Present Day

"Come out, come out wherever you are, angel eyes." Luca taunted, loud enough for Rio to hear. They were both playing a dangerous round of hide and seek.

It was a life or death situation for Riri.

Luca had obviously underestimated his little sister's hiding skills-he had been looking for her for a good twenty minutes. He was beginning to get worried.

The two year old let out a loud squeak at Luca's close radar voice, Rio was hiding in the indoor trash can. It was a very different hiding spot but, she was what she believed to be the world champion of this sport.

She didn't want to be over-throned by the likes of her older brother.

The loud squeak didn't go unnoticed by Luca, he knew she was nearby as he stood by the trash can but, he didn't realise how close she actually was.

"Dov'è la piccola merda? (Where is the little shit?)." Luca spoke loudly, only to receive an unexpected slap across his head.

He winced at the sudden contact but, he turned on his feet to be met with a scowl on his eldest brother's face.

"Guarda la tua lingua intorno a lei (Watch your language around her)." Frankie glared at his younger sibling, Luca was no doubt the most childish and corruptive sibling out of the three brother's, his antics usually getting him into trouble most of the time.

"Where is the ladybug anyways?" Frankie looked at his surroundings to realise that his princess was nowhere to be found.

"I don't know, the little rugrat wanted to play hide and seek so, she's hiding about somewhere." Luca responded, he headed to the cupboard most likely going to have some sort of snack. Luca loved his food.

Rio could hear her brothers conversing away, she was beginning to become impatient and the smell of the trash was making her tummy feel a little queasy however, she wouldn't back down that easily.

She would wait to be found.

Little did she know she would be waiting for over two hours. Her brothers grew extremely worried, they hadn't heard their love bug's sweet voice for nearly over two hours so, they began a search party of their own.

They thought they had looked everywhere, obviously that wasn't the case. They hadn't looked everywhere. They were disrupted from their search party when they heard, Charlotte's soft voice calling out for their love bug.

Both Frankie and Luca looked at each other in utter fear, they have faced Charlie's wrath on the safety of her daughter one time. Let's just say they never wanted to face it again.

"Rio, where are you love bug?" Charlie called out lovingly. Rio was too deep in sleepy land to hear her mother's calls from the trash can, using an old banana peel as a pillow.

Seen as though there was no response from Charlotte's calls, she began calling for Rio's brothers instead. They reluctantly tumbled down the stairs, wearing a solemn expression on their faces.

"Where's Marcello?" Charlotte asked the two eldest brothers, when she realised that two brothers came to her instead of three.

"Marcello went out with Daphne this morning, he should be back before dinner." Luca replied, his solemn expression still remained.

"Hm okay, have you both seen Rio? I have looked for her everywhere." She asked the two brothers hopefully, they were usually always playing around with her little princess.

Rio was still fast asleep in the trash can, she was dreaming about her eating pancakes and waffles with her beloved bunny, Olive.

Life was great for Riri.

"Erm about that, I kinda lost her." Luca scratched the back of his neck awkwardly, he couldn't be any more prepared for the inner demon, Rio's mother was about to release.

Charlotte saw red. "What do you mean you lost her?" She screeched in her high-pitched voice. Both brothers winced at the tone of voice she used and took a couple of steps backwards.

It was funny how a five foot, thirty seven year old woman scared the shit out of the two brothers when, their over six feet frame towered over her. Maybe her being the world's best assassin gave her a boost.

"Well, we were playing hide and seek and I can't find her anywhere. The little rugrat is good, let me tell you that." Luca chuckled nervously. Charlie's scowl deepened, it was clear she was very very angry.

"We need to find her. Now." She hissed, she stormed past both Frankie and Luca and began looking for Rio for the second time.

They all knew Rio couldn't have gone far, many guards surrounded the penthouse they all lived in plus, Riri wore a necklace that gave her exact location every second of the day-meaning they would know if she left the penthouse or not.

The microchipped necklace was given to her by her beloved father.

Whilst all three of them were on the manhunt, Franco had arrived home early from his business trip to Germany. He had missed his little princess lots and couldn't wait to be reunited with her.

Little did he know of what mission was occurring in his penthouse. As soon as Franco entered the building he saw his wife frantically searching for something, more like someone.

"piccola, cosa c'è che non va? (baby, what's wrong?)" Franco approached his wife's stressed outlook, she turned to him with a frown on her face. "Rio's missing, she was playing hide and seek with Luca and we can't find her anywhere." She cried out, leaning her head against her husband's chest.

It was as if Rio could subconsciously feel something was wrong with her mummy because, as soon as her mother cried out the problem to Franco-Rio jolted awake, hitting her head on the side of the trash can in the process.

It made a loud clunk noise, as if someone knocked a hammer against a pan. "Ouchie." Rio winced at the sudden impact, she rubbed the sore spot on her head.

Rio had enough of this game, she wanted out.

The little girl tried pushing herself out of the trash but, it was no use-Riri was not strong enough. Instead she began calling out for her mummy and brothers, unfortunately for Riri her family were all upstairs so, nobody could hear her pleas of help.

"Are you sure you have looked everywhere, il mio amore (my love)." Franco pulled his distressed wife into a hug, he knew his love bug was in the house, as he tracked her location upon his arrival.

She was definitely in the house.

Charlie was about to speak until, a muffled child-like voice caught both Franco and Charlotte's attention, as well as the brothers. To Franco it sounded as though it was calling out for Rio's pet bunny, Olive.

However, to Charlotte it sounded as though it was calling for an Orange and the brother's didn't understand a thing. All four of them followed to where the muffled-voice was coming from and it led them to the trash in the kitchen.

"What in the-" Franco spoke before Charlotte opened the lid, revealing their ladybug with a banana peel sat on top of her head.

"Oh my goodness, princess." Franco laughed softly at the scene before him. He reached into the trash and pulled Rio out, his wife sighed in relief where as Frankie and Luca howled with uncontrollable laughter.

"Oi you little rugrat, when I said hide and seek I didn't mean for you to go hiding in the trash." Luca wiped a tear from his eyes.

Rio smiled sheepishly at both Luca and Frankie until she realised that she was in her daddy's arms after, a long week apart.

"Daddy!" The little girl squealed in shock and excitement, she didn't think her father was returning home until the end of the week. But, Rio didn't care she was happy to be reunited with her daddy.

"Hello, my beautiful princess." He littered kisses all over Rio's little face-she squealed at the sudden contact. He noticed that his bambina (baby) smelled of rotten banana peels and eggs, making him wonder how long she had been refuged in the trash.

"Baby, what on Earth where you doing in the trash?" He chuckled at his little girl, her hair flew in all sorts of directions. She looked like a crazy cat woman.

"T'was playing hide n seek with Luca." She giggled playfully, Charlotte also giggled softly at her precious child's antics. 'What a silly girl' she thought to herself.

"Riri, it doesn't mean you hide in the trash. You stinky girl." Charlie rubbed her daughter's back soothingly.

"M'not stinky." Riri mumbled sleepily, it was obvious her little game with Luca had worn her out. "Yes you are baby, very stinky." Franco kissed her cheeks, Rio's eyes began to flutter shut.

"I think our little girl needs her nap." Franco chuckled, he swayed his daughter lightly. Coaxing her to fall into a deep slumber.

As much as he wanted to spend time with his precious, baby girl he knew that Rio had to stick to her routine. Unless, he wanted to release her inner grumpy monster.

"I'll put her down my love, you get some rest." Franco's wife deeply kissed his lips, as she took Riri from his arms. "I'll come see you after, Fran." She smiled sweetly at him.

Both sons had already left to finish up on some work for their father, they loved being a part of their father's Mafia-it made them feel as though their father trusted them.

Meanwhile, Franco couldn't believe how lucky he had gotten with his amazing wife, beautiful daughter and his protective sons. He loved them all equally but, his princess held a special place within his heart.

And it couldn't ever be replaced.

A/N:

Thank you for reading the first chapter of Rio's story. If you have any questions please feel free to ask and please leave some plot ideas.

I really want my audience to be a part of the book, not just myself.

Lots of love,

Mia.