SARIAN It had begun to rain and I felt so cold. One of the girls had brought dinner which I had eaten in a hurry. I wanted to sleep but it was hard and this room felt like a prison even though it wasn't locked. The small table in the corner, the rigid bed without sheets and the white walls were all so empty exactly as I felt on the inside. It had been hours since I had shed a tear. He would be happy to see me cry and I didn't want to but the sting persisted behind my eyes and in my chest like an unhealing wound. Too many things were happening at the same time and Don Julio had thrown me in here as if I were a teenager who threw tantrums. On the edge of the bed, I curled up with my arms around my knees and my eyes fixed on nothing. Then the silence descended like a fog and I wanted to embrace it when I heard it.Click. The door flew open. I didn't look up until his shadow struck the floor. Don Julio.The devil himself. He was standing there as though he had every right to be
DON JULIO Early in the morning there was a certain quietness that comes only when the world is just beginning to wake and you don't need any kind of need to relax and mind your business. Coffee in hand, nursing it slowly, not ready to take a sip and a magazine in front of me. I looked busy but it was my mind that way. The curtains were parted a little and the sharp rays came in slowly. I wasn't drinking it though. I was deep in thoughts and then my eyes moved to something else. I was focusing on her instead. Sarian. She lay on the bed still asleep, the sheets just barely covering her body. Intimate but unsaid memories of last night were still hanging in the air between us. I shut my eyes and then ran my fingers through my hair. Although it had been close, we hadn't made love. I teased her body, made her arched for me, made her dripping wet and left her exhausted. We had a stronger bond than I had experienced in years, something that no one had given me, not even Allegr
SARIAN The engine hums a steady rhythmic sound that drowns out everything else in the car. It's almost calming but it made me feel like we were taking a trip to help. But my anxiety isn't eased by the calmness that seemed to be around me. The tension that has existed since we left the mansion stayed even though I didn't want it. This feeling of something bad approaching—something, I can't quite place but know was coming—was sending shivers up my spine. Two cars ride behind us and another two before us leaving us in the middle. Don Julio sat opposite me, with his piercing eyes fixed on the road ahead and his firm unwavering grip on the steering wheel. He had instructed his men that he wanted to drive and his eyes were filled with anger again. The car was so quiet and as usual, his words were precise and clipped and he only spoke when absolutely needed. And I was thankful for the quiet at the moment. Particularly at this point and I was not sure what I would say to him if
DON JULIO Her eyes bulged. NahShe didn't expect this.She blinked rapidly at me which didn't surprise me. That look in her eyes as if I had just caught her red-handed told me everything I needed to know. I had expected her to fight back, to tell me a few more lies, and argue as usual because she had a sharp mouth. It didn’t happen.She parted her lips slightly and blinked once and twice while she fumbled for an answer. I could almost hear the wheels turning in her mind as she weighed and calculated but nothing came. She then swallowed hard, her eyes fixed on mine.I scoffed and continued driving.The unavoidable and weighty truth hung between us. Calcutta was not the location of the vault. That I was aware of. And she didn't know I knew she was lying.Silly..Although she underestimated me she thought she was smart. She was unaware that my eyes were constantly on her, constantly observing and calculating everything.I didn't miss a single word or movement. And I took pride in wh
DON JULIO Supper was awkward. My expectations were unchanged but for some reason tonight's silence between us felt more burdensome. Rohit had been killed and his body disposed properly. Let The Crows wait. Let them wait for information they won't get.As I closely observed Sarian, the hum of the dimly lit restaurant and the clinking of silverware against plates faded into the background. For the most part, she kept her head down, her eyes darting anxiously over the food I had ordered for us both.I knew there were a thousand and one questions she wanted to ask but she did not. I wasn't sure if she was just preoccupied with whatever was on her mind or if she was scared to look at me or the questions were pulling her down.Whichever it was, it was better that way. But then, I didn't want to put up with her silence for too long.“ Eat.” I told her calmly but firmly.I wasn't asking. It w
DON JULIO She pretended like she wasn't scared but I knew she was.Although it was subtly concealed behind her typically composed face. I shut my eyes and said nothing at first then before she could understand what was happening,I pulled her up.“Dinner is over.”But she was stubborn and she refused to get up like her bum had been glued to the seat.One of my men from the sides of the room briefly raised his shirt up showing a gun and she complied.“Sometimes you need a slap or two to reset your brain.” I said as we left the restaurant to my room upstairs.However tonight didn't feel like any other night. She tried appearing shock once when I asked her if she knew why we were at Calcutta apart from the stupid lie she had told me.“I'm sure you’re wondering why we’re here.” I said reclining in the chair across from her. “For people like us India isn’t exactly on the travel map is it?” She took a tiny breath and
SARIANDust and cheap air freshener mixed with the smell of old wood in the motel room. That was all I got after travelling for hours only to inhale this.The mattress felt like it wanted to engulf me as I sat on the edge of the bed. Don Julio had instructed me to go to my room and stay put so the door clicked behind me and my thoughts were swirling like they wanted to consume me.Even now, his deep smooth voice echoed in my ears tinged with that familiar, derisive tone that made my blood boil. At the time I didn't respond to him. All I did was turn around and leave. But that didn't mean I wasn't thinking. I was damn angry and then the next minute, I didn't know what to feel, my eyes grew heavy but I didn't want to fall asleep either.What made him bring me here? What was it that he wanted from me? If that Allegra girl would be here, then he shouldn't bring me along. I had nothing to do with his business. Actually, no. Not at all, maybe in a way. I shrugged, picked up a book, old but
SARIAN I had no idea when I'd fallen asleep. I had wanted to read a book, do something rather than let the anger I was feeling consume me. But then I didn't know why I was even angry in the first place. I was sitting on the edge of that miserable motel bed, one minute looking at the discolored ceiling and wondering how I had gotten into this mafia nightmare. How I hated my life right now and what my life could have turned out if just one act hadn't been put into consideration.The following morning I woke up to the sun still hiding behind the clouds, making everywhere look gloomy like it was about to rain and to a sound that I was unable to identify at the time—sharp, far away and strange. Not a warning. No thunder. It wasn't the sound of rainfall.No. A pop. Next came another. Then threw more. Then there was a shout. After that the glass broke. My eyes remained heavy as I blinked rapidly, my heart unable to keep up with the confusion. I briefly thought I was having a dream, that t
DON JULIO The villa's thick curtains let in the morning sun which created beautiful golden lines on the floor. It was quiet in the villa behind me. Almost cutting through the walls. And then I heard a small voice. “Don Julio.” It was Sarian. I chose not to turn to look at her. She didn't say anything again. She smelled of springtime jasmine. She always smells that way since we got back from Sicily. “I was wondering,” she said, taking a step closer and then stopped. “If you had wanted to play chess with me? I am a very good player. I'll beat you to it.” I grinned. “Piccola, it hardly counts.” She gave a faint laugh. “Do you fear that I will win you?. My phone buzzed twice using my men's code for visitors before I could respond. It was business time. “Sarian not now.” I said looking up from my phone.”Duty calls.” She managed a small smile. “All right, I'll go brew some coffee.” It took five minutes for three black cars to arrive. I was able to identify them witho
DON JULIO It was a beautiful morning as the sun shone on everything. For once there were no meetings, no threats made in whispers and no plans involving blood. No sick and stupid attacks and for once, I forgot that the Blood Vultures actually existedI wanted everything to be perfect for once..Just her and me. I had to.temikd myself constantly that falling in love wasn't part of the plan. I still hadn't given up on my chase though. I looked at Sarian, I wanted her to trust me, to feel safe around me, I wanted to give her with a memory which was priceless and everlasting.With the convertible top down and her hair blown about like silk ribbons we drove out of the villa. I watched her take in the view without saying anything. There was a small smile on her lips as she enjoyed the view.We visited a small coastal town that only the locals were familiar with. The beach was concealed between cliffs and the ocean resembled a blank canvas. We
SARIAN From the airport, the drive had been peaceful and no one said anything. And then the car took a sharp bend and we arrived at a wrought-iron gate defended by stone lions, the road meandering through undulating hills and tranquil Italian countryside. Beyond it was a villa that looked like it was from a painting tucked away among vineyards and cypress trees. The sight was stunning and the only time I had seen houses like this were only in movies. For a man like Don Julio—I knew he was filthy rich —but the house I was staring at was worth millions if not billions of money. There were two older maids who spoke only in Italian. They unpacked and swept the villa to remove any indication that we had just arrived. Everything ran smoothly effectively and without noise. Like they'd done it a hundred times. A second-floor room with long white curtains that billowed in the wind and an endless view of the vineyards was assigned to me. It was so breathtaking, and I loved it more than the
SARIAN It had been a blur at the hotel. We all moved when Don Julio gave the order. There were no inquiries from his men. They had been trained that they just followed orders. No suggestions, no complaints whatsoever.They packed as fast and accurately as if it were normal. As though disappearing in the middle of the night was completely normal. Anyways that was what they had signed up for and they were very good at it. I knew I was going to miss this place and everything. I had hardly had time to pack my belongings into my bag before we could get into the car and drive through the silent dark streets of Palermo, but I had carried a little bag and Don Julio had instructed that no one should leave anything behind. I didn't know why he said that but I was also scared of leaving nothing behind. We had arrived at the airport. The scent of perfume, burnt coffee and metal filled the air. People were dragging suitcases behind them as they hurried past with heavy steps. Everything
DON JULIO “Oh, my God.” Her palm flew to her mouth.“Tell me you are lying?”“This is not the time to argue back and forth, Sarian.” I said, grabbing her arm and pushing her forward. “They are lots of unsettling things you wouldn't want to know.”“Oh, yeah.” She sneered.The fire in her eyes was back and I frowned slightly. “We found a chip at the side of your face, how about that for a start?”She gasped, her mouth forming a small ‘O’. I opened the door and pushed her towards Luca, who gave a small nod, understanding what I meant. I stood by the glass window as I watched Sarian get into the black SUV outside the doctor's office.She moved gradually as if she were adjusting to a new body. With guns concealed under coats and vigilant eyes my men hovered protectively around her. She didn't turn around. Okay. That was good and I liked that and at least no more questions from her.I wanted her to forget about this place, forget about everything that had happened. I knew what I was avo
DON JULIO As soon as I entered the hospital the antiseptic stench pricked my nostrils. Chill. Sanitized. Dead. As if they were making an excessive effort to remove the blood that frequently discolored them the walls were too white and spotless. I was in a hurry to get Sarian out of Sicily, I knew that whoever was tracking us would know instantly when the chip got burned that something was wrong and they might be making a surprise attack at us but I had to be ten steps ahead of them.I don't know which of the gangs.The Blood Vultures?The Vipers?The Crows?Or even some freaking gang that didn't want to mind their damn business but revenge would be a topic for another day. I was a hospital hater. The doctor was waiting for me in the elevator wringing his hands as if he wanted to express regret for his birth. He looked like he had been patiently waiting for something that he dreaded so much. His voice was nervous as he spoke to me and then he ran his hands through his face.“She’s aw
DON JULIO I turned around and left before I could think of destroying something in the hospital, before anyone would come asking silly questions.Behind me, the hospital's lights dimmed, vanishing like they never existed to me in the first place.I kept my eyes forward. Every part of me felt like I was seeing things as I was blinded by anger but I moved deliberately and calmly and kept my face expressionless. The doctor had told me that the police would soon be here and I had felt it as soon as I stepped out of the double glass doors. However I had always trusted my instincts and something wasn't quite right. Two blocks away I slid into the parked car, dark windows, plate that cannot be traced. I learned from Matteo to always have one escape route close by. I was grateful that I paid attention tonight. My mind was on the nurse that had brushed past me when I walked into the hospital when sirens sounded as soon as my fingers touched the ignition, rising and falling, destroying the
DON JULIO What the fuck! I had gone back to my room. I wanted the information she had told me to be for my ears only but as I returned the phone to the table, my head pounded and her last words kept echoing in the back of my mind I tried telling myself several times that maybe Valentina was mistaken, that something wasn't right but a part of me, a bigger part had felt this was freaking true but I didn't want to believe it. The white T-shirt wasn't giving me what I wanted, the aura and vibe that I wanted to possess. I quickly dressed in a dark suit, not bothering to care about the details. It was a typical outfit, sharp but practical, ready for whatever I had to face. The urgency in my chest wouldn’t let me think about my clothing. There wasn’t time for perfection, She didn't say anything further. The line went dead and I shut my eyes momentarily wondering if I was now a detective in a case I fucking knew nothing about. What the hell did Valentina just tell me? Did she know
DON JULIO The sun slightly rose before I gave up trying to sleep. I sat on the chair overlooking the window, a cigar dangling between my fingers and a glass of whiskey before me which stood there for as long as I could remember because I was sure I might not drink it.Last night kept replaying in my mind like a broken movie. Ghost cracked the code and helped with the chip and I still couldn't believe that Federico had done that. The mothefucker was quite smart but why planted that chip?Now the chip felt like it counted a thousand pounds, even though it slightly filled my palmI should have felt some sense of victory. The surgery on Sarian was successful and I finally confirmed my fears but I knew that keeping the chip with me was still dangerous.I stood up, moving restless, every bone in my body stiff with stress. I seized my jacket, sliding the chip deep into the inner pocket where it pressed against my heart.perhaps Valentina would know something.perhaps she could help me make