Kidnapped

CHAPTER FORTY SIX

-TATUYANNA TORRONO >

Two days past since I left the hospital. During those 48 hours, I kept catching myself thinking about the little girl with bright, big green eyes. I had to force myself to shake those thoughts away, as we arrived at the building said to have our meeting. 

Alessia gave me a call to apologize for not showing up for my father's funeral. I brushed it off within minutes because I didn't have time to think about who came and who didn't. 

Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the people that came to show their respects and her apology, but all I thought about at the funeral, was 

'he's gone'

'I'll never see his faint smiles, his fond fatherly glances, nor his annoyed features'

I could only focus on the pain. My chest has never ached that badly in all my life. At least he left a lot for me. The memories. The laughs, the love. Everything. Even if it was just 6 years of him being with me, I experienced a lot of love in those 6 years than I have in my entire life. 

Destroying my lungs, spending time at nightclubs, and hooking up with randoms was how I handled my pain. Considering my background, I didn't expect to lose my virginity like that. 

I always rejected guys. 

Maybe it was because those times, I knew they wanted to use me for their selfish desires. But now, I used someone to satisfy my own pleasure. The fact that I wanted to fit in with Alessia and Marcella might've also played a part. They're my first real friends and I just felt like I had to blend in.

"Ready?" Uncle Leonardo brings me out of my thoughts, standing outside of my opened car door. I look up into his dark green eyes, almost forgetting that I had company join me to this meeting. 

My three quiet uncles.

They luckily had completely different styles of hair. Uncle Luca always had slicked-back hair, Uncle Lorenzo had a fade cut, and the letter T was printed on the side of his head as a haircut design. Lastly, Uncle Leonardo kept his wavy hair long. Today, however, he was sporting a slicked-back mullet.

*so sorry to interrupt, but please search up 'Agust D' for the mullet reference*

"Yeah." I inhale, making a move to get out of the car. 

His hand reaches out as an offer. "You look lovely."

My eyes narrow, staring at his hand before they drift up toward his avoidant gaze. "I just had a whole family of enemies come at a truce with me, a couple of days ago. The sudden acts of kindness will set me off." A small smile tugs at the corner of my lips. I take his hand anyway. I didn't want to make him feel awkward more than he probably already was.

"Yeah, do not make it weird. This whole warm heart bullshit is still new," He adds, as he closes the door behind me. "And how did you get to compliments and opening doors?" I ask. 

He shrugs. "Google." 

The others stand in the same serious stance, looking as if they were here to kill. "We're trying out a new tactic. Initially, we were going with how our parents made decisions. But that made us make our brother's daughter suffer. When he died, it was like a fucking light bulb blew up in our faces." Uncle Luca expressed. 

We all were suddenly surrounded by burly men, most likely our bodyguards. Somehow they were way bigger than my towering uncles. "In other words, our silence bit us in the ass. We let things happen and assumed if we weren't involved, it would've promoted our nephew's and niece's sense of responsibility. Turns out they ended up just like our parents, except brattier versions." Leonardo adds simultaneously pulling out a thick cigar.