The Mafia Heiress

Sette

***

I stared straight ahead, uncaring of those around me. I could not allow myself to focus on them. I could not believe that what they were saying was true. I was still disoriented from the accident, soreness radiating through my body but the pain wasn't as bad as before. The man before me had claimed to have treated my wounds and although I was grateful for it, I refused to allow myself to believe his crazy words.

How could it be, when I knew my life as it is? When I had memories of my past since the accident.... Father had shown me pictures. Images that aligned with memories in my sub conscious, albeit hazy...

But that couldn't mean that my entire life, for the past six years has been a lie...I can't allow myself to believe that because it will mean that all my nightmares are true...it will mean the conversation I overhead between Vik and Max was true....

"You know we're not lying, sorellina. Deep down, you know that what we are saying is true. You know that we are your true family. You are a Marchesi, lost to us years ago. But finally, our family has been reunited. We have been looking for you for so long..."

The man who claimed to be my brother stated, his gray eyes boring into my own, the swirls and specks of blue within a mirror image of my own. I could not deny that the resemblance was there between us. There were slight features that were certainly clear enough. I was a doctor. I could not deny what was staring right at me.

But could I be seeing my own things? Maybe it's the accident and the concussion. Maybe that's what's addling my brain, making me see the stark similarities between this man- this stranger and I...

I tried to reason with myself, to make myself believe that the swirling emotions within me, pulling me to believe this man, were fake.

"You're lying...I am not your sister. I am Reina May, daughter of Jonathan May. I am not the daughter of one of the most dangerous men in the world. And I am not the sister of his infamous sons who rule the criminal underground with death and destruction. Whatever you're trying to do to hurt my husband, I promise you that it will not work. You will not turn me against him, least of all through such underhanded tactics!"

I responded firmly, ensuring to inflect all of my strength and my doubts into my words. It was not much but it was something and it had the man before me rearing back slightly. Hurt flashed across his eyes but it was gone as quickly as it came, leaving only anger and frustration.

Part of me was stunned that he was showing me his true feelings. The rumors that swirled around about their family were anything but good. They called the Marchesi brothers 'monsters', uncaring of those around them and incapable of emotions. They were known to be ruthless and those who were foolish enough to cross their path almost always ended up suffering a brutal death.

So why is he showing me so much? Why is he frustrated? If he really meant to hurt Alex, then he would have approached this in a different way- maybe even torture me. And yet neither one of them has laid a finger on me since I awoke to this place...

My gaze travelled across the room, landing on the two bulky men standing at one of the dark corners. They had been there from the moment I woke up, scaring the crap out of me. None of my pleas or questions were acknowledged, neither one of them saying anything until this man walked in. He was clearly their boss and the respect they held for him seemed to reflect in their gazes.

"Look, I don't know why you and Alex are at odds and frankly, it's none of my business. I know nothing about what he does. All I am is his wife and kidnapping me will not help you achieve whatever it is you want... so please, let me go. Allow me to return to my husband and I promise you I will convince him to do whatever it is that you want."

I pleaded, not knowing why I was so adamant about returning to Alex's side. Maybe it was because of the fact that the man before me- this dangerous man was so close to convincing me that everything I ever knew was a lie...or maybe it was because being beside my husband- no matter how strained our relationship had become- was the realest thing in my life.

I hoped to find a way to leverage this man's obsession with me being his sister, hoped that he would let me go and save me from the pain I could sense was coming...

"This has nothing to do with that bastard! He took part in this deception, Rhea! Don't you see that they have all been lying to you? That they wanted to keep you away from your family because they knew that together, we were an unstoppable force! They all LIED to you, Rhea! I am the Only one who has been nothing but honest with you!"

"Please stop! Please...just let me go. Untie me and let me out of here."

My voice was barely above a whisper, anguish lining it as a headache began to form at the back of my mind. I longed for my medication, for the pills that calmed me and settled my anxiety. For the pills that would numb me and take me away from this place and all the lies.

Lies....that feel so much like truth. Call it instinct or a gut feeling, I knew that he had nothing to gain by deceiving me- by claiming this to be true...

"I can't let you go again, sorellina. You're home now and we will never let you go. We can't because you are one of us. You are our other half and no matter how long it takes; we will convince you of the truth. We will help you remember everything."

The man stated, his voice and his words softer than I had anticipated it would be. For a moment, as I stared into his eyes, I could see it. The love and determination- emotions I did not know he was capable of. They stunned me into silence as I watched him give orders to the men standing in the corner.

Surprised crossed the men's features before a silent conversation ensued, one that seemed heated judging by their body language. I could not focus on it, though. Not when the headache building behind my eyes was becoming worse. This was a side effect of my accident six years ago. A condition I had to live with and took medication for to ensure that it did not become worse.

I've never gone this long without taking my pills...this is bad. I need to find a way to convince him to give them to me...

"Please...you can do anything you want to me. I don't care. Just get me my meds. I need them..."

I stuttered out, unable to form any more sentences as the pounding in my head became worse. The three men turned to me before one of them left the room, returning after a few seconds with what seemed like my bag and a black, leather-bound book.

Relief coursed through me at the sight of my bag, a ghost of a smile forming on my lips. I didn't think they would agree to help me. I thought I would have to beg a little more...

"He doesn't agree with this method, Don Rhoan. He says it's too dangerous, just as the doctor stated. He refuses to come, says it will only cause her more emotional anguish."

The man who returned to the room states, his gaze sliding over me momentarily before returning to his boss who seems displeased by the report. Rhoan turns his gaze to one of the cameras after he takes my bag and book from his surbodinate.

"Questo è l'unico modo, fratello. È più forte di quanto tu le dia credito. È nata nel sangue e nel caos, proprio come noi. La sorella che conosciamo è ancora lì. Devo solo tirarla fuori, anche se questo significa farle del male. Questo è l'unico modo per liberarla. E lo farò con o senza di te."

"This is the only way, brother. She is stronger than you give her credit for. She was born in blood and chaos, just like us. The sister we know is still in there. I just have to pull her out, even if it means hurting her. This is the only way to free her. And I will do it with or without you."

His words register in my mind as the pounding grows more and more. I didn't know how I could understand him when he was speaking fluent Italian but that was the least of my concerns...not when one of his statements sticks out to me as images flash across my mind.

Standing in a dark room, a knife in my hand as I slashed it across my palm...

"Born in blood and chaos...this is our future and our truth. This is our code..."

I whispered the words, watching as the three men turned quickly towards me, shock written all over their features. Neither one of them seemed to believe what I'd said, nor did I. It was a statement that came so automatically to me...almost as fluidly as breathing.

"You're remembering... and your Italian is just as fluent as it has always been."

Rhoan murmured as he approached me, in his hand the pill bottle that would be my saving grace as well as a black, leather-bound book that seemed just as ominous as its color.

"The pills...I need them..."

I breathed, pain coursing through me at my words and the effort it had taken me to say them. Rhoan shook his head, a deep level of sadness in his eyes as he held it before me.

"There are two options here, sorellina. These pills will give you relief, but they will continue to suppress your memories. You will never learn the truth...never know just how intricate the lie was. Or you could choose to be as brave as I know you are and to look through this book. It has the truth behind your past. Choose, little sister."

One of the men stepped forward, cutting my restraints loose before he stepped back into the shadows and watched. My mind began to calculate the possibility of escaping. Of taking the pills and running but I knew well enough that it would be impossible.

The three men before me were incredibly dangerous. Even if I managed to miraculously get past Rhoan, the two men at the corner would stop me and easily at that considering my mental state...

I had to make a choice, even though I was scared more than anything, I found myself placing my hand on the black leather-bound book.

What would probably be my destruction...

Rhoan granted me a small, relieved smile before opening it, revealing family photos that seemed to fill in all the gaps that had always been there. Gaps that I had ignored, refused to acknowledge. I had always been suspicious over the years, questioning the blanks that my 'Father' could not answer or refused to engage.

The girl in the photos, despite her dead gaze and her slightly different appearance felt more like me than the happy photos displayed in my family home at Montreal. I felt connected to her, just as much as the woman who was standing beside her. Despite her platinum blonde hair and her vivid blue eyes, I knew she was my mother.

Our mother.

And that realization sent a sharp pain through my chest and threatened to almost break me apart. Slight glimpses, memories began to return as Rhoan continued to flip the pages and show me more and more of our shared past and the memories we had made- albeit few that seemed happy. Many were pictures of us in events with few being candid photos taken within the walls of our home.

Pictures that our mother would take secretly so that our ruthless father would not learn of her futile endeavor. He considered emotions to be a weakness whereas Rias Kaverin just wanted to have memories of her children- even though they were already broken inside in more ways than she could ever comprehend.

Many of the photos reflected the effects of our father's training and conditioning. Dead gazes stared into it, invoking fear in all those who were around us and those who knew about us. Only one photo showed a sliver of humanity within us. It was a candid shot, taken by someone of mother and my two brothers at our lake house. We were laughing at something Rhoan had said. We were happy, mainly because we were away from Father.

The memory was more vivid than any other, crashing hard into me as I realized that it was taken a week before our lives came crashing down and the cycle of lies, deception and despair begun.

We lost her...She's gone and she's never coming back...

"This is one of the few happy memories I have of her...A memory that made me hold on, made me believe that you were alive."

Rhoan spoke but I could barely acknowledge his words, not when my gaze was fixated on my other sibling. My fingers brushed down the photo, reverence in my actions as I took in my other half.

"Rhiannon and I never stopped believing and we worked hard to find you. We convinced Father to allow us to search for you and eventually, he became a believer. We never stopped and now, you're here. Finally."

The mention of my twin coincided with the door being opened to reveal him. The unmistakable truth of my origins was standing right in front of me. I could not deny it anymore. He was my brother, my other half.

The resemblance was startling but a reflection of who I truly was. Platinum blonde hair, vivid blue eyes with speckles of gray within them. He and I looked like our mother, but he was more so our Father in his features and his actions.

I knew I was the spitting image of the woman laughing carefree in the photo.

"Sorella gemella...."

Rhiannon whispered but his words carried true within the silent room. I began to move before I could comprehend my actions. Rhoan stepped aside, watching as my past, present and future came full circle. The headache was at an extreme now, a symptom I now knew was as a result of my suppressed memories. They were coming back now, in droves.

The good.

The bad.

The overwhelmingly evil.

All the nightmares I had had over the years...they were true. They were things I had done, sins I had committed in the name of my Famiglia.

"Embrace the pain, Rhea. It is the only way to break apart and rise from the ashes..."

Rhiannon stated, now standing a mere few ft. away from me. Tears I didn't realize I was shedding now stained my cheeks and my clothes. All the lies, the deceit that had been spun in order to take me away from the two people I cared about so much. The two people I would live and die for. I could see the pain it had caused them, the pain it was causing me as I thought of all the years they spent searching for me.

"Who else knew the truth? Who spun this lie and tried to destroy our family?"

I whispered, latching onto the anger that crashed through me, breaking through the pain. I was slowly rising from the ashes, slowly reclaiming my true persona. I was destroying Rheanna May, the woman who was weak, who allowed herself to live a lie- all for normalcy. The woman who had chosen a path that was not for her.

Rhoan and Rhiannon glanced at each other momentarily before they turned back to me.

"We believe your Foster father may have known the truth- we are still investigating. The person we know definitely knew about it was the man you call your 'husband'..."

Rhoan responded, gnashing his teeth at the mention of Alex. My heart stuttered in my chest as I took in his anger, his displeasure at the thought of the man I had grown to love so much even though I could see the gaps in our relationship as well. There were questions he never answered, actions that made me suspect that there was more to him. There was the conversation I overheard between Vik and Max before I was taken...

I was too afraid to pull the covers, to truly find out the truth about him. To destroy our Fairy Tale...

"The man you married...he is not who you think he is. Alex Myers' true identity is Aleksandr Morozov. He is the son of Andrei and Katerina Morozov. He is the Pakan of the Russian Bratva, our greatest enemy. He knew who you were and begun his sinister plan to make you his, all so he could get his sickening revenge against our family and spite us. He is a bastard!"

My legs gave in at the news, prompting Rhiannon to hold onto me as Rhoan stepped forward to support me. I could hear them talking, see their lips moving beyond my tear-filled eyes but their words were drowned out by the ringing in my ears.

Everything that he had done for us to be together, all the love he had claimed to have for me...it was all a lie and for the sake of his sick, twisted, demented form of revenge...

Despair, Sadness, Brokenness...All of that was nothing compared to my anger. Burning rage as Rheanna Marchesi slowly returned to reclaim her true identity. I wanted to destroy him, to burn everything he loved to the ground. I wanted him to suffer in the same way he had made me suffer.

The pounding in my head grew worse as my vision turned hazy. I could vaguely feel my body being lifted, strong arms engulfing me as Rhoan shouted out orders.

"It's okay, sorellina. I've got you..."

My twin whispered over and over again, his words soothing me. I allowed the darkness to take me, knowing I was truly home within the shadows.

Knowing that when I awoke, I would no longer be the naive woman I was.

No, I would be Rheanna Marie Marchesi, daughter of the fearsome Mad King and one of the most dangerous assassins in the world.

And my first target will be my husband...

***