04: Return

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Annaliese

"Little Sister.." I breathe out, shock filling every corner of my body. Marcello and Valentino seem to have lost their breath. Luca nodded silently, his eyes never leaving mine. He's my big brother. They're all my big brothers.

Suddenly, Vincenzo's words hit me like a truck.

"She was taken when she was 5 years old. My sons and I have been looking for her ever since."

Pure agony erupts in my chest as I realize the amount of pain they've gone through because of me. For years they have been searching for me, since they were young. All I've been doing is sitting on the side of the road like a useless piece of garbage while they were tirelessly searching for me.

And I didn't even remember them.

Sobs erupt past my solemn facade and tears pool from my eyes and down my cheeks. I was horrible, a horrible, horrible person. I didn't deserve to be called their sister. Not at all. Luca's eyes widen at my loud cries and he seems taken aback for a long moment.

"I'm sorry!" I wail, hiding my face in my hands while my lungs screamed for air. My nose became so stuffed that it hurt to even sniffle but I did it anyway. "I'm so so sorry!"

Luca stands from his position on the floor and squeezes in between me and the couch arm. "Shh, shh, tesoro, tesoro, what's wrong? Why are you sorry?" He softly rubs my back which just adds fuel to the fire.

Valentino and Marcello are quiet, watching their brother as he tries to console me. Our brother. Tears fall even faster as I hiccup, fighting to get air into my lungs. "B-because you.. you were l-looking for me a-and," I cough, choking on the snot running down the back of my throat. "I-I.. I can't even.. I can't even re-remember you and..I.. I don't deserve to.. to be called your s-sister.."

Strong arms wrap around me and pull me tightly into a chest. Luca's warmth washes over me and helps the tears come out easier. "Shh, tesoro, never say you don't deserve to be our sister," He whispers gently over my quieting sobs. My throat begins to ache from the extra stress and my face is flushed. A dull throbbing is buzzing in my head. "We have all looked for you, not even knowing you were alive. I'll admit, I wish we had found you in a better situation, but the most important thing is that you're here with us now. Our little sister."

His words are enough for me to break down all over again and I cry into his shirt. Luca simply rubs my arm and back, whispering sweet words into my ears as support to get me through my fit. I eventually calm down to ragged breathing. I keep my eyes closed to block out the pain radiating through my head.

My body is exhausted from the continuous crying and I slump against Luca's chest, allowing myself to fall asleep to his heartbeat. My brother's heartbeat.

——

"It's her? It's really her?"

"Yes padre, it is. DNA tests don't lie."

"I thought Marcello became too comfortable with her too quickly."

"Shut up. You're the one who actually tickled her and carried her on your shoulder."

Gasp. "Val did what?"

Tsk. "Whatever. At least that means I'm definitely her favorite."

I shift my head on the comfortable pillow in my arms, pulling myself closer to it. Something is softly running up and down my back but I'm too tired to question it. "Shut up idiota before you wake her up," Luca's voice hisses. (dumbass)

"If she weren't sleeping on you I'd beat your ass for calling me that!" Valentino snaps back quieter. I snuggle deeper into the pillow, burrowing my cold nose into the side of it. A high pitched squeak came from the pillow and my face was angled in a different direction. I groan, pushing my face back where it was.

"Tesoro, stop that!" Luca whines and my head moves again, this time on top of the pillow. I huff tiredly and force my eyes open, meeting his grumpily. My chin was digging into his chest while my body was sprawled out over his body. My legs stopped at the middle of his shin.

"Stop moving," I grumble, snuggling back into his chest. I wrap my arms around his waist tighter. His chest rumbles and I huff again, lifting my head away from him with a deep frown on my face. "You didn't stop."

"I'm sorry tesoro," He apologizes ingenuinely. I frown deeper and send him a flat look, to which he grins widely in return. I sigh, getting off of him and standing on the floor. Glancing out the large windows, I guessed I was only asleep for about half an hour.

"Well good morning sleeping beuaty, enjoy your nap?" Valentino asks, pressing a button that made the TV quieter. He's watching some kind of sports game. I blink at him as my memories catch me up with the earlier events.

These men are my brothers.

That means Vincenzo is my father.

I let out a deep breath, dropping to sit next to him on the couch. I stare at his side profile until he eventually turns to look at me. "What is it principessa?"

I purse my lips and Valentino's eyes glimmer in amusement. "Do I have to keep calling you guys Mr.?" I ask him seriously to which he bursts into laughter.Annoyance builds in my chest as he doesn't take me seriously. I get up to leave but his hand catches mine as I begin to walk away.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Valentino says cheerfully, his shoulders still shaking with laughter. His cheeks flush with happiness. "That was just so cute."

My cheeks heat up and I rip my wrist away from him, deciding that Valentino and Luca were on my 'do-not-talk-to-for-a-few-minutes' list. If they wanted to make fun of me, fine. I grumpily fall into the couch next to Marcello, earning a small amused look from the quiet boy. At least Marcello would keep his entertainment to himself.

"What? You chose him over us?" Valentino asks incredulously, sitting up straighter on the couch and directing his attention to me. I poke my tongue out at him and Luca. He throws his hands in the air in response. "Oh come on I'm way better than that guy."

"Valentino, don't talk about your brother that way," Vincenzo comments from the kitchen and my eyes snap over to his hunched figure in front of the kitchen island. I didn't realize he was back. I gulped, sinking deeper into the couch and hiding my body with Marcello.

Marcello glances to me from the corner of his eye. After a few moments he sits up a little straighter, effectively hiding me from Vincenzo's angle in the kitchen. I slump into his arm, relieved from the partnership I had somehow earned. Marcello's lips quirk into a smile before dropping into a deadpan.

"Do I have to call you guys Mr?" I whisper to Marcello, repeating the question I had asked Valentino a few minutes before. Aparently my whisper wasn't quiet enough because I heard Valentino scoff loudly from the other couch, grumbling under his breath. I ignore him. He still has a few more minutes to go, especially after he insulted Marcello.

Marcello shook his head no and I felt myself relax. Good, that's good. I can do that. Maybe. Yes I can. I will call them by their names because that's what strong girls do.

"Padre, what're you doing?" Luca asks, his voice carrying throughout the apartment. He drums his fingers along the couch arm, his eyes drilling into the football game Valentino was watching. I say was because now he's currently pouting with his arms crossed. A twinkle of guilt sparks in me.

I don't want him to be sad.

"I'm telling the maids to get Annaliese's room ready for when we get back to the house. Allessandro and Fransesco are already on their way here. They should be arriving in about half an hour. Probably 10 minutes if Allessandro's driving," Vincenzo replies hastily. I glance over to the top of his head that was visible just above the couch. Would I have to call him father now? Or Dad? Papa?

I lean deeper into Marcello's side and luckily for me he doesn't push me away. Instead, I end up raising my head to see Valentino's longing glances our way. He met my eyes and pouted, turning away as if he were an injured puppy. Marcello scoffs quietly. "What a faker.." He mutters.

I watch with sad eyes as Valentino continues to glance our way. Ugh, I can't keep this up anymore. I tap Marcello's arm gently to let him know I'll be getting up and head to Valentino. I sit sideways on the couch and lean my back onto his lap, wrapping my arms around his waist. "I'm sorry, please don't be sad."

If I wasn't so focused on cheering him up, I might've noticed the arrogant smirk he sent Luca and Marcello. Luca scoffs loudly and I can almost hear him roll his eyes.

"It's okay principessa, I'm very forgiving," Valentino replies, messing with the ends of my hair. I could feel him begin to wrap some strands into some kind of design. I let him play with my hair and I relax into his smokey, woodsy smelling tanktop.

Luca snatches the remote away from Valentino with a glare and turns up the TV. I heard a faint chuckle which I assumed came from Marcello since Vincenzo was so wrapped up in his business. Or - father. Since Father was so wrapped up in his business.

A few minutes pass by of sports commentary in a foreign language when the door is thrown open. I jump in my skin, tightening my hold on Valentino's waist. His hand instinctively reaches to cover my head and bring it closer to him. "Hey, come on guys. You nearly scared her half to death."

I take a peek from under his hand and a chill runs down my spine. Two extremely muscular and tall men stood in front of the couch. The tallest one has very curly hair that frames his face and light grey eyes. He has honey colored skin and I can easily tell that he's the oldest man in the room, besides Father. His cheekbones are defined and help give his jaw more definition. His cold grey eyes scan over every inch of me and I cuddle closer to Valentino. He's wearing a black suit with a black undershirt, a golden watch on his wrist and golden rings along his fingers. I can see tattoos sprawled over his hands and neck.

"Allessandro, you're scaring her," Luca comments, crossing his arms and leaning further into the couch. He narrows his eyes slightly, assessing the situation in his mind. I could tell that Luca seemed to have a great understanding for reading situations. He always knew how to act.

"Allessandro..?" I question, easing up my hold on Valentino, much to his relief. I had practically cut off his airway for a few seconds. Our eyes met. "Um.. Hello, my name's Annaliese. It's nice to meet you."

In a split second I'm pulled away from Valentino and into a tight embrace. Allessandro's arms are wrapped around me tightly, but there was a delicacy there that told me he would never hurt me. I relax after a few moments and slide my arms around his waist, hugging him back. He stuffed his head into my hair. "Welcome home bambina," He whispers. (baby)

Allessandro lets me go a few seconds later. He stares at me for a few more moments and walks to Father, taking a seat next to him on the island. They begin to whisper to each other in whatever language they are always commenting in. My eyes land on the other man. Fransesco.

He's tall, a little bit shorter than Allessandro. He has the biggest build with scars lining almost every inch of his skin. When I take a look at his face, I almost gasp aloud. We look identical; if I had a male version, it would be him. We shared the same wavy dark brown hair and pale blue eyes. We had the same pale skin that was scarred, though mine not as bad. He was clearly much bigger and stronger than me but his face structure and detail were so similar. He wore a black tank top and grey sweatpants. Out of all the brothers, he was definitely the scariest.

"Are you Fransesco?" I ask him quietly. Fransesco nods his head certainly, moving his hands to his pockets. I noticed how they were shaking before he hid them away. "Hi. I'm Annaliese. Marcello and Valentino were talking about you earlier. They said you were really nice."

Luca snorts loudly, turning his face away from me. Fransesco narrows his eyes at me intimidatingly. I hold back my flinch. He looked so much like the bad guys I've encountered in the streets. The way his posture was, the silent agression that follows his every movement. "They did?" He asks tauntingly.

I nod my head, a small smile on my lips. "Yes," I confirm proudly. "Valentino said-"

A hand covers my mouth instantly and I'm pulled back on the couch. Valentino's laugh fills the room, followed by Fransesco's glare. "Kids love to talk don't they?" He laughs nervously, waving his free hand around. "It's almost like they'll say anything to hear themselves talk."

I frown and force his hand away from me. "Why are you acting like that? You said he was unique remember-"

"Unique?" Fransesco growls, looming over Valentino and I. I'm pulled closer into Valentino's chest and a small shiver of fear washes over me. I inhale sharply, diverting my eyes away from him. His arms tighten around my waist reassuringly. It's okay, I remind myself. He's not like them.. he's not. It's fine.

"Francesco, stop scaring your siblings," Vincenzo comments. Francesco rolls his eyes and plops down on the couch between Valentino and Luca. My heart is racing in my chest. I gently pull Valentino's arms away from me and stand up, walking quietly into the kitchen.

The four boys in the living room get invested in the sports' game. Allessandro and.. Father are still chatting in whatever language they usually do. As soon as I do they hush and their eyes seem to stare straight through me. "Hi.." I mumble.

"What is it amore?" Vincenzo asks. He brushes his hair back as he turns in his stool, directing all of his attention to me. I stare intently at him and obviously look to Allessandro. Vincenzo laughs loudly while Allessandro's face remains emotionless. "I think she wants to speak in private."

"I'm sorry.." I apologize, focusing on the countertops. I felt ashamed for probably hurting his feelings. He didn't do anything wrong but.. I need to talk to Vincenzo. There are just so many questions I have for him.

Allessandro's shadow looms over me and I gasp silently. I hadn't even heard him get up. He must be some kind of.. some kind of super spy. The nice lady who used to visit me sometimes told me stories about super spies. Maybe Allessandro is one. He pats my head, as if telling me it's okay, and leaves for the living room. I watch his back as he walks away.

"What is it that you wanted to talk about amore?" Vincenzo softens his voice. He snaps me out of my daze and I slide into the stool next to him. I look really small next to him. His physique is way wider than mine and my stature is smaller than average. We must look very silly compared to each other.

"You're my dad," I state bluntly. Amusement buzzes in his eyes and he crosses his arms in front of his chest. Now that I finally had a chance to directly speak with him, I'm able to notice some of our similarities. We had the same wavy dark brown hair, the same pale skin with yellow undertones, and the same nose and cheekbone structure. "You're.. real."

"Yes amore. I'm very real," Vincenzo chuckles. His index finger twitches on his arm and I blink at it. That's a little strange.

I stay quiet for a few moments. What do I start with? This is the man I've been yearning for my whole life, a dad, a parent. I take a deep breath, a small attempt at stabilizing the thoughts running through my head. "You said.. you said I went missing when I was 5," I say. He nods his head in confirmation. "Do you know how I went missing?"

The silent question: Why I was abandoned?

Vincenzo tenses and I fear that I asked an insensitive question too soon. "Amore, that day.. that day was horrible. It will always be the worst day of my life," He answers, his jaw clenching angrily. "Everything was normal. Back then, Allessandro was only 18. Fransesco was 15, Luca was 13, Valentino was 10, and Marcello was 8. I remember that Marcello had been sick that day with some illness spreading in his grade, so he stayed home. Allessandro had stayed home to take care of him. Fransesco skipped school while Luca and Valentino were at theirs. I had left work to pick up Fransesco and we were together when I decided that I would surprise you by picking you up from pre-k early. When we got there, the teacher working had said that you never came to school that day.

"Immediately I called your mother. She was the one who was supposed to bring you. She never picked up any of the calls and I assumed the worst. I returned home to inform your brothers about what happened. I had a driver go pick up Luca and Valentino. When I got to my office, there was a note left on the screen. Basically, your mother never intended to bring you to school and instead took you away from us to who knows where. She had planned out your kidnapping well and stayed undetected. My best men couldn't find a trace and every lead was a dead end."

I stare at him blankly as his words process in my head. My mother kidnapped me and somewhere along the line I had been left out on the streets. I turn to look at my brothers in the living room. Allessandro and Marcello were sitting on the same couch. Marcello was engrossed in his phone but I caught his eye every now and then. Allessandro was typing on some laptop intently. Valentino had been whispering to Fransesco and earned a slap to the head. Luca ignored them all and continued to watch the game.

These boys had barely been mature enough to handle their little sister being taken. They were far too young to have to understand why their mother would purposely hurt them. I swallow harshly and a flicker of hurt sparked in my chest.

They deserved so much better.

"Amore," Vincenzo calls for me, his hand reaching out to caress the side of my face. I lean into his touch. "Don't worry about it. We're all fine now. You're fine. All that matters to us is that you're alive and with us again."

I nod my head into his hand. His pale eyes seemed to be looking at me for the first time. Not as a random girl he saved on the street, but his 5 year old daughter who's life he missed so many years of. I lift my hand to meet his and grip it tightly. "Thank you.. for not giving up on me."

"I would never give up on you," He tells me immediately. There was an urgency in his voice that made his desperateness to rid of that insecurity known. "Your brothers and I - we'll spend every day of the rest of our lives to make sure your safe. We'll protect you, per sempre e sempre." (forever and always)

I smile gratefully. I had spent many nights longing to hear those words when times got too hard. When all of my things would get stolen and I couldn't stay warm for winter, when I spent weeks in pain because I couldn't afford any medical supplies, or when I was obviously shunned by passerbys warning their kids to stay away from "people like me" or else they would end up in the same place.

"Do you know where she is now?" I ask him and his eyes darken. Shock washes over me at the brooding hatred that stirred in the blue depths.

"Amore, she will never

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