𝑹𝒂𝒗𝒆𝒏

C H A P T E R 14

DOMENICO

"We've been trying to find him for a couple of weeks now but every time we end up at a dead end. Yesterday we got a big clue about an abandoned warehouse downtown. We got some information from the inside that he's usually there every weekend." Dimitri said, looking down at Matteo's file.

It had already been a few weeks since we had sent one of our men undercover and we were close to exposing him for who he was. It has also been a few weeks since our uncle, Alessandro, was also coming over regularly now. It seemed as though he and raven were getting along really well. It felt nice to have him around again. He was there for our family when our father had died and even helped me with my training for being the new don.

He had gone away on a business trip and it took a couple of months. He didn't have a family of his own which made me feel very sad for him. He once told me that he had a few children but they all died in a car crash. Our father and his face always brightened whenever it was a special occasion, mostly on the day that our mother left us.

I am pulled out of my trance by Dimitri, who was snapping his fingers in my fingers.

"You okay there? You zoned out for a few minutes."

"Yeah, I'm fine, just thinking."

Today it was Friday and my brothers had a big game tonight. For once, I was able to see them play and not just watch it on a video call.

I had also invited Alessandro to come with us since it felt good to have him around.

~~~

I waved at Lorenzo and Luciano as they took their places on the field. Lorenzo was a linebacker while Luciano was a wide receiver. We all sat in the middle row of the bleachers. Dimitri sat next to me, handing out all the snacks he brought from the vending machine to our brothers.

Greedy asses.

Alessandro sat next to raven in front of us and held her hand. It seemed as though he was overprotective of her. Maybe even more than me, I joked. I surely didn't miss it but when Alessandro held raven's hand, I could've sworn I saw a look of distress on her face.

Maybe she was too focused on the game?

I let it go after a while of continuing to watch the game. By now we were at 19-69, very close to winning. A while after, raven excused herself to go to the bathroom. I watch her walk herself to the bathroom carefully. I still needed to be on the lookout since that phone call from Matteo. If he went after my family, he would have to go through me first.

A loud cheer interrupted my thoughts and I looked back at the field. Lorenzo and Luciano's team had won by 21-70. Their coach came out a second later with a trophy in his hand. They all danced around the coach, chanting words of victory and success. The other team seemed to be in distress as their coach yelled at them for losing the game.

We all got up and decided to go home when we saw raven coming back from the bathroom. I had also invited Alessandro to come back home with us and stay the night. And Of course, he agreed to do so.

~~~

"So raven, how have you been getting along with school?" I asked. Raven had been quiet and distant the whole dinner, playing with her food silently. I wondered what was wrong.

I wanted to ask her but knew better to give her more time to settle in. Maybe she was a bit overwhelmed by her new life. I would be overwhelmed too.

After dinner, I showed Alessandro where he would be sleeping for the night and to alert me if he needed anything. After leaving him in his room, I went back to my study and continued doing my paperwork.

Halfway through my paperwork, an unknown file pops up onto my computer screen. I skeptically open it, still not afraid to see what is inside.

The video opens up onto a black screen. A cold, eerie and faint voice cries in the background. The video then shows a young girl, around the age of twelve or thirteen, sitting in the middle of what looks like a cell room without any windows or bed around her. I hear the screeching sound of the cell door open and the girl looks up at the person, who I couldn't see because of the angle of the camera.

I hear the girl start whimpering and chanting the words 'no' over and over again. The screen then goes black as if the video ended but the recording continues to play. I hear the screams and whispering of the young girl but still cannot see anything. After a while, the voices stop but the screen is still black.

A new video plays with a different girl. Her back is turned to the camera showcasing her long black hair. She seemed to be the same age as the girl before or maybe younger. She is laid off on the ground, shivering from the cold. I don't know why but she seems very familiar. The sound of another cell door opening echoes throughout the room. This time, I see the shadow of a man walking up to the girl.

The girl doesn't flinch or shrink away, as though she is used to this. The man who hadn't shown his face comes over to the camera and takes it up and points it towards the girl, who is too busy shuddering from the cold.

Does this man have no heart?

"You see, this is what happens when you present to be a hero. This is what happens you don't shut your mouth. You get punished. Nothing to eat or drink for a week," something about this man seems familiar. His voice is familiar to someone I may have known, but I can't put my finger on it.

The camera then turns to the man and shows that face of- wait!

Matteo?

What the hell was was he doing?!

It also looked to a younger version of him.

The camera turned again and it showed Matteo turning the girl around to show her face. The girl turned and it showed- no!

Raven?

The camera showed raven, basically passed out from the cold.

Was Matteo the man she talked about who abused her?

If it was, he was going to get killed worse than I had intended to.

He took it too far this time.

And I'm gonna make sure he pays for that.

~~~