Mafia Principessa

Chapter 22

Ace's pov

The rest of the family left two weeks ago and they are going to return for Andrea's birthday party and the mafia ball that will be held to introduce Andrea.Something strange is going on in this house. I can feel it, they are hiding something and it's about Andrea. Speaking of Andrea we haven't seen her in a week. She has been cooped  up in her room for a week. Everytime someone raises questions about Andrea they are dismissed.

"What's wrong with Andrea? Why does she stay in that room all day?" Antonio asks with a stern face. He is sober and very serious. The worry and frustration is written all over his face. I think everyone can see something is wrong.

" Dad we are worried about her. She is going through the most and we all can see it. Why is she like this?" Ria asked. Dad would surely put us all out of our misery now and give us answers. We deserve to know.

" Antonio, Alexandria  I appreciate your concern but this is neither the time nor the place to discuss this matter, trust me whatever it is we are working on it so do not bother yourself." Dad specified, dismissing the questions again.I didn't even realise when I banged the table.

" ENOUGH! What the fuck is wrong with you two?
Since when do we keep secrets from each other huh? I am tired of hearing that line over and over again. What the fuck are you working on?"  I shout with rage.

"Ace, watch your tone. We are not your buddies." Mama warns. If it was any other day or about any other thing I would have backed down. This was about Andrea, mia sorella, I will not have it. Im tired of all of this beating around the bush, we must address the elephant in the room.

" No, not this time, I will not remain silent. Why is there a woman coming in and out of our house in the early morning? I've heard her Mama, I've heard her screaming her lungs out  every night. No one has those kinds of nightmares unless they've been.....
All I'm saying is I know she is not doing well at all. This is our sister, we cannot just sit back and watch her suffer. If she is not screaming during the late hours of the night then she is starring at the walls for hours. This has been going on for weeks dad this is not something you just handle on your own. She is ours as much as she is yours, we too have a duty to her. Someone hurt her right?" My intestines began to fold as those words came out of my mouth. Someone hurt her. It wasn't a question anymore, I was certain. Dad just rubs his fingers on his forehead and sighs. For everybody's sake I hope they will tell us the truth now.

" Fine, you want the truth?  here is the truth. As Ace has said Andrea is not well. She is is not well motionally and to a certain degree mentally. The woman who comes to see her is her therapist and she is helping her deal with her trauma. We have learnt that she was kidnapped by the Russians when she was ten and she was their captive for five years. We are still trying to figure out all of the details of all that happened there. I'm sure you all can imagine what they might have put her through while she was there. Whatever happened in those five years is all haunting her and it is coming back aggressively.
The therapist is doing her best to help her deal with all of this trauma and she has been put on antidepressants. Ace I get you are angry, we all are, son." Dad explained. You could see how much this was hurting him. To watch his daughter just fall apart and not know how to fix her.

" I'm sorry for raising my voice at you both. May I see her, it will only be a minute. I promise I won't bombard her with questions." I request. I really need to see her.  I need to talk to her and it cannot wait. I looked at dad while waiting for his response. He looked at me with questioning eyes and he seemed like he was in deep thought. Even if he refuses to let me see her I will go to her, one way or the other.

" Fine, though  she may be resting since she doesn't sleep peacefully at night. If she is do not disturb her, whatever it is you need can wait ,am I clear?" Dad replied. I could see he meant business so I just agreed to put him at ease.
As I walked up the stairs I could not even figure out what I'm going to say or do when I see her. I knocked almost five times and she didn't reply. She must be asleep. Something in me just told me I should just go inside. As I opened the door I said a short prayer asking for her not to be naked or something because I would never be able to unsee that.

Great she is fully dressed and she is awake. She is just sitting on her bed ,pondering. I clear my throat before speaking to make her aware of my presence. She doesn't flinch, she stays in the same position, still lost in her thoughts.

I walk to her bed and kneel next to her so I can reach her height.
" Sorella believe me when I say I'm not here to ask the details of your past. All I want is one thing.
Give me a name. Please." I say looking straight into her dull eyes.
She doesn't reply or even give me the time of day. She continues to stare at whatever it is she was starring at when I arrived. I'm not going to win like this.

" Principessa, tell me what do you want?" I ask, hoping she will respond. Anything she may ask for, I will give her. Even if she says she wants to leave us and go back to her old life. I would let her go. She still doesn't utter a thing. I just surrender and place a small kiss on her forehead before I stand up and walk out.

"Dimitri and Viktor. I want their heads"  she says in a low voice,still keeping her attention to the walls she is looking at. All I needed was a name and now I have it. I turn around to face her before saying

" I will not fail you, sorella," I vowed to her before exiting the room and leaving the house to go find Dimitri and Viktor.