Lilith

The Vanishing Act

As I walked into the kitchen for breakfast, I saw Aurora and Leonardo already sitting at the table with my brothers. I had decided to give my brothers the silent treatment-except for Marco, of course. It wasn't that they hadn't told me we were in the mafia; I was upset they thought I couldn't handle the truth about mom.

Ignoring everyone but Aurora and Leonardo, I took a seat and jumped right in. "Where have you two been these past few weeks?"

"We were on a mission," Aurora replied, her tone matter-of-fact as always.

"Can I call you Leo?" I asked Leonardo, trying to lighten the mood a bit.

To everyone's surprise, he nodded. "Sure, that works."

Just then, Marco walked in, his hair a tousled mess, looking like he'd just rolled out of bed. I couldn't help but giggle when I saw him. He pulled up a chair next to me.

"Good morning," he smiled, catching my eye.

"Morning," I returned the smile, feeling a bit of solidarity as he casually ignored our two brothers, turning instead to chat with me, Leo, and Ari.

Ignoring the tension swirling around the table, I brushed it off and suggested we all go shopping-just the girls. Strangely, Marco seemed included in that group, but I didn't mind. I wasn't about to pass up a day out with Ari.

When Marco confirmed he was joining us, I extended the invitation to Leo, but he declined, citing business he needed to handle. "Mafia business?" I quipped, half-jokingly.

The shock on Leo and Ari's faces was priceless. "Oh, yeah, I know," I confirmed with a nod. "How'd you find out?" Ari asked, clearly taken aback.

"Well, they weren't exactly being subtle about it," I replied with a shrug.

After finishing breakfast, we all scattered to our rooms to get dressed. Shopping day, here we come!

(What Lilith's wearing)⬇️

(What Aurora is wearing)⬇️

(What Marco is wearing)

The mall was bustling with activity, and after a few hours of hitting every store we could think of, our stomachs were growling. "Pizza?" Ari suggested, and it was unanimous. We found a place with a booth big enough for all of us and settled in. The smell of melting cheese and pepperoni filled the air, making my mouth water.

"I need to go to the restroom, be right back," I said, sliding out of the booth.

"I'll come with," Aurora offered, standing up.

We walked to the bathroom, chatting about the ridiculous amount of shopping bags we'd accumulated. As we approached the restroom, a sudden chill ran down my spine, like that feeling you get when something's not right.

Stepping into the restroom, I noticed a couple of guys in dark jackets lingering near the entrance, which struck me as odd. Aurora seemed to notice them too, but before she could react, one of them stepped forward. Everything happened so fast. There was a brief scuffle, and I heard a thud I turned just in time to see Aurora slump to the floor, knocked out cold.

Panic surged through me. "Hey! What are you"

Before I could finish, a hand clamped over my mouth. "Shh," a harsh voice hissed in my ear, the accent thick and unfamiliar. Russian, maybe? My heart pounded as I struggled, but the grip on me was iron-tight.

"We take you for a little ride, okay?" the man whispered, his breath foul against my cheek. I tried to scream, but the sound was muffled against his hand. Dragging me out the back door, I caught a glimpse of Aurora, still motionless on the floor, and my fear spiked. What did they want with me?

The back hallways of the mall were deserted. They shoved me into a service elevator, pressing the button for the parking garage. I felt every descent like a countdown to something terrible.

The elevator dinged, and they hustled me across the concrete floor to a waiting van. Its doors were open, revealing a dimly lit interior. I tried to dig in my heels, to fight, to do anything, but they were too strong. They threw me inside, and the world outside the van blurred as we started moving.

Terror gripped me as the realization sank in: I was being kidnapped by the Russian mafia. What did they want with me? Would Aurora be okay? My mind raced, fear mingling with desperation, as the van sped away from the only safety I knew.

.............. Marco pov

As the minutes ticked by, I started to get that nagging feeling something was off. "They've been gone too long," I muttered under my breath, glancing at my watch again. The last slice of pizza sat forgotten on the plate as I slid out of the booth. I walked towards the bathroom, my footsteps echoing a little too loudly in my own ears.

"Hey, Lilith, Aurora, you guys okay in there?" I called out as I approached the bathroom door. Silence greeted me a heavy, unsettling silence. My heart began to race. "I'm coming in!" I announced, pushing open the door.

The sight that met me sent a shock through my system. Aurora was sprawled on the floor, unconscious. My sister Lilith was nowhere in sight. My hands trembled as I knelt beside Aurora, checking her pulse. It was steady, thank God, but where was Lilith?

Panic clawed at my chest as I scooped Aurora up in my arms. Carrying her back to the car, every scenario imaginable raced through my mind. "How could I let this happen?" I berated myself. The one job I had was to keep them safe, and I'd failed.

Once Aurora was safely in the car, I hit the speed dial for my brothers as I started the engine. "Abbiamo un grosso problema"(We've got a major problem,) I said the moment my brother picked up.

" Cosa c'è che non va ?" (What's wrong?) His voice was tense, alert.

"It's Lilith she's been taken. I found Aurora knocked out in the bathroom."

"Are you serious?!" he exclaimed. The fear in his voice mirrored my own.

"We need to get everyone on this, now. This should never have happened." I raged, my voice barely controlled.

"I'm on it. I'll rally the guys and start tracking her down. Just get Aurora safe and keep your head. We need you sharp," he instructed, trying to instill some calm.

As I drove, guilt gnawed at me. "I should've been there. I should've protected you both," I whispered to the unconscious Aurora beside me, her head lolling slightly with the motion of the car. The weight of my failure pressed down on me as I navigated the streets, the urgency to find my sister growing with every passing second.