2. Where's the Money

"Phone. Now," the dude said in a rush just as I had ended the conversation with my dad.

"Why?" I took a step back, totally creeped out at this point. He snatched it from me, looked at something before typing into his own phone. "Are you even gonna tell me your name? Or when my dad asks do I just have to refer to you as 'some freaky dude'?"

"Alex," he said before giving me my phone back and walking away.

Fricking weirdo.

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My dad didn't seem all that surprised when he arrived and there was no one there with me. Guys didn't usually stay too long when they heard that Daddy D'Amico was on his way to kick some ass. I don't really blame them either.

"Do you know his name at least?" He asked yet another question. I felt like I was being interrogated.

"Alex."

"Alex..." He urged me for more, like a last name.

"Dad, I didn't exactly try to make friends with the guy. I don't know his last name and its not like it was even a big deal-"

"Not a big deal?" He cut me off mid sentence, "Sophia, not everyone can be trusted. You are just like your mother when it comes to meeting new people. You trust everyone!"

"Do not," I mumbled and slouched even further in my seat, as if a little kid would after getting yelled at by her parents.

I almost expected him to be silent the rest of the way to the marina, but that was obviously way too much to ask for.

"What did he look like?"

I sighed heavily, "Really dad? Does it seriously matter that much? Can we drop it please?"

"What did he look like?" Once my dad asked a question, he was pretty much set in his ways. He was used to getting the answers he wanted from people, but he definitely couldn't use the same tactics on me.

I decided that I was going to be just as annoying as he was. Maybe he'd stop asking so many questions, "He was literally so hot. I'm glad you asked

actually. His hair was so brown it almost looked black and his eyes were literally so adorable. They were like the darkest green ever. Dad, I think I'm in love."

He gave me a dumb look, before his face went totally blank again, "You're not funny, Sophia."

"Oh, I wasn't trying to be. I'm being serious."

Kind of.

"Ha. Ha. Ha."

It was silent again, but this time I was going to be the one to disrupt the peace, "So what are we doing anyway?"

"Marco bought a yacht," he said very uninterestedly. "We were invited. I wasn't going to go but your mother had different plans."

I laughed a little, "I still think its funny

how you're a mafia boss, but mom still wears the pants in the relationship. Like, you have really scary people to deal with all the time but you're still afraid to say no to mom."

"Well, I live to please my woman," he wiggled his eyebrows as if hinting at something disgusting. An innuendo, if you will.

"You are disgusting."

"You will live."

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I sat on the front of the boat with Alessio and Noëlle. It was kind of like they weren't even there though because Sio was playing some game on mom's phone very quietly, and Noey had her legs dangling over the edge just taking in the sight of the water below. She too was super quiet.

I was blessed with siblings that I could

actually stand. I actually don't think I could have had a better brother or sister.

Noëlle squirmed a little and held onto the railing for some reason. "It's a jellyfish," she mumbled, and sure enough, there in the clear blue water, was a big ass jellyfish. Everyone, and I do mean everyone, knew about her fear of those.

"You're going to live, Noe," Alessio said, just barely taking the time to glance up and see what the problem was.

He really did remind me of dad. He dressed like him (that was probably mom's doing though), he spoke like him, he even did his hair the same way. It was also very easy to pick out the same features, the eyes for example, a deep brown with dark lashes to frame them. My little brother was adorable at his fourteen years of age.

Noëlle also favored dad's darker looks.

She had dark, wildly wavy hair that she almost always had in a bun to keep away from her face. Her eyes were the same as dad's and Sio's. Just the overall appearance gave off an Italian vibe that you would not have found from mom's side of the family.

I was just like my mom, so we kind of stuck out because you don't really ever see blonde Italians.

I stood up very slowly, my sea legs still not very useful yet. I didn't want to plummet into the water because as much as I knew they loved me, neither Noëlle or Alessio would come in after me. "I'm gonna go get something to eat."

"Ok," they both said as I started walking to the back of the boat where everyone was.

As the laughing got louder, I knew I had found my people. I walked inside, into a sitting room where just about

everyone but the guy Marco had hired to captain the yacht was. Everyone being my mom, dad, Marco, his wife Zita, and Nico and Guido, the two goons of my dad's business. He really didn't like them at all, so I wondered why the hell they were still alive. I was actually more confused as to why they were on this boat in the first place. Marco couldn't have liked them either.

Maybe dad was gonna have Marco kill them and then secretly throw them in the ocean.

It seemed plausible.

"Whatcha need, FeeFee?" Marco asked and everyone finally turned to look at me.

"Food preferably," I walked over and sat in the very small space between my dad and mom, I ended up sitting on top of them though.

"She only gives us love when she wants

food," mom said before trapping me in her arms.

"Not necessarily true," I interjected before these people had a chance to think that I only gave my parents love when my stomach called.

"It's pretty true, Sophia," dad added.

"Nah."

"There's food in the fridge, hon," Zita said and I hopped to my feet instantly.

"See," mom and dad both said.

I glanced over my shoulder to give them a look before finding my way into the small kitchen. God, this boat was huge. Why don't we have one?

Oh yeah, 'cause dad isn't a fan of anything fun.

The beeping of my phone had me in a rage. I wanted my food right now, no

interferences, but it didn't seem like that was going to happen.

I checked it quickly, thinking it was probably just Camilla complaining about any member of her family again. She had five little sisters, I really don't blame her for wanting to vent all the time.

It was not Camilla though.

It said Alex.

But I didn't know an Alex.

Oh wait, yes I did. Sadly.

So that's why he took my phone. To get my number and type his in. Great.

I opened the text just to have it say, "Where's my money?"

With which I replied goodbye.

Gotta keep this short and sweet. He

But I didn't know an Alex.

Oh wait, yes I did. Sadly.

With which I replied goodbye.

Gotta keep this short and sweet. He claims he doesn't, but I know my dad reads all of my texts. He reads all of mom's so why wouldn't he read mine too?

Another ping: You broke my shit!

I decided to ignore the texts, just as soon as another couple came on.

°: 3.) Just Alex

I came to the conclusion that this trip was going to suck royally. I knew it wasn't going to be a long one though because hopefully Sio had already told my dad every single thing that he had seen and someone was already high tailing it in my direction.

The next thing I knew, I was already being pushed out of the truck and the thing over my had was ripped away.

What. The. Fuck.

I was no stranger to large houses, but this place was kind of overkill. How the hell did these idiots manage to stumble across money to live here? Which one

had the wealthy parents? And why couldn't he have helped Alex out? Why did he need my money?

There was a large fountain in the middle of the stone driveway, not only was it spewing water, but there was also a pretty light show.

A Lamborghini among other expensive foreign cars were parked and looking fancy as ever, "Your mom's not home?" The girl asked Alex and he shook his head. I had learned that her name was Layne.

"She shouldn't be."

"You seriously related to that D'Amico Boss guy?" The dude with black hair and a weird taste in clothing asked me while examining every inch of my body. Based on Layne and Alex's conversation on the way here, his name was either Brendan or Spike. He reached into one of my boots and pulled out the phone I thought I had

strategically placed.

"Why does that matter?" I asked while watching him take the back of my phone off and pull out what I assumed had something to do with the tracker my dad used.

"Matters a lot actually," Alex started to walk towards the front of the house. I got pulled along and before I knew it, I was standing in the foyer of this mansion. "We can get a ransom for you. A big one."

"My dad wouldn't let you live long enough to claim whatever money you want," my eyes followed Alex and his merry band of misfits as they walked into the living room and each took their own seats.

"Sure he would," Layne said, and I couldn't help but cringe at her lack of knowledge. You should know the person you're kidnapping so there aren't any surprises.

"Take a seat," the one other guy said. "Relax for awhile."

"Who the hell are you peop-"

And before I could finish the word, the front door opened again and two of the scariest people I've ever heard about came walking inside.

"Shit," I backed up into the wall, already setting myself up for failure, "Shit, shit, shit."

Italia de Rossi and Vincenzo Bellini were standing a mere two feet away from me. These people would kill me without even batting an eyelash.

"Alexandros!" Italia shouted, slamming her car keys down on the end table, "What drugs have you and your friends put in your systems now?" She looked right at me, not saying a single thing about me directly. Did she not know?

"Not a single thing actually. Yet."

"What's wrong with this one then?" She motioned over to me.

"Just a little shaken up is all. I don't really know what her problem is."

Italia didn't say anything for what seemed like forever, "Well, get to bed. I want your friends gone by the time I wake up tomorrow. The jet will be readily available to them and don't you dare fly back with them. I will murder you myself. Do I make myself clear, bambino?"

"Perfectly," he scowled.

Italia gave me one last weird look before she walked up the marble stairs and disappeared from sight. Only then did I fully come to my senses and realize that I was not out of the woods yet because Vincenzo was still here.

"Did you do what I asked?" Now he

asked, a menacing tone taking over. "Your chores."

"Hell fucking no. Does it look like I did them? Been a little busy, padre," he said in a mocking tone that I almost found funny.

"Hmmm," Vincenzo breathed out his nose, "If I walk in your room and its a goddamn pigsty, I'm kicking your ass out of the house."

Alex rolled his eyes and sluggishly rolled off the couch, "Shit. Just don't go in there yet. Give me a second," he walked towards me, grabbed my arm roughly and started yanking me up the stairs.

I waited until we were out of Vincenzo's sight before pushing Alex off, "Don't ever fucking touch me again!" I snarled. "You disgust me."

"If I knew you would actually follow me, I wouldn't have to," he pushed

open a door and flipped the light switch on, an even darker room lighting up slightly.

"What the hell?" I mumbled. You couldn't even see the floor there were so many random pieces of clothing and blankets strewn across it.

"Yes, I think the same thing," he flopped down onto the queen sized bed clad in a black comforter. "Clean it and I'll take you home," he said lazily before taking out his phone and doing god knows what.

"Excuse me?" I asked. "I'm not going to clean your room, you ass! Take me home now!" I shouted but tried to stay as quiet as possible just incase Italia's room was the one next door. "What was the point of taking me against my will if you didn't actually want anything from me?"

"I like the challenge. I'm kind of a daredevil. Now, if you'd stop whining

like an annoying baboon and get to work, I'll take you back. Gods honest truth."

"I thought you wanted money," I mumbled and started picking up blankets just to chuck them on his bed.

He pushed every single one off of him, "Does it really look like I need money? Lets face it babe, we're both fairly wealthy people. If I really needed money, I'd just have to clean the kitchen or something and my mom would willingly hand 500 dollars over. Did you actually get me in trouble though? Yeah kinda. Am I gonna live? Most likely."

"Who says I can trust you though? You're a Bellini."

He shot off the bed and pressed his index finger to my lips sharply, "Uh no," he whispered, "Don't ever call me that again. Capisce?"

"Just Alex."

"Fine then, Just Alex. Where do I put all of this stuff?"

He tumbled back onto the bed, throwing the covers over himself, "Throw it in the closet, smart ass. Wake me up when you're done."

I threw up my middle finger just as he had turned his back to me.

Fucking asshole.

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