Alexander's POV

I was reluctant to let Kate go back to her room alone, but right now my mind was preoccupied with my youngest brother. He hadn't done that shit for so long now, he was even going to meeting till today. So I got pretty scared after he showed up in the house drunk out of his mind and high. Was there something going on that we didn't know about? Being in the mafia we all had become accustomed to not showing emotions that much but out of all of us Dante was still the emotional one.

The first time he started asking drugs was when dad died four years ago, the really crushed him. Somehow he was able to hide it from us, the rest of us only found out when he had ended up in a hospital due to an overdose. It crushed all of us to find out what was going on with our little brother. Especially Xavier, he thought it was his fault that he didn't care for him enough. We had helped Dante out of that addiction together and up until now I actually thought things were going good.

I decided to go and check on the others, I had to make sure Xavier didn't blow up at him. As I made my way inside Dante's room, the tension inside was so thick you could cut it with a knife. Dante was sitting on his bed head in his hand, standing in front of him was a furious Xavier. And the twins were standing by a wall waiting for the drama to begin. I got inside the room and closed the door, I was pretty sure Kate did not want to be disturbed right now.

"So. Are you going to tell me what the hell is going right now?" Xavier asked breaking the silence. Dante looked up staring up at his older brother but didn't say anything. "Answer me now!" Xavier practically yelled at him, the mafia boss side of him coming out. I quickly charged towards him, pulling him back a little.

"Hey, please Dante what happened? I thought you were sober for 3 and half years, is there something we don't know about." I asked him, in a calming voice. "Look, with your little sister back, we can't let something like this happen again. It's one thing you show up high as a kite but you also pushed her, I could actually see her becoming scared of-" I was cut off by Dante abruptly standing up and he started shouting.

"STOP IT! JUST STOP IT. OH MY GOD CANT YOU JUST THINK ABOUT ANYTHING OTHER THAN THE GIRL!" At this outburst both the twins became more alert. It was weird for us to see Dante like this, the one who was so cool and laid. What the hell was going on?

"WHY THE HELL AM I THE ONLY ONE WHO CANT FUCKING UNDERSTAND THIS SITUATION. THIS IS ALL SO FUCKED UP OKAY. AND I CANT SEE ANY OTHER WAY OF FUCKING DEALING WITH IT OKAY." Dante ranted off in one breath. I wanted to comfort him, I get what he is feeling. This whole situation is overwhelming but turning to dugs is not the solution, and given the past he should've known better.

It isn't like this has been the first time he was feeling like this. Being in the mafia we face a lot of stressful situations but he always came to talk to us and we always helped each other out. Was it that he didn't feel comfortable with me anymore? Does he think that just because it is about our sister I won't listen to him? Surely it isn't like that right?

I heard Xavier take a deep breath as he put his hands over Dante's shoulders. "Look, I get that this must be overwhelming for you but that is not in the least way a reason to take drugs, the very drugs that almost killed you. What's even worse is that you didn't come to any one of us to talk about or go to one of your sessions. Dante our whole relationship is based on us telling each other the truth." Xavier was speaking in a calm and low voice which wasn't a common occurrence.

"But this is something we can work out between us. What I am really mad about is that you pushed your sister causing her to get hurt, that is something I will not just look over." Dante simply nodded his head. "I am going to talk to your therapist and we are going to restart the sessions and you are going to start going to different meetings okay?" Dante again just nodded his head.

"Once you get beck to your senses, you are going to apologise to your sister. do you understand?" "Yes" replied Dante. dante wasn't the only one who has to apologise to her. It was kind of stupid of me to frame the statement like that. Of course she would feel offended, but then again I still need to know why she isn't eating well. The girl is all skin and bones. I will talk to her after Dante.

Katherine's POV (while the boys were talking)

Taking out a pair of sweatpants and my hoodie, i went to get a shower. the mirror in my bathroom was big, I tried to ignore my reflection but it was really hard. Out of the corner of my eye i saw myself. Shit. I was facing the mirror in just my bra and underwear. Fuck, I hated what i was seeing. I always did. I can't even remember a time when my body wasn't littered with scars and burns. My ribs were still black and blue from the last beating, i was pretty sure they weren't broken but it still hurt like a bitch.

My left thigh was cover in a clumsily wrapped gauze bandage, it was covering a nasty looking burn courtesy to my lovely mother who burned me with the fireplace shovel while her boyfriend held me down. it had happened 3 days ago so it was probably a week or a week and a half for it heal. But the worst one is on my stomach and back.

SLUT

WHORE

HUSSY

UGLY

WENCH

These were the words written on my back. as much as it hurt when that had happened, I was glad it was on my back, it didn't have to see it but the one they added to the collection recently was the one I hated the most was the one on my stomach. BITCH. Although it wasn't nearly as bad as the ones on my back, I hated the most because I could see it. it was fresh, I had only gotten it yesterday but I knew it would definitely leave a scar.

I looked up from my stomach to my face. I didn't even realise I was crying. wiping away my tears I go to take a shower. It was complicated given the burn on my thigh and the cut on my stomach. But somehow I managed to do it. Coming out I wrapped a towel around my body. I had packed some medical supplies I had left so, I threw the bandage I had on, in the garbage and applied a new one on my thigh, while also putting on some cream on the cuts on my stomach which I had stolen from a local drug store.

I go out to my room and prepare to take a nap even if I woke up a few hours ago but as always life fucking hate me and there was a knock on the door. I just sat on my bed and tried staying quit maybe they'll just think I was sleeping. But the guy did not give up.

I was about to get up and open the door but the knocker (is that even the right word....anyway) the guy started speaking "Kate, please can you open the door? I need to talk to you." I froze for a second hearing that voice. I ran back to my bed, taking the gun out of the mattress I fixed in the waistband of my sweatpants and then went to open the door.

Dante walked in, taking a seat on the edge of my breath, all the while my breath was caught in my throat. I was still standing by the door, waiting for him to talk. "You can sit down. You know." he said, his gaze still on the floor, but his voice seemed strained. i decided not to argue with him on that and went to sit on the bed as well.

We sat in silence for a minute until Dante decided to break it. "so-" "Are you an addict?" I cut him off. I know that my way was kind of insensitive but right now I am fearing my life here. I saw how his face fell at my words but he quickly sobered up.

"No. I mean not anymore. Look, I just... it all started when dad passed, I was thirteen and vulnerable at the time and I got caught up with the wrong crowd. But fortunately the others found out before things could get really bad. I had been sober for more than three years but... when you came back it was everything that happened just caught up to me. I try but I'm not that great with too much emotion and I just needed to relax and thus, the events of last night and today morning."

I sat there quietly listening to him. I didn't know for sure yet but I was starting to think that Dante might not be that much of a threat. "And I know you probably are disgusted by me right now but I promise that it would not happen again, I swear. I am going back to the meetings and I promise I am going to get over this." dante finished his story. I was quiet for a while soaking it all up.

Weirdly one of the thoughts that came to my mind were about my mother and Jason, would they have been different if they got the help they needed but I shook myself of these thoughts I knew they wouldn't change cause I knew that it wasn't the drinking or the drugs that made them into monsters they were always this way. looking back at dante I study his face trying to find even a tiny trace of a lie, finding nothing I start to speak.

"I am not disgusted by you. And I know that you will get better. But just, you should know that I am not happy." his hopeful look fell again but he nodded knowing I was right. "Just please don't do that again. I don't like it." to which Dante enthusiastically nodded. I thought he was going to go after this but he just sat there, it looked like he wanted to say something but was debating wether he should or not.

"I know you are not a big fan of hugs but this seems like a hugging moment." he said sheepishly. I would have put up a fight but honestly it has been quiet a long time since I hugged someone, two years to be exact, that was when the only person I liked to hug went away. And Dante wasn't really harmful so I gave in. Raising my arms I signalled to him. The guy literally lunged into me with so much force that we actually fell back onto my bed, I bit my tongue to stop myself from screaming out because of the bruises on my ribs and the welts on my back.

Thank fully he pulled back in a few seconds. as dante was walking out of the room he stopped for a second. "Xavier also wanted to talk to you in his office. Do you want me to take you there?" I just shook my head and he went out. what the hell does the kraken want now?

I was sitting in his office in the chair in front of his desk while he was standing staring out the windows. "I am sure Dante and you had a talk about what happened." I nodded. "I would also like to say that Alex is very sorry about what happened at breakfast at his end. He cares for you very much. i agree that the way he approached the situation was wrong but he did not in any way mean to insult you." he said while coming back to sit on his chair. I had honestly gotten over that by now. So I again nodded my head.

"Now that, that is out of the way. I wanted to tell you that you will be going shopping today." Of all the things I could spend my day doing, I would certainly not do shopping. Xavier let out a chuckle looking at my expression "Look I really appreciate the offer but I really don't need anything.

I turn Xavier just sighed and said "Yes you do. You are literally wearing the same clothes you wearing the night before. Even Alex told me you barely brought any clothes. So you are going to go shopping and get yourself clothes. Either way you already had to get your school supplies since you will be starting school in about a week. And please do not fight me on this."

I thought that I would have had more clothes if my dear old mother had not burned them. I knew there was no point in fighting him so I reluctantly agreed. "Great, now go get ready and your brothers will take you." "Okay". And I made my way towards my room to get ready for.....shopping!!

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The next chapter will be all about the shopping trip. Who do you think Kate was talking about? Who was person she used to hug? Also I would love and really appreciate it if you guys commented on the story. I really encourages me to write!! And thank all of you for the 900+ reads!!

Love you all💕💕✨✨

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