The Desire

25

Avalon Heights

"I think going as a Bratz doll is brilliant. Most of those kids will have tacky or overdone costuming but you'll be a trendsetter." Walking towards Niccolo's office I overhear his and Gia's conversation. You wouldn't think that only an hour ago the two were in a fight. It seems as if that was only a distant memory now.

"That's exactly what I said. Ugh, you're a genius when you're not barking orders and being growly."

"That's part of my job Gi." Mockingly he makes a silly face at her. Seeing him so playful has me almost double checking if this is some trick.

"It shouldn't have to be." She says dejectedly. "At least not here, not with us."

"Hey, I can handle it. That's part of being a Morino." She smiles at his response and my own smile forms. He never lets them see the toll his position not only in the organization but the one in their family takes on him. The plight of the eldest child. I know it all to well.

Not wanting to eavesdrop on anymore of their conversation I knock on the doorframe.

Both of their heads turn my way. "Avalon." Gi get's up and pulls me into a hug. It takes everything in me to hold down the sob that threatens to come out. Nalani. I can't help thinking of my little sister. Would she hug me this tight? Would we ever get the chance to?

"Gi, looking as pretty as ever." She laughs, flipping her hair over her shoulder.

"Can we watch a movie together? We didn't get to last night." We had made a plan to have a sleepover in the living room. The crises that keep breaking out had me shadowing Niccolo later than what I thought we would.

"Let me just talk to your brother for a quick minute and then we can resume our sleepover plan." Gia perks up at my response.

"I'll get everything together and oh-Alessandro told me your size and I got us matching PJ's." She's out the door before I can respond. Her excitement sparks my own. I never got to do these things with Nalani and as much as I don't want to mess up I can't wait to at least try.

"She ditches her security and you reward her with a sleepover?" Niccolo scoffs.

"You rewarded her with a Halloween party, by the sounds of it this will cost you an arm and a leg." My eyebrows raise at his own reaction towards her antics. As if he gets to judge me. Yeah, right. Like me he's a big softie for the girl, there's just something about her.

"Don't remind me." He grimaces. "You came to speak with me, it must be something serious." He gestures for me to sit, which I do. "What can I help you with Avalon?"

This topic isn't easy for me. I wish I could cleanse myself from L2V and all the other horrors I have faced. If I could shed skin like a snake I would. Mine is tainted from my past and all of its proclivities. Contemplating my life isn't what I came here for. I came to give Niccolo one thing that would give him leverage, not just over my father but his other enemies too. Especially the Fauici's.

"I'm not sure how much Jesi has told you about L2V or how it's operated."

"She briefed me on the major things."

"Being an agent means going out on missions that are contracted out privately." The latex gloves, band-aids, sterilized tools and some other things I arrange on his desk. "We debrief as you do here, instead of having verbal meetings as a team we have a digital log. The log is documented on a microchip." Snapping on the blue latex gloves I pull my hair back into a ponytail.