Faithful

Chapter Nine

"Come and meet my nonna," Josh said happily before taking my hand and whizzing me into a huge rustic looking kitchen. I load of woman were stood round a huge wooden table looking what looked to be homemade pasta! "Nonna meet Annabelle," Josh introduced me to the lovely looking old lady with silvery hair, an epic tan and wearing an apron around her waist. "It's a pleasure to meet you," she sang, offering me her hand. "The pleasure is all mine," I replied taking her hand and quickly being covered in flour which made me giggle.

"I though you said she doesn't speak Italian," a familiar voice said, I turned my head to see his uncle standing at the door way. "Oh I learnt it just then," I explained giving him a smile. "In an hour..." Josh chocked as if trying to brag that he got himself a smart girl. "Really?" His uncle asked in disbelief. "Honestly, I could speak Russian and French already... as well as English but that's obvious considering I am English but yeah it took just an hour to learn, I'm weird like that," I sighed. His nonna took my hands kid of like Josie does and said, "it makes you special, not weird my dear."

I smiled truthfully not just these fake smiles I've been cracking so far. "You remind me so much of Josie," I expressed with a big smile. "Who is Josie?" Josh's uncle Francesco asked. "Oh her son is head of the Corsican Mafia, she's practically adopted me as her granddaughter," I giggled as it was nothing. His face dropped. "Just who is this girl Joshua!" Francesco bellowed. I heard a gasp, I turned around to see the women staring at a TV on the wall watching the news. "Seriously... why am I in the Italian news, I could understand the French news with everything that happened but Italy?" I scoffed.

I was really getting annoyed by this whole I'm often in the news business. Everyone stood silently listening to the man presenting the story. Basically it was explaining about the time I was spotted in New York and now Paris and the world is in a frenzy after the police playing the recording of the phone call I did to the inspector but only the bit where Viktor's declaring that I'm his and he will never let me go.

"You're... the head of the Bratva's woman.." his uncle hissed getting out his gun. Josh stepped in front of me. "She's mine now, not his!" He shouted back at his uncle. I looked into the table, there was a small knife which I quietly grabbed. I threw the knife to catch his sleeve and not his arm and caused his sleeve to be stuck to the wooden door as I did with Josh in New York. Luckily, he dropped the gun. I walked over, picked it up and gave it to Josh. "Guns are dangerous, you could have hurt someone other than me," I told him angrily like I was a teacher telling off a naughty child, "and I'm still his Josh... can I please just have my engagement ring and go back to him now?"

He looked angry at me. "How many times do I have to tell you that you're mine now Annabelle," he shouted, "I love you and I won't let you go!" I blushed from the butterflies those three words gave me, which made his angry face soften. "You're engaged to the head of the Bratva..." his uncle said in astonishment. I went to nod but Josh stopped me. "Was... she's mine now," he cooed, hugging me from behind and looking down at me as I looked up at him, "you're mine now."

I blushed again. What the hell is happening to me. Something occurred to me for the first time. I hadn't thought about it before but it hit me like a brick wall. "I think I have Stockholm syndrome..." I muttered to myself, "maybe that's why my feelings are all over the place when I see you." His smile widened to a grin. "So you do have feelings for me..." he said intrigued. "STOCKHOLM SYNDROME," I spelled out. He shook his head. "Stockholm syndrome is for Viktor, you actually have feelings for me!" He sang happily.

I shook my head at him and continued, "Stockholm syndrome for both of you... and maybe a little bit for Eric." His eyes lit with jealousy. "And Eric is..." he demanded to know. "Head of the Stepanov clan... he's kind of decided he wants to marry me too, his right hand man is cool though but I need to pay him back for the bullet he put in my leg!" I laughed. His jealousy dropped to concern. "Don't worry I healed really quickly and don't even have a mark," I said with a smile, which put him at ease. He looked over at his uncle who did not seem happy then, his nonna came over to me.