Mafia Stepbrothers

07| Anger

Christina took a deep breath and knocked softly on the door. There was no answer, so she pushed it open slowly. The room was dark, save for the sliver of moonlight that slipped through the curtains. She could make out the outline of a figure lying on the bed.

"James?" she called out tentatively, her voice barely a whisper. "Are you okay?"

There was no response, only the sound of his heavy breathing. She stepped closer, setting the plate of food on the nightstand. The room was a mess, clothes and books scattered across the floor, a testament to his anger and frustration. She knew she was taking a risk, but she couldn't let him go to bed like this.

"James," she said softly, placing a hand on his shoulder.

He jerked away, his eyes snapping open. "What do you want?" he snarled.

Christina took a step back, her hand hovering in the air. "I-I brought you some dinner," she stammered, pointing to the plate. "You didn't eat anything."

James's eyes narrowed, but there was a flicker of something else there - something that looked suspiciously like gratitude. "I'm not hungry," he grumbled.

Christina bit her lip, knowing that pushing him would only make things worse. "Okay," she said, her voice soothing. "But it's here if you change your mind." She turned to leave, but before she could take a step, James's hand shot out and grabbed her wrist.

"Wait," he said, his voice gruff. "Why are you doing this?"

Christina paused, surprised by the question. "Because I don't like the idea of anyone going to bed hungry," she replied, her voice gentle.

James studied her for a moment, his grip on her wrist loosening slightly. "You're not my real sister so why are you acting like one," he said again, his tone less hostile.

Christina met his gaze, her own filled with empathy. "I know," she said softly. "you don't need to think too much. Just have your dinner"

James's grip on her wrist tightened slightly, and she could feel the tension in his body. But then, ever so slowly, he released her. "Thanks," he murmured, his voice gruff.

Christina nodded, not trusting herself to speak. She took a step backward, her heart racing. As she turned to leave, her foot caught on something sharp. She gasped as pain shot through her, looking down to see a shard of glass embedded in her sock. Blood began to seep through the fabric.

"Are you okay?" Aidan called from the hallway, hearing her cry of pain.

Christina tried to keep her voice steady as she pulled out the shard of glass, her hand shaking. "Yeah," she lied, not wanting to cause more trouble. But the pain was intense, and she felt the warmth of blood seeping through her sock.

Aidan rushed into the room, his eyes widening at the sight of her blood-stained sock. "What happened?"

"It's just a piece of glass," Christina said, trying to downplay the situation. She didn't want to cause any more trouble, especially not on her first night.

Aidan's eyes searched the room, spotting the broken vase on the floor. "What the hell?" he murmured, his eyes darkening. He knew James' temper all too well. "Let me see," he said, his voice firm as he knelt down to examine her foot.

Christina gritted her teeth as Aidan gently pulled off her shoe and sock, revealing the small but deep cut on her heel. She hissed as he touched it, the pain sharp and unexpected. "It's not bad," she assured him, trying to stand on her tiptoe.

Aidan's eyes were filled with concern. "You can't walk on that," he said firmly. "We need to clean it and bandage it before you do anything else."

Christina nodded, wincing as she sat down on the edge of the bed. Aidan called Davin who immediately walked inside the room. Aidan knew, Davin being professional would help in a better way.