An Echo in the Mafia (Echo Reid, Reid Family Book #1)

Part 1

"Echo, dear- you're in my seat."

Echo smiled and continued looking down as she got up. She didn't sigh, she didn't frown, she didn't complain and she certainly didn't contradict her sister. She only stood and nodded, moving to a chair across from her, where the sun hit a little bit less and it was just a little bit cooler.

"Sorry." Echo said, wrapping her sweater tighter around herself before picking up her book again.

"Didn't I tell you to stop apologizing for everything?" Lena said, frowning at Romy as she took the seat that had previously been occupied by Echo.

"Sorry." Echo said, shaking her head and turning slightly red. "I mean... yes, I know."

"Leave her alone, you're bothering her. Look, she's red again." Romy said, leaning back with her eyes closed underneath the big hat she was wearing.

"I'm bothering her? You do realize you made her move from the chair she was in first?" Lena said.

"I'm trying to get a little sun and peace, Lena. Please don't start with me." Romy replied, looking quite undisturbed.

"Under that ridiculous hat?" Lena asked with a raised brow. Romy sighed and opened her giant blue eyes, turning to Echo, who was trying so hard to focus on her reading again.

"You don't mind, do you, Echo?" Romy asked, prompting Echo to look up. She caught sight of Romy's gaze, lazy but somehow still so intense. It was the depth of her blue eyes, eyes that were so dark blue you could almost call them black.

"No, I don't." Echo replied, gazing back down at her book.

"There? You see that? Now please, I'm trying to relax. It was a stressful week at work." Romy said.

Lena stared at her for a second. She was used to Romy's selfish behavior. She hated how she pushed people around and bullied them to get whatever she wanted- it was at the point now where nobody even tried to argue with her, especially Echo. She always just gave in to what Romy had to say, in fact, Echo pretty much went along with anything anyone said.

Now that Lena stared at her two sisters, she couldn't help but notice the difference between them. Romy was a tall, elegant looking beauty with honey colored hair, perfectly smooth olive skin and eyes as blue as Lena's while Echo was a small, skinny looking little thing with dark hair, dark eyes and a tendency to look like she was sick. Romy was fashionable and well dressed, Echo... well, Echo was sitting around in an old pair of slacks that she'd taken from their brother's room years ago. They were much too long, ripped at the bottom from where they dragged on the floor as she walked, covered in old stains and Lena wasn't sure how she held them up as Echo always wore shirts that were much too large and intended for men.

Night and Day.

And still, they seemed to get along just fine, unlike Lena who found more and more reasons to dislike her older sister every day. Bossy, arrogant and sometimes just plain mean, Lena wondered how the others could tolerate Romy, even if she was a formidable beauty.

"I'm going out." Lena said, shaking her head as she stood.

"Have fun." Romy muttered without turning to look at her. Lena stared for a second before turning to Echo. "Echo, do you want to come?"

Echo looked up and blinked a couple of times. The sun was coming from behind her and for a second she could not see Lena clearly as it was bright. Then, those dark blue eyes shone for her and she wondered why she couldn't have gotten so lucky to get the same blue eyes Lena got, especially since they'd both gotten the same dark hair.

"No, thank you." Echo said. Lena sighed, Echo never wanted to go anywhere. Didn't even bother making excuses anymore, just stayed locked up all day. At least when she was still in school, Echo was forced to get out of the house and be around people but ever since she'd graduated, she'd become more and more of a recluse.