bullets and bouquets

48

"Isla, it really is you," Gianna says.

"No, it's not," she pulls the girl into the mansion, "My name is Bella, do you understand?"

She drags the girl into Conference Room A, not wanting the others to see her. Trent follows her in.

"Bella? What the fuck happened to you? There... there was a funeral," Gianna exclaims.

"I know, I know," Bella cuts her off, "Sit down, this is going to be a lot to take in."

Gianna complies. Trent stands behind Bella, guarding her.

"I was kidnapped. That part happened. I was taken here," Bella starts to explain, "But I fell in love and I had to fake my death."

"You had to? Isla, your parents ---"

"My name is Bella," the brunette cuts her off, "Look. You can't go to the police or to my parents about this, do you understand?"

Gianna stands up, "You do realize faking your own death is a felony right? And... and what about your parents? They're heartbroken."

Bella looks down. Of course, she feels guilty for lying to her parents and the world, but she loves Sadie. And she's not going to let anything come between them.

"Look, I'm in love with Sadie, okay?"

"Sadie? You're gay?" Gianna asks.

"Bisexual," she corrects, "And I can't leave her. I don't want to leave her. And as much as I would rather not have faked my own death, it already happened."

"Why couldn't you just tell the police?" she asks. Bella sighs. Sadie isn't here to decide how much to tell her, so Bella is on her own.

"My girlfriend... she's the head of the Italian Mafia," the brunette explains, "Telling the police would lead them to her."

"Woah, woah, slow down. Your girlfriend... kills people for a living?" Gianna questions. She's grown up in Sicily, so she knows about the gangs and the violence that comes along with them. Growing up, her parents and schoolteachers taught her about gangs; how to avoid them, what is known about them, etc. She's in shock to find out that her foreign-exchange roommate has not only been taken by the mafia but is in love with the leader.

"She doesn't tell me what she does, when she's away," Bella answers, trying not to give out too much information, "But she does carry a gun."

"I'm... I'm so confused," Gianna comments. She can't even comprehend this situation. It's been a couple of months since the funeral but now is realizing that the funeral was not even real, "Who did we bury then?"

"A fake body," she answers, "Look, I can make it worth your while if you promise not to go to the police."

"You're gonna bribe me off to keep your dirty little secret?" Gianna exclaims. She stands up and leaves the conference room, "I won't lie to your parents anymore."

She walks through the living room to go to the door to leave. Bella grabs Trent's pistol and follows Gianna. She cocks it and points it at her.

"Don't move," Bella orders. Gianna turns around.

"What the fuck?" she exclaims. Jenna, Emma, and Sabrina come out from the dining room.

"Bella, who is this? What are you doing?" Sabrina asks calmly. Gianna looks at the blonde with pleading eyes.

"Help me," she says. Sabrina weakly walks over to Bella. She stands between the two.

"Give me the gun," the gang leader instructs.