Chapter 46
LUCY
Kida and I stare at each other, neither of us willing to give in first. Her hands are on her hips, my arms are crossed, and I hear the snickers around us.
We’re all in Gia’s old suite, while the men are off doing who knows what.
Massimo left early this morning, but not before kissing and teasing the shit out of me to the point where I was a shivering, needy mess. I’m still salty about it.
He dared to tell me that he’d see me later and if I was a good girl he’d help me get off. All before he walked out, whistling and completely pleased with himself.
So Kida is getting the brunt of my irritation, all while strolling in and looking far too pleased and relaxed. The same kind of relaxed I felt this morning. Guess I don’t need to guess what happened with her and Zeno last night, even if she was pissed.
Neither of us have said a word to the other, which the other ladies think is hilarious. “Ten bucks says Kida breaks first,” Sienna snickers. “Lucy’s a mama now, and they just have that natural ability to be stubborn as shit.”
“Hmmm, I don’t know. One cry from Soren right now and Lucy will break,” Sofia disagrees. “Amara? Your thoughts?”
“Oh Kida will break first all the way,” Amara agrees with a laugh.
“I don’t know, Kida looks like she’s ready to throw hands,” Gia snickers.
I already know Kida is going to break first. Her lips start to twitch, and her fingers tap on her hips. Finally, she throws her hands up and exclaims, “Alright, fine, I’m a hypocrite and I’m not even sorry about it.”
“Pay up,” Sienna exclaims with a laugh.
“So, you and Zeno, huh?” I ask, ignoring the others.
Kida gives me a sheepish smile. “It just kinda…happened. I don’t know.
One minute we were arguing, then he shoved me against the wall and kissed the shit out of me.
I thought it was a fluke, but then last night, well, he told me in no uncertain terms that he’s realized that we fit and I just need to get on board.
” She flushes and squirms slightly. “And he may or may not have said something about helping me out with my smart mouth and attitude.”
“These guys are so fucking bossy and kinky,” Amara laughs delightedly.
“And he’s what you want?” I ask her. Because as much as I’m starting to like being around all the men and women here, it’s still not at all what Kida or I ever planned. Hell, just a couple days ago we were planning on running the hell out of here at the first chance.
Kida shrugs. “I mean, I don’t know if it’s going to go anywhere, but right now, I’m good with it. And you’re good with Massimo, clearly.”
“Yes we’re good. Better than, actually.”
We grin at each other and then start laughing. “Bitch,” Kida chides without any heat, hugging me tight.
“You gave me shit about not falling for Massimo, I’m not about to let you get away with it that easy,” I tease, hugging her back. As much as the two of us like to joke and fight sometimes, I only want her happy. And if she wants to be with Zeno, then I’m not going to stand in her way.
But if he hurts her, I’ll make him wish I sent Massimo after him because I don’t play when it comes to her or anyone I care about.
“So, what, that just leaves Urso as the only one not paired up with someone, right?” Sienna muses.
“Though if things track, he’ll end up with Amara’s sister when we find her eventually.
And I can say that Rori and Alonzo are a thing since she’s not here.
No matter how many times she fights and argues about it. ”
“Where is she?” I ask curiously.
Sienna snickers. “Avoiding Alonzo. She said that she wanted to work on some training with Hades, and then she was going to get a few things done that she’s been neglecting. She kept shifting, like she was sure that Alonzo was going to walk into her room any minute and I finally left her be.”
“Why don’t they just admit that they want each other?” I ask curiously.
Sienna rolls her eyes. “Because they’re both too stubborn for their own good.
Honestly, Rori was after him hot and heavy when they first met, and he was the one avoiding her, but somewhere along the way it switched.
” She hesitates but finally admits, “I think they slept together and now she’s regretting it.
And if that is what happened, I’m almost hoping that she walks out of here when this is all over and never gives him a second look,” Sienna mutters, scowling.
“It’d be his own fault if it happens,” Sofia shrugs. “Honestly, I’m surprised half of you are giving any of them the time of the day. Well, other than Massimo.” She winks at me. “He’s one of the few of them that doesn’t piss me off on a regular basis.”
“He is pretty great,” I say with a smile.
“Wasn’t it Massimo that you were promised to in the original marriage contract Pietro and Aurelio tried to cook up?” Sienna asks.
I freeze. Wait, what? Sofia and Massimo were engaged? Beside me, Kida stiffens.
Sofia glares at Sienna, who winces, realizing what she just blurted out. “Shit, sorry.”
“You and Alessio need to stop spending so much time together,” Sofia admonishes drily.
Then she looks at me. “Don’t worry, it wasn’t anything and honestly I didn’t know anything about that until recently.
Arranged marriages are a common thing in the mafia, as you’ve already figured out with how this whole thing started.
When we were just children, my father and Pietro agreed to creating a marriage contract where I would marry either Alessio or Massimo to keep our families connected forever, but as we got older and everyone realized I only see the Carusos as brothers and not something romantic, they forgot all about and it never enforced it.
So you have nothing to worry about. Massimo is like an older brother, nothing more. ”
“So you never had a crush on him or any of the others growing up?” I ask, fighting the jealousy and also my own insecurities. I mean, look at her. She’s stunning, exotic, and I’m, well, me.
Sofia shakes her head. “Nah, they were always just brothers to me. We always looked at each other as friends.” She gives me a reassuring smile. “Whatever you’re thinking, get it out of your head. You’re stunning and Massimo is crazy about you.”
I just smile, but I still don’t know if I quite believe her.
I glance at Kida and she looks thoughtful, but that’s about it.
Maybe she’s wondering if Zeno had a crush on Sofia.
Either way, I guess a part of me knows it doesn’t matter.
She’s with Dante, and clearly enamored with him.
Still, I have to wonder if that’s part of why Massimo is always upset when he sees Dante and Sofia together; some kind of front to hide the fact that he loves hers.
You’re being ridiculous.
I ignore the voice in my head and instead, try to focus on everyone else. Still, I don’t push away when Kida grips my hand and gives it a squeeze, clearly realizing I need the comfort.
“Speaking of family, I finished my mother’s journal last night,” Amara announces. We all look at her expectantly. She glances worriedly at Sienna, Gia, and I. “Are you sure you want to know the nitty gritty?”
“It’s fine,” Gia promises her. “I’ve just accepted that my mother was a piece of shit and she didn’t love us.
But I do want to know what your mother did.
She had to be the one to figure it all out, right?
Set up the system?” Then she looks at Sofia.
“Speaking of that. How is Ada? Is she with Dante?”
“She’s relaxing in Dante’s suite. He’s been keeping an eye on her, but she’s worried about Esposito getting upset with her, or hurting someone else in his home to try and figure out where she is.
” Sofia sighs. “It’s going to be tough for her.
I can already tell. Dante is feeling guilty as shit that he didn’t know any of this before.
Or that he didn’t push her on figuring out why his father was blackmailing her. ”
“It’s going to be such an adjustment for her,” Gia mutters. “But we’ll help her through it.” Sofia nods, giving her a grateful look. “Now, what did the journal say?” She looks at Amara expectantly.
“Well, it’s like what we figured. She hated her life with Giovanni, and he abused her all the time.
He let his sons abuse her too. She found out she was pregnant with me and she was terrified of the life I was going to have.
” She glances at Sofia. “And she mentions talking to Dante’s mom about it.
Honestly, the way she wrote it all out, the way she planned it, it’s amazing. She was so smart.”
“Did she mention how she worked with our mother?” Sienna asks.
Amara nods. “There was a day that Giovanni brought my mother over and the two of them were left together. They had guards, because apparently Giovanni didn’t trust that she wouldn’t try to run or poison your mother against him somehow.
Some kind of bullshit like that anyway. Anyway, your mother mentioned that she found out she was having a girl, she was so upset about it, and she didn’t dare tell Leonardo.
Not then. My mother carefully approached her about it, unsure if she could be trusted.
It took a few more meetings before she finally had your mother ask to help her get her baby out too.
My mother didn’t think it was for the same reason as her, but she figured it was better for both me and Sienna to get out before it was too late.
She took the things that her father and family did and taught her, and then she replicated it.
When it was successful getting me and Sienna out, she immediately helped when Lucy was born. ”
“And the final girl? Your sister?” I ask.
“Alessandra is what she called her. After one of her friends back home. She said that she had a hard birth with her, that she was terrified that Giovanni would come in too soon because it was taking too long, but that it actually worked in her favor. He was irritated it was taking so long and left the house with the boys and it meant she could get her out easier.”
“She must have felt so relieved.”
“Ada was right, she had Ada meet her with someone from the Russians. The warehouse Ada met them at was outside of Esposito territory technically, which is why it worked. Four girls went out and all four of them went to different people from there. They stuck with Italian for Amara and Sienna, but for Lucy she was taken out by someone from the Irish, and that meant the final girl was sent through the Russians.”
“How did she manage that?” Sofia wonders. “I mean, how do you make connections with each family?”
“The staff,” Amara answers. “She figured out that the staff all talk to each other, regardless of family. They all shop, they all know the ways the families operate, and they know the ways to get the babies out without anyone seeing. But she was careful to always make sure that she only picked people she trusted and told your mother to do the same. People that would never talk or even whisper amongst themselves or the others.”
“And how did she pick Ada?”
“Apparently Ada has always had a good reputation amongst every family, being kind, warm, and smart. There was also a rumor about her helping out with something else and not being caught a long time ago, but nothing specifically mentioned. Anyway, she took the chance talking to her, and she also mentioned about the fact that Ada wasn’t sure if she wanted to help, fearing for her own son.
But when she gave in and agreed, my mother said she knew everything would be okay.
” Amara swallows hard and her eyes go wet.
“Her last entry was a few years after my sister was taken out. She didn’t write much over the years after, and when she did, it was mostly to say how much she wanted out.
How much pain she was in. Giovanni was pissed at her for being sick and refusing to sleep with him that day.
He beat her so much that she was sure she was going to die.
I don’t know if she did, but I kind of think she probably couldn’t take it anymore. ”
A heaviness settles in the air. We all glance at Gia.
“The only thing I remember is that she died, but not from what. Giovanni told us that she fell down the stairs, but even then I knew that was a lie, and she died when I was still very young so I don’t remember much,” Gia says sadly.
Amara nods. “It’s okay. I guess for me, I’m just glad that she isn’t suffering at his hand anymore. Maybe thinking that we were out and gone and never coming back was a comfort for her.”
I could see it. If I was in her shoes and had to get Soren out, I’d have to take comfort in that or I’d never live with myself. Even now, my gaze searches out Soren, still sleeping in Amara’s arms. The thought of being separated from him is unbearable to even consider.
“I wonder if the guys have found out anything else about her,” Sienna muses. “I mean, she’s the last of us to find. I really hope she’s alright wherever she is.”
“They said it was like she disappeared, but I’m sure if anyone can find her, it’s Zeno and Urso. Or Alessio,” Sienna adds. “I don’t know how that man gets his information, but he always knows things before other people. It’s freaky as hell.”
“He’s always been that way,” Sofia huffs. “It was fucking annoying growing up, especially if I wanted to sneak out and have a bit of fun. He always knew about it somehow, even if I never said anything to a soul. I accused him of having hidden cameras or someone following me, but nothing.”
Sienna nods. “Yeah, he always knows what I’m thinking before I do, or if I’m going to try something. Not that I’m complaining because it usually ends very well for me.” She gives a wicked grin, and I can’t help but smile. Guess we know what that means.
Suddenly, shouts sound outside the door, making all of us freeze. Then the sound of the gunshots and loud explosions boom outside the windows. I’m moving fast, grabbing Soren from Amara’s arms as Gia barks, “Upstairs to the library. There’s an entrance into the passageways."
I don’t need to be told twice as fear squeezes my heart. What the hell is going on? And where is Massimo?