Amore Mio (#4)

Chapter 12: Survivor

With a water bottle, she cleaned the blood off her hands and face before finally settling down on the bench opposite ours where Lawrence had been sitting. Her eyes studied Robyn silently as the girl was slowly beginning to calm down in my embrace.

"What's your name?" Athena asked, leaning forward on her knees.

Robyn looked at Athena. She was wary as any girl in her position would be. She was traumatized. After another second of reluctance, Robyn opened her mouth. "Robyn Wood."

Athena hummed and patted the bench next to her. "Sit with me. I have a few questions for you."

          Robyn looked at me hesitantly, seeking my approval. Amidst this fiasco, she had formed a bond of trust with me and clung onto me as if I was her only hope, her safe space which instilled a sense of protection in me for her.

          I gave her a nod and untangled her from me. She stood with the blanket wrapped around her small frame and trudged toward Athena before sinking down beside her.

          "What's your name?" Robyn queried.

          An amusing smile settled on Athena's lips with the girl's prying question. If it were anyone else, Athena wouldn't have cared enough to answer or would've made up a fake name, but she answered honestly. "You can call me Athena."

          Tears accumulated in Robyn's brown eyes at once as her lips began to quiver. "That was my mum's name too."

          There were no emotions on Athena's face as she wiped away the tears that swept down Robyn's cheeks. She kept her stoic expression intact and acted indifferent. Everyone in the mafia was trained to be like that. Knowing the kind of person Athena was, it wasn't a whole lot surprising. The woman had chopped a forearm and a head earlier.

          Athena lifted Robyn's head up with a finger under her chin. "Tell me how you ended up here."

          Robyn swallowed her emotions and sniffled. "I-I was in Thailand on a vacation with my parents. We were surrounded late night and they killed them."

"They were murdered in front of you?"

Robyn nodded, her features distorting with the tears she was trying to hold back. "They cut their th-throats." The poor girl broke down helplessly and my heart clenched at the sight.

I had lost my parents when I was young too, but I hadn't witnessed them being murdered before my very eyes. I didn't understand how anyone could get past that, especially someone that young.

"Hey, listen to me." Athena cupped Robyn's face and forced the girl's eyes to hers. "Do you have any family you could go home to?"

Robyn shook her head. "I'm all alone now."

A sigh escaped Athena's mouth as she wiped away the girl's tears. "There's a place I can take you, but it's your decision to make."

Robyn looked at me for approval once again, but I couldn't make that decision for her. I knew Leo's organization had taken children in who later worked for them, and I was certain that was what Athena was implying. Robyn would become a part of the mafia if she accepted, and that was something I couldn't decide for her because once she was in, she'd be in till death. There had to be another way.

Athena redirected Robyn's attention to herself by turning her head. "Don't ask for her permission. This is supposed to be your decision and about what you want. Once we are under safer circumstances, I can explain everything properly and what all will happen. Then you must decide, alright?"