Chapter 9 - Training Week

The next morning, Talana woke up before anyone else was awake, dressed in her mother's black athletic gear.

Standing on the training grounds of the Sanchiano estate, she was surrounded by the scent of damp earth and gunpowder, as the crisp morning air filled her lungs, mentally preparing herself.

Her uncle, Mariano Sanchiano, stood before her, observing her with sharp, assessing eyes.

"Training starts now, young lady," he said firmly. "You need to become more than just a name. You need to earn your place."

Talana squared her shoulders. "Then let’s not waste time. What are you waiting for?"

The first test was physical endurance. Mariano needed to ensure that she would be physically fit. So day one consisted of her running ten miles through the Sanchiano estate, pushing her until her legs burned and her breath came in sharp gasps.

Talana was by no means weak, but she wasn’t used to this level of intensity.

"Faster, Talana! Push yourself. Imagine you're being chased by bulls," he pushed harder.

She knew that she had a plan, so she forced herself to keep going. She wasn't going to break.

After the run, she moved straight into hand-to-hand combat. Mariano paired her against one of the best fighters in their family — Salvatore - he was a brutal, no-nonsense soldier who had been training under Roberto for years. He was over six feet tall and was built like a tank.

Salvatore smirked. "Don’t worry, miss, I’ll go easy on you."

"Don't you dare," Talana shot back, with a fire of determination in her eyes.

The fight was intense. Salvatore used his size to overpower her, but Talana was quick. She dodged, countered, and struck back with precise movements. However, Talana wasn't fast enough yet, and Salvatore caught her in a chokehold, bringing her to the ground.

"Dead," he muttered.

She gasped for air but didn’t give up. Instead, she studied his stance and how he moved. When they went again, she faked a move to the left, forcing him to react, then used her smaller frame to manoeuvre out of his grasp, elbowing him in the ribs. His stumbling gave her just enough time to deliver a final, sharp kick to his knee.

Salvatore grunted, rubbing his leg. "Not bad, miss."

"She’ll get better," Mariano promised.

At the end of day one, Talana was extremely exhausted. Massimo had come over to fund out how training was going.

Seeing Talana lying on the couch, he lifted her legs. "Tired angel?" he asked.

"Exhausted," she responded with a light smile.

Massimo rubbed her legs and massaged her shoulders and back. "Let's get dinner and then get you into bed."

Having no energy to argue, Talana complied, letting Massimo help her to her room.

"Night angel," he wispered, kissing the top of her forehead before leaving for home.

Day two. Talana was again up early and ready for weapons training. However, she would first complete the ten mile run. This she did a little more swiftly than the previous day.

They then moved to firearms. Talana had used a gun before, but now she would need

to perfect her aim. She stood in front of a lineup of targets, different distances, and different angles.

Mariano handed her a pistol. "Okay, show me what you can do."

Talana took a steadying breath, aimed, and fired. The first shot hit the target’s shoulder. "Not bad," her uncle said, "try again."

The second, closer to the chest. "Better," he said, repositioning her stance. "Threes a charm."

The third—right between the eyes. "Bullseye!" he exclaimed with a smirk, fully satisfied. "But now, we're going to test your speed."

Mariano setup a moving target system. Talana was instructed to hit precise points while under time pressure. Her arms ached, her grip tightened, but she focused. With each shot, she improved.

By the end of the day, Talana's hands were shaking from exertion, but her aim had sharpened. Extremely exhausted, she couldn't wait to get indoors and rest.

"You’ve got a natural killer’s instincts," Mariano admitted, "you're definitely a Sanchiano alright."

Talana wiped the sweat from her brow. "I want to be unstoppable."

"Tomorrow, we will be training you on strategy and intelligence," her uncle forewarned her.

That evening, as the night before, Massimo came over to the house. "And, how did weapons training go?" he asked her, glancing at her uncle.

"This woman has serious gun skills. Best you sleep with one eye open," he jested with Massimo. "But seriously, she's got a natural killer instinct that just needs to be honed."

"Angel," Massimo laughed.

Talana, though, was exhausted and just needed a bath and bed.

"Have you eaten angel?" he asked.

"Not hungry," she responded, exhausted and arms aching.

"Come, let's get some chicken soup in," he insisted, "you have to keep your strength up angel."

After dinner, Massimo ran her a warm soap bath, and while she soaked, he made her a cup of tea and sat on her bed a little chatting.

"I have some things to take care of tomorrow angel, so I won't be here in the evening, but I promise I will come on Friday again," he informed her.

"Two days without Max?" she thought, and her heart sank.

"Don't worry, I will message you to check on how your training went and on Friday after training is complete. I have a surprise for you." He kissed her on the forehead. "Now get some sleep angel."

Day three was a day of strategy and Intelligence

The morning, they did some light training, but that evening, after dinner, Roberto took her into his office, filled with old maps, ledgers, and surveillance monitors.

"A true leader doesn’t just fight, poppet," he told her, "they strategize. They outthink and outwit their enemies before they even lift a gun," placing a file in front of her.

"This is everyone who played a role in your mother’s death. You need to learn their names and their weaknesses because soon, you will strike, and you will not miss."

Talana flipped open the file, her eyes darkened with vengeance as she scanned the list of rhe names.

Her blood ran cold. Some names she knew and suspected they were in on her mother's death. Others she had never encountered.

"Why did you let them live so long ?" she queried.

"Patience, my dear. The best form of revenge is that which is silent. We don't just kill them first. We make them suffer long enough. I want them to fear you before you end their pitiful lives." There was a dark chuckle behind that comment.

"I will make them pay," she vowed, smirking, her voice deadly.

The next two days were a repeat of days one through three. Talana was very astute and picked up quickly what she needed to know.

Friday came around, and Massimo had his men run her through the wringer. At the end of the training that Friday, Massimo, Roberto, and Mariano were extremely satisfied that Talana could handle herself in any situation.

He had the chef at home prepare her a gourmet Tangliatelle dish with ham, mushrooms and bell peppers in a creamy mozzarella cheese sauce and baked in the oven with grated cheddar and topped with sprinkles of parmesean cheese and a bottle of cabernet savengon wine.

As they began eating the meal, Massimo said, "I have two gifts for you. One is a combo gift." He handed her the sniper gun and a smith and wesson.

"You didn't have to?" she smiled, thankful for a man like this. "Thank you." She stood up and walked over to him, sat in his lap, and wrapped her arms around him.

"The second gift is something more personal," he said as he took out the chain and put it around her neck. Inside the locket was a picture of her and her mom on the one side and on the other was a photo of him.

"Now I will always be close to you," he smiled at her and kissed her deeply.

Tapping her buttocks lightly in a playful way, he said, "Let's eat before the food gets cold. After that we can relax. Tomorrow we will go back to my villa."