"Guys, seriously, I can't breathe over here! Chad, come on move your ass you're lying on top of me, Alfonso you too, you are crushing me." Mila said while fighting back a yawn as she struggles to untangle herself from the human pile on the bed.
"Shh, Mila, you're too loud at this time in the morning!" Alfonso grumbled still slightly groggy from sleep.
Mila rolled her eyes. "Um, Alfonso, hate to break it to you, but 'morning' is long gone. We've basically slept through the entire day, now get your ass off of me so I can move.
"Just a few more minutes, please, Mila. I'm still tired," Chad mumbled while he mustered the energy to plant a sleepy kiss on her neck, hoping to buy himself a bit more snooze time.
"You can still sleep Chad, but I need to get up, I need to take Anna back to the Airport. Don 't tell me you forgot?" Mila swatted at him.
" Wait what?" Chads eyes shot open, panic evident on his face. "I totally forgot. Shit, I promised Phoenix that I will help him to do something special for Anna. It completely slips my mind."
"No worry's, bro. Phoenix said waltzing into the room as if he owned the place. "I saw you were caught up in...um...things, so I made other plans," he said grinning from ear to ear and plopped down at the bottom of the bed.
"And what plans did you come up with?" Chad asks.
Phoenix leaned back, mischief dancing in his eyes. "Well, my dear friend, I have decided to go with Anna to Italy to meet her parents, will you be able to cope without me for a couple of weeks, Chad?"
Alfonso's jaw dropped, jolting him out of his sleep "Wait, what? Are you insane? Do you have any idea what you are doing?" He frantically rubs his eyes, trying to process the situation. " Do you know who her parents are? Not to be a love blocker something, but I would not recommend it. And if my memory serves me right, there's already someone waiting for her to get back so they can get engaged. Her father handpicked their husbands, dude. And there's nothing you can do about it.
Chad, interject with a smirk. "Wow! Alfonso, that's the first time I've heard so many words coming out of your mouth at once that actually make sense."
"Shut up, Chad! I've known Mila and Anna's parents my whole life, and this guy doesn't know what he's getting himself into. By the time he walks through that front door of the Martinelli's house, Vincent will already have his whole life in a single file in his hand, and a gun in the other one.
"Wait....I think you are exaggerating Alfonso; my father isn't as terrible as you're making him out to be."
"What are you even saying, Mila? I stand by what I said, and you darn well know it.
Alright, Alfonso, you seriously need to take a breather. You're frightening poor Phoenix, and I think its best if we have a conversation with Anna before we jump to any conclusions, shall we?"
A few minutes later, tension hung heavy in the air as Mila, Anna and the boys sat around the table in the kitchen, eating late lunch. Not a single word was spoken.
"Okay, I can't handle this silence anymore. It's killing me," Alfonso burst out, directing his frustration towards Anna. "Tell us what has gone through that empty head of yours to invite this guy to your parents' house!"
Anna's eyes flashed with anger as she shot back, "You know what, Alfonso? I'm not even going to answer you, because you're still that dumb, heartless, no good at nothing son of a..."
"Okay, time out, you two," Mila interject calmly, "We need to work together remember."
Anna took a deep breath, still seething with anger. "I'm sorry, sis, but he just knows how to lit my fuse." she muttered.
"But Anna," Mila manage to speak, her voice filled with concern, "you know what this means, don't you? Father will find out and Phoenix will lose his life the moment he walks through that door."
"Yeah, and what about Blake, Anna? Alfonso couldn't help himself, his voice dripping with disbelief.
Mila shot Alfonso a piercing look, a warning to hold his tongue. She then turned her attention back to Anna, her eyes searching her sister's face for answers.
"Please, Anna, explain," Mila pleaded.
Anna took a moment to compose herself, "I love Phoenix, Mila. I want to show daddy that, he needs to understand. I can't go through with this engagement to Blake, he has the same backward mentality as Alfonso. I refuse to have another brainless man in our family."
"As much as I like the way you insult Alfonso and, I know I will regret it later, but I have to agree with him," Chad said, voicing his concern. "I don't think it's a good idea for Phoenix to meet your parents, not yet a least."
"But Chad, that's not fair," Phoenix responded with a tinge of sadness. "You get to spend every day with Mila. How am I going to cope without Anna?"
"You forget one thing, Phoenix," Chad replied, his tone filled with understanding. "I share her with this Italian, and it makes it a whole different experience.
"Oh, come on now," Alfonso Chuckled "I'm not that bad, you enjoy touching me."
Upon hearing that, Chad leaped up from his seat and swiftly maneuvered over the table, planting a fist right in Alfonso's face.
Mila, fed up with the situation, rose with determination and firmly grabbed Anna's arm. "Come on, Anna, let's get you to the airport. We can't waste any more time."
"But, Mila, I'm bleeding!" Alfonso shout from his spot on the floor, still lying on his back.
"I don't care, you 3 boys sort it out I can't deal with children right now, I have bigger problems then you fighting," Mila shouts over her shoulder while walking out the front door.
The car was in complete silence as Mila and Anna sped towards the airport. Mila glanced at her rearview mirror every now and then, her foot pressing harder. Something was definitely wrong. Sensing the tension, Anna finally broke the silence.
"What's wrong, sis?" she questioned; her voice tinged with concern.
Mila's grip tightened on the steering wheel; her eyes locked on the road ahead. "It's that black BMW again," she replied, "He's tailing us once more. At first, I thought it was Tristan, messing around, but now I'm certain it's not. After all, we're driving his black BMW.
"So, who do you think it could be, sis?" Anna pressed further, curiosity brimming in her eyes.
"I have no idea who this could be, but we're going to find out," Mila declared, "Buckle up and hold on tight, Anna. Today is going to be the last time this car follows me."
With that, Mila slammed her foot down on the gas pedal, and the car roared away, leaving the pursuing vehicle behind. However, it wasn't long before Anna glanced behind them and spoke up. "He's still following us, sis."
Mila gritted her teeth in frustration. "I can't seem to shake him. But hold on, I'm going to try something else," she said before jerking the handbrake and spinning the steering wheel halfway, putting the car in reverse, and brining it face to face with the black BMW. The window tint prevented Mila from identifying the driver, but a loud crash from behind them was a clear sign that there was now a problem.
Suddenly, there was a small explosion from under the BMW, causing it to flip over and land on its roof.
"It's already been four hours, Chad. Something doesn't feel right," Alfonso said, his voice filled with concern. " I think we need to go and look for them. I've called them over a hundred times, but they don't pick up.
Chad scoffed dismissively. " I think you're just being paranoid, Alfonso. You and Tristan were the ones who told me they can look after themselves and that no one can take them down.
"Looks like you haven't bonded with Mila, we can feel each other, that's how Mila new Tristan...." Alfonso got interrupted by his phone that suddenly rang. He answers swiftly. "Hello"
"It's me Tristan," came the urgent voice on the other end of the line. "Mila and Anna are in trouble. Meet me at our warehouse and whatever you do, don't trust that photographer and his friend. I think he's got something to do with this."
Alfonso's heart raced as he absorbed this information. "Okay see you later...."
Curiosity flooded Chad. "Where are you going?" he asked, his brow furrowed.
"Nowhere," Alfonso replied cryptically, his eyes full of determination. " Keep an eye on the house. It's not safe." With that, he opened the hidden safe in the living room and retrieved a couple of guns, leaving Chad and Phoenix both puzzled.
"你认为他知道吗 nǐ rèn wèitā zhīdàoma? (Do you think he knows?)" Phoenix spoke to Chad in their language.
"也许,但我不再在乎了 yěxǔ , dàn wǒbúzài zàihu le (Maybe, but I don't care anymore)" Chad replied, his response tinged with a touch of resignation.
Their conversation caught Alfonso's attention, who had been suspiciously observing them. As he turned towards them, pointing one of the guns, he demanded, "What are you two discussing? Why aren't you speaking English?"
Chad, trying to defuse the situation, quickly responded, "Put that thing down, Alfonso. It's nothing. Phoenix is just worried about Anna, and when he's stressed, he struggles to speak English.
"Just checking," Alfonso said, seemingly satisfied with the explanation. He nodded and turned away, intending to leave the room. But just as he took a step, a sudden impact struck the back of his head, causing everything to go black and Alfonso crumpled to the ground.