Three

He was here. Don. Don was here. I did not have it in me to face him. We would be meeting again; I had known that. But this...soon? I was not so sure about that. What if he’d decided today was the day I died? What if he wanted to kidnap me and sell me to a cannibal? What is he sold me to Alessandro?!

I told my co-worker, Millie to take his table. She looked at me weird - because, who'd deny a chance to wait on that sexy piece of a man?

She pushed her chest into his face, smiling coquettishly at him as she asked him what he wanted. I watched him throw her a bored look before he said something to her. If I wasn’t about to pee my pants, I would have said he looked pretty hot in his black suit.

Millie marched back into the kitchen. "He says he wants you."

I gulped, then nodded, making my way to him as I counted all my last wishes.

Please, whichever God exists, don’t let today be my last day on Earth. I haven’t even attended a Taylor Swift concert yet. And I still don’t know how to make cheesecake. And I’ve never had the perfect apple pie. And there are ugly selfies on my phone!

I took a deep breath before speaking, "Hello, sir, what can I bring you?" I asked politely.

"Bella," Don smirked up at me, "I was just here to see you."

Yep, last day here. "What do you want?" I asked.

"What have I told you about talking to me like that, cara mia?"

"Sorry." I muttered. "How can I help you, Don?"

"I want you." He stated simply. "Finish your shift, I'll stay here and wait for you."

I shook my head. "Why are you building suspense? Can't you just kill me already?"

He chuckled darkly. "I'm not going to kill you, tesoro. Not yet, anyway."

(Darling. Literally - treasure)

Yet. He wouldn’t kill me, yet.

"Now," He leaned back in his chair, "I'd like some coffee. Black."

Of course he wanted black coffee.

I rushed to get his order, while ignoring Millie giving me the evil eye.

I placed a steaming mug of coffee before him. "What else can I get you, Don?"

"Nothing." He said, "And its Mariano."

"Huh? Mario Cart?”

A flash of extreme annoyance on his face. "Mariano. My name is Mariano, Isabelle."

I shivered. The way my name rolled off of his tongue was a sin. Oh God. Jesus Christ, Izzy. Calm your boobies.

"Your name isn't Don?" I asked stupidly.

He laughed. "No, Bella. My name is Mariano."

"Okay, Mariano." I said haughtily. Maybe if he thought I wasn’t afraid of him, he wouldn’t kill me.

His gaze didn't leave me as I walked around the café, waiting on the few tables I had been assigned. He didn't touch his coffee. It was probably too less for his taste. He probably had his coffee imported from Africa. It was awkward as he watched me. It felt…invasive. I could feel his eyes on me the entire time, glued to my body.

I breathed deeply, wishing for strength, and walked back to his table.

"Can I get you anything, Mariano?" I asked.

His eyes blazed. "It seems like maybe your lips were made to say my name. 
Non vedo l'ora di averti lamenti troppo. Just the tab, Bella." He said lowly.

(I cannot wait to have you moaning it too.)

I nodded. "You haven't touched your coffee."

"I'd rather touch you."

I rolled my eyes. "My shift is done. I'll be back."

He nodded curtly. "Be quick."

I hated, absolutely hated that he was treating me like his personal maid. But what could I do? He had a gun.

Millie winked at me when I told her that I was leaving. "Have a nice fuck,” She said.

I laughed a little. As if.

Bye Millie. See you in my next life?

Is there life after birth? Would I become a ghost, now? If yes, what place would I haunt? Ooh, and who could I haunt? I could help Aiden and Landon and Felicia as a ghost, maybe. But maybe the ghost world had rules? A government? It would definitely be an oligarchy. I just had a feeling.

But I had my bets on reincarnation. Maybe in my next life I’d be super rich.

"I'm ready." I told Mariano after getting rid of my uniform apron.

"Sit down here." He nodded at the seat in front of him.

"Why?" He’d kill me here?

"Have I told you not to question me, Bella?"

"Yes." I rolled my eyes, obeying.

Mariano called for Millie with a flick of his fingers. "Get Isabelle something to eat." He ordered her coldly.

My eyes widened. "Mariano!" I hissed. "Be nice. She's a friend."

"Not mine."

Millie fixed a glare on him. Didn't she want to go to Venice anymore? She surely couldn't if she was buried six feet under.

"Didn't you hear me?" Mariano looked at her for a fraction of a second, then returned to starting at me.

I wanted to slap him. Millie scowled at him, then said sweetly, too sweetly. "Yes, sir."

"You need better friends, Bella." He admonished once she had marched off.

"My friends are clearly better than yours," I said. "At least they don't kill people."

"I don't make friends, Bella. They're all family."

"Oh? You have a big family?" I asked sourly.

"Watch your tone." He snapped, then softly said, "Family is not always blood, mia bella."

Millie at that moment, placed a plate of fries and a cheeseburger before me. She gave me a what-are-you-doing-with-this-douche look. I hoped she understood I had no choice. She whipped around to look at Mariano.

"Anything else, Sir?" She asked sweetly.

"No."

"Thanks, Millie." I squeaked. She winked.

I bit into my heavenly burger as Mariano said, "She should've brought you something healthier."

I glared at him. "Shut up." He wasn’t going to say anything to my burger, not if he wanted to walk out of here alive.

He smiled slightly. "You're cute, Bella."

"It’s Isabelle." I reminded.

"Okay, Bella." He said smugly.

Infuriating bastard.

I ate in silence, and he watched me.

I gulped the last of my burger down. "It’s weird having you look at me like that."

He smirked, still looking at me. "Hmm."

I wanted to slap him in the face, but I refrained, he had a gun.

How many times have I exactly said that?

His eyes didn't miss mine going to his gun holder. He stiffened slightly. "You're scared of me." He said simply.

I stood up. "You have a gun. You could shoot me dead in the blink of an eye."

I began to pay, but he beat me to it, slapping a bill on the table and holding my hand tightly, leading me out before I could begin to protest.

"But I told you I wouldn't, didn't I?" For a moment he looked almost enraged, but then an impasse took over his face again.

I stayed silent as we walked to his car, and sat in the back seat. He had a driver.

"You have my word, Bella. Nothing will happen to you." He said softly as he slid in beside me, shutting the door with a slight bang.

I blinked at him. Mariano, for the first time, had said something...nice to me.

"Drive, Luigi." He commanded the driver.

Luigi? Mariano and Luigi? I had to stifle my laughter; it was very difficult.

Silence ensued. Mariano looked straight ahead, and I looked at him.

"Mariano?" I asked quietly.

He nodded.

"What's your full name?"

Mariano's head turned sideways. He looked me in the eye, sceptic for a moment, before saying hardly, "Mariano Wolfe Lionelli - Montefiore Rivera."

"Wow, that's...long."

He smiled a bit. "Yes, it is, Isabelle May Forte."

My eyes widened. "How do you know my middle name?" I whispered.

He leaned in ever so slightly, a jesting smile playing on his lips, but it was enough to set my nerves on fire. "I know everything about you, Bella," He said.

Surely not…everything?

No. No. He couldn't.

I gasped as his lips made contact with the corner of my mouth. But it was so faint, I thought I had dreamt it. "Everything." Mariano whispered, a lone finger trailed tantalisingly down my neck, "I know that you got bitten by a dog at nine." He was so close; I was barely breathing. "That you were obsessed with Backstreet Boys in eighth grade. I know the street address of your first boyfriend, your niece's name, your roommate's phone number."

He drew back suddenly. I shrank under his calculative gaze. I felt so…naked.

"I have record of each breath you've ever taken, Bella."

"Stalker." I stated.

He snorted, before placing his hand on his chest, over his heart, and faked a painful moan. "Oh Bella," He mocked, "That hurt."

So, Mariano Rivera was capable of sarcasm.

I glared at him. "Do you…know everything?"

"I just said that, didn't I?" He retorted.

So, he knew.

I turned away from him, staring out the window, and I could practically feel the danger radiating off of him.

I had his word, he'd said. Did I?