I pull up to the motorcycle parking at my hotel, making a show of taking off my helmet. There were several ladies I noticed this morning at breakfast that I'd like to look good for. I shake my hair out and put my helmet in my side bag. Predictably, two of those aforementioned ladies giggle as I'm walking past them. One of them pushes the other toward me, and I expertly catch her before she crashes into me. She blushes, and I decide I'm going to have a good night. God, I love Italy.
"Grazie," she says, breathless.
"Prego," I smirk. "Do you speak English?"
"Yes, some," she glances back at her friend. "We like your-" she gestures at my bike, "motociclo." I nod understandingly.
"You wanna go for a ride?" I offer, and she giggles, waving her friend over. She relays the offer in Italian, and her friend pushes her toward me.
"Yes," she laughs, "I would like that."
"Come on," I offer her my hand and lead her over to the bike. I put the helmet on her and climb on, scooting forward so she can hop on behind me. "Hold onto me," I tell her, and she follows instructions before I take off. Did I say I love Italy? We ride around the hotel a few times, and she clings onto me for dear life. When I pull back into the spot, I offer to let her friend go for a turn, but they both shake their heads. The three of us go into the hotel bar, and I order a round of drinks. Cosmopolitans, obviously.
"Where are you from?" The first girl asks me.
"Here and there. Mostly America. Are you two locals?" I take a sip of my drink, eyeing their nervous body language. They both nod, and I grin. "So, what are your names?"
"Lucia, the first girl says, "and she's Maria."
"And do you guys hang around hotels cruising for hot tourists often?"
"No!" Lucia gives me an offended look, "Just when we are lonely." I chuckle.
"Okay Lucia, where's the best place to party?"
~~~
We walk into the bar, and I know I was right to ask locals. There's barely a tourist in sight, and everyone is dancing so closely together it's hard to tell whose limbs are whose. When Lucia pulls me into the crowd, I put my hands on her hips, and we dance closely. Maria stays just outside of the dancefloor, nervously looking around. Lucia keeps procuring drinks and drugs from who knows where, but hell, I don't care. She's incredibly handsy, which is enough to keep me feeling buzzed. The molly is just a bonus. She's twirling strands of my hair around when she grabs my head and kisses me. We're tangled together, one of my hands in her hair, the other on her incredibly perky ass as she pulls my hair and bites my lip. God, do I love Italy. We're still kissing when I feel a tap on my shoulder and hear "Can I cut in?" The fuck? I pull away and to my immense surprise, Kate Bishop is standing next to me. She's in a black suit, and she's as gorgeous as the day I left.
"K-Kate?" I stutter, and Lucia looks at me, dazed. "Can you go get us a couple drinks?" I ask her, and she disappears into the crowd. "What are you doing here?"
"I could slap you so hard right now," she says through gritted teeth. "Where have you been for two fucking years?"
"Everywhere," I shrug, "God, you look good." And I must be high if I said that outloud.
"Jesus Christ, y/n. This is what you're doing now? Murder for hire and making out with strangers for fun?" She gives me a stern look, and I feel anger bubbling in my chest. Who the fuck does she think she is? Before I can respond though, someone familiar comes barreling up behind her.
"Babe, there you are! You ran in here and I-" He cuts off, looking at me. "Y/n! Holy shit."
"Johnny," I nod at him, just as Lucia comes back with our drinks. I take one and kiss her lightly. "Grazie, Bellissima," I say, and she melts into me, draping her arms around my neck. "So, you two?" I gesture between Kate and Johnny. "Cute." I practically chug the cocktail Lucia just brought me. Kate shakes her head in annoyance and grabs my shoulder.
"Y/n. We're here looking for Yelena." The mention of her name jolts through me. My heart leaps into my throat. Both of them, here?
"Good for you. Now I'd like to get back to enjoying my date, if you don't mind."
"Val knows she's alive." Kate's voice contains an urgency that makes me uncomfortable. "We need to find her so we can protect her."
"You'd make her easier to find," I lean into Lucia, starting to dance again. "It was good to see you, Kate," I dismiss her, and watch out of the corner of my eye as Johnny holds her back from following me deeper into the crowd.
~~~
I wake up suddenly, the sound of my lock being jimmied alerting me. I jump out of bed and grab a gun, always within arms reach, pointing it at the door. Lucia, mercifully, stays asleep. I inch closer to the door, and just when it cracks open, a hand flies in and points my gun straight up. I throw the person to the ground as they tear my gun away and throw it across the floor. They get out of my hold and pin an arm behind my back before speaking.
"Cyka! What kind of hello is that?"
"Yelena?" I ask, craning my neck to look behind me. "Let go of me,"
"Only if you promise not to shoot me."
"Yeah right." I use my free arm to elbow her in the side and break free before grabbing another gun and pointing it right at her face. "Kate's looking for you."
"I know. Who's this?" Yelena gestures at Lucia, who is now wide awake, staring at me terrified. I debate putting my gun down, but I also have no idea why Yelena is here. "Truce," she says, making my decision for me. I put it down on the table next to me.
"This is Lucia. We met yesterday," I admit, and then to Lucia. "I'm sorry, this is an old friend, can I call you later?" To her credit, she just nods and runs out of the room.
"You seem to be doing well," Yelena looks around the hotel room, then sits on the end of the bed. "This is what you've been up to for two years?"
"I take a contract here and there, and travel wherever the wind takes me, yeah." I sit at the table, my hand hovering near the gun I just put down. "Why are you here?"
"I can't miss you?" Yelena says, vaguely sarcastic. "New girl in every city?"
"Why do you care?" I bite out.
"I don't. I need your help to stay off of Val's radar."
