Call Me Yours

Chapter 7 - Sunsets And Stockholm

Mia
~~~
I'd managed to binge watch half a season of OITNB with no interruptions. Was Dante really just leaving me in here for an entire week until I was needed again? Sounded like my dream for the last few years. Wanted to hibernate in a comfy bed and binge Netflix for a week. Though in practice it wasn't as fun as it had seemed. I let my thoughts drift back to Alessandro as the credits played on my most recent episode.

I couldn't help but think about him, it was like a high school crush experience. But no guys at my high school looked anything like that. My thoughts then went to my friends. Gosh, I missed them so much. But if I'd just said no to Riley and not gone to that stupid party I would've never met Dante and maybe this would've never happened.

I wasn't being naive though. If Dante wanted to find me, I was sure he would've approached me elsewhere. He knew where I worked, and likely much more than that.

I decided I'd been miserably laying in bed and watching Netflix for too long. I stood up, I was going to explore this huge house.

I walked over to the door, wondering if Dante had been careful enough to lock it. Nope. I opened the door slowly, peeking out to see if anyone was around. I stepped out slowly and closed the door behind me. I finally took a minute to appreciate how beautiful this house really was, it was breathtaking.

I found myself wandering along random hallways and looking in all sorts of fancy bedrooms fit for royalty. I'd found a super cosy blanket in one room and decided since I'd been kidnapped I probably deserved to have it in my room. I walked along the hallway and came across a fancy glass door, I pushed it open slowly to find it had a bar set up inside. It looked like one of those gangster hangouts from the mafia movies. Woah, these really existed. I crept in, with my blanket tucked under my arm and nothing but fluffy socks on my feet. It was furnished with a large circular marble table and 6 brown leather seats around it. I noticed a door on the side, that appeared to lead outside. I looked down at the lack of shoes on my feet. Never mind. It wouldn't hurt to get a little fresh air, right? I walked over and just as my hand touched the handle a voice spoke.

"Going somewhere?" The deep voice startled me and I jumped, turning around abruptly.

My eyes landed on Dante. He gave my outfit and the blanket tucked under my arm a funny look but didn't mention it.

"Nope. It's just a really nice handle. What is it? Brass. I definitely like it. Props to the interior designer, they did a great job don't you think?"

"It's locked."

"I knew that? I was just checking the material. So is it brass?"

He shook his head playfully.

"If you'd like to go outside I can have one of my men escort you. I'm not depriving you of fresh air."

"No, I'm fine thanks." I appreciated his offer, but then I had to remind myself that it wasn't kind of him to let me outside, he had kidnapped me. And I didn't want to give him the satisfaction.

"What are you doing down here?"

"I was just looking around. It's a beautiful house, I've never seen anything like this. Do you own it?"

"It's a family home. It was my grandfathers, then my fathers, and it'll be mine someday."

"Oh, your father's around?" Maybe it wasn't the best idea to  interrogate him but I was nosey, I couldn't help it.

"Not right now," he walked over to the bar in the room and reached over, grabbing himself a glass and a drink, he gestured for me to come over. I walked to the bar and sat beside him. He offered me a drink and I accepted, I had nothing better to do, why not have a drink with a criminal who happened to be keeping me prisoner.

"He's in Italy," he continued, "I'm looking after the business while he's away, it's good practice anyway, he says, I will be doing this alone one day."

"Oh." I took a sip of my drink, it was sad, really. I knew I shouldn't be feeling bad for him, and part of me did hate him but I was a human, and admittedly, one with too much empathy. He must've been brought up knowing what was in his future and he had no say in the matter. At least I got to go to school and decide what I wanted to do with my life. He must never have had that freedom.

"Do you actually want to take your father's place?" I asked.

He stayed silent for a moment as if he was thinking about it, then turned to look at me.

He shrugged a little,
"Yes, this is what I was raised to do. It's in my blood.'

I nodded quietly, suddenly feeling bad for him. Maybe I had Stockholm syndrome. Or I had too much of a heart. Yes, that was it, I was too nice.

He finished off his drink and stood up.

"Would you like to go outside?"

"To be honest I don't want to get walked by your men. I'm not a puppy."

He nodded.

"You can just come with me?" He offered.

I gazed out of the window beside the bar, I did really want to get some fresh air, was being stubborn even worth it right now?

"Okay, fine." I stood up and followed him before realising I had no shoes on,

"Ummm, do I have to go in my socks orrr?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~
After resolving the whole no shoes situation, Dante had led me outside, we'd passed so many scary looking men in suits. It had humbled me a little, remaining me that every time I got sassy with Dante I was disrespecting the man that all these guys worshipped.

We were now somewhere at the back of the house, the land around this home seemed to go on forever, it was stunning, and I could only dream of owning such a house myself. I'd have to rob a bank to do that. Or maybe join a mafia family. Who knows.

Dante seemed to be deep in his thoughts as we walked. The house was situated right in front of some massive hills. Dante approached a wooden bench right on the top of a hill, and my jaw dropped at the beautiful view. I walked over and joined him sitting on the bench. I couldn't believe where I was right now.

"Woah, this is beautiful."

"I know, I like to come out here and clear my thoughts."

I looked up at the sky as it slowly turned into a mix of pinks and oranges as the sun was beginning to set. I think I could just live out here on this bench. It'd be worth it if I got to watch the sun set like this every night. I glanced over at Dante who seemed so calm and at peace enjoying his little safe space. I was suddenly touched that he'd brought me out here. There was my Stockholm syndrome again. In my defence he was being so much nicer than he'd been previously.

I took a deep breath, feeling a huge weight of all the stress over the past few days slowly lifting from my shoulders.

"Do you come out here often?" I asked, breaking the comfortable silence we'd had for the past few minutes.

"Yes, ever since I was a child."

"Wait, you grew up in this house?" I wondered what it would be like for a child growing up in an environment like this. I wondered if there had always been scary men with guns in his home. Maybe that's why he seemed so cold and used to it, even though he still looked young.

"Yes, I lived between here and my mother's house in Italy."

"Oh, does your Mom not live over here?"

He shook his head and stayed quiet, not going any further with that topic. I wondered if she was alive and decided it probably wasn't a good time to ask. I was enjoying this little moment of serenity.

My eyes glided back to the beautiful sky and I sighed with content, taking in my blissful surroundings while I could.