**REBEL SIMMONS POV**
"Hey Giana. Come to join the party?" I joked as she continued her assault on Dante.
"Rebel, darling I'm so sorry for my dipshit nephew. Are you okay?" She asked after one final smack to Dante's head. He groaned as he rubbed the back of his head, shooting her a deadly glare.
"Well considering I've been drugged, kidnapped, and had a gun shoved in my face by that barbarian," I said nodding towards Dante, "I'm swell." I stated sarcastically.
"Dante you did WHAT?!" She said hitting his rock hard chest.
"Aunt Gigi enough with the hitting! Holy fuck!" Dante exclaimed as he threw his hands up, waving his gun in the air in the process.
"I told you I'd handle this, and that you were not to lay a finger on her!" Giana yelled back snatching the gun from Dante's hand.
I yawned as I waited for their argument to be over. It was rather amusing to see Giana go up against Dante. She was only 5'2, a midget compared to Dante's 6'2 frame. She cursed at him in Italian and slapped him repeatedly. I bit my lip, trying to muffle my laughter as he admitted surrender. He shot a look my way, in an attempt to look intimidating I'm sure. I'm fairly positive that I'd never feel intimidated around Dante again seeing as he surrendered to a middle-aged woman who scolded him like a child.
"Rebel, I'm so sorry honey. Come, let's get you out of here." She said extending her perfectly manicured hand out to me. I grabbed it, stood up, and dusted my clothes off.
"So how've you been Giana? Harry told me about your anniversary, congratulations by the way." I said as she walked me out of the cement room. She threw his gun over her head, Dante catching it with ease.
"Oh honey it was incredible! I absolutely adore that man." She said as she practically closed the door in Dante's face. He grunted and followed closely behind.
Giana led me through the narrow, dim-lit hallways as she continued to talk about her anniversary. We climbed up a flight of concrete stairs, and she unlocked a large metal door. On the other side was a restricted portion of the library. I recognized it because I once got too curious when I was 16 and snuck in, Harry caught me and scolded me for an hour.
"Creative spot for a torture chamber. Never would have guessed it was under a small library in Seattle." I laughed. It was a true statement, I never would have guessed. But come to think of it, every time I came here, I was the only one here. Leave it to me to spend most of my childhood directly above a murderer's hideout.
"Rebel, I have a bit of explaining to do. Why don't you come upstairs and I'll make you some coffee." Giana said sweetly. She was addicted to coffee. It was rare to ever see her without a scorching cup in her hand.
"Please. I'm going to need it since it's 5 in the morning." Dante and Giana stopped and looked at me with a perplexed expression.
"I've got a good Circadian Rhythm?" I attempted to say but it sounded more like a question than a statement.
We went up the stairs to Giana and Harry's house. They lived above the library in a large modern loft. The furniture was elegant and simple, complimented by the sunrise illuminating the room through the large floor-to-ceiling windows. The black granite of the countertops blended well with the white cabinets and stainless steel appliances. She reached into the tidy cupboard, and pulled out three cups. She started to brew the coffee, and soon the entire loft was filled with the rich scent. We took a seat on the grey couch, Dante sitting across from us in a white decorative chair. His right ankle resting on his left knee, and his hand was on his chin covering his mouth. His eyebrows were furrowed and a scowl rested on his lips as he stared at me. He looked as if he could jump across the table and strangle me at any moment.
"So Rebel, how's your mom doing?" She asked. They met at my graduation and instantly clicked. They've been good friends ever since and frequently stayed in contact with one another.
"As much as I would love to catch up Giana, I'd rather cut to the chase as to what the hell is going on." I smiled at her as she handed me a cup of coffee.
"Ah yes. Of course dear." She said as she took a sip of her coffee.
"Dante and his... er associates caught a hacker who wire transferred $5 million out of our family account." She said placing her hand on mine.
Shit. Shit. Shit. Fucking shit.
If I knew that I was robbing from Giana's family, I would have never done it. She's done so much for me, and I repaid her by robbing millions from her and her family.
I'm a terrible, shitty human being.
"Fuck. Giana I'm so sorry." I said looking down. "If I would have known I would have never-"
"What a touching confession. Can I kill her now?" Dante exclaimed rolling his eyes.
"Sta'zitto." Giana said, giving Dante a glare that would make anyone's skin crawl with fear. He placed his hand back over his mouth and mumbled something under his breath.
"As I was trying to say before I got rudely interrupted," I said in an unamused tone as I glared at Dante, "If I would have known it was your family Giana, I never would have done it. I'm so sorry." I apologized. A small smile crept up on her face.
"Your sad excuse of an apology won't get me my $5 Mill back." Dante said, his voice laced with annoyance.
"It's okay honey." Giana said as she embraced me in a hug.
"WHAT!" Dante stood up fuming at his aunt's words.
"I know why you did it." Giana whispered in my ear before she released me from her usually bone-crushing embrace.
"Gigi, have you completely lost every neuron in that black hole you call a brain? She-" Dante screamed furiously as he started to take a step towards us.
Giana sighed in annoyance as she reached under the couch and pulled out a loaded Beretta, pointing it directly at Dante's face.
Brownie points for Giana.
"Dante Stephano Enrico Vino. I have had enough with your fucking attitude. You can either sit there and shut the hell up, or I'll shoot you so many times you'll lose consciousness. Either way, you'll be quiet. Your choice, ragazzo." She said coldly, her face void of any emotion.
Extra brownie points for Giana.
I smirked as he slowly sat back down with his arms up in surrender. The scowl on his face more prominent than ever.
Giana: 2 Arrogant, emotionally unstable psychopath: 0
"Good choice." Giana said, her cheerful tone returning as if she didn't just threaten to kill her own nephew.
"Now Rebel, there are some things that I'm about to explain that may... shock you. I need you to know that I'll do anything to protect you; you're like a daughter to me." She said, concern etched on her face. I nodded, eager for her explanation. She took a deep breath before she spoke.
"The Vinos, my family, are the most powerful Mafia family in the entire world. We've operated in the shadows for generations, and our influence stretches far and wide." Giana's words hung in the air, heavy with a revelation I hadn't anticipated.
Dante's scowl deepened, but Giana silenced him with a stern look. "Rebel, I understand this is a lot to take in, but you need to know the truth. We're not just a wealthy family; we're deeply entrenched in organized crime."
As the reality of her words settled, my mind raced with questions. How did I unknowingly involve myself with a criminal empire? What repercussions awaited me?
Giana continued, her tone measured, "The hacker you unknowingly aided is part of a rival faction that seeks to undermine our family. I won't pretend we're saints, but we protect our own. You inadvertently became a pawn in a dangerous game."
I sipped the coffee, trying to process the gravity of the situation. "So, what now? Am I stuck in the middle of a Mafia war?"
Giana's expression softened, "No, Rebel. You're under our protection now. We'll handle the situation and ensure your safety. But you must understand the risks involved. This isn't a world you chose, but it's one you're now a part of."
Dante grumbled something unintelligible, still visibly irritated. Giana shot him a warning glance. "Enough, Dante. Rebel deserves to know the truth."
As the reality of my entanglement with the Vino family sank in, I couldn't help but feel a mix of fear and curiosity. I had unwittingly stepped into a world of power, deception, and danger.
Giana leaned forward, her eyes locked onto mine, "Rebel, we'll guide you through this. Consider us your family, and we'll ensure you're protected. But you must trust us."
I nodded, a sense of reluctant acceptance settling in. Little did I know, my life had taken an unexpected turn into the clandestine corridors of a Mafia legacy.
Giana: 3 Arrogant, emotionally unstable psychopath: 0Good choice." Giana said, her cheerful tone returning as
if she didn't just threaten to kill her own nephew.
"Now Rebel, there are some things that I'm about to
explain that may... shock you. I need you to know that I'll do
anything to protect you, you're like a daughter to me." She
said, concern etched on her face. I nodded, eager for her
explanation. She took a deep breath before she spoke.
"The Vinos, my family, are the most powerful Mafia family
in the entire world.""Good choice," Giana said, her cheerful tone returning as if she didn't just threaten to kill her own nephew.
"Now Rebel, there are some things that I'm about to explain that may... shock you. I need you to know that I'll do anything to protect you, you're like a daughter to me." She said, concern etched on her face. I nodded, eager for her explanation. She took a deep breath before she spoke.
"The Vinos, my family, are the most powerful Mafia family in the entire world."