An Echo in the Mafia (Echo Reid, Reid Family Book #1)

Part 7

"Oh Rocko, noooo... get down." She said as the giant dog appeared, barking as he tried climbing over her. It was so strange, this dog usually either avoided her or growled at her. Now the monster was trying to jump onto her lap as if he didn't know just how big he was. Of course, Echo was not as short as Maru but she certainly wasn't as tall as Romy. Middle height, middle life.

Echo didn't mind being the forgotten middle child, it suited her and all her social anxieties just perfectly. She wouldn't like to have a dozen or more invitations to have to decline or have to be dealing with men showing up left and right like Romy or Maru.

Then as quickly as he settled over her, he pulled away, barking at her in his usual fashion.

"Dumb dog." she muttered, turning back to her plate and realizing why he'd jumped her. "You little..."

He'd taken her sandwich.

She almost laughed at that one.

Echo felt herself blush as the image of the large man she'd seen in the elevator came back to her. He certainly made her feel like a small and fragile female. She shook her head, trying not to think about it again but all week, the image of him kept creeping back into her thoughts. She couldn't escape him, she couldn't escape those eyes. Echo had never been very interested in anyone before- man or woman- but then again, she'd never met anyone who made her feel... that. If she was lucky, she'd never run into that man again and soon she'd forget him and never think about him ever again.

Still, he was the reason she was losing so much damned sleep. She tossed and turned for hours every night, no matter how tired she was. She just kept picturing his face, over and over. It wouldn't be the first time Echo had trouble sleeping, her anxiety had given her more than a couple sleepless night but she'd done so much better lately, had learned to manage it better. This man had somehow managed to disturb her to the point that even her usual tricks could not lull her. Then, when she finally did manage to drift off, it was to find herself face to face with him again in her dreams.

"Found you."

Echo almost jumped up in her seat. Damn it.

"Hi Vera." She said to her sister, who was currently wringing the excess rain water from her pretty blonde hair.

"You know you shouldn't be out here. This storm is going to get worse before it gets any better. I saw on the weather report it's going to be a nasty one." She said, slipping off her shoes. Vera was a very neat person, always very clean and well dressed. It was just like her to remove her shoes to avoid tracking any mud or debris inside.

It was also just like her to hover over them possessively. Romy might lack that natural, big sister instinct but Vera took it very seriously and was constantly mothering them all, even Ben whenever he was around.

"Well it's not that bad yet and I'm just finishing my lunch before I go lock myself in my room again." Echo said. Vera looked at her and sighed.

"It's going to be a full house tonight with the storm. You'll have trouble hiding." She said, looking directly at her.

"I know." Echo replied. Vera watched Echo for a second as she sulked over a half eaten plate of fruit. She'd been more quiet lately, a little more reclusive. She couldn't understand it. Vera was a very social person and she found it hard to understand what Echo was so afraid of... but she understood that for whatever reason, space was important for Echo.

"Everyone else will be here soon, I think. They won't come out here, I'm sure of it. I mean, who would with this weather?" Vera said, almost as if telling her she would get the privacy she wanted. "I'd say you can probably enjoy another 45 minutes."

"Thank you." Echo said.

Vera stood a few more minutes, glancing at Rocko who seemed particularly pleased at himself.

"Something wrong?" Echo asked, wondering why she lingered. Vera glanced at Echo, her lips opening as if she had something to say... but she hesitated, shaking her head.

"No, I just remembered something about a case I'm working on." Vera said with a smile.

"You and Romy are always thinking about work, aren't you?" Echo said.

"Always, but actually this time it was one of my other cases." Vera said, referring to some pro bono work she did on the side.

"I don't know where you find the energy for it all, Vera." Echo said. Vera shrugged, turning back towards the house.

"I like to help." Vera said with a soft smile. Echo wondered for a second if there was something else...

"45 minutes, and then inside to dry up." Vera said, as she walked inside. Echo stared after her for a second. Vera was always thinking about others before herself and Echo wondered why she couldn't be like that.

With a sigh, Echo looked out towards the pool, watching the drops of water hit and finding it strangely soothing. It was nice of Vera to give her some time to herself- 45 extra minutes- but she didn't doubt that if she wasn't accounted for by then, Vera would drag her inside herself.

She looked towards the sky- it was getting pretty bad. She wondered if maybe she should just go inside, after all, there were parts of the lawn at the bottom of the slope that were now large puddles. The last thing she needed was to get sick, she hated worrying them and they would worry, maybe even hover. Her family was so very warm and loving, she would never complain about how much affection they gave her but Echo did always feel a little awkward. She wasn't very good at showing affection. She wasn't naturally sweet or gentle, she didn't display her feelings quite as easily as her mother, or Vera or the twins. In this, she was a lot like Romy. They two of them were much more silent when it came to those things, finding it hard to express things like that. She sighed, picking up her plate and preparing to go but then... something caught her attention.

Echo stared, squinting her eyes. Was that a dog? A doe maybe? She moved a little closer, stepping out of the protection from the covered porch and into the main part of the terrace. No... was that a person? She watched as the figure continued to move forward. She wondered if she should go call someone but then she stopped as she watched the person stumble and struggle. Were they hurt? Then, they fell forward and stopped moving completely.

Without thinking, Echo ran.