Allessandro
⚠️graphic violence⚠️

Seven and 3/4 years. 93 months. 2,790 days. 167,400 hours. 10,044,000 minutes. 602,640,000 seconds.

With every second I spent looking for my missing little sister, I had never imagined she would be resting in an alley with nothing but the clothes on her back. How many times had I passed her in a car or on the street? How many times had I prayed to a God I didn't believe in while being too self-absorbed to realize she was right under my nose?

Every action I've made in the past seven years, even before she was taken, could've been a mistake that caused her pain. I refuse to miss any more of her life due to my ignorance. Appropriately, this would mean any bastard who dared make her uncomfortable deserved a proper punishment.

"Please," The man begs pathetically, coughing up blood onto the cold concrete. My arms tense as I fold them across my chest. I nod to Luca to continue, my thirst for vengence not quite yet satisfied.

He nods in return. Grabbing a knife from his belt, Luca allows the light to reflect into the man's eyes. A threat of what's to come. He plays with the blade between his fingers, keeping eye contact.

"What is it that you wanted from my sister?" Luca asks quietly, his voice void of emotion. Only a fool would fail to notice the murderous intent behind every action he takes.

Of course, only a fool would dare attempt to make my sister their victim.

"I wasn't going to do shit," The man responds wearily, tears trailing down his wrinkled cheeks. "I don't want shit from a little girl, I'm not a fucked up bastard like you're thinking. Hell, I tried to help the bi- girl."

As soon as the slip up passes by his lips, the knife halts in Luca's hands. I don't blink when he flicks his wrist and the knife gets impaled into the base of his cheek, right before his ear. Blood trickles down from the wound. I ignore the screams of pain as Luca slowly drags the knife into the corner of his lips, effectively cutting his cheek open.

He repeats the action on the other side. The long gash looks like he's smiling from ear to ear. Luca moves the knife to the center of his lips and forces his mouth open. The tip of the knife rests on the back of the man's tongue. "One wrong word and you lose your tongue," My brother growls lowly.

Sweat mixes with the blood and my veins buzz with excitement. Dark red covers the bottom of his face. A small, very small, part of my conscience whispered about the insanity of it all. This man, Arnold Beyers, lived 68 years and 3 days. He was sexually abused from ages 3 to 17 and had been in and out of gangs since. He generally stayed with the trafficking quarters of the underground.

His life had been pitiful, a true tragedy filled with pain and incorrect decisions. However, the second he believed he could prey on my sister, any fraction of sympathy I had left to share became void. My eyebrow barely twitches, signalling Luca to back off.

"Tell me Arnold," I mutter, stepping off the wall and allowing my height to tower over him intimidatingly. "How is it, spending your life throwing out everyone's garbage? I've always wondered what you might find, whom you might encounter."

Arnold shifts back in his seat, pulling against his cuffs nervously. "I don't.. know what you're talking about," He whispers painfully. I tap my ring against my thigh. Luca takes a wipe from his pocket and wipes the blade clean, placing it back on the wall. He replaces it with a smaller dagger.

"Really? If that's so, you've seen enough," I state. Luca's lips quirk up as a smirk rises on his lips. The point of the blade nicks his eyelid just as he screams in protest.

"No! No! I'll talk, I promise," He sobs. Luca holds the knife there in a silent threat, warning him of any future consequences. "A man.. a man came up to me a week ago talkin' about how his shipment didn't come in. He said that he was promised a girl.. he said she was a prostitute that always stayed in the same alleyway, been there since he could remember. He asked me to get her and bring her to him. I'd get 10 grand."

Luca mockingly dragged the dagger lightly above his eye. "He specifically asked for our sister?"

"Yes," He chokes out.

"For what type of shipment?"

Arnold swallows harshly. "Sex trafficking," He whispers. In a split second the dagger is stabbed into his left eye. He lets out a blood curdling scream as Luca twists it, carving his eye out of the socket. I watch as it falls out onto the ground and rolls by my foot.

"Have your fun," I tell Luca, squishing it under my boot. I shrug my coat on and leave the soundproof room. "I have some business to take care of."

Annaliese

"Pretty little thing.. look at her."

"This is love little girl. It's okay."

"Don't you want me to take care of you?"

"You're so pretty."

"..pretty.."

I awoke in a cold sweat with fleeting memories of the nightmare rushing through my head. Without hesitating for a second, I grab Mr. Bunny in a fear-stricken haze and rush down to Luca's bedroom in the other wing.

"Luca.. Luca," I whimper as I enter his room. My hands shook as I closed the door behind me. I scan the room for him and find a big lump under his white duvet. "Luc..?"

A low groan comes from the bed and I hesitantly tiptoe over to it. "Luc..? It's me.. Annaliese.." A mop of curly hair flops out from under the covers and a pair of eyes squint at me through the darkness.

"Anna..? What're you doing up?" Luca asks tiredly, his voice much deeper than normal. He glances at the alarm clock with a hint of surprise. "It's 2 am baby, you need to be sleeping."

"I was," I whisper in defense, clutching Mr. Bunny tighter to my chest. I pick up the covers and slide underneath it, right next to him. He watches me with tired eyes as he throws an arm around my waist, pulling me closer to him. "I just had a really bad nightmare."

"Wanna talk about it?" Luca whispers.

I shake my head, snuggling closer to his chest. "I can't remember anything. All I know is that it's bad. Really bad."

"Va bene Tesoro," Luca mumbles, his eyes drifting shut as he rests his chin on my head. "Adesso dormiamo." (that's okay sweetheart. just sleep now.)

I didn't get what he said, but I guess he wants me to sleep. I don't know how long I sat there in the dark with my eyes closed but eventually, I drifted off to sleep.

——

Loud footsteps echo down the hall and the door slams open. "Annaliese isn't in her room, we have to call- What the fuck."

I groan softly, turning over and wrapping my arms around Luca. His hand gently brushes my hair back. "Valentino, shoo," Luca mutters. He shifts in his spot, dragging the blankets closer to us.

"Um, no," Valentino snaps, his footsteps getting closer at a quick pace. My eyelids flutter as his annoyed face vaguely comes into view. "Explain to me why I, being the amazing brother that I am, go to wake up my sweet baby sister only to find out she's been kidnapped by you."

"G'morning Val," I mumble sleepily. I slip out of Luca's arms and quietly get out of bed. A dull ache forms behind my eyes. I avoid Valentino's tall figure as I make my way out of the room. "S'cuse me."

The portraits on the wall blur as I wander past them. I don't remember walking down the stairs or into the kitchen, or even laying my head on Marcello's shoulder. The low voices of my brothers dared me to fall back asleep.

"I can't believe they had 3 fucking overtimes only to lose to a shitty field goal," Fransesco grumbles, scooping cereal unattractively into his mouth. I stare blankly at the milk dripping off of his chin.

"It's Alabama you're talking about," Luca replies, sitting down with a smoothie bowl and a tall glass of orange juice. "They've always managed to get dubs man."

"No one gives a shit about college," Valentino comments, chugging down the rest of his lemon water. He takes a bite out of a breakfast bar and begins talking with the chewed food in his mouth. "NFL's where it's at dumbasses."

"Gross," Luca complains, sending him a judgmental glance.

"Don't do that shit man, 'fucking disgusting," Fransesco adds, wrinkling his nose in distaste. My eyes droop close as Marcello chuckles quietly. What felt like minutes must've been seconds, as when Marc bumps my shoulder gently to wake me up, everyone was staring at me.

"Sorry," I mumble, drearily sitting up straight. I blink tiredly at the bowl of Lucky Charms staring at me. Marcello's arm discretely rests on the back of my chair. I quietly eat the rest of my breakfast.

"This is what happens when you sleep with Luca," Valentino says mockingly, biting his banana aggresively. "You turn into a zombie."

Fransesco raises his eyebrows at me. "You slept with Luca last night?"

"She had a bad dream," Luca answers for me, sending me a small smile. I reflect it back at him and continue to drink some chocolate milk. "Speaking of, do you remember anything of it?"

I swallow it down and stare at the mahogany wooden table. "I think.. it was a memory," I explain, playing with my cereal. "I think they're suppressed memories and that when that thing happened with that man, it triggered them."

The table's quiet for a few moments while they take in the information - the possibility that if the incident triggered something, it happened before. "When you wake up after a dream, try writing everything you remember in a journal," Luca says, staring at me with a scrutnizing look. Okay Mr. Doctor. "Eventually your brain will be mentally strong enough to remember naturally."

Swag. I guess.

"Did you get to sleep last night?" Marcello asks me, watching me from the corner of his eye. I shook my head no. "How much?"

I purse my lips and focus on seperating the marshmallows from the wheat cereal. "I dunno.. After I got in Luca's bed I would just wake up after a few minutes.. and then when I finally fell asleep Val came in."

Valentino's jaw drops and his gaze snaps to me. "That wasn't my fault! You totally disappeared in the middle of the night, I thought you were kidnapped."

"Who would kidnap her with Fransesco right across the hall?" Luca asks dryly. Valentino turns to him in betrayal, his eyebrows raising.

"See brat, when someone like Valentino does something like interrupt your sleep, you know what you do?" Fransesco says, pointing his spoon at me. I shake my head and a smirk grows on his lips. "You say, 'Fuck you asshole'."

Valentino seems frozen in shock at the all around attacks coming for him. "What?.."

Suddenly I feel like I'm wide awake. "Franny," I scold, shaking my head at him. "You can't call Valentino an asshole."

"She just-"

"You just did," Fransesco argues, poking his tongue out at me.

I roll my eyes at him. "I did not."

"Did too."

"Did not."

"Did too."

"Did not."

"Did fucking too."

"Did not. Franny I think you're going deaf with your old age."

"I'm not fucking old little shit. Take it back."

"Will you two shut it?" Valentino groans dramatically, picking up his bowl and cup. He pats Marcello and Luca on the shoulder as he walks by them. "You know what? Not my problem. You guys have fun listening to that shit show."

Marcello only kisses the top of my head as he picks up his dishes and joins him. Luca salutes Fransesco the middle finger before giving me a little hug. He grabs his dishes and hands them to a nearby maid as he walks towards the garage. As soon as they're out of sight, Fransesco and I burst into laughter.

"Our brothers are a bunch of pussies," Fransesco snorts, shoveling the rest of his breakfast in his mouth. I grimace at the sounds he makes as he does so.

I finish my cereal as a maid takes the empty bowl and cup from me. I thank her quietly and stand to leave to go to my room.

"Hey brat," Fransesco calls, wiping his face with a napkin. I turn to him in confusion. "Wanna come to work with me today? You can do hell's work in my office and take a nap after on the couch."

I nod my head with a small smile.

——

I attempted to sleep again. It just turned 11:23 pm. Closing my eyes, I huff in irritation at the lack of relaxation in my body. What was even required to sleep anyways? A good imagination? A safe area?

I cuddle Mr. Bunny closer to my chest and shift on the bed, flipping onto my stomach. I accidentally kick Mr. Snuffles and earn a sharp scolding in return. "Sorry," I whisper to him.

He meows softly and snuggles back into his paw. I sit up to kiss him on his forehead. After a few minutes of sitting on my bed, I give up on getting sleep. Last time I tried sleeping with Luca, that didn't work out. I spent the day with Fransesco so that's just too much. Valentino would just wake me up randomly knowing him. Allessandro, I don't want to bug him.

That leaves Marcello to be my victim.

I grab Mr. Bunny and quietly close my door behind me. Walking into Marcello's room, I don't say anything as I crawl into his bed. His room was extremely cold. Maybe he's a snowman or something. Like Frosty.

A soft piano is playing from his TV, so quiet you could barely hear it. As I make myself comfortable and close my eyes, I find myself relaxing much easier than when I did in my room. Maybe sound was the key to my sleeping issues.

A warm hand grabs mine as I began to drift off. I smile softly as I'm finally able to rest.

If only I had learned that ignorance is bliss.

thank you so much for reading <3
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