Crossfire Queen

8.

The sound of my doorbell going made me sigh in frustration. I'd resided on my sofa for the last 24 hours. Mary of course had phoned me when she woke up to find I'd fled the Marchetti mansion. I'd told her that I wanted to be in my own bed and not to bother with work for the next few days as I wanted to heal. Or in reality sulk. Luckily she'd agreed and so I knew this wouldn't be here. Frankly I didn't want to see anyone else. I hadn't heard from luca since I'd left and that was probably down to his family's ruling. I felt slightly dejected but then it wouldn't have amounted to anything anyway, kissing him was one thing but like Louisa said, being able to do anything else given my history would be entirely different. Clearly my pondering had my doorstep visitor growing inpatient as they rang the bell again.
Swinging the door open Marco stood looking enraged at me. "Hi" I said furrowing my brow. "Finally. How long does it take you to answer the door" he asked. "How long does it take you to learn to be nice" I retorted back as he grimaced at me. "Alessia sent me to pick up the suits" he said looking infuriated. "Oh? I thought you were coming here to have your final fittings" I said confused as he barged passed me. "So did I, but she's changed her mind. Something about betrayal yada yada yada" he said looking around grumpily. "Why's the cleaner not been" he asked as he spotted a fleck of blood on the floor board. "I sent her away. I'm capable of cleaning" I said trying to be defiant. It was virtually impossible when he was towering over me. "Not likely. I'll send her back and you let her do your cleaning" he ordered. "You don't get to boss me around Marco" I said sourly as he smirked looking down at me. "I do" he said simply. "Now where are the suits" he asked. "I'll grab them" I said feeling redundant. Why Alessia was taking this out on me I had no idea, but I couldn't be bothered with the arguments. I'd lose, I always do. 
Reaching into the wardrobe to get the suits, I went up onto my tip toes to unhook the hangers. Noticing that height wasn't on my side he stepped behind me, placed a hand on my shoulder and effortlessly took them off the hanger as I hissed in pain from where he'd pressed his hand. "You're hurt" he said looking at me. "I'll be fine. Just a little graze" I waved off. "You're grimacing. Show me" he said firmly making me gulp. "Now Sofia." He repeated angrily. Lifting an arm from my hoodie I turned so he could see the dressing. Instead of doing anything normal, I felt him rip the dressing of, making me squeal in both surprise and pain. It was like having my legs waxed but worse. "You were shot" he said quietly. Almost confused. I didn't want to anger him, in fear he'd do something more irrational like stick his finger in the wound and pull my stitches out. "How" he said as he trailed his finger around the site. "I'm guessing a gun" I said plainly as I heard him draw in a breath. "Don't play smart Sofia. How the fuck did you get shot" he said reasoning his voice. "I was coming home from a party. My assistant Mary, you met her the other day. Her husband drove me home. Or tried to. People started shooting at us" I gulped remembering it. "Who" he said firmly looking at me furiously. "He said it was some Italians" I gulped as he looked angrier. Something I didn't think was possible. "Fucking Marchetti" he spat venomously. "No" I said a little to quickly causing him to look at me confused. "That wasn't the name he used." I gulped. "It was like de rosy or something. I was in shock I don't know" I stammered as he turned and threw a punch at the wall. His fist bounding into my bathroom. "How the fuck do you know Leonardo Marchetti" he said looking angry. "He's like a father to me" I stammered nervously. "Mary my assistant is his wife. They look out for me because I have no one." I said shaking as he looked at me closely. He still looked enraged. Angry and unpredictable.

"It looks infected" he eventually said after staring at me for several minutes. "I'll go to the Gp in the morning" I said quietly avoiding his eye contact. "No fucking way. Come on we're leaving" he said as he began to pull me out of my own front door. "I'm not going anywhere with you" I said firmly as I gripped to the closest door frame. "Sofia, you can't walk into a GP and say hey I got shot yesterday, can I have some antibiotics." he huffed as I gulped realising he was for once, right. "Let me take you to see my doctor. Once she's sorted you out, I'll drop you back home" he said much calmer. I knew I wouldn't win and so I did the only thing I could and gave in.
Following behind him I picked up my keys and phone and reinserted my arm into my hoodie before following him out. "Let's go." He said as he jogged down the front steps and over to his illegally parked Ferrari. Opening the passenger door he tilted his head before turning to me "get in" he said simply as I did as told.
As I settled onto the warm seats, I couldn't help but glance around. I quickly noticed we were being followed by a black Range Rover and I felt compelled to tell him. What if I was about to get shot at again.
"Is this car bulletproof" I asked curiously. "Why'd you ask" he said looking serious. "There's a black Range Rover tailing us" I stammered as he smirked. "They're with me. Don't panic" he said looking amused, and only pissing me off even more. "I apologise if it alarmed you" Marco said clearly reading my unamused face. "Everything alarms me at the minute" I sighed looking down at my chewed fingernails. All these Italians were doing nothing for my anxiety nor my fingernails.
"Have you spoken to anyone about Gio" he asked as I shook my head. "I already told you I wouldn't. I don't have anyone to talk to" I shrugged. "Not even Lenny" he asked as I shook my head again. "Mary may have said something." I confessed as he nodded. "He did tell me not to trust Italians that get shot at." I said with a chuckle. "And yet he was too" he said looking at me seriously. "Well exactly. Everything I ever knew seems to have turned on it's head this week." I confessed honestly. "I take it Louisa sorted your arm out" he said as he continued to watch the road. "Mhmm" I said not knowing if I should be telling him. "I'd have thought she would've put you on antibiotics" he continued as I looked down at my fingers not sure what he wanted me to say. "She didn't seem to like me much" I replied eventually. "Louisa doesn't like anyone much" he chuckled back at me knowingly. "You know her well" I asked. "Kind of" he shrugged. "She doesn't usually make her patients suffer though. You must have really ruffled her feathers" he smirked at me. "Kissing her brother wasn't my finest moment I guess" I said as he slammed on the break. "You kissed Luca" he said firmly as the car came to a stop in the middle of the road. "Yeah. I Erm. Don't really know how it happened." I said awkwardly. Why was it such a problem. "Don't kiss him again" he spat at me in reply. "Not that I plan too, but you don't get to boss me about Marco. We've been over this. I'll kiss who I damned want." I huffed as his jaw tightened his foot hitting the accelerator. "Don't test me Sofia." He said as if I were a child. "Test you, what the fuck are you on about." I spat getting wound up. This man was so bossy and territorial and he had no right. "Do you ever fucking listen. Don't go near Luca again. Scrap that don't go near any men." He said sourly. "I don't tend to make a habit of it. You're all pricks" I huffed as we rounded into a driveway and through some armed gates.

As he parked his car in a space in-front of some random letters, I felt his anger simmer momentarily. As he got out the car, I went to do the same, only to fall short when I couldn't find the handle. Damn thing was so fancy you couldn't even open the car door with out the god damn manual. Clearly noticing the predicament, he was soon at the door, holding it open for me. "Thanks" I mumbled as he just nodded.
Waiting for him to take the lead I gulped, if the Marchetti mansion was big, this was something else. "Do you know if Alessia is here" I asked him as I stumbled behind him trying to keep up as we walked passed the large fountain and up a rediculous number of limestone stairs. "No idea. Her and Leo don't live here and frankly I don't care" he said plainly. "Ok" I said simply, not knowing how to progress the conversation following his rude response.

After descending down a set of stairs and along a basement like corridor he knocked on a door and poked his head round before I heard a female voice greet him. "You free to check someone over for me" he asked somewhat nicely. It was probably the nicest I'd heard him speak to someone. "Sure" the female responded as he turned to me and beckoned me through the door. "This is Alessia's friend Sofia. Sofia this is Francesca our family doctor" he introduced. "Nice to meet you Alessia's friend Sofia" she said sweetly as I smiled at her. She looked to be in her late 40s which made me feel instantly better than when Louisa had treated me. She couldn't have been a day past med school. "And you. I do feel sorry for you though, having to be this one's doctor. He's always grumpy" I said turning to Marco with a sarcastic smile. "He is, isn't he" she chuckled with me as she patted a chair by her desk. "What can I help you with" she asked me as I sat down. "She was shot, don't ask me the politics. She was fixed by Louisa Marchetti. I think it's infected" Marco said sternly as Francesca's eyes widened. "How does a good girl like you end up getting shot, let alone fixed up by a Marchetti?" She said curiously. "Been asking myself that all weekend." I sighed. "All I did was go to a party, leave with my wanna be father and suddenly I'm being shot by some di rosy so and so or something" I babbled as Marco tensed again. "Di Rossi" Francesca corrected as my brain clicked. "Yes that's it, Di Rossi" I said finally remembering what Lenny and Luca had said. "Why would any Di Rossi want to shoot you though Sofia" she questioned. "I wouldn't have thought you'd be a target given your link with Alessia" Francesca said causing my interest to peek further. "What's she got to do with it" I asked curiously. "Enough" Marco said firmly causing Francesca to go back to inspecting my wound rather than talking.
"If you know something Marco. It would certainly help me sleep better at night to know about it" I said firmly before hissing as Francesca placed a gloved finger on the wound. "Trust me, whatever I tell you won't help you sleep at night" he said dejectedly. "Does it hurt" he asked looking sad as he diverted the conversation. "Like a bitch" I grumbled as I bit my lip whilst she poked around further. "Louisa Marchetti you never cease to amaze me" Francesca mumbled as she stopped poking momentarily. "She was a right bitch" I found myself saying. "What's she done" Marco asked ignoring my comment. "Continuously stitched it. I don't get why. But she's left an opening here which is now infected. She'd have been much better with an interrupted stitch" Francesca sighed. "I'll have to remove these, re pack it and then stitch you back up" she continued as I groaned. "Third time lucky" I sighed as Francesca looked at me funny. "She didn't remove all the shrapnel first time round. I had some reaction or something so they had to open it up again and find it" I explained. "She really should've given you antibiotics" Francesca mused sadly. "Guess this is the problem with black market medics" I said as Francesca chuckled. "You'll be pleased to know I'm a certified doctor." She smiled warmly at me. "Now, based off your wincing earlier. I'm going to inject a little local anaesthetic to numb the area" she explained as she stood up to go over to a medicine cabinet.