The Empire's Descent (First Draft)

Chapter 7: Bittersweet

Luca had a migraine and his chest hurt. Sorelline? (Baby sisters?).

"Marco, an aspirin. Maybe vodka," Luca mumbled.

"You'll be fine, Luca, just breathe," Marco rubbed Luca's back.

"Sorelline, Mari," Luca said in disbelief.

Marco's phone buzzed, he checked it whilst rubbing Luca's back who was curving into the massage. At this time, Luca was especially thankful he sent Marco to that Spa/Massage Retreat, which was a cover for a massive human trafficking smuggling operation that he was to dismantle.

"Bird's ready," he reported.

"Get Malco up to date on this situation and tell him the Cleaners are needed. I want everything that could adversely affect us, scrubbed. Nobody knows," Luca instructed with an unintentional bite.

Marco nodded with a comforting look. While looking down at his phone, Marco begun making arrangements. Luca swallowed a little easier by then.

"Call Gianni and tell him he needs to handle affairs for the foreseeable future," Luca had to cover all bases before dealing with this new revelation.

"Let's go," Luca gathered his strength. Papà, what the hell did you leave me with?

Lia covered the bruises with makeup and donned her hot pink blazer, electric blue glasses (she didn't need) and polka dot bloomer pants. Her phone rang, Mr. Giordano...

She couldn't risk answering at home so she silenced it and snuck out of the house. Then, she returned the call.

"I am in the city, Ms. Banks, where to?"

"I'll share my location," she relayed.

She hopped in her bright yellow buggy and drove to the office ten minutes away. Mr. Giordano was there half an hour later. He stepped in her office and he seemed to fill the room. He's massive!

Luca didn't consider himself a particularly judgmental person, but he had some reservations about Ms. Banks here, what is she wearing?

She stood and she was quite tall, much to his surprise. She had to be at least 6' and he found that he liked that, standing at 6'4" himself.

Lia stretched her hand to shake his and fixed him with a bright smile. He grasped her hand in his and gave her a polite smile of his own.

"Ms. Banks," he greeted.

"Mr. Giordano," she returned, her eyes revealing mirth, "let's get down to business," she ended.

"This session is being recorded for our records, Mr. Giordano," she pointed over her left shoulder to the recorder and the camera in the corner. He didn't bat an eye; he had spotted those as soon as he stepped in the room.

"Noted".

Over the next several hours, they, spoke, at length, with regards to the girls' condition. Her records of the girls' information were updated with what little he could provide.

"Over the next few weeks, we will place the girls in a temporary home while we vet your family and the environment in which you'll have them," she informed Luca.

Luca frowned at this information, "is there any way we could forgo that process?".

"I just don't want them to have to be without family any longer," he supplied.

Lia sighed, "I understand, but we have to follow procedure," she informed.

Luca knew he could grease a palm or two and expedite the process so, he didn't push.