Tomorrow Is the Day

When Talia woke up, the strange room was full of sunlight, which clued her in to the fact that it was far beyond morning.

She groaned and sat up, rubbing her eyes and then hissing when she touched her bruised face. She didn't want to see the damage the larger man had done to her the night before. In fact, she didn't want to be reminded of the night before at all. Groaning again, she fell back into the comfortable bed. She cast her eyes around the room.

The ceiling reflected water and she assumed that the pool was directly below the windows of her new bedroom. It appeared more welcoming in the sunlight, and she noticed a door she hadn't seen the night before next to a large wardrobe. Her eyes also noticed that the desk in the corner of the room could double as a vanity, as if she'd need that with the large bathroom. A few new additions to the room caught her eye and confirmed her suspicions about the lock on her door not meaning anything.

She recognized two of her suitcases, her makeup bag, and a duffel bag. She stood up and stretched, her muscles aching from the fight she'd put up at the bar last night. She smirked before padding over the cool wood floors to look inside her bags. Inside was a toothbrush and toothpaste, a hairbrush, and all of her other bathroom necessities. Squatting down in front of it, she silently thanked whoever had packed this bag and took it into the en suite bathroom with her.

The bruise on her cheekbone and under her eye was gruesome. Talia gasped when she saw it and shook her head angrily. It was dark purple, with some yellow blotchy areas. She'd get Vengeance back for this one. She washed her face, gritting her teeth as she rubbed cleanser over her bruised cheek. Weakness wasn't something she liked to admit, even to herself. She brushed her hair and teeth, feeling more like a human as she did so. Her tongue was thick with the taste of a hangover even with the minty taste of toothpaste.

Re-entering the bedroom, Talia took the time to look at the view. Directly below her was the shimmering blue pool, decorated with a rock waterfall. There was a small garden next to it, though no tall plants or patches of trees were in the yard. About twenty feet from the pool was a tall, thick palm tree with an ornate garden swing underneath it. She could see Val lounging next to the pool, notebook and textbook on the table next to her chair.

The ocean glittered in the distance and even through the closed window she could hear the roar of the waves. There was a stone path that wound down the grassy dunes from the pool but it was abruptly cut off by the thick iron fence she'd entered through the previous night. It was menacing and ruined the beach, in her opinion. The property was large and grassy. A porch wrapped around the back left side of the mansion.

Turning back to her bags, Talia opened the duffel first and found a pair of black leggings. She gingerly changed out of the shorts Syn had let her borrow and into the leggings. Without removing his shirt, she tiptoed to the door that would lead out into the hall. The chance of her running into Vengeance was one in four and she didn't really like those odds. Squaring her shoulders, she opened the door and peered down the empty hallway with narrowed eyes. It was empty, all doors closed, and silent. She walked slowly toward the steps of the staircase and breathed in deeply to fully take in her surroundings.

At night, the mansion was magnificent but with sunlight, it was hard to imagine a group of mobsters inhabiting such a gorgeous place.

The living room was open to the entrance of the house, with high ceilings that showcased a crystal chandelier that dazzled just like the sunlight on the waves. Large couches framed the room and Talia noticed the nearly ceiling-high windows that gave a beautiful view of the ocean. She managed to get the down the steps without any interruption and slowly approached the front door.

The physical locks on the door were impressive to say the least. Talia could only imagine what the security system in the house was like. The box next to the door was larger than average, much larger than the one in her old house, and it was much more complicated. She inspected it for a long minute before turning away and following the same path she'd taken the night before.

When she stood in front of the kitchen and parallel to the hall, she glanced to her left and noticed that Shadows' office door was open slightly. She could hear two men speaking inside, though it was very quietly, and decided quickly to avoid that area of the house, entering the kitchen instead.

The kitchen was huge, with marble countertops and white cabinets. A small breakfast nook sat in the corner, boasting yet another view of the ocean. Talia was already in love with the house and its views. She was mildly surprised that it was so clean, considering the men that lived in it. A bowl of fresh fruit sat on the table in the corner and she made her way toward it, grabbing an apple and casting a glance over to the glass doors that led out to the pool.

Talia stood in the empty kitchen for a moment, biting the apple and attempting to come to terms with her life at this point. She was alone in a giant, gorgeous house full of dangerous, attractive men that her uncle had paid to protect her at all costs. There was no way she could protect herself from them and there was no obvious means of safe escape.

Talia shrugged and let herself out of the house and onto the small porch.

"Hey Tally!" Val called immediately, waving the girl over. It was oppressively hot outside, too hot for the leggings Talia wore under Syn's oversized shirt. She walked down the steps of the porch and around the pool to sit next to the blonde. Val closed her books as Talia sat down. "Christ, you look like shit."

"Thanks Val, good morning to you too," Talia shot back sarcastically. Val laughed loudly and stretched out fully in her chair, putting her books on the table beside her. She smiled lazily over at Talia.

"It's almost two in the afternoon darlin' and you look like you didn't sleep a wink."

That wasn't true at all. Talia had slept like a baby. The second her head hit the pillow and she let go of conscious thought, she'd been dead to the world. She hadn't even heard anyone come into the room to leave her bags there. "Nah, I slept well," she countered, "Where did my stuff come from?"

"No idea," Val said, shrugging. Talia bit her lip. "I saw Syn put it in there a few hours ago when I woke up but he didn't say much about where it came from. I'm assuming your cousins..."

At the mention of her family, Talia's throat tightened. Had last night been a normal night, she'd be waking up in her apartment with them right about now. No bruise on her face, no aching muscles, no worries. Last night had been anything but normal though, and here she was.

"Listen," Val started, "I know it must be really hard to be here right now but it's really for the best. It'll be hard to adjust, I can't even imagine what you're going through, it was hard for me and I chose to be here with Matt. I think you'll be safe and maybe even happy here, if you give it time."

"I don't know about happy," Talia retorted bitterly, "And safety is objective. I'm safe from the outside." She chuckled and looked out toward the beach, searching for answers in the ocean. All she saw were black iron bars running along the property line and she sighed. "I hate the fence."

"It's electric. It keeps us safe," Val said cautiously, sitting forward slightly. Talia watched as Val's toned stomach flexed slightly. The blonde woman was wearing a pair of black shorts and a white bikini top, lounging in the sun and doing schoolwork. For a millisecond, Talia wished she could be her. Val was gorgeous, tan, and in love with a man that would keep her happy and undoubtedly safe. Then Talia just wished she was free.

"It keeps you safe," Talia agreed, "It keeps me locked in."

"Maybe you just need to see it from a different perspective," Val suggested, swinging her legs off the chair and sitting up. She took Talia's face in her hands, being very careful about the bruise on her face. She brushed her thumb over it and smiled warmly. "Your uncle is paying for you to stay here; pretend it's a hotel, pretend like you can leave and you just don't feel like it."

Talia laughed as Val pulled her hands away. "Sure. It could be like rehab or something, except there aren't any doctors just buff security guards."

"That's the spirit!" she laughed, nodding. A pen rolled off of her lap and she picked it up, placing it with her now forgotten books. Talia frowned, staring at the pile of work.

"I'm sorry if I distracted you from your school shit," she said. Val's eyes widened and she shook her head.

"I've been out here all morning," she said, "I was practically throwing bricks at your window for a distraction."

"I was so exhausted you could have thrown a grenade into the room and I wouldn't have woken up," Talia joked, standing and bending her body in half so she touched her toes. Her body ached from the soft bed and her long hours in it. Her spine cracked as she stood up and she sighed in contentment before laying in the chair.

The back door opened as Val opened her mouth to answer her. Both girls glanced over and watched Syn step out into the sun. He had sunglasses on and he smirked at the two, inclining his head in greeting. Talia didn't respond at all, allowing her eyes to take in his shirtless figure. Her heart accelerated and she turned her head away, willing the feeling to disappear. It was no use; the adrenaline pumped icy hot through her veins.

"I vaguely remember telling you that I'd hate to see your pretty face bruised," Syn said in a bemused tone. His voice was so close so suddenly that Talia jumped, despite herself. Syn smiled when she glanced up at him. He towered over her now, as she was sitting. She smiled tightly for a second before dropping it.

"Am I supposed to apologize for upsetting you by getting hit?" she asked sarcastically. He smirked, chuckling to himself.

"Be easy little fighter."

At that, he turned and dove into the pool. Talia let out an inaudible sigh of relief when he was under the water and away from her. She wasn't sure if she could handle close contact with him. Despite herself, she found a small group of butterflies breeding in her gut when he showed up. That wouldn't do at all.

"I think Brian likes you," Val whispered softly into Talia's ear.

"I'm assuming you're referring to Syn?" she whispered back as the man swam the length of the pool. The blonde merely rolled her eyes, grinning widely and nodding.

"Yes, I'm referring to Syn!" she whisper-yelled excitedly, "You might as well just call them by their actual names. It'll piss Zacky off and it doesn't matter what you call them while we're in the house."

Talia still wasn't comfortable with that. These people were not her friends. They weren't even acquaintances. She'd call them "not enemies." Talia had lived her entire life with four groups of people floating in her life; family, friends, enemies, and "not enemies." She defined family as her blood, friends as her chosen family, enemies as the people she'd put a bullet in if she had the chance, and "not enemies" as those who were not family, not friends, and not on her kill list.

Though she would call Vengeance an enemy because, given the chance, she'd enjoy torturing him slowly.

"I dunno Val, that might take time," she said. Val nodded but the mischievous look in her eyes didn't fade. She was matchmaking and by the constant shifting of her eyes between the two, Talia was getting dizzy. "Val," she said sternly, "I'm not getting involved here. My only friend here is you. That's how it's going to stay."

"Oh yeah, of course," she agreed, nodding. There wasn't a sarcastic tone to her voice but Talia could tell that Val would have a rough time stomaching the fact that Talia was not here to hook up. "I'm just saying, I think he likes you."

"He's stupid then. I tried to beat the living shit out of him last night," Talia commented dryly, watching as he pulled his body out of the water and sat at the edge of the pool, feet dangling into the water. He shook his head and his hair released tiny, rainbow droplets of water before sticking in every direction.

"Kinky," Val commented, eyebrow raised. Both girls burst out laughing and Val smacked Talia's thigh in a friendly, gentle way. Talia grinned and leaned her head back, closing her eyes. It was hard to remain frustrated around Valary, she was such a happy person. The sun warmed her skin nicely and she settled into the chair.

Seagulls cried in the distance and the air smelled of the salty ocean. It was easy to imagine that she chose to be here, like Val had suggested. She could be taking a vacation or actually be at rehab; Talia had already been to rehab twice. In any case, it was clear that she'd be spending most of her time lounging out here, maybe with a book if that would be allowed.

"Brian, I swear to fucking God, don't you dare," Val threatened lowly. Talia's eyes opened immediately to see the man poised in front of them, holding a small ceramic flower pot. It was full of pool water. He winked at the two.

"I'll kill you myself," Talia vowed, sitting up. "I'll beat you to death."

"What a way to die," he flirted, winking again.

Talia practically growled at him. Val started to stand, in an attempt to run, but Syn was too quick. In one deft movement, he threw water over the two girls. Val shrieked as Talia vaulted off of her chair and slammed herself into his chest. Syn, Talia, and the empty flower pot all toppled into the pool at once. The water felt good against Talia's hot skin and she swam up to the surface, laughing. Val was shaking her head and grinning, ringing her hair out.

"What the fuck is going on out here?" Vengeance asked from the porch, arms crossed. Talia floated as Syn reached the surface. He was laughing, still holding the flower pot.

"Shut up Zacky, we're having fun," Val retorted, waving her middle finger at him. Talia laughed and kicked her feet at Syn, splashing him in the face. The man appeared upside down to Talia due to her position but he was shaking his head and walked toward the pool. "I can't believe you Brian! You could have gotten my homework wet!"

"Oh shut up, it's hot out. You needed it," he answered. Talia swam to the edge and pulled herself out of the pool. Her clothes were heavy now. The dark-haired girl stood and rung out the white t-shirt. She was vaguely aware of Vengeance approaching her but she ignored it, ringing out her hair and shaking her head.

"You got something on your face Russo," the man pointed out as he walked past her. She sneered, taking in his appearance. He had three long scratches down the side of his face. They didn't appear deep or serious in any way but she was proud that she put them there.

"I wouldn't talk asshole," she said, gesturing to the spot on her own face where the scratches appeared on his. He smirked.

"At least I don't look like I just lost a wet t-shirt contest," he retorted.

"Say what you want; you're still looking," she said, smirking.

To that, he had no answer. He merely rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. Talia grinned at Val who shook her head. He sighed deeply and Talia stepped around his hulking figure, moving back towards the chair she'd been sitting on. The slight breeze cooled her wet skin and she combed through her wet hair, standing next to Val now.

"Shadows wants to bring you to lunch now Val," Vengeance said, his tone softening. Talia took in his appearance and concluded that he was exceedingly attractive when he wasn't glaring at someone. That didn't matter though, as he'd be glaring at her constantly and she would make sure of it. "He wants to talk to you too Russo, even if you look like a half-drowned rat."

"Fuck you," Talia spat, crossing her arms over her chest and glaring at the man. He squinted down at her in the sun and shook his head. She rolled her eyes at him and stepped past the man. "Is he in his office?"

"Yeah," Vengeance answered. "Try not to drip on him."

Talia huffed, walking away from the pool and slipping into the house. The air conditioning immediately raised goosebumps on her wet skin and she entertained the idea of changing into dry clothes before talking to the leader of the house. She decided against it. Instead she stepped lightly down the hallway under the stairs and knocked lightly on the half-open door to Shadows' office.

"Come in," came the gruff voice she remembered from the night before. She did so, closing the door behind her and stepping into the room. It was well-lit this time and, she now noticed, richly decorated. The leather of the couch appeared supple and she was interested in sitting in it. The TV flashed the security cameras again and she briefly watched Val walking up the stairs to her bedroom. "Sit down."

Shadows was behind his desk, shooting back amber liquid that she could only assume was whiskey. She sat in the chair that had been toppled in her scuffle with Vengeance the night before and smiled tightly at the man in front of her. He grinned back grimly before setting the glass down on the shiny, expensive wood of his desk.

"I see you've made yourself at home with the pool," he commented dryly. Talia let out a breath of air and chuckled to herself.

"Syn threw some water on Val and I so naturally I had to get revenge by throwing us both in the pool," she explained. To that explanation, Shadows actually let out a genuine laugh. The sound caught Talia off guard and she blinked in surprise, letting an actual smile grace her features. He was being nice enough and she wondered what this chat was about.

"I'm glad you seem to be getting along well here but I'm not gonna pretend like you haven't put me in a tough spot by being here," he said harshly. Talia shrugged the comment off. "You're supposed to be a second thought to me, you're supposed to be locked in a safe house in the desert, and now you've become a guest in my home and that could become an inconvenience."

"I didn't ask to stay here in this house," Talia pointed out, "That was Val's doing."

"I didn't say it was your fault. I'm just going to have to go over the rules with you," he explained. Talia leaned back in the chair, unhappy with the rude turn the conversation had taken. "You're a friend of Val's so you're treated as a guest but you're also a prolonged guest, which means you have to pull your own weight. That means cooking and cleaning for yourself. We don't have any outsiders come into the house or onto the property unless they have full background checks, which means no visitors for you.

"If you want to use the beach, feel free. You'll just need one of the guys or Val to go with you so you can get through the gate. I'm not giving you the code because I don't trust you. You can use the gym at the end of this hall too but don't go in the basement. You'll mind your own business at all times, especially when our work is going on here. Is all that understood?"

"I understand," Talia answered shortly. He nodded once and then stood. The slender girl followed his lead and stepped away from the chair. "Oh, I was just wondering; I like to run in the mornings and I know the fence is electric but would I be able to run along it? I won't touch it, I'll just follow it."

"That's fine," he clarified, "Please, try to be comfortable here. I don't want you to be wildly unhappy. Just know that we're trying to help you."

Talia nodded once and smiled a small smile at the man. She understood that he was trying to help but it wasn't out of the goodness of his heart. She couldn't thank someone for doing a service they were paid for. She took her cue to leave and stepped out of his office. He followed her out but entered the kitchen while she went up the stairs.

Talia disappeared into her room and decided easily on a shower. She felt dirty from the night before and now that she'd taken a chlorine-filled dip in the pool, a warm shower was right up her alley. She stripped as she made her way to the large bathroom and found herself lavishing in the huge shower. The water pounded down over her head and shoulders, cleansing her skin and soothing her muscles.

It took Talia a long time to decide that stepping out of the shower would be a mildly good idea.

She inspected her naked body in the mirror for a while, checking out any bruises she had and drying herself slowly with one of the giant, fluffy white towels that hung in the room. She made her way into the sunny bedroom and plopping down on the floor in front of her bags. She opened them all and started pulling clothes out, mulling over the decisions her cousins had made for her.

It seemed like they'd packed the majority of her belongings. She had mostly everything she owned, including club dresses, heels, lingerie, and bathing suits. She sighed and started piling things in an organized mess, trying to unpack her things. She had all of her makeup, as well as her hair products and styling irons though she did miss all of her accessories as far as jewelry and purses.

As she began folding clothes into the wardrobe and taking advantage of the closet next to it, Talia mulled over the fact that her laptop hadn't been packed and that her phone was also missing. She knew she was a safety liability for the gang but it still didn't sit well with her. She was truly alone and, if she was being honest, she wasn't sure if she would be okay with that fact.

After making a quick job of unpacking, Talia got dressed and hauled her cosmetics into the bathroom. She took her time blow-drying her hair and styling it. Talia took pride in her appearance and in the face of change, she needed to fall into her normal beauty routine. When her hair was pin straight, she decided to bypass the enormous, tactical task of covering the bruise on her cheek.

Instead, she covered her face with moisturizer and a light dusting of powder before she knew it was time for her to explore the cabinets of the kitchen. Her stomach rumbled with force and she left the room. The house was filled with the noise of gunshots and yelling, followed by cursing in Vengeance's insolent tone. Talia rolled her eyes as she stepped down the stairs to the sight of Vengeance playing video games in the elegant living room. She vaguely wondered why he wasn't off on a job.

He didn't acknowledge her presence, maybe because he didn't notice her. She settled into the kitchen easily, searching the cabinets and the refrigerator for something to make. There was a wildly large amount of protein in the kitchen which was obvious seeing as all the guys were insanely built. That worked for Talia, as she tried to keep a healthy lifestyle as well.

There was a surprising amount of vegetables as well, and she pulled out some carrots and onions to put into an omelette. Talia searched the drawers for a knife and came across a cutting board. She fell into an easy rhythm. Talia had learned how to cook a long time ago and she enjoyed it. Having grown up with only an Italian father, cooking was an important part of her life.

"It's a bit late for breakfast, isn't it?" Syn asked from the doorway. Talia was holding three eggs in a bowl when she turned to look at him. He was leaning against the door frame and smirking at her. Her blood boiled and she turned to hide the blush on her cheeks as she shrugged.

"I woke up a bit late though," she rebutted lamely, turning back to her cutting board. She began chopping at the carrots she'd picked and he settled onto a stool at the counter across from her. She ignored him though, slicing easily through the vegetable. "Besides, I didn't know what else to eat."

"Eggs are always a safe bet when you don't know what to eat," he agreed, flashing her a wide smile when she glanced up at him. Talia wasn't sure why Syn was being so nice to her, especially after his charade in the car last night. She wasn't going to complain but she also wasn't going to trust him. There was no reason for him to be pleasant and she was suspicious that it was an act.

"Do you want some?" she asked. He raised an eyebrow and shook his head.

"I just ate, actually."

Talia shrugged and nodded, peeling the skin off of the onion next and chopping through it easily. She was hyper-aware of his eyes on her and she wished that she wasn't. It would be a lot easier if he wasn't so attractive. Even with her eyes focused on her work she could still see the sharp lines of his jaw and cheekbones.

"I like your ring," he said, pointing over the marble counter top at the ring she wore on her thumb. She placed the knife on the counter and looked at it as well, showing it off to him. "It's cool."

Talia was obsessed with this particular ring. It was a flat-headed serpent, it's tail was the ring itself and coiled around her finger. The eyes of the snake were red and she wore it everyday on her thumb for the past five years, since she'd gotten it.

"Thanks. It's my memento mori," she explained, turning back to the kitchen and guessing at where the pans would be. She got lucky on her first try and found a small frying pan that would fit the small omelette perfectly. She placed it on the stove and turned on the heat, struggling for a moment as she wasn't used to such a nice stove.

"Your memento mori?" he repeated. She threw him a look as she pulled the butter out of the fridge and he grinned sheepishly. "I've never heard of it, what is that?"

"It's Latin for 'remember death.' It's something people in the Middle Ages did. It's a piece of jewelry, usually a ring or bracelet, that's a reminder that death is coming for you. Pretty much a way of reminding yourself to live life to its fullest," she explained, sliding the vegetables into the frying pan. She turned and leaned against the counter, watching his reaction.

"That's actually a really awesome idea," he said, "I want one now."

"I love mine, it's the only belonging that really means a lot to me. My dad got it for me, y'know? He had one too."

"That's nice," he said, watching as Talia cracked the eggs into the bowl. She scrambled them with a fork easily and searched the drawers to her right for a spatula. Turning back to the frying pan, she shifted the carrots and onions around. They weren't brown enough yet and she washed the cutting board and knife while she waited. The smell of the food was driving her crazy and she poured the eggs into the pan.

From then on, it was easy. Talia was a pro at making eggs and it was done within no time. She washed the dishes she'd dirtied before she ate. She took her plate and fork and stepped around the counter to sit next to Syn. He looked at her as she sat down and she looked up at him to find a bemused grin on his face.

"What?" she asked, her tone even. He shook his head.

"Nothing," he answered. The smile told her otherwise though and she tilted her head to glare up at him through her eyelashes.

"What?" she pressed. He chuckled and leaned back on the stool a little. He looked away from her and then back at her quickly.

"Nothing," he insisted and she groaned.

"Now I'm not gonna be able to eat in peace until you tell me," she said, leaning away from him and smiling playfully up at him. She was mortified with herself. Not even a full 24 hours in this house and she was already on the verge of throwing herself at him. It took a few mental slaps for Talia to even remind herself that this was the man that carried her out of a bar kicking and screaming. She'd stabbed him with a stiletto.

He smiled back at her and rolled his eyes, forcing her heart to beat faster and her cheeks to heat up. Even with no competition in the stubborn department, Talia couldn't bring herself to dislike him. She could try but she already knew that ultimately, she would fail so she didn't see the point in even bothering. She didn't have to trust him to be friendly with him, and some small flirting would entertain both her and Val for a while.

"What?" she whined, pushing at his shoulder with her hand. He laughed.

"I just can't wait till that bruise is gone is all," he answered with a shrug. She pushed her food around on her plate before looking back up at him.

"And why's that?"

"You're gorgeous without it."