Carla had just sat there crying. Her panic breaths started to slow with the touch from saviour. Her plain brown eyes slowly started to close as the tears stopped. Soon enough with her head laying on Kimberly’s shoulder she had fallen into a deep sleep. Something very needed to make the wait for the drugs to disappear from her system, seem like a blink and not like forever. Kimberly had handled her well, because with the slightest wrong move and Carla would have turned herself into a massive panic attack. Reasonably, for what she had just gone through. However, the attack would be no simple fix for when she panicked, she usually ended up in the hospital.

Her sleep was deep and dreamless. It was as if a void had attached itself onto her very core and filled her being with darkness. A chilling darkness. Shuttering slightly as her eyes fluttered open sleepily, her mind was a little fuzzy as she tried to recall the room she was in. She was in a warm queen size bed, darkness filling the room. She feel weird, weirder than usual. Although the drugs had left her system, it had left her disordered, holes in her memory that felt more like dreams. Sitting up she looked around the dark room trying to figure out where she was. It wasn’t her apartment with Liz, Carla had gotten used to sleeping on the couch, well Liz slept on the floor. Their apartment had an air of weed, smoke and other scents she could never place. Yes she lived in a dump. However, this place smelt fresh, alive, homey. A scent of food linger in the air making her tummy grumble, before rolling a little.

Cupping her mouth as she gagged a little. She slowly let her hands fall back onto the bed as she took slow breaths. She looked through her mind trying to figure out how she got there, her eyes filling with tears. She left work walking with Liz. . . they had been attacked. She remember a man with rotten teeth and breath of the dead holding her face as he turned it around looking at her closely. She could remember the cold chain clothing touching her skin as the men slipped them on her. She was sobbing softly now, trying to tell herself it was a dream.

She could have sworn she remembered Hale carrying her. . . after that all she could remember was her long hair brushing along her face as she cried on her shoulder. It felt so surreal. Looking down at herself, she could feel clothing, she touched them, as if making sure they were real. She had been changed, if anything in her memory was real. She was in a t-shirt that was long yet tight, a pair of pj pants had been tied on that were also a little long for her. Pushing the bedding away she slipped off the bed, the floor was a soft carpet, that pushed up between her toes. She walked slowly towards what she believe was the door, a line of light could be seen outlining this door. Carla was starting to wonder if she had died.

Grasping the handle she turned it and peeked the door open, peeking through the crack, wincing slightly at the bright hall light. Where. . . was she?

Outfit

Kimberly sat still as Carla’s head rested on her shoulder rubbing the woman’s back softly to calm her. Slowly Carla’s crying began to stop, followed by the calm and relaxed breathing that said she had fallen asleep while her head rested against Kim’s shoulder. Slowly Kim moved to where she could lower Carla’s head down onto the cushion of the couch, before going to find Ethan again. He was the one who carried Carla to the guest bedroom, and Kim was the one to change her clothes.

Maybe if when the woman woke up, she was actually dressed in more than bra and panties, than she would be less frightened. Poor Ethan had already been yelled at and caused the woman to cry. Not to mention that if Carla would have been able to move, he likely would have been hit as she realized he wasn’t this Hale person she thought he was. Closing the door to the bedroom, Kim didn’t even really bother to lock the door. Though really why would she want to do that? She hadn’t bought Carla to keep her trapped in a little guest room, she wanted to return a favor from years old. Not to mention how beautiful Carla really was.

After that was done Ethan left the house to get the things needed to make dinner, while Kimberly went to her little office. The office had light teal walls, with dark wooden floors which matched the color of her desk. Shelves lined the walls with books about accounting and bookkeeping, along with the many books she kept for her farther and his “business partners” which were locked away in a glass cased shelf. The large black safe that sat in her office was actually a distraction from where the “businesses” money was really hidden.

Kim stayed in her office working until she heard Ethan’s car pull into the driveway, quickly she peeked into the room next to her office, checking to see if she was still asleep. Before meeting Ethan at the door and taking one of the bags from his hand so he could relock the door from the inside, the inside lock was much like the locks on hotel rooms, needing a keycard to unlock it. By the time Carla woke up, the food Kimberly was cooking, Italian Chicken Noodle Soup, had just gotten done and she was scooping some soup into another bowl has Ethan went to sit on the couch with his own bowl.

Outfit

The hallway light was bright, compared to the dark room she had been sleeping in. She couldn’t see anyone around, she pushed the door a little more open. This time, it was just enough to poke her head out slowly looking around. Her heart was starting to pick up. She didn’t like this at all. She was trying to remember, trying to figure out what was a dream and what was real. Where was Liz? Just from looking along the hallway, a set of stairs at one end and the hallway turning at the other end a window looming with evening light, she could tell this house was big. Carla couldn’t think of anyone either Liz or herself knew who had big houses like this. Sure she guessed maybe one of the chefs at work or her boss would have a nice house, but even this house seem a little out of price range for a small café. Then again, why the hell would she be in one of their houses.

Carla bit her lip wondering what Liz did this time. Liz was a bit of a trouble maker, having most recently gambled away too much money that she now owed to the mob. That was a wonderful conversation. Liz had tried to sell her dog Jem for some cash. That make Carla worry even more about her lovely elderly dog. Pushing her thoughts to the side she took a slow step into the hallway, finally seeing the clothing she was in. She had already figured out they weren’t hers but now she was wondering how the fuck she got into them. She quickly pressed herself along the wall, thinking that would keep her hidden. She slowly slid along the wall, the smell of food making her tummy grumble. She froze and put her hand on her tummy as if trying to shut it up. It only growled louder.

Looking back and forth down the hallway with panic in her mind she relaxed after a moment seeing no one was there. If anyone was here, they were going to be downstairs. That made her think. What if these people weren’t friendly? What if they were going to hurt her? She should get something to use as a weapon. Why hadn’t she thought of that before? So she quickly tip toed back to the room and flicked on the light. The light made her flinch thinking someone would know she was up. She found a few awkward items she could use, but nothing like a bat. She then noticed that there was a bathroom attacked to the room. If the towel rack was anything like her’s at home she could get it apart. Quickly she hurried and fiddled with the rack for a moment before getting it apart. She smiled to herself.

Quickly and quietly as possible she made her way back down the hallway. She felt very ninja like, but at the same time she could feel the possible panic attack lingering in the air. It was like a ghost hovering over her body, ready to put it hands around her neck and slowly chock her to death. She swallowed at the top of the stairs looking down, just to see a guy walk by with something in his hands. Carla quickly pulled back holding her breath. Now she was really freaking out. He was scary looking. Her eyes were starting to water a little.

Breath, breath Carla. In through the nose and out through the mouth. Just be quiet. She said inside her head trying to keep herself from hyperventilating. Not that, that ever worked. Usually talking it out worked better. Peeking back out the coast was clear. She started down the first few steps without a sound, the next one groaned under her weight. She froze. Her chest started to rise and fall a little quickly, the rack held in the air like a bat just encase. With nothing else happening she took a few mother steps before repeating the steps she had before. She was about four steps from the bottom when she saw a flash of a woman coming around the corner, Carla screamed and swung, her eyes closed tightly.

Ethan didn’t even notice the fact Carla was at the top of the stairs when he went to the living room with his food. He was much too hungry to notice anything other than the food. Neither of them really even realized that Carla was even awake and the fact Ethan was watching TV and Kimberly was messing around in the kitchen kept them both from hearing the stairs creek as the woman snuck down them. As Kim went to join him in the living room, she hear a scream and looked just in time to move enough for only her arm to get hit, and drop the bowl of soup. Kim stared up at her wide eyed and frowning, before grabbing the towel rack and holding it tight enough to keep from getting hit again. “Figlio di una cagna! What the fuck are you doing Carla?!” She asked loudly her silk like voice angry.

At that Ethan came into the dining room, his hand behind his back for his gun. Kim held her hand out to him, and he moved his hand looking at the scene before smirking. ”She is a rough one isn’t she?” He said laughing as he covered the gun up with his shirt. He stopped when Kim glared at him and told him to get a towel for her arm which was now bleeding. “I’m not your bitch Kim.” He said annoyed before looking at Carla and gesturing the stairs before climbing them anyway to get what she wanted. “Get the girl from the idiotic men, bring her in the house, leave her alone and get a blanket, and take her stairs to her room. Why don’t I kiss your damn feet while I’m at it!” He complained walking up the stairs, as it went from English to Italian.

Kim watched him with an amused smirk before looking back at Carla and sighing. “Will you drop the rank now mia carissima? I already told you this morning that I wouldn’t hurt you.” She said softly as she let go of the towel rank, before looking at her arm frowning at the fact that she was bleeding. Kim wasn’t angry with her really, after all the girl was scared and woke in a strange house. Did she remember what had happened? Or that Kim had bought her?

“Are you hungry? Do you want some soup, and we can talk?” She asked gesturing around the counter towards the kitchen which was nearly as big as the living room, before walking into the kitchen unsure if the girl was following her, but the front door was locked so it would be fine. Getting a bowl of soup for Carla, and another for herself as Ethan brought her a small towel to stop the bleeding.. “How much of what happened do you remember?”

Carla felt the bar hit something, a small rattle moving along the bar into her hands. What happened next, happened so quickly. By the time the bowl hit the ground her scream and come to a finish, her eyes were still closed tightly, her body awkwardly tensed up ready to get hit back. Just as she was finally taking in a breath, she could hear a VERY angry woman’s voice. At first what she was saying wasn’t English and Carla couldn’t place what language it was, not that she was linger on that at the moment. She was more focused on the fact she was in a strange house, with strange people, whom she just attacked. She should have just climbed out the damn window. Stupid, stupid, Carla. She cursed to herself inside her head as her eyes started to peek open.

Just as she was starting to focus on the woman before her, she could hear Ethan’s voice. The male Voice made her let go of the rack and stumble back up a few stairs before falling on his ass, one of the stairs wedging into her back, making her wince. She could hear the two talking to each other. Kim now had the rack in her hand, and Carla was weaponless. She watched the woman, who was tall, pretty and scary looking. In the moment of panic Carla had let herself forget all she thought was a dream from before, and Kim’s face was once again a total stranger.

Ethan started to pass by Kim and start towards the stairs, that half ass fear that she had turned into true fear. The way he was talking didn’t help Carla’s state of mind either, as she screamed again, pushing herself against the wall opposite to him, her hands over her head tears in her eyes as her body started to shake. It took her a moment to realize that he hadn’t stopped and that she was holding her breath. Slowly, her hands started to leave her head, parting enough so that she could peek out from her ball like defense form she had created.

She first saw Kim still standing where she had been, her arm bleeding, before slowly looking back up the stairs to see that Ethan was gone. When Kim spoke again, Carla quickly looked back, the panic still in her eyes, her body on edge but her tears had stopped. At first Carla hadn’t realized Kim was talking to her and because of that took her a moment to even really recall what Kim had said. Her eyebrows had pulled together, confusion mixing with the fear on her face. Her lips had also pulled into a small frown her lips pushed tightly together. “wh-what do you mean?” She said at first, but then she really thought about it. It was dark, the smell of dinner in the air. . . why was she just getting up now.

Her arms slowly slipped around to hug her body, her breaths coming in short again. “You-You mean it wasn’t a dream?” She whispered trying not to cry yet again. She was the biggest cry-baby ever. Carla took a moment to herself again, looking back at the pieces she remembered, before glancing up at the woman again. Carla had remembered Kim’s face, feeling slightly safer near her. Her eyes shifted to the floor, “I-I-I’m sorry I hit you.” Carla whispered softly unable to look at Kim when she said it, her voice low almost like a mumble.

When Kim spoke next, Carla finally looked up again, letting her hair fall into her face. With her arms still tight around her body, Carla nodded a little at the idea of food. She was hunger, or she knew she should be. She didn’t feel it but at the same time she did. She thought that may be because of the adrenalin still racing through her blood. As Kim started to walk away, Carla glanced back up the stairs before getting up and pushing to the opposite side of the wall that Kim had gone making sure Kim wasn’t hiding around the corner ready to attack. It took Carla by surprise when the woman had so easily shown her back to Carla, so much trust even after. . . Carla had attacked her.

Hearing Ethan at the top of the stairs, Carla quickly raced after Kim, her steps quick and almost soundless. Her eyes flickered around trying to recall the house but failed. She bite her lip a little as she got into the kitchen and made sure that her back was facing a wall and she could see all exits. When Ethan came into the room to give Kim the towel Carla had pushed herself into the corner, trying to make herself as small as possible. Carla’s eyes were flickering back and forth from Ethan to Kim much like a wild animal looking for an exit. Carla could see that Kim had made up two bowl of soup, it smelled good and made her tummy rumble. Her hands touched her tummy in a slight embarrassment.

When Kim spoke again, Carla snapped her head up a little before relaxing. She bite her lip and looked to the floor again. “Umm.” She started off before glancing at Ethan wanting him to disappear. .. then again it may be better to have an eye on him. She fought in her head for a moment, before shaking her head to herself, she most likely looked a little crazy. “Umm.” She started again before swallowing. “I-I’m not sure.” She whispered. “It’s all. . . mixed up and. Er. . . “ She took a deep breath. “Like a dream.” She said knowing that by asking herself if this was real or not usually meant it was, because who the hell was badass enough to know when they were really dreaming.

Her eyes finally flickered back to look at Kim. “Your face.” She said softly, kind of out of the blue, but to Carla it seemed like she was telling Kim that she remember her face. “The cold. . . chains. . .rotten teeth. Umm.” She said starting to list things her body starting to shake a little from the impact of the memories, it wasn’t until she whispered “Hale” the last words that made her start to cry again. She started to slip to the floor still in the corner putting herself into a small ball again. “I-I-I don’t understand!” She sobbed, her face pressed into her knees her arms crossed over top of them as if trying to totally hide herself.

Kim was surprised by the fact that Carla started screaming again just because Ethan walked towards her to go up the stairs, and Ethan rolled his eyes about it as he complained walking up the stairs. The poor girl was so scared and Kim felt so badly for Carla, she had made a point never to actually hate the people she had to give money to for the family as the bookie. Though Liz had done enough to cause Kim to break her own rule, if she wasn’t just the brain of things, if she was the muscle or the head of the family, that woman wouldn’t even be alive…….okay no, Kim could never kill someone maybe just beat her into the place she belonged.

”I mean that I told you this morning when I brought you here, that I didn’t want to hurt you.” She told her voice a soft coo, she didn’t want Carla to be afraid of her, that wasn’t why she bought her. Kim shook her head frowning when she if it was a dream, she seemed on the verge of crying again and Kim watched her sadly. As much as she wished to climb the stairs and wrap her arms around the girl, she didn’t want to frighten her even more. ”It’s fine mia carissima, I understand you are afraid…I have been hit by worse.” She answered keeping her same soft tone, a slight smile creeping onto her lips. It likely was foolish to turn her back to Carla by she knew enough from when she had helped Kim, that Carla wouldn’t hit her again. It also helped that Kim had a gun strapped to her leg under her dress.

In the kitchen Ethan brought her a towel for her arm and Kim muttered a grazie to him smiling, there really wasn’t any reason for Carla to be afraid of Ethan. He had no interest in the woman and he was checking the wound on Kim’s arm, which turned out to be just a deep scratch after the blood was gone. She noticed the fact that Carla looking at Ethan before starting to answer her question, the fact that it felt like a dream wasn’t a surprise though, and the men had drugged her with drugs and Kim was unsure of what they used. It would be hard to figure it out without asking them, and Kim did not want to go back to ask them either.

Carla said she remembered her face which despite her trying not to, it caused her to blush slightly and she looked away as Ethan raised an eyebrow smirking. Kim listened quietly as Carla told her what she remembered, she didn’t know who Hale was though and Ethan cleared his throat. ”I’m sorry but that was my…you called me this Hale person.” He said softly to her, she had called him Hale before she realized he wasn’t and tried to hit him. He really was trying to help though it likely wouldn’t.

Carla was on the fall in the corner, crying, in a ball and it broke Kim’s heart slightly, she took a deep breath before looking at Ethan. (Italian) ”Why don’t you leave so we can talk Ethan?” Ethan nodded his head slowly, before turning and walking out of the kitchen to the living room to his bowl and watching TV. After he was gone Kim took the two bowls putting and spoon in each before slowly walking over to Carla. ”Please, stop crying Carla. And I will explain, but please hear me out all the way, okay?” She said softly as she sat on the floor in front of her a little ways, and pushed the bowl to her slightly, she took a bite of her own soup looking at her. She didn’t know if Carla would think something was wrong with the soup in her site of mind, by both bowls came from the same pot.

”Your cousin Liz, you are aware that she owes the wrong people money right?” She started slowly, she didn’t know if Carla knew this or not, she didn’t know if she lived with Liz because she hadn’t seen Carla answer the door when she came to collect. ”I would like to assure you that my brothers had nothing to do with what happened. The Grasso’s do a lot of things, but we don’t kidnap people for our money. Your cousin had you kidnapped so she could sale you for the money. When I came to collect she told me she would have the money tonight, and told what she had done. I bought you before those other…..sick bastards could.” She said shaking her head her voice becoming darker a bit at the end, before she took a deep breath and ate some more soup.

As she sat on the stairs pressed up against the wall, scared and confused, Carla listened to Kim. She had been here this morning? She tried to focus on the memories from what she had thought were dreams, but they were mixed together and blurry. When Kim said something about being hit by worst, it made Carla wonder. What hit her? Who hit her? Who the hell was this woman? Had Carla said her name that way? Why couldn’t. . . Carla remember anything. She took in a deep breath through her nose and slowly let it out through her mouth. The breath dragged before she repeated a few times.

Once she had calmed enough, Kim had started to move into the kitchen and Carla had followed. Hesitantly, with wonder, only to hurry after her with the sounds of the monster coming down the stairs. At first when she had gotten to the kitchen, she lingered awkwardly between the table and the island counter which Kim was standing on the other side of. With the inclosing sound of Ethan’s footsteps and soon appearance, she hurried over into the corner in fear. Quickly she was on the floor trying to box herself into a safety net. She had done this at home, even more so when Hale was no longer around. She didn’t want to get hurt again. She needed a safe place.

With eyes on Ethan, and a good distance, she started to finally list off t he things she remembered. When Ethan spoke, her body tensed, her eyes looked ready to pop out of her head in fear, her whole body started to shake, despite the fact she was clinging to her knees to the point her knuckles were turning white. It was then that Kim started to speak in a different language. It just worried Carla more, as she held her breath. She could feel her heart beat in her ears. He moved slowly from the room, and it wasn’t until he was out of sight that she remembered to breath. Panting a little her eyes shot around the room to double check there wasn’t another way for him to grab her. She had to also remind herself that this wasn’t a horror movie, he wasn’t about to push through the dry wall and grab her.

It wasn’t until Kim started around the island that Carla snapped out of her thoughts. She watched the woman carefully, seeing the two bowls of soup. At first Carla pushed a little more into the corner, but Kim carefully sat at a distance, pushing one bowl towards Carla. At first Carla didn’t move, watching Kim and then looking back to the bowl close to her feet. She could smell the food, it made her mouth water and her tummy grumble again. She blushed a little as she lowered her face into her knees for a moment before wiping away her tears quickly.

At first Carla hadn’t responded to Kim in any way before glancing around the room again to double check for Ethan. Once she was happy with the setting, she nodded to Kim a little before losing her grip around her legs one hand hesitantly reaching for the bowl before she pulled it closer. At first she awkwardly held the bowl in one hand before switching hands because of the heat before frowning and putting onto the floor again. In her curled up position this wasn’t going to work. She looked to Kim for a moment without a word before slowly and very awkwardly shifting in her corner so her legs were crossed. She didn’t like being so open, or unable to get up quickly if she needed to run, but damn was she hungry and the soup smelled so good.

Before Kim could start to explain things to Carla, she picked up the soup again and rest it in her lap before peeking up between her bangs with her brown eyes guarded. “Wh-What kind of soup? It. . . smells good.” She said softly, a small blush on her cheeks before she stirred the soup a little, seeing the noodles and what she thought was chicken and spices mix around in the yellow broth. Picking up a spoon full, a noodle running off the spoon and splashing back into the broth she blew a little on the spoon before trying a little. It was really good. Better then what the chef made at the diner and he made really good soup. “It’s good.” She said softly.

With that Carla finally let Kim start. Liz was the first thing brought up, Carla went to speak but closed her mouth and nodded her head. Carla knew Liz owed money to a mob family in town, she didn’t know what one or how she had gotten mixed up in it, but she knew about it. When Kim brought up her brothers, Carla frowned, her eyebrows almost coming together as her hands rested on either side of the bowl. She started to shake her head a little when Kim had said that Liz had gotten her kidnapped. So that meant the kidnapping was real, the. . . the back room was real, the clothing was real. She could feel her chest tighten a little. She gripped the bowl a little tighter. Silent tears started again, she tried to wipe them away but her hands were shaking too much, so she moved the bowl to the floor again and leaned her head against the corner, opening her air way as she took in a few slow calming breaths.

Once she calmed herself down again, she started to shake her head. “No. . . No. Liz couldn’t do that.” She paused and pulled her knees back up out of habit. “We’re family. . . all that each other have.” She whispered the last part. She paused again, looking at the ground as her mind went back over what the Kim had said. “So. . . you’re. . . you’re like the daughter of the mob boss?” She asked confused, but a question she really need the answer of. There was no way in hell Carla herself was getting mixed up with the mob, even more so the main family. “Where’s Liz?” She said starting to stand up thinking she needed to find her. She was ready to run for the door to find Liz. “Liz! Liz!” She called out panic in her voice.

Ethan wasn’t helping, he really was trying, but he was only making it worse, and Kim could quickly tell that he was scaring Carla even more. So she sent him away, back to the living room, she hadn’t needed his help in the first place really. It was a strange turn on how things usually worked, despite the fact that Ethan was the muscle, Kim was one with the brains which was the reason she was the one most people were afraid of. She was the only daughter of the boss and handled the money, she had been power than any woman in the city that dealt with crime should. Kim was quite able to act like the crazy mob daughter when it came down to it being needed, though most the time she stayed quiet it was much easier to intimidate that way.

Once Ethan left the woman seemed to calm down, if only a little bit. However she was looking around like she thought Ethan was going to get her. What was this fear she had of Ethan? Did she have it of all men? It had been two years since she saw her, had Carla been like that than, and Kim just didn’t notice? Or was this new? Had something happened since then? Maybe if Carla knew the truth about Ethan it would help, but then again he didn’t want anyone to know. Hell even her father thought they were together and if the truth came out, he could get kicked out of the family, mobsters didn’t last long when kicked out of the family and she couldn’t protect both him and Carla. Despite what everyone believed, she only had the power over the money, not the actual business.

Still Kim didn’t want to make her afraid of her as well, the poor woman had been through a lot over at least the last few hours. As Kim had brought her here this morning and it was almost dark, it had probably been at least twelve hours, give or take a few. She made sure to give Carla some space, sitting on the floor was more about being on the same level as Carla so that she wasn’t intimidating her. If she had continued to stand where she was bigger than Carla, she would seem scarier. It was the same reason she spoke softly and started to eat the soup before her. She was trying to gain Carla’s trust the right way, maybe if she could before her cousin came, it would be a little easier to gain completely.

She waited quietly for Carla to answer her with her nod before trying to think of how to start the very conversion; it was very different from her usual ones, which had with the people who actually owed her money. Then she could threaten to take something as collateral like an animal or something priceless to them. Other times she would threaten to let her father and brothers step in and handle things the way they did. But with Carla it was not the same in anyway, and so it took a bit more thought.

Kim smiled as Carla picked the soup again and started stirring it. ”It’s italian chicken noodle, family recipe.” She answered before nodding as Carla said that it was good. ”Grazie Carla, it should help you feel better.”

Kimberly explained what had happened to get her here, that Liz had sold her in order to get the money that she owed her family, and she sat quietly eating as she watched her reaction. Yet again Carla stared to cry, Kim hated the fact that she was making her cry so much, it was almost painful for her to watch. What was worse was that she couldn’t comfort her. When she commented that Liz wouldn’t do such a thing because they were family, Kim pursed her lips and sighed looking down at her. ”Carla, caro. Don’t you think that if I was to lie to you, it would be about my family?” She asked her voice having the same sarcastic tone as when she was annoyed. She could understand why she didn’t want to believe her, but Kim was actually telling Carla the truth.

She nodded looking up at Carla’s question. ”Yes my father is the mob boss.” She answered her softly, only to frown when asked where Liz was. Did she think that just because Kimberly had her, she would take Liz as well? That was ridiculous she wasn’t one to kidnap people just for money. ”Carla I don’t….” She started softly before Carla stood up and started screaming out Liz’s name in panic. ”Carla calm down, now! I do not have your cousin. She is likely still in her little apartment. You will see Liz when she comes to give me the money for my books.” She said with authority thickly laced into her voice. She wanted to be easy with Carla but her panic was making it hard, she needed to take control of the matter before Carla freaked out and found something else to hit her with.

It was very much how one would need to deal with a child. Carla would never notice it, but an outsider looking in would see, Kim had become the mother and Carla the child. Carla had been this way with her brother as well, but if she hide, he was usually trying to get her to come out before hugging her until she felt better again. He’d even make them hot chocolate with marshmallows in them, if they fought Hale would come the next day with fast food of some sort. It was his way of doing things.

Italian chicken noodle, she had never heard of anything like that before. She took another bite of it, feeling the warmth pour down into her body, putting her a little more at ease. The corner of her lip turned up just ever so slightly as she spoke. “I shouldn’t be worried about it being drugged right?” She let out a weak laugh before taking another sip. It had been a joke what she said, having noticed the bowls came from the same pot, Carla may not always be in her right mind or trusting, but she was very observant, obsessively in fact.

As Kim started to re-explain things to Carla she moved her bowl aside, and started to break down. She noticed when she said Liz couldn’t do that to Carla, that Kim pressed her lips together, a flicker in her eye. It was an emotion that most people wouldn’t see, it wasn’t annoyance or anger, but something untitled but has qualities of the two. When Kim spoke, Carla looked down at her soup again, trying to distract her eyes as she clung to herself. “I-I-I don’t know. I. . . I don’t know you or your family.” She said. “bu-but Liz wouldn’t do that. I know she wouldn’t.” Carla said whispering to herself. It was as if she was trying to convince herself of the reality she had created in her mind rather than face the truth before her.

Carla was starting to feel uneasy before Kim, she wanted to back up away from Kim, create more space, but now Carla realized she was trapped. Carla was starting to believe that the woman was being friendly to try and get into Carla’s head and play her, well in reality she was annoyed and hateful that she had to deal with this worthless piece of shit just so she could get some money out of Liz. So she asked about Kim’s boss and well her father. If the mob was anything like those in movies and well. . . what her brother had told her, they were not nice people. They can appear it, but deep down inside they were cruel killers with a sick sense of humor. It made a shiver run through her body.

So Carla started to panic, she needed to save Liz, she’d have to be here. This was after all just a show to get what they wanted. So when she got up and started to call out for Liz, she froze just a step pass Kim. Kim’s voice was harsh, the idea of harm would come to Carla if she didn’t listen. After all that was how they got their way right? After about a moment of standing there in a slight run stance she turned around and slowly walked back to her spot and sat down. She pulled her knees up to her chest as she had done before, leaving her soup on the ground where she had placed it. “I-ah-“ Carla didn’t know where to start, her head was starting to hurt with what she had been told and what she believed. What should she ask next? What should she say. “Wh-when is she coming? Liz, I mean.” She finally said knowing with that answer she may know if she could leave. First Carla wanted to make sure Liz was safe, and two she just wanted to run, run as far from here as she could. If anything was true here, she knew she was really dealing with the mob. It was starting to look like a thing that ran in the family.

Kimberly smirked softly at Carla’s words about the soup being drugged, and shook her head laughing lightly. She explained what had happened, Carla’s words about her cousin was slightly annoying. Why did she think that her cousin wouldn’t do something like that? From what she saw of Liz, she was the perfect example of the greed that came with being able to get ahold of money. So many people thought money was the most important thing you could have.

Kim frowned looking at Carla sadly when she said that she didn’t know her, sure Carla didn’t know the family, but she had talked to her before. She opened her mouth to point out that to the woman, before she repeated that Liz wouldn’t do that to her again. Kim rolled her eyes, the woman was clearly confused on the type of person Liz was, and it was really sad. The things that Carla had been told and had heard might have been true about her brothers. She wasn’t like them though; she wasn’t cruel at all really, if anything she was the softy in the family, taking after her mother.

When she started to ask about her father, Kim shifted uncomfortably on the floor where she sat. ”My father is very extreme. Hopefully you never have to meet him.” She answered her father was the type Carla had heard of. He was cruel and brooding. He tended to find enjoyment out of making the people who crossed the family feel pain, he could be a very sadistic man at times. Whenever Kim wasn’t able to take care of her job, he would happily send her brothers to take care of it. Even though he saw Kim has his little princess, they had an odd relationship and he could be harder on her than her brothers at times.

Carla started to panic and Kim was forced to be harsher and use authority with her, it wasn’t something she enjoyed either. Kim much preferred things to be calm and quiet, when things get out of hand she tended to get very guarded and at times very, very overprotective. She watched Carla carefully as she stopped looking as if she was going to run, though Kim wasn’t really worried, as the door was locked in a way she couldn’t get out of it. Slowly the girl moved back in front of Kim pulling her knees up to her chest yet again. Kim could tell that she had scared the woman again, which was sad really, she had seemed to gain her trust somewhat and now that had been in vain.

She bit her lip slightly watching Carla quietly after she started to say something. Her question was about Liz, and Kim let out a small huff. Was Carla even listening to the words that were said?! She had been sold by the woman, for the money she kept gambling away, that she owed a mob family! Why did she care so much about the family member that sold her? This was useless once she saw her cousin, she would believe her once and for all. ”Your cousin will be coming in the morning, you can sleep in the room you were before, if you want. You look like you are still tired, I hadn’t thought you would wake up already.” She answered, her voice returning from the hasher annoyed tone, to it’s normal soft coo at the end of her answer.

Kimberly’s eyes looked down at her in frustration, anger and pity. As if she knew what was good for Carla as if she knew who Carla was. Well she didn’t. It made Carla angry as she sat there scared in the corner, confused and totally alone. She just wanted this nightmare to be over, all she wanted do was go home and snuggle up with Jem and read a good book. A book that could take her away from everything. A place where only happiness could take over her heart. It would be even better if Hale could be there. Only Carla knew that she couldn’t go anywhere. She was trapped in the corner, her panic and worry for her cousin made the woman use a tone that scared her. This woman thought she didn’t know Liz, she did of course she knew Liz, she had only been living with her for years. Liz may not be the nicest or even smartest of people, but she would never do something like this.

Carla didn’t say anything for a while after Kim said that Carla could sleep in the rooms he woke up. Why did she stay here? For a while Carla stared angrily at the ground before she spoke without lifting her head, her hair covering her face. “Why do I have to stay here. I want to go home and I want to go home now. You can’t just keep me here.” She said this without raising her voice, yet it was calm and hateful. This was the voice that lived inside her own head, a dark and hateful creature lurking in the voids of her broken soul. She pushed the soup away, she suddenly wasn’t hungry. “I don’t want your pity, you don’t fucking know me.” She said her voice just as cold as before. “You shouldn’t have wasted your time on me, or your money. It would have just given me that push to finally end my pathetic stupid life. If what you said is true, it isn’t like I’d be missed anyways.” She finished her body no longer shaking. She had reached a calm. Almost like all her fears were gone just for a moment. When she could use just that little piece of courage left in her body, before her fears would consume her again.

Carla was starting to make it harder to be caring and easy on her, Kimberly was trying to make the better of what was happening to Carla, by being calm, and she would not seem to take it as it was meant. However of course she felt pity for the woman, this was a normal thing for someone to feel when talking to someone that had just been sold by their own cousin. Kim wasn’t frustrated at Carla, but at Liz, and how heartless she must have been to do something like this. What was worse was the fact that the scared woman sitting in the corner of her kitchen, didn’t want to believe her.

Kim sighed softly as Carla said that she wanted to go home, but she couldn’t of course just up and let Carla go, she had sent family money to save her. Not that the woman even took into account the work that went into getting the money, finding her, and actually winning her. When Carla said she couldn’t keep her here Ethan laughed in the front room, having been listening after the woman screamed out for her cousin. Kim could do whatever she wanted with Carla, seeing how Carla had been bought, by Kimberly, the dirty money. Saying that she owned her though would only make matters worse.

The bowl being pushed made Kim frown deeply looking at the child in front of her, the word childish was the only one that fit her right now as Kim saw it. “You do know me Carla! Maybe not as a member of my family but still. It is not my fault that you do not remember me.” She said as her tone started to raise. What Carla was saying was really upsetting and cold, it was some around what others in the family would have to hear, but not Kim. At the talk of ending her life, Kim had enough, she stood up closing the gap between them quickly and standing in front of her. “I would suggest refraining from saying stuff such as that mio caro. I would hate for one of my brothers to hear that. To rid you of that beautiful flame you have.” She said very soft and calmly, sure she could show her anger, she could scare the woman into submission, but that would only make Carla hate her more.

Kim picked up the bowl beside and moving away to the sink. “Now Carla do as I told you and go to your room, before Ethan feels the need to carry you up there. You will see your cousin tomorrow.” She said sternly as she dropped Carla’s bowl into the sink.

As Carla told Kimberly that she wanted to go home, she could hear Ethan’s voice echo into the room. It was a laugh, Carla’s cheeks flared up into a bright red. However, compared to her usual blush of embarrassment, this was one of anger and frustration. Much like a child, she wanted to throw something across the room at him. Just like she used to do when her brother was annoying her. Her eyes locked onto the arch way to the hallway with anger and hate filling them. She didn’t look away for a long time until she knew he wasn’t going to come in. She hadn’t noticed that he had slipped back towards the room. Then again maybe he had never really left in the first place. “Make him leave.” She said, her tone an order rather than a request at this point. Carla had fallen into a darker place, yet this dark place she was in was much different from the usually one she was within.

After a moment longer, she finally let out a slow breath that she had been unknowingly holding. She looked down at the bowl before her, before looking back towards the hallway, to the bowl and then the hallway again before pushing the bowl away. With her hair now in her face, it created some space between the two. The emotions in the room had flared into a not so nice place. When Kim augured again that Carla knew her, Carla looked up at the woman. “No I don’t! Clearly you think I’m someone else!” She said her tone rising to match that of Kimberly’s. It was then that Carla went on about wanting to kill herself, and Carla quickly realized that she had finally pushed this stranger over the line.

She flinched back into the corner thinking she was going to get hit. However, when she wasn’t she peeked up. Carla was still sitting on the floor, and the woman towered over her. The small distance left out of kindness was gone, making Carla pull herself into an even tighter ball in the corner she had claimed as her own. However, when the woman spoke, it wasn’t that raised tone, it wasn’t a yell or even harsh. It was soft, but that didn’t stop Carla from seeing the true emotions in Kimberly’s eyes. Carla quickly looked towards the door to see if Ethan had come into the room before looking down at her bare feet. She refused to look up at Kimberly again. In truth, Carla was more of a child then an adult despite her age. She never had given herself the chance to really grow up.

Carla couldn’t help but flinch a little when she saw Kimberly’s hand coming down, before realizing it was going for the bowl. She could see the woman’s heels turn before walking away, the clicks of her heels on the tile floor echoing for a moment before the bowl made a rather clunk into the sink. Carla looked sadly at a tile just off to her left, listening to Kimberly’s words. Carla thought about what to do, her mind was racing yet blank all at the same time. It made her head hurt. She let her knees pull away from her chest a bit so she could place her forehead onto her knees to think. She let her eyes closed, letting the darkness engulf her, only the sounds around her keeping her connected to this material world.

She could hear Ethan starting to come into the room her whole body tensed, her eyes flying open before she bolted to the left where the table was sitting. She crawled around the chairs trying to get upstairs without Ethan getting close. Ethan saw this as her trying to get away and tried to cut her off. That only made her panic more, making her knock hard into the chair closest to the corner, making it fall over as she screamed “DON’T TOUCH ME!” Now she was just slightly under the table, and She was crying again, her hands shaking. “I-I-I’m going. Just get out.” She whimpered softly Her eyes were locked onto Ethan’s legs as the two were now opposite of each other. They were facing off.

Kim frowned as Carla told her to make Ethan go away, it wasn’t a request, it was an order and she found that fact annoying. Looking at the hallway she saw that he wasn’t even in the room, but he was in the doorway to the kitchen. With a sigh she flicked her wrist at him, to tell him to go away, before trying to calmly talk to Carla again. Though when she tried to tell the woman that she knew her beforehand, when Carla raised her tone to match hers, refusing her words, it only made Kim madder. “I don’t mistake the face of people I talked to everyday for a week.” She muttered, Kim didn’t forget faces, it was the one thing that made her a perfect bookie. Everyone always tried to say she had the wrong person. The only time she was fooled was with a set of twins, funny thing was she actually had the right person the first time, but they got away by blaming their twin. Her father stepped in and…..it wasn’t very pretty.

Having enough Kim stood over the girl, and though Carla did filch back like she was going to be hit, Kim didn’t touch her. She was usually in more control of her anger than that, to actually hit someone who didn’t deserve it. Her voice was soft and calm as she tried to hide her anger, not knowing that Carla could tell none the less. Kim was trying, she was trying so hard, but Carla was making it so hard to control herself. And so she gave her the warning that Ethan would took her to the bedroom if she didn’t go herself taking the bowl.

She never planned on having Ethan take her, it was an empty threat, though it seemed Ethan didn’t get that was what she was trying to do. Carla didn’t move after the threat, and so Ethan came to take her to the bedroom. In the midst of all the panic that followed, Carla knocked one of the chairs closest to the corner, and as it fell it broke one of the pictures on the wall, as she screamed for him not to touch her. The picture shattered on fell off the floor. “Damn It The Both Of You! Get out of my kitchen!” She yelled angrily over top of them, finally having enough and snapping.

Rushing over she picked the picture up, wiping the glass off of it and holding it close to her heart before standing up. “Kim?” Ethan managed to get out, his tone was worried because Kim never snapped and now she was even crying a little both in anger and over the picture. Though as soon as her name was said, she was screaming angry Italian curse words at him, until he backed out of the room slowly. Leaving her with Carla, quickly she moved to where she was hiding, and pulled the other chairs away from the table. “GO….TO…YOUR…ROOM.” She told her again slowly, all of the calmness, and the softness gone from her voice. It was full of shaky anger now.

A few hours later it was dark, and quiet. Upstairs the window to Carla’s room was the only one that wasn’t nailed down in the top floor of the house. Kim had a fear of people breaking in that was the reason for the card lock on the front door. Ethan was forced to sit outside, in the cold, outside of Carla’s room window to make sure she didn’t get away. As Kim sat in the warm living room reading to herself, gun sitting on the side table.

Outfit

Hearing the picture frame’s glass shatter, the two quickly shot a look over towards the sound, as some glass shot over at Carla cutting her cheek just a little. A faint little red line burned on her cheek as she quickly looked back at Ethan, him still frozen looking at the picture. It had only been a few seconds since the picture hit the floor, before Kimberly’s voice boomed through the kitchen, Carla tensed just as Ethan did. The two were now watching Kimberly as her heels clicked quickly across the floor before she reached down to the picture frame. Carla wasn’t sure who she was more afraid of at the moment. The monster on the other side of the table or the she-devil mob boss daughter that was pretty ready to kill the both of them. Carla was pretty sure in that tight dress that Kimberly didn’t have a gun, but maybe being killed in other means was worst.

Ethan was the first to speak, making Carla cover her head shaking again, as the anger within the thin tall woman was unleashed on her bodyguard. Carla was the type of person to freeze in the sight of danger. She was like a mouse trapped in the corner, the cat just waiting for her to make the move and send her through hell. Hearing the chair move the moment Ethan was gone, Carla shrunk back into the other chair away from Kimberly as she was screamed at again. She looked up at Kimberly crying as well before nodding with fear taking over her whole body. She quickly crawled around the table and ran at full speed, her steps soundless as she only made the stairs groan a little before she opened a few doors and closed them before finding her room and closing the door quickly. She blinked a few times before pushing over a dresser in front of the door.

She slipped to the floor, taking in sharp shallow breaths as she hyperventilating, the cut on her cheek now leaving a small trail of blood down her cheek. Carla felt like she was going to die.

~~~

It took almost two hours for Carla to calm down, she fell asleep laying on the floor just before the dresser she pushed in front of the door, the lights had never been turned on. She wasn’t sure what time it was when she woke up stiff and in pain. She groaned a little trying to work out the stiffness in her neck before rolling her shoulders and arching her back. She reached up to her cheek and touched it trying to remember what happened to her. She forgot the cut on her cheek as she tried to rub off the crusted blood on her cheek before breaking the seal and the blood touched her fingers. It was then that she recalled being cut and finally stood up. She turned on the light, and turned to the mirror in the room before looking around the room to find something to clot the blood again. She found some tissue and held it to her cheek as she sighed sitting on the bed. She looked around the room, quiet for a long time.

When she finally noticed Ethan sitting outside her window, she screamed a little and rushed to the other side of the room watching him roll his eyes grumpily before looking away again. It took her a bit to get herself calm again. She looked around the room just thinking, her mind racing with too many things to count. She finally decide she was going to try and break out of this house. She threw her bloody tissue on the bed and struggled with the dresser as she pushed it across the floor, it loudly echoing it’s way downstairs.

Sighing a little when the dresser was out of the way, she peeked out the door a little, knowing Ethan was watching her. She looked back at him with a matching cold look. “I have to piss, I’ll be more then welcome to do it on the bed asshole.” She said wondering if he could hear her or not. He still looked at her his eyes a little narrow before she sighed and pushed her knees together and held her hands over her lady bits and did a dance. He struggled not to smile and pointed towards the bathroom before looking away. Carla smirked. “Sucker.”

Little did she know that every room but her own was reinforced with bars on the windows, and an odd board system. Carla was almost ready to give up and just cry again, when she realized the woman from before wasn’t up here. So slowly she went towards the stairs to see a light beaming from the living room right next to the front door. Surely there was another way to get out of here. Sadly Carla found out after walking around the main floor that she was fucked. She was just about to tip toe towards the door and try and get away, when she narrowed her brown eyes. There was another one of those card things that hotels had on the front door too. She really was a prisoner. Seeing that her only hope of getting out was that window upstairs she started to cry softly.

She just stood there staring at the door, all the weight of her problems and events of the last two days crushing her. She heard a page of a book flip over again, finally snapping herself out of it making her tip toe towards the living room and peeking in. Her eyes widened at the sight of the gun. She looked back at Kimberly who looked far too into her book to have noticed Carla there. She knew that by now Ethan would have wondered where Carla was, just before Kimberly’s phone started to ring. Carla’s eyes went wide and she panicked. She ran into the room clumsily grabbing the gun and pointing it at Kimberly. “Let me go.” She yelled still crying. She was confused, lost, and totally alone.

Okay so maybe she had overacted, she thought as she watch Carla crawl across the floor, around the table, and take off running upstairs. The picture had been one of her and her grandfather, she had copies of the picture, but for some reason it had been the frame breaking that finally set her off. Or maybe it was the fact that, despite the fact that she remembered Carla and was trying to help her. Carla had forgotten about her completely, Kim was used to being easily forgotten, but it still hurt. Even worse of a hurt because Carla didn’t want to believe her. Sighing as she heard the dresser being moved upstairs, she started cleaning by the glass from the picture, she would find a new frame later.

~~~

Hours later Kim heard the dresser being moved upstairs, looking at the ceiling above her head from her book for a moment, before rolling her eyes and looking back at her book. If things hadn’t went the way they did in the kitchen either, Kim might have tried to talk calmly to her again. Though what was the point? She would just panic and start crying again, or push Kim’s buttons again. She hated to admit the fact that yes in some ways she was her father’s daughter. Even if she wasn’t as sick and twisted as her family, she did have a temper; she just worked hard to hide it away.

The girl thought she was alone on the main floor maybe? Carla wasn’t doing the best at staying quiet; Kim could hear her coming down the stairs, and looking around. There was no way for her to get out, without either Kim or Ethan’s key card, or climbing out the window he was watching from outside. So yes, even though she knew Carla was wondering around, she didn’t care. Kim sat quietly reading her book peacefully as Carla looked around for an escape, probably any escape. Soon her phone began to ring though ruining her quiet peace.

Kim looked down at her phone to see that Ethan was calling her, just as Carla came running into the room clumsily and grabbed the gun off of the side table. Kim wasn’t stupid enough to leave an actually loaded gun out in the open. She couldn’t help but smile, looking like a stupid person as Carla pointed the gun at her, yelling at Kim to let her go after a moment her phone stopped ringing and went to voice message. Taking off her black reading glasses and sat the book over to the other side of the couch. Kim looked up at Carla calmly with soft dark green eyes. “No Carla. You see I am trying to be nice, and you are being a rather rude guest.” She answered with a slight teasing tone as she said she was a rude guest.

Slowly she started to sit up, still watching her intently. She could hold a gun pretty well though something told her that if the gun was loaded, Carla would likely shot herself. Kim would have to teach her the right way to hold a gun, though maybe it was because she was panicked, that was likely as well. “Surly you go realize that even if you did force me to let you go at gun point? You wouldn’t get far mio caro. Even if you got past me, there is Ethan. Past him, the police I have in my pocket. And past them…..well trust me you don’t what to know what my father would do if he lost his only daughter.” She said calmly, she wasn’t trying to scare her as much as inform her how things would work.

Standing now right in front her, only inches away, Kim quickly grabbed Carla’s wrists, pressing the gun tip against her chest looking in Carla’s eyes. Kim’s reaction would depend on Carla’s truly. If she pulled the trigger to find it empty, Kim would grab the gun from her, and show the clips in the pocket of her shorts.

Though if Carla didn’t try it pull the trigger, Kim would let one of her hands rub down Carla’s arm gently, lovingly before taking the gun away and muttering the words. “It wasn’t loaded anyway my darling.”

Carla’s grip on the gun was tight and shaky. Her finger hovering over the trigger ready to pull. She stared at Kimberly as she looked up at her. She swallowed, wondering what the hell she was doing. She didn’t even know how to use one of these things. Don’t have a safety or something? Or . .. or if she just pulled the trigger would she blast backwards from the force? Would she even be able to hit the woman before the woman got to her? She didn’t once think about how weird it was that a gun was just laying around with a captive in the house fully loaded.

Carla had been staring at Kimberly’s core just waiting for it to move and try and take the gun back before Carla could kill her, but when nothing happen, Carla’s eyes slowly looked up to Kimberly’s face to see her smiling at her. It just made her panic all the more, she took a step and then another back, as her head quickly looked around wondering if there was someone else waiting to get her. When that didn’t happen, she couldn’t help but slowly glance back at the woman before her. Staring at her confused and scared. Her hands didn’t still once nor did her grip loosen. It was more likely that if Kimberly moved too fast Carla would accidently shoot her in her jumpy state, or worst shot herself like a total fool.

When Kimberly spoke, it made Carla swallow again, a small sweat starting to break out, starting in her palms, as she held the gun with both hands like she had seen in movies, but really she had no idea what she was doing. Carla didn’t even play shooting games, she didn’t know what kind of gun she was even holding. That was more of a guy thing, or a criminal thing. Hale would have known what to do with this gun.

They didn’t look away from each other from a second, their eyes locked on each other’s testing the grounds and see what was too much. Kimberly’s eyes were soft, calm and almost smirking at Carla. Mocking her, however, rather than becoming angrier, she was calmer in a way. It was like Kimberly was her snake charmer. She took another step back the back of her legs hitting something almost knocking her over but she saved herself and broke eye contact for a second. She had almost fallen into a chair before she quickly looked back at Kimberly, to see her just sitting there. “Just let me go.” She said softer, her voice begging, the pain clear in her voice.

When Kimberly started to talk again, her voice was soothing Carla, despite the fact that Carla was now taking in sharp breaths in her nose and letting only half of the breath out again. If she kept that up for too long she was likely to faint. She wasn’t crying anymore, but she wanted to. She was far too in the moment, wrapped in the danger, the rush of holding a gun to let herself cry again. When Kimberly finally stood up Carla forgot the chair was behind her and went to step back into it, making her gasp as she fell back into it. She looked away from Kimberly for a second before quickly looking back. She had almost pulled the trigger in panic as the woman kept getting closer. “Don’t get any closer!” Carla screamed out, her hands shaking even more then they had a second ago. “I’ll shoot! I-I-I really will!” She said.

Her heart was beating so fast, her mind focused on the danger walking towards her, but it seemed like her body had stopped working. Her mind screamed to pull the trigger as Kimberly got only an inch away from her before moving quickly grabbing Carla’s wrist. Carla flinched back feeling her hand pull the trigger as she closed her eyes. When no sound was made, not even a force of a gun going off, she slowly peeked her eyes open, her finger still gripping the trigger tightly. Carla didn’t understand what happened before she slowly peeked up at Kimberly, her face still pale from pulling the trigger. Kimberly then easily got the gun from her grasp, making Carla’s eyes widen before her hands fell to her lap, her whole body frozen in place.

As Kimberly walked away from her, Carla was dazed, her mind blank yet she seemed to talk to herself. She had done it, she really had pulled the trigger. She was going to kill the woman in front of her. Slowly Carla looked down at her hands which were now facing palms up and still shaking. She had started to cry again, as the numbness started to fade just slightly before she reached up to touch her cheeks, before looking back at her finger tips to see the salty tears running down them towards her palms. She opened her mouth to speak but it just closed. It was just then that the door opened. Carla didn’t even flinch. She couldn’t believe she had pulled the trigger.

The girl seemed to maybe calm a bit though she almost fell back into the chair behind her, causing her to break eye contact for just a second. It was kind of funny to watch the panicked girl try to save herself from falling, if she wasn’t so worried about the girl hurting herself when braking the fall, Kim would have laughed. Kim slowly shook her head no once more when Carla said to let her go again, this time it wasn’t as much of an order this time as a beg. Softly she explained how things would work out if the girl forced her to let her go, let alone at gunpoint.

Slowly Kim got up and walked towards, watching the shaky way she held the gun finger on the trigger. She didn’t even notice the whole in the bottom of the handle where the clip was supposed to be. Kim couldn’t help but smile just a little as she fell down in the chair unable to catch herself this time. She said that she would shoot Kim, though it didn’t stop her from continuing walking towards her, if she didn’t know the gun wasn’t loaded she would be worried.

Carla pulled the trigger! She actually pulled the trigger on Kim, in her panic. Kim grabbed the girl’s wrist, pressing the tip of the 9mm pistol against her chest, and Carla pulled the trigger! It was a complete surprise that she had actually done it, here this woman was playing like she was weak. Still she had the guts to almost shot the daughter of the Grasso mod boss. Even though she knew it wasn’t even loaded, Kim flinched back slightly as the trigger was pulled.

When Carla looked up at Kim, her eyes were wide in shock. Kim quickly and easily took the gun from the girl’s hands, looking at the gun for a moment before pulling the clip out of her the pocket of her sleeping shorts, pushing into the gun so it was loaded. She held the gun comfortably in one hand the one far from Carla. The door opened and Ethan came into the house, making sure to close the door behind him. His eyes looked over Carla sitting in the chair, staring at her hands, before looking over at Kim.

(Italian) “What the hell happened? I tried to call you!” Ethan said looking at Kim angrily, for all he knew something had went wrong and Kim was somehow killed by this girl. She could have gotten the clip from Kim, her stabbed her with a knife. Who knew what kind of crazy girl Kim had brought home with her this time. If she was killed, than it would be his fault, he would be the one punished for what happened to her.

“Carla tried to shot me with my own empty gun.” Kim answered him in English not wanting to keep what was being said about her. Kim’s eyes were wild with excitement when she looked back at Carla, and she laughed not even upset about it. “God wasn’t that a rush! I’ve always wondered what it would feel like to have a trigger pulled on me! Oh I can only imagine what it would be like to actually be shot!” Kim said her excited tone almost becoming squeaky she clapped her hands lightly, more than likely she seemed insane. Though Kim had never been shot, and the only times she used her gun was for target practice and protection.

Ethan cleared his throat crossing his arms where he stood beside Carla’s chair, making Kim look over at him. She frowned looking at him for a moment, before straitening up and clearing her own throat. “You can go sit back outside now Ethan.” She told him, watching him roll his eyes, he clearly was tried but Kim didn’t care, she was mad at him.

As he opened the door, Kim pointed her gun at Carla, just to make sure she didn’t run out. “Stay!” She said rather dominantly, though she lowered her gun as the door locked again. “You were easier to talk to when you were drugged. I knew all along that weak little girl act you had going was just a part caro. Though I must admit that was fun, do you feel better after shooting me? Should I empty the gun? So you can do it again? Is that what I most do to gain trust?” Kim asked her sitting back down on her couch, she wasn’t joking either, as she started to pull the clip out once more. She looked at Carla questionably before sliding the empty gun to her again.

Carla had snapped. Her mind blank as she stared at her hands. She had really pulled the trigger, she was going to kill someone. Carla knew that if the gun really had been loaded she would have most likely killed herself in the next few days from the guilt. She had promised Hale to stay out of trouble and now look. . . at what she had done. In her horrified stare at her hands, she didn’t reach the gun be loaded with the bullets, or the door opening with a beat as Ethan rushed in. She didn’t flinch or even look up at him. Even as he yelled at Kimberly in a different language.

It was only when Kimberly finally said her name that Carla looked up at Kimberly, her hands still shaking, held awkwardly up in the air. Carla shifted just slightly to see Ethan in the doorway, he clearly wasn’t happy, but Kimberly’s voice quickly pulled back her attention. The woman was fucking mad. She was high off Carla shooting her. It still hadn’t really clicked that the woman had both mad a fool of Carla and had tested. “You are fucking crazy!” Carla finally yelled a mixture of disbelief and horror in her voice.

It was then that Ethan could be heard beside her making Carla quickly scramble from the chair and falling rather awkwardly on the floor. Her head shot back and forth between the two not sure which one was a better choice to deal with. An evil creature or a fucking insane person. She was almost starting to lean towards dealing with Ethan when he was told to go outside. Carla reached up towards him in panic of being left alone with Kimberly. But she didn’t move fast enough and the door slammed on his way out, leaving her alone with the mad woman. Carla had stared at the door for a moment wishing Ethan would come back before she slowly peeked over at Kimberly from her spot on the floor. A place she seemed to be spending a lot of time.

She swallowed looking at the crazy woman with a gun. Her heart started to race as her palms started to sweat. Was this woman going to shoot her now? Or was she just going to play games with Carla until she begged to killed. Her small hands curled into tiny fists along the wooden floor. It was then that the gun lowered and Kimberly started to speak. It was a rush of questions just making Carla shake her head. “You are fucking crazy!” She said harshly before she really looked at the woman before her. Carla instantly blushed and looked away. She was hardly dressed! Who the hell even wore those kind of things! Carla was the type of girl that wore boys underwear and nude colour bras. Nothing fancy or sexy, there was no need to . . . to have anything like that. There was no need to impress anyone. In fact Carla had never had a relationship.

Carla swallowed again, trying to think of what to say, she should answer one of those questions but all she could think of was there was a crazy woman in front of her, with hardly any clothing on. “Could you put some clothing on.” She said quickly and rather quietly just blushing all the more. Her hair by this point had fallen into her face a little, but she knew that Kimberly must have seen Carla blush before she looked away. Carla’s heart was pounding for a whole different reason now.

Kim smiled a little and shrugged when Carla called her fucking crazy. Yes she was a little crazy, she wasn’t going to argue with the fact that was true. She watched the woman fall out of the chair when Ethan brought her attention back to the correct way to act. Even Ethan looked down at her with a slight annoyed look on his face from Kim. Whenever he was around the girl seemed to send more time on the floor wide eyed than anyone else he had ever met. When Kim told him to leave though he grumpily rolled his eyes, leaving the two women alone in the house, though if he had saw Carla reaching for him, Ethan likely would have stayed.

When the door finally locked back, Kim lowered the gun, looking at the panicked girl in front of her. She of course wasn’t going to shoot her, the gun was just a way to keep Carla from running out the door and getting away. Her tone was soft as she blurted out question after question, it was the way she always was though. She always burred out questions as quickly as she could, in a family with four brothers, you had to hurry and get what you wanted to say out as quickly as possible. Or else you wouldn’t have them answered.

Once again Carla didn’t answer her questions, and Kim pursed her lips slightly as Carla simply shook her head. Which question was she answering? Was she only simply shaking her head that she wasn’t going to answer? Being called crazy again made Kim smile once more. “I said I wasn’t going to hurt you. I never said that I was sane.” She answered, after all Kim was a Grasso, of course she was a little crazy it ran in the family. Everyone that knew of Kim knew the fact that she was crazy in the least harmful way unless angry.

Of course she saw Carla blush and look away after she looked at her more closely, though at first she didn’t understand why. She never thought about the way she was dressed, she always dressed like this. After wearing tight, uncomfortable, and short dresses all day long these clothes were so much more comfortable. At the request to put on some clothes though Kim smile only widened, as she looked down at herself. So she was what was making Carla blush? Was it strange that knowing she could make the girl blush, was enough to make Kim actually feel good about herself for once?

“Awe but if I put more clothes, than I won’t get to see you blush over me.” She teased Carla smiling and enjoying herself for a moment. Before she shifted just a bit sitting on the couch watching Carla on the floor. “Besides this is actually comfy compared to my other clothes. I don’t want to change. It’s just me and you here, and I don’t mind you checking me out.” She added even going so far as to flirt innocently with her a little bit. Still she took the black see through robe wrapping it around her body over her shoulders though she didn’t tie it, and it didn’t really cover her front in anyway what so ever, and so it didn’t really help. “You didn’t answer my question Carla, did shooting me make you feel a little better? Does it take me allowing you to do it again to earn your trust, and make you see I don’t want to hurt you?” She asked again, maybe if she could figure out how to earn Carla’s trust, Kim could show her just how much she really did actually care about her.