So after an intense case of writer's block and struggling to find a good time to write now that school has started, I have finally finished the chapter!
O.M.G. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR THE 3 MILLION READS ON THIS STORY LIKE ASKFHAGFYFUFKAHFUH THANK YOU. IF I COULD HUG YOU ALL, I WOULD!
ENJOY THE CHAPTER AND SORRY FOR ANY MISTAKES!
- - - -
"I'm sorry." - Federico De Santis
- - - -
Sun peered through the blinds of Liam's luxury bedroom the next morning, waking me. The warm rays of light heated portions of my leg that stuck out on the side of the bed, past the crisp, white sheets. I blinked softly, inhaling deeply at the sight of a brand new, action filled day. My head sunk further into the plush pillows and my eyes fluttered closed.
I stayed like that for a second longer. My mother always told me that intuition was a woman's best friend and in this situation, I believed her. Although my eyes were squeezed shut, I could just tell that Liam was not lying beside me; and when I did open my eyes, it was confirmed.
Liam was gone.
"Seriously," was all I could mutter in an irritated fashion as I sat up, eyeing the empty spot of the bed where Liam usually lay. The covers were pulled to the top of the bed in a messy fashion; it was clear, he had hopped out of bed and made his portion of the bed without waking me up.
I eyed the room slowly, analyzing every bit of it as I scanned it. I started from my left, only noticing that the bathroom door was left slightly ajar. But upon further analysis, I realized no light was on, nor did I hear a shower or tap running - nobody was there. My eyes scanned the ground, looking for any articles of clothing Liam possibly could've left as he got dressed this morning - but once again, I came up empty. If there was anything that signaled Liam Luciano hadn't just up and vanished, it was the faint smell of his infamous cologne; it was light and floated around the bedroom in a delicate manner.
I threw my legs out the side of the bed and stood up quickly, huffing all the while. I raked a hand through the knots in my hair, while the other lazily pulled the duvet up to the head of the bed; it was a lazy, awful attempt at making the bed look made; then again, the last thing I was thinking about was Liam's large mattress.
I wouldn't say my feelings were hurt simply because he wasn't beside me when I woke up, but I will say that they were bruised. I had seen enough media throughout my lifetime to understand the whole 'don't be there when they wake up' deal, especially after a night like Liam and I had. Or maybe I had just set my expectations far too high; especially thinking that Liam and I would wake up together and act like the cute couple that we weren't. Or maybe I figured that Liam and I would wake up, chat deeply about our pasts, which only led to Liam making me breakfast and bringing it to me in bed.
Then again, this isn't the movie Think Like A Man and Liam is no Michael Ealy.
My hand was on the doorknob of the bedroom door by the time I finally looked down, glancing at my appearance. It didn't exactly register in that moment in time that all I had on was a large shirt Luciano must've slipped over my head while I slept. I was still partially upset and curious as to where Liam had gone this morning, so without a second thought, I flung the door open and stomped out.
Silence; peace and quiet met my ears, causing me to stop dead in my tracks. There were no sounds coming from my left, where Dominic's room resides. Nor were there any muffled rap lyrics coming from Federico's room. I took a cautious step forward, listening closely. I proceeded to tread forward, cautiously; as if I was part of a special operations unit walking through a field of landmines.
I paused at the top of the steps for a brief second, before bounding down the shiny marble. By the time I hit the first floor, I was expecting to see the typical waves of men; laughing, eating, watching television, telling jokes - but this morning, was no typical morning. The house was dead quiet. No maids floated around the foyer, handing out drinks and offering their assistance. No men dressed in designer suits and Italian shoes walked by me and neither did I feel a few wandering eyes follow me as I walked through the house.
The first place I looked was the kitchen. "Liam?" I leaned my head in briefly, before frowning and walking through the still room. My bare feet padded against the wood floor as a breeze blew through the house; I wrapped my arms around myself gently as I called Luciano's name again, receiving the same response I had the first time.
I stepped back out into the foyer, frowning greatly. But the sound of voices drew my attention to one of the many hallways. The manly voices started out soft, as if they were attempting to keep their voices down; but slowly, they rose in volume.
"We aren't going behind Liam's back, Rico. We're simply doing him a favor he doesn't know he needs."
I sidled up to the first door down the long, seemingly never-ending hallway. It was cracked just a bit and I leaned forward, squinting to stop the blur. Dominic leans back against a wooden desk, his arms folded across his chest. A watch clung to his wrist and shimmered whenever the light hit it. His legs were crossed at his ankles and he had a stern, no nonsense look on his face. He wore a simple pair of black slacks and a white dress shirt, finished off with a pair of dress shoes. Black diamonds were nestled in the holes in his ears and his hair seemed to shine, curling even more than natural.
"-yeah, without telling him." I hear Rico before I see Rico. He comes into the picture by taking one step forward. He wasn't as neatly dressed as Dominic was, but in the end, I couldn't see Federico as a constant suit wearing man. It just didn't suit his personality well. It was clear that today; he was supporting Adidas the whole way. He had on a pair of expensive looking Adidas sliders, followed by black and white Adidas soccer sweats, and a tight, white v-neck. His necklace glistened under the rays of sunlight that casted itself into the room and his eyes were covered by black ray-bans. Even Rico had a set of small, diamond earrings in his ear.
Bless Italian men.
"Look," Rico only continues after he's pulled the sunglasses off his face. He tucks them in the front of his shirt and runs a palm down his face. Despite their mentioned age difference, Federico and Dominic could easily look each other's age. It's incredible what facial hair on men can do. "Liam has done...he's helped me. And I couldn't bring myself to do anything behind his back." He thinks about that for a minute, "Well, anything else."
Dominic looks visibly torn at Rico's response. His mouth falls open and he lets out a sigh, before running a hand under his chin and over his top lip. "Yeah," He pushes himself up off the desk, nodding. "Sure, I understand."
The two approached each other slowly, lowering their voices. I couldn't quite pick out what they were saying, but it had to be important. They had lowered their voices significantly.
I nearly jumped out of my skin, automatically clamping a hand over my mouth as someone whispered softly from behind me, "Why are we eavesdropping?" My heart hammered against my chest as I whirled around. My eyes fell on a well-dressed Liam, who looked wide awake and oddly cheerful. He was smiling, one eyebrow rose higher than the other as he chuckled. He had palm resting against the doorframe above my head; his other arm was tucked neatly behind his back.
"Uh-" And in this moment, my vocal cords failed me. Liam had a teasing smirk on his face and he appeared to be highly interested in what I was doing. "I was...uh..." Liam's smirk grows, "...looking...for...my phone," I nod, "Yeah! Totally, my phone. I lost it. I'm so unorganized."
"That was the worst lie I've ever heard in my entire life."
"Agreed."
The door swung open and from behind it, Dominic and Rico were staring at us both. Silence enveloped us quickly as we all stared at each other awkwardly; but it wasn't until I felt three pairs of eyes on me that I realized they were all staring at me.
Federico's gaze was the most intense. I felt his hazel eyes swoop over my entire three or four times. Dominic's chocolate brown eyes stayed glued to my legs and I'm pretty sure I saw his cheeks flush, just slightly. He kept his head bowed and I saw his hand reach over to his other, his fingers gently twisting the wedding ring that still sat on his left hand. Then there was Liam, who was looking me deeply in the eyes.
Then I glanced down and everything sort of fell into place. I had dismissed the fact that I was only wearing one of Liam's fairly large dress shirts. When I picked my gaze my up, I smiled softly. A blush didn't creep onto my face, it practically slapped me and I was positive that I was redder than a tomato.
Rico smiled like a little boy on Christmas morning. "My imagination is running wild and I'm not even drunk."
A snap comes from my left, where Liam points at Rico. "Cover the child's eyes," He commands. Dominic nods as he slaps a palm over Rico's eyes, blocking the view. I was thankful.
Luciano rests a palm on my back as he leans down towards my ear, smirking against my temple. "You should go put something else on. Take a shower, get ready, and come downstairs; I'll make breakfast." I nod and turn away from the other two men. Liam's lips brush against my forehead as I head out the door; but I slow my walk, listening carefully to their conversation.
"I'm not a child," a salty sounding Rico echoes through the halls. I can just picture him folding his arms across his chest in a 5 year old temper-tantrum manner. "I'm twenty-two!" I giggle as I rest my back against the wall, imagining Rico holding up two fingers on each hand and waving them in Luciano's face.
"And I'm 24," Dominic adds.
"And I'm 28!" Liam finishes, before clapping. "Now that we all know each other's ages... Why the hell are you two still here? I thought you left."
"Well," Dom continues, "I had to chase this ass down because he stole my wallet. Not only that, but he then proceeded to take out money."
"I needed ten dollars," Rico mutters, defensively.
"Then please explain to me why you took out a hundred dollar bill?"
"Tens, hundreds, shit they all look the same!" I could see Rico throwing up his hands in defense, as if that justified his actions.
My smile only grew wider as I saw Rico and Dom facing each other, arguing relentlessly. Liam probably stood there, already mentally done with their argument.
"How does Benjamin look like-"
"Ladies, are we done?" Liam chimes in, cutting their argument short.
"No," Dominic and Rico answer in unison and immediately, I feel my face redden. It was just the tones they used that hinted at what they were about to comment next. "So, like, Faith-" Rico starts, but Dom finishes, "-and you?"
My eyes went wide as I heard sound of shuffling. Their voices grew closer to the door and I scrammed, heading towards the foyer and floating towards the steps; but I kept listening. They talked loudly, their deep, accented voices loudly echoing down the hallway and towards me.
"What about Faith and I?" I could hear the teasing in Liam's voice and I was certain he was smiling when he said that. My heart fluttered just a bit as I heard Rico scoff.
"Did you hit it from the back?"
"Rico!"
"Ow!" Federico groans as if he was in some type of pain, "What? It was just an innocent question."
I heard Liam let out a laugh, a breath of air. He didn't answer Rico's question, in fact, he kept silent. Rico and Dominic seemed to bicker the entire way back up the hallway. I managed to slip up the steps and silently, I watched them from above; they were completely unaware of my presence.
Federico had an annoying ass smile on his face as he slid his sunglasses back on. He was all up Liam's grill, chuckling and making weird facial expressions. I could tell Liam was having trouble trying to refrain from laughing.
"Liam got some." Rico turns away from Luciano, yelling the statement to the entire empty house. His words hung in the air, causing me to bite back a laugh. He walks out of my line of sight, but I can still hear him singing, "Liam got some," the whole way. Liam and Dominic make eye contact behind Rico's back.
"Watch his scrawny, three year old ass," Liam mutters under his breath. Dominic nods and raises a hand to his forehead; he salutes Liam.
I was pretty sure I had succeeded in keeping my laughter at bay, but Rico's voice came even louder than ever.
"Liam got some, bitches!"
And I lost it. I bowed my head, my hand covering my mouth. I could feel Luciano's gaze as I looked back up. We hold our gazes on each other's for the longest time before Liam breaks out in a wide smile.
"Why are you laughing?" His head was tilted upwards, an amused expression on his face as he stared at me. I couldn't give him an answer he could reply too; I sort of just stuttered my way through a laugh-filled explanation. "You're laughing at me..." It came more of a realization than a question or anything else. By the time I blinked back the tears caused from laughter, Liam was halfway up the steps.
"Liam, no!" I screeched as I pushed myself away from the railing. I darted past the other bedrooms in Liam's wing, before reaching his bedroom. I threw open the door and attempted to close it back, but I was pretty sure Liam had already stepped a foot in the door, keeping it from closing. I lunged over the bed, grabbing a pillow. I stood up and turned around, holding the pillow out in front my chest as my only defense mechanism.
"I don't like when you laugh at me," Liam pouts playfully as he takes a step towards me. I hold the pillow so tight, my knuckles threaten to turn white. No matter how cute Luciano looked in the moment with his pout and the three strands of hair that fell over his forehead, I wasn't going to cave.
"No, nope! I'm not letting you get close to me."
"Why not?" He takes a step closer, the tone in his voice deepening.
"Stay right there, Mister."
Liam's smile quickly fades as his eyebrows crease. His attention is quickly drawn away from me and although he still seems to be staring at me, I can tell his mind is elsewhere. "Did you hear that?" This time, he turns away and stands still, listening closely.
I lower the pillow and take a couple steps forward, listening carefully myself. There was a faint sound, but it wasn't one I would've associated with danger. After a long period of silence, I spoke up. "Liam, I don't hear anything."
"-That's because there wasn't anything," Liam smiles and snatches the pillow from my hands. He rests it on-top his hand, balancing it while I frown, upset that I had been tricked so easily. "I'm a great actor. Just call me Matt Damon from now on."
"I'm not calling you Matt Damon, you loser." I punch his chest, causing the pillow to drop to the floor. The only mistake I truly made, was turning my back to Luciano. I stumbled forward at the impact of being hit and I felt my hands clench as I turn around, preparing to give Liam a piece of my mind; but he stood there, pillow in hand, smiling wickedly. He shakes the pillow as I nod. "Oh, it's on."
"Come at me, then."
Our short lived pillow fight was definitely won by me. I took the first swing, which connected directly with Luciano's temple. When I pulled the pillow away, he was smiling, wide. Both of us whiffed a couple times, hitting nothing but air; but when we connected, we hit each other, hard. I was pretty certain Luciano wasn't swinging as hard as he could, but I still appreciated the effort. He ducked and dodged, definitely taking advantage of his self-defense knowledge. Nearing the end of our fight, I was pretty sure I had the upper hand; repeatedly, I raised the pillow over my head, smacking Liam across the head over and over again. We were both smiling and laughing, all while Luciano lifts a forearm, attempting to block my blows. But then Liam pulled a 180 on me and as fast as I had gained the upper hand, I lost it.
I wasn't sure how Liam had managed to disarm me and push me back against the bed. He was chuckling deeply as I lie there, staring up at him. His knees hit the edge of the bed as my chest rose; I tried to get my breathing under control, but we were both breathing heavily. I tilted my head to the side, smiling softly.
Liam truly looked angelic in this lighting. The room was fairly bright and the rays of sun casted soft light across Luciano's face and shoulders. He, like Dominic, was dressed up; a navy blue shirt clung to his shoulders, defining how broad they were with every movement. Black slacks and shoes made his outfit complete, but Liam didn't need the bling of earrings to bring your attention to his face; he was straight up, flat out, gorgeous.
"I won," I breathe out. I let out a laugh as Liam gives me a bewildered facial expression. His lips twist to the side and his eyes bug out, ending in a hearty laugh from him. I swore I sunk deeper into the mattress as Liam leaned down, caging me in on either side with his hands.
"No, I won," He smirks. I let out a quick laugh as he dips his head to my neck, placing a series of kisses on my skin.
"No," I push his chest, causing him to pull back. I was ready to shoot him down once again, defending my pillow-fighting crown, but instead, I switched my words up last second. "Fine," I adjust my position on the bed, "How do you figure?"
Liam smiles wide, leaning down to kiss me once again, this time on the lips - but I lean back, shaking my head. I was waiting for an answer and there was no way in this world he was about to seduce me out of this.
Once he realizes what I'm doing, he stops, only to press our foreheads together. "As long as I have you, I'm always win-" The sharp shrill of Liam's cellphone pierces the ear, "-ning. Shit," He drops his entire body to the bed and rolls over on his back, visibly annoyed.
"It might be important," I state, laughing softly as I sit up. Liam just groans from the bed, clearly uninterested in whoever was calling. Luciano pulls his phone from his pocket, checking the caller I.D. as I stand. "I'll be taking a shower."
"No!" He slams his head back into the mattress twice, "We were supposed to take a shower together, you know, conserve water." I let out a laugh as Liam puts the phone to his hear, "Ciao, baby girl, what's up?"
"We aren't taking a shower together!" I whisper yell. Liam listens intently to whoever is on the other line, then he turns to me. He cups the speaker of his phone, using his hand, leaving the ear piece still pressed against his head.
"I'm trying to be environmental friendly!" He whispers.
"Oh please!" I tease, "It isn't like you have 100 solar panels just sitting in your backyard."
Liam squints his eyes. "Get naked and take your cute, non-existent ass to the shower."
"If it was non-existent you wouldn't be staring at it," I shake my hips twice for good measure, before strutting into the shower. But right before I closed the door, I heard Liam yell into his phone.
"--No, Rosie, not you!"
- - - -
"Was Michael ever a good father?"
After my shower, I had come down to a wonderfully prepared breakfast; waffles, eggs, orange juice - you name it. I had pleasantly teased Liam about it being impossible that he managed to scramble up a meal like that so quickly, but he simply stuck his tongue out at me and continued to fry batter. Breakfast flowed semi-smoothly; Liam had to talk a lot more then he probably thought he did. My mind was elsewhere, on a two things I had noticed before and after my shower.
Blood was in the bathroom sink.
And two people had been vigorously scrubbing the carpet in the living room. They had the works; towels, buckets of water and carpet cleaner. The smell had reeked, but I hadn't mentioned it to anyone.
"Hah," I nearly jump from my seated position in the passenger side of Luciano's fairly new Mercedes Benz. He had a crisp, white smile on his face as I turn quickly to glance at him. Liam has his left elbow propped against the inside of the car door, his fingers keeping his head up. His right hand laid lazily on his knee and for a brief second, I looked away, eyeing the street in front of us. Once I realized we were at a stoplight and Liam was in no way putting our lives in danger, I turned back to him, an eyebrows raised. "Michael, good, and father, don't belong in the same sentence."
"Key word," I add, "Ever." Liam just shakes his head and turns his attention back to the road, silently.
Luciano fiddles with the knobs on the dashboard; he turns the volume up on the radio even though it was on, and he twisted and turned the air conditioning button. I watch expectantly as he slaps both hands on the wheels, thumbing the material gently with his thumbs.
"No," He finally answers, "Michael definitely wasn't the father to throw the football with me on Thanksgiving morning while my mom baked an apple pie." I let out a soft laugh as the traffic began to flow once again. A moment of silence ensued, but Liam spoke up again, this time, questioning me. "Is it weird, in a sick way, I still love him?"
I give him a look.
"Okay, not love," He corrects himself quickly with a soft smile, "Or, maybe so. I don't know. No, Michael definitely isn't my favorite person; he never was and he never will be. He screwed my ex-girlfriend that should've never been my girlfriend and he... I really don't know what the fuck he did with my mother and..."
I glance at Liam, worriedly. The pace at which his words were spewing out of his mouth were quick, signaling he was by far, ranting. Liam lets out a deep breath and looks at me out the corner of his eye, finally noticing my gaze.
"-okay," He continues, "Maybe I don't love him, but he's right. I can't take away something from him that he gave me."
"What's that?"
"Life."
Liam made a good point, but I also felt as though that decision came with personality. Liam Luciano may not be able to kill his own biological father if need be, even despite every fucked up thing Michael has done to him; but Rico would. Dominic though, I wasn't so sure.
We drove in a comfortable silence for a seemingly very long time. I kept to myself, slowly building up the courage to not-so subtly mention to Liam what I had noticed today. I was waiting for him to be in the right mood, but considering he was driving, it was hard to tell. He face held little to no emotion whenever I snuck quick glances at him. His thumb tapped the wheel repeatedly and from the side, I could see the muscle in his jaw twitch whenever he clenched it. A thin layer of fuzz covered the lower portion of his face.
I reached out slowly, dragging two fingers along his jawline. Baby hair's tickled my sensitive finger tips as I ran them along the lower part of his face and chin. He smiled widely, but kept his eyes on the road.
"You didn't shave this morning."
"I want to grow it out a bit again," He replied back quickly, but not hastily. I nodded and tapped my thumb against his chin, before slowly pulling it away. I screeched as Liam angled his head towards me and opened his mouth, trying to bite my fingers. I pulled them away quickly and shoved Luciano away from me, both of us laughing.
The second my hands land in my lap, I spit the question I've been wanting to ask all morning, out. "Liam, why was there blood in the sink?"
His smile disappeared immediately.
He must not have understood the question, simply because he didn't give an answer. I cleared my throat obnoxiously and spoke up much louder. The radio wasn't on, nor was a window cracked; so I couldn't see why Liam was pretending to not hear me.
"Your bathroom sink," I start up again, "This morning, it was faint, but there was blood in there. What happened this morning?"
"I found out you were a heavy sleeper?" His answer came more of a question and he looked at me out the corner of his eye, waiting for my approval of his response. All he got was a glare.
"Seriously, Liam."
"Seriously, Fi."
"Liam..." I warn.
"Faith," His tone matches mine to a tee.
The look I must've given him caused him to break. He broke the ever-growing tension with a smile. I let out a breath as he nods and sighs, shooting me a truly apologetic look. "I watched my parents relationship fall apart," He starts out slowly, "At least from what I could remember; with Michael and my real mother. Michael always lied to her and they kept secrets from each other and even though they claimed to love each other, the lies and the secrets tore them both apart. I don't want that to happen to us."
My lips twitched upwards, "So, what? We're married now?" I nudge him playfully, "Was that a proposal?"
His eyes widen, "No! God, no." Liam lets out a nervous bit of laughter as he raises a hand to the back of his head, scratching awkwardly. "We're just..."
I lift an eyebrow, "We're just...?"
"Friends."
Oh, okay.
"Right," I respond, "Friends."
Luciano cringes, "Don't say it like that."
"Like what?"
He waves a hand in my direction, making sure to keep the other firmly on the wheel. "The way you did it! You know what you did."
"I do not."
"Yes, you did! The way you said it, with that American accent, you know what you did."
I throw my head back a bit, letting out a laugh. "Liam, you have no idea what you're talking about."
"I do too."
"Okay, Friend."
"Whatever, Buddy."
We sit in silence once again. Quietly, I lean against the window, watching the green directional signs fly by us in a blur. Liam hadn't specified exactly where we were going this morning, he simply said hop in - and I did. We rolled past cars as if they were standing still, but I didn't risk a glance at the speedometer.
A speed limit sign flies by us, opening up my door of opportunity. "The speed limit is 65."
"I'm going 64."
I scoff, "Smartass."
Then it was silent, again. But it wasn't until I closed my eyes, preparing myself for a short nap did they pop back open and I whirled around in my seat. My seatbelt was my only restraint, but I stared at Liam, hard.
"You bastard!" I hit him in the shoulder twice for good measure, "You distracted me and never told me about the blood in the sink." He smiles, "You're good, but not that good-" I point a finger to my head, indicating my brain, "-I'm better. So spill."
"I thought I was your friend," He smirks.
"You're also a dick," I reply back, "Now, seriously, tell me."
He inhales and exhales deeply and it was his simple mannerisms that told me he was going to tell me the truth this time.
"I got sick of the disrespect, so I did something about it," I don't inquire as he speaks, I just listen, "Jeremiah was working with Corinelli," Liam tears his eyes away from the road for a split second, giving me a look I couldn't fully read, "You were right, something was off about him and I'm so sorry for not listening to you." He taps the steering wheel, "Truthfully, so many people have betrayed me in my lifetime, you'd think I'd be accustomed to it and would spot it sooner, but I don't. It's like I put up this pathetic imaginary wall and I refuse to believe it. That's what happened with Jeremiah."
The news didn't exactly devastate me. A relief, a burden I hadn't even realized I was holding on to, felt like it lifted itself off my chest and my shoulders once Liam finally spilled the beans. I was thankful Jeremiah was gone; it was one less problem I had to worry about in a world full of problems. Seriously, problem after problem seemed to follow Liam and I.
"Well," I finally speak, "I don't think I'll be shedding any tears over that news; but I'll try."
That causes Luciano to smile once again. The cars speed decreases as Liam pulls off the highway and takes a right. Slowly, the gorgeous sky-rise buildings and apartments fade and I find ourselves in a poorer neighborhood. It was a change for me, considering the lifestyle I had been around for a little over a month. I had Ferrari's and Lamborghini's at my fingertips, so when we passed by a 1980's car, I nearly gagged.
"That isn't it," Liam states as we finally come to a stop behind a light. "Ryan, too."
That name I didn't recognize. "Ryan?"
"The baby face dumbass in the meeting the other day," Liam explains with a wave of his hand. "He outright disrespected me, tried to knee me in the balls and everything."
"You killed Ryan out of anger?"
"Anger and because he disrespected me," He mutters.
"You can't kill people just because you're mad-"
"Not in your world I can't, but in this one, I can kill whoever I please," Liam turns to me, "The Italian mafia lives and dies by the word respect. And if you don't dish it out, you serve the ultimate consequence."
"Death," I mumble.
"Correct."
The only sound that filled our ears for the remainder of the car ride was the blasting of the air conditioner. I wouldn't say this silence was awkward, but it was more welcomed then anything. I kept my eyes glued to the scenery that we passed; run down drug stores and lone gas stations lined all the side streets as we made our way through the small town. It was moments like these that I realized just how blessed I was.
Luciano turned down a residential side street and my mouth just fell open. The houses all seemed to be alike, designed just like their neighbors. They were small homes, one floor, and had brick lining the outside. My eyes stuck to one house that Liam pulled in front of; it was small, just like the others, and had two visible windows out front. A barrage of children's toys were outside and a small, tan car was parked in the one car driveway. Liam kills the engine and turns to me.
"Bobby's house," He announces. "You don't have to come in, I would understand if you don't want to, but I would really appreciate it if you did." His eyes seemed to plead with mine and it didn't take a full minute for me to make my decision. Without a word, I unclipped my seatbelt and got out; I could've sworn I saw Liam smile.
The fresh air was nice as I breathed in deeply, taking in the early afternoon summer day. I adjusted my shirt as Liam rounded the car, locking it twice for good measure; I would've done the same thing. It stuck out in a neighborhood such as this like a sore thumb; like a pink elephant in a room full of people. It was impossible to miss the sleek, shiny, black luxury car. I casted one last longing look behind it as Liam pressed a palm against my back, escorting me to the front door.
My eyes scanned the patches of dirt on the front lawn, the worn-down children toys, and the terrible shape their car seemed to be on the outside. I felt my stomach drop just a bit and the little rumble that had begun to irritate my stomach, seemed to vanish.
"Liam," I whisper as I continue to eye their front yard. It was clear they were in no way swimming in cash. "Liam," I say his name a bit more sternly this time, causing him to stop walking. He doesn't remove his hand as he looks down on me with a curious expression. I keep my voice down, "Have you ever...you know...told someone that their loved one died?"
"I did, once," He replies, slowly leading us towards the door. "It wasn't fun and I don't expect this to be either." Liam doesn't wait for my reply; that, or he didn't feel as though what he said needed one. Without a hesitation or a quick second guessing of himself, Liam pulls the glass door open and knocks on the burgundy red door and waits. My heart was hammering against my chest, so I could only imagine what his was doing.
The door was pulled open not even a second later, and a gorgeous, tall woman greeted us. Her skin was darker than Liam's, resembling much of a caramel color. She had long, flowing black hair, that was falling loosely down her back. Despite the apron she wore and the lack of makeup she had on her face, she was absolutely beautiful; I actually began to grow self-conscious. Her smile was wide, but the expression on her face didn't match her smile. She seemed tired, worn even, and the minute I heard screaming and scrambling, I understood why.
Two children nudged her long, slender legs and wrapped themselves around her knees and calves. The boy was taller than the girl, but it was clear they were brother and sister; both had jet black hair, just like their parents. They had a complexion to die for, with cute noses and wide eyes. They seemed to breathe heavily, as if they had just ran a marathon and a half. The two glance at us quickly, before taking off back into the house without a word, but with many giggles.
"I'm so sorry about that," The woman smiles and moves away from the door, welcoming us inside her home.
The inside of the house was worse than the outside. Children's toys were everywhere, and I watched Liam struggling in finding an area of the carpet to put his large feet down. Toy trucks, Barbies, Cars, you name it, the children had it. A small, box television was on in the corner, Go Diego Go! Was being televised on Nickelodeon. The smell of food wafted through the air.
"Liam," The woman speaks again, smiling softly. Bags hung low over her eyes, clearly due to lack of sleep. "Wow, Liam Luciano; it's been a while since you've visited huh?"
Liam just nods, glancing around the house quickly. "A long time, yes," He confirms, "The children have gotten big. I don't think I've ever met the little girl."
"She's almost three," The woman said. My eyes fell to her stomach, where she was very pregnant."
"How far along are you?" I slip my question out between their short breaks in conversation. I can feel Liam glancing at me out the corner of his eye, while the woman turns her attention to me.
"Eight months," She extends a hand, "Natasha."
"Faith," I greet back, taking her hand in mine.
A little girl's scream pierces the ear, causing both Liam and I to wince. Natasha's facial expression doesn't change a bit, clearly used to the high pitched screaming. The little girl from earlier comes skidding into the room, purposely running into her mother's legs. Her brother is nowhere to be seen.
"Talia," Natasha bends down just a bit, stroking the little girl's silky black hair. "Can you say hello to Mr. Luciano? He's daddy's boss." Nervously, the little girl seems to peer around her mother's leg. Liam squats, coming almost eye level to the little girl. He shoots her a pleasant smile, but she just giggles and hides again.
"I don't get a hug?" Liam teases, holding open his arms. The little girl giggles again, before looking up at her mother, as if she needed permission. Talia laughs once more before running into Liam's arms for a quick, shy-like hug. Luciano chuckles and stands back up as the girl whispers something into her mother's ear.
Natasha smiles, "Why don't you tell him, dear?"
Talia smiles, "He's cute." Then she jets off, running back to where she came from.
Liam lets out a chuckle, "I like her already."
"What brings you and Faith...?" I nod to confirm my name, "...here today?" Natasha questions. I sulk behind Liam as he follows Natasha around the mountains of toys. The dark haired woman pushes a few toys off a couch, motioning for Liam and I to take a seat. I drop down, but Liam doesn't.
"No, please, you sit," He offers. She seems hesitant to keep her important guest standing, but she doesn't argue. With the help of Liam, she's lowered onto the couch. Luciano takes a step back and it wasn't until I turned to look at him that I realized just how nervous he had become. He was wiping his palms together and a bead of sweat seemed to stick to his temple. "Uh..."
"What's wrong?" The urgency in Natasha's voice rose and I saw her scoot her way to the front of the couch, visibly upset. My stomach dropped again. I shouldn't have come. Natasha's face paled, "Liam," She attempted to stand, but failed. I didn't realize just how horrible being almost nine months pregnant could be.
It was incredible how powerful non-verbal communication was. Liam's expression was visibly torn as the words he tried to speak out seemed to stay caught in his throat. He put his hands up to his mouth, blocking his nose and mouth as he thought deeply; but his expression and lack of words said everything Natasha needed to hear.
Her voice cracked, "How?"
"Tasha-"
Silent tears had already spilled out the corners of her eyes, streaming down her makeup free face. I bit my lip, knowing this was Liam's place to explain; not mine. Then again, if I had answered Rico's phone call, it all could've been avoided - possibly, anyways.
"Dammit!" She hurls herself to her feet, "Tell me, Liam! I'm a grown ass woman not a fucking six year old that doesn't know what death is. How?"
"Car bomb," Luciano said swiftly, "He saved my life; our life," He nods towards me, but Natasha doesn't look in my direction.
Then the real tears come. The rate at which they fall speeds up; her face is torn in a painful and agonizing expression. He eyes are squeezed shut and she pants as she cries, struggling to take in fresh air.
I was planning to bow my head before I started to cry myself, but I was glad I didn't. Liam didn't second guess himself as he stepped forward, wrapping his large arms around the woman's back, embracing her. The sight softened my heart; just knowing that this was the same man that originally tensed up when I first hugged him.
"He loved working for you," She sobbed against Liam's chest, her shoulders shaking violently. I just watched Liam press a hand to the back of her head, pressing her cheek against his clothed chest. Luciano rests his chin on top of her head, whispering comforting words in the sob-filled room. "He loved it."
I wiped my own tear that had managed to skate its way down my cheek.
Liam and Natasha pull away. "I understand that there is no money in all the world that will give the father of your children, the love of your life, back and I cannot tell you how sorry and regretful I am," He cups her cheeks, before dropping his hands to her shoulders, squeezing gently. "But I want to help you. So just name it; name a dollar amount and you'll have it. And with this money I want you to do something productive with it; go to school, take care of the children, move into a nicer home - just name it, Natasha. Bobby sacrificed his life for me, so there isn't an amount in the world that's too great."
"You know you're filthy rich when you can say that," She sniffles. That cracks a smile from me, but not from Liam. She pulls away from him, wiping at her cheeks gently. Her nose is still red and her face glistens because of the tears. Natasha sits back down, her hands still shaking. Liam on the other hand, pulls out a check book and pen.
"Just name it," He repeats himself.
But Natasha continues to shake her head. "I-I can't... I can't take your money. You don't have to give me your money to apologize."
"Natasha," Liam sighs.
"No! Just keep the money."
Luciano blinks at her twice, thinking deeply the entire time he's silent. He maintains eye contact with Bobby's wife while his pen scribbles a few things on the paper. Skillfully, he rips it out and hands it to Natasha upside down, as if he's a teacher that's handing a student back a poor test grade. "Don't flip it over until I've walked out this house, am I clear?"
She seems hesitant, but nods anyways.
"Faith," Liam nods at me, signaling our time is up. He helps Tasha back up and we head towards the door, together. Luciano opens the door and I walk out first. "Please, if you ever need anything; you know where to find me." Tasha holds the paper gingerly as Luciano follows me out the door. It closes a second later.
"Shit," Liam breathes, "I feel better."
"I'm glad you d-"
It was an ear piercing scream that beat Rosie's. I could've sworn the house shook as Liam turned around, a wide, true smile crossing his face. He digs into his pockets, handing me the keys. "Start the car, I'll be right back."
The door opens a second later and Natasha comes stumbling onto the porch, tears streaming down her face once again. She throws her arms around Liam once again and sobs. My heart was warmed as Luciano gingerly picks her up from behind her arms, carrying her back inside the air conditioned house.
A smile was on my face as I headed back towards the car. No new dents seemed to have appeared as I unlocked the door and got inside, turning the key. It started immediately. I fiddled with the doors locks, the windows, and the A/C for the first five minutes Liam was gone; then I turned on the radio, listening softly as the intro to So Cold by Ben Cocks played. The instrumental at the beginning was beautiful and I turned it up even louder.
I heard a tap on the passenger side of the door, and without looking, I unlocked them.
A hoodie covered man threw open the door and slid into the passenger side. My heart skipped about six beats, but I was puzzled when I didn't see any weapon in his hands. Their hood was up, but their hands were resting nervously on their lap; and that was when I saw the familiar scars.
"Shit, Rico." I slap his shoulder, "Don't ever fucking scare me like that again."
"Sorry," He mutters as he pulls the hood off his face. My eyes widen as he turns and looks at me. His bottom lip is busted and a thin line of blood is dripping down his chin.
"What...the hell happened to you? And how did you find Liam and I?"
Federico locks the car doors.
"Where's Dominic?" I question again. I angle my body around, trying to see behind the car and out both of the rear view mirrors; but there's no other car and no sign of Dom.
I got an eerie feeling as Rico reaches out gingerly, turning the radio down completely.
The sunglasses he had on his face kept me from looking directly into his eyes, but the frown he held was a definite cause for concern.
"Rico?" I was no questioning whether it was really Federico or not. I reached out slowly, cautiously, and pulled the sunglasses away from his face. A bruise was beginning to form on his cheek, but sure enough, it was Rico. His chest rose and hell, and his breathing seemed to be uneven. "What the hell is wrong with you?"
He slips the glasses back on his face and utter two words that causes a chill to riddle my bones. "I'm sorry."
"What? Why? Rico," I warn, "What did you do?"
He leans forward and pulls something from out of his hoodie's front pouch.
It was a gun.
I wasn't frightened until he pressed it against my temple and clicked the safety off.
"Drive."
- - - -
I'm so sorry for the long, crazy wait. I was trying to juggle school and then I hit a wall with this story. But, I'm back! YAY! Again, expect my updates to be a little less frequent though.
Now... WHAT THE FUCK IS UP WITH FEDERICO?!