Sofia's Secret Mafia Brothers

56. Home Sweet Home

Sofia eventually got up and brushed the sand and dirt off her clothes. Still, her school uniform was completely messed up. She picked up the knife that was stuck in the sand. She looked at it carefully and discovered that the back of the handle had a button. When she clicked the black GPS device fell out of it. She threw it into the sea. 

She planned to keep the knife. It's going to be her weapon of choice when she meets Anastasio again. If she meets him again. 

Sofia had left her phone in her school locker, not the best idea now that she thinks about it. Well, thankfully she had some pocket money. Enough to afford a bus to Catania. It would take around 50 minutes to get to her city from Taormina. 

She was far away from the city centre so she had to ask around how to get to the bus station. Without Raul driving her around she felt like a normal person for a moment. She planned to use the time she had to rehearse her apology speech. 

She arrived at Catania at 10 pm. The sky was pitch black, it was cold and she was walking briskly to not freeze. Her brother's house wasn't exactly anywhere near the bus stop so she had to walk for around 40 minutes to get to her destination. 

During her journey home she was glad that she wasn't used to luxury and comfort her brothers provided for her. The cold was bothersome but it didn't prevent her from walking. Her feet hurt, she was tired, thirsty, dizzy from hunger and emotionally exhausted.

And yet she did not stop walking. She didn't just break down and cry. Anastasio was wrong, she wasn't a fucking princess. She wasn't naive. She will kick his ass so hard when they meet again. The anger was what fueled her fight response so as she was walking she imagine herself slapping Anastasio right across the face. Yes, that felt good. 

But was she fair to him? He was scary and annoying, but he also saved her life twice. And that last stunt he pulled? She didn't know what his deal was, she wanted to understand him. 

Why would he scare her like that at the end of their meeting? Then she realized. He had trust issues himself. What if he didn't like that she agreed to drink with him? He wanted to show her that she's putting herself in danger and someone one day can use it against her. It wasn't malicious, it was a warning. A very scary one. 

And effective. 

She was so caught up in her own thought that she hadn't realized when she arrived home. 

And yet there she was. In front of Ianniello mansion. 

She recalled when she took this place for a historic site, even though she now slept and ate food regularly in this place, it didn't lose its magic. She wondered who lived in these walls before her. What were their stories? Maybe she will ask Alessandro if he won't kill her first. 

When she walked past the open gate she could hear one of the bodyguards stationed at the main entrance informing her brothers through his headpiece that she's back. None of her brothers came out of the house and when she opened the door she could hear Alessandro's voice from the living room, he said "Call off the search"

For the moment nothing happened.

Sofia had the time to analyze every figure present in the living room. Francesco was sitting on the couch with a black laptop on his lap. Valentino just stopped his nervous pacing around the room to stare at her. Alessandro was sitting on the brown, leather chair near the crackling fireplace, he just finished speaking over the phone. On the coffee table, there was a map with crossed off possible locations. They were really doing everything to find her.

Alessandro stood up and started walking slowly towards her. The moment he grabbed her by the chin, he asked with all seriousness and severity in his voice.