She was born into power He was hired to protect her But falling in love could get them both killed. After Isabella Morretti, heiress and ruthless Mafia leader takes over from her father, she's drawn into the dangerous world of drugs, threats and lies. When her life is being threatened on different occasions with encrypted letters, she lets her guard down and decides to get a bodyguard, jovial, yet extremely serious, quiet with lingering secrets of his own and little by little her carefully controlled world begins to unravel. Justin Warren, was meant to watch her, not crave her, not want her and definitely not fall for her. But with enemies within her household, old flings, debts surfacing and lies unraveling they both must decide where their loyalty stands, either with their blood soaked families or, the devotion growing between them behind the shadows. In a world of lies, threats, power and betrayal, love may be the most dangerous weapon afterall.
もっと見る晴れた日の東京湾。
羽田沖の東京湾で釣りをしていると、頭のすぐ上を旅客機が通り過ぎているような錯覚を覚える。
何しろ発着便数は世界有数の巨大空港だからだ。空港を拡張してみたが需要にはまだまだ追い付かないらしい。そんな羽田空港の周りは、マンションなどの高層ビル群や工場や倉庫が立ち並んでいる。
その様子から多くの人は、東京湾に無機質な印象を持ってしまう。だが、東京湾に面する羽田の沖合は立派な漁場だった。 昔は都市部から排出される生活用水などで、海が汚染されてしまい魚がいなくなっていた。だが、人々の弛まぬ努力の御陰で、水質の改善が進んでいった。近年では魚も戻ってきており、江戸前漁師の仕事場として復活しているのだ。
「今は魚がいっぱい居るよ。 俺たちにとっちゃあ、東京湾さまさまだよ」
そう言って東京湾で漁を営む漁師たちは笑っていた。
そんなある日、漁師の一人が手慣れた手つきでアナゴの仕掛けを引き上げていた。海からは次々と筒状の仕掛けが上がって来る。 ここ数日の天候は快晴。過ごしやすい日が続いていた。(海も荒れて無かったし、今日は大量になるかもしれんな……)
そんな事を考えながら次々と上がって来る仕掛けを眺めていた。照り付ける太陽とささやかな海風が漁師の気分をほぐしいく。
昔はロープに結んだ仕掛けを手作業で引き上げていたが、今は船に設置したモーターでロープを引き上げている。(まったく…… いい時代になったもんだ……)
漁師は漁が終ったら馴染みの店に行って、カラオケでも歌おうかと鼻歌を口ずさみだした。
すると、何個かの仕掛けを上げ終わったところで、引き上げ用のモーターが異音を発し始めた。仕掛け用のロープに多大な荷重がかけられているのだ。「ん?」
漁師は怪訝な顔をした。仕掛け自体は重いものでは無いし、掛かった獲物が大きいと言っても限度がある。
アナゴ以外の物を引っ掛けてしまったのは明白だ。「アチャー。 また粗大ゴミでも引っ掛けてしまったか……」
昨日も小型冷蔵庫を引き上げたばかりだった。
「……ったく、ゴミ代くらいケチケチすんなよ……」
今の日本ではゴミを捨てるのにもお金がかかる。少しでも節約したい人はどこかの空き地や川などに投げ込んでしまうのだ。
もちろん、不法行為で非常に迷惑な話だが、他人の迷惑など省みない人はどこにでもいるものだ。 そして、羽田沖には多摩川の河口がある。そこには、上流で不法投棄された粗大ごみが流れ込んで来る事が良く有るのだった。 その手の粗大ごみは漁具を傷めてしまう元凶だ。しかも、損害賠償を請求しようにも相手が分からないと来る。 結局、漁師たちが泣き寝入りさせられる。不法投棄の問題は漁師たちの悩みの種だった。「勘弁してくれよ……」
モーターが引き上げるにつれ毛布のようなモノが浮かんでくるのが見えて来た。
「あんな大きな毛布を捨てやがって……」
しかし、粗大ごみだからといって再び海に捨てる訳にはいかない。拾ってしまった自分が処分せねば、他の漁師に迷惑がかかってしまう。それも嫌なので回収して漁協に処分を依頼しなければならないのだ。
「手間ばかりかかりやがる……」
漁師は最初は毛布か何かのゴミだと思っていた。しかし、海面に出て来た時には、それは違う物だと悟った。
「あぁぁー。 コリャ違うな……」
漁師はぱっと見でソレが何なのか理解した。毛布と見えたのは冬用のシャツだったのだ。
「ど座衛門か……」
沈んでいたという事は、死んでからそんなに時間が経っていないのであろう。死体は体内で腐乱ガスが発生しやすいので、三日ほどで浮かんで来るものだからだ。
「前に見た奴は浮かんでたから邪魔にならなかったんだがなあ……」
漁師は沖合で浮かんでいる水死体を見た事があるようだ。
「ナンマンダブ、ナンマンダブ……」
うろ覚えの簡単なお経を唱えながら漁師は面倒な事になってしまったと思った。警察の事情聴取などで半日潰れてしまうからだ。
しかし、彼らも仕事なのだから恨んでも仕方が無い。「まあ、しょうがないよね……」
それでも、放っておくわけにもいかず死体をロープで固定した。こうして置かないと、また沈んだり流されるてしまうと厄介だからだ。
漁師たちの間では、水死体を粗末に扱うと罰が当たると伝えられている。「縁があって自分の船を頼って来たんだ。 そう言う仏を弔ってやるのが海の男ってもんさ」
家業を継いだ時に父親から繰り返し注意されたものだ。
「いやいや、頼りにされるばっかりじゃ不公平じゃねぇかよ」
誰が聞いている訳でも無いのに、そんな独り言を呟いた。ロープの固定が終った漁師は次の作業を始めた。
「仕掛けはいったん沈めておくか……」
事情聴取の煩雑さを思い浮かべながら、漁師は苦労して上げた仕掛けを再び沈め始めた。漁師は過去にも水死体を引き上げた事があり、その時には警察のしつこさに辟易したのを今でも覚えている。
しかし、時間を取られて出荷作業が出来ないのは仕方が無い事でも、放っておくと折角のアナゴが死んでしまう。それは生活に直結して来る問題なので切実だった。
だから、引き上げた仕掛けをそのまま海に戻す事にしたのだ。
「まあ明日、上げれば良いか……」
漁師はため息をついた。そして、全ての準備が整ってから水上警察へと連絡を入れたのだった。
JUSTIN: Morning runs were soothing, plugged ears, full speed, sweat going down my back and my arms just makes my day a little better and easier to handle, but my path always took my back to the same place, the same place I constantly tell myself I don't want to be at or remember yet I still find myself running towards it…my brother's grave. I hated it here, I hated the silence, the sadness, the dead dropping flowers that scattered round the green grass whenever it's windy, I hated the way my heart becomes sad and angry at the same time when I see his name on the tombstone but most of all I hated how much I missed him. Panting and sweating, I squat and drop a fresh set of roses on his grave, “Celebration of life Luca” I smile sadly and stand up then my phone beeps with a message. “Initiate” my jaw becomes hard but my revenge must be done.************** “Come in” a girl says as I walk into the dangerous home of the one and only Isabella Morretti. I have heard rumors of
ISABELLA: “So? What did you gather?” I stare at Miguel from across my desk. He drops a file on my desk, “34, Special ops, left the military after an injury to his knee, started bodyguarding after recovery and that was a year ago, he's been getting jobs back to back and so far so good they've all been..well good”. I sigh, “family? Wife? Personal life?” I say going through his file. “A brother that died over two years ago, no wife or pre existing relationships…he's a very private person so most information is tied up, as of now he doesn't have any known relative, isn't active on social media and is pretty much to himself. Only has professional contact with his clients and that's all” “Why never a stable long term job?” “I actually don't know, he is always on a job three months max and leaves, it's…weird”. I close the file, “now what do you think?” “What do I think concerning you getting a bodyguard?” he chuckles a little. “It's not funny Miguel” I say sternly, “I know,
ISABELLA: I throw another knife at the target board and I miss the head by an inch and my anger increases.I drink my water and take a deep breath in trying to contain my anger. With sweat rolling down my back and my continually racing heart as a result of adrenaline, I sit on the floor trying to actually catch my breath, my mind instantly went to the letter. “I'M COMING ISA”Who was coming? What did they want? How did they know me? I hated threats, encrypted letters or anything that made me overthink everything and made me look at everyone as suspects or looking over my shoulders. “You've been in here for hours” I hear Miguel from the door, “you need sunlight”. I stand up and pick up another knife and throw it and I miss by the same inch, “what's the update? Find any prints?” I turn to him and cross my hands. “Came clean”he takes a deep breath in. “And the blood?” His silence confirms my suspicion, “it's yours Isa”. My heart drops and my mind goes into static
ISABELLA:I hated colours, I hated anything bright or abstract or wild that's why my entire wardrobe is filled with black. I stare at myself in the mirror for the upteenth time deliberating whether I should wear this gown or not because I know my mother would take my life if I showed up in trousers and a shirt. The gown wasn't bad, it was a skin tight lace gown that had a slit that went up to my thigh and had a really low back showing my back tattoo. I put my hair in a sleeck bun and pair the outfit with some Louis Vuitton heels and a small purse that can hold a knife that's the only accessory I need. I don't dress up and wear heels as much as I should but that doesn't stop me from having the latest designs. “You look…breathtaking” I hear Cara as I slowly walk down the stairs. “No look at you. You look like a princess” I tease her and laugh. We were polar opposites since birth, she's a bright, colorful, cheerful, has a successful career as an artist and nothing with the drug w
ISABELLA: “I can't believe you let her get shot Miguel” I faintly hear my mother by my side. “It..” “It wasn't his fault” I grunt in pain and sit up but my back burned with pain and my leg stiff. “Don't try to move Isa, the doctor said you need to rest” I hear worry in her tone.I look around and I see that I'm connected to different machines and it causes an instant headache. I couldn't remember who shot me, infact up until I was punched my memory was failing me gradually. “Why am I here? I'm fine” I scoff. “You got shot Isa. What do you mean by why are you here? Sigues poniéndote en peligro”You keep putting yourself in danger. I take a deep breath in, “leave Miguel”, he leaves and I face my mother, “why are you really here? I know you don't care about me or my line of work”. “Believe it or not, I am still your mother and I care contrary to your belief” she sighs, “you're just like your father, stubborn” she smiles a little and rubs my forehead, “come work for me Mi
ISABELLA’S POV: Slowed breaths, deep silent breaths, I clutch my gun for what felt like the hundredth time and tried to calm my nerves. “Anything?” I say into the comms in my ear. “Nothing,” Miguel replies. Dammit, “this better not be a setup” I thought to myself. It's been nearly three hours since we set sights on the warehouse that has been allegedly stealing our merchandise, news came at the last minute from an unknown source that someone from the inside has been leaking information to our rivals for a little over two months now…absolutely unbelievable, my father would be rolling in his grave right now I'm sure. I crouch up a little and still see the same dim lights radiating from the warehouse with no movement or anything and my anger rises even more. I was tired and hungry and sleep deprived from the sleepless nights of planning this heist, if this ends up being a facade, I'm killing everyone. “Movement. 12 o’clock” Miguel whispers.We all ready our guns and move i
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