In The Shadows ✔

[5] Cinque - Telling him

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sorellina = little sister

bambola = doll

ti amo = I love you

nonna = grandma

zia = aunt

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Scorpia — – –

Bruno walks into the kitchen and grabs three ice-packs from the freezer. He opens the huge fridge and moves some things around until he finds what he's looking for. He pulls the bottle with the scorpion on the bottom from the fridge and walks over to the living room. Scorpia sits down on the couch and turns to face him and he sits down the same way across from her.

"Place your hands on your lap, sorellina." She does as he asks and he covers both her hands with an ice-pack. He unscrews the cap from the bottle and helps her to take a sip. He takes a sip too en puts the third ice-pack on top of his own hand. They are seated with their knees touching and he waits patiently for her to start talking.

She takes a deep breath and says: "Please promise me not to share this with anyone. I will tell mamma something tomorrow, but I don't think I'll be able to share the whole truth with her." 

Bruno nods and takes another sip of the vodka, before giving her another sip as well. 

"Ten years ago, when you were at the tournament in England, I was home alone with Ciro and Dino. Mamma went to aunt Cora and was going to stay the night over there. She had a stern talk with Ciro and Dino beforehand and made them swear that there would be no friends over and that they wouldn't drink any alcohol. Guess what?"

Bruno mumbles: "They did invite friends and they did drink of course."

"They sent me to my room and told me to stay there. I did, but..." 

She closes her eyes for a second and then continues. 

"I heard Salvatore's voice on the landing. He asked them where I was and said that since he paid for me, it was time he saw me. Dino tried to stop him, but Ciro said that this was their big break, to finally be able to work for Salvatore. Ciro opened the door to my room and let him in."

She starts to shake and Bruno holds his breath. He is fearing the rest of her story and is not sure he'll be able to handle it. He takes another sip from the vodka and helps her take another one too.

She speaks softly when she continues. "Salvatore came up to me and looked at me from head to toe. He asked me if I ever kissed someone outside of my family and I shook my head. He smiled in a way that gave me the chills. He called me bambola and picked me up. I didn't want him to and tried to escape, but he looked at me with his nearly black eyes and spat out: You wouldn't want anything to happen to your brothers or your mamma, would you? Imagine Bruno's plane crashing or mamma falling down the stairs."

"I started to cry and he carried me out of my room. He took me outside and into the shed where the boys were always hanging out. Only this time the couch and TV were nowhere to be seen. There were two dirty mattresses on the floor instead." 

She rubs her arms and takes the bottle of vodka from her brother. She swallows two big sips in a row and Bruno does the same, scared of what she is going to tell him next.

She softly says: "I saw a blonde girl lying on one of the mattresses. She was lying their naked, with her legs spread wide. I wanted to look at her, but Salvatore wouldn't let me. He kissed me..."