Descent to Corruption

14

Dinner is eaten in relative silence, Leo refuses to leave my arms so I feed him and myself as both Rossi brothers look on. A little after we eat we're all sat in front of the TV finishing up the movie from earlier and it does not take long before soft snores from Leo are felt on my neck as he rests in my lap. I can't help but look down and smile at the sight of him sleeping, the type of no worry rest that only a child seems capable of nowadays. A throat is cleared and I look up to spot Luca standing in front of me with his arms outstretched.

"I'll put him to bed and we can all talk."

With a slow nod from me in acknowledgment, it hits me again where and who I am with when the bubble I had made with Leo in it is burst. Brushing his soft curls away from his face, I can't help but press a soft kiss to his forehead before handing him to Luca.

I watch him walk away and it's Nico's voice from the other side of the room that has me looking over.

"You seem to charm everyone you meet Bell." He says as he looks my way with a sad, wry smile.

I shrug and look down to my now clasped hands, I still had not forgotten what had gone down just a few days ago and I felt nervous speaking up.

Sighing heavily he sits up and pins me with his gaze, "I am sorry for all that happened, I never really liked this life to be honest, but right now I have never resented it more."

His statement has me pursing my lips as I think of what to say, my instinct is to comfort him, but my greater fear wins out and I find myself remaining silent. Before he can say more, incoming footsteps from the hallway indicate Luca's return. He steps into the room, his presence commanding and as I look up to his heavy, dark stare that is already on me I mentally kick myself for not putting the very obvious pieces together of something shady going on here.

"Arabella, I think we owe you some explanations." Luca smoothly states.

I feebly nod my head looking between the Rossi brothers, whose combined presence fills me with both fear and a quieter feeling I don't dare examine yet.

Luca unbuttons and rolls up his sleeves as he sits, I have to drag my eyes away from the innocuous but alluring action. I wet my lips and glance to Nico who it seems has not looked away from me once. When our eyes meet I again find myself having to pull my gaze away as it brings up those quiet feelings I don't dare put a name to at this moment.

"Our family-" Luca hesitates here before continuing and he takes a moment to once again search my face, "They're involved in some serious matters."

His phrasing makes me want to scoff, but I hold it in and I begin to press my nails into the back of my clasped hands as I wait to hear where he is going with all of this.

"He means it's not all on the 'up and up', and there are consequences that come with that." Nico juts in.

Luca slides a hand down his face before speaking, "Arabella, to put it bluntly we are part of the mafia."

"We're not part of the mafia Luca, we are the mafia." Nico quickly corrects.

My eyes widen exponentially, I mean I knew they were involved in something shady, but this was leagues away from what I was expecting.

"I know this is a lot to handle, and if it were up to me I never would have said anything, but we just don't have that luxury anymore." Luca firmly states.

"Bell, some bad people are after us right now and they've seen you with us which means you're no longer safe."

A hazy picture is coming together and I ask the suddenly burning question I have, "Bad people meaning Gabriel Hawke and Sebastian Kelly?"

The moment those names fall from my lips both brothers sit stick straight in a move that almost looks coordinated.

Nico shoots a sharp look to Luca who immediately replies to my question, "How do you know of them?"

Their response, the automatic suspicion in their matching looks causes a hollow laugh to come out and it takes me a second to realize it's coming from me. "I'm really the unluckiest person in the world aren't I?" I quietly say to myself.

"Bell, how do you know them?" Nico repeats with a tense look on his face.

My nails, now dug well into the backs of my hands- enough that I know I will be bleeding soon, are what I look down to as I reply. 

"My latest temp job has been at Hawke Industries, that's where I met Gabriel, and Sebastian saved me when a pharmacy we both happened to be in was robbed. They both acted like you two, all squirrely and suspicious when they found out I knew you guys and they interrogated me about how and where we met. Off their reactions to me knowing you two I feel like it's not too far a leap for me to assume they're the bad guys here right?"

Luca and Nico look to each other and a silent conversation occurs between them. I can't begin to discern what is going on or what they're thinking, so I ask once more the question that I am hoping deep, deep down is somehow wrong because it would come in conflict with some burgeoning feelings that I have yet to fully acknowledge for both Sebastian and Gabriel- feelings similar to the ones I have for the very same Rossi brothers in front of me.

"Are Gabriel and Sebastian who came after us that day?"

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*Hello everyone! This one is short, but I wanted to get out what I had so far- who knew confrontations and revelations were so hard to write??? 

Anyways I hope you all are doing well, please vote and comment I love to read your thoughts on the story!!