My Mafia Princess

FORTY-THREE | My Fault

guys chapter 44 will be dark, it involves torture. so when i publish it you can skip a few bits if you want. also im ending this book on chapter 45. so that chapter will be super super long.

ARES RUSSO:

"She's fucking stupid! Who the hell even runs into a house that's on fire?"

My sister. That's who. And she did it for me.

"If it wasn't for her we all would've burned alive," Elijah snaps, glaring at Dom.

Before they start to argue for the hundredth time, I speak up. "When are they going to discharge me?" I ask Elijah.

"Tomorrow."

I've been in the hospital for five days now.
In other words, it's been five days since Athena has been taken. I frown, remembering what the doctors said. Apparently, I got too much smoke in my lungs and my head got hit too hard so I needed to be hospitalized.

The door opens and Marcello walks in and sits down beside my bed. "Lorenzo is spiraling. He's losing his mind. If he continues like this we will never be able to get Athena back," he states, starting at the ground.

Dante, who is sitting in the corner of the room, sighs, "I would like to blame someone other than Ares but I'm afraid there's no one else to blame."

I shamefully look down at my hands. He's right. If it wasn't for me Athena would have run back to get me. She wouldn't have risked her life. Yavok wouldn't have been able to catch us—me off guard. He wouldn't have been able to convince Athena to go with him to save me.

If it wasn't for me, Athena would still, be here.

"Dante, you know it wasn't Ares's fault. If anything it's Dom's fault for not waking him up," Elijah snaps.

Dom scoffs, "I thought Athena already woke him up. Their rooms are next to each other."

"Arguing about whose fault it is, isn't going to bring Athena back," Marcello declares.

The room falls silent and I lean back and bite my lip, trying not to cry. I wish she never realized I was still in the house.

I know I would've been better off dying in that house than knowing the only reason I survived is because of Athena.

There are supposed to be seven of us. But now there are six. Again. And it's all because of me.

I look up to see everyone watching me. "What?" I snap.

Elijah frowns, "You haven't made one single joke for the past five days."

How can I? My sister was kidnapped because of me. She risked her life because of me. There's nothing funny about that at all. There's nothing funny about this at all.

Dante speaks up. "I'm sorry for saying it's your fault. It really wasn't."

"I'm sorry too. I should've checked your room," Dom says, looking down at the ground.

I slowly nod, feeling uncomfortable. I'd never heard the twins apologize to me until Athena came back. This is weird. Weird for all of us.

I miss her.

Elijah clears his throat before speaking, "When we get Athena back, we will need to explain everything to her. And when I mean everything, I mean everything."

Marcello firmly nods, "Athena is a very confusing human being. For some reason, I'm not sure how she will react. But you're right. We do need to tell her."

She probably already knows. That we're all in the mafia.

As much as I hate to say it, I don't think Yavok is after her inheritance. If he wanted her dead he would've killed her five days ago.

God. We don't even know if she's alive.

None of us would be able to live with her really gone. We've only got her back and for her to be gone just like that would kill us all.

The thought of her being dead nearly makes me want to throw up.

"Yavok won't kill her right?" I ask, my voice coming out shaky.

Marcello immediately shakes his head. "She's too valuable to kill. Yavok doesn't kidnap, he kills. So that means he wants something from her," he says.

Marcello has always been the smart one. He's always been good at everything. Always knows what to do. Always speaks the truth.

So I believe him.

"But what would he want?" Dom asks, clenching his fists.

Elijah rubs his jas, clearly frustrated.

I really thought Elijah could teleport but if he could he would've been able to teleport to me and Athena that night and save us. But now, I know he can't. I know that no one would've made it in time to save us.

Athena gave herself up to keep me safe, even though she didn't know what she was getting herself into.

Marcello shrugs. "I'm not sure. She knows nothing so he wouldn't be able to get information out of her even if he tried to."

I warily look at him. Ever since Athena left he's been colder than ever. Nothing would normally affect him but Athena getting taken clearly did. Matter of fact, her absence has affected everyone.

Dante sighs, running a hand through his hair. "So she could be basically getting tortured because of us?"

Dom shakes his head. "Don't say that—Just don't." He grits out.

I really want to slap myself.

I can't believe I let her go. I should've done more. I could've done so much more. But no. I didn't.

Elijah stands up. "I'm going back to the new house. Lorenzo wants me there," he says, not looking away from his phone as he leaves.

I begin to tune everything out as my brothers start talking about Athena. I know if I listen, I won't like what I will hear.

I close my eyes and sigh.

I miss Athena.

I really do.

She always defended me. Always. Although I never understood why because I was normally in the wrong. But she didn't care.

She didn't defend me from a dragon or a monster. She defended me from our brothers. I think she noticed how they treated me. How they act like I'm not even there. I've gotten used to it. But she was the first person to ever defend me.

And suddenly I hate that she had the need to defend me.

Because she's gone now.

And it's my fault.