BURNER ✅

3 • ready?

M: Open your door.

Marcello's message is demanding and arrogant Anna ignores it. She lays back on the couch ignoring the fist pounding on our door. Lucy comes out dressed in her clubbing outfit. Anna knows as soon a Elliot comes home the two will be out in the town. Anna? Well, she will be here. Complete a Lenex Partition that is her plan for the evening. Anna is not going out with Lucy and Elliot and she is definitely not going out with Mob Man. Nope. No way. Anna did a search of Marcello Morretti. The mob boss/CEO is an incredibly attractive multi billionaire. He is originally from New York but moved to Boston three years ago.

"Can I just open the door?" Lucy sighs from beside Anna.

"No!"

"I'm not sitting here all night."

"I know. Look, I'm sure that guy will go away soon."

"You should just go. You haven't been on a date in like forever."

"So you are forcing me on a date with a criminal. Thanks mum." Anna groans.

"You said it yourself, he is hot. Come on you didn't even dress up."

"Because I'm not going."

"You smell like coffee." Lucy says, "you have been wearing that shirt for the last three days and I have never seen you wash those jeans."

"God! Leave me alone!"

M: You have one minute to open the door before my men break it down.

"I'm opening it." Lucy says reading over Anna's shoulder.

"No Luce!" She is too late as Lucy swings the front door to our apartment open. How Marcello knew what apartment Anna was in she will never know. Lucy greets the muscled man inviting him into their apartment.

"This is Charlie, he works for Marcello, Charlie this is-"

"Red." Anastasia cuts Lucy off maintaining her secret identity. "You can tell your boss he wasted his time. I'm not going."

"He said you'd say that." Charlie replies.

"Well it was nice to meet you. You can let yourself out." Anna sets herself up in front of my laptop.

Without warning Charlie throws her over his shoulder. On the way out of the apartment despite Anna's objections Lucy hands Charlie her bag with wallet and phones inside. Anna carried downstairs and thrown into the back of a limo.

"Good evening my dear." A low voice says as Anna takes in her surroundings. Her eyes land on the gorgeous man and she struggles to find words. "You could have dressed up for the occasion." Marcello's comments snaps Anna back to reality.

"Excuse me? You are the one that had me dragged from my apartment. Here..." She fishes around in her bag finding the burner. "is your precious burner. Can I go now?"

"No." Marcello takes the phone out of her hands. His eyes trail her body and Anna feels her cheeks heat. "We are going to have dinner."

"I don't want dinner."

"My shout."

"That doesn't change-"

"You can get anything you want."

"Anything?" Anna asks suddenly sounding like the foodie she is. Marcello's eyes sparkle at her comment and his lips tug up into a panty dropping smile.

"Anything." He nods. Marcello turns to look out the window and Anna takes the opportunity to look over her captor. There is no denying Marcello is attractive. The chiselled jaw, piercing green eyes and dark hair. "See something you like?" Marcello asks without even turning around.

"Why did you leave New York?" She blurts out.

"You are a skilled hacker." Marcello says turning around.

"That was in Time Magazine archives." Anna clarifies and he nods.

"Nothing was left there. My parents died and New York felt empty. I moved what is left of my family here."

"Do you have a wife?" She asks softly. He chuckles.

"No. I don't have a wife. I did have a girlfriend before my parents died. But after the incident I became distant and horrible. We realised then that we weren't compatible. She still lives New York."

"Were your parents murdered?"

"Y-Yes." Marcello chokes out.

"I'm sorry I shouldn't have said-"

"I will answer any of your questions Red. It is the least I can do for such a beautiful woman." Marcello looks over at Anna like she is a treasure. Marcello thinks she was gorgeous, even in a t-shirt and jeans. Marc has only even been with Italian girls like Sienna his girlfriend back in New York. His mother, while she was alive, loved setting Marcello up with girl she thought could be his future bride. He had never found one that he thought he loved. He came close with Sienna but it wasn't meant to be.

Marcello wanted love. Love like his brother had. He knew it was dangerous but Luciano had managed with Eddison maybe it would work for him too.

"Are you really the leader of the Italian mob?" Anna's question snaps Marcello out of his day dream.

"Yes." He answers simply.

"Who did the burner belong to?" She asks the obvious question.

"My brother."

"Y-you k-killed him?" Anna chokes out and Marc laughs.

"No. He simply left it behind. Accident."

"An iPhone is a stupid choice for a burner." Anna mutters. She digs around in her bag pulling out her own phone. "If you want to stay off the grid you are better with old school."

"Why would you want to stay off the grid?"

"I don't like people knowing who I am. Plus I know how much info people can hack out of new technology and I'm cautious."

"You are a mystery Red."

"Thank you." The limo pulls to a stop and Marcello holds his hand out for Anna.

"Ready?"

...
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