CHAPTER 3:SPARED

I nod.

"And that crash happened when his son turned eighteen..." Nathaniel says.

They all try to process this sudden information.

"It's the start of the feud. Ten years ago his heir left, and he needed to act on us fast before we found out. They didn't want us to find her..." Says the son.

I had no idea I was the spark. I knew of the tensions, but it didn't concern me because it wasn't a part of my life.

"Nara, if you were somehow back in the picture, that would make you first in line, correct?" Asks the father.

"Yes…."

"So how the hell do we get you back into it?"

Asks his son.

I stay silent to think of an answer. My thoughts are cut off when we pull into a garage.

"We can think about this later, I'm tired." 

Says his father.

"Nathaniel, take her to the empty room upstairs."

At least I get a whole bedroom to myself.

They take me across the sidewalk to their building. We walk into an elevator and rise seventeen floors. The doors open to a massive penthouse. It is spacious, and made of mostly glass.

He leads me upstairs to a smaller guest room.

"Here you are. There's probably a robe or something in the closet. We'll have someone get clothes for you by morning."

"Thank you Nathaniel. I have a question though."

"Hm?"

"Have you killed someone like that before?"

"Like what?"

I pointed my finger up to the scratch on my neck.

"Yes. Several times."

"Okay. Another question. How'd you get involved with the Italians?"

"How'd you know they're Italian?"

"I know a little about the feud."

Nathaniel sighs. "Well my mother died giving birth to me in Malaysia, so my dad and I immigrated here.

He started doing jobs for them to make petty cash, but he moved up very quickly. 

He was killed in a shooting when I was seventeen. By then, I was already beyond doing the jobs he did."

"Oh..."

Nathaniel  sits down on the bed next to me.

"It's been five years, but it doesn't feel right still."

"Tell me about it." I chuckle.

We take a second to reminisce about our trauma. I am shocked that he opened up so quickly.

"Anything else?"

"What are their names..?"

"Well who is Mr.Nicholas Salvatore to you."

"And his son.?"

"Liam Salvatore ."

I nod. The name Liam rings in my head. 

It's sexy, but also adds fright.

"Honestly, he already scares me more than you do."

"Everyone is scared of him, even the guys I bring over."

"Oh! You're..."

"Bi, sweetheart." He smirks.

I blush. His good style makes a lot of sense now.

"I'm gonna leave, but I guess you're free to do whatever. There's nothing to hide around here."

He stands up for the door, but hesitates on his way out and turns around.

"One last thing you should know though."

"What?"

"Liam had no way of knowing my gun was on safety."

I should've realized this earlier, but he is right. I didn't even know the gun was on safety. I was way too overwhelmed by my surroundings. Liam left me killing my uncle up to fate.

Nathaniel  left as soon as he said that, so I am left alone with my thoughts. I'm sad he left though. I have an instinct to trust him. 

He's alright when his knife isn't pressed against my neck.

I check in the closet for anything to wear. 

There is a soft, black robe in it. I guess a hot shower will calm my nerves down.

I wash off all the sweat and adrenaline built up on my body, then I dress myself in the robe.

There's a TV to watch, but I can't find anything decent on, so I decide to explore this place.

This penthouse isn't very lavish or anything. It's pretty bland. Almost no pictures on the wall, or any plants around. 

I make my way into the kitchen to get a glass of water, but I can't find any cups.

"Looking for something?" I hear someone say.

I practically jump out of my skin. They scared me so bad. I swing around to see Liam in the door frame. He's in a maroon hoodie.

"Jesus christ Liam." I say as I hold my hand over my beating heart.

"So you learned my name?" He smirks.

"Yeah."

I'm starting to get nervous. His presence alone is something to be cautious around.

"Cups are in the one to your left."

I check the cabinet, and there are glasses there for me. I walk towards the fridge to get water. Now that the island isn't in the way, I can see that he is only in boxers. I shock myself by looking at it for more than two seconds.

"Oh, sorry. We usually don't have women here."

"Really?" I ask.

"Well, women that aren't here to take them off.

Unless you had something else in mind..."

I roll my eyes at him.

"I'm just joking!" He laughs.

"I've got a question for you." I say abruptly.

"Yeah?"

"You aren't going to kill me... are you?"

He sighs. "No. We don't kill innocent people unless they are a threat."

"Why are you guys being so nice to me? I'm technically your hostage."

I sit down at the island while he thinks of his reply.

"You warmed up to us quickly, so why not return it? I wouldn't even call you a hostage. You're just not free to go yet, but I don't believe you have anywhere to go."

I look down at my feet. It pains me to know he is right.

"There's no chance you became an adult in the mist of high school and still felt like you had something to hold onto there."

I sit in silence while he picks away parts of me I wasn't even aware of.

"What career path did you see yourself having?"

It takes me a minute to think of one.

"A lawyer."

"So what were you going to do. Start law school?

Use up all of the money you inherited?"

I'm still speechless.

"You held onto the fact that you could be queen of a fucking mafia one day."

I smile a bit. That phrasing makes me sound badass.

"You just didn't expect it all to happen to fast."

I finally find my wit again under all of this stress.

"Well I must admit, you have me pegged. 

It's just that I don't feel ready for it at all. I would run it to the ground."

"You would."

"Hey you still have daddy running things for you, so don't think you're doing any better old man."

"Listen piccolina, I'm only twenty three."

Little one

"Sounds pretty old to me." I shrug.

He raises his eyebrow.

"You better lose that attitude around me. It will piss me off on the wrong day. You're just lucky today went well."

"What went so well? You murdered four people."

His face starts to become enraged, but he calms himself down quickly.

"I met the one who could finally end this decade long feud."

My heart skips a beat. Being the new center of such a dissension worries me. I feel like I am meant to save the world.

I think he notices how big of a deal this is for me, because he stands and waits while I wrap my head around this.

"I'm going to get some sleep. Goodnight Nara."

"Goodnight." I smile.

I wait for him to go back upstairs before I went up myself.

I had to turn the TV on to filter out the questions and thoughts piling onto my conscience.

I was supposed to be killed today. Instead I was given a second chance.