1. Our Parents

ALEXANDRA'S POV

Today I had woken up in a bad mood because I had not been able to sleep well. I'd had a nightmare of the time Megan and I were locked in that filthy basement with other girls. We had spent twelve years of our lives there until we managed to escape.

Luckily for us, Analissa, our adoptive mother, had welcomed us into her home with her husband and our adoptive father, Francesco, and since then we had lived well and no one had messed with us, I don't know if it was because of everything we had done the last time they tried to do it or because of the gorillas we always had behind, since our father is how he wanted it, because of what he said to protect us, which I am sure he saw as necessary since he was dedicated to drug trafficking and arms trafficking for everyone. In the streets they knew him as the Titano di Ferro, he was the biggest Italian drug trafficker there was at the moment, and a very influential one I must say.

At this moment he was going to the dining room to have breakfast and where surely the others would be waiting for me. As soon as I arrive, both my mother and father smile at me, but when I look at Megan, I know she knows I'm not well.

"Hello dear, how did you sleep?" I picked up the juice and poured a little without looking in Megan's direction. "Well and good morning, everyone. Alison not down yet? My mother shook her head as she took a piece of toast from the platter. "Today she goes to school later."

"You can take it, I have to take care of something and I won't be able to take it." Analissa's eyes shone as always when she asked her to take Alison to school, which made me happy. "Don't worry, I'll take it delighted." I nodded and went on to drink the juice she had poured on me.

"You know you are a liar, Alexandra." My parents turn to look at Megan, who was looking my way, shaking her head. "Don't call your sister that, Megan."

This she happened to look at my mother and she left the napkin on the table, crossing her arms in front of herself and looking seriously at my mother, you could see she was upset by what my sister had just said. "She is not telling the truth. She looks like she hasn't slept."

"Is that true, Ale?" I closed my eyes for a moment and let the air out of my lungs slowly before focusing back on my mother. "I haven't slept well because we're finishing up with exams and I'm a little stressed, that's all." Francesco ended up leaving the napkin on the table and shook his head like my sister was doing, while my mother continued to focus on me. "But you spend the day studying, you'll see how you'll have very good grades."

A small smile appeared on my face and a few seconds later, on my mother's face too "That's the intention mom." Francesco cleared his throat and we all turned our attention to him. "Your mother is right, you shouldn't worry so much about it. I am very proud of you girls and glad I can call you daughters."

A smile appeared on my sister's face and mine, because we were really grateful, they welcomed us into her house as if nothing had happened. "We are happy too, dad, we love you very much." Megan nodded as Francesco took Analissa's hand and gave it a small kiss. "Thank you to your mother, she was the one who found you and brought you home."

"They have nothing to be thankful for, it was too much everyone let them go without paying the slightest attention." Megan crossed her arms again as I continued to look in the direction of our parents. "Believe me, I'd rather they didn't pay attention to me than do it and be an asshole." Analissa sucked in a breath. "That mouth, Megan." All Megan did was roll her eyes at her and she apologized which I'm sure she didn't really mean so I decided to support my sister because what she was saying was what we both thought.

"Mom, Megan is right, I prefer the others hadn't noticed or ignored us, because if it wasn't for that, we wouldn't be here, so it's the best thing that could have happened to us." Megan smiled and ended up resting her elbow on my chair. She knows very well what is happening to me and what I told both Analissa and Francesco is a lie, but I don't want to worry them with my problems from what happened years ago.

"By the way, girls, your psychologist called me telling me you still haven't spoken." The faces of both Francesco and Analissa became worried, which was something neither of us wanted them to have, and even less about that subject, because we were much better than years ago. "I'm not going to tell an unknown anything, you can be more than clear about that." I said "He's just trying to help you." I rolled my eyes and this time it was Analissa who took Francesco's hand. "I don't care, I'm not going to tell my life to someone who is always smiling and he tells you, you have to get everything out can affect us. They don't even follow their own tips"

Megan placed her hand on my leg, which was already going up and down rapidly "Alexandra is right, if we learned anything it was to read body language, and if he doesn't follow his own advice, we least of all are going to." They both sighed and for the millionth time in these six years, I'm sure they wanted to convince us we should talk, which we didn't want to do "Then I'll find someone else to attend to you."

This time it was our turn to sigh. I don't know why they don't understand we're not going to tell just anyone "Stop being psychologists, dad, because I'm not going to talk to anyone." I sighed. "But you have to talk about what happened in there."

I closed my eyes and Megan squeezed my shoulder a little. "No way. I'm not going to talk about it with anyone." My sister ended up taking my hand that was on my thigh and began to make circles on the back of my hand, she knew I didn't like talking about this "Ale, your father is right, it's best you get that out of you." I denied, keeping my eyes closed "Megan let her do what she wants, but I'm more than clear I won't do that. And now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to the garden."

With that I got up from my chair and started heading out into the garden. I heard how my mother called me and also how Megan told them she would come to talk to me, but she didn't want to talk to anyone. I wanted to be alone, although when it came to Megan, she wasn't going to leave me alone until I talked to her. We only talked to each other about what had happened in there and it didn't happen very often because we wanted to forget about it at all costs, but I was beginning to understand that wasn't possible. When I was a little way from the house, I sat down on the grass and waited for Megan to do the same next to me.

"You had nightmares again, right?" she said looking in my direction "This is bullshit." Megan sighed and her hand soon touched my back. "I know, it looks like they're never going to give up. I think mom and dad are right. I think the best thing will be to talk about what happened to us, especially you, Ale." I stopped looking at infinity to look at her. She knew better than anyone I wouldn't talk to anyone about what happened in there.

"I'm not going to talk about it Megan, you do what you want, but I know if I talk I'll feel worse than I feel right now." I said, refocusing my gaze on the horizon "I think the same. Also, all the psychologists they sent us to over the years are all phonies, or just gawking at us. I'm just saying maybe I could help you with your nightmares, in the end it's been six years."

"It has nothing to do with it, Megan. I don't want to talk about it, period" she sighed and focused her gaze on the horizon. "I know."

"You know, I wonder where those guys are at." With that I gained Megan's attention again, which happens to look at me, and with a twinkle in her eyes. "I haven't the slightest idea, not even dad's men can find it, and that's already complicated." I nodded despite knowing there was no one better than us to find them, in the end we knew them better than anyone.

"I think the same. But I want to kill them. Make them suffer like they did us." I nodded, because I really more than agreed with her, I wanted to kill those guys myself, and that wouldn't be possible until we found them. "Don't worry, we'll take revenge, we just have to be patient. At some point they'll come out of her hiding place and screw up, and we'll be there."

"They're going to shit." A small laugh escaped my lips. "Obviously, after all, we are D'angelo, daughters of the fearsome Titano di Ferro." We nodded, because at this very moment it was true "If they knew what he really is like, they wouldn't be so afraid of him." We shut up looking towards the horizon, I at least seeing how slowly the sun was rising with the passing of the minutes.

"You know Ale?" I went to look at my sister, who was still looking towards the horizon. "What?" she stopped looking at the horizon, focusing her gaze on me. "The other day I heard dad talking about how he had to prepare us." she said, which confused me, because we're ready for anything, really, and Francesco knows it. "Prepare for what?" I said confused "I have no idea. I was thinking maybe it was for us to defend ourselves, but he already sends us to martial arts and self defense classes." I shrugged. "She'll tell us when it's time."

"Come on, we're late for the university. And believe me, I don't want to get another row for being late." I couldn't help but laugh, because the truth was, I didn't care much or anything about the university, I had good grades and I knew very well at the end of this year I would have my degree.

"The scary Megan is afraid of taking a small talk from the rector? I can't believe it." she denied "I'm not afraid of the rector, but I remind you we do this to make mom and dad feel proud of us. what to you don't mind being late or directly not going to class does not mean I can afford to miss class. Not all of us have your privileged brain."

"It's not, I just prefer to do things that keep my mind occupied, and sitting in class listening to someone read a book doesn't help me achieve my goal." She turned in my direction because I am more than clear she knew what I was referring to "Then I must assume you are not going to class today." I denied and kept looking towards the horizon. "And what will you distract yourself with?" I shrugged. "I just hope you're not going to sleep with Adriano again. If dad finds out, he orders him to cut the jugular." I laughed in my head, because I don't know why she thought, but I wasn't going to tell her it wasn't true either, what's more, I preferred she think about it so she wouldn't ask too much what I was going to do instead

"I do not care to. Besides, anyway, if Daddy finds out that he's more concerned with the chicks that cross his nose than he is with us, he'll kill him anyway." Megan nodded. "I just hope you don't get attached to him." I rolled my eyes, because if there was something I wouldn't do, it would be to get attached to him, what's more, I practically couldn't have him by my side. "There are few people that I show my affection to, and not even to you, so don't expect me to get attached to an asshole who throws himself at everything that moves." now it was Megan's turn to roll her eyes. "You're in that group." I shrugged, because even though that wasn't true, she thought it was.

"Sorry, but I go with him because I can and because I have to admit that he handles himself well in bed." she denied "I don't know how you can sleep with someone after everything we went through." I looked towards the horizon again "Because he helps me not to think and you tell him to stop and he does it, not like those animals." Megan took her hand off my arm and surely adopting my same position "I wish I had your courage, Ale, I really tell you, now let's go before it's dad who kills us." if she only knew that nothing, she thought was true.

We got up from the lawn and went into the house to get our things. We said goodbye to our parents and got in the car. When we got to the university, Megan said goodbye to me and entered the university while I had Adriano attached to my ass.

"Will you stop looking at me like that? Stupid" I said calmly, but with a poker face "I'm sorry miss." I nodded, because in the end it's not something very relevant, just that I was sleepy and angry about having one of my nightmares again "Yes. Where do you want to go today?" she said behind me, but at a prudent distance "We're going to visit an acquaintance who I hope has the information I need." She nodded.

We got in the car and drove to the address she had given him. These were the moments that she used to investigate the whereabouts of those assholes, because she couldn't wait any longer. I know that Francesco was doing everything necessary to find them, but that was no longer enough for me. I needed to find them and kill them with my own hands. This is what I spent my time on and not going to bed like Adriano as Megan thought. I never slept with anyone after what we went through in there, I had only confirmed it to him so he wouldn't interfere in my business. I won't let him get blood on his hands over a couple of assholes, I'll take care of that. I was not going to allow the girl who had always been by my side in there and the one who was loyal to me and a good person, to stain her hands, before over my corpse.