Chapter 9 #2
I glare at her. Sure, a lot of that is true, but she’s not the one who was kidnapped and held for thirty-six hours.
I was out of it, but I still heard things.
“They were planning on selling me, Kida,” I remind her tightly.
“And the man who says he’s my father told me that I look just like his wife.
That I was a reminder of her and I would finally be useful.
A man who knows about me and knows what I look like isn’t going to say any of that.
” I look back at Sofia and Rori. “Is this whole story true? Or is Kida right and Massimo was just saying shit to get me to cooperate?”
“Everything he told you is true,” Sofia assures me.
“And while, yes, it sounds like some kind of weird movie or book, it’s the first time I’ve ever heard of such an elaborate plan that’s been hidden for so long.
I’ve grown up around this kind of thing my entire year, and I’ve never seen or heard of something like this.
Sure, people have tried to get out of this life for one reason or another, but for two women to sneak out children, right under their husbands and families’ noses is unheard of. ”
“What I don’t understand is if we were snuck out, how did they figure out about us?” I ask. I barely glance at Kida as she finally brings me out the bottle, handing it to me. I bring it to Soren’s mouth and he happily latches on, sucking greedily.
“We’re still figuring that out, but we do know that your mother and aunt both wrote journals that they hid somewhere in their homes,” Rori explains.
“It was actually Massimo’s men that found out about you and the others first and brought it to everyone' s attention, but then things kind of broke apart in your family and in that shuffle they figured out about you and the other girls. So it’s been a bit of a race to find you all before they could take you.
” She gives me a gentle smile. “And this time, we got really lucky.”
“Again, how the hell does stuff like this happen?” Kida grumbles, sitting beside me on the bed.
“My biggest question right now is if Lucy was able to be hidden for so many years, why can’t you do it again?
I mean, give her and Soren new names, do some cosmetic surgery and she and Soren can disappear and live their lives. ”
She has a point.
Sofia shakes her head. “It’s not that simple.
These things never stay quiet. Especially not in a digital world.
When your mother was sneaking you and Sienna out, there was no digital paper trail.
The only paper trail was buried, people bought off to hide you.
Now, nothing is untraceable to the people with the power and money.
Could we hide you for a few years? Possibly.
And with how good my brothers and the Carusos are, they might be able to do it for much longer, but eventually someone is going to talk, someone is going to make a mistake and out who and where you are.
Whether you like it or not, you are the daughter of a mafia don, and that comes with connections and power that men will do anything to have.
Especially ones who want to get back at your father, or even by extension, Nico and our family. ”
“But I don’t know anything about the mafia,” I protest, wincing when Soren makes an angry grunting sound at the loudness of my voice. “So why would they care?” I ask quieter.
“Power,” Rori answers simply. “That’s the one thing men all over the world crave.
Especially those that feel it’s been taken from them, or they’ve just got it and are holding it by the fingertips.
And unfortunately, since the dawn of time, women have always been collateral in that need.
Marriage, servitude, heirs, all of it is something they feel they have the right to use us for.
It’s bullshit, of course, but when you have that many of them, it’s not the easiest to make them see reason. ”
“And the mafia is not part of the current century,” Sofia adds drily.
“Womens’ rights? They pay it no mind. Especially people like your family.
Gia suffered for years, and it’s only now that she’s starting to be herself.
Not saying that Nico is going to be any better in some cases, but Gia grew up in this lifestyle, so she’s not used to anything else.
You, Sienna, and Amara have all had a normal life, so none of this is going to be easy for you to accept or understand, but if you had to land in this life, this is the best possible place for you to be.
It might not feel like it now, but here, you have a voice, you have choices, limited though they may feel at the moment, and you are safe. Your son is safe.”
Does she expect me to fall at her feet and thank her? Sure, she’s right, I’ve now been on both sides of the options in the last forty-eight hours, but that doesn't mean I’m okay with any of it.
“So what is expected of us if we’re staying here?” Kida asks tightly. I don’t miss the choice of her words.
From the quick glance Rori and Sofia share, they don’t miss it either. Well, too damn bad. They can’t expect us to just say, yeah, sure all good when you’re confronted with this.
Neither of them comment on it though. Instead, Sofia says, “Nothing is expected of you. You’re here to keep you all safe.
There are rules to follow, like not going out while the threats are still out there, or without a guard, but other than that, you’ll have free rein of the house and can spend your time doing whatever is most enjoyable.
Amara has her salon downstairs if you’re wanting a bit of a touch up, Nico has an indoor pool, there’s a couple of libraries, and a few other spaces like a theatre and even a gaming room. ”
“They have a gaming room in this place?” Rori demands, staring at her wide-eyed. “Why the hell haven’t you shown me?”
Sofia rolls her eyes. “We’ve been a bit busy but I’ll take you tomorrow.
Anyway, the only wing that’s off limits is Nico and Gia’s, and that’s because Nico’s a surly bastard and protective of his privacy with his wife.
” She smirks. “And he really doesn’t like to be interrupted when they’re getting busy or if she kicks him out of the room. ”
Rori snickers. “Yeah, I thought he was going to blow a gasket earlier.” She looks back at me.
“Look, this is a lot. Why don’t you take the rest of the night to rest and not worry about any of this?
Focus on getting your son to sleep and catching up on some of your own.
You’re safe here, no one will harm you, and there will be guards at the door for the night to make sure no one bothers you. ”
“You mean to keep us in,” Kida states coldly.
“No, you’re free to wander around the house if you like,” Sofia answers calmly, holding her stare.
“But some of the men around here are nosey gossips and they’re going to want to come in and meet you.
The only one that would come in is Massimo to get some things, but he’s a good man and won’t bother you other than to check on you and leave. ”
“If you want I can leave Hades here as well to watch over you if that will make you feel better,” Rori offers.
Sofia snickers softly. “The minute Alonzo realizes he’s in here, your ass is going to be in so much trouble,” she warns her wickedly.
Rori ignores her, but I see her eyes flash with both anger and anticipation.
I don’t know what’s going on there, but clearly she and Alonzo have something going on between the two of them.
My curiosity is piqued, but not enough to ignore the facts going on around me.
I quickly burp Soren and give him back the bottle which he sucks down greedily.
“I think we’ll be alright. I’ll need some supplies for Soren, though. And you’re sure that Massimo won’t mind us using his room for the night?”
“He’ll be fine,” Sofia assures me. “He’ll bunk with Zeno or Urso. Or, depending on how things go with this one and the one she keeps saying isn’t her man, he might be in with them.” She winks at me. “If you hear screaming or things crashing, don’t worry, they just have some things to work out.”
“Bitch,” Rori gripes, climbing off the bed.
“Come on, Hades.” She looks at me and her expression softens.
“Get some rest, Lucy. Tomorrow is going to be another big day when the other girls realize you’re here and you meet the rest of the crew.
Just know that there isn’t a better group than this one, even the ones that are pains in the ass.
” She gives Sofia a pointed look, and then she and Hades leave.
Sofia grins at me as she climbs off the bed. “I’ll get those supplies for you. And don’t worry about her, she’s facing some hard truths and she’s not happy about it.”
“Sounds to me like everyone is pushing her toward something she doesn’t want,” Kida suggests.
Sofia shrugs. “Perhaps, but time is the thing that will give all the answers. Either way, it’s going to be interesting.
I’ll be back shortly.” She steps forward and smiles down at Soren, who is looking a bit milk drunk as I pull the bottle from his mouth and sit him up to burb him again.
“Don’t give your mama a hard time, darling,” she coos at him.
Then she’s gone, leaving Kida and I alone.
I look at my sister and the two of us wear the same expression. What the hell are we going to do now? And how the hell are we going to get out of here?