- A m a r a R u s s o -
"I'm going to be hiring you a bodyguard." Salvatore said, and I jerked upright.
"What?"
"I'm going to be hiring you a bodyguard." repeated Salvatore, "You three as well."
The twins and Sandeo looked at him in shock.
"Why?" they protested.
"Because there are too many things at risk now." Salvatore responded simply, "I can't afford you guys getting kidnapped because you didn't want a bodyguard to protect you."
"But that's not fair." Salvino complained.
"Life isn't fair." he countered, "And no arguing. My decision is final."
'Look at that,' the voice cooed, 'You're getting special treatment.'
'No,' I objected weakly, 'The twins and Sandeo are getting bodyguards too.'
'But why do you think that they'll suddenly get bodyguards if none of them did before?' the voice countered, 'It's because of you. Since Salvatore thinks that you need protecting, he hired you a bodyguard. But because he was considerate enough to think about your feelings, he decided that it would be best if Sandeo, Salvino, and Santino all got bodyguards.'
'How do you know?'
'It's obvious,' the voice huffed, 'Maybe if you weren't this stupid, you would be able to figure it out.'
I felt myself deflate at their words.
'That's right,' the voice sneered, 'Go cry like a baby. Pathetic.'
'Stop,' I whimpered, 'Not with my brothers present.'
The past few days have been extremely hard on me. The voices had been wearing me down, and the secrets my family is keeping from me isn't helping either. Every single second awake is spent wondering what they were trying to hide, and every single second asleep is spent plagued by the voices and nightmares of the past and possible future.
"- your bodyguard."
Silence reigned the room for a minute as I waited for the person who Salvatore was talking to to respond.
"Bambina?"
"Huh?"
"Did you understand what Salvatore said?" Salvestro asked kindly, and my eyes went wide.
Salvatore was talking to me?
"Uhh, no?" It was meant to be a statement, but my tone made it sound more like a question.
I heard the twins snicker at my words as Salvatore sighed.
"Were you listening to anything I said?" he asked exasperatedly.
I felt myself flush at his comment, and I shook my head in embarrassment as Sandeo let out a dramatic sigh.
"Wow, Amara." he commented, "I can't believe you spaced out on Salvatore."
"I didn't mean to." I murmured bashfully.
"God..." muttered Salvatore, running a hand down his face. "Alright. I'll explain how everything is going to go now, so listen up."
I nodded my head feverishly, and he took a deep breath.
"Alright, now since you are each getting your own bodyguard, this means that he or she will be following you everywhere you go."
"Even to the bathroom?"
"Even to the bathroom." Salvatore replied. "But, during school times and when you are at home, he or she will be hidden in plain sight so they can get you out of danger if something happens."
"So they won't be going to school with us?"
"No, they won't." nodded Salvatore, "But they will be within the school boundaries in case of an emergency."
"But why do I need a bodyguard?"
"Have you not listened to anything Salvatore said?" Santino drawled menacingly.
"You must be a bigger idiot than we originally thought." commented Salvino, and I felt my ire raise at his words.
"No, I got the fact that we need it for protection," I nearly spat out, "But why this much? They have Samantha already, and Ace said that she will be back in no time. It's not like they're going to be sending troops to try and kidnap us. Whoever your enemy is won't have the manpower or stuff they need to actually barge into the school unless they're the Mafia or something."
Sandeo choked on his saliva at my words.
"Can you repeat that, sis?" he gasped.
"I said that whoever your enemy is as you all don't trust me enough to tell me," I started in a slow, patronizing way. "Won't have enough guns or crap like that to actually try and barge into a school unless they were in the Mafia or is like this huge CEO of this huge company.
"But it's not like any CEO's would actually run a Mafia," I continued, disbelief ringing in my tone. "They probably wouldn't even have enough money to hire people for another attack."
My brothers were clearly surprised at my logical thinking, and I saw Salvatore try to recompose himself.
"That's where you're wrong," he sighed, "How do you think they managed to attack a party two times and still get away with it? It has to be someone with big money and the manpower."
"You cannot be implying what I think you're implying."
"I don't know," Salvatore said, "What do you think I am implying?"
I crossed my arms across each other, trying my best to not fidget under his stare. "You're saying that one of the Mafias is your enemy." I stated incredulity in my tone.
"You can say that." Sandeo piped in for his brother, and I shook my head, trying to process and soak in as much as I could before I forgot.
It wasn't long before I managed to do just that, and I felt my eyes widen on their own accord as I stared at my brothers in both shock and fear.
Don't tell me that not only did Salvatore make an enemy of a Mafia, but the Mafia planned all those attacks against us? For what? Money? Bargaining tools?
"Wait," I muttered, "Let me get this straight. All two attacks... They were all from a Mafia?"
"Bingo!" Sandeo exclaimed, clapping his hand.
"How in the world did you get them to notice you?" I inquired.
"No idea," Salvestro shrugged, giving me a lighthearted grin. There was nothing lighthearted about the situation.
"Oh my God, we're all going to die." I whispered in horror, and as expected, Salvestro immediately tried to comfort me.
"We aren't going to die, Bambina." he whispered soothingly, and I sent a glare his way.
"Yeah?" I challenged, "It's not like you guys have the people to do all the dirty work for you, and even if you did, none of your office workers know how to use a gun properly."
"We-"
"That must explain why you guys have guns in the house!" I exclaimed, "You guys are preparing for the Mafia to come barging into the house any moment."
"Partly," Salvatore replied.
"But how did you make an enemy of the Mafia?" I questioned again.
"No idea."
I narrowed my eyes at him, and he raised his arms up in a surrendering position. "I'm serious, I have no idea."
"Do you know which Mafia is attacking you?"
"Not for sure, no."
"Do you know who took Samantha?"
"Not for sure, no." he repeated.
"Do you know why they took Samantha?"
"For money and power."
"Why did they take Samantha and not me?"
"Because Samantha distracted the people who were going to kidnap you as Salvestro and Elena got you to safety."
"How?"
"I wasn't there."
"Why didn't you tell me that Samantha is my sister?"
"Because she's not."
What the fuck?
"But Salvestro said that she was." I protested.
Salvatore raised a brow, but otherwise didn't say anything about it as he answered me. "Cause she technically is."
"So she is my sister?"
"No."
"So she isn't my sister?"
"No."
I threw up my arms in frustration as I saw the twins snicker between themselves, casting me amused glances. "Then what is she!"
"She is Ace's wife and a model." Salvatore droned dully, and I felt my irritation spike.
"No, what is she to me?" I emphasized, pointing my index finger right at my chest.
"She is your family of sorts."
"Stop being so evasive!" I yelled, and Salvestro gave me a warning look.
Huffing, I slumped back into my seat, just realizing that I was standing and yelling at the top of my lungs.
"It would be easier to explain if Samantha were here," Salvatore said in a way of explanation. "I don't know how to explain it to you without it being confusing as I don't know the entire story myself."
"Alright, fine." I stated, "Who are you hiring to 'protect' me?"
"When did this turn into an interrogation about me?" Salvatore retorted, and I let out an annoyed breath.
"B-"
"You'll find out everything you need to know when it is time for you to know." Salvatore declared firmly, making no room for arguments as my shoulders slumped in defeat.
Right as I opened my mouth, Salvatore raised his hand up, effectively silencing my protests. "All you need to know for now, is that a Mafia is after our entire family. Whether it is to kill us or to use us as a bargaining chip, I don't know.
"The twin's Sweet Sixteen birthday party was the first party they crashed unsuccessfully as no one was really harmed. The Christmas party is the second party they attacked. Successfully this time, managing to kidnap someone we hold dear to us even if it is not you."
"Why do they want to take me?" I whimpered, unable to hide the fear in my voice.
"Because you are considered our 'weakness'," Salvestro replied softly, "Think about it. A girl coming to a family that was once filled with boys only? That just screams vulnerability to all the people who wish to do harm to us."
"But why did they take Samantha and not me?"
"Because they probably couldn't find you in time," Sandeo said helpfully, "From what we know, Samantha managed to get them all far away from you guys, setting fake leads for them to track. Even if they didn't get you, they still got someone valuable as well."
"Why is Samantha valuable?"
"I've said this so many times already, Amara." sighed Salvatore, "It's because she's Ace's wife and our sister. That's two different companies they can threaten."
"But are you sure that-"
"We don't know who is behind the attacks. We're still investigating, but it has to be done discreetly, which is why everything is going so slow." he replied, and I nodded slowly.
"Continuing on what I was saying before I was interrupted," continued Salvatore, "All you need to know is that we are also getting you a bodyguard. You won't need to know who he or she is as that will remain private between him or her and I."
I hated the fact that Salvatore was saying both pronouns so I wouldn't be able to narrow it down.
"Ca-"
"No, Amara." he stated firmly, "It is for your safety, and their safety as well. Don't worry about it. All you need to worry about is your safety, and your school grades. Everything else we just told you, you can forget it for all I care."
Tears pricked my eyes at his words. I had no idea why I was feeling so emotional these days, having constant mood swings.
Salvatore's eyes softened at my words, but he didn't say any comforting words. Salvestro however, did something about my feelings.
Salvestro had pulled me into his arms, and although I should be embarrassed, I wasn't embarrassed, not even a bit. Maybe it was because I was making up for lost time, but who knows.
Burying my head in his chest, I tried to stop the waterworks from coming, managing to do it... Just a bit. I had wiped my already forming tears on his shirt, causing his shirt to dampen slightly at the water.
"It's fine if you're feeling overwhelmed," he whispered soothingly as the rest of our brothers stayed silent. "It's natural for you to feel that after we've bombarded you into a whole new load of information."
"It's also why we don't tell you everything," I heard Santino mutter under his breath. "Because you won't be able to take i-"
A resounding smack echoed across the room, and Santino's groan of pain was heard.
"What was that for?" he growled.
"Stop being an ass, Santino." I felt my own eyes widen at who said that. My ears are deceiving me. Did Salvino just defend me from his own twin? I'm hearing things now. My sleep deprivation must really be messing with my brain.
"Jeez," Santino grumbled, "It's not like I meant to be one."
"Just be quiet." muttered Salvino. "Don't antagonize her when she's in this state. You don't want her to have a relapse do you?"
Surprisingly, Santino stayed silent and didn't disagree, causing my heart to lurch in excitement.
I can't believe I felt this happy because Santino didn't insult me. Talk about humiliating.
"Are you okay?" whispered Sandeo, his voice surprisingly calm and gentle for once as he touched my shoulder with a comforting hand.
I hiccuped, but managed a weak smile before coming out of Salvestro embrace. "I'm good. I just felt..."
"An overflow of emotions?" he suggested helpfully, and I chuckled, nodding my head.
"Exactly that." I agreed.
~
"Salvatore," Sandeo brought up that night, "We're still going to school am I right?"
"Of course," Salvatore looked affronted at the idea of not going to school.
"Question."
"Shoot."
"As we are having our final exams soon," Sandeo started, and I felt my brows raise up to my hairline. I had final exams?
"Not you," he said quickly, and the panic rising in me lowered as I let out an audible sigh of relief.
"Oh."
"Yeah, well anyways," he continued, "I was thinking that I could go hangou-"
"No."
"You didn't even let me finish yet!" Sandeo cried out in frustration, throwing his hands up in irritation.
"No." repeated Salvatore, "I know what you are going to ask, and my answer is no."
Sandeo narrowed his eyes on his oldest brother, "You know that I don't even have to ask you for permission to do anything, right?"
"Yeah, I know." Salvatore replied nonchalantly, "But I don't think you want try me when I've already given you my answer"
There was a hint of challenge in Salvatore's voice, as if he wanted Sandeo to try and disobey him. As if he wanted Sandeo to deliberately misbehave and ignore his order.
Sandeo, noticing the daring look in his oldest brother's eyes immediately deflated, probably knowing that he shouldn't test his brother's patience. At least he was smart enough to know when and when not to pick a fight with Salvatore.
"You were saying?" Salvatore smirked, his usual cold, steel blue eyes lighting up with amusement. To him, this was like a fun game he liked to play. To his brothers and me, it wasn't so much of a 'fun' game. It was more like a dangerous life or death game, and I truly don't think I'm exaggerating.
Sandeo huffed, letting out a breath of annoyance as he gritted his teeth in anger. "Nothing,"
"Exactly what I thought," a satisfied Salvatore nodded. "Any more questions?"
"Yeah, I do." Santino voiced.
"What?"
"For how long are we going to have the 'bodyguards'?" he muttered, and Salvatore hummed in thought.
"Good question," he murmured, "I don't know myself. I'll have to ask Ace."
"Wait, why?" I butted in. "How would Ace kno-"
"Have you forgotten already?" Santino's sarcastic tone interrupted me. "Samantha is Ace's wife. He will obviously be a part of the investigation for her."
"But then why do they want me?"
"Because we're powerful people in the world too," chuckled Salvestro kindly. "Just because Ace is more popular than we are doesn't mean that we don't have a strong influence either."
I felt my fame flame in embarrassment as my perplexed expression turned into one of mortification at my stupidness.
"You look embarrassed." commented Salvino, and that only caused my face to turn into a cherry red tomato as four other pairs of eyes turned towards me.
"Yes, she does." Sandeo agreed with a teasing smile on his face. "Our sister looks quite flustered."
I couldn't help the small flutter in my chest at his words. Although it wasn't uncommon for him and Salvestro to call me their 'sister', it wasn't common either. Each time they said it had my heart skipping a beat and uplifting in joy. Pathetic, right?
'Yes, it is.' the voice hissed.
"Stop it guys," Salvestro sighed, exasperated. "You're being mean."
Look at Salvestro going on my side! Such an amazing brother I have.
The twins both shrugged, not acknowledging his words as they went back to quietly talking to each other.
"By the way," started Salvatore, and my eyes flew to him.
"Yeah?"
"Because of all of the things happening," he continued, "I am going to have you take a few self-defence classes."
"Self-defence classes?" I repeated dumbly.
"Yes," Salvatore nodded, unfazed by my reaction.
"Oh."
"It's not negotiable either," he added, and I felt my eyebrows furrowing in confusion.
"But how am I supposed to take self-defence classes if we're all on house arrest?" I questioned, and a glint of glee rose in Salvatore's eyes. "Will you be letting someone in the house or something?"
"Ahh," Salvatore nodded slowly, "That tiny problem. I already have that fixed."
"You do?"
"Yes," he replied, looking extremely proud of himself as his expression turned smug. "Salvestro, why don't you break the news to our lovely family over here?"
"Well," Salvestro sighed dramatically, "Because Salvatore thought that you needed to improve your relationship with a certain two people, he decided that it would be best if they teach you self-defence."
Wait a second...
"What is that supposed to mean?" Santino interfered as my brain ran a mile per second.
He better not be saying that...
Both Santino and Salvino obviously came to the same conclusion I did, as both of their eyes widened as shock and anger consumed them.
"Don't tell me..." Santino started slowly, and Salvestro dipped his head in an affirmative as his eyes brightened in joy.
"Don't tell you what?" he asked innocently.
He was having way too much fun with this.
"We are not teaching Amara self-defence." stated Salvino, rather firmly I must say.
"Says who?" retorted Salvestro as he and Salvatore both shared a meaningful look.
Sandeo on the other hand was too busy snickering behind his hand as his eyes went from the twins, to his older brothers' faces. It was like he was watching a ping-pong game as his eyes flew from one person to the other, a huge grin on his face.
Honestly, Sandeo was having much more fun than Salvestro.
"You two will be teaching Amara self-defence." Salvatore declared, and I felt the ends of my hair raise.
Salvino and Santino, teaching me self-defence? Yeah, they'd probably teach me something called 'a good beating' if I even go two meters within their personal space.
"No way are we doing that." Santino said, and I feverishly nodded my head as well.
"Yeah," I piped in, just as eager to not have the twins teach me anything, self-defence included.
"No. The twins will be teaching Amara self-defence starting the start of school. My decision is final."
Fuck my life.
***
A much more calm chapter for all of you guys before the problems start arising again. You guys mustn't worry too much. Nothing too horrible shall happen... I think. And aren't you happy that there isn't a cliffhanger for all of you? I'm such a good Author (jkjk).
Anyways, thank you to all of the people who commented and voted on my previous chapter. I really love all of the uplifting comments, and I can't wait to see more of them in future chapters, lmao. Hope you all have a great morning or for my night friends, rest of the day.
Stay safe guys, and see you in the next chapter of FCF! It should be out in less than 48 hours.
~ CRAZY40429 💋
QotC: What's your favourite Starbucks drink?
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