Page 144 of Descent

“Oh joy, the insane asylum must be having field trip day,” Vanya glares at me as we appear at the top of the winding stairs above them. This house is wild, levels and tiers, terraces all over the place.

“Oo, oh Vanya. Sweety. Did you forget to renew your subscription for a personality?” I hum as sweetly as I can manage.

“They only had yours available, so I deleted the app. Too bad it did not delete you with it.”

“Someone brought their sass-hole with them,” Gloria mutters, rolling her eyes. I like her. Everyone does. Really off-putting.

“My goddess! You weepy, sappy, pathetic excuses for mobsters.” I peer down into their blissful circle of Home and Garden hell. “Ero wasn’t worth the bullet it took to shut him up for good. Good riddance, goodbye, and?—”

“Good looking? I think that was the phrase you were looking for to describe me.” Ero interrupts shoving me aside.

“Maybe at shitting on people’s day,” I giggle, bashing my shoulder into his.

“What are you all staring at?” Ero tucks his hands into his pockets, at ease with himself. For Ero. He’ll always be hypervigilant, prowling like a panther and ready to kill at a moment’s notice. It’s my favorite fucking thing about him.

“You keep doing that thing with your mouth,” Adriano huffs, makes a face.

“Oh the things he does with his mouth…” I wag my eyebrows and Isabella bursts out laughing.

“Will you two get the hell down here and pour a glass already? We were just getting to the juicy stuff!” Isa snaps her fingers and everyone hops to.

How does she do that?

It works better than fucking mind control.

Ero

I don’t say much when I’m with them. There are plenty of words to go around. Not that I don’t have a voice anymore.

I just … like to listen.

To their stories. To their lives.

Maybe because I have one too, now. Fucking weird.

Chatter and banter spiral willy-nilly around that table until the sun goes down. We eat. We shout, we fight.

Until we’re all a little drunk, a little drowsy.

Adriano kicks at my knee. “Come on! Do it!”

“Hrng. I don’t?—”

“You used to sing in front of the whole family when you were a kid,” Alessandro slurs a bit.

“If you don’t, I’m gonna have to—” Ciro stands. “Never gonna give you?—”

Vanya, Gloria, and Circe tackle him all at once, burying him in pillows until he’s squawking and screaming for air.

“I hate all of you,” I mumble, plucking a few strings. Deep breath and?—

Once I start, it’s so easy. Circe joins in, complimenting my voice. Her harmony makes my skin tingle. My brain too.

I think it might be the only time my family actually likes what comes out of our mouths. We’re a mess. We’re chaotic.

A little violent.

Damn good in bed.

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