No Strings Attached

CHAPTER 9

"Penelope," he cries softly, "Please my love," he says, his head falling as his shoulders shake.

"I'm so sorry my love," he says again, his eyes closing.

"Mom?" I say, my voice trembling as I shake my head, "What happened to her?" I ask frantically, looking at Dad as he looks at me.

My Grandfather laughs, a sick, cruel sound as he points his gun at Dad.

"Dad?" I ask, my breathing picking up.

"I love you Ana, so much baby," he whispers, giving me a small smile before another bullet shot goes off.

A piercing scream rips through my throat as the guards let me fall to the ground, Dad's body shuddering like Moms' did as he slumps in the chair.

"What did you do?" I scream, looking at my Grandfather as he just laughs.

"Take her," he says, looking over my head to the men behind me.

"No," I sob, "Take me with them," I beg, trying to scramble away from the hands attempting to grab me.

"I don't want them to leave without me please," I cry, screaming as the harsh hands grab me again.

"No my little granddaughter, you're going to do for me what your Mother never could," he snickers, grabbing my chin.

"Kill me with them!" I scream, unable to think of anything else.

Unable to think of life without them.

"Take her," he says coldly, his eyes glazing over in a dull emotion I've never seen before.

"No!" I scream, trying to pull myself away from the men who begin dragging me out.

"Mom! Dad!" I sob, "Please take me with you," my voice breaks as my body collapses into the arms now dragging me out of the room.

My tears begin falling rapidly down my cheeks, my body shuddering as my breaths come out in ragged pants.

"It's not real," I whisper, "It's not happening Ana," I repeat, trying to calm myself down.

I drag my nails down my arms in an attempt to match my breathing, my fingers lacing through the necklace hanging from my neck.

I play with the daisy between my fingers as my head falls back onto the shower wall.

I haven't had a panic attack for months, I thought I was finally getting better, but I guess not...

My eyes open as I watch the foggy shower screen, clutching onto my necklace as I try to forget the memories which are attempting to force their way back into my mind.

But this is why I'm doing it. Why I'm going to finish the hit on the De Santis'. So I can get out of my Grandfather's custody, so I can escape him.

I let out a shaky breath and stand up, turning the shower off and squeezing my hair out.

I step out of the shower and wrap a towel around my body, pulling my hair up into a bun before patting my body dry.

I pull on my sweats and can't help but smile as I pull Dad's old jumper over my head, warmth flooding my body.

I let my hair fall down my back and plug in the hairdryer, letting the loud noise drown out my thoughts.

————

I should probably go downstairs to get dinner, but I honestly can't be fucked seeing more people today.

Even though Le Aquile Rosse is my family, sometimes I need a break from them.

They can be so loud.

I sigh and get into bed, pulling the duvet up as I lay down, my fingers still laced around Mom's necklace.

I'm going to do it. I don't care what it takes, but I will escape my Grandfather one day, regardless of the lives which need to be lost in the process.

//

Sorry for being MIA for a week, I had a tonne of assessments and this was the first time I got to actually sit down and write,

I'm going away next week, so I'll try to write some chapters to publish whilst I'm there, and I'll start the next chapter after I publish this, so I'll update either later tn or tomorrow,

But until then, have a good day/night and don't forget to vote!!

Abi <3