Her Mafia Brothers

Rocco in Charge Part Three

I've dropped my teddy on the ground and I reach down to pick it up but I'm too short and can't reach, so Rocco grabs it for me and tucks it between us.

"Every time you cuddle your teddy, I want you to remember how much I love you." Rocco's voice is a hoarse whisper, and his words make me smile against his throat.

We sit there in silence for I don't know how long. Maybe just a few minutes, maybe close to half an hour. But I don't let go of my brother for even a second. His strong arms around me make me feel safe, protected. Loved. I wish so much that I hadn't doubted him before, but there's nothing I can do about that now.

"I love you Rocco," I whisper.

"I love you too, little sis." He smiles down at me and kisses my forehead tenderly, just like Jack does. I think it's the first time Rocco has ever shown me such affection, and it melts away any remaining doubt left in my heart. My brothers love me. All of them do.

My head throbs and my butt burns, but I don't move. I'm quite content sitting here like this with Rocco, even if I am in pain.

But then Rocco shifts me off him and onto my bed beside him because his phone is ringing in his back pocket and I have to move so he can grab it.

It's Damon. Rocco answers, listens for a moment, then puts the phone on speaker, wrapping his arm around me and pulling me close, and holding his phone in front of us both. It's a video call and I can see his face. Stern. Unyielding.

I start to cry again when I see my oldest brother and his stern face softens.

"Why are you crying, Carrie-girl?" he asks.

"I miss you," I say, rubbing my eyes with the heels of my hands, trying to stem the flow of tears.

"I miss you, too. But what's really the reason? Ordinarily you'd still be at school, and you don't see us when you're at school anyway. So why are you crying?"

I should have known he would see straight through me. He's silent, waiting for an answer.

"My head hurts and my butt hurts and I'm sad because my trust issues got me in trouble again," I blurt out, all in one breath.

Damon looks confused.

"Slow down, Carrie-girl. Let's start with your head. Why is that sore?"

"Because I bashed it on the bottom of Jack's bed." I really didn't want to tell him the truth. He wasn't going to like it.

"What were you doing in Jack's bed?"

"I wasn't in it, I was under it."

In the camera, Damon looks exasperated.

"Why were you under Jack's bed? Rocco, maybe you should help me out here."

Rocco shook his head. "No, she will tell you." He gave me a stern look, to tell me he meant business, silently warning me to tell Damon what he wanted to know.

"I was hiding from Rocco."

"Carrie!" Damon exploded over the phone. "You better have a good explanation for that, little girl."

"I was frightened," I said. "Rocco called out to me, telling me to come out, I wasn't in trouble. But I didn't believe him, because that used to happen to me before.... Back when...." A sob caught in the back of my throat and I couldn't say any more, so Rocco quickly told Damon what I had told him.

I watched as a shattered expression crossed Damon's face before he quickly forced it away.

I took a deep breath.

"Rocco found me and pulled me out and spanked me and that's when I hit my head, then he put me on Jack's bed and spanked me some more. So that's why both my head and butt hurt," I explained.

"Okay." Damon tried to look stern, but he failed miserably, making me giggle.

"Well I hope you're never going to do that again," he scolded, not very sternly. "No more hiding from us, okay? We need to know where you are at all times. It's really important, so that we can keep you safe."

I nodded, meeting his eyes through the screen. "I know. Rocco told me. I won't do it again, I promise."

Damon smiled. "Good girl."

He looked away for a moment, maybe to see what was happening behind him, and when came back he sounded a bit rushed.

"Well my sweet girl, I have to go, but I wanted to check you were okay. You've had quite a morning, haven't you?"

I nodded glumly.

"Use words," Damon reminded me.

"Yes. My morning has sucked. But I'll be okay, Rocco is looking after me."

Rocco squeezed me then, obviously pleased with what I had said and I smiled up at him as Damon hung up.