As I sat in the huge dining space - and yes I will emphasize the huge factor because who needs such a big space anyway - surrounded by all the Costas my mind cooked up various scenarios of me escaping this hellhole and going back to life as it was. Every minute I spent with them however, this seemed more like a dream.

They were quiet because of my prescence. I could feel it and it made me terribly uncomfortable. Every few minutes Ercole would excitedly look up and almost saying something aloud before closing his mouth abruptly and looking at his food. I didn't even know the youngest Costa could be this quiet before today because everytime I had been in his prescence at school, he was always talking to someone. Be it family or friends. Ercole and Marcello were the only ones who hadn't addressed me once ever since the horrifying truth crashed into their lives. Couldn't blame them.

"How's your head now", Niccoló's voice broke the nice fourteen minute silence in the room but I didn't have the heart to give him a dirty look when his face twisted momentarily, probably cringing at the incredible levels of awkwardness in the room.

I stopped separating the cheese from my vegetables and looked up nodding, "It's good."

I was equally worse apparently. All this still felt like a fever dream to be honest.

"Don't you have any meds to take?", Niccoló continued as if we didn't have several giant elephants in the room trampling around merrily.

"I do", I realized suddenly looking up. I'm surprised Lexi hasn't called yet to remind me. "I forgot it at the house in my hurry."

"It's fine", he told me with a smile and if I didn't know their reputation I would almost be convinced this was a normal family. Almost.

"I'll just go and bring them tomorrow."

"You don't need to", Niccoló insisted however and my eyes furrowed.

"I do", I replied with a frown, "The doctor said I needed to take it for-"

Niccoló cut me off before I could finish my sentence however, "No what I meant was, I talked to your doctor and stocked up on your meds. We have all the prescribed ones in that cabinet." He pointed to one in the corner of the room.

This however brought a new unwelcome warmth in my heart. He wasn't supposed to care! No one in this house was supposed to be nice to me. They were the freaking Costas for God's sake.

Why was him caring so fucking annoying? "Doctor- patient confidentiality. He isn't supposed to tell you my prescription without my consent", was my weak reply.

He snickered softly in return, "Well, I am a Costa and you were the one who said we carried a bagful of rumours with us."

I rolled my eyes.

"Don't roll your eyes Fiorenza", the grumpy suited individual piped up as if someone invited him into the conversation. Also, why did he only care when I rolled my eyes or some bullshit?

"Rebekah", I whispered to myself because obviously these men were not going to accept my own damn name.

"When are you cleared to go to school baby?", Gabrielé's voice distracted me from my internal rant.

"Umm... Dr Xavier said I could go back in a week and a half", I said before an unintentional pout formed on my face and I know I turned a little red before clarifying for the hundredth time, "And stop calling me a baby."

This was so embarrassing.

Gabrielé however laughed it off, "You are a baby tesoro."

I looked down at my food with an internal eye roll. He could take him and his tesoro speaking arse and shove it up his-

"Do you wanna watch something later?", a rushed voice suddenly half-shouted half-spoke in the huge room and I looked up violently.

"Stop screaming", came Gabrielé's stern voice and on cue Ercole glared at his plate before clearing his throat and speaking again. The weird part was he was speaking to me.

"Do you want to watch something later tonight?"

My eyebrows furrowed in confusion at the thin layer of red all over his face. I'd never seen Ercole behave this way. What was up with people today? And why exactly did he want to spend his free time with me? I thought he understood the assignment. Ignore each other till we both didn't have to then I could go back to my house and he could have his peaceful life back again.

Ercole sometimes scared me. He was after all the twin to Eraldo Costa and Eraldo was probably one of the people highest up on my list of people to avoid for the rest of my life. But looking at his nervous face I shrugged and nodded, "Okay."

And boy, I didn't know the twin could smile that huge and I didn't trust what I just signed myself up for.

"So what do you wanna watch?", now that he had gotten some sort of weird clearance, Ercole definitely looked like he'd never stop speaking.

"I don't really care", I shrugged because I honestly didn't. This was just for a few days and then they would find mom and everything would go back to normal. But before Declan said they would never let go-

"You must be watching something right? Or like have a watchlist or something?", Ercole persisted.

"I do", I nodded as I swallowed the latest bite, "But it's fine. We can just watch anything I guess."

Ercole's brows furrowed in concentration before something dawned on him, "Do you like cocomelon? We could watch that if you want."

My face turned beet red. Beet red I swear, "Dude. How old do you think I am?"

Ercole grinned apologetically while I heard a few other snickers around. I was deinitely already regretting the night ahead of us.

***

A knock sounded through my temporary room and I looked up from my notebook before muttering a soft come in. Figuring it was Ercole, I turned back to my doodles and assumed he would select the movie and call me. I still didn't know why I honestly said yes to this weird movie night. I didn't want to bond. I did not want to get to know them and I definitely didn't want any interactions further than the necessary ones. I racked my brain to come up with a single reason but I just-

"Fiorenza"

That was was not Ercole.

My brows raised questioningly when I saw the one Costello brother who had never talked to me standing in front of the open door. Marcello Costa was the personification of the word 'elusive' and as he stood there in front of the door, my mind suddenly reminded me that he was probably the only Costa I had absolutely no opinion about.

"Do you need something?", I questioned curiously and for once my tone did not betray any emotion while addressing one of these brothers. When I say I've been a hormonal ball of hormones, I mean it.

"Can I come in?", he asked instead and I hesitantly nodded my head.

"Hi, I'm Marcello", he awkwardly said? And I don't know why but that was just too cute. Not like I'm going to tell him so I just nodded for him to continue.

He cleared his throat, "I know I haven't talked to you at all ever since we found you again and I'm sorry about that. It's not because I don't like you or something. I just don't know how brothers are supposed to talk to sisters and let's be fair, except Gab and Nic no one in this house knows anything about it either."

He conspiratorially whispered the last part and I couldn't hold in the silent giggle threatening to burst through my lips. In return his face formed a small smile as he continued.

"I know this is all new to you and it might take you a long time to adjust but I do intend to get to know you sorellina and I hope over time I can gain your trust too", he said in one breath and I don't know why I wasn't protesting to the ends of earth as he talked about getting to know me, trusting me and protecting me. I just didn't. "And the majority of our brothers might seem like brutes at first but I promise you everyone here is very happy to have you here. We missed you."

Why won't damn words come out of my mouth? What the hell was wrong- why was I- why did I feel bad for the way I behaved? I didn't even do anything wrong!

"Everything aside I do agree with Declan though. Blood is thicker than everything out there and we, this family considers it sacred. You're our sister Fiore, we'd never let you go."

A strange chill passed over me as the situation I was in dawned over me. I don't think I had taken any of their promises seriously until Marcello spoke the words which reminded me just how dangerous these guys were. They were in a mafia. A mafia. They literally got payed by people to violate every law in the constitution. I read somewhere that the President ran a half of the country while mafias ran whole countries altogether. I didn't have the details, definitely, but I did know that straying out of line with these guys was suicidal. I would respect boundaries, I would follow them and-

Then what? When would this end? When would I finally be free? Did this end at all? Was I just stuck as a glorified prisoner until they got bored of this pretend relationship? I know police forces would be useless in their cases. There was obviously a reason as to why everybody was so damn afraid of them. Was this my future? Were these four walls really the place where I'd finally die? How did I get entagled into this web of desperation?

An uneasy smile crept up my face as I looked at the awaiting Marcello. I'd have to play along. I had to. And maybe one day I'll figure out how to escape with my life intact.

"Okay", were the only words I managed to get out of my mouth with a fake smile I knew he could see through. But he didn't comment.

Instead he stared at me with a smile and my body shuddered as I realized I could not read his intentions behind the innocent gesture. He nodded as he walked out of my room, a soft goodbye echoing in the room in his wake.

When Ercole Costa came to the guest bedroom twenty minutes later, he found his sister turned to the other side, with the duvet on her body. He smiled thinking how tired she must have been after the long day and switched off the lights before closing the doors behind him.

Fiorenza Costa lay awake the entire night.