Chapter 21
Razor
Whistling, I go out looking for my brothers.
I've been embarrassingly lonely without Fiasca around much. I'll never admit that, though.
Growing up, my brothers were all I had.
When they weren’t around, and I was stuck at home, my loneliness would get so overwhelming I had to cut sometimes to deal. Ghost and I have that in common.
I always felt like I was missing something important in my life—besides good parents.
It was my Fiasca I was missing, and I didn’t even know her yet.
Now... fuck. The need I have for her consumes me.
I spy Frost and Ghost in the media room.
“Guys, our girl needs us to go with her. To meet her parents. In thirty,” I explain, short and sweet.
Controllers clatter to the floor, both standing up so fast, Frost grimaces. “Ow, my leg is asleep.”
“Her parents?” Ghost repeats. “Is Jax...?”
I fill them in on what I was told.
“Let’s go. I'm more than ready to support Malishka,” Ghost affirms.
We head out, back to the hallway to wait for the others.
Just a few minutes pass when Fiasca and Valley join us, Harris and Jax trailing behind.
“Everyone ready?” Jax asks.
“Yep,” everyone answers.
“Good. We will take one vehicle. Our security will be in a separate car.”
In the garage, we pile into an SUV like the one we used to rescue Fiasca. I scramble in next to her, pulling her onto my lap. Ghost and Frost come in after us, both sitting close enough to be able to touch her. Valley slides into her other side, squeezing her hand. Harris and Jax are up front.
“The drive to Collings Lakes will take a couple of hours,” Harris tells us. “Rest, Pretty Girl. We're all here for you.”
Fiasca sighs, burrowing closer into me, closing her eyes. “Love you, Razor,” she murmurs before her breathing turns soft and even.
“Wake up, pretty Fiasca,” I kiss my girl on the head, gently rousing her from her sleep. She stirs, eyes opening.
“Razor?” She blinks, then widens her eyes. “Are we there?”
“Yes.” I smile at her.
She sits upright, gaping at the gorgeous house we just pulled up in front of.
“This is it? I thought it would be another mansion,” Fiasca says.
The house is a beautiful two-story with white siding and a sloped roof. It has a pretty garden in the front, and from what I can see, there’s a large backyard and a deck.
“Wow, I love it,” Fiasca says.
“Are you ready?” Harris asks from the front seat.
“Yeah…”
Phoenyxx
My heart is beating triple time as I stare at the house where my parents live. It's not at all what I was expecting. I spot a lake around the back, smiling at it.
We all get out of the car, going to the front door.
Hunter moves to get in front of me, and I make a sound of aggravation.
“Just to be safe, Pretty Girl,” he explains.
I roll my eyes, but don’t argue.
Sometimes I feel warm and fuzzy at how protective my guys are with me. I understand how they show their love.
But, other times, it makes me want to scream in frustration. This is one of those times.
This is my parents. They won’t hurt me. I just have a feeling about that.
Frost is next to me and Valley on my other side. Ghost and Razor are directly behind me. Jax waited in the car, saying he didn’t want to interrupt a private moment.
Before Hunter can knock, the door swings open. An older man is on the other side. He's very handsome. Dark brown hair with streaks of gray, a solid jaw, and kind eyes. Green eyes.
My emotions clog my throat as I stare into the same eyes as mine.
“Caterina?” the man says with a trembling voice.
“Phoenyxx,” I respond.
He blushes. “Apologies… Phoenyxx. Please, come in, all of you.” My father widens the door, allowing us inside.
Inside there's a large living room with built-in bookshelves. A kitchen lies past that. I see a bathroom off to the side, and a gorgeous staircase spiraling up. The carpet is a soft, cream color, plush and thick. The walls are painted a pretty, light yellow. There are pictures on the walls, but I don’t look too closely at those just yet.
“Shall we have a seat?” My father invites us to sit down in the living room. I choose a leather sofa with wide cushions, and my guys sit on a sectional directly across from it. It's big enough to seat them all. Valley perches next to me, squeezing my hand in silent support.
“My name is Anthony,” my father says. “I will get Pamela,” he tells us, as he goes in search for what I assume is my mother.
Fat tears well up in my eyes. There are so many different emotions flying through me I can barely catch my breath. I’m so nervous!
My father walks back in with a beautiful brunette. She has long, curly hair trailing down her back. She’s curvy, like me, with alabaster skin just like mine. The same green eyes as mine look back at me.
She stares, tears rolling down her cheeks. She rushes over to me, kneeling to the floor.
“My Caterina... my God.” My mother is sobbing so hard she can’t speak well. She throws her arms around me, holding me to her.
“Phoenyxx,” I say with a hoarse voice as I squirm uncomfortably.
I try to say something, but my throat is clogged with emotion. I am surrounded by the comfort of my mother. MY MOTHER.
The feel of her pressing against me is almost too much. I can’t catch my breath. My God... I can’t believe this is even happening.
“Let her have some room, my darling,” my father says.
“Oh, I'm so sorry. I just never thought I would see you again.” My mother stands, moving next to my father.
My mouth opens, and I struggle for the millions of questions I have. Finally, I land on, “Why have you never found me? Did you even look?”
My father scrubs a hand over his brow. “We never stopped looking, Phoenyxx. And we never gave up hope.”
“I... I was taken by Synn's father for two years. Then the Solomons for another ten. They all abused me.” I’m sobbing now.
“Synn?” my father asks in confusion.
Hunter clears his throat. “The Francos.”
Rage moves over my father’s features. “Those bastards. My God, Caterina, I don’t have the words.”
“The Solomons are an old couple who did terrible things to Phoenyxx,” Ghost adds. “They sent her to The Retreat when she finally fought back.”
My mother’s face whitens, and her legs shake.
“Sit down, please,” I say to her.
She sits next to me, not touching me, but looking at me closely. “We have photo albums. You, as a child. We can look through them later.”
My father clears his throat to get our attention.
“I have a confession to make.” He moves closer to me.
“I’m the one who shot the gun, back at The Retreat, when you all were escaping from that dreadful place.
I was aiming for that bastard Volkov. I don’t know how I missed.
I’m sorrier than you could know. Once I saw your face, I knew you were my Caterina. ”
Both me and Hunter leap up in shock.
“You... what?” I gasp.
“We were both shot. Phoenyxx could have died! Luckily, we were both able to be patched up. Why were you there?” Hunter takes over, grinding his teeth in barely controlled rage.
Ghost makes a strangled sound, jumping up in anger. “That was you? You shot my Malishka?”
Before I can say anything, the rest of my guys chime in with their own angry words.
Valley even stands, violently shaking. She opens her mouth, but nothing comes out.
My father sighs, sinking down into a big armchair.
“Originally, there were seven families. We were one of them.
The Rossi family is the biggest mafia organization in the States.
Our family joined them foolishly, thinking it was a good business decision.
Once I realized the Volkov's were spearheading branching out into trafficking and other horrifying things, I removed us from the group. We went into hiding. You were just a small child. Only five years old at the time. Clearly, Franco found us and stole you away as retribution.”
Holy. Fucking. Shit.
“So, you’re mafia, too?” I clarify.
“Yes, Carina,” my mother answers.
“We deal with business, guns, and drugs. Nothing further,” my father explains.
That name—Carina. One of my recovered memories had a woman calling me that as I played outside. It was my mother.
My father continues, “I have been keeping an eye on The Retreat, watching for an opportunity to breach it. I want Volkov dead. He’s the leader of the other six families.
He owns that place. From what I’ve discovered, he uses the students to experiment on and train as mindless soldiers for his family.
He wants to take over the entire United States and eliminate the Italian families completely.
He sends those young people to a place called The Camp.
We're still trying to find that location.”
We all sit there in complete shock. Answers... finally.
But Purge... God. He’s going to be sick hearing this.
My stomach roils violently, my heart thrashing in my chest.
“No wonder you want the fucker dead,” Razor growls.
“Razor,” I glare at him. “Language!”
But my father addresses me. “So, who are these people with you?”
“My best friend, Valley.” I pat her back. “Hunter, the therapist from The Retreat. Razor, Ghost, and Frost are heirs to the other families.”
Frost stands up. “My family is the Aslanovs. My given name is Damien.”
The other two guys follow his lead. “Aleksey Petrov,” Ghost says.
“Antonio Marino,” Razor adds.
Frost explains who the others are, including 3.
My mother pales. “They’re all your... boyfriends?”
Valley lets out a nervous giggle.
“Yeah,” I say, no apology in my eyes. I'm proud of my guys.
My father clears his throat again. “Wait, how old are you, Hunter?” My father's brow furrows with concern.
Hunter shifts nervously. “Thirty-three, Sir.”
My father pales but recovers fast. “I can’t say I’m a fan of that age difference. You'd better take good care of her.”
“Always, Sir,” Hunter responds.
“Well, alright then.” My father says, slumping a bit in the chair.
“Wait—am I also an heir?” I ask my parents.