THE HOUSE WAS A decent size, nothing like my other brothers but I didn't expect it to be. It looked like a real home, warm and cozy with a bunch of plants up-front and some chairs on the porch.
Walking up I could still feel the nerves eating me alive, though I knew whatever happened I wouldn't regret my decision.
"Just so you know Mattia's going to be there," Leo clarified as he placed a firm knock on the wooded door. The door stood out with it being a bright red color, while the rest of the house was white's and grays, and a few wood accents.
After a second of the doorknob rattling the door opened to reveal a young woman, she was very pretty.
She had dark skin and it looked to be glowing, her brown curly hair was tied up in a bun on the top of her head. She had on some loose jeans and a red shirt, a few shades lighter than the door.
"Why hello!" She greeted, opening the door wider to welcome us in. Leo stepped in first with Metteo and I trailing behind. The house had a fall scent to it, I think it was pumpkin spice but im not one-hundred percent sure.
"Make yourself at home," She told us as she started walking into the house. The living room was very pretty and the couch had dozens on pillows scattered on it, I was just wondering where anyone was able to sit. It was hard not to notice the overflowing buckets filled with kid toys
We descended further into the house taking a sharp turn and going down a dark hall. The smell of pizza filled my noise as we made our way closer to the kitchen.
I didn't expect the doorway to be so close, but it was and I was met with, what I assume is Logan and two little kids both having a conversation with Mattia.
"Logan," Leo greeted, nodding at Logan, shifting his eyes to the young kids for a second.
"Leo," Logan than said, crossing his arm over his chest as he seamed to be studying all of us.
"Dinner will be ready shortly, Bryson, Lilah why don't you come help me for a little bit," The woman said, clearing up the silence in the room.
"Bella you can stay if you'd like, would be much more fun than having a chat with them," She said, making me give her a small grateful smile. I don't think any of the four men wanted to talk if I was being honest, because none of them made any effort to move.
Mattia did look at me but once he realized that I in fact want in the mood to deal with him, looked away.
"Go talk all of you, i'm not dealing with any arguments during dinner. Go," She shooed them of and I already know that I was going to be able to tolerate her. They all reluctantly left the room, though I was happy I didn't have to sit in the middle of their 'talk' I was very interested in what would be said, because I like knowing everyone's business.
well sometimes.
"Bella right?" The woman asked, I nodded my head as I walked more into the kitchen. Watching the two kids sit at the table having many markers and crayons in front of them. It didn't seam like they were very good with drawing in the lines because there were scribble marks all over the table.
"I'm Mia, it's great to meet you," She smiled at me, "That's Bryson and Lilah, their both six," She explained. Going to the oven and taking out a pizza and placing it down.
"I made the pizza!" Bryson said to me, giving a toothy grin.
"It looks really good," I told him, "I like you're guy's drawing," I say to them as I tilt my head, I think they were drawing animals but if I'm honest I'm not very sure.
"You two get what you want for drink, and please clean up the table," Mia told them, they both sprung up and ran to the fridge, where they both pulled out a juice box.
"Great choice," I told both of them. They proceeded to walk back the the table and placed there drinks down, then putting all their coloring utensils in a container and placing there pictures on the fridge. The fridge was already overflowed with pictures, being held up by some magnets that looked ready to fall anytime soon.
They placed the container down on a bench next to the table, which again had some pillows on it.
"Bella could you help me set the table? Twins go get changed quickly," Mia said, the twins nodded and went out of the kitchen, they were both waring some pajamas and I didn't really know why they had to change, I mean I didn't really look any better.
I walked over to were Mia was standing and grabbed the stack of plates she set out, taking ahold off all of them and walking to the table, placing one at all the chairs.
"It's really great to meet you, Logan always talked about you when we first met," She told me, it did really come to me as a surprise. I nodded my head just as the twins headed back into the room, surprised at how quickly they returned.
Lilah wearing some pink shorts and a gray shirt and Bryson wearing black sweatpants and a navy blue sweatshirt.
"Don't you think my outfits pretty?" Lilah asked me, grabbing the bottom of her shirt in a way to display it to me.
"It's beautiful," I commented making her give me a big smile.
"Pinks my favorite color, although I really like navy but Bryson said we can't have the same favorite color," She pouted out her lip and crossed her arm over her chest.
"Navy could be your favorite color, you just don't have to tell him," I whispered to her.
"But that's a secret," She whispered back, "Those aren't allowed in our house." I resisted the urge to roll my eyes, not at her necessarily but because of the stupid rule that seams to be a tradition in our family.
Most family, honesty is something that's praised but I don't think you should make a 'no lying' rule. Some things just don't need to be explained, some things you can just keep to yourself. I mean that's what I do, and my brothers, and their cousins, and my friends, everyone does it.
"Secrets are part of life, everyone has secrets," I say standing up and walking over to the counter, by where Mia and Bryson were both making a salad.
"But then daddy will be mad at me," She tilted her head.
"I'll be mad at you for what?" Logan said, walking into the room with my other three brothers training behind. They all had neutral expressions, none of them radiated anger, though none of them seamed happy either.
"That Bella told me to keep a secret," Lilah said, I have never seen four sets of eyes dart over to me so past.
"Really Bella?" Mattia sighed, and I rolled my eyes at him turing my head a bit so Lilah couldn't see me.
"I mean that's not really what I said, I was just saying how everyone has secrets," I shrugged.
"Thats not a lesson to teach to a four year old," Mattia explained.
"It wasn't a lesson, more of a- mhm what do you call it? Privacy, maybe," I looked over at him to see him shooting daggers at me, practically.
"Ok enough let's start eating, the foods going to get cold," Mia interrupted, she seamed to be listening intently on our conversation. Logan was the first one to walk over and take a seat sitting on one side of the bench, Mattia sat on the other side of the bench.
Mia, Bryson, and Lilah all found themself on the bench on the other side of the table, and in swift movements Leo and Metteo both took the seats at the end. Leaving the only available seat between Logan and Mattia.
"Can I sit at the counter?" I asked, Looking at mostly Leo.
Mia turned her body around so she was facing me, "It'll be fine, neither of them bite. Well for the most part," She explained, which just made me want to sit at the counter oh so much more.
"This is a setup," I mumble at I walk around the table and squeeze myself between the two of them. Everyone grabbed a slice of pizza and put it on their plates, quickly starting to eat.
"So Bella, have you started school yet?" Mia asked me.
"No not yet, I'm not started for a while because of a certain incident," I tell her.
"Oh no what happened?" She sounded worried, which did confuse me a bit.
"She missed a lot of school the year before, they are still trying to catch her up," Metteo was quick to explain, though I didn't like that excuse on bit.
"If you going to make up a lie make sure it doesn't make me seam like an idiot, I actually finished my grade with all A's," I announced.
"And a C," I head Mattia mumble, I quickly kicked him under the table for being a smartass, and annoying.
and just for fun.
We all continued eating in silence, other the Mia talking to the twins. The pizza was gone very quickly it did last longer then I though it would last, though.
"I'm going to get bring them up to color for a while, I'll be back in a bit," Mia explained.
"By Bella," Lilah smiled at me, which I returned. Bryson waved at me then proceeded to follow his mom and sister out of the kitchen. The first thing I did was get up and walk over to the other bench, where Mia was sitting with the two.
"So what's this incident that you guys are lying about?" Logan asked us, "I mean there is no lying in my house," He raised his eye brow.
"It's really none of your business," Leo tells him, looking him straight in the eye.
"Well I'd like to know."
"You don't get to know though, it's my decision who I want to tell now that it's all over and i'm choosing not to tell you. I mean give me one reason why you should know, I'll listen," I interject, putting both my arms on the table and leaning in, indicating that he has my full attention.
"I'm your brother as much as they are, whether you like it or not. If you don't tell me, mom will, though I'd rather not pull that card," He countered back.
"Wow you really are as bad as they all said you where. I mean yes you're my brother but you certainly aren't acting like it," I tell him.
"I'm not even doing anything, i'm sure Leo has done much worse."
"Sure, but Leo was the one who took me in after I lost both of my parents," His eyes flickered up at this, then I realized he had no idea what happened to mom. He though she had been fine with me all this time, and he would have never known if Mattia and his little group hadn't tried to find him.
"Mom's dead?" He looked at all of us.
"No, she's fine now. Was just held captive for a few years," I pretend to pick at my nail, feeling sick to my stomach as I remembered how I found her, how desperate she was to get help.
"Bella stop, right now," This time Leo butted in, and I stopped because I had nothing more to say.
"Listen I don't want any trouble with any of you, I want you guys to leave with all of us on good terms ok? That means I'm not leaving until you learn to understand where I was coming from," He paused, "Everyone else has already understood and are willing to start to come back together, but i'm not going to just let you all leave with you hating me."
"I don't hate you," I tell him, "I just don't have any reason to like you, really."
"What have you guys said to her?" He glared at both Leo and Metteo who sat at both ends of the table completely unfazed.
"The truth," Leo replied, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arm over his chest. It was clear that during there little talk earlier that hadn't cleared much stuff up. I wouldn't be surprised if they had just sat in complete utter silence the entire time.
"And what was the truth? How most of you hated me for some unknown reason?"
"No we hated you because you convinced mom to leave, causing many bad things to happen," Leo clarified, I hated how he was never clear on anything yet we all knew exactly what he was talking about, other than Logan.
If im honestly I don't like that Leo's blaming him for the abuse I went through, he had no way of knowing that my dad would turn out abusive. No way of knowing our mom would disappear and leave me alone with him. He had no way of knowing anything, therefore Leo shouldn't be blaming him for it. Im the only one that can be doing that, and im not.
"Leo I don't blame him for that, so you can't either," I looked at Leo, though he didn't seam to care, brushing off my words.
"Bella I really don't care if you blame him or if you don't, because I do and it would have never happened if he didn't talk mom into leaving."
"I was trying to protect her! You all know it to, you think I wanted either of them to leave? I was the only one who was actually using my fucking mind, ok? So don't you ever try to blame me for doing the best thing any of us could have done in that situation," His voice was stern, scary even. It reminded me so much of how Leo is when he's mad, very clear and scary but he doesn't yell, and that might be what terrifies me the most.
"You didn't know what you were talking about, you were four-teen for goodness sake!" Metteo voice now yelled, him, unlike the other two would yell when he was mad. Somehow I preferred it to the back chilling calm voice.
"Can all of you shut up, you are grown men, fucking act like it," Mattia scolded.
"Oh you shut up, you tried to poison us all for goodness sake. Great job, putting our sister in another traumatizing situation," Metteo scoffed.
"That wasn't traumatizing," He looked like he wanted to roll his eyes, but had to refrain himself from doing so.
"Yes, watching your cousin practically collapse and have to try and run over to prevent everyone else from doing so. Don't you realize what would have happened if your plan would have gone through? How Bella would have to be all alone while the rest of us had poison in our body, you are crazy, along with the other two," Metteo told him.
Mattia looked at me, a look of guilt, yes. Though it was a look I have received many times, and it was a look I learn to put past me, let them feel guilt for what they did, what they didn't think through.
"Bella when we go home I'd like to talk to you, k," Mattia said his eyes flickering to me.
"Mhm," I mumbled, reaching over the table to grab my cup of water, then gulping it down in big sips.
"I don't want to leave this table until everything if fine, between all of us," Mattia said.
"No one really care's about what you want," Metteo reminded, I covered my mouth to try and stop a laugh that was about to come out.
"Lets try this, Metteo who are you mad at right now?" Mattia asked.
"Scenes when did you turn into a therapist?" Metteo questioned him, "Always I'm mad at you, mostly, Logan's only taking up about ten-percent of my anger."
"I agree I think were all mostly mad at you," Leo said.
"Agreed, I'm not mad at Logan though," I said, I did hear Leo whisper a 'should be' under his breath.
"I'm sorry for trying to poison everyone, ok? I should have thought in through."
"You know you could have just like left, there was honestly no reason to do what you did. Now don't expect us to forgive you right away, though I do except you apology," Leo stated, just a a text message lit of his phone screen.
He peered over and his face saddened changed.
"Shit," He said, looking up at all of us, "Everyone here needs to leave, now," He declared, quickly getting out of his chair and signaling everyone else do do the same.
"What happened?" I asked him.
"Vince is on his way here, I guess," He explained.
"What happened with Vince?" Logan asked.
"He kidnapped Anna and Sophia a while ago, was holding mom captive and wants Bella dead, pretty much every bad thing you could thing of," Leo told him, "Tia out of all the things you didn't explain this?"
"I didn't have time to explain to him how fucked up our family has gotten," We were in the living room now. Just as a knock was heard on the door, making out escape impossible.
"No one move," Leo said, though it didn't work as some kicked the door open, it didn't seam very hard to do. Vince was the only one how could be seen, making me think he was all alone, he probably was.
"Ah Bella, just who I came here to see," His voice was like venom, he still looks the same, it hasn't been very long sense last time I'd seen him though. He was wearing dress pants, with a sweatshirt.
Logan inched closer to me, I could see from the corner of my eye. Vince stayed at the door, not making any sudden or even slow movement, he did have a gun in his hand though.
You could head the stairs giving our small creaks then you could see Mia appear at the bottom, she looked at all of us them Vince making her eyes go wide.
"What going on?" She asked us, inching over to where Logan and I were standing, behind everyone else.
"I'm just here to see Bella, we haven't gotten to talk in a while. You were very lucky to escape, I had all of you fooled," He said, "Now Bella can either come with me, or the people that are currently seated in those twins room well take them, and they'll come with me."
I took a deep breath, "Vince you don't have to do this," I tell him, after I said these words I realized how stupid they were coming out of my mouth.
"Yes, that's true though I haven't gotten my revenge yet."
"Don't you think holding three people from our family captive is enough revenge?" Mattia asked him.
"No," Vince said, Leo's hands went behind his back and he was doing his signals again, this time just pointing at the door.
Logan reached down and grabbed a loose part of my sweatshirt, quickly gaining my attention. The he turned around blocking he from Vince and ran out the room, Mia wasn't far behind us.
"Logan the kids!" She cried out, putting her hand over her mouth.
"Bella don't move at all ok? Stay here," He told me, as we stooped running once we got to a spare bedroom, I hid as far as I could away from the door. They both exited the room, closing the door behind him.
I could hear everyone's voice from outside a lot of arguing was going on. Then a gunshot, one signal gunshot echoed throughout the entire house, that when I decided to get up. I should have listened to what Logan told me to do, which was to not move but I needed to know who that shot ended up hitting.
I slowly opened the door, I could see the staircase from across the hall. Everything was painfully silent, which made my breather become very uneven. I kept going down the hall until I could finally see the entire living room and doorway. Everyone was gone, other than Vince's body that had a bullet right on his stomach, he was still moving as he clenched the wound.
"Look what they did to me!" He yelled as he caught sight of me, "They tried to kill there own family!" I almost laughed at all the irony of his statement, but was to focused on where everyone seamed to disappear too.
"Bella!" Someone yelled in the distance, I'll looked around the room but it remained empty, other than the body that was rolling around in discomfort.
but
the body
was
slowly disappearing.
"Bella!" My eyes regained focus and I was seated back at the dinner table, with four pairs of eyes staring at me in utter confusion.
"You ok?" Logan asked me, "You were breathing really heavy," He then added.
"Yeah I'm fine, just daydreaming," I answered, trying to get all this attention off me as quickly as I could, "What was the text message you got?" I directed this question to Leo.
"I already said what it was about," He tilted his head in a challenging way, though I don't know what he was exactly trying to challenge.
"Well I didn't hear you, obviously," I muttered.
"Riccardo almost lit our room on fire, he told me before the hotel gives me a call," He said.
"How did he do that."
"I don't know Bella, I don't know how the three of them do a lot of things," He answered me. I nodded in understanding, but everyone was still keeping there eyes focused on me. I looked down, staring up the table for a while. When I looked up again they were all still looking at me, I shifted uncomfortably.
"Why are you guys looking at me?" I looked between all of them, normally when someone would say that you would take it as a hit to look away they didn't though.
"No reason," Metteo answered.
"You guys are being very creepy, can we like- stop this?" I said, the only person who didn't have their stinging gaze piercing my skin was Leo, who was typing furiously on his phone.
"You look a lot like mom," Logan said out of no where.
"Well no shit?" I furrowed my eyesbrows, "Ow!" I yelped at a strong kick hit me under the table, I quickly looked under to see Mattia leg slowly rocking, indicating that he was, indeed the one who had kicked me.
"Bella watch your language," Metteo scolded.
"I'll take that as a complement, maybe," I told Logan.
"Maybe?" Metteo questioned.
"Yeah, maybe," I never really like when people would say those things, I don't know why though because my mom is and has always been very pretty.
"Is Dante better?" Mattia asked.
"You should ask him yourself, make sure you apologize also. I hope he doesn't forgive you though, that would be funny. I mean I probably wouldn't if I was him," I answered.
"If you were in that situation you should forgive me, I mean I have saved your life countless amounts of times," He tells me.
"Thats honestly quite dramatic if I say so myself. I really didn't ask you to ever help me, I could have fended by myself, like I used to do."
"Don't guilt trip Bella, it's not cute," Mattia tells me.
"God I can't believe you were ever my favorite," I sighed, "Was you entire plan to just be nice to me, get me to trust you, then pull so stupid shit like this," I laugh.
"Let's not do this again," Leo interjects.
"He started it!" I raise my hands up in surrender, Leo raises his brows, "Just so everyone knows," I mumbled, bringing my hands back down and to my side.
"Well as much as I loved this little, get together I have other children under my guardianship that I need to get out of trouble. It was great seeing you Logan, Tia, I would recommend staying somewhere else for the remainder of the trip. You're not the most liked person in the family right now," Leo said, getting up from his seat as Metteo did the same. Myself almost sprung up and a wave of dizziness did hit me at this sudden movement.
"Am I allowed to see mom?" Logan asked, his voice hinting a little bit of nervousness.
"No," Leo answered turning his back to him and starting to walk out of the doorway.
"Don't listen to him, you can, she wants to see you," I reassure.
"Bella you don't make the rules."
"Well then why don't we get someone to ask mom right now, I bet her answer will be the same as mine," I tell him.
"Fine," He mumbled, "But if you say anythings stupid to her, or bug anyone else in our family while you're there, you will be signing a death wish," He turned back around to hand out a swift glare to Logan, and Mattia before marching out the door.
"This family has a flare for the dramatics, I guess," I whisper, "It was really nice meeting you though, hopefully I'll see you again soon," I tell Logan before quickly walking out of the room finding Leo and Metteo in the entryway ready to walk out.
"You guys are really mean you know that right?"
"Yes, i'm very aware," Says Leo as we walk to the car, and get inside.
I take one last look at the perfect two story house, with family pictures on the walls and too many pillows to count, I take one last look on what I wish my life was.
If everything was just perfect, too perfect to be true.
UNTOLD
Thought on Logan?
Mattia's being a real bitch..
HOPE YOU ENJOYED I LOVE YOU SO MUCH<3
(4433 words in the chapter)