Page 8 of A War Around Us

The bathroom lights were merciless as they pronounced my lack of sleep. I knew it would take some time for me to conceal the dark circles under my eyes. I sped through my morning routine in hopes of catching Enzo, and once my face showed no weaknesses, I left the bathroom in search of a fitted dress.

Ignoring the sprawled suitcase at the foot of the bed, I reached the closet door where my garment bag hung heavily. I hadn’t bothered placing my belongings inside a home I had no desire to ever step foot in again. It will all remain unpacked, longing for each passing day to be the last in this never-ending jar of memories.

After picking a suitable white and black dress, I stared at my reflection and strapped my push dagger under the skirt of the dress. For ten years, it’d brought me comfort. It'd been me andher. With threats looming, I wasn’t about to stop wearing it. Especially here in this home.

“You can never let your guard down, Katia.”My grandfather’s scolding voice passed through my mind.

The thought of spending more time on my hair vanished as something inside me shouted to search for Enzo. After I slipped on a pair of designer heels, I did just that.

As soon as I stepped into the corridor, I was greeted with silence.

No guards at my door.

Not one soldier was in the hall.

The silence stretched the further I walked toward the staircase, and with each step I took, the heavier my heart felt.

Not one staff member roamed the main floor.

Where was everyone?

The last time I remembered the house being this empty was the day my mother passed.

My father’s shout was muffled by our thick walls, and my body turned toward the sound.

Enzo.

I had no business following my father’s roars, and yet, I found myself taking a step closer and closer to the mahogany door of his study. His voice was loud and yet indecipherable, but his wrath was clear. The need to retreat back to my room grew, and when I heard the tone from Enzo, I knew it would be best.

I'd done everything to stay off my father’s radar since arriving. Getting caught by his study wasn’t the attention I wanted. Enzo would have to wait.

Frustrated, I took a deep breath and stepped back.

Then, my body froze. My heart pounded, and my eyes shot back to the door as the distinctive sound of metal locked and caught. It was the sound of the slide pulling back as the hammer pushed a bullet into the barrel, ready to be fired. The only thing left was to pull the trigger.

I’ve learned not to react before thinking. To not be led by emotions. To control impulsive behaviors as it was necessary to stay alive in this world.

And yet, I did the opposite.

I flung the door open, and now, I stared at the end of the barrel as the door echoed shut.

I stood still, watching my father’s finger wrap around the trigger as his face morphed into pure ire. A quick look around and the only other gaze I found was Enzo’s troubled and furious eyes.

My father lowered the weapon as he stared at me, repulsed. He took a step forward. I took one back. He drew another, and I stood my ground until his hand gripped my cheeks forcefully pushing my body against the door.

Pain shot through the back of my head, and the hollows of my cheeks burned as his hold tightened. Fear swarmed inside, and I fell back in time. A time of tears and a sense of helplessness.

Petrified, I stared at the human who was a part of me. The man I should look up to and the one who should protect me. But Mario Vitelli was nothing more than a demon I had run away from in my past.

I wasn’t the child who couldn’t meet his eyes. I was the woman who could see him clearly for who he was.

Hurt him.

Hurt him as much as he has hurt you.

My hand slid down my thigh as his thumb and index finger jabbed deeper, nudging my mouth apart. Then, I felt the outline of my dagger, and I was myself again.

It had taken me a second to push back the young and fearful child that screamed for help away. Now that I had, my green eyes looked up at his dark brown.

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