17. SIENNA
17
SIENNA
“Drink up, ladies,” Sofia orders as she tops off our wine glasses. “We’re going to need it as we make a plan.”
“What are we planning?” Gia asks as she sips her wine and looks at the other woman curiously. I can’t get over how much we look alike, or the fact that Gia is clearly the opposite of me. She’s much more shy and reserved, but I suppose that’s what she had to be to survive. After being around Rori and some of the women she’s helped, I know a woman who’s been broken before, who has been through pain and finally started living. Clearly the man in the other room is part of the reason she’s starting to emerge from her shell. I feel a strange sense of protectiveness over her, and I have the urge to go back in the other room and warn her husband about what will happen if he hurts her. Common sense tells me that will end with him wanting to kill me and not giving me a way out of here when they eventually do leave, so I keep it to myself. But I’ll be watching.
“We need to keep the men on their toes, and I for one have some ideas,” Sofia replies with a wicked grin as she takes a sip of her own wine. Now if you want to talk about a beautiful woman, you talk about Sofia Cattaneo.
Sofia is tall like her father and brothers, topping out at five-ten, with long, curly black hair, dark eyes, and curves she showcases nicely in a tight pair of black pants and a flowy white blouse. There’s a wildness in her eyes that instantly makes me like her. While Gia is shy, this woman is the polar opposite. She gives me a wink and adds, “I have a feeling you and I are going to get along really well. Pietro said he heard you threaten to slice Alessio’s throat. While I might be a little sad to lose the ass, I also can appreciate how mad he must have made you to say it.”
Gia’s eyes widen. “Wait, you threatened to kill Alessio? Why? He’s so sweet.”
“Sweet is not the word I would use, honey,” I scoff. “He’s a typical man that doesn’t like to be told no, and being an underboss has made him entitled. Not to mention, he seems to think his cock is a cure-all for disagreement. Must be hell when his men argue with him. Something tells me they probably stopped after the first time.”
Sofia spits out her wine and chokes a little but then starts to laugh hysterically. “Oh shit, oh shit,” she gasps out after another moment. “Oh, please let me be around when you say that to him.” She starts to laugh again.
Gia looks at her like she’s lost her mind. “How much wine have you had, Sofia?” she queries, glancing at the wine glass in her hand in concern.
Sofia waves her off. “Definitely not enough, but damn that’s funny as shit.” She points at me. “Yeah, you and I are going to get along well. And since we are, I’m just going to be honest and tell you I found out there is a marriage contract floating around somewhere that says that I’m supposed to marry Alessio or Massimo, his brother.”
I blink at that. “Wait, what? Alessio keeps telling me that he was promised Gia, and that he plans on marrying me instead since she’s taken. How can he do that if he’s supposed to marry you?” Anger and another emotion I don’t want to name start to build and swirl together in my belly. If he’s trying to fucking play me, I’m going to do more than slit his throat, I’m going to slice off his precious cock and feed it to him.
Sofia shakes her head. “It’s some stupid thing our fathers cooked up when I was born. They wanted a way to keep the families connected, but as we grew up, they realized I don’t see any of the Caruso boys that way. They’re family, pure and simple. Annoying brothers that constantly irritate the shit out of me. They’ve never enforced the contract and have clearly said they don’t plan to. So you’re free and clear, but I wanted to make sure that no one snuck that in on you to make you think I was trying to steal your man. Because they would say something about it without context just to fuck with us.”
“Alessio isn’t my man. He seems to think he is, but it’s not happening. I’m not going to be anyone’s consolation prize, and I’m also not about to be wrapped up in all of this if I can help it.”
“Hate to tell you, darling, but you already are. You were born to a mafia family and secreted away. That alone means they want you back to use you as leverage. And your family is fucked in the head enough that they wouldn’t think twice about it. No offense, darling,” she adds quickly to Gia.
Gia shakes her head. “No, they are. But I don’t consider them my family anymore. Nico is my family, and you. I guess that makes the Carusos family too, by extension.” A soft smile pulls at her lips, and I have to take it to mean she’s okay with that.
“Of course you are.” Sofia beams. But her smile quickly slides away when she looks back at me. “I know this is probably a huge shock for you, and a huge mind-fuck to realize everything that’s now been thrust into your life, but I’m a big believer of going with the flow and making things work to my advantage. And since I know Alessio has probably done shit all to tell you anything other than to order you around, I figure now is the time for you to ask your questions and we’ll tell you what we know.”
Some of my anger dissipates. I sigh and take a large gulp of wine. I’m going to need it for this discussion. “I’m just so fucking mad at the whole situation. I haven’t had any time to process it all, and Alessio refuses to let me. I need space and I really need to decompress and think things through. My whole life just got turned upside down and he can’t see that. He can’t see that I’ve been in a fight or flight scenario ever since he stalked me to my apartment in LA. Now I’ve met my sister, and it feels like I’m on a constant rollercoaster. Up and down and around, and I want to settle.”
Sofia regards me for a moment and then nods. “You know what, you’re right. How about we take this out to the pool and we’ll talk and relax?”
“Are we going to let them know?” Gia asks, glancing over her shoulder at the hallway.
“And deprive your man of the chance to hunt you down? I think not,” Sofia grins wickedly. “Especially when we both know it’s going to do is leave you walking funny in the morning with a huge smile on your face.” Gia’s face flushes with embarrassment, and I can’t help but grin.
“Damn, little sis, there’s definitely a story there. You’re going to have to spill the details,” I tease, roping my arm through hers as we head out of the kitchen through a back entrance and outside into the spacious backyard. Sofia gives me a quick look of approval, and Gia wears a wistful smile.
“I really do hope we can be friends, Sienna,” she whispers tentatively. “I…I always wished for a friend but could never have one. I never wished for a sister though, because I never wanted one to go through what I had gone through.” She looks away, and my heart cracks and fills with guilt.
“I think we will be. And we’ll be sisters too, but we’ll probably have to work toward that.” I wink at her when she looks back at me. “I’ll bitch when you steal my clothes, and then you can bitch back when I steal yours. We’ll drive your husband crazy.”
Gia relaxes and giggles. “I like to keep him on his toes, so I’m good with that.”
Sofia leads us to the pool area, and we slip off our shoes. I roll up my pants while the other two have shorts on, and we sit on the edge of the pool, our legs dangling in the water. I let out a happy sigh. “Oh, yeah, this is what I needed.” The water is warm and soothing and I can’t wait until I can take a dip in it.
“So, tell us everything, Sienna,” Sofia encourages. “And if you want a room all to yourself, I’ll make sure you get set up with one. Screw Alessio.”
I give her a grateful look. “I’m going to take you up on that. I need some space from Alessio. He’s…he’s a bit much for me right now. It’s a lot to get through, but I’ll try to give a short version.”
“I heard the guys talking about it but I didn’t really pay much attention,” Sofia says with a smirk. “I just know that most of them were laughing and taking bets.”
“Nico did seem really pleased about something,” Gia agrees, arching a brow at me in question.
Now it’s my turn to smirk as I tell them everything. Gia’s mouth hangs open the majority of the time, while Sofia laughs and encourages me to continue. When I finally finish, Sofia leans over Gia and high-fives me. “You, darling, are my new favorite person,” Sofia says giddily. She looks at Gia and adds, “You’re still up there, love, but you have to agree she’s pretty awesome.”
“Oh, no, I agree. But now I want you to show me how you did some of that stuff. I don’t want to get caught unaware; I want to be able to protect myself if I have to.”
“I’ll teach you,” I promise. “I’ve been training on this stuff since I was a kid. Not to mention, my best friend helped me learn some moves too. She’s a bounty hunter, and her family are cops and former military so she’s spent a lot of time training herself.”
“Another badass bitch,” Sofia says excitedly. “I hope I get to meet her.”
“Me too,” Gia agrees, taking another drink of her wine.
“But what I want to know is what you think about all of this,” Sofia interjects, her tone serious. “I mean, you already said you’re overwhelmed, and I’m sure you have questions, so how about you ask them and we try to answer as best we can. Maybe it will put some of your concerns at ease. Gia and I both grew up in this life.”
I drink some wine and stare ahead of me for a moment. What do I want to ask? I haven’t really had any time to consider that. I’ve been trying to figure out my next move, but now my next move involves trying to keep Alessio far enough away from me that I won’t fall for him. I need to find a way to accept my new reality, including the fact that I have a sister, and that the men in the family are complete and utter assholes. Not to mention, I have to figure out how this new reality for me is going to include my parents, the people who love me and raised me to be who I am now. That raises the question of what kind of person I would be if the De Lucas raised me. Would they have treated me like they did Gia, or would they have warped me into being like them? Just the thought fills me with revulsion. No, I know I would not be like them. Ever.
So what do I want to know?
Finally, after another long few minutes of silence, I turn and ask, “How do you live with it? With knowing what happens, even though you’re not directly involved?”
Gia and Sofia glance at each other. Finally Gia says softly, “I don’t think about it. I can’t. Maybe I’m desensitized to it because I grew up listening to what my family does or did to people. I saw it with my own eyes in some instances. I have to keep it as something separate, especially considering I’m not involved in it directly. Maybe it’s a cop out, but I’ve never had another option, and I never will, considering I’m married to Nico. The only thing I do feel comforted about is that Nico does not participate in sex trafficking.”
Sofia nods. “The Carusos are the same. Honestly, Sienna, it’s going to be harder for someone like you to accept or even get used to it. That’s not any fault of your own. I will say that in this world, women are usually shielded from all that. I know parts of it, but I don’t know the finer details; my family and the Carusos made sure of that. There are other families who think differently, and the women are trained from a young age that they’ll marry to better their families and share secrets. It usually ends up with them killing someone or someone killing them when they find out about the betrayal or their usefulness has run out. It’s cold, it’s evil, but it’s the life.”
“That’s just it, how am I supposed to get used to all that?” I ask bitterly. “I grew up with a family that loves me, but I’ve seen the other side of it. I’ve seen my school friends dying or getting hooked on the shit that’s being sold, or getting wrapped up in the dangerous wars and games that all these organizations are running. How am I supposed to just sit back and say that’s okay?”
“You do it because you don’t have any other choice,” Sofia answers bluntly. I stare at her incredulously. “Look, I could sit here and try to soothe you and say it’s all going to be okay, but it’s not, and I find that a bunch of bullshit and a waste of time anyway. So I’m going to tell you straight. When it comes to this life, it’s hard, it’s dirty, and it’s going to test your morality. But whether we like it or not, this is the world and the way it’s run. There is always going to be a bad guy; there is always going to be someone reaching for the wrong hand to pull them up, that ends up leading them into a life of crime or addiction. But what you need to consider is while you know the other side, you luckily ended up on this side with the people you have. If your family found you first, the things you would suffer would be a million times worse. With us, you have a chance to lead a life that is at least normal. You can still work, or not, if you don’t want to, and you will have people at your back no matter what. You also have people who are putting their lives on the line for you. For both of you,” she adds with a pointed look at Gia.
I don’t reply at first, letting what she’s said swirl around in my head for a few minutes. Mostly it’s her last statement that hits the hardest. “I know Alessio said they are after me, and that one of the De Luca brothers,—Dario, I think—shot at us, but I’m not sure what you mean by lives on the line,” I finally say, narrowing my eyes slightly at Sofia. “You make it sound like they’re fighting a war. All because they want to get Gia and I back to marry us off?”
“Because they are,” Sofia replies. “Or will be. Another thing you’re going to realize pretty quickly is in this world, women are a commodity. We’re used to strengthen ties and alliances, and to barter for territory and power. Wars are often fought for that power, and we get thrust directly into the line of fire because we’re merely collateral to get what they want. There were three men promised Gia’s hand, four if you count Nico. Two of them dissolved their contracts once they realized all the double-crossing that was going on. None of those offers were for a love match. They were to strengthen power, to gain control over someone else. They couldn’t have cared less that Gia was going to be married to some of the most brutal men in the world. It was a boon for them; more connections mean more power, more fear to leverage to keep people in line or get what they want.
“The one man left over has found out about you, and since he missed out on Gia, he’s going to come after you hard. He’s a bastard that will kill anyone who stands in his way for any reason. Honestly, he’s probably thinking he’ll kill Nico too and just take Gia, and you’ll be an extra to sell off when he’s done with you. Or he’ll keep you for when he finally gets his heir and kills Gia.” Gia’s face goes deathly pale at that. “I’m sorry for scaring you, darling, but the more you know, and the more you understand, the more prepared you are.” She takes Gia’s hand and gives it a reassuring squeeze. “Nico will never go down without a fight, and if he was going to fall, he would make sure you were protected so well that none of them could touch you. Alessio will do the same for you, Sienna. Hell, any of the Carusos or Cattaneos will. Because a war is exactly what’s coming, and you two are the main targets. For everyone else, it’s just an excuse to have open season on their enemies.”
“Because with them out of the way, their territory and everything else they have will be free for the taking,” I summarize grimly.
Sofia nods. “Precisely. That is why Alessio wanted you here so quickly. Here, you can be protected. Many have tried to take down the Carusos, and so far, all have failed. But that’s not by happenstance. That is because Pietro is one of the most feared Dons in the world, and he’s trained his sons and my brothers to be exactly the same way. Because eventually, they’re all going to marry and have children, and he doesn’t leave anything to chance.”
“Why couldn’t he have just explained all of that to me?” I ask in exasperation. “Maybe then I wouldn’t have tried to run. I thought it was just that Alessio wanted to force the marriage contract and stop my family from doing all that shit to me. I figured it was a favor to Gia.”
“In part, it was. But you, Sienna, have revived their plans of domination simply by discovering your existence. Now that they know about you, I don’t think it will be long before they realize there could be more of you. And they might not be as lucky as the two of you.”
“You think we have more sisters?” Gia asks, clearly shocked.
“Anything is possible,” Sofia shrugs. “There is also the chance of cousins. Didn’t your uncle have a wife?”
“Yes,” Gia says with a slow nod. “I met her twice from what I can remember. She never left the house much and only accompanied my uncle when it was absolutely required. She was quiet, and I think Giovanni beat her constantly because she was always bruised, or her lip was split. She died not long after Emilio was born, I think.”
“So you might not know if she was pregnant or anything?” Sofia asks.
Gia shakes her head. “When she was there, I was banished, but I usually stood outside the room listening so I could hear if they talked about me, or maybe my mother. And whenever I saw her, she was wearing tight clothes so unless she was really newly pregnant, then I wouldn’t say she ever was when I saw her.”
“If I was snuck out, I feel like your aunt might have been able to manage it too, if she went to your mother for help,” I muse. “I almost hope we can’t find them and that no one else can either. Let them have their lives, if they do exist.”
Gia nods. “Yeah, I know what you mean. But that’s another thing you’ll figure out quickly. If they want to find someone, they will stop at nothing to do it. And our family is crazy enough to make something up to get what they want.”
“That’s not an us problem,” Sofia cautions. “Leave all that at the door and let the guys handle it. There is no point in stressing over it. We focus on the present. And right now, that includes us figuring out where Sienna is going to sleep, and then training to make sure that we are prepared. Because as much as I say that we can rely on the men, you never leave it up to them one hundred percent. You should be able to handle yourself no matter what.”
“Amen.” I grin. “Which is exactly why we need to get started. If there is a war coming, I’m not going to leave anything to chance.”
Sofia grins. “Alright, then let’s go find you a room. We’ll meet up again in the morning. To make sure we have the space and time, we’re going to get up early. You going to be able to drag your ass away from your sexy husband?” Sofia teases Gia.
Gia flushes, but she grins. “Probably, but knowing him, he’ll try to follow me.”
“Just tell him you’re meeting up with me,” Sofia replies.
Gia laughs. “He’ll follow me for sure. Maybe he’ll meet with everyone really late and sleep straight through and it won’t matter. But I’ll be there in the morning.”
Sofia nods, then she looks at me. “I’ll meet you at your room so you don’t end up getting lost. And tomorrow I’ll take you on a tour so you know how to find your way around.”
I nod. “Yeah, this place is a maze, and with my luck I’d end up in the dungeon or something.”
Sofia snickers. “We don’t have a dungeon per se, but the cellar is creepy as shit, so yeah, you don’t want that. Now, the big question is, do you want a room close to Alessio or as far away as possible?”
I chuckle. “I think you already know the answer.”
She grins wickedly. “Just giving you a chance to have something close in case you want to add a few more hickeys to your collection.” She gives a pointed look to my neck.
I refuse to be embarrassed. “I think he’s given me more than enough, but thanks for the concern.”
Gia and Sofia both snicker. “Alright, well, let’s get going before the men realize we haven’t come back and start searching for us,” Sofia says as she pushes herself up and sets her wine glass on one of the tables nearby. We follow suit, and I slip on my shoes before following her and Gia inside.
I wonder how Alessio is going to react when he realizes that I’m not spending the night in his bed. A sly smile pulls at my lips. Guess he’s going to have to get used to it.