35. SIENNA
35
SIENNA
It’s odd to realize that the man on the other end of the call is my father. Well, biological father, because this man is definitely not the man I’ll be calling Dad for the rest of my life. No, that title is reserved for the man who raised me, and not the monster that spent his years beating and terrorizing his daughter.
“Nico,” Leonardo says smoothly, his voice filling the now silent room.
“Leonardo,” Nico replies in the same tone, though I don’t miss the way Gia clings to him, her face drawn. I want to go to her too and comfort her, but I stay put. “Have you finally called to congratulate me?” Nico continues.
“I’ll give it to you that you have a lot more balls than your father,” Leonardo replies, sounding unruffled. “How is my daughter? Still enjoying her so-called freedom? Or have you done what I should have done years ago and disposed of her?”
“Your view of your own flesh and blood needs some work, Leonardo,” Nico returns, the only slightest of inflections in his voice, so subtle that I almost miss it. How is he able to sound so calm when it’s clear he’s very pissed off? “My wife is exactly where she should be. With me, and untouchable by you or any of the other factions of your so-called family. Though, I suppose I should send my condolences on the death of your son and nephew, hmm? Oh, and your wife.”
I jerk at the mention of Lorenzo. Alessio puts a soothing hand on my leg, though he never takes his attention away from Nico or the phone in his hand.
“My son was a waste of breath, so it was a favor, all things considered. And my wife, well, women are useless, so no loss there if you ask me. As for my nephew, considering I haven’t been told about that yet, I have to assume it’s only happened during the attack on your home. Perhaps I’ll have to call up my dear brother and offer up my condolences. Who killed him?”
“I did,” I answer before I can stop myself. Alessio’s head snaps toward me, but before he can stop me, I’m up and moving closer to Nico. I don’t know what’s come over me, but I’m done listening to the voice on the other end talking like nothing matters. I want to rattle him, and I want to know the purpose of this call. Gia’s face has slipped into one of fear, but I ignore it. Nico just stares at me, eyes dark and piercing.
“And who are you?” Leonardo asks after a moment.
“I’m the daughter you didn’t know you had,” I reply simply. “Though, considering the circumstances, I don’t claim you as family. Especially since it was your son that almost killed me in Greece when he pressed a gun to my head and then tried to shoot at me. A funny way to welcome me into the family, but then, what did I expect?”
Leonardo is silent, but I can almost feel his anger coming through the phone. Finally, he says, “Sienna, I presume. You know, had I known of your existence before now, none of this would have been a problem. I’d have already collected you and married you off to who I wanted and you’d have been someone else’s problem. But clearly, you have learned some terrible habits from your idiotic parents. The man you call father certainly didn’t teach you to stay quiet until you’re spoken to.”
“See, there’s this cool thing called equal rights, and my father taught me all about it, along with my mother,” I tell him silkily. I feel Alessio move up behind me in a silent show of support, and I’m grateful for it. “As for me speaking, well, you probably should get used to it because that’s what more and more women are doing nowadays. Not even men like you will stop that. Or is it the fact that you don’t get to tell me what to say that pisses you off? From the sounds of things, you just don’t like that women are far smarter than you.”
“I’m going to enjoy teaching you and your good for nothing sister just what is expected from you,” Leonardo replies icily, his calm facade starting to crack.
“Yeah, yeah, your son already gave that speech,” I sigh, trying to sound bored. “And just so we’re clear, you’re not going to be doing anything to me. Not only because you’re not going to be anywhere near me, but also because my man says that anyone who touches me dies, and he’s already proven that today. And we both know that you’re not going to go after him.”
Leonardo is silent for a moment. “Dario told me that you were whoring yourself out to Alessio Caruso, not that I should be surprised. All women spread their legs for any man that gives them the slightest bit of attention. He’ll grow tired of you eventually, and that’s when he’ll send you back to me and your proper training will begin. Just like your sister’s.”
“Your training didn’t work, Father, if you mean me,” Gia tells him coldly. “And Sienna is far stronger than I ever was.”
Leonardo is quiet again. “Ah, my other whore of a daughter that decided to betray her own family. You always were such a disappointment, Giulia. Your mother’s influence, I’m sure.”
“The mother that snuck me out right under your nose,” I toss back with a smug laugh. “Sounds to me that she knew what would happen and wanted to give me a chance.”
“You and that other bastard,” Leonardo seethes. “But she was too fucking stupid to get rid of the evidence. When I see her again in hell, I’ll be letting her know my thoughts on that. But it’s no matter, because my men will find her, and when they do, they’ll be bringing her right back where she belongs. Perhaps she’ll be far better than her brother. Despite being separated, they say some things are just genetic. But until then, Nico, be prepared for war and make sure that you and the fuckers you’re working with are worth it, because they will be the reason you lose it all.” Then the line goes dead.
No one says a word for a moment until something clicks about what he just said. “Oh my God,” I gasp. I look up at Alessio. “We’ve been thinking it was another baby born after Gia, but it’s not. It’s one born before her and after me. He said despite her being separated and it being genetic. The baby girl is a twin.”
“Oh my God, Matteo had a twin,” Gia gasps, looking shocked.
“How the hell would they have managed that?” Rori asks, confused. “I mean, you can’t just hide a second baby, can you?”
“You can if the first one is the boy,” I reply. “Think about it. If the first baby born is a boy, there is usually some time, even if it’s only minutes, between that one and the next baby. And that would have been enough for his father to see the baby. Be pleased, and leave, right? The doctor and whoever else was in there would have just said that they had to finish cleaning her up, and then let her birth the second baby before he knew about it.”
“But wouldn’t he have heard the baby cry?” Rori points out.
“If they had sent him away, then it’s possible he never did,” I reason. “Or maybe they quieted the baby somehow. Then they cleaned her up and got her out when the doctor or whoever left. No one would be the wiser. Her husband is happy with a son, and the daughter is out, headed to a new family completely out of danger.”
“Fuck, that definitely took some planning,” Alessio agrees. “But it makes sense. Aurelio?” he calls.
“I’ve already relayed the information and he’ll be back to us soon,” Aurelio replies briskly. “We’ll find her. We have more to go on, including a specific birth date. Before it was just a best guess.”
“So we have three girls from Gia’s mother, and possibly two from Bianca,” Alessio says thoughtfully. “I have to give it to them both, they were able to do what most would find impossible.”
“Desperate women do desperate things,” Rori says as she gets to her feet, looking thoughtful. “Especially when it comes to their children.”
“She must have been so afraid that Father would realize,” Gia says softly, sadly. “All while holding one child, knowing that she would never see the other. Makes me realize why she might have resented me. I was the one that she couldn’t get out in time for whatever reason.”
“I wonder what kind of evidence he meant,” Sofia says thoughtfully. “He said that she was stupid to keep the evidence, but why did he only find it now? How did he know where to look?”
“He tortured the former staff members, so one of them must have said something,” Dante tells her. “Or, he had the house searched and he found it.”
“There weren’t many places you could hide things without him finding it,” Gia agrees. “Even me, when I was a kid, I had a diary that he found, even when I thought I had hidden it in the perfect spot. He had cameras everywhere, so I must not have been cautious enough and he caught me.”
“But she managed to hide this for over twenty something years,” I point out. “The problem now is that he found it, and we’re already behind him if he figured out her name, or any details that would lead him directly to her.”
“We can’t borrow trouble,” Alessio reminds me. “Aurelio’s guy is the best out there, and he was able to help us find you and Amara quickly. He’ll find this one and the final daughter. We just have to be patient.”
“That’s one thing I’m not exactly good at,” I remind him drily. “But you’re right.”
“In the meantime, we need to prepare for another attack,” Nico interjects briskly. “This isn’t the end, and now that we’ve sustained one attack, it’s the perfect time for Marco or Leonardo to attack us. And clearly Tommaso was working with Giovanni’s side, but that doesn’t mean he was the only one.”
“I’ve already changed anything that requires security, so everyone is locked out until I give them access again,” Dante tells him. “But we need to start figuring out just where loyalties lie.” He gets to his feet.
Nico does as well, setting Gia on her feet and giving her a quick kiss. He murmurs something to her, and she nods, clinging to him for another moment before she steps away. “Alessio, you’re welcome to join us,” Nico tells him.
I look back at Alessio and see him nod. He gives me a reassuring smile. “I’ll come and find you when we’re done. In the meantime, all of you will stay with Alonzo and Mario, who is right outside. Don’t leave his sight, and if he tells you to do something, you do it instantly, understood?” I nod, as does Gia, but Rori just smirks, earning a warning stare from Alessio.
“Fine,” Rori replies with a long-suffering sigh. “But just so you know, you’re killing my mood. He’s just so fun to mess with.” She winks at Alonzo, whose glare only intensifies.
Alessio ignores her, and then leans down to kiss me. “I’ll see you soon, coniglietto ,” he murmurs.
“Bye,” I whisper back.
“Stay out of trouble,” he adds, then he turns and follows Nico and Dante out.
“Girl, you got it bad,” Rori chuckles. “And I hope you know I want all the details. Like now. I think after everything we’ve been through, we need to relax. So where’s the best spot to do that around here?”
“The pool,” Gia says with a smile. “I for one would like a swim.”
“Are you trying to have your husband kill me?” Alonzo asks her drily.
“He won’t kill you,” she assures him. “I’ll make sure to wear a full piece suit. You just stand there with your back turned and you’ll be just fine.” He doesn’t look the least bit convinced, but with a resigned sigh, he follows us out of the office and down to the pool room. Sofia decides to tag along, though I can see she’s a bit undecided.
“You deserve some time to relax yourself,” I tell her softly as Gia and Rori chatter away ahead of us.
“Maybe, but I have a lot of things I should be seeing to,” Sofia tells me briskly. “Namely getting this place back to rights and making sure the staff are doing their jobs.” She stops, which makes Alonzo stop too. “I’m going to check on things; I’ll meet you there.”
“Sofia,” Alonzo says warningly.
“Don’t even start, Alonzo,” Sofia snaps at him. “I’m perfectly fine on my own, and they’re the ones you need to watch.” She nods towards me, Gia, and Rori, who have stopped too, looking back at us. “I’ll meet up with you later.” Then she’s gone, walking down the hall with purpose.
Alonzo stares after her, concern clear on his face. Then he turns back and gestures for us to keep going. When we reach the pool, I’m surprised to find Mario there waiting, but he just moves to stand guard outside the door. “No one in or out but Sofia, Nico, Alessio, or Dante,” Alonzo orders him, earning a sharp nod before his attention goes straight ahead.
We go through the door, and I’m surprised to find marble stairs leading down, though I can already smell the chlorine. I gape when we reach the bottom and take in the indoor pool. It’s huge, surrounded by matching gothic pillars and architecture. Surrounding it are lounge chairs and even a couple of tables. It’s only lit by low light, giving it a dramatic, almost spooky feel. “Damn,” Rori gasps. “This is amazing. Do you think Nico will care if I bring Hades in here?”
“Of course not,” Gia says confidently, though I give her a yeah-right look when she glances my way. No way will Nico want a dog in his pool, but when it comes to his wife, I get the feeling that whatever she says, mostly, will go. “We could go get him and bring him down to swim now if you want,” Gia offers.
Rori shakes her head. “No, he already had a bath, and he needs a break or he’s going to have a hard time settling later. But maybe tomorrow when he’s done with his daily training.”
“Okay. There should be some suits and things over here I think,” she says as she leads us over to a corner of the room on the other side of the stairs, opening a door to reveal a room full of towels, an arrangement of suits, and even a couple of changing rooms. “Help yourselves,” she says with a smile.
Before long, and after much debate on my part about what to wear, we’re all lounging in the pool, with Gia having found a couple of pool loungers that we’re all using. “Mmmm, I could get used to this,” I groan. “Alonzo, I’m just sorry that you can’t enjoy it,” I call out.
“He’d probably try and drown me if he got in here,” Rori snorts. I look over at her and arch a brow. I think she purposely picked that bathing suit to drive the poor man insane, and from the heated looks he keeps shooting her way—mixed with an equal amount of anger—it appears she has succeeded. It’s a tiny snow-white bikini, and leaves little to the imagination.
“I’m fine, Sienna,” Alonzo replies from his spot near the door. He’s in the shadows and I can barely make out his hulking frame, but I know that he’s keeping a careful eye. The only time there’s any indication that he’s there is when his phone screen glows, or he speaks. Which, admittedly, isn’t much. “I’ll take a dip later.”
“Sienna, what’s the deal with you and Alessio?” Rori asks me, drawing my attention with her blunt question. She grins at me. “Other than the two of you screwing each other’s brains out earlier, of course.”
“I’m going to kick your ass for that. You interrupted when things were just getting good, too.”
“Consider it payback for the time in college that you burst into my room when Juan was eating me out like a champ,” Rori retorts. “I mean, I was so damn close to an orgasm and this one comes bursting in like her ass was on fire. Totally ruined it.”
“Excuse me, but the building was literally on fire and you were going to let him fuck you while you burned to death,” I cry in exasperation.
“Bitch, if you knew what that guy could do with his tongue, you’d let the building burn around you too,” Rori scoffs. She looks at a wide-eyed Gia. “I’ll tell you about it some time, but yeah, God-like tongue. No man has ever come close again, trust me.”
I roll my eyes. “I don’t care about his pussy eating capabilities, nutso. My point being, we’re even now, and next time, knock.”
“Fine, fine,” Rori sniffs. “Now, you and Alessio. What’s the deal? You going to marry him and put him out of his misery? Or do I have to hold you underwater until you see the light?”
I kick water at her, making her laugh. “No, thank you. There’s not going to be any marrying right now, especially not with all this shit going on, but after today I realized it’s stupid to keep running and trying to fight him on it. And, you know, almost dying puts a lot of things into perspective.”
“Yeah, it really does,” Gia agrees, her tone serious. “I mean, I get what you mean about fighting it. I fought it with Nico, because how do you love someone who kidnaps you? But sometimes, love doesn’t have to make sense.”
“Besides, you’ve always had a thing for bad boys,” Rori adds with a grin. “And he is the ultimate. Not to mention, he’s hot, rich, and looks at you like he you’re the last drop of water on the planet. Few can say they’ve ever had that.”
“I just don’t want him to think that he’s made a mistake, because he’ll break me if he does,” I admit.
“That won’t happen,” Gia says confidently. “Alessio, even in the small amount of time I’ve known him, has a singular focus on a lot of things, and nothing changes that about him. So I don’t think you have to worry about that with him. Ever.”
“Wish I could be so certain,” I groan, staring at the ceiling in frustration. “I mean, I love him, and he told me he loves me, so shouldn’t that be enough?”
“You’re obsessing too much over what you think should happen, or what could happen,” Rori replies patiently. “Maybe if you were in a relationship with a normal man I would agree with you, but that’s not this. This is so completely off the spectrum that either of us thought would happen, but that’s okay. Sometimes life throws you a curveball and you just have to go with it. So stop worrying about it and enjoy it. I mean, don’t you think I would tell you if I thought you were making a mistake? Like that time you were going to sleep with Joey and I told you that he was a creep? And wasn’t I right? He spread STDs around the campus like wildfire, and I saved you from that fate.”
“This is a bit different,” I retort sarcastically.
“Fine. How about the time you were thinking about marrying that guy who turned out to be after your connections to your father? You dated for six months and were telling me that you felt a great connection with him. And didn’t I tell you that he was shady as hell and to watch yourself? Then what happened? You caught him trying to hack into your shit and take it for himself.”
I hate that she’s right. Gia is listening to all of this wide-eyed. “That seriously happened?” she gasps.
I nod. “Yeah, I kicked his ass out and my father fired him for trying to hack into my stuff. I caught him, got it on video, and sent it to my Dad and HR.” Gia’s eyes widen even further. “It was a whole thing. And yes, I see your point,” I add irritably to Rori. “Clearly my taste in men can be questionable, and you’re in full support Alessio. But I’m still allowed to be unsure.”
“Of course you are,” Rori nods. “But you also need to get the hell out of your head or you are going to make the both of you miserable. Leave behind whatever notions you’ve been cooking up in that head of yours, and pay attention to only the ones that matter. Namely, being happy, enjoying getting to know the man you clearly love, and staying alive to enjoy all the perks of it all. Not to mention, once the other sister/cousins get here, we’re going to have to help them get settled in, and you’ll be one of the perfect ones to do that, being what you’ve now been through, right?”
I sigh. “I hate when you’re right.”
She grins. “Of course I am. I’m always right, remember? Now, enough with the serious shit. I want to know what you’re working with under that sexy suit of his. And on a scale of one to ten, you know, so I can decide if I need to take a full on dunk in the pool, or send him some videos to watch so he can learn what to do.”
I splash her, making her laugh. “Trust me, he knows what he’s doing,” I assure her with a wicked grin. “And there is no scale for him.” I think back to the time in the bedroom at Branson’s home with the knife, and shiver. Yeah, I might need to recreate that soon because that was so hot.
“And you? I have to assume that your man is just as incredible?” Rori asks Gia.
Gia gives a sappy smile. “He’s my first, so I don’t have much to go on, but he’s amazing. And the things he can do with his tongue.” She shivers.
“Damn, I’m missing out,” Rori pouts. “You said Alessio has brothers?” she asks me with a hopeful look.
“He does,” I grin. I hear a low growl near the door and my grin widens even further. Oh, is someone jealous? “I’ll introduce you,” I continue, seeing Rori’s heated gaze slide toward Alonzo. We can’t see him, but I can feel his stare, though it’s definitely not pointed my way.
I don’t know what to think about my best friend and Sofia’s brother, but she’s a big girl and she can figure it out herself. Right now, I have plans to form for my own man.
We’ll just see if he’s ready for them.