It's been fifteen minutes since I got in this car with the direction; the airport.
Rick is driving me with Morty in the passenger seat and I am sitting in the back. We are talking about nothings.
"I saw that too yeah, it was on the tv." Morty responded to Rick.
They are talking about basketball right now which is not my thing so I took my phone and called Blake to see if he's still alive after that kiss.
After the first ring he responds. "Miss me already, love?" He asked.
"Just checking to see if you're still alive."
"Alive with a broken arm."
"No!" I laughed. "Who did that to you?"
"Marcello obviously. Lorenzo told me that he's gonna pretend the kiss didn't happen. Sandro and Leo were kinda happy for us. Tony shoved my shoulder purposely but he said he didn't do it on purpose. Who's left?"
"Matteo." I chuckled.
"Oh yeah forgive me, you have a lot of brothers. I didn't see him. He left right after you left. I think he was crying.."
"Oh... take care of them Blake."
"I will. You take care of yourself and that contract between us." He said. "By the way, there's a red dot on the back of the necklace I gave you when you're in danger press on it."
"Oh okay." I said slightly surprised with this advanced technology in a such small necklace. "Bye Blake."
"Bye Rose."
"Was that Blake?" Morty asked me smirking.
"Yep." I responded.
"I heard you both kissed—" Rick said but got cut off by Morty.
"Isn't that Ryle... and Kai?"
"It is." I said.
They both got in the middle of the road making us stop.
We roll down the windows and they get closer.
"Rose, you still want to take down the dons?" Kai asked right away without greetings.
I am super confused but I answer. "Yes. Why?"
"This is your chance. There's an entire group of people who are ready to follow your orders. But you need to come with us right now." Ryle answered.
"Why should she trust you?" Rick asked.
"She doesn't have to but we both care for her." Ryle said.
"I don't think your words have any meaning to Mariss—" Morty spoke but I cut him off.
"Why now? It's been more than a year since I announced the dons as my enemies." I asked confused.
"We have been looking for an army that You're gonna lead. Look Rose, my sister— the dons have my sister and I will do anything to get her out of there." Ryle said.
"You have a sister?" I questioned surprised.
"Yes and you can ask Mia if you don't believe me." Ryle rolled his eyes. I believe him, he looks so scared. "Make your decision now Rose."
I am not running away from my fight.
I unlock my door and hop out of the car.
"Let's kill some people." I said.
REUNITED FOR HER
"So my brothers will think that I am in France?" I asked Ryle who's driving and I am next to him in the passenger seat. Kai is in the backseat with his headphones on and singing, he's giving me headache.
"Yes. Are you sure they didn't put a tracker on you?" Ryle questioned.
"I hugged them." I said.
"Okay...?" Ryle said confused making me chuckle.
"I mean whenever Lorenzo hugs me, he puts a tracker on me."
"Kai?" Ryle called out Kai's name looking at him in the revue mirror but Kai's listening to music so he didn't hear him. "Kai!" Ryle yelled and that's when he looked at us.
"What?" He asked.
"Pass me the tracker detector thingy."
Kai opens a black bag that was between his legs and got a small machine out, he passed it to Ryle who then passed it to me.
"Roam it over your body and it will make noise when there's a tracker."
"And if I find one, I remove it?" I asked him.
"Yes." He responded. "If your brothers find out, they will stop you and we need you to save my sister and everyone."
I roam the machine over my legs then my stomach, my arms, my back but not my neck where Blake's necklace is.
I still don't trust Ryle and Kai fully and if something happens, I want to have a plan b.
"I have no tracker on me." I said giving Ryle the machine.
"You sure? Blake is one hell of a bastard, he might have put something on you." Ryle said looking at me suspiciously.
"Well your machine didn't make any noise so..." I shrugged.
He took the machine and put it next to my ear. "What are you doing?" I asked him confused.
"Checking your jewellery." He responded. Well shit.
He put it on the other side of my ear and then in front of my necklaces. The machine didn't make any sound.
How?!
"Okay you don't have a tracker on you." Ryle said throwing the track detector in the back seat.
After a moment of silence, Kai removed his headphones and started singing, he honestly has the worst voice I have ever heard.
"We could have had it allllllllllllllll, rolling in the deeeeeeeeeeeep."
"Shut the fuck up!" Ryle yelled at him making me burst into laughter.
"What? It's not that bad, Rose was enjoying it." Kai said.
"I'd rather lose my hearing than listen to whatever was coming out of your mouth." I said.
"You guys are so rude just wait till my album comes out and I become the best singer in the whole word." Kai said making me chuckle.
A comfortable silence found us once again but it didn't last long.
"Why are you trusting us?" Ryle asked me.
"Who said I do?"
"I mean you're in my car without any Italian protection and we're driving in the middle of nowhere but this doesn't seem to bother you."
"You told me they have your sister, that's enough information for me to know that you have good intentions besides I have been waiting for so long to take action against the dons."
He nodded.
"So Aaron is dead and you're with Blake, the one who killed him." Kai said acting like he's not the one who sent him to our house so that Blake can kill him. "Such a badass move."
"I am not with Blake." I rolled my eyes.
"What did Aaron do to you?" Kai asked.
"Alright we're not gonna talk about Aaron." I said.
"What did he do?" Ryle asked me like I am not getting away from this question.
"He... uhm.. he wanted to carve his name on my body when he heard that Blake is alive." I answered.
They are the first people I tell them about what happened between Aaron and I.
"And that he doesn't blame my rapist because I am so fuckable." I chuckled humourlessly at how disgusting and twisted that sounds.
"What the fuck..." Kai muttered shocked. "I am ashamed to say he was once my best friend."
"He's a sick human, you deserve better." Ryle said and I nodded.
"Oh definitely you deserve way better." Kai said. "I am single by the way."
I chuckled at that.
"What happened to you and Mia?" I asked Ryle.
"She told me she lost feelings."
"Just like that?"
"Just like that." He nodded.
Weird.
"Do you still love her?"
"More than anything." He said hardening his voice as if he's trying not to cry. "I love her more than anything."
"Yo man, give her time and she will come back running to your arms." Kai told him.
"We're here." Ryle said parking his car in front of a big old warehouse that looks kinda like a hotel.
Here goes nothing.
"Do you have a plan?" I asked them as we were walking towards the building, four armed people are already in front of it.
"Not yet." Kai responded.
We come to a stop in front of the four men in front of a big gate.
"State your name." One of the men said.
"Ryle Ashford." Ryle said and they let him in.
"Kai Finch and I know I hate my last name too." They let kai in too then it was my turn.
I am a little nervous.
"Marissa Riva." I said but they kept staring at me. "I am Rose."
After I said that, every one of these four men got on one knee with their heads down.
Oh?
"Boss. We're grateful you made it here." They said in sync.
"Thank you...?" I am so confused.
They both got up and opened the gate for me yelling that 'the boss is here.'
"You should get better at being a boss Rose." Kai whispered in my ear as we were walking towards this big building, it's creepy but somehow feels like home.
I rolled my eyes at Kai but then looked around to see everyone bowing their heads for me.
"Why are they treating me like I am their god?" I asked. "Our mafia's men don't do this to Lorenzo."
"They are welcoming you." Ryle said.
"Oh."
We get to the front door and two women smile at me before bowing their heads. I smiled back and continued walking but someone grabbed my hand making me stop, I look back and it's one of the girls. "We're all counting on you." She told me.
"I promise to try my best." I responded to her.
She nodded before thanking me and freeing my hand.
I continue walking thinking about how all of these people are counting on me to save their loved ones and I am starting to doubt myself. What if I can't? What if I let them down?
I feel like I can do it but what if I am overestimating myself.
"Don't be scared." Kai told me. "We're with you." He said then looked at Ryle who nodded his head.
"All of us are with you." An old woman said before bowing her head and I look behind her to find hundreds of people bowing in front of me.
Hundreds are counting on me.
"Please join us." The woman said taking my hand and I let her as I immediately trusted her.
I look behind me and smile at Ryle and Kai who are following behind.
We get close to a big table and I sit at the head of it.
I am their Lorenzo!
They first introduced themselves, some of them are survivors and many of them are trying to save a loved one.
"If you don't mind me asking, what happens in there?" I ask Dorothy, the one who brought me to this table, she's the oldest woman in here and she's a survivor.
She chuckled and told me that I was so sweet for asking if she was comfortable with talking about her experience considering the fact that I am her boss and I can ask her anything.
"Oh my dear, they kidnapped me when I was 8 years old. There are levels and rules in that big scary place." She said.
"Levels?" I ask confused.
"Yeah, levels, level one is for kids between 7 and 10 years old, level two is for kids between 11 and 14, level three is for kids between 15 and 18." She explained.
"What's the difference between these levels?" I ask.
"Kids in the first level get raped once a month, kids in level two get raped three times a month and kids in level three get raped a lot more."
My heart stopped at her explanation. I can't even imagine— I am gonna puke.
"What happens after their 18th birthday?" I ask my voice barely a whisper as I don't feel good at all after what I just heard.
"They sell them or kill them." Ryle said.
I wonder how old is his sister... in what level is his sister...
"How did you run away?" I asked Dorothy.
"I killed the guy who bought me but it's impossible to escape from the dons. Once you're in, there's no way out." She responded.
I couldn't not hug her. I couldn't not let a tear fall on my cheek. It's just too horrible that it makes me feel lucky.
"You're too sweet my dear." Dorothy said smoothing out my hair.
I pull away and wipe my tears. I stand up with a confident smile. "I can promise you to take down the dons. You can count on me."
All of them started cheering and I can see hope in their eyes.
I can do it. I am gonna save them. I will save my people.
Many people came close to me and I wanted to hug all of them so I did, I hugged them and we talked a little, we laughed a little, the sweetest people on this planet.
They were just waiting for someone to give them hope.
"We need to go upstairs to discuss our plan." Kai whispered to me and I nodded. After saying goodbye, Kai, Ryle and I started walking towards MY office where I am gonna find the leaders and the important people to come up with a plan.
We get in front of the door and they both look at me to see if I am ready to go in.
"Kai go in and we will be after you." I told him and he nodded in response.
Now, Ryle and I are alone and he's looking at me confused.
"How old is your sister?" I asked him.
"She's 14." He responded closing his eyes trying to hold his tears.
"We will save her." I tell him holding his hand with a comforting smile.
"I hope so." He tells me. "I just hope she's... holding up."
"You are a great brother." I said hugging him because he so needs a hug.
I feel so bad for him.
"Thank you Rose. Thank you." He said.
We pull away and a question comes up in my mind. "Why me?" I ask.
"Why you what?"
"Why did you all choose me to lead? I am for sure not the strongest person."
"Rose, you may not be the strongest but you're the bravest because no one in the entire world of criminal organisations had the balls to face the dons except for you."
"Oh? I am the only one?"
"Yes. You're the only one who announced the dons as your enemy."
Oh.
"You ready?" He asked putting his hand on the door's lock to open it and he did after I nodded my head.
"Boss." All the leaders got up and bowed for me, it honestly makes me uncomfortable.
"Don't— Don't do that and call me Marissa or Rose no need for boss." I said sitting once again at the head of the table.
I gotta admit, I am enjoying the power I am holding right now.
"Introduce yourselves." Kai told them.
They introduced themselves and Daniel is the under boss who is me— yeah I am flexing. Then we have Anthony, Nick, Jacob and Ethan. I know, a lot of names to memorise.
All of them are not survivors nor they have a loved one in there. They are just like me, hunting down some monsters.
"We can't take them down if we don't have someone in the inside." Jacob argued.
"Who will agree to go to that place? And we don't want to risk anyone's life." Anthony said.
"I will go in there." I said making them shut up. "But one person is not enough. We need more people inside."
"But boss.. who will protect you in there?" Daniel questioned. "What if something happens to you?"
"I will protect myself and besides, I don't want you fighting for me, I want us to fight together." I said. "Look, I know I am gonna get hurt, I know the consequences of this and I am ready."
"I will go inside too." Ryle said.
"I guess I will go too." Kai said.
"Me too." Anthony said.
"Four people is not that bad for now, if we need more people we will add later but for now let's see if we are able to go in." I said.
"All the microphones and things that we need to communicate with, I will take care of that." Ethan said and I nodded.
"For the first week we will try to free as much people as we can then we have to find out who is the boss and come up with a plan to kill him." I said. "That's the plan, you have three days to organise everything." I order then say the word that Lorenzo always says and it just holds so much power. "Dismissed."
All of them got up and left except for Ryle and Kai.
"We're so getting killed." Kai said throwing his head back.
"Don't be a pussy." Ryle told him.
"The first thing we do when we get there, we free your sister." I told him and he nodded grateful. "So what do we do now?"
"Get drunk and fuck people because our death is so close and we need to enjoy the few days we have left." Kai said dramatically.
"I don't hate the get drunk idea." Ryle said.
"You get drunk, I have people to look after." I said.
"Ugh look at her being a responsible person." Kai chuckled. "I have red wine, your favourite."
"Then drinking it is!" I said getting up and they both chuckled. I love red wine.
REUNITED FOR HER
"You're not coming for dinner?" I asked Matteo on the phone.
"No Leo. I am not coming to dinner until Mary is back." He responded.
"Matte—" and he hung up on me.
"He's not coming isn't he?" Lorenzo asked me as I walked towards my usual seat.
"No he's not." I said taking a seat.
The dining room is empty, only Lorenzo and I are seated but I heard that Sandro is coming.
It's been a week since Marissa had left and the house is not the same, nothing is the same.
We're slowly becoming more distant just like years ago before Marissa came back.
"Hello people." Sandro said coming into the room with Blake. "Where's everyone?"
"Marcello didn't even answer my phone, Matteo isn't coming and Tony is with Raven." I responded.
"Have you heard about the dons?" Blake asked Lorenzo who nodded. "They are loosing a big amount of their prisoners, it almost feels like Marissa has a hand in this."
"It's impossible, she's in Fran—" I said.
"Nothing is impossible with your sister." He cut me off.
"Blake, Marissa is in France and you know that." Lorenzo said.
It's true, all the trackers we put on her clothes, bags, phone are in France right now so she's definitely there.
"Sure.." Blake muttered.
"Can Ivy come over tomorrow?" Sandro asked Lorenzo.
"Sure. Are you sure you two are just friends?"
"100% sure we're just friends." Sandro rolled his eyes at Lorenzo's question.
"Just saying that she's a really nice girl and..." Lorenzo said looking like a proud father.
"I will not be in a relationship until you find someone."
"Well then you will never be in one."
We laughed at that.
Yet it was a sad laugh. Just come back Mary.
REUNITED FOR HER
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