Page 49 of Little Rabbit

“Look, calm down, okay?” I snap back, irritated, but also knowing that she’s only acting this way because I’ve scared her. When it comes to Rori, she doesn’t play with the safety of those she loves. “I know it’s not ideal, but we couldn’t stay in Sicily because my bio family and whoever they aligned with have found out we were there, and there was a threat on Gia and I both there as well. So it was decided we would come here, where Nico’s house is a fucking fortress and we’ll be safer.”

“A fortress?” she repeats incredulously. “You’re gonna sit there and tell me that the home that just got attacked is now the safest place you could be? Are you even hearing yourself? Or are you telling me this because you want me to come and rescue you? Fuck, that’s it, isn’t it? Look, if you need help, I want you to tell me the name of my imaginary friend when I was six. Then I’ll know and get there to get your ass out.”

God, that is the last thing I need to happen right now. Alessio thinks I’m bad, but Rori is a whole other level. “No, no, I’m fine, I promise. Seriously, Rori, don’t come here and put yourself in danger. I promise I’m fine. And honestly, even if they got past the gate, the dogs, and the guards, this house is so huge it would take them months to find me. Gia said something about there being special hiding places, but we haven’t gotten to where those are yet. But we will. I promise I’m okay. And I’m really sorry I didn’t call. It’s been a whirlwind couple of days and I’ve just been trying to catch up. Please forgive me. I don’t want you mad at me on top of it all.”

She’s silent for a moment before she heaves out a heavy sigh. “Fuck,” she hisses. “Fuck it, fine, I’ll let it go, but if you do this shit again, I’m going to chop off all your hair, and burn your laptop. Got it?”

“Yes,” I assure her, knowing that she’s vindictive enough to actually follow through.

“Fine. Alright, you’re in New York at some fancy mansion in the middle of a war. And where is Alessio Caruso?”

“He’s here too.”

She says nothing for a moment. “Wait, what’s happening with him? If you tell me you married him without me there, I’m upgrading my threat to include kicking your ass.”

“No, no, I didn’t marry him. Nothing like that. In fact I keep telling him I’m not going to marry him. He’s…he’s stubborn and insisting I belong to him now and all that alpha male crap that normally we only like in books or on TV.”

“You said ‘normally’. Which means you do like him acting all alpha and shit, and he’s wearing you down.”

“Look, I don’t know what the hell is going to happen with Alessio and I, but I know that this stupid war is going to happen, and I need to make sure the wrong side doesn’t win. I refuse to marry anyone that I don’t want to, Alessio included. I just wanted to make sure you know where I am. I might not be able to talk to you all the time, but I promise I’ll call whenever I can. Okay?”

She doesn’t answer for a moment. “I don’t like you right in the middle of this, Sienna,” she finally says, her tone tight. “But fine, I don’t really have any other option but to wait and see how things go. But you better keep me in the loop, got it?”

“Got it,” I promise.

“Alright, well, before you hang up, tell me what you honestly think of Alessio. Are you seriously interested in him as more than someone to protect you until this shit gets handled?”

I groan. “I don’t know. I swear I don’t. One minute I want to stab him, or shoot him, depending on the closest weapon, while the other times I want to know more about him. Or I want to fuck his brains out. I haven’t had much time to decompress, with everything going on. Fuck, I don’t even know much about him, so how could I even consider being in any kind of relationship with him?”

“Who cares? I mean, really, Sienna, none of this shit is normal. Do you really think knowing his favorite color, or what kind of foods he likes, or if he wears women’s underwear matters right now? You can learn all that shit as you go. He’s clearly into you, and with everything going on, you need more than just me in your corner. You need as many as you can get, and clearly he’s also there. For now, I say you put any ideas of a relationship to the side and focus on staying alive. And if that means in the meantime you fuck his brains out to relieve some stress from the situation, I doubt he’s going to argue.”

“But what happens if he feels that’s me agreeing, and then he gets pissed because he thinks I’m leading him on?”

“You tell him up front you’re not agreeing to anything and this is purely physical. Then he can work on trying to convince you, but you can ignore it if you want.”

She has a point. “Okay, I’ll think about it.”

“Good. Now, since I know you’re alive, I have shit I have to get back to. If you don’t call me again within the next couple of days, I’m going to come and find you, got it?”

I smile. “Yeah, I got it. I miss you, Rori. You have no idea how much I would rather be sitting with you at our favorite coffee shop right now.”

“I miss you too, even if I am still mad at you. But we’ll get there. Oh, and make sure that you’re having enough hot sex for the both of us, because right now, I’m living vicariously through you. Before you go, tell me, is he as hot as his pictures online?”

“Hotter. And he knows what he’s doing in bed. Actually, we haven’t done it in a bed, so we’ll say, floor, wall and shower for now.”

“Lucky bitch,” she huffs, and I laugh. “He has two brothers right? Wonder if either of them would be willing to give me a spin?”

“Probably. I’ll introduce you after all this is done.”

“Good. Alright, I’ll talk to you later. Stay safe, okay?”

“Okay. Miss you, Rori.”

“Miss you too, ‘enna.” Then she’s gone, and I take out the SIM card and put it and my phone away.

Talking to Rori has settled something inside me. She’s right. Worrying about a relationship, or whatever this is, with Alessio is stupid, and I need to focus on staying alive first. Which means I need to know what I’m up against.

Time for me to find wherever Alessio and them are hiding. I just have to hope I don’t get lost on the way. I open my bag and grab the gun I hid in there, tucking it into the waistband of my pants. I think about grabbing the knife, but I don’t have anywhere safe to put it that it won’t cut me.

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