Metanoia

Chapter 3

I make my way down the grand stairs, listening to my brother's bickering the whole way down.

"Give it back!" A whiny voice who I could only assume belongs to Romeo rang from the dining room. "Awh who's this? Were you messaging your little girlfriend?" A much deeper voice replied mockingly.

I walk into the dining room to see Gabriele with Romeo's phone in hand, reading through his messages and clearly taunting him. 

I loudly clear my throat, making my presence known. They both stop their childish arguing and immediately look up. I nod towards the dining table, indicating that I want them to sit down before turning to a maid and commanding that she call the rest of my brothers down.

We've kept the tradition of having dinner together every night ever since father passed. He was insistent that we remain a family so the kids can still have a sense of normality. He always reinforced the belief that family is everything.

His last request to me was to remain close to my brothers and to stop at nothing to find my little sister, Darcy.

I'd never consider stopping the search for her but it's as if she completely disappeared off the side of the earth. 

All we know is that she was taken by my father's clearly unstable sister but I have no idea what her life is like now or if she's even alive. When I think of her I imagine her running around the garden of little cottage hidden somewhere, unaware of her past but still happy all the same.

Imagining her happy, and blissfully unaware is the only way I can cope with our separation. 

Me and Darcy held a much deeper bond than any of my other brothers. Mother died only three months after Darcy was born leaving father a complete mess, completely unable to take care of us, let alone a new born baby.

Meaning I had to step up and care for her. For a good two years I was Darcy's father, I bathed her, fed her, read her to sleep and would spend the majority of my day with her while father isolated himself.

Of course I had help from Arlo, but for them two years it was mostly just me and her. That was until father began reinserting himself back into our lives, clearly trying to make up for the time he missed.

My thoughts are interrupted by the loud chorus of stomping and chattering as each and every last one of my brothers file their way into the dining room, taking their place at the table. Food is immediately placed in front of us as they began relentlessly shoving it in their mouths. 

They eat like animals.

The dining room is filled with chattering, each of us splitting off into our own conversations. Me and Gabriele discuss upcoming business, Dante and Arlo talk about the gym, the kids bicker about god knows what and Alonzo just sits in comfortable silence.

The kid doesn't speak. He became abnormally quiet after Darcy's disappearance, only talking when completely necessary but I haven't heard him mutter a single word since dad died.

The noise at the table is interrupted by the sound of my phone, causing most of my brothers to turn their head in surprise. Everyone knows that I don't accept work related phone calls past eight pm unless it's an absolute emergency. 

Slightly agitated I pick it up, my brothers already having lost interest and retiring to their conversations.

"Yes." I say expectantly into the phone.

"Good evening, is this a erm- Lorenzo Russo speaking?" The person on the other end says, the sound of papers shuffling in the background.

"Yes," I repeat in the same bored tone. "Oh great, I've been trying to get ahold of you," She says cheerily. "I have a young girl here, a Darcy Russo," She states casually.

The mention of my sisters name causes me to immediately sit up right, causing my brothers to curiously look over at me. "She was recently admitted into care here at our hospital after sustaining numerous serious injuries," She discloses. 

"Injuries?" I question, my voice coming out slightly shaky.

"Yes, the staff here have deducted that her home situation clearly wasn't a healthy one so we ran a DNA test to determine if there are any suitable candidates who are willing to take her in," She explains, her voice coming out muffled as my brain clouds with thoughts. 

Darcy. Injuries. Take her in.

"Yes," I say, my voice coming out much louder than I had intended, "Excuse me?" She questions, confused by my outburst.  

"Yes I will take her in," I clarify. "Where is the hospital?"

"Great I'll send over the address now." She confirms. The thought of seeing my sister again fills me with a profound sense of hope but one question still weighs on my mind.

"How severe are the injuries?" I ask slowly, not entirely sure if I want to hear the answer myself. "I think it's best if we discuss in person Mr Russo," She sighs dejectedly before hanging up and leaving me completely dazed.

I look up from my phone meeting the eyes of all several of my brothers, the phone call most certainly peaking their interest. "Who was that?" Luca asks, breaking the silence as my phone pings. I look down to see the address of the hospital. Greece?

"Darcy- found, DNA test, hospital in Greece" I stutter, my words coming out jumbled. I mentally face palm myself and try to regain some composure. "What?" Dante and Angelo ask in unison, most likely extremely confused.

I clear my throat, "That was a nurse from a hospital in Greece, she said a little girl by the name of Darcy Russo came in severely injured," I stated looking around to gage their reaction "They preformed a DNA and found that I matched, she called to ask if I'd be willing to take her in," I add.

The whole table remains in silence for a whole minute, everyone digesting this new information. Gabriele was the first to react, abruptly standing up. I look up at him questionably.

"Well come on. We have to go get her right now," he rushes out. Dante and Angelo frantically nod their head in agreement while the rest remain silent, clearly still in shock.

"I was planning on going out there to investigate by myself," I explain, hoping to avoid bringing them all out there possibly to only find out that it wasn't even our Darcy.

They all look offended at this notion and all begin making their way to the garage, Arlo on the phone mostly likely telling the pilot to prepare the jet. 

I slowly rise to my feet , the whole situation seeming surreal.

I guess we're all going to Greece.