Mob Princess

chapter 28

I felt electricity run down my spine and I turned around to see the faces of my four pissed friends.

"Hey guys..." I beamed with a bright smile, trying to lighten the mood.

When that didn't work, my smile died down and I tried to play dumb.

"Is something wrong?" I asked.

"Wrong? Is something wrong?!" Ginevra asked angrily and made for me before Grace pulled her back.

"Where have you been Ophelia?" Grace asked calmly.

Not wanting to put Anabelle in trouble, I replied dumbly. "Out." I smiled.

It was Arabella's turn to lose her cool.

"You think this is funny, don't you?" She stomped up to me. "Do you have any idea what would happen if it was Desmonda that saw you coming in this late, Do you?!"

I honestly had no idea, neither did I want to.

"How could you do something so stupid?" Arabella raised her arm to strike me but Rose held her hand.

I was grateful until I heard her say, "Let me." Then she whacked me painfully on my arm. I rubbed it to ease the stinging pain.

"We have rules here!" Rose said.

"Forget the rules Rose, she had us worried sick. We thought something bad must have happened to you." Arabella said.

"At least leave a message or a note before you disappear for eight fucking hours!" Ginevra yelled but her face softened.

I understood their anger, they were worried about me.

"Where you trying to run away?" Arabella was the first to pull me into her arms.

"No." I mumbled.

"Then what happened?" Rose hugged me from behind.

"I lost track of time." I managed to say as they hugged the life out of me.

"Doing what exactly?" Ginevra chipped in.

Grace giggled. "We'll pound the information out of her tomorrow, she must be exhausted."

We were having a group hug and I hope they realise I'm blue in the face.

They led me up the stairs and into my room. They left after tucking me in comfortably like four mothers who bore only one child.

I was so exhausted that I was in Dreamland before you could say Jack Robinson.

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I looked over my shoulder for the hundredth time to make sure no one was watching me. I would know if someone came down the stairs but still......... I had to look over my shoulder to reassure myself.

Sure there was freedom to eat whatever we wanted in the piacere house but I didn't know of any rule that restricted people from taking food outside the house.

If such a rule existed, I wasn't going to get caught to find out the consequences.

Never leave leads in a crime scene, I remember telling Luke. I wasn't about to do that. I washed the pan and every other utensil I had used. Once I was done, I packed the containers inside brown bags and made for the front door before I remembered something important..... Syrup.

I got one half empty bottle down and prayed no one would notice then I dashed out the front door.

I woke up this morning with nothing on my mind except Anabelle and her sisters. Their story touched my core and I made it my responsibility to help them live a comfortable life from now on. So I showered, dressed in a tank top, running shorts and my sneakers. I slipped a note under Arabella's door, telling her I was going out for a morning run then I went into the kitchen to borrow some ingredients I used to prepare food for the kids.