"What's wrong with you?" He asked in a stern voice.
"Nothing. I mean I just regained consciousness after being under the effects of sedatives for a long time. My head is banging, my body is aching all over... I'm completely fine"
"If you had listened and stopped taking those drugs, you wouldn't be here. Do you realise that you could have almost died some hours ago?"
She rolled her eyes and sighed.
"Can we not talk about this, I'm too tired to argue with you"
"You're too adamant on listening!"
"Can't you just let this matter die? I said I don't want to talk about it" she snapped, but he ignored her.
He wasn't going to let the matter die down until he had received his answers.
"So you prefer to get yourself killed, than to trust someone with what is clearly bigger than you"
"If it means not relying on any human being, then why not?" She answered nonchalantly and picked up the tv's remote.
She switched it on and increased the volume till it was blaring loudly.
"We're in a hospital. Reduce the volume!" He ordered.
She increased it.
He clenched his jaws in anger.
He couldn't remember when last he met a woman who had the attitude to snap back at him, not even the fiesty Natasha Kostlov had the guts to do that.
He grabbed the remote out of her hand and switched it off.
She rolled her eyes and fell back into her pillow.
"You just love pushing my buttons don't you?"
She remained silent.
He studied her eyes for a moment. Clear yet clouded with anger, a side of vulnerability and something he couldn't place.
He released a deep sigh.
"Why can't you trust me?"
A scoff escaped her lips.
"Trust you? I should trust someone who is unpredictable and who at this point I can't say I understand?"
He was taken aback by her words.
"To trust you, I have to trust who you are, trust what you can and cannot do, trust your intentions and actions, trust your..." She began coughing mid sentence.
He jumped immediately and helped her to lie down. He then poured water in a glass and assisted her to drink.
He noticed the stare she was giving him as he supported her in drinking it.
He dropped the empty glass on the side table as she lay down flat on her back.
"This is what I mean" her voice was even raspier this time.
His eyebrows pulled together to form a knot.
"One moment, you're all cold, neutral, commanding, annoyed maybe, and indifferent Don Smith, leader of the American Mafia. At that point it seems like you see me as nothing but a trophy that has to be in it's best shape so you can showcase and add to your ego"
He almost wanted to laugh... Almost.
He still didn't understand what she was hinting at.
"And the next moment, you're all sweet, caring, slightly kind, hospitable, and treat me like I'm a real human being, or like we're really married and you're my real husband. That part of you makes me forget that this marriage is fake and is somewhat a punishment"
She coughed again.
"I can't trust you because I don't know which part of you to trust. If I decide to trust one, you become the other. You want me to stop taking drugs, first become someone whose personality I'm sure of. Until then, I don't think I can make any promise"
She concluded and turned her back to face him.
He couldn't even say anything. What could he say anyway?
She was right though.
He had been switching sides.
If he saw he was being too harsh with her, he'd become soft. And when he saw he was too soft and vulnerable, he'd go back to being the big bad wolf.
He was oblivious to the fact that it affected her that much, and now because of that she had just woken up from a fight between life and death
He just stood up and walked out.
He needed air to clear his mind first.
*********************************
He had recieved a text from Andrew saying he was in the lobby.
He met him before they proceeded to the garden.
"Why are you smelling like a woman's perfume?" Don asked with a playful grin.
Andrew returned the grin without a word.
"What's her name?" He asked feeling happy for his friend.
"Rosaline. She's a criminal defense lawyer with a law firm somewhere in Downtown"
"Nice. She would come in handy in case we get deep into any shit. Does she know you're in the mafia?"
"I mentioned it a couple of times, but I guess she thinks I'm joking, so I'll just wait for reality to kick in" he replied.
"How about Anaya, how is she doing?"
"She's awake now. Not even a weak heart stopped her from being fiesty" he remarked with a sigh and made Andrew chuckle.
"I warned you that she would be trouble" Andrew stated, "That girl is not something to be played with. If we mess up in any way, she will come back and strike worse than even what Natasha is doing now"
Don hummed.
"She is trouble! I go soft for her whenever I see her. Those blue eyes just arrest me whenever I look into them and it suddenly feels like I'm under her spell" he explained while staring into space.
"She told me she couldn't trust me because I had been showing double sides of my personality and she didn't know who to trust"
"Forget about that. Don't get yourself too involved. Remember what this marriage is for. You aren't here to start falling for her, she is a chess piece in this and you have to be the one controlling not her"
He exhaled
"We can as well say that it's too late for that" He said unconsciously.
Andrew flipped and stared at his friend in disbelief.
"You can't be serious, Don. We've come too far to allow your feelings spoil this.
You can't lose focus and concentration over another hot chick..."
"Don't refer to her in that manner!" He reprimanded fiercely,
"She isn't 'another hot chick'. You haven't had a one-on-one experience with her. She's beauty with brains, she is brave, fiery, string and daring, has maybe too much of an attitude and a smart mouth, but she is something that walks out of one's fantasy.
She has suffered alot in this life in the hands of people, and now guards herself with walls too high for her own good.
I want to show her that she doesn't have to hide behind walls, or push everyone away, at least not those who care for her.
Trust is a risky game, but a vital and mandatory one if someone has to progress significantly"
Andrew stared at his friend, short of words, a blend of shock and amusement misting over him.
"Really? You're gonna risk everything we have worked for just for her, the same woman who doesn't even trust you?"
Another blow to the heart.
The second time he was being told that felt heavier than the first... maybe because it came from someone who he thought would understand the situation.
He narrowed his eyes at Andrew and analyze his expressions.
His lips pulled together to form a thin line if utter disappointment.
"Start plotting and carrying out attacks on the Russians. Damage those little but key and vital parts of their group repeatedly so that we won't have to do much when we are ready to finish them off completely.
Natasha has caused me alot of headache recently, I plan on returning the favour to her and that father of hers that takes so much delight in supporting her tirelessly" he ordered and began walking again along side Andrew.
As they reached they were walking last the lobby, a nurse stopped them.
"Excuse me, sir. Are you Mr. Don Smith?"
"Yes. Why?" He asked.
"The doctor in charge of your wife wants to see you. He says it's very important" she replied and walked away.
He and Andrew exchanged glances.
What did the doctor want to see him for?