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Chapter 39

Valeriana's pov

We had to move to a different location. It was a house they already owned. Aurelio didn't want to risk anymore people showing up at the house. This house had everything the other house had but the layout was different.

Miss Wells was out of school for a week. She was taking time to herself to wrap her head around everything. She wasn't afraid of us, which I liked. Everything between us was normal. She just needed time to process and that meant taking a small break from teaching. I mean she just found out the guy she likes is a mafia leader. Then she has an assassin as a student. That's a lot to take in.

If I was normal like her I would be freaking the fuck out. That's huge news. Being surrounded by and liking killers. We are literally criminals. She should turn us in but hasn't. Why hasn't she? Is she really ok with all this? Being around us knowing we could kill her. How do you just throw away your morals like that? We grow up being taught everything that is bad and wrong in life. My family grew up with that being normal. I grew to become an assassin. My job consists of killing people. That is the only thing I do. I don't do it now. But it was what I did.

"Why is this bothering you so much, little love?" Verena asked. I've been pacing for an hour. Verena was sleeping but I guess she woke up. I don't know how long she was watching me walk back and forth through my room. Was it long or did she just wake up? My bathroom light was on so it provided light for me to see everything in my room so I didn't run into anything, though I didn't need it on. I guess it brought a sense of safety to me.

"I don't know. We don't really know this woman. What if she is just pretending to take time only to work up the courage to turn us in? Or she is a spy for an enemy and has us right where they want us. Can we really trust this woman? I mean come on it's always someone close that turns out to be the enemy and something goes to shit," I say. My eyes widened. "It could be you," I say. Verena smiles at me.

"There isn't even a traitor, how could it possibly be me? Little love, your trust issues are showing and as much as I don't mind it. You need to sleep. So reel in the trust issues and come lay down. It's one in the morning," Verena says. I take a deep breath.

"I'll sleep in the guest room. I can't trust you. You could be the next traitor," I say walking towards the door.

"Valeriana!" Verena groaned. I laugh lightly before rushing towards the bed and lay next to her. She covers my body with the blanket. Verena wraps her arms around me and buries her head in my neck. "You know I could never be a traitor. Your family is my family. I would never be on a side you weren't on, little love," Verena mumbles. Her breath tickled my neck as she spoke.

"It must be Aristo then," I mutter. Verena chuckles before kissing my neck.

"You're going insane. Get some sleep," she says.

~~~

"Valeriana!" Valentino shouts before my door is thrown open.

"Dude, can you be any louder?" Verena grumbled before snuggling closer to me.

"Shit, sorry, I thought she would be up... Wait, what are you doing here?" Valentino asked.

"Your sister couldn't sleep so she called me. Then she either pretended to fall asleep so that I would fall asleep because I found her pacing the room around one then I finally got her to come back to bed," Verena says. Before Valentino responded I fell back into a deep sleep.

My sleep was interrupted by mother. Her hand was wrapped around my throat as she dragged me out of bed. I blink my eyes to adjust them to the bright light. She didn't say anything as she pulled me out of the room. She shoved me down the stairs. I gasped for air as the stair dug into my rib. Pain shot through my side as I finally fell at the bottom of the stairs. Mother walks down casually. I shuffle back. She grabbed my ankle before pulling me towards her room. I grab the stair railing and hold on tightly.