• blood for blood •
I know I said this many times but I really never liked my name. Like what are my nicknames supposed to be? Momor? Mory? Ran? I can't take it seriously. Apparently it's not really my name, but no one knows my real name. I remember mother changing it because I have a faint memory of her calling me a name that starts with N, then all of a sudden she changed it—
"So you okay?" Kieran asked me interrupting my thoughts. I nodded in response.
"You sure?" Adriano asked me and I nodded again. "Like... you're fine?" I nodded once again.
It's been fifteen minutes and they didn't stop asking me that same exact question. I am getting tried of nodding, my neck is sore!
"She's lying. She's not fine." Elio said shaking his head no.
"Why would I be not fine?" I asked because from what they know I should be fine, right? I mean they don't know about the videos.
"No one goes to Gio's office and leaves fine." Adriano said. "What's your punishment?"
"He didn't give me one." I said then looked at their faces and nearly bursted out laughing, their shocked expression is not a usual thing you see from the Cortello brothers. "What?" I chuckled.
"What do you mean what? You don't want to know the punishment I got, you won't be able to sleep at night." Kieran said frowning.
"Sucks to suck." I smiled at him.
"You evil little thing." Adriano said hitting my big forehead playfully.
"I can't believe you got away again." Elio said impressed. "From both, Gio and Milo."
"Favouritism at its finest." Dom muttered opening his eyes. We're all in his bedroom while Gio went searching for Milo. I shot up from my seat and walked towards him.
"You okay?" I asked him and he nodded before trying to sit up but he couldn't so I put his hand on my shoulder and told him to push on it but he was scared he was gonna hurt me so he crashed Adriano's shoulder instead.
"Dom, you didn't take your medication and you don't rest. You're not gonna get better like this." Elio told him.
"I'm fine shut the fuck up." He glared at him.
"You're not fine." I said. "Please Dom, I need you to get better. I can't fight you when you're this sick." There's a war coming soon brother...
"I'm fine." He spat out glaring at me. I sighed fixing the pillow for him. "I'm sorry. This is my fault." I apologised. He's hurt because of me.
"What? No Morana—"
"You all are just gonna keep getting hurt because of me." I cut him off, tears gathering in my eyes. "I don't want you to get hurt. And I don't think I can protect you."
"Morana, we protect you not the other way around." Elio said putting his hands on my shoulders.
"No. I—" I stop and take a deep breath. "I'm gonna go to my room." I take a step back and point my finger at Dom glaring. "Just rest."
I find my phone in the kitchen where Kieran left it and go to my room. I click on the conversation between me and the unknown number, Gabriel. I need to do something— anything.
Give me more time (a/n: her conversation with Gabriel is in french). I send.
And not even a few seconds later I get a response.
You and I both know that you don't need time to get this mission done.
I do. They saw the videos. They don't want me anymore. You were right, they are evil.
I lied and I will keep lying if that's what will take for me to save my ass.
You're lying. I know they care about you.
Not anymore. They promised me to someone, they want me to get married. And you know that I will do everything to stop them from doing that.
You're lying.
I don't lie. And you know it.
Yes. But you will do anything to save yourself. I know you Morana. I raised you.
Look, either you give me time and you will finally get rid of the Cortellos. Or you let everyone see what's yours. I don't see how you're winning.
I will do and say anything to get more time.
Fine. How much time do you need?
A week.
That won't do it.
A week and I kill them all.
I know you're strong Morana but you're not that strong.
I have a plan. I know what I'm doing. Give me a week.
Fine. Seven days.
I see you got back to your senses, we are your people.
Yes. I made a mistake.
I for sure didn't. I hid my phone before walking towards my bedroom's door but it opens in my face startling me revealing Kieran who closed the door behind him. We stared at each other for like a minute before I spoke because the silence is killing me. "What's up?"
"Sit." He said as he walked towards my desk and sat on my chair. I took a seat on my bed facing him. I am having a bad feeling about whatever is happening right now.
"What is it?" I asked nervous. "Is Dom okay?" Now I'm fucking scared.
"He's fine." He said looking at his hands that are on his lap before he looked at me in my eyes. "I really hope I'm wrong." He said and now I'm confused and more scared and more nervous, Kieran never wants to be wrong. "I hope it was just one of those random messages that underground people send."
Messages? There's no way he saw them. I took his phone. There's no way he saw them. There's no way he knows. There's just no fucking way. Morana keep calm.. he's talking about something else. Deep down I know he isn't.
"What are you talking about?" I asked.
"You gave me your phone to call Milo. I did then I tried closing the app but I don't know how I opened another app, the messages app. And there were videos—"
"Stop." I said closing my eyes. He knows. I was reckless. Why didn't I just call Milo myself?
"I didn't play the videos. Because I thought they were just the videos that some sick people send to underground fighters." He said. "But then I started thinking..."
I opened my eyes and he's not looking at me anymore. He's looking down at his clenched fists trying to control himself. "What if those videos were the notifications you tried to hide from us? And why would you hide them if... they didn't have anything to do with you?"
"Then when you were with Elio. I took your phone but you had a password and you didn't have that before today, which means you're hiding something." He continued. "I had the choice, wether to just hack it or ask you to tell me the truth." He looked at me and I had tears in my eyes and one them got away from me and fell down my cheek. "So Morana tell me the truth, what are you hiding?"
I was speechless. It's like I never talked before. My throat hurts and my heart is pounding. And I was just looking at him. I was searching for a lie because he didn't see the videos, I can say that I am protecting a friend for all he knows. But I'm crying and I wouldn't be crying if I was just protecting a friend, my body betrayed me and gave Kieran the answer before I could say anything.
"Punishments." I muttered. And I know he understood because he shot up from his seat and walked towards my window away from me as he put his face in his hands.
"Gabriel?" He asked and I nodded even if his back is facing me and he can't see me. "I knew it. I fucking knew it. And I asked you about it in the car and you— I should have known—"
"It wouldn't have changed anything." I cut him off. Him knowing now or days ago doesn't matter.
"No, because he would have been dead by now. He shouldn't have been allowed to live even for one more second." He said before starting to walk rapidly towards the bedroom's door but I got in his way. He didn't look down at me, he just tightened his fists and let out a frustrated breath.
"Kieran." I called out his name. And he closed his eyes swallowing hard. I am searching for something to say. But I've got nothing. The only thing I know is that if I let Kieran go right now, he will do something stupid.
"I'm trying so hard to control myself right now. I need you to get out of my way." Kieran said still not looking at me. Why can't he look at me?
I didn't move so he finally looked down on me. He looked me in my eyes and I was scared of him. I was terrified. I took a step back because this is not the playful Kieran that I'm used to. Kieran is serious right now. And if I learned something from the men I worked with is how to handle them when they are a second away from losing it.
"I'm sorry." I apologised but it didn't seem to loosen his anger, if anything he looks angrier. "I tried fighting him... but it only got worse—"
"Morana." He cut me off. "Morana." He repeated my name and I don't understand what he's thinking right now. He took a step forward, I took a step back. He looks terrifying. He is terrifying. "Why Morana?" He asked and I still don't understand. My tears are falling and falling and falling.
"Why what?" I asked still taking steps back as he's taking steps forward but I reached the wall unfortunately and now I'm trapped. He's standing in front of me and I can't make anything out of his face expression.
"Why..." He ran his hand up his face into his hair. "Why does it hurt so much?" He asked and I was stunned. "Tell me, why do I... feel so much hurt?"
"I don't want you to feel hurt." I said crying even harder.
"I know." He said. "I'm sorry." He apologised but he shouldn't, it's not his fault. And I want to tell him that but I don't know what's wrong with my throat, it just burns so much so I just keep shaking my head no. "I'm gonna fucking kill him." He said so angrily. "God, Morana, he's so dead." He took a step forward and punched the wall behind me in frustration. I flinched trying to get away from his fist that just made a hole in my wall. "Stop being scared of me please." He said and I know I shouldn't be scared of him but I am. He is terrifying. I can't help but try to get away from him when he's this angry.
"I'm sorry—"
"Don't." He shook his head. "Don't ever apologise." He said looking straight into my eyes. "And do not be scared of me."
"I can't." I said truthfully. Him hurting me isn't the scary part, the scary part is that I can't hurt him back, I am more than capable of defending myself but I won't ever defend myself with hurting my brothers.
"I would never hurt you, do you hear me? I would never even think about it— Morana, you are... you are the most important thing in my life." He said taking my chin in his hand, the same hand that punched a hole into the wall but it was so gentle touching me. "I know it's hard to trust people fully. But I fucking swear to you Morana, I will never hurt you. I. Will. Never."
"I know..." I really do know that he doesn't want to hurt me, the question is will he not? Because I don't want to kill either but I do it anyway and sometimes I find pleasure in doing it.
He put his hand in the back of my neck and pressed my head to his chest as he hugged me. I put my hand on his arm loving the fact that even Kieran is willing to touch me. But Kieran let go so fast— it's a progress that he even hugged me willingly to be honest.
"Milo knows, doesn't he?" He asked and I'm honestly shocked at how smart he is, he puts the pieces together way too fast. I nodded in response. "Now it all makes sense." Kieran sighed. "Does Gio know?"
"No." I responded immediately. "And I don't want him to know... or any of you actually." I muttered.
"Tell me what's going on. Did Gabriel send those videos? What does he want you to do?" He asked.
"He wants me to kill Gio and Dom or he will send the videos to the entire underground."
"I won't let that happen." He said promising me.
"Neither will I." I sighed. "We have a week to do something before he sends the videos to everyone."
"We have plenty of time then. Gabriel will be dead by fucking tomorrow—"
"We have to be smart about it Kieran." I said. "I don't want you getting in trouble. Ever heard of blood for blood? We can't just kill him. We need a plan."
"I will die happily knowing that that bastard is rotting in hell—"
"Well I rather have him alive if that means I can keep you unharmed." I cut him off glaring at him. I don't care how Gabriel is doing as long as my brothers are safe. "Will you tell the others?" I finally asked the million dollar question.
"I will do whatever you tell me to do." He said but I'm sensing a but coming. "But..." I knew it. "Gio has to know."
M O R A N A
A/N:
Dommage les Bleus 🇫🇷 but congratulations 🇦🇷 - Morana.