Bruno
It's eleven in the morning when she steps out of her house in nothing but a pair of jeans, a T-shirt, and sandals.
I raise an eyebrow. Is my precious impervious to my charms as well as the cold? I wonder.
She leaves the gate of her house and walks in the direction of her neighbor as well as her best friend, Mrs. Sophie Rossi. I'd already guessed that she would-my precious isn't usually this casual when she goes out.
She elegantly walks across the street to her neighbor's house, her head held high.
I let out a sigh of admiration and pure longing.
She will be mine. She can't belong to anyone else. And no one can stop me from making her mine.
Including her.
Speaking of that, she's up to something. There's something wrong, right here.
It's already been established that I've been stalking this woman for a few days now. I'll admit, I still can't fully read her mind-woman's too closed off-but I can accurately tell when things don't add up with her. She's acting normal in an abnormal way.
Like for example, why is she wearing such light clothes in this weather? that's weird. And she has not looked around her surroundings once though she's fully aware I'm watching her. That is what she usually does.
And why do you keep tossing your hair back unnecessarily, precious? You're going to mess it up.
Before I can have another thought my phone rings on the table, breaking the beautifully eerie silence in my house and honestly startling me a bit. I let out an angry growl.
Honestly, can I be left alone to acquire my woman's love?
I move away from the window and stride towards the phone, contemplating smashing the piece of technology.
It's Chase's call. I curse in three languages before I answer.
What? Lina is the most important thing to me but I have other responsibilities too. And if Chase is calling, then it simply means those responsibilities need urgent handling.
Damn.
I thought that the free time I was on would last until I was able to get Lina but I guess I was wrong. My life just keeps calling.
"I thought I was clear," I say the statement as a form of greeting.
"Sir, It couldn't wait," Chase explains.
"What possibly couldn't have waited Chase?" I said through clenched teeth. Sometimes, I can be a bit nasty to Chase as he's usually delivering the bad news being my right hand.
It never seems to bother Chase. By now, he's accepted that it's part and parcel of his job. And I think he's noticed that I only get angry at those who are close to me. It's sadistic indifference for the others.
"It's your sister, Gia. I've been informed that she's really..." he pauses, hesitating a little," ill. " he finishes. "And that she's asking for you, sir."
That admittedly gives me pause. Stronger than I wanted to sound, I ask," Is she alright?"
" Why don't you come and find out yourself?" says a different voice. I recognize it instantly with a feeling of warmth. Chase must be at my parent's mansion.
"Leo, what happened to our sister, fratello?"
"As if you care, you don't even answer our calls," Leo says accusingly.
" And you know the reason for that, Leo,'' I tell him, cooly," And of course I care, she's my sister."
"Then prove it. Come here and make her feel better," he says before ending the call.
I listen to the phone beep with a lot of frustration and anger. And guilt.
I feel really bad that I didn't answer my sister's call when she was sick. Gia is a naughty, sweet, and cheerful seventeen-year-old. She's always smiling but when she's sick she loses that twinkle in her and her spirits dampen. It must've saddened her further to be ignored by her brother while she was sick.
I feel like the worst big brother ever and I want to make this right quickly. But that'll require letting Lina out of my sight, something every fiber of my being rebels against. Especially with all this suspicious behavior going on. And then there's her friend Sophie. I've interacted with that woman at college through Lina and I'm honestly not surprised she's still in the picture. She's been Lina's ride-or-die woman from day one. Such a bond is sure to stir up trouble.
But you'll only be gone for a little while, my brain tells me, a couple of hours at most. Surely, I can come back and handle the situation before things get out of hand at that time, right? And there's also the security team that Chase put in place to keep her safe. They can keep me informed of any suspicious activity or handle any situations that may arise, hopefully with half the finesse I'd use.
It may not even come to that, I think, making my way to my room. My suspicions could be wrong. There are only two days left until I come to get Lina. She hasn't been packing or doing anything that indicates that she'll be moving soon but that's to be expected since she's being forced. But she wouldn't do something as stupid as to try and run away from me, right? By now she has to have figured out that nothing will keep me away from her, I think.
However, I still reach into my pocket and contact the team both Chase and I can contact. Now, Chase assures me that these guys are without-a-doubt trustworthy but I'm not so convinced. Lina needs to be in the safest hands possible at all times so hired guns will not do at all. I have just the right person for the job in mind but that comes with some slight complications...
One of the security team, Marcello, I think, finally answers,' Si, Capo?"
Like Chase, he also doesn't beat around the bush.
"I need you to watch Lina closely for the next few hours. Something's up. Don't let her out of your sight."
*****************************************************************
Lina
I knock on Sophie's door like a mad person, not being able to help myself. I feel so uncomfortable being exposed for this long. I wish she'd open the door.
I finally give in to the urge to look around me as I continue knocking on the door. The door swings open while I'm still knocking however it's not Sophie I almost hit. It's Carlos, Sophie's husband.
I still my hand before I almost hit his head. He looks at me with amusement before chuckling a bit."Buongiorno, Lina. I see you're in an awful mood today."
I can't help smiling sheepishly at the grinning man at the entrance. Carlos is a cute guy, with short black hair, average height, warm green eyes, and a personality to match. He works as a physics professor at the University of Mylari but he can act as silly as his students. I wish he and I were really close-he's a great guy- but we aren't. That's my fault, I struggle to let a lot of people in.
"Morning Carlos, I'm so sorry I almost hit you. I'm here to see Sophie, can I come in?"
"Sure," he says stepping aside so I can enter, "Sophie told me you were coming. She's asked me to tell you that she'll join you as soon as she wraps up an important call with one of her dance instructors." I nod in understanding. I'm not surprised that Sophie's busy, her dance studio has been blowing up lately.
Carlos tells me to take a seat as we enter the living room and I sit on the comfortable sofa facing the TV.
"Can I go get you anything?" he asks politely.
"No, thanks. I'm good," I tell him.
"In that case, I'll go and see if Sophie's done with that call, okay?"
"Okay, "I say and Carlos disappears in the direction of their bedroom.
I let out a deep breath and fidget in my seat. I've been in this home a million times but this is the first time I'm feeling uncomfortable. No, surprise there. This is the first time I'm here with a gangster on my trail. Maybe I shouldn't involve Sophie in this, I think. She has enough on her hands with running her business and enjoying her married life without me dumping this difficult situation on her.
I get up to leave when she noisily comes through the door, Carlos trailing close behind her.
Well, there goes that plan. She's not gonna let me leave now.
"I'm sorry I kept you waiting Lina, I had to attend this important call," she says before hugging me."How are you? Is everything okay? Has anything happened?" she asks while locking me in a tight embrace, firing questions faster than I can answer them.
I'm discreetly aware of Carlos in the room so I don't say anything significant.
" Soph, you're crushing me to death."
She lets go instantly and looks sheepish."Sorry, I've just been really worried."
I give her a reassuring smile.
"Has he called again?" she asks, looking at me expectantly. I subtly glance at her husband so she takes the hint. A look of understanding clouds her face before she turns to her husband.
Apologetically, she says, "Babe, can you give us a minute?"
His eyes widen a bit, as if he's suddenly realising that I'm wanting some privacy."Oh... Uhm...Okay, I'll be making myself a snack in the kitchen if you ladies need me." With that, he disappears into the kitchen[not before running into the wall]leaving me and Soph alone in the room.
She takes my hand and pulls me down on the couch.
'Tell me everything," she says.
"Well, he hasn't contacted me since yesterday but I know he's watching me every move. I went to buy a couple of things just before I came here and I think I spotted a black SUV following me. "
"I seriously can't believe how crazy this whole thing is. Bruno must be seriously unstable," she declares.
"Yeah, he's dangerous."
Sophie is silent for a moment, just looking at me. She then suddenly says, "Lina, you should come and stay with me and Carlos."
She must've noticed my complete disagreement with that idea because she hurriedly carried on talking. "Before you say no, hear me out. If you're staying with us here instead of living alone in your house he won't dare try to kidnap you. We'll be your protection," she says at length.
I look at her beautiful face, her handsome features earnest but twisted in concern. I was seriously torn between being touched and amused. Did she think that two people were going to stop Bruno from doing whatever he damn well pleased? It wouldn't even pause him in his step.
" That won't work, Sophie. It wouldn't make one bit of difference to him if I was here or at my house"I tell her gently, touching her shoulders.
"But..."
"Even if it could work, I wouldn't risk you and Carlos like that."
She just looks at me, speechless and scared." I won't just stand by and let that crazy man take you, Lina!" she yells.
'' Shh...Carlos will ask what's going on if he hears you yelling like this. And don't worry. You won't have to, "I say brushing the tears from her face.
"Really?" she asks.
"Yes. That's because I won't even be here."
Her forehead wrinkles up in confusion.
"I've decided to leave the country," I explain.
********************************************************************
The previous night...
I'd spent about five minutes in the reading nook in my room before I'd finally removed the novel from my lap and got up.
I started pacing the room, thinking.
Where could I go?
It would have to be far away and somewhere I didn't normally visit. The question is where. I crossed out a lot of places that I felt were obvious and would be the first places that Bruno checked. I stopped in my tracks as I finally settled on one. A smile bloomed on my face as I thought about it: New York.
Biting my lips in triumph and excitement, I grabbed my phone from my pocket and looked for the contacts of someone I hadn't talked to in a long time; my cousin Cameron.
Cameron Rivera is the son of my father's late brother, Angelino. My uncle died in a car accident along with his wife about nine years ago. I think Cameron was about seventeen at the time, like me. I know because I remember that we were born in the same year but him a month earlier, a fact that he used to be very proud of.
We used to be close before the accident, best friends actually. But then he moved to America with his mother's sister and we never heard from him again. Well until last year at Christmas. He just showed up unexpectedly at my father's house but of course, we welcomed him back with open arms. Needless to say, both of us had changed but we'd instantly hit it off, reminiscing about our childhood memories and laughing our heads off. He was still really fun but I noticed something that intrigued me. A new Darkness in his eyes. I couldn't help but wonder at the things that had happened to him after his parent's death. But I didn't pry about his past once because we'd just reunited. And I also had secrets in my heart I'd rather not discuss. Anyway, we exchanged numbers after that and promised to keep in touch.
Never happened.
I guess we both go wrapped up in our own lives in different countries. Now seems like a good time to get in touch again.
Usually, I'd hesitate a thousand times and think a lot about what I had to say before I make this kind of move but desperation seems to be motivating me. I call his number without a second thought.
I hold it next to my ear as it rings and rings until I don't think he's going to answer. But he does at the last moment.
"Cameron here," he says tonelessly. He must not have looked at the caller ID.
"Hello, Cammy," I say just as cooly.
He pauses for a second."Lina is that you?' he asks incredulously.
" Of course it is, you dummy."