Her Mafia Brothers

Needy and Clingy

"I'm here Carrie," Jack whispers from beside me, tightening his arm around my waist.

I'm only half awake, but I snuggle against him, relieved, trying to still my pounding heart. I don't even know what it was that woke me. A nightmare? Or just general fear?

Even in sleep, I'm afraid.

"You promised I'd be safe," I whisper, my eyelids heavy. Closing.

"You are safe, sweetheart, I promise. I'm right here."

His fingers play with my hair, reassuring me.

"Go back to sleep now sweetheart. You're safe, I promise."

When I woke up in the morning, Jack wasn't there. I was in his bed alone.

"Jack!" I called, immediately crying. I didn't want to be by myself. Bad things happened to me when I was left all alone. I sat up, but as soon as my butt made contact with the mattress, I yelped in pain and lay back down on my side, whimpering. I was sore. I was frightened. And I was all alone.

"Jack! I called again, but he didn't come. My heart started pounding, the sound of blood rushed in my ears, and although I knew my brothers wouldn't be far away, probably just downstairs, I was fighting back my rising panic and couldn't make myself move. All I could do was curl up in a ball in Jack's bed and whimper, frightened.

Jack's bedroom door was wide open and I could hear footsteps approaching, and instantly, I held my breath. Who was it? One of my brothers? Or someone bad?

"Carrie? You okay?"

I let out the breath I'd been holding. Rocco. Thank god.

The bed dipped as he sat down beside me, and he rested his hand on my shoulder gently.

"Where's Jack?" I whispered, still curled up tightly in my ball.

"I don't know," he said. "I was in bed. Downstairs, I guess. Why don't you go and see?"

"No!" I shook my head frantically. "Come with me," I begged. "Please!"

I uncurled a little bit, just enough to look at Rocco. He was shirtless, wearing only blue flannel pajama pants low on his hips.

"Can I go and put some clothes on first?"

"No." I grabbed his hand and clung to it, squeezing it tightly. "No, don't leave me alone. Please."

He squeezed my hand back. "You're okay Carrie, I'll do it fast."

"No!" I cried, begging him. "Please don't leave me by myself."

"Have you been to the bathroom?" he asked, perhaps trying to distract me.

I shook my head. "No."

"Well you go to the bathroom and I'll put a shirt on and I'll wait for you."

"No, don't leave me." I was almost incoherent with fear. I didn't want to be left alone, not even for a second. Bad things happened when I was left alone.

Rocco ran his other hand through his hair.

"Okay, you can come with me into my room, and use my bathroom while I find a shirt. Is that okay?"

I nodded, not letting go of his hand even the slightest bit. I gripped it so tightly my fingers hurt, but he didn't try to make me let go or even loosen my grip. I think he knew I was scared.

Gently, he picked me up in his arms and cradled me against his body. He carried me into his room and set me down gently in his bathroom. I'd never been in Rocco's room before, or his bathroom, but I was shaking too much to take much notice of it.