is dating Nico’s guy?”
Gia and Sienna nod, both of them grinning. “And she doesn’t give a damn about their opinions on that particular subject,” Sienna explains. “I think you’ll like her. She can be a bit forceful when she needs to be, but I have a feeling that’s a family trait.”
An image of Lazaro with steely determination in his eyes comes to mind. Yeah, I can definitely see that, if she’s anything like him. Though, the prospect of meeting his sister is a whole other hurdle I’m not sure I’m ready for. It’s one thing meeting the women of my family, and another meeting his.
“Don’t worry, Sofia is wonderful and she’ll love you,” Gia assures me with a warm smile. “But since I’m sure you’re not ready for all of that, how about we make a list of what you need so I can send someone out to get it. And be as specific as possible so they get exactly what you want.” She holds out the notebook and pen.
I hesitate. “I don’t want to put anyone out.”
Gia shakes her head. “You’re not putting anyone out, Amara, I promise. So start writing. I can’t wait to see what you can do with all of this. I want to knock Nico’s socks off.”
“Just before you start,” Rori interjects with a wicked grin, “any chance you can add some non-permanent hair dye? You know, the kind I could use in a certain someone’s hair that keeps pissing me off?”
I blink at her. “What did he do?” I ask. “No, wait, what did you do to him first that had him yelling at you earlier?”
She laughs outright. “I took apart his gun completely and scattered the parts and ammunition around his bedroom. It was fun, but he clearly doesn’t appreciate my sense of humor.” Then she scowls. “But as for what he did to get back at me, he tied me to the bed, took off my favorite boots, and stuck them up on top of a shelf in his room. I basically had to scale the walls to reach them when I managed to get free.”
I gape at her. “Why didn’t you yell for help?” I demand.
Rori rolls her eyes. “Because that is far from challenging. Who do you think taught this one to get out of any kind of knot?” She jerks her thumb at Sienna. “The annoying part was scaling the wall, but thankfully whoever decorated that room kept some of the furniture together. And I managed not to break or topple anything, so that’s a plus.”
“I’m almost afraid to ask, but did you do anything to get back at him for that?” Sienna asks, though her lips are pulled up into a pleased smile. Evidently, she’s alright with the back and forth between Rori and Alonzo.
Rori gives her a droll look. “What do you think?” Sienna snickers. “But I’m not going to tell you. I’m sure you’ll hear all about it when he finds out what it is.” Her smile pulls into a wicked grin, then she looks back at me. “But I’m sure he’s going to get back at me for that, so I’m just being proactive.”
I can’t help but smile. Okay, so maybe this will be a little fun. “I’ll put something down. I assume you want something that’s going to stand out?”
“I’m thinking pumpkin orange, or bright fiery red. Oh, or bright blue. Anything that’s going to stick out. I want to make sure that everyone sees it.” Rori grins.
“He’s going to kill you, you know,” Sienna warns, though she’s still grinning. “But it’s going to be funny to watch.”
“I look at it like we’re spicing things up a bit around here.” Rori shrugs. “Who needs all the doom of gloom of all your family drama, right? And some of us aren’t getting all sexed up, so we have to get our jollies another way.”
Sienna and Gia exchange a knowing grin. Then Sienna looks back at me and says, “Alright, let’s get going on this list. I want to get this all set up as soon as possible. Oh, and if Alessio pisses me off, I might need some of that dye myself.”
I’m not sure whether to be excited or scared about this whole situation, but as I start to write, I realize that maybe, just maybe, things will be okay.