𝚂𝙾𝙱𝚁𝙸𝙴𝚃𝚈 𝚆𝙾𝙽𝚃 𝚃𝙴𝙰𝙲𝙷 𝙺𝙸𝙳𝚂 𝚃𝙾 𝙳𝙰𝙽𝙲𝙴 ,, j. b routledge

13| 'cause human beings don't forget who messed us up

(made this and felt like showing it off (: )

Chapter Thirteen

Messed Up (Beartooth)

"'cause human beings don't forget who messed us up"

I always loved the Carerra's house. It reminded me of our cabin in Charlotte that we used to go to when I was a kid. We'd ended up selling it to pay for mom's rehab, but the memories stayed. I liked how the dusty pink curtains reflected gorgeous patterns on the floors, and how everything felt so breezy and open.

But my favourite part?

Mrs. Carerra's kitchen.

I would describe the kitchen to you, but I think I should skip to the point. I was pissed. And when I get this pissed, I angry bake. Today's recipie was Nonna's cheesecake brownies.

"And then he has the AUDACITY to tell ME that it's our fault Rafe and I got shot at today!" I shouted, slamming the mixer head down into the brownie batter

"Okay, maybe slow down before you break something." Pope warned before John B shot him a warning glance and shook his head, indicating that that wasn't the best way to get me to cool my jets.

"He was never interested in being a part of the family, and he isn't now!" I huffed ,turning the mixer on and increasing the decibels in my voice to be heard over the whirring "Favio only cares now because his ass is on the line too!"

Satisfied with the batter, I pulled the glass bowl out form the mixer base and tried to scrape the batter out into a steel pan, my hands shaking with rage and only making it more difficult. JJ tried to dip his finger into the batter and I ended up slapping him on the wrist, instantly feeling terrible because of what goes on with his dad.

I tried to apologize, but the blonde just shook it off. "So this family he borrowed money from. How dangerous are they? Like Al Capone dangerous or Scarface dangerous? Sopranos dangerous?"

"Are you just naming gangster shows?" Kiara shook her head "I'm convinced you only know Al Capone was real because of that Tom Hardy movie."

I reached for my backpack, pulling out a file folder I nicked form Favio before I stormed out. "Sangue have been linked to seventeen murders in the past two years. The family is one of the biggest in both the Carolinas and some of their other crimes include sexual assault, money laundering, extortion, robbery, armed robbery, petty theft, arson, grand theft auto, larceny and manslaughter. We've never had enough evidence to connect anything back to them."

Pope cursed lowly as he sifted through some of the crime scene pictures. "These guys are ruthless. How did Favio get into bed with them?"

"A plea bargain. Some New Yorker who married in." I pointed to a picture of a dorky guy who looked a bit like Jake Peralta. "Turns out, it wasn't his money to lend, it was hers." I flipped to a picture of a grumpy looking woman who looked more like the kind of guy you'd expect to get kicked out of his rock band for misconduct with fans.

"That is a very ugly woman." JJ comented as I put the tray in the oven

"That was his step-mom. New Yorker marries her son, finds out too late that he's in too deep and wants to trade names for immunity. Then he lends her money to Favio to may for mom's rehab and now they want it back." I sighed, throwing down the oven mitts. "Any questions?"

"Yeah, can you calm down a little?" John B said softly "You're scaring me, Sienna."

"I'm just freaking out a little. I almost got killed today, then mom and Nonna and Favio wouldn't stop fighting, and now I'm scared about what Sangue Nero are going to do to us next. What if they get to one of you guys?"

John B walked around the island and wrapped his arms around me, nestling his chin in my hair "They're not getting to you, and they're not getting to any of us. Not if I have anything to say about it."

I rested my head against the fabric of his iconic Hawaiian printed shirt and spoke quietly "I'm scared, John B."

"I know." He said back "I'm a little unsettled myself, but one of us has to be the fearless one, right?" He chuckled, pressing a kiss to my hairline.

"So what are we going to do?" Kiara started

"I have no idea."

+++

I left Kiara's house with a fresh tray of cheesecake brownies just before five that evening. John B had wanted to drive me, but I insisted I'd be fine. I needed the fresh air anyways and Nonna's cottage wasn't too far from the Kooklandia border. I just worried that the brownies would get cold.

"Hey Princess!"

Usually I wouldn't have interacted with a comment like that, but something about the urgency of that voice was familiar.

Rafe Cameron.

The Kook boy was driving slowly behind me in his iconic blue pickup truck, a worried expression on his face

I laughed heartlessly. "I've been better. Favio just made it worse."

Rafe chuckled "Hey, do you want to go somewhere with me? just for a couple hours, like old times? I want to make things better between us, Sienna."

I stopped in my tracks. "Chapel Hill?"

He nodded "Yeah, we could do that."

"Okay. You get two hours. I hate how I left things, but you deserved it."

"I know I deserved it. I didn't deserve you. But now I want to fix that."