Sophie was worried.
She was always worried about her brother – if it was for his damn business or the fact he was a stupid twat – but now she was worried worried and not even her sheep could distract her.
"He promised to call me each noon", she told Willow, who grazed in front of the stone she was sitting on. Willow was an old mother sheep and a real good listener – she wasn't good at conversation though.
"And Harry is stupid and a complete idiot, but he is nobody who forgets things! Or breaks promises! Well, at least not the honest ones he gave me."
Willow only kept eating her grass and Soph sighingly realized that she needed a bit more than a listener.
Sadly, she had nobody who could be this bit more.
Although she wasn't the one who had to do the job and therefore wasn't in grave danger or under personality-breaking pressure, she was affected by the family career as well, because carrying a minor secret about your best friend around could risk your friendship and cause some other uncomfortable social consequences if you told it.
But carrying a secret like your family being a mafia one and telling it could risk your and other people's life.
So she had to tell lies and although Soph had a rather carefree personality and a very comfortable life with nice people making up her family, she was so tired of it. Not even telling lies, she didn't want people to know the truth, but she often wished so desperately that it weren't lies she had to tell. That it was true that her brother worked for some big company to sell stuff all over the world. That she was only worried about him that much because "you can never know what will happen! You see, I just really love him!"
"Well yesterday you said that he is a bloody wanker – "
"Well yeah, he ate all of my fish fingers! Of course he is! And although him breaking a leg wherever he is would be a fair punishment for it, he is still my brother, so I want him to be well!"
Yes, they did care for each other, even if it didn't seem like it and every time Harry left, Soph heard this little voice in her head:
What if he's coming back in a casket just like dad.
And every day he was away, the voice grew louder and louder and louder, saying more and more and more horrible things, letting her anxiety grow bigger and bigger and bigger!
Soph was 13 when her father died and that event had burned itself into her memory, every little image, sound, feeling.
Paddy's sad face when he had gotten the news of his death, the croaky sound of Harry's voice when he told her, how limp Charlie's arms had felt when he held her at the funeral service.
How cold her father had looked in the casket. Cold, old and unhappy.
13 was no age to become an orphan.
14 was no age to start living in constant fear of losing the rest of your family.
No, not only Harry was her family, Charlie and Paddy were as well and she was worried about them just as much as she was about him – even though the promise one had made three years ago.
"I promised your dad to always keep an eye on the boys and now I promise you the same, okay Sophie?" Paddy had said after she had locked herself away in her room again, when once more her world had become too much by simply existing.
"B-But what if … what if … if they … And what about you?!" she had sobbed. "I don't want to lose you! Who takes care of you? I don't want to lose you all! I don't wa-want to lose Charlie o-or my brother, I don't want to have to go to another funeral!" Soph had shaken her head and had pulled at her hair: "I don't want to be the last one! I d-d-don't … D-don't-"
And that had been the moment when the man first had grabbed her wrists, she still remembered how tiny they had felt in those big hands, he had pulled her hands away from her hair and then herself into a hug:
"Nobody's gonna leave you alone Sophie, stop talking nonsense. How could we even?! How could I leave Aaron's little girl or how could Charlie leave the little sunshine? And how could Harry ever leave his sister alone, the little sheep, hm? How could we ever leave our Soph behind?"
Soph had been paralyzed, not having hugged back, not having said anything, just having listened to Paddy's deep voice: "Sophie, listen: Even if we are stuck in a situation so bad we have given up on ourselves, we will not give up on you. We will always come back home, okay?"
He had released her from the hug, yet had grabbed her shoulders again and had looked her straight in the eyes: "But you have to promise me something, too, Sophie. You have to promise that you will trust us, okay?"
Soph had said nothing and he had repeated himself: "Sophie, promise me that you will trust us on that. We will come back home, no matter what, and you will not be scared to death every time we leave."
Soph had nodded, tears in her eyes.
Soph woke up from her daydream, tears in her eyes.
And although the reason she woke up was a sheep stepping on her foot, she was pretty sure that it wasn't the reason for her wet eyes.
"That's it", she whispered, wiping the tears away. "That's fucking it."
Willow, who was still grazing in front of the girl, looked up to her and now Soph was very thankful for the existence of her sheep again. A good listener was the only thing she needed right now.
"I know that this will probably cause problems, but one of them always kept in contact with me! So if I get no call until-"she paid a fast look to her watch, it said half past 6, "9 o'clock, I'll call Charlie! I trust them, but if they are breaking a promise…!"
She had said all of this in a fierce, motivated voice, but when she finished her sentence, it grew almost hollow:
"… they must be in some real danger."
Willow only baaed.
If there was one thing that bored the hell out of the twins it was waiting.
Of course, it was part of the job and they could wait for hours, but it bored the shit out of them nonetheless. And right now it was waiting and being worried, which was honestly the worst combination you could have given to the Sicilians.
The fact that an annoying know-it-all had been added to mix this time wasn't making it any better.
"What did we do to deserve this?" Marco moaned quietly.
"What did Michele thought when he started all this bullshit?" Lorenzo growled.
They should have known that trouble was ahead when Michele came back from Ireland and the first thing he mentioned was: "This O'Connel fellow is really a cute looking one."
If he was talking about business, he was talking about business and probably added a short "And boy, let me tell you, he's really the opposite of ugly as well" or "But she could have distracted everybody, this woman was so gorgeous."
He didn't started talking about the person involved, he started talking about facts.
"Then this little shit appeared and now we have this disaster" Lorenzo sighed, leant back and ran his hands through his hair while his brother rested his cheek on one hand, the other one tapping on the table.
"And sadly he brought company along" he murmured, his eyes on the young Irishman who was talking on his phone. The twins had given instructions to their subordinates, their work was done, but this idiot wasn't satisfied with it.
At least we have to give him the due that he isn't being lazy, Marco thought before shifting his look to O'Neill.
The giant was leaning against the wall, arms crossed and head resting on his chest, evenly breathing. That he could rest like this was also something you had to give one due for.
As he looked back to Higgins, he started to notice his suit again.
He couldn't help it, he always had liked fashion and was sewing since he was 15, so he wondered if it was made by a tailor or just a really good mass produced one. And where was this waist coat from? It even had tiny silver chains – completely useless but very decorative – at the hips, Marco saw that that since Charlie had opened his suit jacket and shoved it aside when he put on of his hands in his back pocket, why did this thing even had back pockets this big? That was probably the only fault, because a suit like this one wasn't supposed to let you carry around a hundred things, what do you got jackets for? Yeah, this definitely ruined the picture a bit, not mentioning that the annoying person wearing it already made a good job at it –
He felt his brother kicking him but it was too late:
"It's not that I wouldn't appreciate it, but you do notice that you are staring at my arse, Mister Bontade?" Charlie said grinning and Marco felt the blood rush to his head, which was the only reason he quickly buried his face in his hands.
God is real and he hates me.
"Why", he groaned. "Why me" he added a bit more quietly.
"Why what?" Charlie asked, still grinning and Marco put his hands down, actually wanting to use them for punching that grin right off the Irish's face.
"Why does your suit have back pockets like this?"
"Because I need it for work and although suit pockets are not there to carry stuff, I need all the space I can get." The grin that had disappeared from his face for this answer was followed by a smug smile: "But apparently they are also good excuses for people I caught staring at my arse."
"Do you really consider your damn behind to be that-" Marco started but sadly the Irish's phone rang obnoxiously loud, demanding his attention.
"Bastardo" Lorenzo hissed and Marco only nodded in agreement. They really couldn't wait for the trouble to be over, hoping Michele would have returned to his senses by then so they wouldn't have to see the Irish guys ever again.
"Great news, I've got 'em!" Charlie almost yelled and the twins first cringed at the volume of his voice which also caused Paddy, to snap out of his doze.
"You got who?" he asked and yawned, apparently having forgotten everything that happened within the last hours but before Charlie could yell at him, his memory returned.
"Oh, excellent! Great work, lad!" he said smiling bright and patted Charlie's back, causing the younger one to cough.
"Oh, sorry!"
"God, you have to remind yourself that you are the fucking hulk, old man" Charlie still coughed and Paddy's smile went sheepish.
"So where are they?!" the twins yelled, synchronously and annoyed, and the other two looked at them.
"Sorry", said Charlie and looked on his phone. "I am not 100% sure where your boss and my best idiot are, but I know where the English douchebags are at. An old, empty building at the edge of the city – god this is so cliché – and here's the address." And with that he threw the phone to the twins, trusting and hoping they'd catch it. He even let out a relieved sigh when Lorenzo did so and the twins almost bumped their heads into each other when they looked at the map on the phone screen.
"That's gonna be terrible with all the traffic on the street" Marco said.
"Not to mention how terrible it'll be to get our men there without them noticing" Lorenzo added.
"Last time I checked alias one minute ago, they were around 15 men, not counting the three main idiots" Charlie mentioned and the twins looked at each other for a
second.
"Okay, thanks for your help and that crap, we will take care of that" Lorenzo answered when he tossed him his phone back: "You'll stay here."
Charlie almost didn't catch it, being too surprised by his words: "What did you just say?"
"You did a good job, but we won't take you two along" Marco repeated in the same bored and emotionless tone as his brother. "Because we will not risk anything by working together with people we barely know."
"Well, yes, you will, because you probably have forgotten that it's not only your boss but also ours who got kidnapped, so I will not wait here, trusting people I barely know that they'll bring me back my best friend. You can be as cute as you want, you still do not tell me what we're gonna do."
"Yes, because our country means our rules and do not worry" Lorenzo started
"Michele likes your O'Connel guy for ominous reasons and what is important to him will be brought back just safe and sound as him" Marco finished, not being able to suppress a little grin.
Charlie, by now having a rather displeased and annoyed look on his face, had already opened his mouth when Paddy spoke up:
"No" he said in his deep voice, his tone something along the lines of being annoyed, angry and real tired. "We will not stay here, even if it is your country and your
rules. I promised to take care of this little guy so I will take care of him. And I've been into this business longer than you two are even alive", the twins rolled their eyes, about that comment, "so even if you don't really know us, you can trust me that I am doing my damn job." He looked at Charlie and sighed: "And I can assureyou that Charlie also does it – although he doesn't seem like it at first." Ignoring the other Irish pouting and saying "I love you too, you twat", he rolled his head and let his neck crack quietly: "We will trust you and you trust us for a few hours and we all get what we want. So, when we're gonna leave?"
The twins looked at each other again for a few seconds, this time kind of surprised and questioning.
"Alright" Marco gave in.
"We trust you, you trust us, we'll get back our boss, you'll get back your boss" Lorenzo said, quickly walking over to the door and opening it. "And we're going to leave now, Signori, you better try to keep up with us" he added with a slight smirk before he and his brother left. Paddy only grinned friendly and followed the two with Charlie:
"I make big steps, this won't be a problem."
"Teach me your secrets, old man" Charlie whispered to him while they went downstairs, making the older one chuckle. "Why did they listen to you like that?"
"I bet they only agreed so fast because they either think they could still get rid of us or because they didn't want to waste more time" he replied. "Probably both."
Charlie tilted his head, thinking about it before he nodded: "Sounds like a legit train of thought."
"See? And you know why they didn't listen to you."
"Because I am not old, experienced and intimidating?"
"Because you flirted like an idiot before. You're too cheeky for your own good, lad."
Charlie only glared at him and kicked the front door of the house open after it almost fell shut: "I didn't flirt like an idiot. I bet you that I flirt like a god. Like a greek god! Probably not always on point, I admit I do a lot of bullshit, but I am a natural talent at it nonetheless."
Paddy couldn't help grinning at the at least very creative comparison. The four walked down the street by now, one of the twins talking on the phone and he was honestly surprised how one could talk so fast without getting his tongue in a knot or something.
"You know what? I really bet you something, old man: That I'll do at least one of them" Charlie said with a smug grin and now Paddy sighed in annoyance and looked at him:
"You are obnoxious, do you know – Oh goddammit Charlie" he growled after he had followed his look.
"Hey, if one of them is allowed to stare at my arse, I am allowed to stare at theirs'" was Charlie's reply and if Paddy wouldn't have been so equally surprised and scared by what he just saw and realized, he would have given the other a light slap for his behaviour.
The car that apparently belonged to the twins was a nice car, really, nothing that made you cringe when you saw it, but…
"Charlie, I won't fit into that bloody car!"
"Oh come on … don't … overdramatizeyeah that could get difficult" Charlie said and scratched his nose, while the twins just looked at the two:
"We've got no time so better get your ass over here and in the car" Lorenzo called
"Or we're gonna leave you here and manage that shit alone" Marco added.
"I am gonna break my neck, oh god" Paddy lamented but followed the Sicilians, letting out another stressed sigh when he saw that there were not even four doors, no, you had to turn the front seat down to get on the backseat.
"You've fit into my Porsche so you'll fit into this Mito, even if I have to push you in" Charlie said grinning, leaning against the car, and Paddy, having already bent down to get in the Mito, glared at him:
"Don't remind me of your fucking car, Charlie!"
"Signori would you just please hurry up? Told you we've got no time goddammit" Marco snarled annoyed and Lorenzo, sitting already behind the wheel, mumbled something in Italian and started the car.
Paddy let out one last breath, before crawling inside, head first, scratching against the car roof and after he made it inside, he almost kicked Lorenzo while turning around to sit down, also accidentally ramming his knees into the back of his seat when he slid over to make place for Charlie, not to mention the fact that he still had to bent down to fit in the car.
"I am so awfully sorry" Paddy apologised to Lorenzo when he cursed at the knees in his back.
The Sicilian gave no answer, only adjusting his seat a bit forward, he rather gave up his perfect seat configuration then having two bruises on his back at the end of the day because of this bullshit.
"What did we do to deserve this" Marco sighed after he shut his door and Lorenzo just shrugged.
"I don't know but I am pretty sure God had to punish our lifestyle one day" he said before he hit the gas and the Mito leaped forward, off the sidewalk and onto the road.
"This is the most humiliating thing this bastard could ever do to me" the Irish spat.
"This might be true, but you have to look on the bright side like me – I was never closer to you" the Sicilian behind his back responded and Harry grid his teeth in anger:
"I swear to God ̶ and you are my witness – Arthur Kirkland is a dead man! When I'm out of this, I tell you ̶ "
"Mind If I interrupt you, but we got a bigger problem" Michele said.
"What?" he snarled.
"The Saltwater will ruin my shoes."
Now he heard it too: Water that poured into the box.
Harry moaned.
He was pissed when he woke up after being knocked out yet again and that it was now in apparently a wooden box, if he could trust his bare hands which were tied up behind him but still able to touch the ground, back to back with the Sicilian, wasn't making the situation better at all.
"Hm, that's strange" Michele said and Harry sighed:
"What is?"
"The water stopped."
"Nice. If the water just started pouring into the box it means we haven't been thrown in the ocean anyways, if that was what you wanted to say. So no need to worry
about your precious shoes" Harry replied in a tired and sarcastic tone.
"Oh who could have guessed it" Michele countered in the same tone. "Do you also have a clue where we are then, Sherlock?"
"I am with you in a wooden box and that fact alone is so fucking awful that I cannot even proceed thinking about anything else, sorry Watson."
"Don't talk to me like that when my hands are within the grasp of your sorry ass, Harry, because I will use them."
"Godfuckingdammit, we're tied up in a box, left to drown sooner or later and all Michele Vento thinks about is this. This is not Arthur's fault, natural selection is fucking coming for you, my perverted friend."
"It'll be your ass because that is what is within reach, I assure you, I'd rather slap you in the face if it was possible right now, although your ass is sure one worth touching."
"It will be my arse? So you gave me a warning and yet you want to do it right away anyways?"
"You've got to be strict, bello, and that natural selection comment was not nice."
"Bloody hell, we are probably doomed anyways so — OUCH!"
Harry wished he could glare at the Sicilian right now. Or punch him. One of the things that would be possible was pinching his arse so hard it hurt as well but that was out of question.
"I'll kiss it better as soon as we get out of here", Michele said, his voice telling you that he was smirking.
"Well, you can most certainly kiss my arse, but bloody sure not in that way" Harry snarled. "But you also could put your hands to good use and try to untie me."
"I did already, but you know with what they have tied us up? Zip ties."
"Noticed. Your point?"
"You can't untie zip ties. Especially not when the cut the ends off."
He muttered something to himself and Harry leant back a bit more: "What?"
"They also cut into my suit – and my palm, those brutes …"
"I got my tooth knocked out and you got cut, everyone has to pay their blood tribute, you wimp" Harry replied, slapping away the fingers that wanted to pinch him again.
"Well, thanks for your sympathy" Michele mumbled in a huff. "Anyways – they tied us up with two tight zip ties. And took all of my knives as well, which is not only making this all here very difficult but also me feeling disgusted."
"Where the hell did you hid your knives."
"In some places where nobody would look for them. Nothing too bad but I still don't want to think about it. Also, they were really good knives, just one more thing on the list of what these idiots have done to me."
There was silence for like 5 seconds.
"Like they ruined my suit."
"First your shoes, now your suit, bloody hell!"
"Mind you, they were expensive! But of course you do not understand."
"Do I look like this wanker that is my friend who thinks you should throw away your money for things like this."
"Appearance is such an important thing in our business, spending money on a good suit is not throwing it away. But hey, I would still want you if you would wear a dirty t-shirt and stained jeans."
"Noticed that when we were first together alone."
Michele looked upwards: "For how long can one hold his breath?"
Harry stared to the side: "If you are not trained, it is over after like 3 minutes. Maximum."
"Nice to know. You can hear it too, right?"
"That and my arse is getting wet."
"We have to get rid of these zip ties."
"Oh guess what Vento, I said that like a minute ago."
"No, you asked me to untie you and now stop being pissed and come up with ideas."
"You come up with ideas" Harry made a half-hearted comeback before he started thinking, trying to ignore the water pouring into the box, trying to ignore that it felt nasty and cold and started chewing on his lower lip. He wondered how easy one could break zip ties, the last time he and a few friends had tried it, it had taken quite a while and in the end they had two guys pulling it in the opposite direction and even that had required one try after another (and also broke David's living room lamp).
But that would take time that they didn't have so only starting to try it would be pointless. However …
"We could try and strip them off" he said and Michele rolled his eyes:
"And how?"
"You turn around and use your goddamn foot, you idiot."
"They are really tight."
"They are not too tight."
"It'll hurt."
"We'll survive it."
"Then why are you first?"
"Bloody Hell Michele, make up your mind! First complaining about how it'll hurt and now how about that I said that I am first! Goddammit!" Harry yelled and the Sicilian cringed.
"No reason to yell at me…" he muttered and the Irish just threw his head back to headbutt him and it hurt but it also hurt Michele so it was worth it.
"Ou!"
"So either you turn around now or say I should, but quit complaining!"
"I'll do it, I'll do it, jeez … I am not eager to get my skin ripped off" he said and started to turn around, which took quite some time, he also accidentally hit the other two times, always followed by a "scusi, he" and Harry rolling his eyes.
"And you are sure this will work?" Michele asked sceptically one last time.
"Either you got a better idea or you start tearing this shit off right now" Harry growled.
"I hope you are prepared for pain" the Sicilian sighed and put his heel right between the Irish's hands and Harry grid his teeth when the plastic cut into his skin.
No worries – I was in for some sort of pain the moment I realized how you are.