"Why are strapping a dagger around your waist?" Lucio asked, the two of them getting dressed for the dreadful dinner.
"Just because I act calmly doesn't mean I don't want to have his head on a platter." She replied with a small smile.
"Stupid me thought you'd be the nonviolent one."
"Stupido davvero amore mio. (Stupid indeed my love.) " Lucio chuckled, walking behind her. She turned around facing him.
"I love it when you speak Italian, it makes you irresistible." He said placing a strand of hair behind her ear.
"Weren't I irresistible to begin with my handsome demon?" She asked, wrapping her arms around his neck.
"Always have and always will my alluring assassin." He kissed her, his hands gripping her butt.
"We have to get to dinner." She mumbled into the kiss.
"I'd rather have dessert first."
"Don't make me chop your hands off." She jokingly threatened.
"You'll suffer a greater loss were I not to have my hands." He whispered.
"I'm satisfied with other parts of you as well my love, now hands off we're going to dinner." He playfully rolled his eyes before slapping her ass.
"You look ravishing I must admit." He complimented, as they walked down the stairs.
"I'm wearing sweatpants." She sharply replied.
"You could wear a garbage bag and still look dazzling."
"Mr. D'Angelo are you trying to seduce me?" He chuckled, stopping to place a quick kiss on her lips.
"Hey Luc, do you think Giovanni has a crush on Liliana?" She asked, making sure only Lucio could hear her.
"Since they've met."
"What's holding them back?" Sylvia asked again.
"Let's just say Liliana has struggled with her identity for a while and getting together with Giovanni is a big commitment. We all live together and are together everyday, I guess they're both scared they'll fuck up."
"What are you two gossiping about?" Giovanni asked, as soon as they appeared at the end of the staircase.
"Nothing." Both of them said at the same time.
"Is he here yet?" Antonio came in from the kitchen as well. Giovanni tensed up, his expression turning stone cold.
"Lils is waiting for him outside." Giovanni replied. The four of them sat on the table waiting for the couple.
"I need a drink. " Giovanni stated, pouring himself a glass of wine and drinking it as if it were water.
"Antonio have you ever thought that you're that Bo Burnham vine?" All three men looked at Sylvia confused.
"Are the three of you that ignorant?" She shook her head pouring herself a glass of wine as well. She looked at the bottle and started laughing.
"Look the bottle and I match. We both got barcodes." The three men's mouths dropped.
"Did she just-? " Antonio began, but Giovanni's laughter interrupted him. Lucio smiled, rolling his eyes.
Silence fell when they heard footsteps and Liliana appeared at the door with a man next to her. He was averaged height, his skin pale white and his hair a light brown. His eyes were blue and cold. His hand was wrapped around Liliana's waist, holding her a little too tight.
"Sembra uno spirito pronto a impadronirsi delle nostre anime. (He looks like a spirit ready to take over our souls.)" Lucio whispered in Sylvia's ear, making her choke.
"Guys this is Mason, Mason these are; Lucio, Sylvia, Antonio and Giovanni." Liliana introduced them, pointing at each of them.
"Oh please take a seat guys, we don't want dinner to get cold." Lucio politely said, too politely. The two of them sat down.
"Mason what do you do for a living?" Sylvia asked, as she filled everyone's plate with food.
"I'm a police officer." The man answered, all of them turned to look at Liliana with wide eyes.
"How did you two lovebirds meet?" Antonio asked.
"We bumped into each other at a coffee shop." Liliana explained.
"That's cliche." Giovanni mumbled under his breath.
"Giovanni gioca bene, tutto a tempo debito. (Giovanni play nice, all in due time.)" Lucio said with a smile. He didn't miss the look Liliana gave him, nor Mason's facial expression, he looked disgusted.
"Is something wrong Mason?" Sylvia asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I've already told Liliana to not speak in Italian. You are in America you should speak English." That man was brash, Sylvia placed a hand on Lucio's, whose fist was clenched.
"Let's just eat." Liliana said. They ate in silence, no one talking.
"Which one of you girls should I congratulate on this amazing dinner?" Mason asked.
"None of us, we have a cook." Sylvia replied sharply.
"Why would you pay for a cook? There's two of you."
"This isn't the 1950's honey." Sylvia responded laughing.
"Can we change the subject?" Liliana begged.
"No, clearly your boyfriend has some peculiar things to say for italians and women. And would you look at that I check both boxes." Sylvia's anger was evident in her voice.
"È abbastanza Silvia. Per favore lascialo scorrere, per favore lascialo scorrere. (That's enough Sylvia. Just let it slide, please let it slide.) " Sylvia closed her eyes, taking a deep breath.
"Can you ever just do as told Liliana? I told you not to speak in Italian and here you are again, not doing as I said." Mason spat, Liliana looked at the floor.
"Careful how you speak to her, friend." Giovanni angrily said.
"She needs to learn respect." Before he could utter another word, Giovanni had bashed his face on the table.
"Giovanni let him go, now." Liliana yelled.
"I said now." She yelled again, as Giovanni released his grip on Mason's neck and sat back down.
"Uno di noi lo ucciderà, che sia io, Sylvia, Lucio o Antonio non lo so. Ma quell'uomo Liliana avrà un assaggio di come gli italiani affrontano i parassiti. (One of us will kill him, whether it's me, Sylvia, Lucio or Antonio i don't know. But that man Liliana will have a taste of how italians deal with pests. )" His voice was deadly.
"Gio I-..." Liliana began, but Giovanni had already left the room.
YOU ARE READING
Salvation
Action"He never calmed the fire inside me, he never even tried to. He made it burn brighter, burn brighter for him. " "I'd bring the whole world to their knees, every man, woman and child. I'd slaughter everyone and make them beg, all of it, for her. "
