Page 54 of And Twice as Twisted
Loyalty: noun. The state or quality of being loyal; faithfulness to commitment or obligations. An example or instance of faithfulness, adherence or the like.
I had plenty of time to think while I was locked away and made a few neuropathic connections. Studies had implicated that the striatum, an area in the brain known for calculating anticipated rewards, was directly associated with loyalty and faithfulness. Sienna likely experienced increased activity in the striatum, proving loyalty was associated with benefits of greater emotional attachment.
I’d always assumed she had a vicarious limbic structure that was overwhelmed when it came to behavioral and emotional outbursts. The limbic system was located deep within the brain, interconnected structures that controlled one’s emotional state.
But when you took everything into consideration, it all came down to the same variable.
“Her loyalty is a shield. It shows you she will do anything for you, no matter what it does to her,” Bella continued. “You hide behind loyalty much the same, except it closes you off to believing you can’t be anything else.”
Fuck.
“She’ll probably gift that loyalty to someone else. Someone who appreciates it.”
My neck snapped in her direction. The thought of someone else touching Sienna made me murderous.
“She isn’t going to come back,” Bella added with a shake of her head.
“Yes, she is. Even if I have to drag her back by her fucking hair.”
I cracked my knuckles, ignoring Bella’s muttered, “Finally,” as I left the courtroom behind me, in search of a certain mafia princess.
Sienna had disappeared. Her normal pattern of behavior would have her returning once she composed herself. Her absence spoke volumes to the discord that continued to plague this family.
Sienna turning Gio’s own gun on him set in motion an uncontrolled cataclysm. Enemies were materializing out of thin air, looking for their pound of flesh. We’d learned Gio had legally bound, open contracts with hitmen—who’d been prepaid to avenge his death.
And I continued to work diligently to ensure Sienna’s name was kept out of the mix. The underworld was guessing, at best, that the Agostino offspring were involved, while I was lining up one body after another, keeping my promise to protect this family.
Especially her.
Gio had taken what didn’t belong to him. Had taken whatbelongedto me. And I wanted… no, Ineededher back.
“Where have you been?” Mario stopped me.
I held my breath, using my newest coping mechanism to stifle my uncontrollable rage. I counted in my head as I pressed my thumb to each finger before responding. He knew the answer, but harbored such animosity in the wake of so much destruction that he needed to hear it for himself.
I didn’t suffer from the fake ideology that I was, socially acceptable or otherwise,okayby any definition of the word.I’d closed myself off after the trial, dumbfounded by the repetitive reel in my head of Sienna’s loyalty throughout the years. In her absence, the need to speak to her was chronically debilitating as every attempt to find her turned up empty.
Mine. I would protect mine.
“Did you handle them?” His question only infuriated me further, but I swallowed it back and nodded. “Good. On to the next.”
Sienna is next,I thought to myself, because Iwouldfind her. And soon.
His silent dismissal wasn’t going to work this time. I’d replaced my entire Brioni collection, rebuilt my apartment in the city, and bought another piece of land near the compound. I was focusing on building a life outside of the mayhem I imposed.
Do not allow these facts to muddle your perception of me. I still did whatever was needed to protect this family.
I needed her return to confirm my hypothesis. It was a logical assessment, the belief that we shared the same sense of duty above all else, but I had to see Sienna to put the puzzle back together. I’d come to the realization her loyalty matched my own. And with that loyalty came ownership.
She belonged to me and I’d kill anyone that came for her.
I climbed into my newest toy, my Lamborghini Veneno Roadster.It cost me almost five million by the time I added a few bonus features. Prior to this, I cared little for the formidableamount of money in my bank account. I wanted things for myself now.
And I wanted her.
“Fuck!” I hissed while narrowly avoiding Al, who was charging towards me from the side yard. “You motherfucker!” I pulled the car to a stop and stepped out, checking the front tire well, which had slipped into the rock embankment.
“Apollo! Those are my hydrangeas!” Isabella Agostino shouted from the stables.
