Taken

Warmth

Tatiana

It was late at night and I was tossing and turning. Sleep was far from near tonight and I had no idea why. I wish I had the freedom to walk around and roam the place I was isolated in, but the door was locked at all times, at least that's what I thought. I could always hear the faint voice of Vince every now and then right outside my door. I never checked myself if he was really out there, I was too scared.

It wouldn't hurt to try not, since it was late. Everyone needs sleep, even scary big guards. I slowly got up, trying not to step on the creaky parts of the old wooden floor. I grabbed the doorknob and turned it ever so quietly. 

It opened. The crisp cool air from the hallway hitting my skin. Adrenaline started pumping in me. I looked in the hallway. Empty, the doors of the many rooms shut, and no light slipping through the cracks. It was quiet, the sound of my breathing loud. I took a step, then another and I started my walk. Slow and steady, quiet so I didn't make noise. 

C'mon Tati, you got this. I kept telling myself that but I knew I was scared out of my mind. One wrong move and who knows what would happen, and sadly I didn't wanna know. 

The sound of a bang could be heard above me, shaking the whole house. I heard loud footsteps coming near. I started to panic. Run. But I couldn't move, my body was stuck. I screamed at myself. 

The footsteps got louder and closer, I whipped my head to the staircase that was some doors ahead of me. Move Tatiana, please. But I didn't budge.

A warm hand grabbed my arm and pulled me against them, I tried to look at who it was but I was squished against their chest and plus it was dark. The footsteps were so close that they stopped, right in front of me and the mysterious person. 

"Vince." The voice was so familiar, I tried to turn to look but Nino kept my hand in place against him. 

"Capo, she was just thirsty. I didn't want her going alone so I'm accompanying her." Vince's lie almost believable that I almost believed it. 

The man grunted. 

"Here, I was going to give them to her personally, but forget it." The man handed Vince something. 

"What do we say?" Vince patted my head as he showed me the new fluffy blankets.

"Thank you..um-" I looked up at the man and almost gasped. The man from before, the eyes, the void emotion, the angry temper.

"Alessio." His accent sending shivers throughout my body. 

"Thank you.. Alessio." My voice barely above a whisper. 

He nodded and left. I looked towards Vince and gulped.

"What were you doing up?" He sounded like a mother.

"I couldn't sleep, I wanted to explore." I looked down and fumbled with my fingers. He sighed.

"Let's get you to bed." He put his hand on the small of my back and led me back to my room.

He lead me to bed and tucked me in, with the new blankets Alessio brought. 

"Thank you for telling him to give me blankets." He sighed. I looked up confused.

"I never even mentioned it to him once today, that was all him." Confusion filled me, he did it on his own? I shook my head, he probably felt bad.

"Alright get some rest, tomorrow Rosa will speak to you about important info." His hand sticking out towards my face, brushing my hair out of my face. He whispered something incoherent, but before I could ask him what he said he was out of the room.

Alessio

My mind was confused at my actions today. More importantly about the events that happened not too long ago. I rubbed my temples and tried to forget her doe eyes. After a moment a knock was heard from the other side of the door. 

"Who?" 

"Vince." I kept silent, as it was his cue to come in.

"I'm sorry about Tatiana. She always had a hard time sleeping even when she was just a baby." I waved him off.

"It's okay, as long as she does not venture where she does not belong." He nodded.

"Thank you for.. finding her boss. You don't know how grateful I am to have my cugina back, especially from those monsters." My jaw tightened. 

Vince and Tatiana are cousins, they really look like siblings than cousins, but Vince has brown eyes while the little one has haunting blue-grey eyes. Vince came to my father when he was around 13 years old, looking for work, of course my father took him under his care and around 10 years later me and him were very close and that when he had told me when he had a baby cousin only 8 when he left he realized it was a mistake and wanted her back. And since then I helped him look for her.

And we did, Tatiana's parents were in really bad debt came to me for money when I looked closer at their files and their surnames familiar I had told Vince about it and later found out it was her parents, well at least her dad and stepmom. But it was only then when I came back from her house that I found out it was in fact Vince's cousin, if I was told sooner, we wouldn't have knocked her out, but what's done is done.  

For her pathetic parents, they ran knowing they couldn't pay me back for the loans they needed. But we found them right before they could leave the country. 

They are currently being held at a very isolated warehouse on the edge of the city.

"Don't thank me Vince, I told you countless times that you were a great asset to finding them." He looked down.

Back when she was first brought to the house, I hadn't seen her ever besides descriptions given to me by Vince. When she was the one banging on the door on the first day, I was angry and lashed out on her. I had apologized to Vince about it but he said it was okay, he knew my little patience and anger issues were no joke. I had only realized it was her when I saw her eyes. They were beautiful.. Shaking my head I waved off Vince to get some sleep. 

I needed to talk to Rosa about getting Tatiana into the chore rotation. Although I have quite a few maids, Vince agreed to have Tatiana as a maid for helping him look for her, as long as she's safe at home he won't have to be too worried. But I knew trouble would come out of her working as a maid since she was American with very little Hispanic in her well from what we know of, her mother was completely off the grid. 

There was already an issue earlier today, Cosette was the daughter of a wealthy man and made her work for me as a cleaning maid to hopefully pull me into her so called 'trance.' She was getting on my last nerve and would mostly die before anything else drastic happens.

I grumbled and went to get a clean towel and headed to my bathroom to soak off all the stress from the past few days. It was currently around 1:34 am, maybe getting an early night would help me for the coming days. 

After my shower I quickly went through a few more papers and adjusted myself under my comforter, as soon as I closed my eyes I head cries and slight whimpers from under me.

A muffled stop was what made my blood run cold and I start running to the room I dreaded it wouldn't come from.

__________________________________

4/29/22

Not Edited