Salvador

Chapter 3

Mona

It's Monday. First day of the week and I already miss the weekend.

I made my apartment look all pretty. Well, as pretty as I can with the budget that I have. Loads of plants.

I love the view from my windows. Overlooking Rio. And overlooking the beach and the ocean. I make a mental note to go to the beach one of these days.

I've packed a large bag with a few changes of my blue and white nurse clothes for the next couple of days, the essentials, some brownies I made this weekend for my patients (and me mostly) and a plant.

I walk down the stairs of my dodgy apartment building, hauling the heavy bag over my back and trying to keep my balance.

When getting to the very last step, I try my hardest to walk as silently as possible past the landlords office. He's such a creep.

"Mona!" I hear him calling my name from the office when I walk past.

"Very busy, have to go!" I call back. Not bothering to look his way, rushing out as fast as I can.

My landlord, Diego, is a middle aged, overweight, tall man with a weird attraction towards me. When i first moved in, he tried to sleep on my sofa with me and wouldn't stop when I first asked. I almost gagged.

While I'm here, it's best that I just avoid him as much as I can.

I unlock my Ford escort. Yes, Ford escort. Thiago made so much fun of it when he drove me home last Friday. It's the cheapest and easiest car I could buy here. Even though it's old, it works. I like the vintage side of it, but i really miss my old car. Back in Italy. My pitch black Aston Martin. That car always made me feel like the baddest bitch. This car makes me feel like an unorganised Romcom movie protagonist. That look is cute, on some woman. But it's so not me.

When I get in my car the heat hits me like a bullet. I'm wearing a long sleeved white top today under my nurse top, like I always do, to cover up some of my blatant mafia tattoos. I love them so much, but I know that if I were to show them at my place of work, I'd be risking my life.

I start my car and drive. I love the scenery on the road to work. The bustling city to the vibrant jungle. I roll down my windows and listen to the Brazilian radio, favela music. When I stop at a traffic light, I grab a cigarette from my bag and light it. As I'm inhaling I catch the eyes of a handsome man crossing the street. He winks at me, and as I exhale, i wink back, causing him to smile. Men are too easy, I think to myself, taking another puff and driving off.

***

After a long, peaceful one hour drive, I pull into the driveway of the outwardly old, inwardly modern house. After getting out of the car with my bag and locking up, I lean against my car. I pull out another cigarette, and hold it in my mouth, looking for a lighter in my bag. How has it fucking disappeared?

I roll my eyes, and step away from my car, moving the cigarette from my mouth to inbetween my fingers. Just as I do, a large, black SUV with black-tinted windows, pulls speedily into the drive and parks recklessly. I glare over at it. And out exits Thiago and Salvador. Wearing black suits and stone cold faces.

When Thiago spots me dawdling away from my car, his face changes immediately. He runs towards me, his large body scares me and I'm pretty sure he might suffocate me. But he doesn't, he just hugs me sweetly and smiles. "Missed you, Belle." He whispers. "Me too." I reply, and weirdly, I actually mean it.

I look over at Salvador, he's glaring at me coldly. What's his issue. I glare back harder and then move my attention back to Thiago, asking him for a lighter. He takes out matches and lights my cigarette for me, as I hold it to my lips. Salvador continues to look, in so much disgust, he almost looks jealous.

***

I'm sitting on the hospital bed, continuing this boring embroidery, eating a brownie and listening to Portuguese radio, trying to learn the language fluently.

The sound of birds chirping outside and leaves dancing in the wind, brings the atmosphere of this dangerous place down.

A large man suddenly walks in and i set everything aside. "Estou ferido.[I'm injured.]" he mumbles and i signal for him to sit on the bed. He looks me up and down as he does so. His expressions and breathing changes. Gross.

"O que há de errado? [What's wrong?]" I ask him and It's as if he doesn't hear me. He's just staring at me, mouth slightly open, breathing heavily. I repeat myself, this time more aggressively and in an instant he grabs hold of my neck in his large, beefy hand and stands up straight, pulling me off the ground.

I hold onto his hand, desperate for air. "Mulher bonita. [beautiful woman.]" he whispers grotesquely, examining my face, moving me in the air while holding my neck, like I weigh nothing.

I try to kick him in the balls, but he doesn't even flinch. Harder. Still nothing. What the fuck. I pinch his hand and he still doesn't even move a muscle. Is this seriously how I fucking die? By this big cogliona's [asshole's] hand? I had hoped for a more dignified death. A bullet from Salvador. A jump out of the building window and off the jungle cliff, at least. But not this.

It seems like he sees something or someone behind me, because his eyes widen in fear. He lets go of my neck and i slam onto the cold, tile floor. Desperately heaving for air. He walks out of the room, and as I'm lying on the floor I catch a glimpse of his expression, he looks as if he's walking to his death.

I hear a gunshot echo in the hallway and my heart stops. What was that? Sitting down, I turn to face the door and there I see Salvador, holding up his gun and looking furiously at the man he just killed. What the fuck.

I try to get up and it's more difficult than I was expecting. I use the hospital bed for leverage, but just as I am, two large hands are holding my waist. I can feel the hard, mechanics of a gun held in one hand. Once I'm up, I turn and see Salvador looking at my neck in vexation. There must be marks already.

Suddenly he holds his hand softly at the side of my neck, brushing his thumb against the redness appearing. I wince at his touch, it stings. He tucks his bottom lip in when he notices my expression of pain. And he pulls his hand swiftly away when he sees me looking at his lips in confusion.

"Deveria ter sido eu [it should have been me]" he whispers to himself in his deep, alluring voice, still looking at my neck.

"Com licença? [excuse me?]" i reply, in better Portuguese than he was expecting. He looks into my eyes in shock.

"You understand what I said?" He asks me quietly, in his sensual accent.

I try not to smile but i can't help it. I shake my head in reply, to avoid the awkwardness. He looks from my eyes to my lips, then back up to my eyes. I do the same to him.

I'm expecting something to happen but, he suddenly turns around and walks away. "Don't go into the hallways for a couple of minutes." He orders.

Once he's gone I get back to what I was doing. Rolling my eyes at my stupidity. "Did you really think he was about to kiss you?" I whisper, telling my self off "idiota." I better not act so dumb again.