Smoke and secrets | 18 +

XXVII

Hours have passed since breakfast, but three o'clock came quickly, extremely quickly and I was shaking.

I was now sat next to Tori in a large board room, along with Grio, Alessandro, Enzo, two other guards, Oscar, Martina and of course, Candela.

I was shaking. Tori held my hand to stop me from fiddling with my fingers so violently.

"What's the proper situation with the Americans?" Candela asked, I squeezed Tori's hand.

"Arman is pulling the same shit he did a fifteen years ago." Tori said.

I watched as Candela's face torted, her face was neutral at first but then turned sour, like she knew something. I wasn't prepared for what she was about to say.

"Victoria I know you know who it is, I want to see them in stanza five in twenty minutes." She said coldly. "Martina, inform Arman his person has died of a heart attack." Candela said more eerily.

My heart race picked up. "Candela..." Tori said softly still holding my hand rubbing it with her thumb softly.

"Sì."

"Arabella is the person." Tori said confidently still holding my shaking hand.

Candela looked straight at me with a fire behind her eyes. I finally understood why everyone was scared of her.

She peered ate harshly, a look of ruthlessness washing over her.

"Before we jump to anything, she came clean. She hasn't given him anything anyways." Martina spoke up, I wasn't even questioning how she knew.

The moment she spoke Candela's look softened for a moment, I even wonder if I saw it in the first place. "Alright," she ran her tongue on the inside of her cheek and then looked at me, "Tell me the rest." She said angrily.

I started speaking on everything that I knew about. Starting from how I even landed up here, until last night.

When I finished she looked at me, then Tori and Martina and back to me. "We need you to get inside that meeting with Killian and Arman." She said.

"We've been working on it but there's no way to get Oscar in. Or Michael." Enzo spoke.

"I will get him in. For now, worry about getting Belle in. She's what's needed. I want Arman to think she's going in for him, draw up that false information and she leave in two weeks." She sat back and folded her hands in her lap.

"Sì Candela." Everyone said simultaneously and stood up to leave. When Tori and I followed, she told us to stay seated.

Everyone left and I was just the three of us. "Belle, I like you. You're the first girlfriend la mia bambina has had. I want to take your word and fully believe you want nothing more to do the Quartz." She spoke softly with an edge of sternness to her voice.

"I am, I swear. I don't think I can go back." I said softly.

"Good, I want you to get the tattoo, and you'll need to learn how to use a gun." She said.

I was hesitant for a moment, "I don't mind the tattoo but i don't know if i can—"

"That is not negotiable. You'll need to learn. Going in with Killian is dangerous. I don't want something to happen. Killian is a dangerous man." She said sternly.

I didn't want to challenge it and just nodded looking down.

"Good, I'll see you both at dinner." She said before leaving the boardroom.

Tori and I sat in silence for a moment. I've never wanted to pick up a gun. I've refused at all costs. I'd do all the fighting I'd need to, but using a gun simply isn't for me.

And I know it comes with the territory, everyone else in the mafia does so it shouldn't be hard. But to me, I refuse to end up like my parents.

They were assassins. But sometimes assassins get shot. I wouldn't let anyone I care about find me in the situation I found them.

"It'll be okay bambina." Tori said as she held my hand before placing a kiss to my temple.

"I know." I stood up and she followed, her hand never leaving mine.

We walked out together and headed for the elevator.

"I need to take Kylo for a walk." I said to her in the elevator.

"Okay, I could come with you." She said.

"I usually go with Danica, a destress walk I guess." I shrugged with a smile.

Her hands crept around my waist and pulled me closer. A smile tugged on my lips and butterflies filled within me.

"Or I could come with you." She said.

"You have work to do, love." I giggled and she kissed my cheek.

"Yes but I could come with you." She said still holding me close as we rode up.

"You can come." She smiled and I placed a soft kiss to her lips. "And you say you aren't clingy." I laughed.

"I'm not." She said as we stopped on my floor, I headed out to my room, grabbed Kylo and we both left.

ꕥ ꕥ ꕥ

We were gone longer than we needed to be. When we got back it was already dark.

Only at that point did we realise we were going to be late for dinner. Candela was expecting us and honestly I didn't want to anger that woman more than I should.

We went up and had dinner. Candela was sweet. Like she was earlier this morning. It confused me how such a sweet lady could have such a ruthless reputation.

I, again, was spending the night in Tori's room but this time because I didn't want to leave.

Sleeping in her arms last night was so much more comfortable. She held me close all night and to be honest, I haven't had a good sleep in a while.

I'm laying on top of her once again with my head on her chest, taking in the moment between us.

"We'll go to the gun range tomorrow." She said softly as her hands ran up and down my back.

"Tori, I don't think it's necessary. I could take all the self defence classes you need or whatever but I don't want to pick up a gun." I said still on her.

"Bambina, I know but Candela has a point, going into this unprepared isn't good. I don't want anything to happen to you." She said softly.

"I wouldn't be unprepared, I'd just go in without one."

"Bambina what happened if the meeting goes badly and you get shot?" She asked.

She made sense, she was right. I knew that but I wasn't prepared. Not for this.

A memory flashed in my mind. I was nine and it was one I didn't want to ever remember.

"Mommy, you can wake up now. Maybe if you wake up, Daddy will wake up too." I cried next to my mom's hospital bed.

"Please mommy, the doctor said it's okay to wake up now. I miss you." I pleaded with her to wake up.

"You wouldn't have to use it bambina, it's just in case." She said still running her hands up and down.

I turned to look at her. "I won't have to touch one again? After this?" I asked her.

"Not after this." She said.

"Fine."

"Grazie bambina." She placed a soft kiss to my lips and I laid back down on her chest and closed my eyes.
(Translation: Thank you)

I'm 24 and that moment is still engraved into my mind.

I wouldn't want anyone to find me like that. Not the way I found them.