Crossfire Queen

9.

After being patched up, Francesca suggested I eat something. To stop me from passing out. I'd offered to grab take out on the way home but Marco had refused, telling me his Ferrari wouldn't look good In a McDonald's drive through. As such we were now sat in his kitchen, as his chef Margarita whipped up a carbonara.

It was fascinating to watch her work, even if she only spoke Italian and so I couldn't communicate with her. Marco probably could've translated but he was to busy contemplating life. At least that's what it looked like. He'd been staring at the same piece of granite work surface for the last five minutes. "Carbonara" margarita said as she placed the bowl down in front of me. "Grazie" I said trying my best Italian accent. "il tuo accento italiano ha bisogno di lavoro" Marco mused as I nodded. "Yep." I said causing him to chuckle slightly. Possibly the first genuine laugh I'd had from him. "You don't speak Italian" he said still looking as serious as ever. "Nope, I wasn't bought up around Italians." I shrugged. "Who were you bought up around" he asked intrigued. "My mum. But she passed away. Her friends Mary and Lenny, they looked out for me after her death because I didn't really know my father. And I met Alessia in school." I shrugged easily. "That's a small circle" he said as he watched me eat. "You want some" I said pointing to the food as he shook his head. "I guess it is small. I didn't have a family doctor or anything" I shrugged making him chuckle again as I shopped up another spoonful of pasta and ungraciously ate it without a worry regarding finesse.
"You're a messy eater" Marco said as I slurped a strand of spaghetti in to my mouth, leaving a trail of sauce down my chin. "It's good" I chuckled referencing the food as I grinned at him. My belly was certainly thanking him for feeding me something with a degree of nutritional value. "You have a bit" he said defending my chin as he effortlessly slid from his seat beside me at the breakfast bar and retrieved a kitchen towel. Instead of handing it to me, he held the cloth in one hand , whilst his other hand tilted my face up to meet it. Wiping it I gulped, remembering the last time his hands were on me. How intimate it had felt despite not progressing anywhere. I wasn't shaking this time. Did I feel safer now?
"What are you thinking" he asked as he moved the cloth away. His hands lingering on my neck and jaw as he caressed my skin softly. His face still looked like it carried the weight of the world, his serious expression still present but his eyes were softer. "Your hands are soft" I found myself saying. It felt random but true and I didn't want to boost his ego by telling him I found him intimidating. I'm sure he already knew it anyway.  "You always find a way to humour me" he said with a small smile. I didn't know how to respond, it was like I was paralysed. "Glad you find me amusing" I said as I turned my head slightly away from his touch. "Beautiful" he said quietly. "I think you're beautiful." He said as I stilled under his touch once more. "But amusing" I said as I bit my lip. "Mhm. You play so cold, so hard to get. But as soon as I touch you. It's like your walls fall" he mused as he tapped my jaw with his finger. "Like you're in a trance" he continued. "It's not by choice" I found myself saying to him. "You don't want to be affected by my touch" he queried as he looked at my face curiously his lips centimetres from mine. "I don't want to be affected by anyones touch" I explained. "Especially not mine" he added as his finger grazed my chin pulling my lips level with his. "I didn't say that" I said as my breath hitched. "Believe me" he whispered as his lips grazed mine briefly. After the brief connection he looked at me, my breathing erratic from the sudden intimacy with him. I'd gone from swearing all men off for life, to kissing two men in as many days.
"You two look cosy" I head Alessia's voice snap from behind us. "Nice to see you to Lessi" Marco said moving away from me to greet her. Stood beside her was Leo and by some miracle Gio. "You're alive" I found myself saying, rooted to the ground. "I told you he was" Marco said simply as he shook hands with his brother. Finding the courage to move, I walked over to them tentatively. I have Leo a quick hug, before moving to Alessia. "You didn't tell me you didn't want them to have a fitting" I said waiting to see if she was receptive of a hug or not. "Didn't realise I had to tell you everything. You don't tell me your life story" she fumed as I nodded. "Okay" I said simply before turning to Gio. "We haven't formally met. Sofia" I smiled at him warmly. "You can't expect me just to shake your hand. You saved my life" he said as he embraced me tightly making me wince as he caught my shoulder. "You're hurting her" Marco said firmly to his brother. "It's ok" I said as he released me, Marco placing a hand on the bottom of my back making me shiver. "Never thought I'd see my brother being territorial." Gio smirked as Leo high fives him. "Yeah yeah. Boys I need a word. Sofia don't go anywhere. I'll drive you home once I've spoken with them" he said firmly as I gave him a slight nod before walking back to my bowl of pasta as they walked out.
I waited for Alessia to say something but she didn't. She just sat on a sofa nearby and read a magazine. "I'd love to know what you think I've done" I said as I ate another mouthful of pasta. She rolled her eyes and flicked over the next page. "You just like to be centre of attention don't you. I introduce you to Marco and you start fucking him which by the way is weird. You haven't touched a man since you were raped so why him. Then I find out you've saved the life of my brother in law to be and so now all the family are swooning over you. It's like I'm nothing. It's Sofia this and Sofia that. I'm getting married to Leo for fucks sake and no one gives a shit" she raged. As I nodded listening to her. Clearly she was jealous, why I have no idea. I was hardly someone to be jealous of. "I'm not fucking Marco. Whatever that was, was a first and only time thing. You know I can't be close with anyone" I said fumbling my words. "As for Gio. I didn't ask for Leo to show up with his dying brother. I had no choice Alessia, he would have died" I explained as looked at me confused.

Before she could respond, a woman came into the room with a bright smile. "Miss Ricci, have you seen Mr Di Rossi" she said sweetly whilst my eyes bulged.'di Rossi?' As in the same 'di Rossi' that wanted to kill me? "Erm I think they're all in Marcos office Belle. Anything I can help you with" Alessia replied with a smile whilst I felt panic flare in my chest, had he kissed me just to lure me in, only to try and stab me later? "I don't think so. Louisa Marchetti is on the phone for him" she said as I found my brow furrowing again, this had to be the same family I had be warned about, but why was Louisa involved with them. "Just tell her to call back later. I doubt they'll want to be disturbed" Alessia said easily as the woman nodded and left us.
"I need to go" I said feeling violently ill. I was in the home of the man who'd shot me. He'd even traced the wound he made. "You can't go. Marco will kill you if he knows you've disobeyed him" she said looking bewildered. "Tell him to aim lower then...he'll know what you mean" I said as I marched out, leaving her gobsmacked.
As I flew out the door and down the steps I quickened my pace. I needed to get as far away from here as possible, as quickly as possible. I also needed a drink. But that would have to wait until I was home. I wouldn't jeopardise freedom in place of a drink.
I made it to the gate to find it un-maned. Slipping through I felt an overwhelming sense of relief but also of impending doom. It was so open out here, he could see me leaving and shoot. So I did what anyone would do and sprinted, despite the pain in my arm, ducking in and out of alleyways and making my way through gardens and rights of ways. Anything to stay off the main roads, where I felt he would have a target on my back.
It took well over an hour to make it to home, but it was now in sight. As I went to turn into the road I noticed the unsightly red Ferrari parked illegally by the door and Marco pacing outside of it. Quickly ducking behind a bush I tried to think of what to do. I couldn't go to Alessia, no doubt she would tell Leo I was here and that info would go back to Marco. I couldn't go to Mary and Lenny, they were with luca who Louisa had warned me not to see.
Poking my head I met his eyes instantly and began walking speedily in the opposite direction. I didn't know where I could go, but I couldn't be near him. "Sofia" he called out behind me. "Fuck" I heard him curse as his footsteps padded behind me, my pace quickening to a run as I ducked down an alley I had emerged from earlier.
"Sofia" he groaned after me again as I felt him on my heels. "Would you stop" he hissed as I felt his hand on my shoulder making me scream. "Fuck" he said as he held my arm. "I'm sorry" he said looking at me worriedly. "Please Sofia" he said as I tried to pull away. "You nearly had me killed. Let me go" I begged him feeling bile rise in my throat. "It wasn't you. I would never hurt you Sofia. Not intentionally" he said worriedly as I found I could control my breathing. My shoulder was still throbbing and my head pounding. Panic rose through me. I couldn't. He nearly. I nearly. He wouldn't. He could. Help.

Feeling my heart rush I looked at him in desperation as he paled. "Fuck" he said. "No no no" he continued looking at me. "Breathe Sofia" he said quickly. "Fuck" he panicked. "Please" he looked desperately as I tried to catch my breath. I couldn't control it though, the panic in me wasn't simmering. I don't know why he did it but I felt him engulf me in a hug, his arms wrapped tightly around me as he held me close. "I'm sorry" he whispered. "I promise you Sofia. We didn't know you were in that car. We would never intentionally hurt an innocent. Let alone you" he continued. "I can't live with the fact you were hurt. Believe me" he said softly against my neck as he held me. "If I could go back" he added as i felt my breath steady slightly. "Im so sorry" he said as I gulped down some air again. "I need you to forgive me Sofia" he pleaded as he held me close to him. "You could've killed me" I whispered panting. "I know" he sighed. "You wanted to kill Lenny. That would've upset me a lot Marco" I sobbed gently. "Fuck Sofia. I know. But they shot gio. You saw him. He was nearly dead" he said not letting me go. "You can't think like that Marco because bad turns to worse, worse turns to worst. It's a spiral and it affects us all" I said looking up at him. Pain was etched over his features as he nodded. "I'm so sorry" he said honestly as I nodded. "I know" I said as he looked at me desperately.