Cee was allowed to say goodbye to Caterina.

Leonardo Fiero and his trusted group of advisors (his wife, son, brother, and sister-in-law) had debated long and hard over who to send: they'd made the right decision. Cee would go in her sister's place.

But at least she was allowed to say goodbye.

Cee swallowed nervously, standing in the doorway of her sister's room; it had been redecorated. Everything was yellow - Caterina's favourite colour. Even Caterina didn't look the same: Leo had sent her photos every so often once she had left the family but it wasn't the same as seeing her.

Photos couldn't capture how Caterina couldn't sit still for five minutes, or how when she walked into a room, even her father's employees seemed to smile more. The little Fiero was in her pyjamas, kneeling on the floor by her toys: it was late.

Cee tapped on the door, watching Caterina look up from her doll set, her chubby face splitting into a beam. "Have you come to play?" she asked excitedly, picking up the nearest teddy and hugging it so tightly it nearly burst. "We're playing tea party, and Leo never wants to play properly."

"I'm sorry, Caterina," Cee told her, her heart breaking silently. The first time she'd seen her baby sister in years, and she couldn't even play with her. "I've got to go soon, but I wanted to see you really quick."

The little girl shrugged, watching as Cee wandered in, sitting cross-legged on the carpet about a foot away. "You can call me Cat," she said seriously, looking at her older sister with a dazed sort of adoration. "Only my friends call me that."

"Cat, then," Cee smiled, trying to commit her face to memory. "I came to say goodbye."

"Where are you going?" the little girl asked curiously, hugging her teddy bear. Cee couldn't help noticing it was the same teddy bear that she'd had as a kid; creatively known as Mr Bob.

"Who's that?" she asked, deflecting the question, pointing at her old teddy. "What's your teddy's name?"

"This is Teddy, he's my favourite," Cat announced, immediately holding him out to her to inspect. He was more threadbare than she remembered, more grey than blue now. "Do you like him?"

Cee took the outstretched bear carefully, noticing that his fur had the soft feel of being brushed too much over the years. "I love him," she replied truthfully, thinking quickly. "I used to have a bear just like him."

"Really?"

"Yes, really." Cee turned him over, her fingers catching the label, marked with a small C: for Camilla. "Bears like this are very special - do you know why?"

Cat accepted the teddy back, cradling him gently in her arms, her eyes wide. "Why?"

"They're magic," Cee told her, watching her tiny face light up for a second. "These bears keep nightmares away, and will always keep you safe."

"Wow," Caterina breathed, staring down at her blue, worn teddy bear.

"He'll take care of you while I'm away," Cee murmured softly, her heart aching slightly. "Be a good girl, okay?"

"Do you want him?" Cee blinked, looking at her younger sister in shock. For a five year old, Caterina certainly knew how to look serious.

"I thought he was your favourite."

"He is," Caterina shrugged, but she looked up at her sister in complete adoration. "But you can have him." Cee shook her head slowly, hearing footsteps down the corridor. Time to go.

"He's going to keep you safe," she told her sister gently, pushing the bear towards her. "Promise me you'll look after him."

"I promise."

---

The exchange was to take place at midnight, in one of the Romano warehouses. Leo, in particular, hated the idea: he didn't trust the Romanos. She was nervous, yes, but at least Cat was safe, at home, asleep.

The Fieros expected to be betrayed. If you expect to be betrayed, her father told her, you will always be ready for the worst.

Her father had briefed her, as much as he could, on what to expect with the Romanos. The negotiations could take anywhere between two months and two years. Two years, she had shrieked, you were going to send Caterina away for two years?

"They will not hurt you," her father repeated suddenly, looking at his daughter, standing at his side. Cee shivered, choosing to nod instead of reply; she wasn't sure her voice wouldn't crack.

"Cee?" Her radio crackled to life. "How are you holding up?"

"Hey, Leo." She brought the radio closer to her lips, glancing around the warehouse warily; sound seemed to echo in here - but as of yet, the Fieros were the only ones there. "I'm-" She paused for a second. Scared? Nervous? Weak? "-Fine."

"One minute to midnight, Cee."

"Oh, bloody hell," she mumbled, dropping her radio back to her side. Her heart was racing, her face pale.

"Ten seconds." Cee blinked. This was really happening.

The Fieros were standing at one end of the empty warehouse, a small group with even smaller amounts of protection. Cee recognised at least one of the men standing near her, his hand already on his gun; he'd been working for her father for over ten years, but she couldn't even remember his name.

The sounds of a car door slamming entered the warehouse from outside; the Romanos had arrived.

It was clear from the moment they walked in that they owned the place. Only four people entered: three men and one little girl. Confidence oozed from them, darkness dripping from their shadows - they were dangerous.

Cee chose to focus on the little girl; she couldn't have been more than ten or eleven years old -the only one that seemed out of place, just like her. It felt like a target on Cee's back.

She took in a breath, composing herself, following her father forward until they reached the Romanos at their end of the warehouse; the Romanos would never meet in the middle.

As she drew closer, she began to feel fear. Not the regular fear, from haunted houses or rollercoasters. True, pure, spine-shaking fear that made her fingers quiver and her lungs feel full of glass.

Don't look them in the eye, she reminded herself, training her eyes on the floor until she drew level with her father, who was eyeing the Romanos from a distance, cautiously. Of the three men, one of them scared her the most: the man in the centre, arms folded across his chest, every muscle in his body taut.

His presence was like a dark shadow, swallowing the moonlight, almost overwhelming. Cee could feel his eyes on her. She stared stubbornly at the floor beneath their feet, watching a small pair of white pumps join the Romano line.

The girl looked scared, but her face was impassive. It was the eyes, Cee decided, that looked scared. Her gaze flickered to Cee's face, and Cee offered a small, comforting smile. The girl stared at her, and Cee realised: it wasn't just fear in her eyes, it was tears.

"Romano." Cee jumped as her father spoke, his voice echoing in the tall space; they were more than ten metres away.

"Evening," one replied, a false tone of welcome. The man in the middle didn't even acknowledge her father, and Cee could feel his eyes on her, looking her up and down. "How are we all tonight?"

No one replied. Cee glanced up at Leonardo, his gaze focused on the man in the centre. He was clearly their leader, their king.

"Who is this?" he asked coldly, his voice unreasonably rough. For some reason, his voice terrified her, turning the air in her lungs to ice. Leonardo gripped his daughter's arm.

"My eldest daughter," he replied, hauling Cee forward a step.

"She is not what we agreed," the first Romano mentioned warningly, making one of the Fiero's men shift uncomfortably, his hand twitching to his gun.

Their leader was watching her, his expression cold. He could snap her neck in a heartbeat. Leonardo's grip grew tighter on her arm as she was inspected.

"We agreed on my daughter," Leonardo stated roughly. "Camilla is one of my two daughters." The first Romano scowled.

"You are lucky Niccolò wishes for these negotiations to go ahead, Fiero," he expressed indifferently. "He is not usually so generous." Leonardo inclined his head.

"Go, Camilla," he murmured. "You have finally proved you are worthy of your name." Cee shivered. She didn't want to be a Fiero. The third Romano man - who looked more like a hitman - whispered something to the girl beside him, and she nodded.

Cee and the girl stepped forward, meeting in the dead centre.

"What's your name?" Cee whispered, holding out a hand to the girl. She looked away, refusing to meet Camilla's eyes. "They can't hear us now, don't worry." The girl took her hand, shaking it slowly, politely; dropping it as quickly as was socially acceptable.

"Angela," she whispered, hunching her shoulders to make herself smaller - less of a target. Cee knew that feeling.

"My family will be kind to you, Angela," she replied quietly, feeling the fear run through her veins like poison. "You will be safe, I promise. Don't be scared." If only she could follow her own advice.

The girl nodded once, her gaze still on the floor.

Cee forced herself to put one foot in front of the other, walking to the opposite site of no-man's-land. Angela turned around, desperately seeking reassurance from her family, but the Romano's security nodded to her, gesturing her to go to the Fiero side. Angela approached the Fieros apprehensively, until she was in line with Leonardo.

The exchange was complete.

Leonardo looked at his eldest daughter, his gaze impassive. She could barely make out his features in the dim fluorescent lighting, but it didn't matter. She knew what he was thinking. He didn't think he'd see her again.

"Pleasure doing business with you," the first Romano grinned, turning on his heel and following his leader, who'd already turned away; Cee stumbled after them, their security making sure she didn't try to make a run for it.

She could act strong for children, but not for herself; she was terrified. The Romano Don didn't even check to see if she was behind him - she could make a run for it, she thought, I could go right now-

As if he could read her mind, the third man gripped her wrist tightly with one hand before she could step out of the side door, leading to the almost abandoned car park. It was a bruising grip, too tight to be comfortable. Intended to hurt. "If you run," he murmured politely, uncomfortably close to her ear, "I'll have to kill you." Although his voice was curt and hollow, his intention was clear.

Cee opened her mouth to protest, but his eyes flashed, daring her to retort. Try me, his pale eyes said, you won't like what happens. She nodded once, quickly, and followed the two Romanos. The Don had already ducked into a separate car, dim street lights glinting off of the tinted windows as he was driven away.

The first Romano held open a car door for her, smiling politely; outside of the warehouse, he didn't seem too scary, but the movement had lifted his suit jacket, revealing a handgun strapped to his torso.

Cee said nothing as she climbed into the car, the Romano slamming the door after her. She said nothing as she was taken away, whisked into a world she never thought she'd come back to.

---

"Miss Fiero." Cee jerked awake, unfolding herself from her twisted ball slowly. The Romano smiled at her, holding open the door. She blinked, looking around for a second, before her mind caught up to her situation. "We're here." Cee tried to control the tremor in her fingers - it would give away her fear.

Cee clambered out of the car ungracefully, her heart thudding again. Don't look him in the eye, she told herself, don't be disrespectful. She wrapped her arms around herself, protecting herself from the cold as she followed the Romano towards the stone steps.

She'd never seen the Romano House before. Few people had, in person, but her father had photographs. It was truly beautiful; sweeping stone steps led to the mansion's great doors, light gleamed from many windows, framed with picturesque carved cherubs and embellishments, ivy climbing across the roof and corner of the great mansion, glinting in the light. It was like Buckingham Palace, re-imagined as a gingerbread house and set in stone.

"Your house is beautiful, sir."

"Thank you, Miss Fiero - call me Luca." A tall, threatening figure was waiting for them, impatiently by the door; Cee stiffened momentarily as she realised it was the Romano from before. Niccolò, they'd called him.

"I'll give you a grand tour tomorrow," Luca announced, oblivious to the dread rising in Cee's stomach. "I'll show you your room."

Luca passed the Romano Don as he entered the house, but Cee hesitated; she had a feeling she couldn't just walk in that easily. Nevertheless, she attempted to follow Luca.

His hand shot out and gripped her upper arm tightly - she flinched, trying to pull away.

"Miss Fiero," he murmured, completely emotionless. It terrified her: no human should be able to switch off their humanity like he could. "I have some questions for you." She said nothing, feeling like a rabbit trapped in headlights, her eyes wide. Now that they were face to face, she could she that he was almost flawlessly attractive, designed to draw people in before he murdered them in cold blood.

"Can this wait until tomorrow?" Luca had come to her defence, eying her cautiously like she was about to faint - which she thought she might. The iron grip on her arm tightened fractionally, before he released her; Cee remembered how to breathe again.

The Romano Don entered the house, his broad shoulders stiffened with tension; Cee followed nervously, taking in the beautiful stone floor of the entrance.

"I'll show you to your room," Luca said quietly, watching his boss stride away.

He took her up two flights of stairs, each grand staircase lined with red velvety carpet and trimmed with gold, and led her down so many twisting corridors that Cee couldn't remember how to get out. She needed a map.

Luca left her inside a room, decorated in pink, locking the door behind him. As he left, Cee flew at the door, shaking the door knob furiously, as though she hadn't heard the telltale click of the key in the lock. But she was locked in and the men were gone, but at least the scary Romano had left her alone until tomorrow.

Finally, Cee's legs gave out. She slid to the floor, staring blindly into space. The room that was meant for Caterina looked nice, if Cee was also a four year old. The bed in the corner had some kind of tiara patterned sheets, and fairylights were pinned around a vanity mirror, glowing pink in the darkness. The lamp by the tiny bed was lit, offering some small comfort to Cee. At least it wasn't Cat sleeping in that bed tonight. She didn't mind sleeping in a childish room, with rose-patterned curtains and a heart-shaped rug. She minded being locked in.

Cee shook herself, dragging herself across the floor to the child-sized bed in the corner and crawling under the covers. The room wasn't going to cave in, she reminded herself, you have plenty of room. Don't get claustrophobic now, Cee.

Even so, she left the fairylights and the little toadstool shaped lamp lit. Just in case. It wasn't safe in this house.