Chapter 136

Layla

“Irena?”

I couldn’t fathom why she would be standing outside of my room at that very moment. It had been weeks since we’d last spoken or seen each other. I felt a brief wave of guilt wash over me for not keeping in better touch with her and Dmitri.

“Yes, dear, it’s me,” she said through the door. “Could you and I chat for a quick moment?”

“I...Uh...H-Hold on,” I squeaked.

I swiftly rushed to the closet to find something suitable to wear. I quickly settled for the first clean pair of yoga pants and an oversized sweatshirt. I had no choice but to let my wet hair dry out naturally as I went over to answer the door.

As usual, Irena was dressed impeccably. Her makeup was kept simple and not a single hair on her head was out of place. I, on the other, probably looked like Hell rolled over.

Irena’s features softened the moment she really got a good look at me. Thankfully, she was standing there alone and not with an entourage of others.

“What, um, why are you—”

“Aldo came to see us yesterday,” she answered.

My eyes practically bugged out of my head. “Aldo?”

“He’s so worried about you. And as I suspect, so is everyone else,” she said pointedly. “In any case, I came here because I wanted to sort of give you a heads up.”

My brows lifted in confusion. “A heads up? For what?”

“When Aldo came to see us, he told us a bit about how you managed to slip into the role of head of the family. From what we were told, you’d experienced quite a few negative effects in spite of this. Your mental health is at the top of that list.”

I wasn’t sure how I felt about the fact that Aldo had spoken to my own grandparents behind my back—and had gone as far as to tell them my personal business. First and foremost, I was annoyed. What right did he have to blab my business to everyone else??

There again, I was also somewhat impressed.

Since Dmitri first made himself known in my life, I knew Aldo didn’t fully trust the man. I understood that as much. Both men were heads of their families and had their own way of doing things.

But the question was still floating in the air between Irena and I.

“What exactly do I need to be preparing for?” I asked.

“Ah, yes. After he told us everything, Dmitri and I figured it would be good for you to actually sit down and talk to someone who knows exactly what you’re going through,” she explained. “You have very distant cousins, originally from Russia, who moved to the States many years ago.”

My brows furrowed. “How come I’ve never heard of them until now?”

Irena gave a wary smile. “Eva and Stasia are...unique.”

“Unique?”

I wasn’t sure how I was meant to take that answer.

She nodded her head and tried to find the right words. “You see, they come from a very dangerous family. However, over the years, they learned to pave their own paths despite all the responsibilities and expectations that were stacked against them. They are unorthodox, even in our world.”

I wrapped my arms around myself. “If they’re that dangerous, I’m surprised that Aldo would have agreed to let them anywhere near me,” I muttered.

“Like I said, he’s very worried about you and is willing to take a risk like this if it means helping you find your way.”

“I’m not entirely sure that I can be helped given my current situation,” I whispered.

Irena reached out to brush the side of my cheek. “Only one way to find out, yes?”

I was nervous.

Well, in all honesty, I was surprised to feel any sort of emotion having felt utterly drained for the last few days. But, yes. I was nervous about meeting these newly discovered cousins of mine.

Even with Irena’s explanation, I wasn’t sure what to expect from them. I still had a hard time believing that they knew and understood what I was going through.

Within the next hour, I heard the main doorbell ring and my nerves jumped. How pathetic was it of me that I wasn’t outside in the main hall, waiting to greet them with everyone else? I knew I should have. I should have put on a brave face and stepped out into the world even if it was for just a few minutes.

But those few minutes would have felt like hours. And I wasn’t in any condition to be around half the people that would surely be there.

A few moments passed before I started to hear the sound of footsteps heading my way.

Just breathe.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

I crossed the room and opened the door. My breath caught in my throat when I saw an identical pair of the most beautiful women I’d ever seen.

“Woah,” I gasped.

Eva and Stasia smiled. “Layla,” they said simultaneously.

“It’s nice to meet you both.”

“I’m Eva,” she said. “And this is Stasia.”

I allowed them to enter the room and tried my best to keep myself from mindlessly staring at them. Of course, I didn’t know who was who as of yet. I gently cleared my throat and tried to strike up some sort of conversation.

“I can’t believe the two of you traveled here all the way from California,” I said.

Eva smiled “Of course...”

“...As soon as we got the call...” Stasia chimed in.

“...We immediately began packing,” Eva finished.

My eyes didn’t know where to look as the response was literally broken up between the two of them. My expression must have been priceless since Eva and Stasia were both giggling.

“Sorry, we have a tendency to finish each other’s sentences.”

“We’ve always done it even when we were children,” Stasia added.

“It’s actually very remarkable,” I said wondrously. “I’ve never met anyone like you two.”

The twins gave me a knowing look. “Consider it a good thing.”

Eva was the one who suggested we all sit down over in the small sitting area.

“Alright, pleasantries aside, I’m sure you’ve been told why we were called here,” she said.

I nodded.

“Then you know that we’re here to ultimately help you,” Stasia confirmed.

“I just don’t know how or even if that would be possible,” I remarked.

“Well, we won’t know unless you tell us everything,” Eva said. “And I mean everything.”

“From what our Great Aunt told us on the phone, you weren’t raised in our kind of family, correct?”

“It’s true,” I told them. “Both of my parents were ‘normal’, I guess you could say. Neither of them ever had anything to do with the mafia. It wasn’t until much later that I discovered the ties my mom had to her own family.”

“I see. So, they lived as outsiders, basically.”

I raised a brow which prompted Stasia to explain. “The term ‘outsider’ is used for those who have no immediate connections to the mafia. Before, you said the word ‘normal’. It’s basically the same thing but our terminology is slightly different.”

Eva gave me a soft smile. “Since both of your parents were outsiders, then that essentially makes you one as well.”

“Yes...I suppose so.”

“Oh, honey,” she hummed. “We have a lot more in common than you think.”