Self-Seeker

Damon

Sunday

The final swing sent the punching bag flying off of its hinges and onto the ground. He was going to need to buy a new one later. Blowing out a hard breath, Damon grabbed a towel to wipe the sweat from his forehead. A workout was more than needed after what last night entailed. Well, what happened before he took Audrey home and gave her a 'private' welcome - if you know what he means?

The only thing Damon could think about since then was what that man Carter Woods had told them about Audrey and Genesis. He knew Audrey had some business in England that she preferred to keep private - but the fact that he was seeing her, who just so happened to be best friends with Genesis, who is the adoptive sister of Jazmine, whom is married to Tyler, which was his best friend as well as Audrey's half-brother? It was all way too confusing - and coincidental might he add.

He headed to the kitchen to get a bottle of water, only to find his brothers sitting at the island eating a full English breakfast. He hadn't even realised they had entered the household.

"What, so you just welcome yourself into my house and eat all of my food? No hello?" Damon rounded the island and opened the fridge – which was close to empty. He should probably go shopping soon, he thought.

"Hello!" They greeted sarcastically at the same time. He would never get used to that. He rolled his eyes, laughing at their idiocy.

"Save me some of that." Damon said, reaching over to take a piece of bacon off of Dominic's plate.

"Ugh! Dude, you really stink." Dominic complained, squeezing his nose with his fingers and fanning the air dramatically. Despite his immaturity and Dimitri's anti-social behaviour - Damon damn well missed these guys.

"Oh shut-up Dom. So, what brings you guys here anyway? I thought you were staying at my apartment whenever you came from back home?" He inquired. The twins lived in Italy where most of the Soldati family resided - and there were a lot of them. Once a year they would come to America though, they threw the best parties imaginable.

"We just missed you so much, Damon. We couldn't go another day without seeing your face." Dominic's extra self exclaimed, hand-on-heart and everything.

Damon's face didn't move in the slightest at his brother's sarcasm. Dominic was being overly cheerful whilst Dimitri had had his head buried in his phone during the entire exchange. Something was definitely wrong. "Seriously guys, what's up?"

Dimitri sighed and rubbed his face - a sign that he was stressed. "Things are not good back home man, the tension between the families is rising as the days go on. We need you out there to sort this out - è il tuo problema, dopo tutto." He finally released what was nagging at him. Damon was not trying to deal with their family issues right now, not when things right there in New York were becoming seriously inconspicuous.

"Look, I will deal with it I swear. I've just got a lot going on right now."

"That's what you said last time, dude." Dominic added unhelpfully.

"Because I did then, and I still do now. In fact - now is the worst time you could possibly choose to be bringing me bad news." Damon let his head rest on the palm of his hands as he thought of yesterday's events.

"Why? What happened bro?" Dimitri questioned. He was the more sensible one of the two - though he had just as much of a wild side as Dominic.

"There's this woman - Genesis - you probably know her as the mystery woman from the papers that crashed Ty and Jaz's wedding reception." He began to explain.

"O si. We heard about that. Dude, that is one fine ass girl. I would definitely hit that."

Damon found himself scowling at Dominic's indecent remark. "Yeah well if she heard you refer to her as a 'girl' and not a 'woman', she would be the one hitting you - in the face with her fist." He warned.

Dimitri chuckled, like Damon - fiery women sparked his interest. "I'm guessing you've had an encounter with her then. What's she like?"

"More than once. I wouldn't even know how to begin describing her. She's like a storm, you know, she just drifts in all strong and driven - havoc follows her wherever she travels. She draws everyone's attention when she enters a room, her eyes are captivating and her tongue sharp but sultry. Everything about her is so intense, it makes you want to gain her approval. Then just like that, she's gone. As if she were never there in the first place. Yet somehow, she leaves that dominating presence behind in her wake and you can't help but yearn for more." Damon went on, he didn't even realize what he was saying until he'd spoken it out loud.

Suddenly, Dominic and Dimitri burst out laughing, ruining his dramatic monologue. "Somebody is whipped." Dominic spluttered, reeling over and holding his stomach as he laughed. It wasn't even that hilarious, Damon thought.

"Fratello, if she's as amazing as you make her sound, what's the problem?" Dimitri asked.

"The problem is, brother, that for one she is Jazmine's adoptive sister - whom Jaz hates for a reason I have yet to discover. Then there's the fact that I have this thing with Audrey - who happens to be her best friend from England. She gives off all types of mixed signals, one minute she is looking at me like she wants to rip my clothes off right over there on that counter, then suddenly she is practically sprinting out the door. I always had this weird feeling that perhaps she was hiding something. Then last night her ex-boyfriend appears out of nowhere and proudly announces that they, as well as Audrey, were part of some secret con club or some shit back in England." Damon said, pacing around the kitchen. He took a few breaths, running a hand through his damp, messy hair before continuing.

"I am confused out of my damn mind! When she speaks to me it's always so cryptic. She swiftly directs the conversation away from herself without me realising until later when I reflect back on it. It's like every single thing she says has an alternative meaning underlying it and I just can't figure out what she's thinking or planning or anything!" Damon ranted, letting all his frustrations out as he banged his fists against the worktop. The one girl that managed to get him to feel comfortable enough to be himself around her was the same person that caused his body temperature to rise uncontrollably. She was a flipping mystery.

"Dude. You were about to screw her in the kitchen? Cane sporco." Dominic voiced. Damon rolled his eyes, flinging a spoon at him. Of course that was the only thing Dominic would get from what he had said.

"Maybe you should find out more about her - it may give you some perspective on what kind of a person she is for certain." Dimitri suggested.

"But how? She's not exactly going to be truthful with me. I wouldn't even know if she was making things up. It's as if she has practiced everything she ever says a hundred times over. Last night she told us that she isn't deceiving any of us and never has - coming to America was a fresh start or something. I must admit it seemed pretty convincing to me." He said. Damon was never one to be naive though, he would be sure to keep his eyes open for anything suspicious.

"Are you forgetting what we are a part of? We're the Soldati's bro. Just get one of our contacts back home to dig up some details. That way you can know for sure what you're getting yourself into." Dimitri added. Damon looked up at him nodding. He didn't think he could've been blessed with a better pair of brothers.

"Ci andrò presto. Besides that, what are we going to do this year for your birthday coming up?" He asked, though he regretted asking the Moment it came out of his mouth. Dominic and Dimitri looked at each other knowingly and Damon covered his ears, fully aware of what was coming next.

"PARTY!!!"