The Blood Bank

2

John Romano was a man with a lot of presence.

His dark hair was slightly greying and his green eyes were full of vigour and flicked around the room constantly, with a lean frame with tan skin, his body seemingly weathered although athletically built, as though it had been victim to many battles.

There was something about him though, like he was a caged animal ready to attack at the first chance given, that scared me.

He wore a suit that fit his frame perfectly, however he didn't quite look at home in it when he sent a small smile in my direction. It looked expensive, he seemed better suited to a pair of jeans and a jumper.

I was sat opposite John Romano with one of my trainers next to me, who had greeted him with a tight hug and he explained how they go way back when John saved his ass a few times.

John's security guards waited at the door in matching pinstriped suits, a familiar silver, diamond shape logo on their lapels with a large 'R' stamped on to it.

"So, how capable is Miss Bella?" John asked, throwing a wink in my direction,

"Very able, actually. Her aim with a gun is second to none."

"Sounds marvellous," he looked over at me more firmly this time, "do you know who I am, Miss Bella?"

"No, sir."

"I am the man your father sold you too in order to save his own life," he raised an eyebrow, "I have been watching you for three years in anticipation of you becoming my somewhat... undercover bodyguard. I sent you here to The Blood Bank in order for you to get the highest training and see if you turned out half decent, otherwise you would have been put down."

"I appreciate your generosity, sir."

I didn't mean for it to sound sarcastic.

He chuckled heartily, the way you would expect a man full of love and kindness to chuckle.

I wondered how many other girls he had put down.

"We best be on our way then, Miss Bella. You have your fathers debt to pay off and believe me, he owes me multiple lifetimes."

I was currently sat in silence facing John Romano for the second time that day, but this time he was a lot more relaxed in his own environment.

That made me even more uncomfortable.

There was a knock at the door before a man walked in, who I recognised as the man who had taken me from my home three years ago. My body tensed at the memory, although he had previously given me no reason to fear him.

"Afternoon, boss." He sat down next to John, watching me curiously.

"Bella, this is my underboss Mark. You've met already, I'm sure you recall, hmm?"

"I remember, sir."

"Call me John. So, Mark and I have been discussing what your situation is here and we decided it's probably best for the foreseeable future that no one at the house knows about our arrangement. It stays strictly between us three." He looked like he was going to say something else but stopped himself and an unreadable expression crossed his face.

"You're going to be the bosses arm candy." Mark spoke for John and I couldn't help but look shocked. The man was forty years older than me for gods sake!

I quickly hid my expression and nodded at his statement.

"No matter what you think of me, Bella, I'm certainly not a man who has a harem of whores waiting for me, especially not women as young as yourself. This is simply so you can escort me to more intimate settings where obvious security wouldn't be able to go." He shook his head, "my son, he will be very hurt by this and I can only apologise now for his behaviour. Since his mother was killed he hasn't taken it well when I have tried to introduce new women. It's still very fresh too us all."

"She was an outstanding woman." Mark placed his hand on John's shoulder and I was surprised by the intimate moment between them both which is so rare to see in this industry.

"The story is we met last year at a party and we kept in contact, meeting occasionally. Recently we thought it would be nice to try things more seriously." He ran a hand through his hair. "We won't be staying in the same room, don't worry. You will be payed weekly, but everything such as clothes and food is provided for you."

I was, again, shocked.

"Sir, John, sorry. I am extremely grateful, but I was under the impression I was here to pay off a debt, not get payed?"

"You are not your father Bella, nothing could possibly give me back what he took from me, you just fit the bill of what I needed three years ago and I took advantage of the situation."

Mark handed me a few sheets of paper stapled together.

"You are to learn these facts tonight before we introduce you to anyone tomorrow. You are dismissed, Bella."

My room was unnecessarily big, making me feel particularly small and insignificant against the plain, white walls. The bed was ridiculously comfy and there was French doors leading out to a balcony which looked over to the front half of the house.

It was nice in a hotel kind of way.

I wondered if anyone had lived in here before me but ended up dead before they had chance to really make it feel lived in.

The information on John Romano was giving me extreme amounts of grief, I blame it on the fact I was terrified to be here that none of the 'important things you need to learn to be a believable side bitch ' were registering in my head.

Earlier on in the evening one of the kitchen staff had brought some food up for me, which I appreciated. She didn't say much but I could see how curious she was to meet me by the way she entered my room with wide, roaming eyes like she expected me to have three heads or keep vampires as pets.

The moon stared blankly at me.

I remembered how my mother used to tell me how the sun loved the moon so much that every night he would die to let the moon breathe.

At the time, as a naive seven year old, I believed her and the way she used the word 'love' so lightly like it came from everywhere and everyone.

Unfortunately since my father traded me for his own life and my mother did shit all to stop him, the two people who should love me no matter what proved to me that love is bullshit.

Even the sun and moon would agree with me since their arrangement seems pretty rubbish.

I slipped into bed with my loaded gun in hand, placing it gently under my pillow before switching off the bedside lamp, hoping sleep would come as easy to me as taking someone's life.