"What the hell is a DeLuca?" I half joked.
"Castro really hasn't told you anything, has he?" Adrian sneered, completely ruining the intent of my joke. Of course, he had to.
"Between loosing my parents and almost loosing my life, we barely had the time."
I rolled my eyes. What a weirdo.
He laughed. This clown actually laughed.
A very pretty sound actually, but what gave him the right to laugh?
Before I was able to say anything more, Castro stepped in, and relief loosened my chest.
Behind him came another man. What a weird day and life I'm about to have.
Castro cleared his throat. "Elena, this is---"
"Oh, I know. A DeLuca something."
"Sounds like a name of a cartoon I'd probably love." I laughed, but Castro shifted uncomfortably.
"He's the leader of a different mafia syndicate, not so different from yours. Also a family. He will help"
Oh. Isn't that just cool. Doesn't hurt that he isn't bad looking at all.
"I'm not food, little girl."
Adrian's voice snapped me out of my thoughts. How dare he?
"Is he the visitor you talked about?" I turned to face my uncle, so done with this mess.
"Not just him." He gestured to the man behind him.
"This is Maverick. He will be your personal trainer, bodyguard… Basically whatever you might want him to be. He doesn't leave your side."
Okay… that, I like.
"Fine by me, Uncle. Can I go back to bed now? I barely got any sleep."
"You were asleep for two days. You call that 'barely any sleep'?"
Two days?!
Well, that was news.
"Anyways."
He continued. That didn't sound good, or was I overthinking things?
"Your training starts tomorrow. You get today to rest up and do whatever." he continued.
"What training? What the hell? I'm already decent enough at almost everything I'd need to be part of your mafia thingy. Daddy taught me pretty well, Castro."
"Whatever he taught you isn't nearly enough. If you will fit into this world, you would need a bit more than whatever knowledge you have."
Adrian butted in.
"Rest will not keep you alive. Training will" He continued.
He was right.
"You can go back to bed now, little Isa. The place you woke up in will be your room."
As I sat on the bed that was certainly too big for my frame, the happenings of the past few days made a little movie in my head.
The reality of becoming an orphan as young as I am and as fast as it happened.
The mafia. I can't quite seem to wrap my head around it. Everything still seems so surreal to me.
Finally though, I let myself cry.
It's been a long time coming, and I kind of hate myself for holding out for too long.
The thought of my parents. No, they didn't deserve that. No one does.
My life going forward.
Everything.
I broke in a way I had craved for such a long time. This was the last time.
It had to be the last time.
I simply can't keep failing my parents. They wouldn't want to see me like this.
What a mess.
Elena, what a mess.
Tears kept on escaping my eyelids. Gut-wrenching sobs filled the room, and I hoped no one outside could hear me. I wouldn't want to put up with their pity.
Not like they'd spare me some.
After bawling for what I felt was certainly long enough, a resolve formed in my heart.
The same resolve I made while waiting for Castro in the woods.
I was done being prey. Done being the one who needed saving. I was done running..
I had to become the predator; feared.
But then, something steadied inside me.
They're not my enemies. Not now. Maybe not ever.
If I want to survive in this world; this world my parents lost their lives to keep me from, I'll have to learn to play by the rules.
I'll play stronger and harder.
They'll help me. They'll keep alive.
Maverick, or whatever his name was. The fighting instructor, right. I'd keep him close.
I need him.
…
It was barely 7am when I heard a crude banging on my door.
What the hell?
I found refuge in my unbelievably soft pillow, holding it over my head to keep out the noise.
"Elena!"
Was that Castro or Maverick? I couldn't quite make up the owner of that voice in the fog that was now my brain that early morning.
"Get up now, Elena. It's dawn, and Maverick is waiting."
I wanted to argue. To remind him I had just survived a night of running for my life, but something in his tone told me it would be pointless.
Moreover, that was two nights ago.
I guess this is my life now.
I muffled out a very weak 'I'm coming' while trying to get out of my bed.
Savages, I'm sure.
These people are fucking savages. Who wakes up a young girl so early in the morning to punch sand bags?
I dragged myself round the room, trying to get myself ready.
From my closet to the bathroom. It all felt like such a fruitless journey.
Castro barged in.
"On your feet, little Isa." he half yelled and left.
A very effective wake up call. I was on my feet in no time.
I blurred through freshening up, then headed towards the courtyard for training.
The courtyard was cold beneath my bare feet until a pair of dark blue trainers were shoved into my hands.
"Wear them" Maverick's striking face came into view.
"Aren't you charming." I tried to retort.
It was like punching air. He didn't even try to acknowledge me.
He didn't start with weapons.
"It's against my philosophy" he had said.
Yeah, shove that right up your ass, Aristotle.
He made me run laps till I could hear my lungs beg for rest.
Push ups till my arms gave out.
Drills till my legs shook violently.
He watched me the whole time, with sharp, correcting eyes.
"You're too full of fear, Elena. It's too obvious. You're doubting your own self."
Maybe I was.
"You think you can fight with that much fear in your eyes? You'd be dead before the enemy even gets close. Don't do that to yourself, Elena."
"That's quite enough, Maverick." I said, trying to steady myself on my feet.
"You think the people who killed your parents will show you any mercy? Stop because you asked them to?"
"Don't go too far, Mav," He was beginning to annoy me a bit too much.
"What? You know I'm right, Elena."
The words hit hard the second time I thought about it, but I forced myself up, because he was right.
I knew he was right.
"Get back to training."
I did.
By the time he finally let me collapse to the ground, I had become familiar… a little too familiar with the taste of my own sweat and the ache all over my own body.
Every muscle in my body screamed, but it felt strangely not so bad.
Maybe my body had finally become familiar with the goal.
That was when I noticed Adrian, leaning against the door frame of the courtyard.
He had been watching, obvious amusement in his blue eyes that glistened when the sun hit it.
"Hi, Adrian."
"Feisty. I like that." he laughed.
"Oh, shut it. Why can't we have a normal conversation without you being… well, you?"
He smirked. "Well, I have to be me, no?
"Want to have dinner?"
Dinner? How long have I been here?
"I'm ordering sea food, your favorite." He said.
"How do you even know that?" I asked, incredulously, but already getting up from the ground, because no one can catch me missing seafood.
"And why did no one come to get me for breakfast or lunch?"
"Castro said you'll be fine. Also, we don't exactly enjoy disturbing Maverick." he pulled himself away from the frame he had been leaning on, and left while I tried to keep up.
Almost running to keep up with Adrian's long strides, I saw a swift shadow from the corner of my eyes.
I paused my steps, and for the first time, I actually took in the grandeur of the house…
No, A fucking mansion.
But the shadow. What the hell was that?
I turned back in an attempt to follow the shadow, when a striking man who looked about 30 materialized in front of me.
"So, its true. The Moretti girl lives." he sneered.
He didn't exactly look thrilled… he didn't look pissed either.
I was almost lost in his dark blue eyes when I saw Castro approaching with hurried steps.
"Who are you?" I managed to ask the very tall guy in front of me before Castro got to us.
"Matteo Rossetti. You'll need me." He smirked.