IN THE INSTANT CHIARA VISIBLY TENSED UP AND DARKNESS descended her features, he knew he had said the wrong thing. She clenched her fists, drink all the wine in one gulp and putting the glass down. "They didn't die in a confrontation with another clan, figlio di puttana." Her tone was as stone cold as the look in her eyes. "So, your argument is invalid!"
What? Kingsley frowned. "What do you mean?"
"I got there when the murdered was leaving the house, but it was too late, and he ran. At least I managed to shoot his butt and left arm before he disappeared," when she clenched her fists, it was so hard that her sharp nails cut the skin of her palm. "Taddeo Guzzanti. I saw his face and I know him. He was my sister's toxic ex-boyfriend, and a Mafia wannabe who drugged my famiglia to oblivion before killing them, to avoid a confront, because he's a fucking coward. And it wasn't even poison, it was just a sleeping drug that knocks you out hard."
She shot his butt and arm while he was running away. That sounds badass. I can't even touch a gun without shaking all of my limbs. "Your sister's ex?"
"What the fuck happened then?" Kingsley snapped.
Chiara passed her fingers through her curly brown hair, "In short, he saw me with a boy, thought it was Clementine, freaked out, and she broke up with him when she finally realized how toxic he was. Two weeks went by, and he called her saying he wanted to go to our home to talk to her, and to apologize. I was out of town in a mission my mom had sent me, to deal with some traitors. When I came back it had happened already. None of them told me about his request to meet her, I only know because I have her phone and I looked after all had happened."
They were all too stunned to speak. Too horrified.
"Taddeo asked Clementine to keep it from me, because he was always scared of. I also never liked him, so that might also be it. But it doesn't matter. What matters is that he's the killer. He isn't even from a fucking Mafia famiglia, and that's what makes me so fucking angry," she clenched her jaw, feeling nauseous. "He has absolutely no idea who he messed with. I'll make him pay tenfold for the lives he took. Even more because my famiglia, except for me, always treated that figlio di puttana well."
She's not talking about… "Chiara," Kingsley gulped, "you are not planning on killing him back, are you?"
His niece glared at him and the look on her eyes spread shivers down his spine. Down to all of theirs. "I was the one who was going to take over my maternal famiglia's business, zio. I was trained since I was a child. I learned how to kill at the same time as I learned how to read. Both mama and papa taught me everything, including the will of the famiglia. Revenge. So, yes, I not only will kill him, as I will wipe all of his family from this earth. I don't fucking care who they are, I'll destroy all of them, and before I kill him, I'll make him taste how agonizing losing all our loved ones feels." I'm not a Mafia wannabe like Taddeo. I am part of the Mafia. "I'll give him a real reason to be scared of me!"
Jesus Christ, they all thought as they saw her seriousness.
"If it wasn't for the stupid decision of me having to be guarded by you, I would become the new consigliere of the famiglia in my madre's absence. Zio Arianno, mama's 2nd brother, took over right when they learned what had happened and that I wouldn't be able to stay with them. But he's a good person and the famiglia is in good hands," but I'm still going back there to murder all of Taddeo's famiglia. After I'm done with that, I'll be able to live here.
Thank God they decided on leaving her with us, Millie gulped. Even if she won't be staying for long. "Do you also get Rufus tech skills, Chiara?"
She licked her lips, "You mean hacking?" A nod. "Yes. Papa taught me everything since I was a kid. None of my twins were interested, so he only passed it down to me."
Now, this is good. Kingsley smiled, "That's good to hear. And did your twins also have some… Mafia skills like you?" Or was she the only bomb in the triplets?
Chiara scoffed, "Also not interested. And I'm not simply skilled at it, zio. I'm experienced. But still, neither Clementine, nor Cosimo ever felt interested in it, and we kept it from them too. That's also why they studied together in a private school, while I was homeschooled. I was trained not only to take over mama's duties as a consigliere, as I was also trained by papa to take over his tech stuff."
As they didn't say anything, Chiara turned to her cousins.
"If anyone messes with you, you can tell me. I'm not only able to fight with weapons and guns, as I'm skilled at seven different martial arts. I'm good at protecting someone. Maybe I can be of some use. I'm also a great at making cocktails and cooking all types of Italian food, especially pasta. Nonna and nonno made sure we all learned how to, before they died."
I have a new idol. "Awesome. Are you still in high school?"
She turned to Khloe, "No. I finished my studies last winter."
"Do you want to work on one of my companies than, Chiara? Maybe it'll help you taking your mind out of all that bloody stuff and bad memories. Work helps a lot. What were you good at in school?"
"Again, I was homeschooled, but I was good at everything!"
What the fuck? So, her only problem is the blood thirst and the Mafia roots then. Because she clearly is good at everything. "Of course, you are," Kevin gasped. "How high is your IQ?"
"248," she said bluntly, giving no importance to it.
"What the fuck?" Their eyes widened. "For real?"
Chiara blinked, "Yes? I don't think it's important though."
"When is your birthday, cousin? What's your Zodiac sign? Do you know your rising and moon? Have you even made an MBTI test?" Khloe leaned closer to her. "What's your blood type?"
It's hard to believe she's older than me, Chiara mocked but held it together, because she was just being friendly. "Clementine was into that stuff, so she made do the tests. I'm from October 1st. Libra, rising in Aries, moon in Scorpio. ENTJ-A. AB blood type. How is any of that important?" She and Clementine would go well together.
"Libra. ENTJ-A. AB blood type. Wow, that's good, cousin," she exclaimed excitedly, and Chiara grimaced.
Chiara looks annoyed. That can't be good, can it? "It's fine for today, sister. Let's leave our cousin on her room so she can rest. She spends hours on the plane, and more two hours on the car to come here, she must be exhausted. Especially given all that's happening in her life. Your room is on the 3rd floor, last door at the right, Chiara!"
She jumped from her seat, "Porca miseria, finally." Then she made a respectful mention to them, took her boots in her hands and turned around to the staircase. "Oh, my bags."
"Phineas already put there," her uncle stated.
"Amazing," then she ran inside, craving to stay alone.
And as she was far gone, they all looked at each other, worry all over their features, and Millie was the one to break the silence, "How in the bloody hell are we going to tell her about Rufus's deal with Nicolae Scarlat? They will come for her in October as soon as she officially reaches adulthood, and she'll have to be on part with that by then."
Her husband passed his fingers through his golden hair, "No idea. But I don't think she'll take it easily or willingly."
Kevin finished his drink and put his glass down, anxiety like a flood on his insides, "Maybe she'll face it as a business deal, even though it was more personal than that, since Uncle Rufus and Nicolae Scarlat were best friends."
"Kev's right. Chiara seems more practical than I thought she would be, given everything. She might face it better than we believe." Khloe added, crossing her legs tiger. "And it's not a bad deal, since Damian Scarlat is hot, and he'll be turning 21 in November. Maybe they might click."
After a second, they all chuckled to that.
"I doubt that" Kevin mumble laughing. "Especially because she'll be there as Rebecca Armstrong, and not Chiara Di Matteo. The Lady who is the older daughter of his father's best friend, and not the consigliere-to-be of the Italian Mafia. And the Scarlat have a foot on the Romanian Mafia, and they were never very friendly to the Italians in their combat's history. Even though they aren't directly tied to them as Chiara is with the Italians, it would become a problem if they were to learn about it!" They stopped laughing and got tense again. "And she makes it too bloody obvious that she's Italian and not British."
"We'll have to talk to her about that," his father growled. "When we manage to tell her everything. And that she'll be getting married by December."
"What a chaotic year this will be for her," Khloe mumbled, feeling genuinely bad for her cousin that she had just met. Unable to let go of the empathy in her heart. "Though, I'm kind of anxious to see her getting married to that bastard. With that cold personality of his and that horrible temper, they will clash against each other."
"And they might fall in love in the way," Millie said hopeful. "Even if it takes some time."
"You mean years, right, mom?" Kevin mocked. "I can't see either of them falling in love, though it would be quite the sight. But what a dangerous couple they will make. Chiara is terrifyingly scary. Thank God we are on her side. I would hate to be her enemy!"
"We all would," Kingsley mumble darkly.