VENGEANCE.

twenty-one

natalia romano

"Natalia?" a voice called out.

I knew that voice. But why did they come?

I heard the sound of the cell unlocking and I lifted up my head, welcoming the new presence.

Luca's voice resonated in my mind, mixing with the distant echoes of footsteps and hushed murmurs.

"Natalia?" Luca called out again, his present familiar and comforting.

I raised my head with a wince, my face scrunching into one of pain as blood trickled down the sides of my head, my vision turning blurry momentarily from how long I've been sitting in that position.

"Luca?" I croaked out, my voice raspy from the lack of water.

"Natalia!" another voice breathed out which I figured was Athena.

"Are you okay?" Luca asked, checking me for injuries.

"Well, no shit I'm not okay," I chuckled. "Nothing I've experienced though. I'm like basically an expert.."

"This is no time for jokes, you idiot!" Athena moved closer, her eyes reflecting anger and concern.

Luca shook his head in disbelief before standing back up, "Can you stand?"

"Who do you take me for? A weakling?" I scoffed.

I lied.

I struggled to stand because I forgot that they had tied my legs together to prevent me from walking around the cell.

Stupid, I know. My hands too.

"Can you guys untie me first?" I asked, turning my back to them.

"Oh right," Athena said, sheepishly.

"They.. hurt you," Luca murmured, his voice trembling with disdain.

"Well yeah, what else would they be doing?"

"We have to go," Athena urged, her eyes scanning the surroundings for any of Maxim's men.

As we made it back to the top, the fight was still ongoing.

"Maxim," I called out.

Everyone stopped in their tracks as soon as they heard my voice.

"Natalia!"

"Holy shit."

"You look rough."

"Thanks, Dante," I rolled my eyes. "Maxim Petrov…"

"The one and only, Natalia Romano," Maxim replied, smiling wickedly.

"Donna," Jace greeted.

"Jace," I nodded back to him, forgetting the fact that none of my brothers knew about my identity.

"Hold on.. Donna?" Andreas' voice cut through the air, his brow furrowed in confusion..

"Save the questions for later, brother."

"No, tell us now," Silas interjected. "We've been trying to find you, trying to keep you safe and turns out you've been hiding a big secret from us?" His eyes narrowed at me.

Everyone remained silent, afraid of the outcome.

I turned my head, glaring at Silas icily.

"First of all, I had my reasons," I began, my voice barely containing my anger. "Second of all, you're talking to me as if I was the only one who was hiding a secret. Dear brothers, the only reason you told me that you were the Italian Mafia was because of the Mafia ball and your reputation."