"Don't be afraid, we would never hurt you, Fia" Francesco said gently because he noticed that Sofia is in the process of completely freaking out.

"You don't need to be scared of us, we will do everything to protect you, I promise" Valentino added.

"I just- I don't understand" she started stumbling on her words. That wasn't the plan. Sofia was supposed to say "crime family" and they should laugh at her. That was the plan.

She could feel Valentino rubbing her back in a calming manner, and she just focused on breathing. His presence was calming her down, she realized.

"You will understand, you just need to give us time to explain. But first, it's important for you to understand why we're revealing this information" Francesco requested gently. "It's because we want to make sure you understand the danger you're in. There are people who want our money and influence. We have enemies" Francesco explained.

Ok, that didn't calm her down at all.

"But what if I do everything right and follow every safety measure but still get attacked? What do I do in that situation?" She asked absolutely terrified.

"We will make sure that won't happen" Alessandro assured darkly.

"But what if it happens?" she pressed "What do I do? Should I carry a gun as Valentino does?" She asked, panicked.

"Absolutely not," all three of them said simultaneously and Sofia was taken aback. What was their problem?

"Why not? What if-" Sofia started speaking quickly in an anxious voice.

"Valentino has proper training, we didn't just give him a gun one day without making sure he knows how to use it well" Francesco interrupted her. There was a firmness to his voice.

"Do I get to train then?" Sofia wanted to clarify.

"Definitely not right now. You have Raul who carries a gun with himself. Protecting you is his job and ours" Alessandro responded.

"Is it because I'm crazy?" Sofia asked in a hurt voice, everyone looked at her shocked. Maybe Alessandro didn't want her to have a gun because of her mental issues.

"What? No. Of course not" Alessandro said.

"Then why not? At least train me, so I know how to protect myself!" Sofia said, frustrated

"Weapons are dangerous. We don't want you to get hurt by accident" Alessandro explained.

"Valentino could too and yet he got his training," she said annoyed.

Her brothers saw that she's not going to back down and Francesco was the one who gave up first.

"I can take you to the shooting range in my free time but you will not be allowed to have a gun outside or use it without supervision for a long time," he said.

"How long exactly?" She asked curiously.

"Valentino started shooting when he was 10 he got a gun for his 16 birthday. So at least 6 years" Francesco said.

"Are you serious?!" Sofia gasped. It didn't seem like a fair deal.

"Do you want to learn or not?" Alessandro raised his eyebrows and looked at her with a challenge in his eyes.

Sofia guessed that beggars can't be choosers, so she nodded wordlessly.

"I want to. Please teach me"

"It's settled then. Is there anything you'd like to ask us?"

"Do you hurt people? Kill people?" She asked quietly, worried about the answer she will get.

That should be her first question, but she was scared to ask.

"The most violence exists in the lower parts of the hierarchy, with families that are still fully on the black market. We are in a completely different situation. Things get bloody only if we engage in a war with a family powerful like ours, and there are only a handful of families in the country that could challenge us in any way. To answer your question, it's rare, but it happens," Alessandro explained in a calm, measured voice. She really welcomed his stoicism today.

"Why... why are you telling me all this?"

"We want your trust, and we expect the same in return"

"You want me to trust you after you just revealed that you're criminals?" she asked skeptically. She just wasn't the type that would trust people easily.

This time, Alessandro's voice was strict and cold. "First and foremost, we are your brothers. Your family. And we want the best for you"

"The best for me" Sofia repeated slowly. "I ran away from a criminal, remember? How am I supposed to feel safe now? If you decide to hurt me, the police won't stop you"

"If it won't stop us, what makes you think they will stop anyone else? Sofia, we will never hurt you. Not intentionally" Francesco said gently.

"It's not like I have a choice. Apparently, mother didn't have a non-mafia-related family" Sofia said dryly. She had a stepfather who was a criminal, now her siblings. What are the odds?

"She didn't because our world is really small and people don't just leave whenever they want" Alessandro continued explaining.

"Mother cames from a notorious crime family that is controlling Palermo city. She was born into this world, once in, never out. That's the rule. She was attending the same school as our father when he accidentally got her pregnant with Alessandro. Father was pressured to propose to her and he did" Francesco added.

"I- this is a lot. Can I go to my room? I just want to process all that" Sofia asked weakly.

"In a minute. There's one more thing we have to discuss" Alessandro stopped her with his words, so she sat down on the leather sofa again.

"What is it?"

"Are you familiar with the term omertà?"

"It means silence?" Sofia asked.

Alessandro nodded and started speaking. "The only people who know about the factual power of our family are the bosses on top of hierarchies. And of course, there are... rumors among the citizens of the city somewhat related to mafia business. People who work with us are bound by two things: our code of honor and oath of silence. Telling you about our true identity is the highest level of trust we can offer, so you can trust us as well."

"But how does it work? How come you have so much influence? Is it only because of the money?" Sofia continued her questioning.

"It's because of our family history. We had ties to the underworld since the XIX century. People know us. Sicily as you know is divided into several districts. Each district has crime families that are responsible for overseeing... activities of various nature, the highest caste has remained unchanged for several generations"

"Does that mean there's no company?" Sofia was scared to ask at this point

"Oh, on the contrary. The conglomerate we own is a legal business, and it's our source of income" Alessandro countered her suspicion.

"But how does it work? What do you do exactly?" Sofia's brows furrowed. She realized she doesn't know anything about their business. She should've asked them earlier about this.

"We invest in real estate" he responded. "Our company specializes in both development and property management. That includes hotels, casinos, shopping centers, offices, and apartment buildings" Alessandro explained, "That's not the only market area we invest in, we're versatile but this is what I focus on expanding and it's also the main source of our family's wealth"

"Oh, now it explains why do you have so much money" Sofia muttered and she could hear Valentino's chuckle.

"Not to mention all the money and assets that have been passed down to us from previous generations. We have a lot Sofia, that's why you can stop worrying about money and start spending them" Francesco said referring to the credit card he gave her. She was barely using it, but she couldn't help but think that using it would be like... owning him a favor?

"I will try... to spend more," she said with difficulty. She wasn't sure if she's going to be able to keep this promise.

"I think that's all for today" Alessandro decided, sensing that this conversation is finished for now.

But Sofia said "Wait" stopping her brothers from leaving the room. They gave her questioning looks while she was mentally preparing herself to also share with them information that she kept as a secret.

Alessandro's voice stuck in her head, playing on repeat. Trust goes both ways, she recalled. They trusted her. She needed to trust them too.

"I know you're my half-brothers, I know that we only share a mother and that in part, I belong to Denaro family"

The room went quiet. No one was moving. The atmosphere thickened.

Maybe admitting that was a mistake. But it was too late now.

******

Dear Readers.

Thank you for reading, commenting, voting, I appreciate all of it. Please tell me what do you think about the story so far, I'd love to know your opinion. Is the plot okay?