PERNICIOUS // JOHN WICK & SANTINO D'ANTONIO

chapter five;

RECENTLY, there'd been more of an attachment to Santino than she could've ever imagined. During work, her mind would drift off to him, or just before she sleeps, even in the midst of conversations. Perhaps, she presumed, it was because of the new information she received with coming to all these meetings and parties and gatherings.

She would overhear distant relatives speak of how Gianna was fit for the seat, and how happy they were for her. These statements were ones belle couldn't fully understand. Up until a month ago, Santino hadn't really pulled Belle fully into family business. In a way, he showed her fragments which Belle assumed was a lot, but hadn't realized just how big the bigger picture was.

She didn't wait for Cesare that night.

Just as he had worded it, she felt more comfortable walking alone in the dark to the continental rather than have her be escorted by Cesare. There was nothing between her and Cesare, in fact, he was a very respectable man, who was always kind to Belle and treated everybody well. But, there was a churning in her stomach that told her it was better to walk back home. And she did.

She didn't run into any problems, greeting Charon and heading straight to her room where she discarded her clothes and slept straight after her quick shower.

Unfortunately, her well needed sleep didn't last long. For she had been awoken by the loud ringing of her phone. Assuming it was her alarm, she picked it up to hit the snooze button before seeing Santino's name on the caller ID. The nerve of this man. Didn't he know she had work in the morning? And that she didn't have time for all of his rendezvous. Knowing he wouldn't stop until she answered, she picked up the phone, angrily placing it into her ear.

"What? What could you possibly need at .. " she paused, looking at the time. " .. one in the morning?" belle snapped at him, incredibly angered that he didn't let her sleep in peace. She had left the gathering half past eleven at night, and it hadn't even been two hours since she slept. It was so hard to come by a full night's sleep, especially with her tight schedule, and she felt like crying. Was it so hard to ask for a full eight hours? At this point, even five sounded like heaven. For a while, he didn't respond, and she was about to hang up, having absolutely no patience for his antics.

"You didn't wait for Cesare." He stated casually, and had not Belle have respected Santino the way she did, she would've shut the phone in his face right then and there. "You called me in the middle of the night to tell me something I already know?" Belle questioned, flipping on her back and running a hand down her face. "Impressive, carina, even in the midst of your slumber you find a way to bite at me." She didn't respond, because there was no point to. She hadn't the time nor the energy.

"Did you go back with Cassian and Gianna?"

"That's honestly such a daft question—"

"Did you?"

"Heavens, Santino, I didn't, alright? Does that make you feel any better?"

"Who did you go back with?"

"I didn't go back with anybody, I walked back."

" .. alone? During the night?"

There wasn't a point in continuing this conversation any longer, she knew if she answered him he'd go on a rampage and scold her for her actions.

"Yes. I'm going back to bed. Don't bother calling me back."

With that, she ended the call, placing her phone back on the bedside table and rubbing her features. It seemed as of late, he's been acting awfully out of character. He was too .. everything. Every single aspect of him was heightened. He was now overprotective and preservative, incredibly secretive and always on guard. She didn't like this new attitude, and it was seriously beginning to affect her and everybody he knew.