Rome, Italy.
Carlos's pov:
"Have you ever seen Satan and begged for your life, trying to avoid anything bad happening to you? That's exactly what I was doing in this situation. The feds had finally discovered where I was and arrested me. Kai was trying to bargain with them, but they threatened to arrest him for being an accomplice. 'Why am I being arrested right now, especially after meeting with a lawyer?" I asked, irritation lacing my voice.
"As we said days ago, Mr. Romano, you had plenty of time to find a lawyer, and unfortunately, your time has run out,' the fed said. "I already had a lawyer here before you arrived," I said. "Then why aren't they here to help?" the fed asked. I couldn't exactly tell them I told Alliana she wouldn't be my lawyer, or they'd never let me live it down. "Never mind. Can I make a phone call?" I asked. "You can make a phone call once you get to the station,' the fed said, stepping forward to snap the handcuffs on me."
"Kai, I'll call you when I arrive," I said, and he nodded. Two other cops held me down while the fed slapped the handcuffs on me. I can't even begin to describe how relieved I was when those damn cuffs were finally removed after I was released from prison. Now, here I am, back at square one. They dragged me out of my mansion, with AJ, Vex, and Denzel standing there like spectators, watching the whole humiliating scene unfold.
They shoved me into the car and made me sit between two cops, one to my left and one to my right. Kai stayed behind, still inside the mansion, watching another cop try to figure something out. As we headed to the station, I found myself second-guessing my decision to throw Alliana out. Why the hell did I tell her she wasn't qualified to be my lawyer? Was it because I'm not used to having a woman call the shots in my life? Was it her attitude, that constant sassiness that got to me? Or maybe her sharp wit was just too much for me to handle. I don't know. But what I do know is I need to apologize and try to convince her to reconsider, or else I'm really screwed.
When I arrive at the police station, the first thing I'll do is call Kai and tell him everything. After that, I've got no choice but to stay put and wait. All I can do now is hope that Alliana will forgive me and agree to help out.
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Rome, Italy.
Alliana's pov:
When Souline and I returned to our hotel, we went to our rooms to change. Never in my life had I been so shamed and disrespected at work while trying to assist someone so egotistical and rude, not to mention his bodyguards who could barely hold themselves together. I needed to calm down before I could even think about changing. I went to the bathroom and turned on the hot water.
I let the steam and warmth ease my nerves, hoping to keep my stress from spreading through my body. I soaked in the water for about forty minutes before getting up, careful not to let my fingers turn all wrinkled. After I changed into my bathrobe, I settled into bed to watch some TV. I ordered food for Souline and me since she was planning to join me in the room. About fifteen minutes later, there was a knock at the door.
"Come in," I called out from the comfort of my bed. The door opened, and Souline stepped in, holding a bag. "Hey," she said softly as she closed the door behind her. "Hey," I said. "How are you feeling?" Souline asked, walking over to the bed. "I'm fine, just a little stressed," I explained. "Same here, but just take some deep breaths," Souline said. I rubbed my temples and nodded in agreement. My brow furrowed as I looked at the bag in her hand; curiosity piqued.
"What's in the bag?" I asked. "Just some files I finished," Souline said, handing it to me. "Thanks," I said as I took the bag and placed it on the nightstand. "Well, let's wait for the food and watch some movies," Souline said, clapping her hands together. "Alright," I said as I started browsing for a movie. The food arrived about thirty minutes later, looking like something straight out of heaven. I hadn't ordered that much, but I had lost my appetite at the mansion. We ate, watched TV shows, talked about random nonsense, and then napped.
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Rome, Italy.
Souline's pov:
I groaned and rubbed my eyes after Alliana accidentally shoved me off the bed. I stood up, grabbed my phone, and left her room to head outside. "Hello?" I yawn before responding. "Hello? Souline?" a familiar voice asked. "Um, who is this?" I asked, still half asleep. "How come you don't remember me after we met just hours ago?"
"Kai?" My brow furrowed as I asked. "No, it's blarney, no shit, it's me, Kai," he said. I rolled my eyes. "Why the hell are you calling me? Shouldn't you be busy giving Carlos a manicure to boost his ego?" I shot back. "What?" Kai asked. "Why are you calling?" I asked. "Well, I just wanted to apologize on behalf of Carlos's behavior. I know it wasn't professional, but I assure you, it wasn't intentional," Kai explained.
"You should apologize too. Why didn't you speak up for us?" I asked. "Because I'm not familiar with you two? Carlos is my brother," Kai said. "Oh, so you don't correct him when he does something wrong just because he's your brother?" I asked. "It's not that; it's just not my concern," Kai explained.
"I appreciate the apology, and I'm sure Alliana will as well, but why are you calling?" I asked. "Something happened after you two left," Kai explained. "How does that relate to us?" I asked. "Well, after you and Alliana left, the cops came and arrested Carlos because he didn't have a lawyer," Kai explained. "He would've had a lawyer, Alliana, if he wasn't such an asshole," I said.
"I know, I know, but could you please put her on the phone? I have something else to tell her," Kai said. "She's currently resting," I said. "Wake her up, smartass," Kai said. "No, leave her alone," I snapped. I could hear him tapping his feet through the phone, signaling that he was irritated, but I didn't care.
"Fine, well, when she wakes up, tell her to call me," Kai muttered. "Mhm," I said before hanging up. I returned to Alliana's room, sat back down on the bed, and immediately fell asleep again.
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Rome, Italy.
Kai's pov:
I sighed and rested my palms on my face, groaning from the phone call. I wanted to rage, throw everything across the room like Carlos does when he's angry, but I'm not like that. I'm not violent unless I absolutely have to be.
I put my hands on the table and fiddled with my fingers. After a few minutes, I went to the kitchen. I've been waiting for Carlos to call, but is he still at the police station? What's taking him so long? I sat down and started preparing my food while waiting, my thoughts distracted once again. I'm not sure what it is or what caused it, but I can't focus.
To top it off, it's giving me a migraine—
RING!
I grabbed the phone that was ringing. "Hello?" I asked. "Hello? Kai?" Carlos asked. "Carlos? What took you so long?" I asked. "Do you have any idea how long it takes to get locked up?" Carlos asked. "No, because I've never been to prison!" I explained. "Whatever. Did you call Souline?" Carlos asked. "I did, in fact," I said. "Well? What exactly did she say?" Carlos asked.
"I apologized on your behalf for your behavior and explained everything, including how you wanted Alliana to assist you with your legal issues; she said she'd get Alliana to call me tomorrow," I explained. "Fuck," Carlos sighed. "I'm hoping she says yes," I said. "I hope so too," Carlos replied.
"Can you tell me when visitation days are?" I asked. "Tuesday, Thursday, and Monday," Carlos explained. "Can I go tomorrow since it's Thursday?" I asked. "Yes, but please tell me what Alliana says in person because I won't be able to take any more calls until next Monday," Carlos said. "All right," I said.
I sighed as I hung up the phone. Now I just have to wait for Alliana's response tomorrow, and her decision is making me nervous.