Aces & Spades

Change?

I put the song that was on the radio in the car here if you want to listen to it.

Massimo:

Luca places down a brown paper file in front of me with a worried expression.

"You'll never guess what I found out." He says as I grab it, opening it onto the first page.

"She's one of them?" I ask, the anger beginning to build up inside me. Luca just nods his head as I slam down the file and stand up from my black leather seat.

"Is that why she's here?" I ask whilst pacing around the room.

"I don't know. If I'm being honest, I don't think that she has any idea about what's going on." He replies calmly.

I disregard his words completely.

An enemy is an enemy in my world.

"No matter what, you will keep her under our sight understood? She will stay with us until I figure out what the fuck is going on." I say starting to raise my voice.

A gentle knock fills the room.

"Fucks sake what is it now. Come in!" I shout.

I watch as Isabella pops her head around the door before opening it further.

"Leave." I whisper to Luca as I place the file into my draw and lock it in with the key. Once Luca shuts the door, it's just me and her.

"Are you just going to stand there or are you going to come in and tell me what you want?" My voice comes out irritated.

She carefully starts moving forward so that I can see her face clearly. Her scar from last night was still swollen, but it looks better than what it was before. Her hazel eyes were fixed onto the floor and she was fiddling with a small locket around her neck.

The locket.

I grunt as I sit down in my seat and gesture for her to take a seat. She moves to it quickly, beginning to talk.

"Mr. Giordani, I... I left my bag at the club last night. I think. Would it be okay if I could go and collect it?"

"No" I reply

"Why?" She asks, straightening her head so that her eyes focus on me.

Those damn hazel eyes.

"Are you questioning me?"

I notice the shift in her voice to a colder tone. "My possessions are in that bag Mr Giordani."

Dio aiutami. Why does she have to be so stubborn.

[Translation: God help me]

"Be ready in five minutes. Any later and we won't go."

She nods her head and rushes out of my office.

She is one of them. Careful Massimo.

Bella:

I reach over to open the car door, but he slams it shut. Our bodies now inches apart. I could feel his hot breath on the back of my neck as he whispers, "step back." Goosebumps rise on my skin, but I do as I'm told to as he grabs the handle and opens the door for me. I go inside the car, the leather seats hugging me comfortably as he sits down in the driver's seat.

An awkward silence fills the car and after around five minutes, I had enough. I reach over to the glove compartment, opening it to find a stack of CD's. I pick one of them, placing it into the CD player, a faint tune begins to play.

I reach over to turn the volume up, still not recognizing the song, only noticing that it was in Italian.

"If you're going to touch everything in my car sweetheart you might as well keep it." He says with a sarcastic tone. I scowl at him before asking.

"What song is this?"

He turns it up again before suddenly ejecting the CD.

"Hey!" I yell as he takes the CD and places it into his side door.

"Don't touch anything else."

"Why did you stop the music?" I ask but he doesn't say anything, instead focusing his attention to the road.

The muscle in his jaw was ticking as I huffed, wrapping my arms around my chest.

I reach over and turn on the radio instead which- you could probably guess was in Italian.

He doesn't change it this time, instead letting the quiet voices fill the empty car.

We stop outside the club and I feel the nerves start to kick in. I begin to fiddle with my hands and Massimo seems to notice as he grabs onto them with one of his hands, stopping me.

"I took care of him. There's no need for this." He nods his head at my hands that were tangled around each other.

I nod in acknowledgement as he got out of the car. As he walked over to open my door, I leaned over to glance at the CD.

"Al mio caro figlio - mamma e papà"

[Translation: to my dear son - mom and dad]