Farfalla

7.) Playtime

After nearly five hours down in that dingy room, Masha changes the subject to something other than the Zuccoli brothers.

"You learn quickly. Too quickly. Why?" She kicked off her heels long ago and now she leans against the table, her bright blue eyes probing me.

I ignore her question and shoot back with my own, "You're Russian in an Italian Mafia house. How did you get here?" My voice is calm and steady.

She chuckles and, to my surprise, answers my question. "I used to be a whoré."

Oh. Okay. That's nice. I guess.

"I came to this country with a dream, just like everyone else. And when it didn't work out I did what needed to be done to survive. I was nineteen when Vincenzo's parents found me. I owe them everything. Now, answer." Her eyes glaze over as she tells me this, but she snaps out of it before I can fully study her face.

Wow...I would not take her as someone who endured a struggle like that. She is holding back from telling the whole truth but I don't even know her and she just shared some really deep shìt with me.

I purse my lips before I tell her the standard lie, "I'm an agent for the FBI. Studying targets, learning everything that there is to know about them; this is my day job."

She narrows her eyes, I know that she doesn't believe me but I hold my ground.

"You are a very good liar. But you don't fool me. Why you lie to me?" Her accent is thick and her grammar is off.

Ever since I've been captured I noticed that my resolve dissolves quicker than it used to.

"Fine, I'm a spy. An assassin to be exact. So studying and killing really is my day job." My tone is bored. I really don't want to be here. I'm tired, hungry and pissed the fùck off.

She grunts under breath and murmurs something unintelligible.

The door swings open and a familiar young looking boy joins us in the ballroom.

"Uncle Vinny says that's e-enough for t-today. He wants to see h-her...um... in the gym." His stutter is cute and matches his boyish features. He has little black curls covering the top of his head and baby fat still filling his cheeks. Oh yeah, I realize that this is the kid who stopped me from slapping the actual shít out of Cicero. I never heard his name.

Wait did he just say 'uncle'? So Vince must have a sibling. If this is really his nephew, I don't see the resemblance. Wait did he just say gym? I honestly have no idea what is going on.

Masha speaks up, 'Okay, grazie, Danny. We will finish up in a minute, then you can escort Liliana to the gym." Masha gathers the files and then stacks them into a neat pile while Danny turns around to wait outside the door.

"Tomorrow we will study the physical aspect. You will need to learn how to seduce your prey." Her voice lowers as she says the last sentence. I'm holding in my giggle.

"Masha, that is definitely not needed. Trust me, I can seduce a man or woman; no training needed." I arch my eyebrow and place a hand on my hip.

She looks me up and down and purses her lips. "I don't doubt it"- she sneers- "but Vincenzo demands it."

Vincenzo, Vincenzo, Vincenzo. It's all about him. These people would bow down and kiss his feet. They disgust me, brainwashed and controlled by a mob boss. Something that I could never be.

"Do you guys do that all of the time? Like all day, everyday? Just let him control you?" My lips curl with disgust, these people are slaves. How do they just accept being controlled?