TW: mentions/representations of rape or SA. If this subject offends or triggers you in any way, shape, form, or fashion please scroll past or exit the book. Thank you.
A/N: This is a bit of a longer chapter. Sorry 'bout that. But enjoy! :)
R E G I N A
I can feel him tossing and turning throughout the night. I know he can't sleep and I feel bad for sleeping without him, knowing what's going on in his head. I wish I could enter his mind and make all of those thoughts go away. But I can't.
He left a few minutes ago but as soon as he did, I just couldn't find it in me to go back to sleep. So I get up after him deciding that I'll join him in the office. Maybe I could help him work. I crawl out of bed with a bit of difficulty, considering the slight pain that courses through my lower half.
Damn. He really did a number on me.
After the pain somewhat subsides, I grab one of his hoodies and a pair of his boxers. They're way too big on me but I roll them up so they at least stay above the top of my ass. Exiting his room, I go downstairs to his office, when I hear a female voice.
Upon entering, I discover a woman, most likely Atlas, in all black standing before Ambrose who holds his gun behind his back. "Bébé, what's going on?" I ask. How did she get into the house without alerting the guards? Her eyes snap to me and once we make eye contact, I felt a sense of peace. Like I was at home.
"Gina?" Atlas says. How does she know my name? Who is this chick? I tilt my head in confusion. Her eyes begin to water and her hands start to shake."Remove the mask Atl-" Ambrose's calm tone is interrupted by her frantic, angry one.
"Don't call me that! That's not my name. Not the one I was born with, it was the one I was forced to wear. I am not Atlas. None of us are." She removes the mask and I swear I almost have a heart attack.
No. My eyes are playing tricks on me.
Her familiar eyes are still on mine as she confidently spews her next words. "Regina, my name is Aurelie Anders. I'm your half-sister." Everyone freezes. The energy in the room instantly becomes dark, and tense. So many thoughts run through my head and I can feel myself start to panic.
My breathing becomes rapid and my limbs start to numb. "A-ambrose." I rasp out the first name I could think of. His attention is now on me, and when his eyes lock on mine, worry fills them. Everything after that is a blur.
All that I remember is Ambrose's arms wrapped around me as he whispers encouragements and sweet nothings to me hoping it would calm me. Eventually, it did, but I was still freaked out. I have a half-sister? Do we share the same mother? Do we share the same dad? Does Cristos know? If he does, why didn't tell me?
My thoughts are broken when a hand comes into view. Ambrose squats in front of me with my anxiety meds in one hand and a glass of water in the other. "You haven't taken them in three weeks. Take 'em." He sternly says. His tone remains calming though.
I take the pills and water and down them both before opening my mouth and verifying that I swallowed them. He gives me an approving nod before turning his head to my, supposed sister. "Can you repeat and clarify what you mean by you're his half-sister?" Ambrose spits with a venom-laced tone. His tone completely changed from when he was talking to me. And that means a lot.
Aurelie takes a deep breath before starting. "I'll start by saying, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you or give you a panic attack or anything. What I meant to say was that I'm Cristos' half-sister. I just called you my sister because I'm a really big fan of who you are and your work." I scoff at this.
"If you're such a big fan then why did you attack a house, a home, with innocent women and children in it? My children were shot! My little boy could have died because of you!" I shout. Anger boils inside of me and if she says anything else stupid, I just might break her.
"I was never at this house. This is my first time here." She says as if she expects us to be convinced. She sees our unbelieving features and continues. "I'm not the only Atlas. There are ten of us or were. I escaped and came here. And three more girls were killed. That leaves six girls still in commission. I swear I wasn't here the day you guys were attacked. I knew a little bit of what they were going to do, but I swear I didn't know they were going to do it to you." Her eyes are pleading, but innocent. I believe her, she's young and she looks fragile. Too fragile to intentionally hurt a seven-year-old boy, let alone two.
Her young features are a little questionable, she looks like she can't be older than nineteen. "How old are you? And the others?" I ask. She looks down like she's ashamed. "Seventeen."
What!?
I can't hide my surprised gasp. Ambrose seems to be just as shocked as me. Who would do this? "As I said, Black hasn't ruined just your lives." She whispers. It all makes sense now.
Black has always favored younger girls. Preferably miners. He was taking advantage of their youth. Use their naive nature to his advantage to get what he wants. He would beat them train them, take pleasure from them. He would do any and everything to them, but nothing for them, except for maybe putting them out of their misery. He didn't give me that satisfaction.
He never took boys or men. The men that worked for him were just as bad as he was. He believed that women would make better worriers; better weapons. He thought that women were so underestimated that they would never think that a tiny ten-year-old girl could pack a heavy right hook. To him, emotions were everything, the more anger or despair-any negative emotion-the more force of the power of the punch.
"Was he the one who killed those girls?" Ambrose asked from beside me. She didn't have to answer for me to know. She nods in response. Of course, he did. If he got tired of the girls, he would battle them in his little sick and twisted way of 'training'.
He knew he was stronger than them, but he didn't care. He would either beat them to death or shoot them if they were too strong for him to kill with his own hands. I was unlucky enough to only watch those events occur. I never wanted to be strong enough for him to praise and keep alive, but I also didn't want to be one of the girls to fight and be killed by him.
I knew I had a family and best friends waiting for me at home. I knew I had to fight to one day escape and go home to them. So That I could hold them and laugh with them until our lungs gave out and our bellies became abs. So I did until he threw me away.
It's only now that I know he wants me back. But why? Why come back to collect me seven years after you dumped me to the side and left me to freeze and die in the excruciating winter cold? Why now?
Aurelie is only seven years younger than me. Meaning, if her mother was taken as well, she would have been very young when she had her. So, who is her mother? How old is her mother? She had to have been in there along with me. "Who is your mother?" I voice my thoughts. Her head snaps up to meet my gaze. "I don't know her last name, but her first is Amber. She was in association with Black. Who is my father."
I look at Ambrose for the first time since the conversation started, and he is white as a ghost. This all must be triggering to him. I wonder what Black did to his family-why he wants so much revenge. Ambrose, how old is Amber?" I ask, hoping his answer is not as wrong as I'm thinking.
I can see his adam's apple bobbing as he swallows before answering. "She's twenty-six." Fuck. That's worse than I thought. Her mother was only nine when Aurelie was born. What the fuck. "Have you met your mother?" I ask. She shakes her head, no, in response. "When I was born, Black dragged me away and told me that my mother wanted nothing to do with me. However, he has told me that I take after him more than my mother." She explains.
Everything comes together now. Amber was either captured or was crazy, or naive, enough to go with him willingly at only nine years old. She got pregnant, and her daughter was taken from her. She stayed there until I was captured and Black's attention was on something other than her. Amber left, leaving her daughter in the hands of that monster. A few years later she gets word that he dumped me aside and goes running and crying back to him. My guess is, she got an assignment to occupy Ambrose, who hired her to be his... entertainment. The rest is already known.
Aurelie never met her mother. She doesn't know what she looks like, what she sounds like, how much of a bitch she is, she knows nothing and I want her to be able to see her at least. "Would you like to meet her?" I ask carefully. All heads snap to me. Ambrose looks confused whereas Aurelie looks excited.
Don't get too excited honey. You definitely won't like what you see.
Her head shakes in the form of an eager nod. I turn my head in his direction, already feeling his glare. "Then come with me. I show you to her." He says, still glaring at me. Before he could walk away, I grab his arm and turn to Aurelie. "Can you give us a moment first? We'll be right there in a minute." I tell her as she exits the office.
As soon as the door closes, He yanks his arm out of my hold. "What the hell were you thinking? Why would you want a fragile seventeen-year-old girl to see her beaten and battered bitch mother?" He asks, almost shouting. I understand why he's mad but I have my reasons. "I was thinking of the younger me. Who's mother "died" when she was only five. Even though she was barely there, she still loved me and tried her best to care for me as much as possible. Even if Amber is a raging bitch, no young girl should have to grow up without a mother. She should at least know what she looks like. At least hear her voice. You can't be upset at me for that." I explain before exiting the room.
A M B R O S E
The door slams behind her and I instantly feel like shit. I know I shouldn't have blown up like that, but Aurelie looks like she would get beat up by three-year-olds because she would feel bad to hit small children. I'm sure she can hold her own, but who knows how emotional she could get?
I take a deep breath and exit the office to see the both of them waiting for me in the kitchen. I don't think they've noticed me yet, as they haven't even looked my way. I stand on the wall on the outside of the kitchen so that I can still hear. "So are you guys, like, together?" Aurelie's voice reaches my ears. Gina chuckles and I can hear the smile in her voice. "Yes. But sometimes he can be a big baby. Do you have a boyfriend? Or girlfriend?" She asks.
"No. Black always said that unnatural relations are forbidden. And if he caught us dating any guards or other men, he would kill us. I did, however, have a small crush on one of the Atlases. Her real name is Lola. She was the one who encouraged me to come here." Aurelie says sadly.
These girls couldn't even have relationships with others without being killed. They could be themselves, they were even given a different name. Once they all had to share. "I heard that you were in the hands of Black once. Were you an Atlas as well?" She asks. It's silent for a while. A long while. I start to get uncomfortable until Gina comes out of the kitchen and stands directly in front of me.
"It's not nice to eavesdrop." She says with a small contagious smile. I lean down to place a kiss on her lips. "I'm sorry, my love" I mumble. A clearing of a throat breaks us from our moment. Aurelie stands behind Gina waiting patiently. "Sorry, let's go follow me," I say grabbing Gina's hand and heading down to the basement.
We make it in the elevator and as the elevator doors close I turn to Aurelie. "What you see below the house is far from calm or tranquil. You will see blood, death, possibly walk in on someone getting raped, or worse. I can't shield you from seeing that so if it becomes too much or you need to take a minute just let us know and we can leave." I warn. She nods her head looking a little uneasy, unsure. "Everything will be okay. We'll make sure nothing happens to you" Gina comforts putting her hand and Aurelie's arms.
The elevator door opens and immediately we are met with the screams of none other than Malibu Barbie herself. "God, I didn't think she could get any more annoying," I mumble. I lead them both to her sell and Gina takes Aurelie's hand in hers, reassuring her. As we approach her cell, I realize that her cell door is wide open and the sound of male moans and groans can be heard from inside.
It sounds like there is more than one man in there with her. I guess they really took my order seriously. I quickly come to a halt a few feet from the door and turn around to the girls behind me. "You guys stay here while I go break that up," I tell them. Before I leave, I bend down to whisper in Gina's ear. "Keep her distracted. I don't want her hearing anything that happens or is said in that room." I kiss her cheek before entering the room, not letting her respond.
Upon entering the room, two of my guards catch my eye. And two more of Gina's guards are lined up on the wall. My guards hold her down as they force their way in and out of her. Meanwhile, one of Gina's guards has his dick in his hands pumping himself, he looks like he's close to release. Her other guard sits against the wall with her legs spread while she plays with her pussy.
Amber is the first to see me and when she does, her screams only get louder. "Shut her up" I effortlessly shout over her. At the sound of my voice, all movements come to a halt. Amber's dramatic ass is still screaming. I raise my brows waiting for someone to do something about her. "Well?"
One of my guards, that I recognize as Tony, pulls out her and jams his dick into her mouth, keeping her quiet. That's not what I meant, but I guess that'll work. "Everyone out," I say sternly. Everyone gathers themselves and begins to exit the room. Before they can exit, however, I point at Tony and Gina's male guard. "Tony don't move. I don't want a sound out of her throughout the entire encounter." I receive a strangled 'yes sir' from him as I point to the other man in the room. "Finish yourself." I order.
He looks at me in confusion before he decides to open his mouth. "S-sir. What do you mean?" Is he really this dumb, or does he just look dumb? "Cum, idiot. On her. Then get out. Either that or have blue balls for the rest of the night." I give him a choice. It wouldn't benefit me in any way.
He hesitantly steps forward while pulling down his pants. His hard-on springs out, red and needing release. He looks at me for approval while grabbing his cock. I give him a single nod telling him to continue. Amber's attempts at screaming are cut off by Tony's hard dick going down her throat. "Yeah, I wouldn't recommend speaking, slut. The more you try, the deeper he goes." I hiss.
The sound of whimpers and moans brings my attention back to Gina's guard. He pumps his dick hard and fast. The impact of his hips and his hand creates a slapping noise. After only a few seconds he's damn near shouting as he releases his load all over her face. She groans in disgust, or at least tries to with a man's dick down her throat. The man puts his junk back in his pants and leaves the cell leaving just me, her, and Tony.
Another moan is heard, this time coming from Tony. "Cum, in her mouth all you want. I don't care. I just need her quiet." I say and as soon as those words leave my mouth his load is being shot in her mouth as she tries to get away. Her tied-up wrists and ankles begin to turn red and her blonde hair sticks to her sweat-coated forehead. Her naked body lays on a dirty and cold concrete table where we normally keep weapons or canvases. The cum on her face and body, from where the other guards had their way with her, begins to dry or drip down her body, whereas the fresh cun on her face and around her mouth glimmers from the singles light bulb hanging above us.
I think she looks presentable enough.
"Keep her quiet. I'll be back." I say before leaving the cell. Just as I left them, Gina and Aurelie stand a few feet from the door conversing, they both seem to have small smiles formed on their faces. "She's ready, Aurelie, but I do have to warn you. It's not pretty. She's been... used. When you walk in there will be a man there. It will be disturbing, so I'll tell you once more. If you are uncomfortable, Tell us immediately and we will leave." I remind her sincerely.
She just shakes her head and takes Gina's hand as they walk ahead of me into the cell. I don't follow only because I want her to have this moment with her mother, even if it is in this condition. As they enter, Gina's mood or expression doesn't change, not in the slightest, but Aurelie looks scared more than disturbed, like how I thought she would be. Her hand comes up to cover her mouth as she backs out of the room and walks in my direction.
"Are you okay? What's wrong?" I ask concerned. She starts to hyperventilate and her eyes become glossy. "Sh-she. Th-that's my... that's my rapist." she breathes out. My eyes widen at her confession. Before I could ask any more questions, she speaks up again. "S-she was my p-punishment if I ever stepped out of line. I n-never knew that was my m-m-mother." she sobs.
I instantly feel for her and quickly wrap my arms around her shoulders. Her hands instantly wrap around my torso. "She can't get to you anymore. She's here and she's getting the treatment she deserves." I tell her as softly as I can. I don't know what's come over me, I just met the young girl and I already feel a need to protect her, as if an older brother protects his younger sister. Maybe it's her innocent demeanor that pulled me in or the fact that I see so much pain swirling in her eye.
"I want to go. I don't want to be down here anymore." She whispers when she's calmed down. I nod my head and pull out of the hug. Just as we pull apart, Gina emerges out of the room with blood and... cum coating her hands?
What the hell?
"Hey, baby?" I call out to her sarcastically. Her head whips my way as she hums a response. "What... uh. What were you doing in there?" I ask glancing down at her hand for reference. She looks at them and back up to me. "I was just teaching a rapist a lesson. Tony's kids got on my hands." She shrugs, unbothered.
Okay. Get into it... I guess.
I nod and walk to the elevator with them trailing right behind me. The ride up to the house is comfortably quiet. "I will have some maids set up a room for you. When you're ready, and if it's okay with my love, we can introduce you to the rest of the family. Including Cristos." I say just as the doors open.
She doesn't say much, just nods her head and takes my hand, taking me by surprise. "I'm sorry Gina. I just feel safer with him right now. I don't feel comfortable in a female's touch, and it's nothing with you, it's just... When I saw her, all those memories came flooding back." She then turns to me and sees my dumbfounded face and pulls away almost instantly. "I'm sorry if I'm overstepping. I just- I'm so sorry." She says with tears streaming down her face.
I look at Gina to see her already looking at me, smiling. 'it's okay. Comfort her.' She mouths. I take Aurelie's hand in mine and pull her into a last hug. Her face buries in my bare chest as her tears drip onto me. "Do you have any nicknames?" I ask.
Her face leaves my chest and confusion crosses her face. "What?" I tilt my head, looking into her eyes. "Do you have a nickname? Something that your friends may have called you or something?" Her eyes light up with the slightest bit of peace. "Ari or Aue, meaning Gold in Romanian. My best friend, Lola was Romanian and said my name meant golden. So she would always call me Gold." She says.
I nod and glance at Gina, who's been watching this entire encounter. "Okay. From now on, if it's okay with you, I would like to call you Gold. Is that okay with you?" I question. Her eyes find mine once more as she nods and hugs my torso again. After a few moments, she pulls away. I take her hand and lead her upstairs and to the living room where she and Gina talk about whatever they talk about while I go put on a shirt and inform my maids to make up a room for Gold.
On my way back to my girl, I get a call from Eddie. I quickly pick up and put the phone on speaker. Talk to me, Eddie." I hear rustling on the other side before he speaks up again. "Demi is out of surgery and is resting in room 13 if Gina would like to see her." He tiredly says. I give him my thanks and tell him to get some rest and take the week off before hanging up. Hopefully, nothing goes wrong this week.
As I enter the living room, I see gold laying on Gina's lap asleep with drying tears on her cheeks. "We can put her in my room until hers is ready," Gina suggests and I quickly agree. I take her into my arms and carry bridal style up the stairs and into Gina's room. I lay her down in her bed while Gina takes her shoes off and places them to the side before bringing the comforter over her.
We exit the room and head to mine where we both strip out of our clothes and hop into bed. I bring Gina's naked body to mine. Her back collides with my front as my body heat radiates onto her. I hear her sigh contently before her body goes limp and soft snores can be heard. I follow shortly after, welcoming myself to my haunting dreams.
R E G I N A
The sun shines through his heavy black curtains. His black curls fall over his closed eyes and his chest moves up and down as he submits to slumber. I run the tip of my finger from his hairline to his cheekbone down to his stubble. He shifts under my touch as his eyes begin to open. "Good morning, Sleeping Beauty," I mumble.
His deep chuckle rumbles through his chest. "Good morning, agápi mou." His voice is tired and raspy. Kinda hot. (my love)
His emerald eyes lock onto mine as he flips us over so that he's on top of me. His lips meet mine in a short, loving kiss. "We gotta shower and get ready for the party." I say. He groans and hides his face in my neck. "Do we have to? I just wanna stay and cuddle all day." He asks but it's muffled. I roll my eyes and push him off of me before getting up and strutting to the bathroom.
"Yes. We have to. And as much as I would love to stay in bed with you, we still have lot's to do before their party." I tell him. He sits up and swings his legs over the bed. I walk over to him and stand between his legs. My hands me his hair as I rub soothing circles on his scalp. His satisfied moans reach my ears as he rests his head on my bare stomach. "Plus, the boys would kill us if we weren't at their eighth birthday party." I mumble, getting a small chuckle from him.
He lifts his head from my body and I lean down to peck his lip before backing away. "Come on. I wanna wash your hair." I say as I enter his bathroom with him following right after me. I turn on the water and wait for it to get to the right temperature before stepping in. Ambrose went to go do his business as I stood under the warm water lost in my own thought.
His big hands grip my hips and his chin rest on my shoulder as he sways us from side to side. "Dance with me." He says. His voice is still groggy but understandable. What I don't understand, is why he wants to dance in the shower with no music. "Why?" I giggle.
I can feel him shrug. "I don't know. I guess I'm in a dancing mood this morning." He says as he spins me around. My chest connects with his as his arms go around my waist. He keeps swaying and eventually I jin him. Our movements become in sync and our eyes lock. "Sing for me." He rasps "Please?" He adds and pouts like a child.
I can't help but laugh at his childish ways. As I sit and think about a song to sing for him, I grab the shampoo from the shelf behind him and squirt some onto my hand. "Georgia. Wrap me up in all your I want ya', in my arms oh. Let me hold ya'." I sing as I scrub and rub the shampoo all around his head. Our swaying doesn't waver in the slightest as I continue singing. "I'll never let you go again like I did. Oh, I used to say-"
"I would never fall in love again until I found her. I said I would never fall unless it's you I fall into, I was lost within the darkness, but then I found her." He sings. HE SINGS!? His voice is so angelic, so smooth. I've never heard a man sing so graciously before. "I found you." We sing together.
As our shower carries on, Our singing and swaying carry on as well. For a while, I forgot about all else and it was just him and me. We were the only two people in the world. But, the water got cold and we had to finish our shower and get out.
Fucking cold water. Ruined our moment.
Before we head downstairs I decide to check on Ari as it was a long night for her and I want her to rest as much as possible. Although, Ambrose and I only got about three hours of sleep. I cautiously open the door and see Ari sitting up on the bed as if she had just woken up. I knock on the door twice to make my presence known.
"Hey. How'd you sleep?" I ask softly. She gifts me a small smile and looks around the room. "I slept well, thank you. Who's room is this?" She asks looking around the room in awe. "It's mine. Ambrose brought you in here last night. You're free to wear my clothes until we can get you some of your own, I think we're the same size." I offer. She just nods and gets off of the bed. "Freshen up. We'll all be downstairs." I tell her before leaving.
I head downstairs without a second thought, leaving her to get ready and do what she needs to do. The sound of laughter and gossip kisses my ears as I enter the kitchen. Ambrose is sitting at one of the island stools. Enzo sits in front of him, on the countertop, talking about nothing and everything. Someone sprints past me, catching me by surprise. Cristos holds Teo, who is sitting on his shoulders, by his ankles as they run around in circles like the lunatics they are.
Mrs. Remirez stands over the stove, cooking breakfast with the help of Asia, who is standing on crutches. She seems to be the first person to recognize me walking in. "GiGi. Good morning." She says as I approach her and Mrs. Remirez.
Asia has been calling me GiGi since fifth grade. She said she liked the way it sounded and that she would never drop the name. I didn't think she was serious until now. "Good morning, love," I reply, bringing her into a light hug, being sure to not hurt her more than she is already. "We have much to discuss." She says nodding to Ambrose, who is staring back at me.
"Yeah. Just give me a moment." I tell her. I get a nod in response and stroll to Ambrose. "it's rude to stare, Mr. Bazin." I tease. A small chuckle slips past his lips. "I'm sorry, but your son was just pointing out how beautiful his mother was and I just couldn't take my eyes off of you." He honestly states. Blush spreads across my face and ears.
"Mama, can I ask you something? Teo wanted to ask to so it's not just me, and I know you probably won't agree with what I'm gonna ask, but I just want you to listen. You too Ambrose. This is also a question for y-" I place my hand on his leg, getting his attention.
"Whatever you have to say, you can tell us. The both of us. There is no need to be nervous, my love." I comfort although he still looks unsure. As I look around, I come to realize just how many people are coming in and out of the kitchen. "Everyone out! If you are not family, leave!" I call out. Everyone drops what they are doing and leaves right away.
Mrs. Remirez comes to the other side of Ambrose while Cristos places Teo on the counter beside his brother. "Is that better, Buddy?" Ambrose asks. He looks just as concerned as the rest of us. Enzo nods, looking a little more calm. "Whenever you're ready, boys."
They simultaneously take a deep breath before Enzo speaks again. "We wanted to know If you would train us." Teo seems to get a burst of excitement. His back straightens and a smile stretches his face. "Like how you trained, Mama. When we were still in your tummy." He finishes. Mrs. Remirez looks confused whereas everyone else does not react.
"It wasn't easy boys, to train for what we do. Are you sure you want to start now? You guys are still so young." I ask unsure, myself. They seem confident and ready. I was planning on starting their training when they turned ten but, we can start a little early. "Yes, we wanna start now. I wanna protect Mama as she protects me from all the bad people." Teo says softly.
I nod understanding. He's always tried to protect me since he could talk. He was like an overprotective brother. Always telling me to be safe, asking where I was going, letting me know to be back before too late, and making sure I wasn't hurt when I did come back too late. They both would. They were like my little bodyguards, with restrictions.
"Okay. Well, I guess we could start tomorrow. I will talk it over with Ambrose. But, I don't think he minds us using his training room, does he?" I ask, not really giving him a choice in the matter. I transition my gaze to him, along with everyone else. "Wow, this isn't even a choice. You know, you're gonna stop bossing me around, woman. I am sic-" His joking banter is cut off when I smack him upside his head. "So that will be a yes," I grip his hair, tugging on it, earning a small painful hiss. "right, Baby?" I ask.
He can barely nod with my grip on his hair, but he manages and I release him. He sighs relieved before bringing his hand up to massage his scalp. "See what I mean? So bossy." He says scrunching his nose at the boys making them laugh.
Footsteps can be heard entering the kitchen. When the person arrives, Cristos' face morphs into one of shock. As I turn around, Auri stands in the doorway, staring back at Cristos with a hand over her mouth. "Who the hell are you?" He asks, now angered. "Mrs. Remirez, Can you take them out of the room?" I ask politely.
She doesn't hesitate in gabbing them both and exiting the kitchen. Once she's gone Ambrose stands and carefully walks towards Aurelie. "Okay, Cristos. I need you to sit down and breathe because when we tell you this, you need to be calm." I say walking him to the stool Ambrose was just sitting in. He nods and sits with his elbows on the counter and his head between his hands as he takes deep breaths.
While he's distracted, Ambrose offers the seat next to Cristos to Aurelie, who takes it hesitantly. "Look at me, brother," I tell him. His bloodshot eyes, shift to mine as I reach out to take his hand. He squeezes it like he's afraid I'll let go. "Sitting behind you is a girl named, Aurelie. Aurelie... Anders." As soon as I say her last name, his body stiffens. He slowly turns to look at her.
It's like he's taking in all of her features. Their shared features. Their eyes, nose, hair color, skin tone. Now that I see them side by side, the similarity is more prominent than ever. If I didn't know then, I would think they were twins. "Who are you?" He asks shakily. Her eyes soften with guilt.
"I'm your sister. We have the same father." She whispers loud enough for everyone to hear. Cristos takes a large intake of air. As if he's been punched in the gut. He's never met his father. Understandably so. Black is not a good man. For all we know, he could have raped my mother and kicked her along, the same way he did to me.
Cristos sits up straighter until he's standing, towering over the poor seventeen-year-old girl. "And who is our father?" His voice is incredibly deadly and his tone and expression are cold, emotionless. Aurelie stands too, only to back away from her brother. "B-black. He's our f-father. He forced me to be an Atlas. But, I-I swear, I never did anything to you or your family. I would never. I can't even hurt a fly. I risked my life to escape him and find you," She rambles.
I can feel Cristos' mood change. His shoulders slump and he exhales a breath in the form of a sigh. "I-I swear. I never want to hurt you. I just wanted to meet my family. But if y-you don't want me, then I'll g-go back. I won't bot-" Before she could finish, Cristos's arms are engulfing her in a hug. She instantly breaks down in his arms and hugs him back.
When they pull apart, Cristos turns to me. "Thank you." He says hugging me too. "Well, this is not what a party looks like," Ambrose says from behind us as I pull away from my brother. "Let's go get the birthday boys," Cristos calls out in a more chipper mood. We all exit the kitchen and enter the living room where Everyone is sitting and socializing.
As we enter, everyone looks our way or more toward Auri. She shrinks under everyone's stares and hides behind Cristos who immediately shields her. "This is Aurelie, my sister." He says, shocking everyone. Mrs. Remirez and Iris are the first ones to introduce themselves. Next, are Jay and Cris. Cristian doesn't bother to speak to anyone, per usual. And last are the boys.
After everyone gets acquainted with her, the conversations continue. As time rolls by, laughs are exchanged and tea is spilled. I now sit on Ambrose's lap with my head on his shoulder, when Asia signals me over. I kiss Ambrose's cheek and follow Asia to the medical wing. "Where's Demi's room?" She asks out of breath. She needs to sit down before she hurts herself more.
"Room 13. Just down the hall, come on." I inform her. When we reach the room, we can hear the faint sounds of a heart monitor and the sounds of the TV through the door. We knock on the door and hear a faint 'come in' from the other side of the door. Without another thought, I open the door and enter the room.
Demi lays on a hospital bed watching some anime that she loves with a bowl of fruit sitting in her lap. She looks tired. Her skin is a little pale and there are dark bags under her eyes. When she lays her sight on us, her eyes light up.
"Hi." her voice is raspy, probably from not speaking for a while. "Asia told me a bit of tea. Why don't you tell me the rest." She says. I smile and walk to her bed before sitting on the edge near her feet. "First, how are you?" I ask. She averts her eyes to the bowl in front of her.
"He attacked. We were getting letters and packages, and we wanted to tell you, but for some reason, we couldn't reach you. He showed up at the compound with SUVs full of men and women. They planted bombs that killed some of us on impact. Then, they pushed. They caught us off guard, but we managed to hold our own while we could. Before he left, he said that he wanted his kids and would stop at nothing to get them." She says softly.
I swallow the lump in my throat. "How many survived?" I ask. She looks at me hopefully. "Three hundred out of four hundred and ninety." That's better than I thought. We can easily get that number back up. I nod in understanding. "Now. Enough on me. What the hell has been going on with you?" She asks as Asia sits down on the other side of the bed.
We spent 20 minutes, not a lot of time considering we still have a party to attend, gossiping about my affairs with Ambrose and his family. We also discuss Aurelie and Black, which they both freaked out over. It was nice to be able to sit here with my girls and gossip about everything and nothing. By the time we finished, Ambrose called me to let me know that the party/main event has started.
"Demi, what has Eddie said about restricting movement?" I ask, hoping she could attend and see her nephews on their birthday. "Not much. He just said that If I wanted to leave the bed, I would have to sit in a wheelchair and have someone push it for me." She says confused.
She knows what today is and she has told me how much she misses the boys. So I think it's a good idea to let her out of this depressing room and into the world to see them and socialize. "Asia get her chair for me, please?" I ask of her. She obliges quickly and rolls a dark blue wheelchair to the side of the deb while I help Demi sit into it.
"What's going on? Where are we going?" Her confused little pout is enough for me to fold. I was hoping to not say anything until we got upstairs, but I hate to see her frown. "We are going to freshen you up and join the party," I tell her as I watch her face light up.
I push her to the elevator and into my room, where Aurelie was sleeping just a couple of hours ago. Asia helps her out with her clothes and into the bath while I prepare her a pair of my clothes. I wash her hair and Asia cleans her body as we sit and talk about nothing at all.
Once she's cleaned up, We bring her into the bedroom where I help her dress and do her hair. She wears light blue ripped jeans and a white oversized tee shirt that was Cristos'. I stole it
I always manage to steal all of his shirts when he's in France. He keeps about a month's worth of clothes here for when he comes to visit. I raided his closet almost every night when I missed him. But now I steal Ambrose's hoodies. One of which I'm wearing right now.
It smells like him.
When she looks presentable, with all the scars on her face, we exit the room and take the elevator down to the first floor. As soon as the doors open loud music, chatter, and laughter fills the air. "They know what we do. So if they ask, and they will, just tell them in the most gentle way possible." I remind. She nods and I can tell she's nervous. She hasn't seen them in a couple of months, who know what they may think of her?
We exit through the double doors leading to the backyard and pool area. Our presence is made known when the men of the day come rushing up to Demi like they haven't seen her in years. They stop once they see the chair and her face. "Does it hurt?" They ask. At. The. Same. Time. It doesn't matter how long I am their mother or how long they live under my roof, that will always freak me out.
Demi chuckles and shakes her head. "No. But do you know what does hurt?" she asks with a faux pout. They both tilt their heads in confusion. "My heart. You know, I would think that after not seeing me for almost two months, I would at least get some hugs and cuddles." She says acting hurt. She puts a hand over her face and begins to fake cry. Making them both laugh quietly and gently jump into her arms.
They part and introductions begin. Everyone welcomes her with open arms except for Cristian. This time, though, he does say something. "Why are there so many women coming into this house? Who the hell are you?" He snarls, eyeing her.
I don't even give them the chance to bicker because I know Demi has a mouth on her and she doesn't care who hears it. "If you don't want to be here, then why are you? Go. I'm sure they won't miss you while you're gone." I tell Cristian who gives me a nasty glare before walking past me and bumping my shoulder in the process.
Both Demi and I take a deep breath before continuing with the party. "I've been wanting to get rid of him. He scares the boys. And he's bringing down the mood." Ambrose informs from behind me. He wraps his arms around my waist as I watch the boys play around with Jay in the bouncy castle. They look so happy and carefree.
That's all I want for them, to be happy and not have to fear every night whether Mommy is gonna come home unscathed or not. They haven't had to worry about that until recently and it scares me to know that they want to do what I have been doing since I was only sixteen.
This world is not a place full of sunshine and rainbow and unicorns. It's a dark and scary place, and I want to teach that to them, which is why I agreed to train them. They need to know that they will get hurt, badly. They need to know that their lives will be in danger when one of them takes over for me.
I want to be the one to prepare them for that. I am their mother after all. Plus, If I'm not here, they will need a way to protect themselves.
"What's on your mind, love?" He asks from behind me. I hadn't noticed him rocking us the same way he was in the shower. "Just how scary the world will be for them." I voice. He hums in response while his hand rubs comforting circles on my flat stomach. Him just being here is enough to calm my mind.
It's then that I realize that he's here, I'm not alone. I have a family of assassins and soldiers by my side. "Will you help me train them?" I asked just above a whisper. He nods. "Yeah. I would love to." He mumbles in my neck. A let out a small sigh and decide to lift the mood. "Cake time," I tell him walking away from him and immediately missing his warmth.
I retrieve the two-layer red velvet cake, that I spent my sweet time on, from the kitchen after putting sixteen candles on it. Eight for each child. The cake is decorated to match the theme of the party, which just so happens to be, anime. They both agreed that the deserts should be Demon Slayer themed and the food and main course have a Naruto theme. In other words, we all had authentic Japanese ramen for dinner.
I'm not complaining.
As I exit the kitchen with the cake in hand, I notice everyone around the table with the birthday boys sitting at the head bouncing in excitement. When they see the cake, their smiles only widen and their eyes grow wide.
I make sure to be careful when placing it down on the table in front of them. We all sing 'Happy Birthday' to them before they blow out the candles. They close their eyes for a brief moment before unitedly blowing the candles out.
Still creepy.
After the cake, the boys decide that they want to open their presents. It is a good idea considering that it's getting pretty late. The party will go on for another couple of hours before it's bedtime for them both. We all move back into the house where there are mountains full of presents sitting on a table in the middle of the foyer.
"Woahhhhh!" They say as they stare at the piles in awe. We made sure to separate our gifts so we know which gifts are from which person. The biggest pile belonged to Ambrose. I swear he spoils them way too much. "Witch pile do we go to first?" Enzo says with his jaw still on the ground. Matteo doesn't even think as he runs to the smallest pile.
I wonder who that belongs to.
He takes the biggest present from the small pile and reads the label. "Enzo this one is yours. It's from Cristian." He calls out. Enzo seems to snap out of his amazed daze and rushes toward his brother. He takes the gift and tears the paper off. Inside is a black and white remote-controlled race car toy. His eyes light up as Teo unwraps his present.
His present is smaller than Enzo's but it's just as valuable. It's a life-sized action figure of Hineta from an anime called 'Haikyuu!!' The thing is about half the size of them both. The boys are very small for their age. At eight years old they only stand at 3'2". This doll stands at 1'5" which is almost half of where they stand.
There is only one gift left in the pile, which I'm guessing is for both of them. When they pick up the small box, A note falls off and lands at their feet. I walk to them and pick it up. 'Use this wisely. You guys might need it in the future. Take care of your mom for me.' This looks like a goodbye note. I turn to the boys and nod, telling them to open it. They collectively rip the wrapping paper.
Inside are two matching blades, with protective covers. The knives are custom designed with specific ridge patterns. Each knife has their names engraved on it. The blade is a beautiful matte black color and the handle is wooden, wrapped with fabric for better grip.
"They're beautiful. Boys, please be careful with those. Don't play with them. Keep them in your rooms until you know how to use them." I warn getting nods from them. They, voluntarily, give me their knives for safekeeping while they open more presents.
They eventually get to my pile and most of the gifts are jewelry or toys or shoes. But there's one gift that I'm saving for last that I think They would really appreciate. "Thank you, Mama. We love everythIng." They say running to give me hugs.
They part from me and run to the last and biggest pile of gifts. "Oh yeah. My turn." He says and turns to me. "Don't get upset when they like my gifts better than yours." He says crossing his arms over his chest. When will he learn he can't outdo me?
Silly Greek man.
The boys tear through present after present, each one being better than the other. He really outdid himself. Just like everyone else's gifts, other than Cristian's, they save the biggest for last. And when I say this gift is big, I mean that shit. It's bigger than both of them combined and seemingly heavy. They struggle to move the box with their little eight-year-old muscles.
I look at Ambrose to see a little smug grin on his face. "What did you do?" I ask accusingly. He just shrugs and helps them move the box. When they've gotten it to an empty location, away from all the wrapping paper and scattered toys, he helps them rip the paper off and open the cardboard box.
He then looks back at me before picking up Teo and letting him peek in the box. All that could be heard after that were screams of joy. "OH, MY GOD!!! HOLY CRAP!!! NO WAY!!!" he shouts running around the foyer. Ambrose expectedly jumps inside the box and the sound of a key and an engine meets my ears
What did he do?
Next thing I know a red and yellow four-wheeler motorbike emerges from the side of the box, with Ambrose driving it. Enzo's mouth drops and he's utterly speechless, as are the rest of us. The boys have been asking me to get them one since they've known what it is.
"Can we ride it, Mama!?" Mateo asks excitedly. I think the sugar's getting to him. "Not tonight my love. We can tomorrow after training. But I do have one last gift for you both." I say loud enough for them both to hear me. "Come with me," I say less loud now that Ambrose turned off the bike.
Everyone follows me to the garage where another box with a bunch of holes is sitting in the middle. "Go open it. But be careful okay?" I say, turning to them. They both rush to the box but slow down when they get close to it. I follow close behind along with Ambrose tailing me.
Enzo cautiously removes the lid of the box and slaps a hand over his mouth. Matteo sits there in awe. Tears stream out of their eyes as they stare at the gift in front of them. "What's in the box?"Ambrose asks from behind me. I don't answer him as I strut to the box and take out a six-month-old purebred rottweiler puppy.
Awes can be heard coming from everyone else. "Boys, meet Axel. Your new puppy." I say. Axel stirs in my arms and begins gnawing on my finger. "Is he really ours, mama? Like, really?"Enzo says, his voice breaking. "Yeah, baby. He's really yours." I mutter with a small smile. Teo rises from his sitting position, sniffling and wiping his tears. "Can I hold him?" He asks with a small voice.
"Of course." He holds out his arms and I gently place Axel in his arms. "This is a big responsibility. I will help you for a while but then you have to take care of him yourselves." I tell them. Unexpectedly, Enzo crashes into me making me lose my balance, but luckily I catch myself before I fall. "Thank you. Thank you so much." He says and I feel another small body press against me. "Yeah, thank you, Mama."
Damn. Here come the waterworks.
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A M B R O S E
After we all spend some time with Axel, everyone thought it would be best to call it a night. Axel is residing with one of the twins for the night. Demi and Asia didn't want to seperate just yet so they are spending time in Gina's room, most likely watching movies. Which leaves me and Gina in my room.
The warm water from the bath swirls around my fingers as I wave my hand in the water. Today was a good day, full of family, fun, joy, and everything else. I'm glad we had a day like this where we could have fun as a family and not have to worry about someone trying to kill us.
Plus. She completely dragged my ass with her gift. I can admit defeat.
As I look down on my beautiful queen, I take in every little detail on her. From the tiny barely noticeable scars to the freckles decorating her face. As I look more, it almost seems like she isn't there. She's been like that all day, stuck in her thoughts. I don't know if they're good or bad, but they're powerful enough to distract her from the present world.
"What's got your mind so occupied today?" I mumble from behind her. We currently sit in my bathtub, decorated with bubbles and rose petals. The smell of rose and lavender fills the bathroom creating a soothing atmosphere. "Today was a good day. Thank you." She whispers through a yawn, already close to slumber.
I wrap my arms around her and lift her out of the bath. The cool air bites my skin as I transfer us to the shower. I turn the knobs to the right temperature before standing under with Gina in my arms. As the warm water cascades down our bodies, her eyes begin to droop. "Let's sit you down. I don't want you hurting yourself." A softly say as I sit her on the built-in bench.
I take some of my Dr. Teals lavender body wash and lather her in the soap, making sure to be careful around sensitive areas, before rinsing her off and washing myself. When I've finished, I grab a towel and wrap it around Gina and bring her into the bedroom where I give her a pair of my boxers and a hoodie for her to sleep in. After she's dressed I dry myself and get ready before joining her in bed.
Today was a long day, but also a day of relaxation. That's something that we haven't had in a while. And because of Regina and her two little bundles of joy, We got to experience that. I couldn't be more grateful for her today than ever.
All I think about my last moments before sleep takes me is the sight of her being truly happy; her kids being truly happy, and how much I love this girl.