The Two Families

Chapter Eighteen

Aarina's POV:

The car ride back to the Marino Manor was silent, but the atmosphere in the car weighed down on me. I pulled out my phone, looking in the camera, lightly pressing on the purplish-blue bruises.

"Don't," Luka said softly. 

Once we reached the Manor, Luka called the family doctor to attend to my wounds. I flinched at the touch of the doctor's hands. Memories of being tied up in that warehouse came flooding back. Laura. She had sacrificed herself for me. Hideo wanted me, but instead, Laura told him to take her. I shuddered at the thought of what they would be doing to Laura. I thanked the doctor, limping my way downstairs. Before I could open the door to the main hall, I heard fragments of conversation.

"What do you think he wants with Laura?" Marcus asked.

"Who gives a shit? He has Laura; we need her back!" Sofia screamed. 

"Sorella," Luka warned.

"Cosa, Fratello? You know we need to get them back," Sofia replied. I could feel her anger through the wall.

"Yes, I know that Sof, but we can't just barge into his house," Luka replied.

"True, and we don't even know if she is at his house. He could have her at a secondary location," Marcus added.

Sofia groaned loudly, storming out the other doors. 

"We can't blame her, she loves Laura," Marcus sighed.

"You know what happens when Sofia loves someone and they get hurt," Luka whispered.

I knocked on the door, before pushing it open slightly, sticking my head through the door. Luka nodded at me, signalling for me to come in. I walked over to the couch next to Luka, sitting down.

"How are you feeling?" Luka asked, concern lacing his voice.

"Fine," I replied, wrapping my arms around myself. I swallowed the lump in my throat, "is Sofia okay?"

Marcus and Luka exchanged a look before turning back to me, "she's just worried," Marcus answered.

"Don't sugarcoat it, Marcus," I retorted.

"Sofia is very overprotective of Laura," Luka answered.

"Yes, I am," A voice answered from behind me. I turned around to see Sofia standing at the door, "and this cagna got her kidnapped."

"Sofia!" Luka growled.

"Sit down Luka!" Sofia barked back.

Luka bared his teeth at his sister, "don't call her that."

"She got Laura taken by Hideo. Who knows what he could be doing to her?" 

"Sof, I understand, we all want her back-" Marcus started.

"Then why aren't any of you doing anything?" Sofia whispered. The softness of her tone scared me. 

"We will Sofia; we don't have any information on where he is keeping her," Marcus reasoned.

"When you want something, you'll go get it, even if the whole world is against you," Sofia rolled her eyes, tears very obvious.

"You think I don't want to get Laura back?" Luka shouted, "I want to get Laura back just as much as you do! You don't see me spiralling because we need to keep calm here, Sofia. Panicking isn't going to help her now, will it? Laura is a strong person, stronger than both of us. She knows how to use her words and other things for her benefit."

Sofia's nostrils flared, "fine, but if you don't have a plan in two days, I'm going to find her myself."

"I may have some information," I called out, "Hideo wanted to take me, but Laura told him that if he took her, you all would panic more."

Marcus rubbed his neck, "he is trying to drive a wedge in between us."

"He knows that if he takes the one person most valuable to us, we will shut each other out and our business would tank," Luka thought aloud.

"Son of a-" Sofia cursed, rubbing her temples, "does that mean he won't hurt her?"

Luka looked deep into his sister's eyes. She inhaled, "he might."

"We should stick together; we need to focus on showing Hideo that our business is still booming and he didn't affect us, but we need to get connections from underground."

"Is there any way I can help?" I asked.

"No," Luka answered, "go home Aarina."

"But-"

"Go home."

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"Why did Luka send you back?" Jian asked, "not that we didn't miss you, but you said you were going to stay there for a couple of weeks."

"We finished all the work early, so he sent me back. I'm glad to be back anyways. I missed you guys, and I needed a break," I explained.

"Well, its good to have you back Aarina!" Amèlie piped.

"It's good to be back," I beamed. My cheeks throbbed under the multiple layers of makeup I used to cover them. I threw myself onto the bed, exhaling deeply. I stared at the bare ceiling, remembering the time before all the mafia gangs, the guns, the blood and the politics. I tried to go to sleep, but the persistent thought kept edging its way into my brain: it's my fault for getting Laura taken. If I had told her not to come with me to the Casino, knowing the risk, she wouldn't have gotten taken. 

Eventually, I drifted off to sleep, dreaming of the kidnapped girl, screaming for help into the lonely night, nobody to help her, nobody to hear her screams, nobody to reassure her that she'll be okay and that Luka is figuring out a way to get her back, nobody to dry her tears, nobody to care for her.

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Translation (Italian):

Sorella means Sister.

Cosa, Fratello? Means what, brother?

Cagna means bitch