I knock on her door and it takes a moment but Cora opens up dressed for the day. "Are you ready?" she nods, walking out and shutting the bedroom door behind her.
"niki?" Hazel walks out of her room. "this is hazel" she walks by my side as hazel's smile "hey, good to see another woman in this hallway" she leans on the wall just under the hallway light.
i grab hazel's hand and cora walks on my right "are you guys um- together" we both laugh "no we're not,i like girls too though" hazel smile and cora nods "dominico doesn't care?" I shake my head "Antonio and Dante are together too, my father isn't like most mafia bosses" we walk down the steps and make it to the dining room.
"where do i sit?" i hum "wherever you would like'' she nods as hazel and i take our seats leaving her to sit next to hazel. The food is already set as we start eating.
"okay cora this is the rivera family" she nods "feel free to introduce yourselves" i take a bite out of my toast "i'm alice, stefanos girlfriend" she smiles and stefano nods his head "stefano"
i glare at him "if your going to try and be all cold faced and hard now your going to have to keep it up stefano" i take a sip of water and stefano breaks character laughing.
"I'm sorry, I'm Stefano, the best Rivera sibling." coras brows raise "I'd have to disagree" his head tilts "what?" she hums "niki has better humor and skills than you do" vinchenzo snorts.
"anyway, vinchenzo." he points to himself "you can call me that or vin or v i don't really care" cora nods "i'm aunt v, that's what you call me" she smiles
"i'm antonio, this is my boyfriend dante" his hands slide across dante's back as he smiles "luciano" he takes a tougher bite of food trying not to wince "you're not related to anyone are you?" her head tilts.
"i'm not, what makes you say that?" she hums "well you have brown eyes but they aren't as dark as dominicos like stefano or antonio, your hair is lighter than roses and your bone structure does not match roses or anyone" i laugh a bit.
"okay anyways, i'm blade" our heads turn towards the end of the table to maria daniel and blade. "God given?" her head tilts and he shakes his head "unfortunately no" she nods "his real name is brandon, if he pisses you off just call him that" hazel whispers in her ear and cora nods.
"I'm Maria and this is daniel '' Daniel Sanchez takes the coffee pot and pours himself another cup "it's a pleasure to meet you cora" she nods smiling softly.
"Are you all always here?" domino shakes his head "no unfortunately not" he smiles "it's usually just us plus luciano"
"oh okay" her fork pushes around her plate for a moment before she picks up her glass of water and shakes it around lightly. Hazel looks at me and I immediately know what she's doing.
"Eat up, you've had a long day." Rose places the food in front of me with a glass of water. "So what did we learn from training?" I use my left hand to eat because my right has two broken fingers.
"don't assume" i take a bite out of my food making my mouth water "when is training going to stop, mom i'm really good i'm able to go on missions" i take a few more bites before i pick up my glasses of water taking a large chug.
"You're really good, not amazing. you must be impossible to stop if you ever want to get anywhere" i nod looking down into my food. my body gets tingly and my brows furrow let "mom'' my stomach and head feel numb "i don't feel so good"
and then i woke up in the warehouse getting questioned about what i did wrong during my meal. She taught me to look at everything I ate for poison or sedatives. It took a long time but it eventually started to work. It's a hard habit to break now.
"hey cora" i whisper and lean closer across hazel "we won't sedate you here, i promise" she nods taking a deep breath "do you want something other than water" i sit up straight "no this is okay" i nod and we all get back to eating.
We finish eating quite quickly and we all just look at eachother preparing for what to come. "Are we ready?" dad looks around us. "I think so," Antonio takes a deep breath.
we all begin to stand and antonio helps dad up "i'm going to go to my room" cora looks at me and i nod "okay, my offer is still open whoever you'd like" she nods "here i'll go with you" alice walks over "we'll have time to get to know each other" alice smiles wide "okay" they both walk out of the room and up the steps.
"i'm going to go home touture isn't my thing" blade starts to get his things together "alright" he starts to say goodbye to people and when he gets to me he looks at luciano "if you try anything i hurt you" he laughs i reach up giving him a hug and squeezing him a bit even though it hurts.
"alright that's enough" i smile at luciano's tone and pull away "i'll see you soon brandon" he glares at me and i laugh making my way over to luciano "let's go"
Dad has already made his way down the steps and I take Luciano's hand walking down with him. Surprisingly, he isn't as slow as I expected.
Dad and my family waited in front of the door as we get there "no turning back after this" . For the first time in my life I see something in Antonio, anger, real genuine pure anger.
he was around the same that i was when roses left me, he's gone years without seeing her. "let's go" he turns the handle and pushes the door open. The six guards staying on watch leave the room as soon as we enter. There's a seat a few feet away from rose.
Maria helps dad into the seat and we all surround him. "you wanna wake her up" he turns his head to me and i pat his shoulder walking up to him.
In that moment a shift happens in my body, it knows to just push everything out as soon as I reach her feet. she's ruined your life. I raise my hand and use the other to pull her unconscious head up, slapping her as hard as I can.
her blue eyes jolt awake and i step back she can't hurt you, she's chained up i stay in my place only about a foot away from her.
"Nicoletta" her french accent sends chills down my spine and I back up to everyone else. "oh to the gods" she gasps "antonio?, vinchenzo?" she pauses "stefano?" Antonio's jaw tenses in my peripheral and I grab his hand.
He takes a deep breath "dominico" she smiles "you've aged well" her head tilts gross "who wants to start" dad taps his finger against his ankle that lays over his knee.
i don't even hesitate as i rush myself forward and grab her left pinky bending it as far back as i can until i hear it snap "ouchie" she laughs and i punch her in the face, and then i do it again "fuck you" and againt "fuck you" and again "va te faire foutre" (fuck you)
"prendre après maman je vois" (taking after mom I see) I pull back to punch her "niki enough" dad's voice makes me stop and I lower my hand and just stare at her. "listening like a puppy" her head tilted as blood trickled off her face.
my jaw clenches fuck it i throw thee punch to her face and another and another and a rapid speed until i feel vinchenzo pull away "don't do this to yourself niki" his arms wrap around my body restraining me.
"maria, danny" roses head tilts "if i knew this was going to be a reunion i would have dressed for the occasion" she smiles "come on rosie" daniel slides his finger along a knife "you know you're not welcome" she hums.
"since this is a reunion, where's that crazy bitch lee" she smiles and i look at luciano who immediately looks at the ground "dead." his jaw clenches and I shift my body letting vin know he can let go of me.
my heels touch the ground and i walk over to him taking his hand "dead?" he squeezes my hand as he looks up. rose looks at our intertwined hands and then me.
my body wants to pull out hands apart no nicoletta why do you want her approval. "murdered" luciano walks forward "very funny, trying to break me on the inside out" she rolls her eyes "who are you to tell me about my lee" she scoffs.
he steps forward into the light some more and her brows furrow. "luciano? you've certainly grown up" he takes a deep breath as his grips my hand "you don't want to rip your stitches, so be careful" i keep my voice low and he nods.
"L'amour rend faible" (love makes you weak) my jaw tenses and i turn to her "clairement, vous pensez cela parce que vous avez quitté tous vos enfants et votre mari." (clearly you think that because you left all of your children and husband.)
rose clicks her tongue "J'ai quitté mes deux garçons et mon mari." (i left my two boys and my husband) my brows furrow "what?" rose smiles causing blood to drip into her mouth.
"you and stefano were accidents, the dream family dominico and i wanted did not have you two in it." I turn to Stefano and he's just as surprised as i am. "you two mean nothing to me" she sends me a disgusted look.
kill her kill her kill her kill her kill her kill her kill her kill her
i go to jump at her but i luciano holds me back "luciano deluca, don't you fucking do this to me right now" he tugs me back "stop" i feel vinchenzo grab me and i kick against him "let me go!" rose just watches me like children watch animals at the zoo.
Stefano walks up and behind her chair. He grabs the knife in his pocket and stabs her in the arm. she doesn't ever finch but her lips tighten when he starts to twist the knife.
"oh come on, you gotta try harder than that" she looks at him and stefano glares down at rose jerking the knife up and ripping skin. her eyes shut as she hums, stefano rips the knife out and rose waits a few moments to open her eyes again.
"Why did you leave?" I turn to Antonio "why would you do that to us" she looks up at him. Antonio is quite tall so our chained up mother has to angle her head up all the way.
"antonio" dad waits a moment as my eyes drift to my brothers white knuckles. "what" his head is turned enough to look at us and still be facing rose "don't be taken over by emotion, you're more powerful when you're calm" my heart sinks a bit.
we're so different. My brothers were brought up in a much more safe way. They can't do what I do. they can't accidentally kill someone with their bare hands without realizing. they can't completely shut out emotions like i am.
every single one of my siblings are dealing with the reality that their mother left them and now she's here because she's hurt all of us in a different way. they have no other choice but to absolutely face the painful truth of our mother. i have a choice of just keeping anger flowing through my system until i can distract myself from the reality of my mommy issues that run so deep their significant even in my childhood before all of this.
"please" i get pulled out of my thoughts by a whimper i've never heard in all eighteen years of my life. "rose rivera begging?" i pull away from Luciano and walk slowly to antonio.
"i never thought i see the day" i fold my arms as i stand above her "it really is a shame rose, we haven't even started to tourture you and your crying?" i scoff.
tears roll down her cheeks "suck it up you pathetic bitch" i raise my hand and swing it down coming into contact with her skin.
Nicoletta stop. I pull back "I'll be back in an hour or so, have your way with her" . I turn around as my heels click on the door and I make it up the steps. i know everyone will hurt her enough so when i do it she really feel the pain i've felt.
...
"i want to go down with you" cora chews on her nail "sure" i get up from the couch as the faint screams of rose echo through the house.
I take a deep breath.
she's here
she's here and now you can hurt her the way she hurt you.
for sara
for you
for the little girl who wonders why mommy never said i love you or ever reassured her in any way.
anger rings in my ears and i feel a hand hook around my arm. my head snaps to cora but i relax knowing it's her. "i'm scared" she takes a deep break exhaling "don't be, let anger control you" we walk down the steps and the screaming gets louder and louder as we approach the closed door.
"do you want to walk in first" i turn to her and she shakes her head. i turn the knob and we walk i togther shutting the door causing everyone to turn to us. "rose, i got a familiar face for you" cora tenses but she doesn't let the fear show as we make it to the light.
vinchenzo moves out of the way to reveal a bloody rose who's practically weakened. "cora?" i walk forward "standing here is just fine" I look at her "she can't lunge at you, hurt you, stab or shoot you. there's nothing to be afraid of"
cora stares off for a moment "i can't be here" she lowers her voice "i'm not ready, i thought i was but i'm not i- please please don't make me stay" i smile softly "hazel will take you upstairs" she nods "hazel" she looks up at us as cora makes her way back into the dim part of the room where hazel is standing next to dad.
"I'm happy you're not pushing yourself" Hazel rubs her back, sliding a hand over her shoulder and waking out. turning back to Rose she looks up at me with disgust "you've brainwashed her" I smile turning and walking over to the table.
My eyes scan the knives and I grab a small one with a longer blade. I grab the lighter next to some bullets layed out nicely and walk back over.
"You've given me such pretty nasty scars, mind naming them for me" I twirl the knife in my hand. she scoffs "fine." I flick the little blue lighter and bring the blade of the knife to the fire.
"you know, cece has been waiting for your arrival" i look up at her "don't you even think about touching her" i scoff "oops, you might be a few months too late" i laugh a bit walking over to her "you're weak nicoletta, you won't hurt me" my brows raise "you made me everything but weak" i take the hottest part of the knife and slide it down her arm.
roses face twitches in visible pain but i know it's not enough to make her scream. i pull the knife away "the thing is rose, i know how to break you into the nothing that you made me feel for years"
i place my hands on each arm of the chair over each of her wrists, "we're going to tourture you for as long as we want and then i'm going to have the men that bow down to me string you up and i'm going to burn you alive" i smile and she just glares at me
"or maybe i'll just beat you to death the same way i beat marcus" i dart across her face "i'll humiliate you like i did carter and that girl stella"
"maybe i'll even you tourture you for months like we're doing to celia" her jaw tenses "leave her alone, you have me. that's what you want right?" i sigh "i think i'm going to go pay her a visit" i stand up straight.
"nicoletta maria athena rivera!" I look down at her, not letting the fear pass through me "you have no power rose" i turn around.
hurt her. I grip my fists and turn back around, hitting her in the jaw. "tomorrow is a new day, more pain" i grip her jaw so she looks at me "i'm going to make you beg for me to kill you" i shove her face out of my hands and wipe the blood from my siblings tourture.
...
"I would say our lessons together are working" Dante smiles and I hum sipping the white wine that was just poured. "control is possible for you" dante takes another bite of food.
"i had our members knock her out and string rose up differently, leaving us with more tourture options" we all look at dad "good, i wanna break her ribs" i cut into my food in front of me.
"what kind of tourture options?'' Cora takes a sip of water. she's getting comfortable "well it leaves her body more exposed, so whatever you can think of"
cora nods "i'm sorry i didn't even try today, i've just never tortured someone before let alone my- uh." she thinks for a moment "mentor?" she hums "anyways, i'm good at anything else but that '' dad smiles "we'll we can work on that" she takes a sip of wine.
"I also will have you enrolled in the online school Hazel and niki did, if you'd like to go to a normal highschool i can make arrangements" her head tilts "can i have some time to think about it?" Dad nods "of course just let me know before friday" she nods while taking another bite of food.
"dad we niki and i actually accidents" i snort looking at my brother and his stupid questions "of course we were, look at how far apart in age we are from the other two idiots" i nudge him.
"I wouldn't say accident" dad pauses for a moment "just unplanned" i snort again "so we were?" i tilt my head "no, we didn't exactly think we wanted two other children but we weren't taking the precautions to do so" gross.
"hey at least we're the hotter siblings" i point at Stefano and he nods "i can't argue with that" he holds his fist out and i fist bump him.
"that is not true, so you think i'm hotter than niki" vinchenzo looks at hazel and she laughs "no way in hell, yeah your nice to look at but she's hotter" i smile at hazel "i know you don't have to tell me."
"i'm surprised none of you got Doms terrible sense of humor." Dad raises his eyebrows at aunt v "i'm surprised your kids- oh wait you don't have any" she rolls her eyes "at least my wife loved me when she died" i cover my mouth trying not to laugh.
"here we go" stefano says under his breath "v our father didn't even love you" she nods "well atleast i didn't kill my body gaurd because i was trying to get some" my eyes widen "wait what"
"alright v that's enough" he holds his hand out "no dad i wanna hear this" antonio points in between dad and aunt v "no, i don't speak on the topic" he takes a larg sip of wine "aunt v?" hazel tilts her head.
"okay so we were 16 and this was right before him and rose started dating but they were kind of in this awkward 'i don't wanna talk to you because i like you so much and you give me butterflies' stage and this girl comes over-"
"okay okay you win" aunt v smiles "that's what i thought"