A New hope

Chapter 35-Needed

Ciana- 

I sit on the circular bed on the second floor of my bedroom. Processing all of the information I have been given today. My brain is spinning. I feel betrayed, yet I understand why they had kept it from me. I think back to something Alessio had told me, 'you were already in such a fragile state sorellina, you were already so scared of us. We didn't want to give you a reason to be afraid'. It makes sense, thinking back to my pitiful former self. I used to flinch at the thought of touch not to mention that I thought that every person was out to hurt me. Maybe it was best that they waited.

I'm not as afraid of my family. Roman is right, my family has only been welcoming, well besides Cassio and Tullio in the beginning, but that's a whole other thing. No one in my family has ever hurt me. Even though I have not been around my extended family for a long amount of time, everything in me tells me that they would never hurt me. I am safe here, with my family, even though they are all criminals, well technically I am too, so I guess I fit right in. The thought makes me chuckle.

I hear a gentle knock on the door to my room. "Neta?" I hear a deep but gentle voice below me. Nonno. Something tenses in me, he was the former don. I shake the feeling away, "come in".

The door creaks as he and another person walks in. "Where are you Dulci?" (sweets) questions my nonna. "I'm upstairs". They both make their way to me. I scooch back until my back hits the wall, my knees bent. Nonno sits down on my left, Nonna on my right. They both angle towards me. "We heard you got some big news today Neta," Nonno starts, a comforting smile on his face. Nonna gently runs her hand up and down my skirted leg, "how are you taking the news".

I tell them both about the conversation, how I found out, and how I feel now. "You are safe here Neta, we will make sure of it. You have your entire family and mafia at your back," Nonno says after I'm done talking.

"You're taking it a lot better than me," Nonna Marta says with a small smile, looking reminiscent. She tells me about her relationship with Nonno and that she had run an entire continent away from him after the news. He still found her and convinced her to stay with him. They both look towards each other lovingly as they finish their story. "Well," Nonna starts, "I thought it would be a good idea to get you out of the house today. How does lunch and shopping with me and the girls sound?"

"Girls?" I question.

"Your Zias, me, and some of the girlfriends".

"Oh sure, yeah we can do that".

Nonna smiles, patting me lightly on the leg. "Then we can get away from the scary men". I smile at her tentatively.

-

I walk into the foyer, surprised at the volume of feminine voices all overtaking each other. Seven women are standing around chatting in a lumped circle. Nonna's eyes find me and she grins, she waves me towards them. The women hush as they notice, Zia Aoife, wife of Angelo, makes room for me in the circle. "Ciana," Aoife starts, "this is Emilio's girlfriend Mila Clark, she's a civilian". She waves her hand towards a very pretty caucasian woman who is probably around 20. Her hair is caramel color and she is of average height. Mila smiles towards me in greeting.

My eyes turn towards another unfamiliar girl. "I am Vivian Reyes, Spanish mafia. My boyfriend is Sam. Nice to meet you Ciana". Vivian has dark colored hair and deep brown eyes. Her outfit consists of a black leather mini skirt and a cut band t-shirt. Thick eyeliner shapes her eyes. I greet her before turning towards the last unknown person. She's an intense woman. Something about her tells me to run away. She observes me with a blank face, but not unfriendly. She has mid-eastern features highlighted by Kohl and what can only be a very expensive outfit. Her dark, curled hair falls down to her bottom. "Naomi Khan, Egyptian heirest. Theo is my fiance".