Vanished Into Thin Air (Rossi Series Book #1)

I Am Proud Of

Gemma:

"She looks like Mom." Lucian confesses.

All our brothers and I let out a gasp of air.

"Impossible. We buried her year's ago." Dad snarls.

I know dad is still heartbroken over mom but he doesn't have to be a dick about what Lucian has said. The tone of dad's voice has all my older brothers on guard. Each one is watching the scene in front of us; making sure they don't have to intervene.

"I don't know how else to describe her besides she looks exactly like Mom except she has a scar on her cheek." Lucian defends himself.

"Impossible." Dad grunts.

Dad tone changed some, like he was giving up on the argument or was just exhausted. My brothers demeanors all change to slightly more relaxed. They all step away from all of us younger ones.

"I seen her with my own eyes dad. Vincent, Leonardo, and Gemma have the same face. So, it isn't impossible to have a doppelgänger of mother running around. I know what I saw." Lucian snaps back.

"Enough! She can't be your mother!" Dad yells.

"I never said she was my fucking mom! I said she looks like her! There's a very big difference between the two!" Lucian screams.

Maybe my brothers reacted a little too soon with backing off of all of us. Soon after Lucian scream; all that could be hear in this room is a loud slap. Dad just slap Lucian so hard his head snapped to the right. The whole room is in shock; no one is speaking. When I finally have the courage to glance over to Lucian; my eyes become saucers. He has a perfect imprint of a hand on his face. I don't know who scares me more when they're angry.

Lucian or dad.

Definitely, dad.

"Everyone can leave. I need to talk to Renzo and Matteo for a bit." Dad dismisses all of us.

"Dad, you can't go around slapping your children because they make a comment." Matteo suddenly says.

"He's right dad. Lucian shouldn't have screamed but you yelled first. You didn't even hear him out. That's just not right. You don't put your hands on any of these boys or Gemma." Renzo says coldly.

"Enough out of your two. Everyone else leave." Dad says just as ice cold as Renzo.

Lucian already took off towards the stairs. The rest of my brothers took off in other directions like a bee chasing honey. By the time I am able to run in the direction Lucian took off in; I lost him. He isn't in his room, nor the library, nor the gym. Hell, I don't even think he's in this freaking house anymore. With the argument with dad and the physical hit from dad; I would run off too. Lucian and I have become closer to one another. I know his mental health isn't a hundred percent yet. However, it's getting better.

Well, it was.

I'm still on the prowl for my brother. I know we have several passageways but I only know of a few. It seems like I'm the only person worried about Lucian.

Hold on Bubbie, I'm coming for you!

I circle back around and search the library again for my Bubbie. The library is where I always find him at; even in all our other homes. When I inspect further into the library, I notice several books on to the ground. There has to be a passageway behind this shelf. I frantically begin to pull out books left and right trying to find the right one. After flipping several over, I start to panic and get frustrated. I lower myself down to the floor and bring my knees to my chest. As soon as my back puts enough pressure on the shelf, it turns sideways and I tumble backwards down the stairs.