NATASHA Something cold and heavy hit my face, starling me out of my sleep. I jumped off my bed, eyes wide in shock and ready to smack the shit out of whoever messed with me. “What the hell?!” Luca stood a few meters away, a stupid smile on his face as he watched me. I was drenched as hell, and he held up a bucket, looking quite proud of his accomplishment. He had poured water on me. Me! I growled, stomping towards him, ready to smash his face into the ground. “You bastard!” “A very refreshing way to wake up, no?” He chuckled, dodging one of the blows I had launched at him. “I don't know if you've noticed, Vera, but I am not a puny little man. That blow won't do a thing to me.”“But my legs will!” I bellowed, ready to slam my knee into this precious family jewels, when a muscle pulled in my thigh and I fell to the ground. “Oh hell, that's painful!” I groaned, cradling my leg, trying to ease off the pain. Perhaps Luca was right, I had g
NATASHAI take my words back. I take them back big time. This was hell. I didn't think this through at all. Olivia was crazy. She's fucking crazy. I coughed as she dumped my head into the water, sputtering as water rushed through my gut and spleen, driving me crazy. This was it. I was going to die. I had spent three days in Lucas mansion and suffice to say, I was certain he wanted to take my life instead. That had to be the goal of it all. There was nothing else. Why on earth was I being subjected to Torture? It started a day ago. After the sparring with Olivia, I had won by the way, my body was sore as hell, next thing I knew, I was thrown into a tank and drenched with water. Yesterday was hell. I could still hear my screams. I could still feel myself choking as I struggled to stay afloat in the water. If Luca hadn't ordered for them to stop, if he had waited a minute too soon, I probably would have passed out. That was yesterday.
LORENZO “Lorenzo.” I grinned at the figure that stepped out of the airport, walking towards my vehicle. Vincent. My best friend, brother in arms and cups and the bone person who did shit with me all the damned time. He had been with me right from the start. We had joined the mafia together. We had done literally everything together. He was the brother my parents hadn't given me, but I was grateful to have. And only he could help me find my precious waitresses. “Fratello,” I replied, stretching my arm out to clasp his. He chuckled. “America seems to be treating you well.” “Vincent, it's just been four days. Stop making it seem as if I have been here half a fucking year.” I growled and he shrugged. “Four days, half a year, same difference.” He chuckled. “Found us retail yet?”“Perhaps. And an investor for the casino. Which is why I had you flown over. I need you to interrogate them. I require them to be as clean as snow. I can't have so
NATASHAI groaned as the hot water poured out of the shower, running through my hair and then down my body. The water warmed and massaged my sore muscles, and my shoulders sagged in relief. “Okay, that feels good,” I whispered. “At least this place has hot water,” I hadn't used hot water in years. They certainly didn't provide it to the mafia. And my ratty old apartment barely had water, not to mention hot. It didn't bother me much. I had lived a long time without hot water, I was sure I could definitely live without it. But damn, I had to admit, it felt good. I could feel the tension in my muscles slowly sifting out. The ache diffused out gently, and I let out a steam filled breath. My mind drifted to the flashback I had when I had blacked out. Memories. I had kept them at bay for a long time. I hadn't thought about my mother in a while. What would she say if she saw me now? Would she hate me like Alisa did? Would she think I had a
NATASHA“Which one do you think suits me better?” I asked Olivia, walking out of the closet in just a towel while holding two dresses up. I needed her thoughts on what to wear. Oh! I knew what this looked like. I had never been fussy about what I wore. But for some reason, I wanted to care, just a teeny tiny bit, about how I looked. I was going to fucking Italy! I would be leaving the continent and flying my ass all the way to Europe on a mission that could very well get me killed. Who could blame me for wanting to enjoy just a bit of luxury?Olivia laid on my bed, throwing popcorn into her mouth as she studied the dresses in my hands. She had spent the night in my room after dinner. We stayed up until two in the morning, talking shit about people. She had worked with Luca for five years. Five! And yet, that jackass seemed oblivious to her feelings. At least that was what she told me. Anyone could sport Olivia's crush on him from a mile
NATASHA The ride to the airport was long as hell. Luca kept grumbling about Olivia's dress in the back seat, pointing at it like a petulant child who saw his toy in a new light and couldn't bear to look at it. “You can't wear that, prancing round fucking Italy!” He hissed, and I chuckled…“Oh, quit being a ninny,” I laughed from the front seat. Oh, it was amusing to hear. The Jackass was flustered, and I enjoyed every second of it. “I am not a ninny!” He bellowed. “You put her up to this, didn't you?!” I rolled my eyes at his words and closed them, trying to breathe through the jumble in my head. I had to think this through. Infiltrating some mafia hotel, trying to ferret out the identity of a mafia lord who gid better than a mole in holes. I didn't like the idea of it. What if it took longer than I expected? What if he found out who we were the minute we stepped into Italy?Hell, so many fucking what ifs! I was in danger. This was literally goi
NATASHAThe airplane we were on slowly lowered to the ground. We were clear for landing. I looked at Olivia to find her looking right at me. “Ready?” The minute we stepped on Italian soil, our mission began. Hell, I was sure it began the minute we stepped on the plane anyway. Hell probably knew how many passengers were on the plane, and just how many were after his life. Okay, perhaps that was exaggerating a bit too much, but who could blame me? I wasn't scared. I was just worried that he would get to me first. If he is half as good as the reports I have heard, He had all the resources to fish me out… I didn't. It was like walking around waving a pistol to kill him, and he was in some overhead building, with a sniper, ready to blow my brain out. My brows shot up. Guns! Fuck that was true, Luca had said nothing about guns. We were infiltrating a fucking mafia house. Suspected or not, he didn't think to give us guns? I leaned closer to Olivia.
NATASHA We waited outside for quite a while. Ten minutes? Fifteen? Perhaps half an hour. Either way, I was so close to losing my shit and bailing. It was hard to know whom to trust, even among your people. What if Luca trusted this Luigi ma, but Luigi had sworn fealty to Hell? The man literally lived and worked in the Sole Dorato. If he was caught sniffing around, his life was over. “Quit looking like you swallowed a lemon, Nat,” Olivia grumbled, and I blinked, barely believing what I had just heard. What on earth? Has something happened to stiff and Stoic Natasha? “What? Why are you staring at me like that?” “What did you just call me?” I asked, chuckling when she blushed slightly and diverted her gaze away from mine. “Natasha seems like a handful to call. Nat was short and better,” she said quietly, her voice barely audible. “Isn't that cute?” I teased. If she was drafting up nicknames for me, then it could only mean one thing - the cold Oliv