Blood Rivals (Book 3)

Chapter 1

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Chapter 1

Addy's POV

"Well Miss Auturro, it looks like you're good to go. As soon as your mother arrives to get you, you're free to go home." The doctor told me as I finished off my third glass of water for the morning.

"I don't understand why I have to wait for Belle." I replied refusing to acknowledge as my mother until I really knew her.

The doctor looked a bit uncomfortable as he fixed his glasses. "Well, it would simply be wise to wait for someone to get you. You have only been recovering for the past three weeks. You still need plenty of rest. We can't take any chances due to the fact that liability will be on me if something should happen to you and you're alone."

My position didn't move. "But why her? If I could get another person-"

"Miss Auturro, please. Just be cooperative." The doctor pleaded.

I sighed and signaled that I wasn't going anywhere. When he left I took out my new phone and called Jonathan to get my regular update on what Belle was doing. It was amazing how someone who just showed back up in my life could already solidify the high position of 'temporary Boss until I was feeling better'. Belle was acting as if she were the one who fought her sister to the death, quite literally, just to please her dead father.

It was moments like this where I wish I could have killed Alina myself rather than Belle so I could torture her for what her men did to my father. But since Belle said she killed Alina for trying to hurt me, I couldn't. At least in some way I knew Belle had my back even if I didn't completely trust her yet.

I had no idea what she was trying to do but after hearing Paul's suspicions, I planned to keep a very close eye on her and her daughter. Unfortunately, I haven't been given a reason to hate or even mildly dislike Azmina, yet. Every time her and Belle would visit, she'd avert her eyes and stay silent. There was nothing for me to talk to her about so I didn't bother engaging in mindless conversation. But if she was anything like Eva, then I wanted nothing to do with her.

Jonathan answered almost immediately, just as he has since he bought me this phone about two weeks ago. "Hello?"

"Hey." I answered sweetly.

"Hi. What's going on?" Jonathan routinely asked.

I rolled my eyes in response even though he couldn't see me. "Nothing. I'm just waiting for Belle to get here so that I could finally go home. Anything happened lately involving her or Azmina that I should know about?" I asked.

"Azmina has been really different since yesterday. I don't know what happened but she's been more... quiet. Her and Matteo been hanging out a lot too." He informed me.

"Yeah well, we still don't know much about her. And we can't trust that she won't go back and report things to her mother. So for now we just watch her okay? We definitely don't want to be dealing with another Eva situation. Azmina might think something about Belle giving me her complete and undivided attention. What's going on with Belle, though?" I asked as I pulled on my boots. Someone had prepared for me to have a new set of clothes for when I was ready to leave since all I had was the ones from three weeks ago, but it was covered in blood, some mine and some were others.

"Same. Ever since she showed her face here, she's been getting so much attention and questions, and she's slowly been filling their heads with whatever story she's making up about her reasons for leaving. Soon everyone will be eating from her hands."

He was right. We needed to figure out what her game was before everyone began to side with her and make her permanent Boss. I sighed into the phone. "Okay when I get home we can talk about it some more. Tell Matteo to make sure his dad is still neutral. He was Papá's right hand man. If Belle gets him, he might tell her all kinds of information that we don't want her to know... yet."

I actually heard Jonathan pause. "Yet?"

"Look, I know she's seems a bit... off, but she's my mother and my only parent at this point. I can't shun her out completely. Besides, she at least deserves a chance to gain my trust. Right?"

"Addy-"

"Right?"

He sighed. "Fine. Do this your way."

I smiled. "Thank you. Anyway I'm going to finish getting ready. I'll see you in a few."

"See you soon."

Just as I hung up, there was a knock at the door. I shouted for the person to come in and Belle peaked her head in. Today, as it was everyday, her hair was in a tight professional looking bun and she wore a grey pantsuit. She stepped all the way inside and smiled.

"Are you all ready to go?" her friendly attitude made it hard for me to believe she could ever do anything wrong.

"Yeah. I'm all set."

"Come on," she motioned me to follow her, "the car's out front."

As we left the building I got a good look of it this time since last time I was out cold and dying. It was a big place. Three story white brick home with columns leading visitors out. Green grass covered the stone passage way on both sides, complimented by colorful roses and tulips against one side. The doctor obviously took great pride in his home.

Belle's driver opened the door to the backseat for me. Nodding my head, I thanked him before carefully climbing into the SUV and settling down next to a, not surprisingly, quiet Azmina. I glanced her over. She was a petite little thing. Her pin straight dark hair curtained her face as she stared at the phone in her lap.

Belle sat in the front with the driver and almost immediately got a call on her cell. As she answered it, I continued to take in what I could from Azmina. She was definitely an introvert.

"Are you going to continue to stare at me or ask a question?" She snapped in Italian.

Guess I was wrong. I had to admit I wasn't expecting it at all. Last I checked, I hadn't done anything for her to be mad about... unless this was the first stage of what was going on with Eva. Instead of snapping back, I sighed and raised my hands in surrender. "I'm sorry." I replied in Italian. "I didn't mean to stare."

She looked at me. The similarities we had didn't leave any question about us being sisters. "It's fine." she said.

I cleared my throat. "So... Azmina right?"

She cocked her head to the side. "Is this your way of making awkward sibling conversation?"

I blinked and laughed lightly before running my hand through my messy ponytail. A hot comfortable shower was much needed right now. "Yeah. Yeah I guess so."

The beginning of a small smile played on her face. "It's sad, really."

I grinned. "Not my strong suit. I'm better at violence and business rather than making friends... or family for this matter."

She looked away. "I've never really had to make friends before until a few weeks ago." She gave me a small smile this time. "Or family for this matter."

"Well, looks like we found something in common." I said.

"Looks that way, Adelaide." she replied before looking back at her phone.

I touched her shoulder gently. "Please, call me Addy."

She slowly turned her head to me before breaking out in another small smile. "Okay. Addy."

I smiled before moving my hand and settling in my seat. "Wake me up when we get there." I said before I closed my eyes and fell asleep.

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And I'm back! Very short beginning I know but I just wanted to get this up. Please vote on book 2 which I put in the Wattys 2016. Share my story!!

Above is a picture of doctor's house.

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-Dani