by V Domino
My sister.
She looks me over, just as I have done to her. We look alike but where she's soft, I'm sharp. She's fucking beautiful.
“Hi,” that simple little word, heavily accented like a southerner, makes my mind spin. Was she raised in the south?
Gavriel clears his throat before speaking, “Luca, this is someone I think you've been looking for or perhaps, thought you lost a long time ago.”
I did. I lost her and almost gave up hope of ever finding her. I'm about to reply but Sia's sweet raspy voice stops me.
“I'm Anastasia Romano, your sister.”
Anastasia, Sia for short.
I jump on the stage and crush her to me. I can't hold back my tears, especially when I hear Sia cry in my arms. I hold the back of her head, letting her know that I've got her. Feeling her, smelling her, hearing her, my sister. It feels like my mother and father are here with us.
“Sia! Mi sei mancata così tanto, sorellina!” I've missed you so much, little sister! I pull back from her and cup her face, wiping the tears on her cheeks. “I've looked for you all these years.”
I hug her once more before Gavriel says, “Let's go somewhere private so we can all talk. There's much you need to know, Luca. Your sister has been searching for you as well, but the conversation would be best with drinks, yeah?”
There's no denying that.
“Of course, Mr. Renzetti. Is there an office we can sit in?” I ask Sia because obviously she works here. She couldn't have worked here when Silver and I came here for Diego's birthday, she would have been too young.
Sia nods and takes mine and Gavriel's hands and leads us past the bar. I look over at Silver and give her a wink while her and Jefa wave at me, encouraging me to have my time with Sia.
Looking down to my little sister, I smile at the rightness of having her next to me.
I'll kill any motherfucker who tries to take her from me again.
My mind has been blown wide the fuck open. I never in a million years would have guessed that the Manhattan Singer was my man's long lost sister.
I look over to Jefa and she gives me the same wide-eyed look. “Who the hell is she to him and what is Gavriel Renzetti to her?”
I crack up laughing and order some drinks to be brought over, this story needs alcohol.
“When Twitch was a little boy, his mother and father were killed leaving him and his sister orphaned. They got separated not long after and he spent most of his childhood in juvenile.” I take a shot of some whiskey and practically spit it out. What the hell is this sweet stuff?
Jefa spins the bottle showing me the label, “Honey Whiskey, babe. I love it.”
I make a face because whiskey isn't supposed to be sweet and deceiving. I can imagine getting a wicked hangover because of it's sugar sweet lies.
I pour another shot because I'm a glutton for limited fun.
“So what happened to his sister?” Jefa asks while eyeing Nico Renzetti across the room. They've been making pretty eyes at each other all night and the whole club is filled with their steamy eye fucking sessions.
“She's a carpenter who works with the zoo animals,” I answer sarcastically, this bitch isn't listening, she's too busy giving Nico a mental blowie.
Proving my suspicions Jefa hits me with, “Damn, that's crazy.”
I pinch her on her ribs, making her squeal and slap at my hand. “What the fuck, Sil! That fucking hurt!”
I can't help it. I start laughing so hard, slapping my hand on the bar with tears running down my face. Oh man, her face was priceless, I think I pinched too hard though.
Damn, I love this whiskey. I don't even feel the sharp pain in my side when she pinches me back, but I'm certain I'll have a massive bruise there later.
“Slut,” I say past my giggles.
“Skank,” Jefa says with a pout.
I throw my arm over her shoulders and tell her everything that happened with Twitch. This time she listens and I'm not sure if it's the liquor getting her emotions all weird but Jefa starts crying.
“Omigod! He found his baby sister! That's so sweet!”
I feel like one of those guys who is trying to comfort a distraught woman they just met. I look around while awkwardly patting her back.
“Dude, chill out. It's a happy story and now he gets to have his sister at the wedding.” That does the trick. Jefa wipes her eyes and completely forgets everything else.
“Yes! The wedding! First let me say, I'm mad at you for not telling me. Second, Twitch says I have full reins on the whole thing.”
I smile at her and nod in agreement. “Yes, you do. As my maid of honor I fully expect you to handle it, but it has to be greaser style. I will not attend if it's some boring traditional shit.”
Jefa cocks a brow, “You won't attend your own wedding?”
“If I don't hear punk music or see pinup bridesmaid dresses? No, I will not show up. We'll just elope.”
Jefa takes out her tablet. I can see the gears spinning in her head.
“Fine with me. Okay, let's go window shopping tomorrow and start looking at some venues!”
We spend the rest of the night wedding planning and drinking. Before leaving with his brother Drake, Nico comes over to congratulate me on my engagement. I don't know how he knows but I'm guessing he found out through the grapevine. I've gotten well wishers all night and drinks have been bought for me, though I don't think I'll be drinking anymore with the way I'm sucking on this honey liquor.
Tomorrow is not going to be fun.
Twitch has been in the back office all night with his sister and Gavriel. I don’t mind it. He’s been searching for that girl since he moved here eight years ago and there’s not a chance in hell I’ll ruin the moment for him and her. Watching them connect on stage shattered my heart and glued the pieces back together. I’m so incredibly happy for them.
“Alright, babe. I gotta go, I got meetings y más.” And more. “So give Twitch a hug for me and call me when you get home.” Jefa’s slurred voice touches my ear and brings me out of my thoughts.
The club is closed but Jefa and I have been polishing off this bottle. Marco Renzetti and a redheaded girl are fooling around in a corner booth and with the sounds they’ve been making, I’ve been too afraid to look at them. I’d throw a bottle at them if I saw his naked ass pounding into the girl.
“Okay. I’ll walk you out. I need a smoke anyway.” I grab my purse and phone, glancing at the bouquet of roses Twitch got me. He’s so sweet. I had no clue tonight would turn out to be like this. I wish I could have taken credit for finding Sia though. In a way I did, but by complete accident. Or fate. Whatever the case is, I’m happy.
A Range Rover pulls up and Gabe jumps out to open the back door for Jefa.
“Goodnight! Make sure she gets to her apartment, Gabe.”
I watch them pull onto the road and drive from my sight as I pull out my cigarettes and light one up before I call to tell Johnny the news. He’ll be happy to know that Twitch has found his sister and he’ll be shocked to know how it all happened. As the line rings I stroll up and down the sidewalk, enjoying the cool night air. It was pretty stuffy inside and the alcohol wasn’t helping my body temperature.
“Silver, it’s fucking four in the morning. This better be a damn emergency.”
“Good morning, sunshine. You’ll never guess what happened tonight!”
I hear him groan knowing full well I’m about to dive into a long story. I tell him everything that happened tonight including our engagement and as expected, Johnny is happier than he was when he got his button into the mafia. Though, if you’re bouncing with joy after gaining your button then you gotta be one psychotic motherfucker.
We gab for a little while longer, excited for Twitch and what it means for the Renzetti’s and Romano’s. Obviously Gavriel and Sia are a thing. I wonder and worry about what that could mean for Twitch.
“So, you’re actually going to get m
arried, huh?” The amusement in Johnny’s voice makes me chuff a little.
“Well, yeah. I mean, you didn’t expect me to become the spinster cat lady did you?”
It’s true that I always claimed I’d never get married but that was before my brooding man came along with his stunning face and sexy inked up body.
“With Pony Boy? No, I don’t think you’d be able to have cats. But a spinster…”
I cut Johnny’s teasing off when I step in something thick and slimy. “Ewww, what did I step in?”
“What?” Johnny sounds confused but I’m focused on the ground. Looking closer I see dark goo like stuff is coming from the bushes off the side of the building. If someone took a piss out here and ruined my red bottom heels I’ll cut their dick off. As I get closer to the bush I see a man lying face down with his skull blown open.
“Oh, fuck!”
Johnny hears my panic, “What’s happening, Silver?”
“There’s a dead guard!” That’s all I get out before something hard hits me in the back of the head and everything goes black.
I woke up a few times in a moving vehicle with my hands tied behind my back and a gag stuffed into my mouth. A blond man was always there with me but I must have been injected with some sort of drug because I could never stay awake long enough to fight back. When I was able to fully awaken, I found myself alone in a windowless room but I had no clue where I was or how I had gotten there.
My memories were hazy and hard to reach. I began to have a major panic attack along with the shakes, though I'm certain that was caused by the alcohol I’d had and whatever sedative my captor gave me.
Once my dry heaving stopped and I could stand without falling, I tried to find my way out of the room but as I tried to reach the door I noticed I was shackled by the ankle. I still have the scars around my lower leg from where I tried pulling the chain from the cement wall.
The chain was long enough to get me to the small bathroom but nothing in it was helpful. It looked like a prison restroom. Silver bowl and sink, only both were bolted to the floor which was cement like the walls. Since there were no windows, I was never able to guess where I was. Food was slipped through a slot in the door once a day for the first few weeks, though it felt like years. I had my smart watch too but wherever I was didn’t have cell service so I knew we weren’t in the city.
I thought of starving myself, denying the measly food my captors gave me, but let's be real, how will that help me at all? I did, however, spend the first couple of months fighting back as often as I could but eventually I gave up. All it got me was an ass kicking by a man who was built like a truck.
I remember screaming for Twitch, begging him to save me or tell me this was all some twisted joke but my captor would mock me or beat me for bothering him. I didn't give a fuck. I knew Twitch was looking for me and despite the amount of time that’s passed since my abduction, I know he won’t give up. He searched for his sister since he was a boy, I know he’ll find me and kill anyone who stands in his way. Plus, he found Sia and she’s with the Renzettis. There’s nothing that can stop him now.
My watch died long ago but I’m no longer stuck in a windowless room with nowhere to escape to. Don't get me wrong, I'm still very much at my captor’s mercy but I’m no longer stuck in a corner, staring at the wall, making shapes out of the texture. The living room is an upgrade but it’s windows are sealed over with sheetrock so I can’t see outside. The full size futon is bolted to the flooring, as is the coffee table. Off to the side of the front door, there’s an archway that leads to a kitchen but the chain isn’t long enough to reach either location, even with my new chain.
Just before I was given access to the living room, my captor allowed me a longer leash. Literally. After giving up on being the combative prisoner, my guard changed out my ankle chain. I tried to escape when he took the chain off. I punched him as he squatted over my ankle. My hit threw him off but with one measly meal a day and hardly any room to workout, my punch lacked power behind it.
The man easily wrapped his meaty hand around my throat and slammed my weak body against the wall. Though I lack strength, I still had my wits about me.
“You’re nothing but a little bitch.” Then like the lady I am, I spat on his face. I still didn't know his name but I had quite a few choice nicknames for him.
“You stupid little cunt. I don't want to break you, but I will.”
I laughed in his face. Who was he fooling? Does he think he's some kind of gentleman? Did he forget about all the ass beatings he's given me?
“What? All those other beatings were my imagination? I may be beaten and broken, chained and bleeding, but I’m still a motherfucking Queen. You? You’re nothing but a bitch doing your master’s bidding.” I kneed him in his baby balls and scratched at his stupid blue eyed face, but then the front door burst open making the coward toss me to the floor.
The sunlight filtering through the open door touched my leg and I marveled at the warmth. When was the last time I had seen the sun?
The man who came through the door was identical to the man standing over me. In every physical way. Both had golden blonde hair and trimmed beards. They both had tattoos covering every inch of skin minus their faces. They were also built like serious weight lifters but there was something different too. The man in front of me had cold calculating eyes and seems to be the kind of snake that thinks before it strikes. He seemed like a monster who measures out his rewards before taking on anything; if it doesn't benefit him he doesn't care.
The new man had no light or dark in his eyes, he was completely dead inside but there was an evil ruthlessness about him that literally sent chills up and down my spine. He seemed like the kind of sicko that will maim a baby bear for kicks.
The newcomer clicks his tongue in a sarcastic way before speaking. “Father said we must not hit her anymore, Vas. But if you're going to break the rules, I think I'll join you.”
The fucking psycho took a menacing step towards me but Vas stopped him.
“No, Ivan. Father gave his order and if we want to be brought into the Popov Mafiya, we must listen to him.”
I almost scoff at the name Popov. The bastard is exiled, kicked out of his own brotherhood. How in the fuck can he help these two bozos get in? Then it hits me. Their names are Russian and looking at them closer, I see they look like young and fit versions of Ruslan Popov. Suddenly an old rumor comes to mind. When I was a kid there was talk of a Russian whore who was heavily pregnant but no one knew the father. She was a private dancer for the Popov Bratva so many whispered that it was Ruslan himself who fouled her womb.
Looking at these two men, I know the rumors were true.
Popov is the father of these two pinheads but their mother wasn’t worthy of marriage because if she were, Ivan and Vas would have been the princes in the Bratva instead of that bitch Mila.
“What am I doing here? How is my kidnapping going to help you get into the Bratva?” I tried to get any and all information out of either brother but the only reply was a backhand across my face, making everything go black. Again. Coming out of unconsciousness is no joke, let me tell you. I couldn’t move my jaw for almost a week without shooting pain straight to my brain.
From that moment on, I had to play my time here smart. If I ever wanted to get out alive, I needed to play the meek and weak woman.
And that's what I've done since.
It's been months. Months of pure fucking hell in this place. Day in and day out, it's the same thing. No fucking TV, no radio, and no outside. Just a newspaper a day, and even then it's only the comics. Though I do know the date because it's printed onto the bottom of the pages. My heart breaks every time I see how long I've been missing but allowing myself to sink deeper into depression is too dangerous so I focus on what I've learned in my time here.
I've come to learn Vas and Ivan's mannerisms. Vas is the leader of the two because Ivan is too bull headed to lead. They’re both brutal bu
t Vas follows his father’s orders so he’s less heavy handed with me. I’ve also learned of my location—Texas. I wonder if Ruslan will show his ugly mug.
I've also come to learn that my people have been looking for me. I don't know who exactly, but I do know that either Johnny or his father has linked up with an ex military security group called WRATH Securities. I know it’s true and when I get out of this... mark my words, there won't be another disgraceful Popov on this planet because I will do everything I can to exterminate them like the pests they are.
For now, I'll bide my time and play the weak and clueless female they stupidly think all women are. Sometimes I eavesdrop on their conversations while I pretend to sleep. They believe my obedience act and wouldn't suspect me to understand their manly talk.
Neanderthals.
These past months have been a test of my will and strength. I miss Twitch so damn much that I want to rip my own heart out just so I don't feel the pain anymore. I cry every night while talking to him. Of course, I know he can't hear me but I like to pretend that he's next to me.
You got this, damsel. I hear him echo in my mind.
“I’m not a damsel, Twitch,” I tell him aloud.
Damn right you’re not.
To help the days pass, I've planned out our wedding, which will be greaser style to the nines! I dream of cutting the cake with him and smashing a piece to his face while everyone laughs and cheers around us. I imagine the guests chanting bacio! as we accept gifts from everyone.
When I close my eyes, I see his smile and feel his touch. I can sometimes hear his sighs and whispers as he pulls on my hair while thrusting into me from behind. Mostly, I hear his tears. I can hear him crying out for me every night like I do for him.
That bone deep pain that causes your gut to twist and your vocal chords to burst with the howling you can no longer hold back? Yeah, that's what it's like.
But I've never been one to bitch out. I'll never stop missing him and I'll never give up hope that I'll feel his arms wrapped around me or touch my lips to his once again. I will get out of this, even if I have to kill to do so.
