Page 89 of Monster in Disguise

"And that's why you're my favorite sister."

"If we go," Marcello starts, "and that is a bigif, we won't know what to expect. We're on their territory."

"I want to go," I say, suddenly determined. "I can't let them bully me anymore. Tell me, how long do you think until these little games turn serious and they end up really targeting me, or even worse, Claudia? If we don't go, it's just like telling them they've succeeded with their threats."

"We still don't know if the Guerras were involved with the restaurant," Marcello notes.

"You might not know, but I do. I can feel it. And it's only going to get worse."

They are both silent for a moment before Enzo remarks,

"I'll be there."

I look at Marcello, and he doesn't seem at all pleased by the turn of events. He reluctantly agrees.

After Enzo leaves, I ask Marcello why he's so willing to risk a large-scale conflict just to spare me some discomfort. His answer, though, floors me.

"I never want to see you hurt again, Lina. And I know these people... They will hit below the belt."

"I can take it."

"I'm not sure I can..."

Marcello

As I button up my shirt, I glance over at Lina, who is engrossed in a file detailing the attendees of the upcoming Guerra Banquet. "Lina, have you noticed that Assisi has been acting strangely lately?"

She looks up, surprise evident in her features. "You've noticed too?"

I know I won't win any awards for being a great brother, but even I can see that something is off with Assisi. It started with her missing a few family dinners, and now she spends most of her days locked in her room except for when she has lessons. Even Mrs. Evans mentioned that Assisi seemed distracted.

"Have you tried talking to her? Maybe it's trauma from seeing that nun like that," I say, though Assisi had appeared composed during the entire ordeal. But perhaps that only masks deeper issues.

"I don't know. I'm worried about her too. I've been giving her space to adjust to life outside of the convent, but she's shutting us out. All of us. Even Claudia has noticed the change in her behavior. It's like she's hiding away from the world." Lina sighs, clearly troubled by the situation.

"Maybe we should make an appointment with Claudia's therapist," I suggest. It's not healthy for her to close herself off from the world. Maybe it's the guilty part of me that's saying that, but I want her to be happy... normal.

"If she wants. I'll try to bring it up with her, but she can be very stubborn."

"You know her best." Catalina's told me about their friendship, and I can't help but be extremely grateful for her presence in Assisi's life. She truly is an angel.

"This is a lot of people." Lina groans and closes the file.

"You need to be on your guard tonight, and it's better if you can recognize everyone."

"But we only have to worry about Guerra, right?"

"I'm not so sure. We don't know who they might work with." The Guerras have always been insular. While their conflict with the DeVille family is legendary and goes back many generations, their allies have always been a little harder to peg. Generally, it's whoever hates DeVille too. I'm almost afraid to entertain the notion that they might be connected with this so-called Chimera.

"Ready?" I turn towards Lina, shaking myself from my musings. Her beauty, though, blows me away. She's wearing a classy black maxi dress that clings to her body. Her hair is slightly curled at the edges, giving her an elegant vibe. She seems rather self-conscious as she nibbles at her lip and pats her dress down.

I stop in front of her and breathe her in.

I don't deserve her.

Hell, I don't deserve any of this.

But she's here, in front of me. And I can touch her.

---