The Blood Bank

3

When John Romano told me that morning we were going to open a new store, I didn't in the slightest expect later that evening to be holding a man in a headlock with his blood dripping onto my extremely expensive, white suit pants.

8:00 AM

Meeting John Romano's son couldn't have gone any worse.

Well, he could have pulled his gun out and shot me or poisoned my cornflakes but if this was an average 'first time meeting the family' situation, I would have preferred it to go better than it had.

Mark had brought into my room a white pant suit and sheer blouse that probably cost more than anything I had ever bought before in my life, before telling me to look presentable as I was going to be on camera.

Great.

Mark led me down to the dining room and there sat John, a man who I presumed to be his son and John's two security guards.

John sat at the head of the table, his son sat one down from him and there was an empty chair opposite that I knew was for me.

The room was large and impressive and unlike most mansions I had been to with my mother and father it actually felt lived in.

"Bella!" John stood as I entered the room, placing a gentle kiss on my cheek before pulling my chair out for me to sit down.

I was glad Mark took the seat next to me.

I had vowed to not look up into the eyes of John Romano's son, but the minute I sat down I could feel his eyes burning into me and as I looked up at him, guilt enveloped me like constricting hands around my throat.

"Nathan, this is the lovely Bella I was telling you about. Bella, this is my son, Nathan."

"It's nice to meet you." I answered.

"Same to you." He muttered.

Nathan had many similarities to John with his green eyes, dark hair and tan skin, however he differed in the fact he was heavier built than John, his face less worn than his fathers with a youthful look, although his current expression was a frown. His body looked fantastic in the suit as though his muscles were struggling to be contained by the fabric.

Without the frown, he probably would have been very attractive.

He shared the same animalistic energy as his father, the difference being John seemed to have the animal caged, Nathan, however, felt less domesticated.

"So, how much research did your daddy do before he palmed you off with my father?" Nathan's green eyes narrowed.

"I don't know what you're talking about.."

"Don't act stupid. I see your type every day around this house and you're after the same thing, a husband, money and to never have to lift a damn manicured hand again."

He took a mouthful of liquid out of the white mug in front of him.

"How dare you disrespect a lady in my house!"

"A whore isn't a lady, father. You told me that yourself."

With that Nathan stood up and left the room, after telling his father he'd be waiting in the car.

"He's actually a really great guy, Bella!" Mark chuckled as I sent him a conflicted look.

"I understand why he's upset." I admitted to the men around me.

I remembered the time I had come from school to see my mothers car not there, which didn't surprise me as she took pilates on Tuesday afternoons, what did surprise me was the obnoxiously loud female laugh coming from upstairs.

I had left my shoes at the door as usual before heading upstairs to investigate, taking no notice of the lingerie sprawled across the hallway.

That was when I heard my father speak, although I wasn't close enough to make out the individual words.

The door to my parents room was open enough for me to see in and the sight of a random, naked woman stroking my dads bare chest up and down was enough for my stomach to drop and my face to pale.
The woman suddenly turned to the door and let out a gasp before pointing at me,

"What is that?" She cried out in horror, clearly having never seen a twelve year old girl before.

My shirtless father had launched himself off the bed in a second and in another he had one hand clenched around my throat and his face pressed against mine.

"Tell anyone about this and your mother dies, got it?" He spat out at me which I answered with a rushed nod.

To think that, now, I was that random, naked woman in someone else's life made me sick to the stomach, but it was the job and not half as bad as some of the other things I had done in my three years in the industry.

"We're opening up the new 'Romano: Jewellery' store today so there will be a lot of focus on you." John smiled at me.

"Do you have your gun?" Mark asked to which I nodded, "here's a phone with the only numbers you need, this should be an easy first day for you, just make sure you say nothing unless John allows you too and smile at the cameras!"