Sofia's tough childhood meant she was more alert than most people her age and was not to be underestimated. That was Aliyah's first mistake.
Her brothers were not the type of people to just let her go home with a friend and what she had found even more suspicious was the fact that she had somehow forgot to get her phone when she distinctly remembered already doing it.
When she checked the unopened messages from Rocco, she clicked on his profile to find that his number was different. The girl had made sure to memorise all of her brothers' phone numbers in case of emergencies, emergencies such as this. However to be certain of this she tried calling the contact called Luca and found he didn't pick up.
Her overprotective brother who usually answers all texts and calls within seconds not picking up? Even more suspicious.
Sofia then came to the conclusion that her phone had been somehow taken from her sometime after school and one of the same model had been placed in her locker. She had realised this even before she had left the school, yet decided to go along with Aliyah's lies.
Once she had asked the older girl about how she knew Rocco and was given the reply of 'we're dating', she recalled a conversation she had with him a few days prior.
"No dating until you graduate from school?"
"Yep," sighed Rocco, "it's a pretty strict rule in our family."
"I thought that rule would only apply to me."
"Nope, the others went through that as well. Thank God this is my last year."
Her brother looked at her mischievously, "that's why don't even think about getting into a relationship."
"I'm not!" She glanced at him curiously, "so has no one even secretly dated either?"
"Sof, our family has eyes everywhere, there's no such thing as secret dating. No one's ever risked it before." He paused before adding, "that and all our older brothers are snitches because they want us to suffer like they did."
The girl shrugged and said it wasn't suffering to her since she had no interest in dating, causing the boy to burst out laughing.
Right now she was stuck in the car with a possible kidnapper and was doing her best to overwhelm the other girl to extract information all whilst keeping her calm facade.
"H-how did you know?"
"Well you did a great job of leaving lots of clues so I found it quite easy to figure out actually."
Aliyah's surprised face turned into a blank one as she dropped her mask of friendliness. Her eyes narrowed and glared at Sofia with pure hate and anger.
She smirked, "so the Carmine princess isn't dumb after all." She leaned back into the drivers seat , keeping her eyes on the younger girl, "and my real name is Aliyah."
"I see. So why did you try and take me away then? If you had wanted I'm sure you could have just knocked me out and ran away."
"That is a great plan but I'm afraid the person who I'm supposed to be taking you to wants you in perfect condition, so it was necessary that I deceived you into thinking I was taking you home. You should be grateful."
The other raised an eyebrow, "grateful?"
"Yes you brat. I even bought you a phone!"
"Of course," Sofia spoke monotonously, "thanks for the gift. But I'd appreciate it more if you hadn't approached me in the first place."
Aliyah continued to glower at the other, who was for the most part unaffected by the spiteful gaze.
"Tell me Sofia, if you already knew of my plans then why did you play along?"
"I wanted to find out who was after me."
The older girl looked at her in disbelief, "you allowed yourself to be put in danger over something like that? I take back what I said before, you are dumb."
But for Sofia this was vital. She knew that her brothers are more than capable of finding out information on this person themselves, however it was a question of whose enemy was after her. The Italian mafia's or her mother's?
Mel had warned her of the gangs that would seek their revenge because of her mother through her and she knew she'd always be a target for those seeking to hurt her brothers.
"Why are you in this sort of lifestyle then? I'm sure you're smart enough to get a decent job."
Aliyah scoffed, "its because of you damn brothers, that's why!" Her eyes began to show unbearable pain as the memories surfaced, "the filthy rich Carmines who earn their wealth through corrupt methods and stealing from the poor."
"It's because of your brothers that I had such a shitty life!"
"Really? What happened?" Sofia's voice was quieter now, she felt pity for Aliyah, yet continued to ask her as she knew it was the only way to find out more.
"My...my father was a gambler. He gave me and my mum a hard time as I was growing up and when he started to run out he went to your brothers for money. More money than I could ever hope to earn through some decent job."
"I'm assuming he went broke and couldn't repay the money then?"
The other nodded, "he was scared of what would happen if they found out so he ran away. That day some men came to our home, they wrecked it and took almost everything we had and said they'd keep coming back until the debt was paid. After a few more months my mum couldn't take it anymore and she...she..."
Sofia didn't press further, guessing that the mother had committed suicide to deal with her pain.
"From the bottom of my heart I do feel bad for what happened to you. But I still don't understand why it's my brothers you want to get revenge on when it's your father who had caused it."
Aliyah spoke with venom laced in her voice, "I know it's his fault! Still, your brothers shouldn't have come after us, they should have tracked my father down and settled everything with him! Instead they chose to pick on the innocent.
That's when I met him.He gave me shelter and offered for me to work with him. He said he had been wronged by the Carmines too and wanted to help me avenge my mum."
"Him?"
A wicked smile creeped onto the older girl's face, "Leon, the leader of the German mafia. He will get you Sofia."
Goosebumps shot across her skin as she felt fear grip her at the sound of his name.
No, stay calm.
"He won't." She spoke firmly, even though she felt otherwise.
Aliyah laughed, "yes he will. I've had enough of this talk, I'm taking you to him now."
She put her hand back on the steering wheel and was about to drive off again when Sofia stopped her.
She held up the fake phone and showed messages which she had sent to Vincent just before she had asked to pull over, explaining that she had been kidnapped and managed to get a hold of this phone to contact him with. Just minutes ago he had responded saying that they had tracked down her location and were coming immediately.
"I have to say you make a terrible kidnapper. You even bought me a phone!"
The panic began to set in the other girl as she realised the predicament that she was now in. Even if she drove off now and left the phone behind, Sofia's brothers would be able to follow them. Under no circumstances could she reveal the hideout.
"There is a way for you to get out of this though."
Aliyah glanced up at the girl, confused.
"Leave me behind and escape on your own. I can even tell my brothers the wrong direction to give you a head start."
"Why would you do that for me?"
"Because. You gave me the information I needed and I have my own reasons for not wanting my brothers to catch you for now."
"Y-you...you really are dumb. Fine I'll go along with your stupid plan."
"Before you leave I just want you to know that...my brothers aren't bad people. I've lived with them for a short while but I know their hearts are pure."
Aliyah's words had bothered Sofia more than she had thought, for some reason another insulting her family infuriated her. She wanted the other to see her point of view as well.
"They showed no mercy to my family!"
"Well they are a mafia," the younger girl deadpanned, "if they were nice to everyone then they would lose power. There's no excusing what happened to you but if they really were heartless then they would have chased you as well."
"What?"
"Aliyah they're the Italian mafia, if they had wanted to they could have found you years ago after your mother's death and make you pay. They didn't though, did they?"
The logic behind her words were zero and the girl was desperate at this point. If she was going to find out more about Leon then she would need Aliyah as an ally.
The older girl did not respond, though her eyes became more understanding and she relaxed slightly. It did not last for long as several black cars turned around the corner, heading towards them. She pulled up her hood and ran away through an alleyway next to them.
"This isn't over Sofia!"
Sofia let let out a shaky sigh as her heartbeat quickened. She really was dumb, Aliyah could have had some sort of weapon on her for all she knew, yet she still followed her like an idiot. It seemed that the German mafia was her brothers' enemy as well as her mother's.
"Mummy, why do we have to live like this?"
Six year old Sofia shook her mother's shoulder, she was cold and hungry and had searched the entire flat for some money to buy food with and found her efforts to be fruitless.
The woman stirred from her sleep, she had the most pleasant dream of being with the man she had once loved, the one who had made her suffocating life bearable. She reached to her side for yet another bottle of alcohol and downed it before speaking.
"It's all his fault."
"His?"
"Leon! It's all Leon's fault!"
Rage filled every part of Maria as she turned towards her daughter, the empty bottle still in her hand.
"AND YOURS TOO!" She screamed and brought down the bottle on the shaking girl, now covered in cuts and screaming in pain with her.
The girl remained seated in the car, watching as Luca, Remo and the twins emerged from one black car and Vincent and Dante from an identical one next to it.
She rubbed her shoulder, where there was a small scar that remained. A physical remnant of that memory.
"Leon," she hissed under her breath, "I'll make you pay."
She got out of the car to see that Vincent was directing some men to go search the alleyway that Aliyah had escaped from. So much for pointing him in the wrong direction.
The girl was instantly enveloped into a bear hug from Luca, who seemed to be on the verge of crying.
"I was so worried!"
She stood awkwardly and patted his back.
"Luca, let go now, she can't breathe." Dante's voice.
As soon as he did she was embraced by Remo, who started to check her over for any injuries. Once he was certain she was fine, he nodded to the others who sighed in relief.
The men Vincent had sent emerged from the alleyway, reporting that she had escaped. Her oldest brother was not pleased with the news. Another man also appeared, his side bleeding.
"I'm sorry sir, she attacked me from behind and escaped."
"You let her get away?!" His voice rose and hands shook from fury.
Luca spoked quietly, "Remo, go help the injured man. Dante, go ask the other men for any information they may have got."
He then turned to the rest of his siblings and forced them in the back of a car before getting in.
"Right! They're probably gonna be busy here so let's go home."
"Why can't we stay? We're not kids like Sofia." Whined Rocco.
"Hey!"
"Oops, sorry Sof."
He put his arm around her, "are you okay? It must have been scary."
"I'm fine." She huffed, still offended at being called a child.
"What happened?"
She looked over at Marco, and began to explain everything- well nearly everything.
Some details were left out or changed, such as her finding out that the phone was not hers in the car rather than at school. Her brothers were quite impressed that she had memorised their numbers and worked everything out. They seemed to tense at the name of Leon too.
"Did that lady tell you anything else about Leon?"
She shook her head at Luca, meeting his eyes in the rear view mirror, "I'm guessing he's just someone after the family business."
"Yes...he is."
Her brothers were more at ease, thinking that their sister knew nothing of the truth. How embarrassingly wrong they were.
"It's strange though," pondered Marco, "why would Leon use such a weird method of trying to kidnap her though? It's like he wanted to fail."
A warning look from Luca and a few word in Italian telling him to stop talking for now shut him up.
Sofia then realised perhaps this man had no intention of meeting her this time, maybe he just wanted or her to find out about him on purpose.
Upon arriving home Luca forced his sister to eat a sandwich he made accompanied by a small bowl of berries. Once she had finished, she stood up to go practice some more music, only to be stopped.
"You were almost kidnapped and you can only think about music?!"
"I have a competition..." she looked down.
Luca patted her head, smiling at the sight, "rest is important too. I think you're more exhausted than you think."
He put his hand on her shoulder and walked her to her bedroom, "it's best you get an early night, ok?"
She nodded unwillingly before perking up suddenly, "the others haven't arrived yet?"
His smile faltered, "no not yet. You don't need to worry about that though."
The girl changed into her pyjamas and climbed into bed. As soon as her head hit the pillow her eyes began to droop and she found Luca to be correct, her brain was drained and weary. She gave in and closed her eyes.
At the same time, Aliyah had finally managed to outrun Vincent's men. Now she was in the poorer part of town, she walked down a couple of streets, most of the people here were criminals or had backgrounds like her, making it impossible for them to escape this sort of life.
She entered a run down building and walked to the top floor, the bodyguards stationed at each corner ignoring her since they knew who she was. Once she had reached, she entered a room in which there was only a desk and behind it a large chair which was currently facing the windows.
"I'm back Leon, I did as you asked."
"Did she know?"
"No, she wasn't aware that I had no intention of actually bringing her with me. She's also smarter than we thought too."
"I see, is she aware of the nature of her family business?"
"Yes, she knows the Carmines run the Italian mafia."
"Once last question Aliyah, did you tell her anything else?"
"No," she lied through her teeth, "only what you asked me to."
"Thank you, you may go now."
The girl excused herself and the man chuckled.
"She's more clever than I thought, maybe I'll have more fun playing with her than I did with Maria."
He turned and picked up recently taken photos placed on his desk. She looks exactly like her father, he thought.
"I look forward to seeing you soon, Sofia."