Hidden Away [Mafioso Book#2]

A young girl with raven black hair and piercing blue eyes stood before her vanity mirror, growing increasingly frustrated as she fumbled with her tresses. With a groan of irritation, she let her hands fall to her sides, staring at her reflection.

Today was a new day at a new school.

A mafia exclusive school to be exact and here she was, attempting to look presentable. It took her a lot to convince her father to allow her twin brother and her to be separate, but that notion came with a loophole. She got separated from her twin brother, only to be enrolled in a Mafia school with her younger brother.

"What happened to your hair?"

Looking over her shoulder the girl caught sight of a tall man in a grey suit standing in her doorway, looking at her in amusement.

"Looks like a bird's nest, " He chuckled, walking towards her.

"Ha-ha, very funny, dad, " She grumbled in distaste, allowing her father to turn her towards the mirror as she handed him the hairbrush, his 6'3 stature dwarfing her 5'6 figure.

"Let me guess, Serafina, " He brushed the tangles out of her hair. "You tried making a braid, "

"You know how horrible I am with those, "

Her father only laughed as he parted her hair in three and braided them with deft fingers before tying the end, tossing it over her shoulder to be at the front.

"Thanks, " Serafina murmured, playing with the ends of her tresses.

"You're welcome, " Her father placed a kiss atop her head. "Come on down, everyone is waiting for you, "

She nodded, watching him walk away in the mirror before she halted him by calling out to him.

"Hey, dad?" She turned to be facing him, her father standing in the doorway. "Do I look fine?"

"You look beautiful, " He assured before heading out the door.

Serafina smiled to herself before pulling on her gladiator pumps and cardigan, picking up her backpack from the floor and heading out her room and down the stairs, towards the dining room where her mother, father and two brothers were seated and eating.

"Morning, " She called out, placing a kiss on her mother's cheek and ruffling her twin's hair in good nature as he grumbled something under his breath before she settled beside her younger brother.

"Are you two excited about your new school?" Their mother inquired with her infamous dimpled smile.

"Oh! I can't wait to get rid of her!" Her twin, Salvatore, jabbed his thumb in her direction.

"Really? Because last I remember, I was the one who insisted our schools be separated, " she taunted, Marco chuckling beside her as Salvatore's blue eyes glared at her from across the table as Serafina stuck out her tongue to him.

"Salvatore, Serafina, " Their mom reprimanded. "Be nice, "

Once the two had settled down, their parents sighed, shaking their head at their children.

"You two don't need us coming along, do you?"

"They're 17, Rosa, " Their father spoke up with a chuckle. "I'm sure they can manage just fine on their own. Get a taste of independence. For once."

"But, Arcangelo-"

"-No 'but', Rosalie. The bird has to leave the nest sooner or later, like Arsenio. And I'm sure in 2 years' time they would follow their brother's footsteps by not only leaving the nest but the forest as well, "

"Don't remind me, " Rosalie grunted at the thought. "But they're not only my birdies, they're your's as well, "

"I should never have let you spend time with Alyna." Their father groaned. "This arguing back is all her doing."

"I'm not arguing. I'm just stating the facts here, Mr. Regnante."

"Are you seeing this?" Arcangelo gestured to his wife, not looking up from the newspaper he was reading. "This all your wife's doing. Corrupted my poor little and innocent spouse." Those words had Rosalie flush a deep red as she stared at her husband with an open mouth.

Looking up, the three of us noticed a man with dirty blonde hair and freckles leaning against the doorway, rolling his misty green eyes at the man's antics. Neither one of them having heard the man enter.

"She was your sister before she was my anything." Vincent chuckled as he high-fived the three in greeting. "So technically speaking, it's your sister's fault, and not my ex-wife's."

"Okay!" Arcangelo intervened. "Vincent, we have work to do. Rosa, sweetheart, you had some errands to run. And you three, are late for school. So hurry it up."

Realizing that he was right, the twins hurried to finish their breakfasts as Salvatore was the first one out the door. Saying farewell to everyone before dashing out the door, followed by his guards. Serafina was less rushed as her school was comparatively closer than the one Salvatore choose, but the look of unease on Marco's expression reminded her that she wasn't the only one and he was getting late.

"Should we follow you like 'lost puppies' or do you want us to be stationed outside?" Serafina's guard, Sean, asked with a teasing smile.

"For heaven's sake. Please stay outside." She groaned. "Because of you two showing off your guns, I can't make friends!"

"Hey, we're the good guys here." The other man, Alberto, defended in mock offense.

"Please. You two work for the Mafia. And you're the good guys? Irony at its finest, don't you think?" Serafina taunted with a scoff as her younger brother laughed beside her.

The remainder drive resumed on in silence, soon halting in front of a large red-bricked building that looked like it had been standing for a few years with its slightly old look, but otherwise, it seemed relatively new. Stepping out of the car, Serafina gave a quick wave to my guards, who told her to just text them if need be.

Hoisting her bag over her shoulder, she glanced towards Marco who offered his signature lopsided grin.

"Don't worry, you'll do great. Plus everyone here is very nice." He assured since they would be parting ways. Nodding to his words Serafina took a calming breath and walked inside.

The hallways were crowded with teenagers of all age and size. Looking around her, she found that no one was paying her any mind as she found her way to the reception. Greeting the lady seated behind the desk; introduced herself as Serafina, the woman taking out a folder with her schedule, locker number and key. Handing it over, she took the direction from her before venturing out to find her first class

Placing all the unneeded books into the locker, she closed it shut before making her way inside the classroom, being one of the few students that loitered around.

No soon had she taken a seat, her phone buzzed to life in her sweater's pocket. Taking it out she read the concerned message of Alberto, who was inquiring if everything was alright and if they had to knock out a few teeth from a guy who was messing with her. It had Serafina laugh out loud before she clamped a hand over her mouth, uncertainly glancing around to see if anyone was watching her. Her tense shoulders relaxed since everyone was busy with their own things. Exhaling, she typed back a response, assuring him that everything was alright and that nothing has happened since her first class hadn't even begun.

Slowly, more and more students trickled in and took a seat, the one next to her was still vacant. She didn't mind since she was busying trying to assure her mother hen that everything was fine and that her class is starting soon. The bell ringing had Serafina jump in alert and place a hand against her chest, feeling the heart beating in overdrive.

A sound of someone' chuckling beside her redirected her attention to the guy watching her with an amused smile.

"Hi." He spoke in a deep voice, Serafina looking at him with a scrutinizing gaze. "I'm Paolo."

"Serafina, " She spoke uncertainly, shaking his outstretched hand.

He was relatively cute, with light brown hair and hazel eyes and an angular face. He seemed harmless enough and didn't make Serafina feel on edge.

"You're new here, right?" Paolo asked quietly as the teacher spoke in the front.

"Yeah, my first day here, "

"Cool." He nodded. "May I show you around and stuff?"

"Show me around?" She inquired with an amused smile and a raised eyebrow. Was he flirting?

"And stuff." He added with a cheeky grin. Of course, "and stuff".

"Sure."

"Cool." He nodded before turning back to the board.

The class went on with him cracking jokes under his breath as Serafina tried hard not to laugh at him. He was actually quite funny and she began to like him. Once the class finished, they compared their schedules and realized they had most of the classes together beside a few. Paolo showed her around, telling her that he had been in this school for a while and knew everyone in here.

He greeted everyone he passed and a lot of them asked him about her. She even noticed a few girls look at her with a glare as she just raised an eyebrow in their direction or ignored them while listening to Paolo give a tour around the campus.

He was right beside her through most of the classes they had together and walked her to the next class before heading off for his own. She had photography while he had business.

Serafina had lunch break after this class and found herself making quite a few friends, especially in photography. A petite girl sat next to her and shared a lot of common interests. Stepping out of the class with a laugh, Serafina was surprised to find Paolo standing outside and waiting.

"Hey, Serafina. Sorry, gotta leave you hanging." Mia apologized. "But my boyfriend is waiting for me there."

"Oh! Sure. Totally alright, " She assured. "And besides, Paolo seems to want to give me company."

Mia laughed at that, as she waved farewell before making her way down the hall. Serafina walked over to an enthusiastically grinning Paolo before inquiring about her class. She informed him that she enjoyed it and found the school to be nice and that the people very sweet too. He was glad to hear that as his smile broadened.

They walked to the cafeteria, talking about mundane matters as he led them over to a table with his close friends.

As they approached Serafina noticed that she had seen these people either in her classes or walking around the hall.

"Hey, Paolo?" One of the guys called out. "Who's the cutie next to you?"

His comment had Serafina's cheeks adorn a light shade of pink as I introduced myself, all of them introducing themselves in turn. Settling between Paolo and another girl, named Bella, they all got or know each other better while eating. Halfway through, Serafina felt like she was being watched and looked up to see Fransisco staring at her with curiosity.

"What?" She asked him as he gave a sheepish smile in response.

"Sorry." He apologized. "Paolo, don't you think she looks a lot like your best friend?"

"I noticed that too." Bella and a few others chimed in confirmation. "She looks almost like him. Just like a cuter and girly version."

"I'm sorry? Who?"

"Paolo has this best friend." Piero, the guys who called me cute, started. "He doesn't study here, but we've met."

"Okay." She nodded for them to continue.

"The thing is, you look a lot like him." Fransisco completed. "And the resemblance is uncanny."

"Oh." Serafina nodded in understanding. "Who is his best friend? Maybe I've seen him or something."

"His name is Salvatore, " Paolo informed slightly hesitant. "Salvatore Regnante."

Instantly she began coughing in shock, Bella patting her back, "Please don't freak out! Yes, he's a Regnante but he is a great guy!" Paolo exclaimed in panic as he thought I was choking about the fact that his best friend was in the Mafia. "He is really sweet and caring and he isn't bad! Please don't freak out!"

Leaning back in her seat, Serafina calmed herself before scrolling through her phone with a scowl. Finding a picture of Salvatore before shoving the screen in front of Paolo's face.

"Him?" She snapped a little too harshly as Paolo winced before his eyes widened at the picture. Serafina shifted the phone around the table as everyone looked down at it in shock, "So...you know him?" Piero asked slowly, hesitant.

"I've known him my entire life." She grumbled in distaste, pushing her food away, having lost her appetite.

"You've known him your entire life?" Paolo asked softly, looking at her with a crease between his brows. "H-how?"

"He's my godforsaken twin brother." She grumbled, hating how they were Salvatore's friends.

"Your-what?!" The entire population of the table exclaimed.

"My twin brother, " Serafina grumbled. "32 minutes and 24 seconds older than me and yes, we are fraternal twins." She narrated the answer to the general questions people tend to ask when they see the twins.

Not wanting to sit around anymore, Serafina grabbed her bag and walked out of the cafeteria.

She didn't know where she was going but knew she needed to walk away for a bit. Suddenly, a hand grabbed her wrist as she whirled around and pulled it out of the grasp, glaring at the person, before calming down seeing as it was Paolo, with concern shining in his eyes

"Hey, you okay?" He asked gently.

"Peachy, " She spat. "Just peachy, "

"What's the matter?" He ran his hands up and down her arm in comfort. "You can tell me."

"This is the very reason I wanted to go into separate schools than Salvatore." Serafina relented dejectedly. "The fact that our friends just end up being the same, pisses me off to no extent because they always happen to be his friend before me. He's always the better one with socializing."

Paolo's chuckled and ruffled her hair, the exact same way Salvatore does when she says something stupid.

"Serafina, " Paolo chuckled. "We can still be your friends. And Salvatore doesn't study with us here. We aren't going to ditch you or something."

"No...It's just....everywhere I go, my twin's shadow is following me." She tried to explain. "Like at home it's the same, and I thought that in school it would be different, but apparently, Salvatore is everywhere."

Paolo laughed and wrapped her in a teddy bear hug before pulling away.

"I'm an only child and trust me when I tell you that it would be awesome to have had a sibling to look after. No matter how annoying or conceited they might seem. Having a sibling is a blessing in itself."

"And I think it's cute how you two have similar taste in people. Safe and secure, " Paolo grinned as Serafina couldn't help but smile at his way of putting things. "So I think you should take it as a compliment that your and Salvatore's friends are the same because I have never met anyone with a better character judgment than your brother."

"There are always two ways of looking at things." Paolo continued. "The good way or the bad way, "

"You should look at things in a good way more often, Serafina. A smile suits you more than a scowl."

"Let's see how stealthy you are, " Salvatore taunted at 1 a.m. at night.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Mom and dad are asleep, " Her twin brother grinned as Serafina yawned sleepily, having been awoken to entertain her brother's whims. "Dad keeps a gun in his bedside table. You will sneak into the room and take the gun, and we'll go to the shooting range for a little practice, "

"At this time? In the dark?"

"It's in the basement, Reena. You should know that." He rolled his eyes in annoyance. "But if you think you don't have a good aim or are not light enough on your feet, then leave it, it will give people something to talk about."

Serafina hadn't even been to her new school for a week when Salvatore decided that he didn't like his school and was transferred to the Mafia one, people instantly recognising the two as they entered and instantly girls flocked around him and their allied Mafia families worshipping her brother since he was the heir to the Regnante Mafia.

Since they were in the same school once more, her brother would just randomly tell someone about something Serafina wasn't good at and instant gossip would spread.

Something, which he was threatening to do just now.

"At least I don't suck at breathed, " She retorted, getting out of bed and jabbing at his asthma, enjoying the way the cocky smile fell off his face and a dark look washed over him.

"I get it, " He shrugged, smirking. "If you think you can take your lack of capabilities out on me, then be my guest, at least I know how to defend myself, "

Pulling a face at him, Serafina pattered across the wooden flooring of her room and onto the marble of the foyer before slowly entering her parents' bedroom, closing the door soundlessly. The room was bathed in darkness, but having been in this room over a thousand times, she knew her way even in minimal lighting.

Arcangelo and Rosalie's steady breathing assured her that her parents were asleep as she maneuvered around the furniture, standing beside her father's side table, she crouched and opened the drawer, wincing at how loud it sounded.

The sound of the sheets ruffling had her freeze with her fingers coiled around the barrel, holding her breath and dreading having to explain the current situation if her father awoke.

Waiting for a second longer, she exhaled slowly before picking up the semi-automatic pistol, nearly gasping out loud at how heavy it was before pressing her lips into a thin line. Slowly getting to her feet, she closed the drawer and exiting the room, the gun in hand and the barrel pointed at the floor as she stepped out, exhaling heavily once the door closed behind her soundlessly.

Hearing her brother's chuckle, she looked up, rolling her eyes to see him leisurely leaning against the wall with his own gun in hand, twirling it in the air as if though it were a toy.

"If you shoot someone, it's on you, " Serafina walked towards him as he pushed himself off the wall, standing 4 inches taller than her 5'7 height.

"The safety is on, " He rolled his eyes in response.

"Is it though?"

Instantly her brother looked down at the gun in concern, Serafina stifling a laugh behind her hand as he glared at her.

"Got you to look, didn't I, "

"Bitch, "

"Jackass, "

Smirking at him, the twins bounded down the stairs, her brother ahead of her, until he jumped down onto the last landing and led her towards a door in the wall. A flight of stairs led them into the basement where they crossed numerous doors housing various facilities behind them before they arrived at their current destination: the shooting range.

The room was like any other indoor shooting range with five targets on either side separated by counters and pillars.

Serafina took the goggles and earmuffs her brother handed her from one of the counters before she watched him stand before a counter. His gun outstretched as he inhaled deeply, fixing his gaze on the target and pulling the trigger with an exhale.

The bang of the gun had her recoil in surprise before her eyes kept closing on their own accord as he shot round after round. By the time he had done the shooting, Serafina suspected that he had emptied the mag before he put down the gun, pressing a button beside him as the target came flying towards them. Serafina watching in awe to see him having shot in the dead center of the target.

"Impressive, " She had to admit before her brother stepped away from the counter to allow her to take his place.

Serafina had never used a gun before, given that her father forbade it, telling her that she wouldn't use a gun until she was 18 - which was a year away - her brothers, on the other hand, went through extensive training of combat, gun use, tracking, and survival.

She found the discrimination very sexist and had fought with her father multiple times over it, but he was just as relentlessly stubborn as her. Eventually, her mother had explained that given she is his only daughter, he'd rather she not get her hands dirty with matters that can be dealt with by him.

Inhaling deeply, Serafina steadied the gun in one hand and closed an eye, fixing the barrel on the target. With an exhale, she pulled the trigger, hunching her shoulders as she waited for the gun to recoil in her hold, peeking an eye open when nothing happened.

Turning towards her twin, she watched him laugh as he took the gun from her, clicking off the safety before handing it back, forcing her to flush in embarrassment.

Holding the gun out once more, she tried again, her body jerking with the force of the bullet's exit. Placing a hand against her chest, she felt her heart beat in overdrive as she looked at the target, seeing no holes in it and glanced around to see where she had shot. That is, until Salvatore cleared his throat, redirecting Serafina's attention to him as he pointed up.

Glancing up, her mouth formed a perfect O to see the hole in the ceiling.

"Here, " Salvatore sighed, fixing her grip on the gun and placing her second hand against the handle, giving her general tips and telling her to shoot with her feet a bit apart. Taking his advice, she shot once more, initially shooting outside the target before finally hitting it in the chest. A squeal of joy escaped her as she began to jump in her place.

"What the hell are you two doing here?" A voice snapped out of nowhere, startling Serafina as she jumped back, the gun going off in her hand followed by a pained howl from Salvatore.

Serafina gasped as she stared in shock at her brother's kneeling figure, clutching his arm which oozed with blood dripping down his skin, his hand smeared red as he shut his eyes against the pain, biting his lip from crying out and squirming in discomfort. She watched the man kneel beside him, seeing his tuft of dirty blonde hair and realizing it wasn't a guard, but their uncle Vincent and her face paling.

"Salvatore, " He called out to her twin, removing his gear. "Look at me. Hey, look at me, buddy, "

She watched as he let out a pained whimper, cracking open a tear-filled eye, still clutching at his arm with a trembling hand.

"Everything is alright. You'll be fine, " He assured calmly. "Put down that gun, Serafina, and open the door."

Hastily putting away the gun, she rushed to open the door, watching her uncle help Salvatore to his feet before slowly taking him up the stairs, calling out name after name as men appeared from various corners of the estate at this hour.

"Wake up Adolfo, and tell him Salvatore has been shot in the arm." He instructed the buff man before him as he lowered her twin onto the couch, the man ran down the hall. "Someone apply pressure onto his wound, I'll handle Arcangelo, "

Serafina stood to the side, squirming and fidgeting as she watched Vincent walk up the stairs calmly as if though he was going for a nice glass of scotch rather than informing her father that his son had been shot by his own daughter. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she turned her gaze to her brother, watching his guard, Major remove his suit jacket and press it onto the wound, murmuring something to him as he nodded.

Tears gathered in her eyes as fear and panic chocked her, her breath hitching in her throat to hear the roar of their father's voice, everyone tensing and taking a step back.

"Who the fuck shot him!" His voice rung through the estate before the patter of feet was heard.

Arcangelo soon arriving into view, wearing a pair of dark grey boxer shorts and his hair disheveled and their mother close behind in a navy blue trouser and white tank top. Rushing to Salvatore, he barked orders at the men, the anger, and authority radiating off him in waves as Serafina slunk into a corner, terrified of facing him like this. Rosalie settled down beside her twin, wrapping an arm around his shoulders as he leaned against her, perspirations rolling off him as he seemed to grow pale.

"Who did this?" Arcangelo demanded from the men around him. "And where the fuck is Adolfo?"

"Here, Boss! I'm here!" A voice spoke up as Adolfo rushed into the lounge with a medical kit in hand. Sitting in front of Salvatore, he instantly set to work.

Serafina watched her father turn towards her uncle Vincent and roughly grabbing him by the collar of his shirt. "Who did this?"

She grew terrified that he would hit him, unable to live with the thought that someone else would get hurt because of her.

"I did, " Her voice cracked, hunching her shoulders when her father's murderous glare pinned her, everyone tensing.

"You did?" He asked her through clenched teeth, trying his hardest to sound calm, but instead achieving to look like he was going to tear someone's throat out.

"Dad, " Salvatore whimpered in pain, grabbing hold of his short with a bloodied hand, instantly redirecting his attention away from his sister. "It hurts, dad, it hurts, "

She watched the pained expression overcome their father as he grasped Salvatore's bloodied hand in his own, giving it a squeeze.

"What's the damage, Adolfo?" He asked in defeat, his anger replaced by fear and worry.

"Well, boss..." He trailed nervously. "You're lucky it shot him in the arm. It was a close-range shot so could have been detrimental. Also, his bone is shattered since the bullet shot straight through the Ulna which is beyond repair at this point and has to be replaced."

"What?" Their mother shrieked as Arcangelo just closed his eyes to compose himself.

"Get me clothes so that I can take him to the hospital, " Arcangelo instructed Major as the man ran up, Serafina watching him run away as her eyes caught sight of their younger brother, Marco, standing silently on the stairs, watching the scene before him, no doubt having been awoken due to the commotion.

Serafina turned her gaze away, too ashamed to face anyone and jumping in surprise when she felt warmth being placed around her shoulder, looking up to see Marco wrap a blanket around her with tears in his eyes before he hugged her. She instantly broke into sobs in his arm, the 13-year-old a few inches shorter than and her forcing her to lean down.

Marco tried his best to soothe his crying sister as he watched the guard return with clothes in hand before offering them to their father. Getting dressed, he zipped up his jacket and helped Salvatore to his feet and led him to the door. Once they had left, Rosalie walked towards them, the younger Regnante directing Serafina to her as she instantly clutched onto her mother who hugged her tightly.

"I'm so...so sorry, mom, I'm sorry, I'm sorry..." She sobbed into her shoulder, her mother shushing her. "I-I-I-I didn't didn't mean too...I didn't mean to..."

"I know, I know, " Rosalie stroked her hair. "Everything will be alright, "

Next thing Serafina registered was lying in her parent's bed, the lamps turned on with her head on her mother's lap and staring into space as her tears had dried up some time ago, thinking about what could have happened. Marco sat cross-legged on the other side of their mother, his head on her shoulder as he also wondered what could have happened if she had shot Salvatore someplace other than his arm.

Their father hadn't returned yet, but he had called some time ago, informing them that Salvatore was being prepared for surgery and he was at the hospital with Arsenio, sounding worn out and exhausted.

Unbeknownst to her, Serafina fell asleep, being woken when her mother shifted out from beneath her head. Groggily glancing around her, she watched her father enter with a disheveled Arsenio behind him, both of them looking worn to the bone and on the brink of exhaustion.

Kneeling on the bed, Rosalie hugged her husband close and he tightly held onto her, burying his face into her neck, while Arsenio settled on the mattress, wrapping an arm around Marco and rested his younger brother's head on shoulder, given that he had fallen asleep while sitting. She watched her parents sit down, holding each other's hands and staying silent for a moment.

Arcangelo looked over his shoulder at his daughter, Serafina instantly tensing when he held out a hand to her. Taking hold of it, she moved forward and settled between her parents as her father wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her into his side.

"I'm not happy with what you did, " He spoke calmly, leaning his head against hers. "What either one of you did for that matter, Serafina could do nothing but listen in silence.

"Your brother is fine, " He informed, her mother letting out a relieved breath before laughing in relief. "He's a tough kid, but a damn foolish one, too."

"Such is the age, " Arsenio spoke from behind him, their father nodding in agreement. "But other than that, he'll have his arm in a cast until the skin and muscle is healed, and he would have to go to physiotherapy to get his arm back into full function, but he would be good as new, "

Serafina couldn't help but let out a relieved laugh, wiping away the stray tear that leaked out.

"He'll have a metallic bone in his body, " Arcangelo mused to himself. "What did you call those fictional creatures that were part human and part robot?"

"Cyborg, " Marco's voice yawned, laying with his head on Arsenio's shoulder and his eyes closed, but awake. "They're called Cyborgs, "

"Yes. Cyborg." Their father confirmed. "He'll be kind of like a cyborg, no?"

They couldn't help but laugh at his words, all of them beyond relieved to know that Salvatore was alright.

Being their father, Arcangelo was very well aware of what his children cherished and valued most. For his only daughter, it was the simple taste of freedom; and act which she achieved by ordering her guards to remain in their positions. Meanwhile, his second son treasured his mode of entertainment and his freedom which he got from his electronic devices – phone, laptop, X-box, books, music, etc. – and his freedom from driving whatever car he willed.

Now in order to teach them a lesson, their father had no choice but to take it all away and ground them for a month.

The twins hated the verdict equally.

Salvatore's electronics were taken away, no books, no music, no video games, and his driving privileges were revoked with a curfew of 10 p.m. he wasn't allowed to meet with friends, and couldn't invite anyone over other than Paolo. Now, for Serafina, her guards had been replaced by Major, Gun, and Hulk who would follow her everywhere, 24/7.

Given that both Major and Gun were Salvatore's bodyguards, she did not know them quite well, but Hulk, on the other hand, was a large built, dark-skinned man with a permanent scowl etched onto his face. Hulk was not only in charge of the recruit's training but was also Marco's guard when he wasn't dealing with the newcomers.

Serafina felt their punishment was relatively light compared to what they had done, but she wasn't going to voice her thoughts to her father in case he came up with something worse for the two.

Currently, they all were enjoying a lovely morning and eating breakfast when a voice scared Serafina to the extent where she nearly choked on her food.

"Serafina! Shoulders back! Back straight! Chin up!" Major barked from behind her, causing everyone present to give a jump of shock, everyone, besides Salvatore.

Turning around, she looked at the man before her, who stood around 6'1 with dark brown hair shaved close to his head, and hard eyes that glared at her disapprovingly, a strong square jaw and a posture and aura that screamed military. He snapped at her to finish her breakfast and startled, she had turned around, nearly stuffing her food into her mouth.

Meeting Salvatore's gaze from across the table, she noticed him smirking at her from behind his bowl of cereal. Given that his right arm was in a sling, he had ordered the guards to stock up on his favorite cereal, sipping the contents from his bowl since he couldn't hold a spoon and refused to let his mother coddle him.

"What?" Serafina narrowed her eyes at him, chewing the scone on her plate.

"Serafina Marie Regnante! Don't you dare speak with food in your mouth!" Major barked at her, startling her once more as her face flushed to notice both Salvatore and Marco snickering.

"I'm going to enjoy this, " Her twin commented sipping his orange juice leisurely.

"Serafina, " Vincent's voice redirected her attention to her uncle who sat beside her father, flipping through the newspaper. "Would you like to know why your guards get changed but never Salvatore's?"

"Sure? I guess? I never thought it, " She shrugged, realizing that if she didn't like her guard they would get changed, but that was never the case with Salvatore, and given the sharpness of the men behind her, she knew he liked it just as much as her.

"With our dear little Salvi here, being a teenage boy, he is bound to get out of hand and try some absolutely reckless and stupid things." He stated as if though he were having a normal conversation at the dining table. "So, these two men, Alfeo i.e. Major and Daniele i.e. Gun, are the two most disciplinary men in your dad's staff. Who has been assigned to keep a close eye on Reckless here and keep him in line. You know, like a dog on a leash."

Serafina burst into a fit of laughter at the metaphor used for her brother while he choked and coughed on his juice, glaring at their uncle.

"Dramatic analogy, Vincent, " Their father spoke up.

"Either way, you shouldn't be laughing, Serafina, " He resumed. "Because now these men are your guards, meaning they are your disciplinarians. And then there is also Eligio – Hulk – as well. So that is one strict bunch of men. You are being disciplined into a lady, if you haven't realized that yet, "

Serafina couldn't help but gap at Vincent who was completely nonchalant about the whole ordeal and resumed reading the paper. Glancing around her, she noticed her mother sipping her coffee and looking expectantly at her, her twin grinning beside her. Her father hadn't taken his eyes off the document before him as a silence settled over the table.

The silence simply confirming the words, leaving her to open and close her mouth in attempts to try and find words.

"If you three are done, " Gun spoke in a deep and cold voice. "I suggest that you get up and head to the car, "

"Right, " Salvatore grinned, grabbing his bag and waving farewell before heading out, Marco close at his heels.

"Serafina, " Hulk's gruff voice greeted her ears at the delayed reaction. "You are getting late. Not a very good impression for a Regnante, "

Muttering incoherently, she followed after her brothers, slamming the car door behind her and sitting with her arms crossed over her chest, glaring out the window with Marco between her and Salvatore who was giggling like a little school girl.

Annoyance is what Serafina felt throughout the school day.

The three men following her not only into the school but also into her classes, walking behind her and glaring at every single person in sight. In class when she was about to settle in her general seat, Hulk forced her to sit beside an absolute stranger who would not talk to her – not because he didn't want to, but because there was a gun pressed to his nape in case he attempted to initiate a conversation. The three guards had glared down her teacher so much that he was left in a sweating stuttering mess of a man before the entire class, unable to speak or explain the day's lecture.

On top of that, sporadically, Major would order her to straighten her back, square her shoulders, and sit straight. An order which the entire class ended up following, but not before panicking the first time he barked the order in dead silence.

This had been going on for half the day and she had the other half to go before they went home, and on top of that, she had to face this for the entire month.

Sighing in exasperation, Serafina settled down with her tray of food beside Piero, the boy getting up from his seat followed by Russo and Fransisco. The three of them rushing towards the guards.

Watching, her mouth fell open to see the three guards smiling as Major mushed up Piero's hair, Gun fixing Russo's shirt collar with Hulk hugging Fransisco, the boy looking absolutely tiny in his hold.

It was so strange to watch the three fiercest men of her father's staff become so soft and...human. Smiling and laughing at their son's, interacting with them as if though it had been ages since they'd last seen each other.

"How's Mia?" She heard Gun ask Russo, the boy shrugging.

"She's crying a lot at night, mamma says she has a stomach bug, "

"Did she take her to the doctors? And why didn't she tell me?"

"The doctor gave her medicine, but you know much she distrusts pharmacies, and she didn't tell you because she didn't want to worry you given everything that you're doing."

"Mia is sick?" Major and Hulk spoke in at the same time, looking concerned.

"A stomach bug, " Gun nodded.

"Try peppermint tea, that helps, " Major suggested with an arm draped over Piero's shoulders.

"Let mamma know to try peppermint tea, yeah?" Gun told Russo. "And tell her I'll come home on Friday, "

"Really?" Russo grinned in excitement.

"Yeah, " His father nodded with a chuckle, ruffling his hair. "I've already talked to the boss about it."

Getting out of her stupor, Serafina turned towards her twin, leaning across the table to whisper to him.

"They have kids? And they're married?" She hissed in confusion, not having known that.

"Well, yeah, " Salvatore shrugged. "With their age, most of the men are married with kids, "

"Have you met them?"

"Of course I have, " He stated as if though it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Dad, Marco, Arsenio and I often go to their places. I mean, just last week we met Sean's newborn baby daughter."

"Sean?" Serafina looked at him in surprise. "My bodyguard? That Sean?"

"Yeah..."

"Wha-?"

"Serafina, " Major's voice spoke up warningly. "Is this how a person – much less a lady – sits?"

Sighing in defeat, Serafina straightened in her seat, squaring her shoulders and sitting properly before Major could snap at her for it.

At the end of the school day, Serafina found herself sitting at her study table, finishing the day's revision before glancing at the stoic figure of Hulk standing in the corner, watching her work. Apparently "everywhere" included her bedroom as well, leading the man to be watching her study and the other two stationed outside the door.

Sighing, Serafina put away her books before starting up her laptop, momentarily glancing towards the guard and looking at him in confusion to see the soft smile at his lips.

"What?"

"Nothing, " Hulk shrugged with a soft chuckle. "It's just that..."

"Just what?" Serafina prompted, wanting to know what he was getting at.

"It just occurred to me that Salv would have liked to meet you four, "

"Salv?" Her eyebrows knitted in confusion. "Salvi is my twin brother-"

"-No, not Salvi, " Hulk shook his head about to settle on the edge of the bed before looking at her questioningly. "May I?"

"Yeah, yeah, sure, of course, " Serafina waved dismissively, swiveling in her chair to be facing him as he settled on the edge.

"Well, our Salv is your Salvi's namesake, "

"Namesake?"

"Salvatore Emilio Regnante was named after Salvatore Achille Romano, " He sighed with a rueful smile. "He was honestly the best."

"During the initial days of your dad's reign, he still became familiar with how everything worked and how he was meant to address a situation. During the early days, there were a handful of guards that were completely loyal to Arcangelo. Major, Gun, Alberto, Sean, Salvatore, me and a few others. The others who weren't loyal, well you can only assume what happened to them." A shiver ran down her spine at his words.

"No one actually ever approached boss, all of us having the same mindset, he's the boss, you don't talk to him unless he talks to you, and you don't make eye contact with me, no point in getting friendly when he is ultimately going to kill you."

"That was the way everyone thought. But not Salv. No, on his first day working for Arcangelo, he went up to him and introduced himself. We all thought that he was a dead man, right then and there, but imagine our surprise when Arcangelo introduced himself in turn and made no threatening move towards him." Hulk chuckled at the memory. "Ah, God, he was something."

"Salv came to realize that Arcangelo might need some extra guidance on how to run things, and he knew that he had to be a close associate in order to provide such advice. So he started his way from the bottom. He did things and got on the good side of the guys, became friends with them and did favors for them. He did everything so that he could get to your dad. Just so that he could help him."

"And when your dad read his file, he was surprised to see it full of services to the Mafia and excellent performance report from all four guys. When your dad asked him why he was doing this, Salv told him because his elder son thought him something and it kind of just struck him with Arcangelo."

"He said, that his son stated that 'sometimes people encounter new things and just are afraid to ask for help and being ridiculed for their lack of knowledge regarding that field, sometimes they just want someone to help them from the goodness of their heart and not because they want something from them'. Smart kid, Niccolo, knew what he was talking about."

"Your dad was obviously taken off guard by his response and thought that he'd give him a chance and assigned Salv as his personal guard. He was the first one to last in that post for more than 5 days. Those two got pretty close, stood up for each other and were always there for each other. Becoming sort of surrogate brothers, and your dad had even assigned him as his temporary second-in-command once."

"The reason I said that Slav would have liked to meet you two was because he was a hopeless romantic." Hulk laughed. "He would always tell Arcangelo about how it felt to fall in love and find 'the one'. He often told stories about how he met his wife and it was a sort of interesting narrative which everyone took interest in. Salvatore was constantly pushing Arcangelo to settle down and fall in love. Salv said that once he knew that Arcangelo could manage on his own, he'd resign from the Mafia and become a family man with his wife and two sons. His ultimate goal in life. Being there for his kids, no matter what."

"A lot of things that made your dad the best Mafia boss in his time are a lot of modified teachings of Salv's, including how to treat a lady and how to be there for your children. You can say that Arcangelo is following in Salv's footsteps. The one he considers and calls his 'surrogate elder brother'." Hulk sighed. "He worked for your dad for four years."

"That's so sweet, " Serafina couldn't help but coo at knowing that her father had a role model he aspired to become like.

She had never known about Salv and wondered if her twin knew about this, about his namesake.

"What happened to him? Did he settle down like he wanted to? Or is he working somewhere else?

Hulk shook his head at her words, looking down at his laced fingers as Serafina was momentarily taken aback by the reaction.

"He's dead, Serafina, " He informed softly. "He died protecting your father, "