Page 22 of In My Blood
“I have to work tonight. Where’s my coat…and shoes. I need my shoes.”
“We’ve already had this discussion. It’s not safe for you to return to your old life right now. I thought we agreed you were coming home to see Gia?”
“It’s not myoldlife. It’s myonlylife. I can’t lose my job. I….I’ve already lost one. I need this one.”
“No you don’t. You don’t need to work now,Tesorino. I can take care of you and give you the things you need. I want to.” The desperation in his voice got through to me, and I actually calmed enough to take a deeper breath and think.
“You’re kind, Rafe,” I sighed. “But you…you don’t know me now. I’m not the kid you lost. I grew up and I’ve changed…a lot. My life here is far from perfect, but it’s mine and I can’t just let it all slip away when I had to fight so fucking hard to get it.”
“I do understand. I’m asking you to leave everything you have behind once again, but it will be different this time. I’m going to take care of you this time. All I want is for you to be safe and happy.”
“How can I ever be safe, when the people you’re mixed up with are most likely the ones who did that….who murdered and ch-chopped our mother to pieces?!” I ground out through my tight throat. Just mentioning my Mum, had the images of me finding her remains playing out in my head, in graphic detail, all over again.
“I can keep you safe there. I have security, and men who work for me. Dio lives with me and Gia, along with two other guys who can and will protect you.”
“Other guys? You live with Dio and two other guys?” I questioned.
“It’s hard to explain, but we all sort of found our way to each other and became a family along the way. Dante, you might remember. He was Enzo’s son?” I tried to remember, but I couldbarely think straight, so I just shook my head. “It doesn’t matter. Dante saved my life, and he lives with me. Dio has always been part of our family, as you know. Then there’s Arran and Callan. They came to us in a strange way that I won’t explain now, but they’re family too. I swear you’ll be safe in London with all of us, Cara.”
“Four. That’s f-four guys you live with,” I uttered as it ran through my mind. He had my baby sister in a house with four men who weren’t related to us in any way. Dio, I understood. Like Rafe had said, he had always been a part of our family. He was like a brother to Rafe. But the others? He expected me to accept just moving in with him and three complete strangers? Enzo’s son? Enzo had been a monster. I knew that much at eight years old. And now his son was living with my little sister. It turned my stomach.
“They’re our family. I know it’s hard to comprehend right now, but you’ll see when we get home. It just works for all of us.”
“Gia?”
“She loves them, Cara. She treats them like her brothers and they take care of her too. I’d never do anything that would upset or endanger her in anyway.”
“Come back with us and see for yourself. Check on Gia and see my Mum. You’ll soon realise that what Rafe is telling you is true, but you’re gonna need to give us a little trust to do that.”
“I don’t just give trust,” I told them both firmly. “Learned that lesson a long time ago.”
“Then tell us what we can do to get you to come on that flight with us tonight,” Rafe begged.
“I have to take care of something, and I need to go out to do that,” I explained more calmly.
“Fine, but we’re coming with you,” Rafe stipulated.
“No, you’re not. If you want me to come with you, you’ll let me do this alone.”
“Do what? Where do you need to go?” Dio asked.
“Work. I have some wages to pick up and I’m not leaving without any money of my own,” I lied. I was telling the truth about wanting some money in case I needed a backup plan, but it would be Justin I was going to for it, not the club. They didn’t owe me anything. I hadn’t even turned up for my shift the night before.
“You don’t need mon…”
“Yes I do!” I cut Rafe off angrily. “I get that you think you know everything Rafe, but you don’t. You’ve never gone without a single damn thing in your life. You don’t know what it’s like to have no food, or home, or even just a dry place to sleep. You don’t know the panic of walking into an unknown situation, positive that when it all goes wrong you have no cash to escape with, or even a few coins to find a phone to call for help. You don’t understand but I do! Thanks to you and your shitty decision, I fucking know the importance of having money in my pocket!” I raged. By the time I was done I was out of breath and I had to step back to lean against the wall. I was exhausted, despite the sleep I had gotten, and the shaking would not stop.
“Here,” Dio stepped forwards and opened his wallet. He started pulling out dollar bills, then he moved to the other section and pulled out pound notes too. He took out almost everythinghe had and thrust it at me. “Now you have money for both countries. Put it in your pocket and you’ll be safe, won’t you?” I don’t think he meant it to be the insult it came out as, but it instantly made me see red.
“Fuck you!” I yelled as I shoved his hand away and stormed past him. “You have no fucking idea!” I moved as fast as I could to the door of the hotel suite and ripped it open. I wanted to run, but my body wouldn’t cooperate, so instead I walked angrily out of there and down the hall, but I was quickly stopped in my tracks when two burly men stepped from the shadows of the hall into my path.
I tried to skirt around them, but of course they stepped in my path again. Panicked and angry in equal measure, I glared at them both.
“Get out of my way,” I demanded.
“Can’t do that,” the taller of the two said. He glanced behind me and when I turned just a little, I saw Rafe and Dio stood side by side behind me.
My anxiety only rose higher at being penned in between them all and my fight or flight instincts kicked in hard. I didn’t even know where I was going. I had no shoes, no money. I didn’t even have my coat or the pills, but I had to get out of there.
