Page 79 of Little Rabbit

Leonardo is silent, but I can almost feel his anger coming through the phone. Finally, he says, “Sienna, I presume. You know, had I known of your existence before now, none of this would have been a problem. I’d have already collected you and married you off to who I wanted and you’d have been someone else’s problem. But clearly, you have learned some terrible habits from your idiotic parents. The man you call father certainly didn’t teach you to stay quiet until you’re spoken to.”

“See, there’s this cool thing called equal rights, and my father taught me all about it, along with my mother,” I tell him silkily. I feel Alessio move up behind me in a silent show of support, and I’m grateful for it. “As for me speaking, well, you probably should get used to it because that’s what more and more women are doing nowadays. Not even men like you will stop that. Or is it the fact that you don’t get to tell me what to say that pisses you off? From the sounds of things, you just don’t like that women are far smarter than you.”

“I’m going to enjoy teaching you and your good for nothing sister just what is expected from you,” Leonardo replies icily, his calm facade starting to crack.

“Yeah, yeah, your son already gave that speech,” I sigh, trying to sound bored. “And just so we’re clear, you’re not going to be doing anything to me. Not only because you’re not going to be anywhere near me, but also because my man says that anyone who touches me dies, and he’s already proven that today. And we both know that you’re not going to go after him.”

Leonardo is silent for a moment. “Dario told me that you were whoring yourself out to Alessio Caruso, not that I should be surprised. All women spread their legs for any man that gives them the slightest bit of attention. He’ll grow tired of you eventually, and that’s when he’ll send you back to me and your proper training will begin. Just like your sister’s.”

“Your training didn’t work, Father, if you mean me,” Gia tells him coldly. “And Sienna is far stronger than I ever was.”

Leonardo is quiet again. “Ah, my other whore of a daughter that decided to betray her own family. You always were such a disappointment, Giulia. Your mother’s influence, I’m sure.”

“The mother that snuck me out right under your nose,” I toss back with a smug laugh. “Sounds to me that she knew what would happen and wanted to give me a chance.”

“You and that other bastard,” Leonardo seethes. “But she was too fucking stupid to get rid of the evidence. When I see her again in hell, I’ll be letting her know my thoughts on that. But it’s no matter, because my men will find her, and when they do, they’ll be bringing her right back where she belongs. Perhaps she’ll be far better than her brother. Despite being separated, they say some things are just genetic. But until then, Nico, be prepared for war and make sure that you and the fuckers you’re working with are worth it, because they will be the reason you lose it all.” Then the line goes dead.

No one says a word for a moment until something clicks about what he just said. “Oh my God,” I gasp. I look up at Alessio. “We’ve been thinking it was another baby born after Gia, but it’s not. It’s one born before her and after me. He said despite her being separated and it being genetic. The baby girl is a twin.”

“Oh my God, Matteo had a twin,” Gia gasps, looking shocked.

“How the hell would they have managed that?” Rori asks, confused. “I mean, you can’t just hide a second baby, can you?”

“You can if the first one is the boy,” I reply. “Think about it. If the first baby born is a boy, there is usually some time, even if it’s only minutes, between that one and the next baby. And that would have been enough for his father to see the baby. Be pleased, and leave, right? The doctor and whoever else was in there would have just said that they had to finish cleaning her up, and then let her birth the second baby before he knew about it.”

“But wouldn’t he have heard the baby cry?” Rori points out.

“If they had sent him away, then it’s possible he never did,” I reason. “Or maybe they quieted the baby somehow. Then they cleaned her up and got her out when the doctor or whoever left. No one would be the wiser. Her husband is happy with a son, and the daughter is out, headed to a new family completely out of danger.”

“Fuck, that definitely took some planning,” Alessio agrees. “But it makes sense. Aurelio?” he calls.

“I’ve already relayed the information and he’ll be back to us soon,” Aurelio replies briskly. “We’ll find her. We have more to go on, including a specific birth date. Before it was just a best guess.”

“So we have three girls from Gia’s mother, and possibly two from Bianca,” Alessio says thoughtfully. “I have to give it to them both, they were able to do what most would find impossible.”

“Desperate women do desperate things,” Rori says as she gets to her feet, looking thoughtful. “Especially when it comes to their children.”

“She must have been so afraid that Father would realize,” Gia says softly, sadly. “All while holding one child, knowing that she would never see the other. Makes me realize why she might have resented me. I was the one that she couldn’t get out in time for whatever reason.”

“I wonder what kind of evidence he meant,” Sofia says thoughtfully. “He said that she was stupid to keep the evidence, but why did he only find it now? How did he know where to look?”

“He tortured the former staff members, so one of them must have said something,” Dante tells her. “Or, he had the house searched and he found it.”

“There weren’t many places you could hide things without him finding it,” Gia agrees. “Even me, when I was a kid, I had a diary that he found, even when I thought I had hidden it in the perfect spot. He had cameras everywhere, so I must not have been cautious enough and he caught me.”

“But she managed to hide this for over twenty something years,” I point out. “The problem now is that he found it, and we’re already behind him if he figured out her name, or any details that would lead him directly to her.”

“We can’t borrow trouble,” Alessio reminds me. “Aurelio’s guy is the best out there, and he was able to help us find you and Amara quickly. He’ll find this one and the final daughter. We just have to be patient.”

“That’s one thing I’m not exactly good at,” I remind him drily. “But you’re right.”

“In the meantime, we need to prepare for another attack,” Nico interjects briskly. “This isn’t the end, and now that we’ve sustained one attack, it’s the perfect time for Marco or Leonardo to attack us. And clearly Tommaso was working with Giovanni’s side, but that doesn’t mean he was the only one.”

“I’ve already changed anything that requires security, so everyone is locked out until I give them access again,” Dante tells him. “But we need to start figuring out just where loyalties lie.” He gets to his feet.

Nico does as well, setting Gia on her feet and giving her a quick kiss. He murmurs something to her, and she nods, clinging to him for another moment before she steps away. “Alessio, you’re welcome to join us,” Nico tells him.

I look back at Alessio and see him nod. He gives me a reassuring smile. “I’ll come and find you when we’re done. In the meantime, all of you will stay with Alonzo and Mario, who is right outside. Don’t leave his sight, and if he tells you to do something, you do it instantly, understood?” I nod, as does Gia, but Rori just smirks, earning a warning stare from Alessio.

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