Jilani Corsetti is a seventeen-year-old trying to live as freely as she can. Having an unfortunate upbringing full of pain, fear, and hate, she wishes to move forward and actually enjoy life. With her trustworthy friend, Joseph, and his uncles, Jila...
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JILANI
The moment was broken when Ava burst into the room. It was an interrogation room after all, and Jilani was sure the speaking in Italian and tears were enough for the woman's patience to wear thin from the other side of the mirrored glass.
It had been a while since Jilani had let herself cry so raw, to let her emotions escape her so easily. It wasn't a feeling she enjoyed, given the state of her life so far, but she supposed meeting your biological family after seventeen hard years was a reasonable exception.
Ava eagerly pushed papers into her father's hands, looking much too excited to hand off the person she'd just sworn to protect not even a few hours ago.
Jilani let herself get caught up in the motion and things were a blur. It wasn't until she was whisked out of the room so that Ava could talk to her father and brother as her advocate, and in front of her best friends, that she let herself come to terms with what had happened and what was about to happen.
She was going to Italy.
"Jilani, oh God," Joseph was still speaking in Italian, "why are you crying? Was it that bad?" The younger man worriedly put his hand on her back to lead her back to the benches and Jordan put his hand on her shoulder as they all squeezed onto one bench.
Joseph fretted over her, but as Jilani saw Jordan's eyes, she could see his understanding washing over him. Jordan knew very well Jilani wasn't an easy crier, especially over things that upset her. She was more likely to punch someone in catharsis than spill liquid grief over her cheeks. However, the man did not say anything nor did he try to. He merely patted her shoulder where his hand lay and smiled at her. It was all the reassurance she needed.
With Joseph's insistence, she briefly discussed what had gone on and that she officially going with them to Italy. She couldn't shy away from the heartbreak from her friend's eyes no matter how she tried, but she found she didn't need to as he embraced her firmly. She couldn't help but a few more tears leave her eyes as she squeezed him back.
Joseph was her oldest friend and had stuck with her throughout her bloodlust and quiet joy. Ever since they met that fateful day on their first day of fifth grade, she has never known a life without her friend so dear she considered him her blood brother.
But now she knew she had real blood brothers.
And she was going to live with all of them, along with her father. In Italy.
She and Joseph have had a good run, she and the Buonos have had a good run, but they all knew she wasn't going to cage fight forever.
To be honest, if Jilani did not have her bouts of blinding bloodlust, she would have stopped cage fighting as soon as she dished her revenge. Yet, it was something she did passively, as her newfound freedom left her with plenty of time to explore her true calling.
