were heading to the living room. They were speaking in hushed tones and she watched them in silence until she heard Vince ask Johnny if he was serious.
‘What’s going on?’
She hurried back down the stairs and with his back to her, she imagined Johnny rolling his eyes as he replied.
‘The matter doesn’t concern you.’
‘But I’m one of you now.’
Surprised at her own response she snapped her mouth shut as Johnny turned to stare at her. His voice was low and lethal, leaving no doubt as to who was in charge.
‘If I were you, I’d keep my mouth shut unless I ask you to talk.’
Vince moved to stand between them.
‘Listen Roar, it’s been a long day and John and I need to go out. Even if you were trained already, this isn’t a meeting you would ever be invited to. Let’s get this straightened out here and now so that there are no misconceptions about your place. Johnny is the boss of this Family and I am his advisor, you are not our equal, those are things you must never, ever forget. Now go upstairs and get some rest. We expect you in the training centre at five AM.’
Her brothers walked out of the living room and made their way down to Johnny’s office. She had known it all along but hearing Vince speak to her that way had shocked her regardless. Just because she was their sister didn’t give her any special standing in the Family. She went upstairs and flung herself onto her bed, groaning as she thought of Dante. He was the sibling that she quarreled with the most, but there wasn’t a single time that he hadn’t been there for her. He had saved her ass so many times that she’d lost count by the time she was seventeen. God she missed him. She refused to believe that he was dead when in her heart she knew he was still alive. But she also knew that if they didn’t find him soon he would be damaged forever.
With that dark thought, she stood up and walked to her balcony, sliding the glass doors open and stepping out into the cool night. She looked out at the grounds, watching the moonlight play games with the water in the pool, and waited until the light shining from Johnny’s office turned off and she heard the front door slam. Mike had been murdered, because of her. Her father was dead, and she would never get the chance to apologize. She was in love with Hawk, and he would never return her feelings. She could feel the anger rising, the rage making its way through her veins, pumping faster than her blood, and then, she could no longer control it. She screamed out into the night and pushed at the railing, as if she could make the sandstone go crashing down. Then the tears started falling and she let them, let all her emotions that she had controlled since Mike had died race out of her. She slid down, keeping her back against the stone, until she was on the floor with her legs curled to the side. She looked up at the sky, searching for an answer she knew she wouldn’t find, and let out a tortured cry.
She screamed for her father and she screamed for Mike. She screamed for her mother, who would never be the same. She screamed for Dante, she wanted him home where he was supposed to be, and beneath all of that, she screamed for herself, for Johnny, for Vince. For what was torn from them and what they might become when everything was over. After a while, she calmed herself enough to stop crying. She closed her eyes to collect herself and took deep breaths. Then she stood up and dusted off her dress, but before she stepped into her bedroom, she looked back up to the sky.
‘I’m sorry dad. I didn’t mean it. I’m
‘What’s going on?’
She hurried back down the stairs and with his back to her, she imagined Johnny rolling his eyes as he replied.
‘The matter doesn’t concern you.’
‘But I’m one of you now.’
Surprised at her own response she snapped her mouth shut as Johnny turned to stare at her. His voice was low and lethal, leaving no doubt as to who was in charge.
‘If I were you, I’d keep my mouth shut unless I ask you to talk.’
Vince moved to stand between them.
‘Listen Roar, it’s been a long day and John and I need to go out. Even if you were trained already, this isn’t a meeting you would ever be invited to. Let’s get this straightened out here and now so that there are no misconceptions about your place. Johnny is the boss of this Family and I am his advisor, you are not our equal, those are things you must never, ever forget. Now go upstairs and get some rest. We expect you in the training centre at five AM.’
Her brothers walked out of the living room and made their way down to Johnny’s office. She had known it all along but hearing Vince speak to her that way had shocked her regardless. Just because she was their sister didn’t give her any special standing in the Family. She went upstairs and flung herself onto her bed, groaning as she thought of Dante. He was the sibling that she quarreled with the most, but there wasn’t a single time that he hadn’t been there for her. He had saved her ass so many times that she’d lost count by the time she was seventeen. God she missed him. She refused to believe that he was dead when in her heart she knew he was still alive. But she also knew that if they didn’t find him soon he would be damaged forever.
With that dark thought, she stood up and walked to her balcony, sliding the glass doors open and stepping out into the cool night. She looked out at the grounds, watching the moonlight play games with the water in the pool, and waited until the light shining from Johnny’s office turned off and she heard the front door slam. Mike had been murdered, because of her. Her father was dead, and she would never get the chance to apologize. She was in love with Hawk, and he would never return her feelings. She could feel the anger rising, the rage making its way through her veins, pumping faster than her blood, and then, she could no longer control it. She screamed out into the night and pushed at the railing, as if she could make the sandstone go crashing down. Then the tears started falling and she let them, let all her emotions that she had controlled since Mike had died race out of her. She slid down, keeping her back against the stone, until she was on the floor with her legs curled to the side. She looked up at the sky, searching for an answer she knew she wouldn’t find, and let out a tortured cry.
She screamed for her father and she screamed for Mike. She screamed for her mother, who would never be the same. She screamed for Dante, she wanted him home where he was supposed to be, and beneath all of that, she screamed for herself, for Johnny, for Vince. For what was torn from them and what they might become when everything was over. After a while, she calmed herself enough to stop crying. She closed her eyes to collect herself and took deep breaths. Then she stood up and dusted off her dress, but before she stepped into her bedroom, she looked back up to the sky.
‘I’m sorry dad. I didn’t mean it. I’m
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