When they had left the doctor's office. Nico wiping a few errant tears, acting all soft with his hand on her back. And then agreeing to go shopping for baby stuff with her, Gianna had thought they had reached some kind of understanding. That things would change for the better. But apparently she had been wrong.
Unlike most days, the moment Nico had dropped her off at her apartment, he had left. An unhappy set to his mouth as he had received what was clearly an upsetting message. He had gone and never returned, this time not even calling or sending her messages like she had gotten used to.
Which would have been fine, really, but he had left her under constant guard without consulting her first. It irritated her more than anything to realize that he was treating her like she did not have a mind of her own, taking such a big decision without consulting her first. Gianna had first noticed her tail when she had gone for her morning walk the day after Nico's abrupt departure.
The man, blonde, with a lean build, wearing glasses and sitting behind the wheel of a blue car, looking for all the world like he was busy with something on his phone, frowning slightly as he typed. She had dismissed him then, going back inside without giving him a second thought.
But then later that evening, with the lights off, Gianna had gone to the kitchen to get something to drink. So familiar with her home she had not needed the lights to be on in order to move around. On her way back to her bedroom, walking quietly on socked feet, she had seen a shadow beneath her living room door, blocking the light from outside hallway. When she had peeked through her peep hole, she had seen the blond man, the same one who had been in the car.
This time he was idling on the other side of her door, acting like he was lost. He only stayed a few brief seconds, before vanishing like he was just a figment of her imagination. If Gianna had not noticed the sudden darkening in the light beneath the door, she probably would not have known he was there. Not even his footsteps made any noise as he walked away.
She'd had a good mind to open the door and call after him, but then she had thought better of it. If Nico wanted to send her a babysitter without first asking her, then she would play dumb, and see how long it took him to tell her.
Gianna managed to hang on for a week. The man so good at his job that she would sometimes forget he was there. But then she would see him at random times, reflected in the glass of a store she was walking past, chatting with the cashier on another till as Gianna shopped. Leaning against a wall, busy on his phone as Gianna walked past. Just generally showing up in places Gianna knew he did not belong, and she would be on edge all over again. It took every ounce of willpower she had to keep acting normal. She had to remind herself several times a day not to look behind her or glance around suspiciously, it was very draining.
When she finally snapped, she was at her favorite café enjoying a cup of ginseng. After coming back with Nico she had developed a liking for the tea. It always soothed her, but it seemed that afternoon, her love for ginseng was not meant to be. The blond man with the glasses walked in, his hair hidden beneath a huge green beanie. He looked like every other wannabe hipster in the city. The look made complete when he placed his order. Something so complicated it left Gianna wondering if he had just made it up on the spot, but the barista seemed to know what he was talking about. Immediately calling out the order to the staff in the back.
While the man waited, Gianna finished her drink, trying not to seem like she was in a hurry to do so. The moment the last of the liquid was gone, Gianna was on her feet. With a parting wave at the barista she was off, adding to the foot traffic of the pre-lunch crowd.
Sure enough within seconds the man was behind her, the complicated drink he had spent so long ordering no where in sight. He followed her, just as she had known he would, but this time, unlike all the other times, there was a sense of purpose in his movements. He had a look to him of someone getting ready to accomplish a mission, and that put Gianna on edge.
If Nico wanted someone watching over her, he should have at least picked someone who did not make the hairs at the back of her neck stand up. As things stood, Gianna was seconds away from breaking into a run. The man was literally radiating creeper vibes. Reaching into her pocket, Gianna pulled out her phone and dialled. Proud when her hands did not shake.
The first call went unanswered, so did the second. On the third, the ringtone finally cut off and Nico sounding more tired than she had ever heard from him answered.
"Hello, Gianna are you well?" Hearing such exhaustion from him made her want to drop the whole thing and carry on like she had not noticed. But then she turned back slightly and the man was still there, keeping a steady pace behind her, hiding behind other people, it made her angry all over again. Anger was good, with anger she could push down the terror slowly clawing its way up her throat the longer the man followed her.
"Call off your man, Nico," She said, getting straight to the point. A teenager with bright pink nose ring cut in front of her and Gianna's irritation increased, so much so that she missed the hint of panic in Nico's reply.
"Gianna, what do you mean my man?" He asked and she huffed, quickening her pace. She had missed her turn, but since her turn led through an alley, she did not mind. The more people between her and the man, the better.
"The one who has been here the entire week you have been radio silent on me. You know, tall, blond, wears glasses, dresses like a hipster, right now he has an ugly green beanie on," She sidestepped an elderly couple, a brief smile stretching her face as the old man tucked a flower behind his wife's ear.
"Next time, tell me before you do something like this. And better yet, do not hire someone who looks at me like he wants to chop me up and stuff me into his fridge," She ended her rant, phone to her ear as she waited for an apology. Several long seconds passed. This time when Nico spoke, she hear the fear in his voice loud and clear.
His voice shook as he spoke "Gianna, that is not one of my people,"
She walked two more steps before the words sank in, and oh…oh.
If he was not one of the Bianchi family's people then…oh.
This was…this was so very bad.