Page 41 of The Taker

It almost makes up for how out-of-control-obsessive he is.

I brush my teeth and wash my face, ignoring my dark circles. There’s not much I can do about them anyway. After throwing on a simple pair of pressed black jeans and a basil sweater, I slip on my slippers and rush out to see my Lucy in the hallway.

“Good morning, Lulu!”

She gives me a huge hug, then walks with me to the kitchen as she tells me all about her upcoming day. She’s excited for fractions, story time, and to see her new friend, Emma. She tells me all about her as I cook up anotheroverachieverbreakfast—eggs, turkey sausage links, avocado sliced on an angle, and some biscuits I made and frozen earlier in the week.

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, after all.

Lucy and I are almost done with our plates by the time Julia arrives, her uniform skirt rolled up a little too much, her shirt rumpled, and her tie nowhere to be seen. Brighton Academy has a strict policy about the dress code, and we fight about it at least three times a week since she started there.

The short of it, she doesn’t want to wear it. Yet she has to, and there’s nothing I can do about it. And no, I won’t put her back into her old school, because this is an amazing opportunity for her to get a good education. But she doesn’t see it that way, because I’m an awful older brother who isn’t her dad, no matter how hard I try to be.

“Julia, good morning,” I say sweetly, trying not to start our day on a bad note. Her scowl lets me know that I missed that boat completely. The day has gone past bad, straight to shit record time. “I’m going to have to pack you a breakfast to go so you can get to school on time. Please change into a pressed uniform shirt from your closet and fix your skirt before we leave.”

“Please fuck off,” she spits, grabbing a cup from the cabinet and filling it with coffee, even though I’ve told her a million times she’s too young to drink it.

“Jules, no coffee, you know that,” I sigh. “You only have a few minutes before we have to leave, go get dressed,” I say a little more forcefully. “We’re going to be late.”

“I don’t give a fuck about being late. I’ll drink whatever I want!” she shouts out of nowhere. Whatever has her so riled up, yelling at me isn’t going to make it better.

“Julia, do you want to talk about something that’s bothering you?” I calmly ask in a last-ditch effort. She’s trying my patience, and I don’t want to fight in front of Lulu.

“Yeah, I do. Let’s talk about how all of a sudden there are evil fucking people after us, and we’re living with a fucking mobster! You’re an awful guardian, putting us in danger. You’re worse than not having parents!” she screams at the top of her lungs.

One of Rocco’s bodyguards pokes his head into the room, and Julia clocks him, laughing to herself. “Oh no, Rocco’s big, bad bodyguard is going to report back to him, I’mso scared.”

“No, Rocco can hear you all the way from his office down the hall,” Rocco interjects, standing in the entrance of the kitchen. He walks up to the dining table and sits across from Julia. “Good morning. Why are you yelling at your brother, who works hard to provide for you and keep you safe. Who stepped up to be your parent after your mother left.”

The hard truth stuns Jules, for a moment, but my baby sister can be an absolute bitch when she wants to be.

“Oh yeah, I bet he’s working real hard,” she rolls her eyes. “Explains why he has dark circles from not sleeping.”

Lucy, thank fuck, has no clue what’s she’s implying. “Jules, can you stop yelling,” she asks her lip quivers, and I know she’s going to cry soon.

“Jules, can you stop yelling,” she teases Lucy in a high pitched, mean imitation of her little sister. “Can you shut the fuck up? You’re so annoying.”

Lucy bursts into tears, running right into my arms for a hug. She's been such a sensitive soul since our mom left, and even though she claims to understand it’s not her fault, I sometimes think she blames herself. She wonders why she isn’t enough for our mom to stick around. Every time she gets upset, she asks when Mom is coming home, and I break her heart all over again when I tell her she isn’t.

Rocco glares at Julia, and before I can stop him, he verbally barbs her. “Wow, that’s really big of you, to take out your own inadequacy on your little sister.You’re so cool.Must feel like a real witch, because you’re certainly acting like one.”

Her eyes shimmer, but she doesn’t cry. She gets up from the table and strides out the front door to the car.

“Carmine,” Rocco raises his voice just enough so it carries into the next room. When the bodyguard pops his head into the kitchen, he continues. “Please drive Julia to school. Have someone prepare a second car for Leo, Lucy, and me.”

Lucy sniffles before a bashful smile spreads across her face. “You’re coming with us to school?!”

“Yeah,” he casually says. When Lucy rushes into her room to get her shoes, he turns to me. “You think I was too harsh?”

I take a minute to really think about it, going over what happened. Rocco made his house rules pretty clear a couple days ago, and they’re not unreasonable. The four of us should be able to live together in peace in this giant apartment.

“No, not really. I think I’m too easy on her, actually.” I’ve been struggling with Julia. Teenage girls are beyond hard—and even though I wouldn’t trade it for the world—no one prepared me to be their guardian.

He stands, taking my hand and pulling me into a hug. “You’ll get there. This phase will pass.”

“Aww!” Lulu squeals. “You two are so cute! Leo looks way happier than he did when we lived in our old building.”

I roll my eyes, because even though I am happier, I don’t need her giving him any more of an ego.

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