Page 3 of Revived
Clara is Rowan’s wife and the closest thing to a mother figure that I have. They got together when I was just a seventeen year old punk. She was put through the ringer by her shitty ex before Rowan met her and her little boy, Rhett. The nephew I was talking about earlier. I always answer her calls, because whereas I don’t really care if my brothers worry, I will never make her or my other sisters-in-law worry about me unnecessarily.
“Don’t even joke about stupid shit like that.” He grumbles.
“You asked.” I remind him as I pull into my driveway. Elle isn’t here yet, and glancing at the house across the street, I confirm that my brother hasn’t gotten back from his string of away games.
Flynn is a professional hockey player. He’s the top defenseman for the Washington Declaration. DC is only twenty minutes from here, so he lives in Temple Valley and commutes into the city for work. He’ssupposed to be back today from a week of away games, but he must still be on his way back.
“What’s up, Sul? I haven’t heard from you in a week, and if I didn’t know better, I’d say you’re avoiding me more than normal.”
“No. I’m not; you keep getting mine and Declan’s schedules mixed up or something because you always call while I’m on shift.”
“It’s not my fault that your work schedule is so weird.” He’s being such a grump this morning, and I know that’s mine and Flynn’s doing. They just need to let us live our lives. Just because they all like to have their heads so far up each other’s asses they can taste what the other had for dinner last night doesn’t mean we want that.
“It’s not that hard, Roe. We’ve been over this countless times. Three/one/two/three; seventy-two on, then twenty-four off. Then forty-eight on followed by seventy-two off, and then it just cycles through.” I’m getting annoyed with him as I watch Elle pull up behind my truck in her car.
“That’s so dumb, though. Declan’s is just one day on and then two days off. Just come back here and work a normal schedule with him.” Rowan complains. I can practically see him pacing the length of his office in frustration.
“Right… because that’s how CHFD does it.” I open my arms for her to step into when she makes her way to me. She quickly settles into my embrace and listens to me argue with my big brother. “Which is cool for him, but Ilikemy schedule. Furthermore, Ilikethe town I live in and my station. Ilikewhere I am, Rowan.”
“Yeah, away from us. Away from your beautiful niece and nephews. You don’t even get to watch them grow up, Sully. Come home.” He’s hurt that two states and a district separate us when he wants us all to still live in the house we were raised in together.
“That’s a low blow. I watch them grow up plenty, and I talk to them almost daily. They know who Uncle Sul is, so miss me with that, asshole. I’ve got to go.” I know he wasn’t trying to, but that one really did sting.
“No, Sully! Wait.”
“I’ve got to go, Roe. I’ll talk to you soon. I love you, big brother.”
He sighs but doesn’t fight me further. “I love you too, baby brother.”
Hanging up, I slide my phone back into my pocket and squeeze Elle tightly before letting her go. Her wild curls tickle my nose, and it brings a smile to my face. These chestnut curls paired with her emerald eyes have been my downfall since childhood.
“Come on, Sul. Let’s go to bed.”
And that’s exactly what we do. She sits against my headboard and turns on some reality show she’s been watching while I lay my head on her thigh as she strokes my hair and calms the demons that have been haunting my dreams for years. Finally, after over thirty-six hours, I fall into a peaceful sleep.
Chapter two
Elena Rossi
Ican feel the exact moment that sleep pulls Sully all the way under. His entire body relaxes, and his mouth parts just slightly. His dark blonde hair is cut close on the sides, but the top is long enough to flop over his forehead carelessly when he sleeps. He and his brothers would argue until the ends of the Earth that his and Flynn’s hair is ‘light brown,’ but they’re men and don’t know what they’re talking about; it’s dark blonde.
His forever serious face is now a mask of relaxation and innocence. He looks more like the ten year old boy who beat up Simon Hale in fourth grade for telling me my hair looked ugly, and less of the man who’s all hard lines and muscles when he’s like this. Pushing his hair off his forehead, I can’t help but smile fondly at the monster of a man who right now is nothing more than a sweet tabby cat.
I’ve been in love with Sullivan Byrne since I was old enough to think boys were cute. I know what you’re thinking. I know! I promise this isn’t one of those instances where there was some weird miscommunication that’s set us on the wrong path for eighteen years. Sully and I are actually great at communication, but the world we both come from poses a danger that neither of us can look past.
You see, Sully is a mafioso. He is the son of the former leader and baby brother of the current leader of the BOCG. They rule the EastCoast and as some would argue, the country as a whole. But I’m not innocent in this either.
My name is Elena Rossi, daughter of Theodore Rossi… Head of the five families of the famiglia. Our individual families come with enough drama and trauma to scare away any sane human. Then you add them both together. Mind you, the relationship the two families share is strained at best due to Sully’s brother marrying my biological sister, who was adopted after she was kidnapped and sold into a trafficking ring at eight. It’s all very dramatic, and every single event drove our confidence that we could be together just a little farther apart. Until the day that it was completely blown to smithereens.
The day I almost died in Sullivan’s arms, we were in the middle of this war with a crazy bitch who thought Sully’s older brother was going to fall in love with him. I watched as a gun was pointed directly at Sully, and I acted without thought. I threw myself in front of him, and no sooner had the gun gone off than our friend Annie had thrown herself in front of me. Annie died that day along with one of our best friends, Zach. I survived only because her body was a shield for mine.
The scars that mar my body from that day are reminders that I’m living life not just for me, but also for Annie and Zach. The scars that mar my brain tell me that if I even step one toe into the pool labeled ‘Sully and Elle forever,’ the universe will come back and finish the job.
The day that our lives changed forever was also the day that Sully grabbed me by the face and kissed me like I held all the air in the world inside of my lungs. He promised me love, happiness, and forever. Then an hour later what we got was death, destruction, and pain.
After physically healing from that day, I threw my finally mended body back into the gym. I’ve been a gymnast since I was five. My mother loved watching gymnasts perform. She’d smile and say that it was the most beautiful thing she’d watched. When I pointed atthe screen as Carly Patterson was awarded the all-around gold in the Athens Olympics and swore to be her one day, my mom responded with a simple “And so you shall, principessa.” I was in lessons the next day.
She was never able to see me perform at the highest level. Early onset dementia took her from me and my Papa slowly over the years but physically took her the year before my debut. Now I compete because she loved it, and I love making her proud even in the afterlife.
