AllFreeNovel
Share Us
You’ll do as we say, Russian doll, or you’ll be floating at the bottom of the Charles…
I shudder.
If I could stab every last one of them in that building, I would. I’m not a woman to be messed with, and I don’t give second chances. I guess I learned that one from Uncle Aleksi.
I wonder about Mia and how she’s doing. We didn’t get to talk much because the majority of the time our mouths were taped shut and we were separated. I reach up to my mouth, where I can still feel the tape across it. I can’t shake it off…my skin crawls when I think of those men that came down to taunt us…
When I dry myself off and get dressed, I wonder what today will bring and if they’re setting me free.
I don’t want to spend any time with Marco. Just the mere sight of him angers me, and I don’t know why. Sure, I’ve always had daddy issues, but it’s more than that, and yet, he’s the one who rescued me and carried me to safety.
I should be more fucking grateful.
When I try the door handle, I’m surprised and relieved to find that it’s been unlocked. I can almost bet that it wasn’t by him. The mere sight of me seems to anger him, too.
I decide to take my chances and see what it takes around here to get a cup of coffee.
I pull on an oversized sweater that Valentina left for me and pad down the hallway with my socks on. It’s chilly, but then it’s still early morning.
I smell food and coffee when I round the bottom of the stairs, and it’s a welcome relief.
I had the bowl of pasta last night, but I could still eat a mountain more. They basically starved us for a week with barely any water.
I tentatively walk into the kitchen and see a woman hovering over the stove, singing some tune quietly in Italian. It’s such a pleasant sound.
It warms me just watching her.
A few seconds later, she looks up at me.
I can see Marco in her right away…this must be their mother?
I plan on turning right back around and marching out of there, but as I turn to do so, she smiles, catching my eye.
She’s a small, slight woman with her graying hair tied into a bun, a pair of spectacles perched on top of her head.
“Katiya?” she motions to me. “Is that your name?”
I nod tentatively, figuring it’d be rude to leave now.
“I’m Maria Medici.”
I try to slow my beating heart. I know her by reputation, of course.
Private. A widow from a young age. And it’s clear she still has all of her children’s best interests at heart just by being here.
I’ve never had anything to do with my own mom. From what I gather, she wasn’t worth knowing.
It’s then I see that big guy, Rocco, at the end of the large farmhouse table diving into a large plate of bacon and eggs. He has a whole coffee pot to himself perched on a cork potholder next to him.
He grins, holding a piece of toast to his mouth.
The guy is scary to look at but definitely still hot in the daylight. I wonder absently what Mister Armani Suit would have to say about that.
“Come and take a seat,” she goes on. “Rocco won’t bite.”
My eyes dart to him as he glances up at me and provides me with a nonchalant shrug as if he’s saying, ‘See, I’m not a murderous asshole who will cut you up into tiny pieces if you try to escape’. When I know, that’s more than likely what he would do.
I try not to show how nervous I am.
