Three

Andrey.

“I was worried about you…”

“That was the fucking reason why you have to send a goddamn patrol to search for me all over town?” Jayden and I were walking towards my suite.

“You weren’t answering your phone,” he says, clearly frustrated.

“I was busy last night.”

When I say that, Jayden sighs and waves it off because he knew what I meant by busy last night. We enter the elevator to the top floor and head toward my room. He pauses when we reach the door and leaned his back on the wall. I’m content that he knows he’s not meant to follow me in unless I ask him to. If someone was in there and were to shoot, it’s better he kills one of us not the two at once. It would be waste and a great loss.

I use my access card to gain entree to my suite. Cautiously walking in, I close the door behind me and make my way to my bedroom. I breathe in deeply and breathe out because I am nervous. My throat is dry all because I am nervous to see a girl. It’s insane that I feel this way about her. I even know why my whole body chose to feel this way towards her. I can’t say that I hate it but I don’t want to look weak or desperate toward her. But I should’ve thought about that before I wrote that cheesy note to her.

I brush it all off because all that feeling would be gone as soon as I lay eyes on her.

I enter the room to find it empty. I try to stay calm as I made my way to the bathroom but nothing. The closet, the kitchen, anywhere a person could possibly hide. Her clothes were gone and the note and card I kept for her were on the floor.

“Fuck,” I cursed as I scatter the whole room. I should’ve locked the door or cancel the meeting. I should’ve woke her up and tell her that I’ll be her husband. I should’ve…

I sigh, massaging my temple. I am over reacting. I shouldn’t have expected her to stay after what happened. She clearly think I’m a jerk to leave her when I should’ve wait until she woke up. I hear the door to my room open and I swiftly turn, thinking it was her. My face falls and she visibly saw the disappointment on my face. She knew I wasn’t happy she was the one but she waves it off and walk further into my room. She looks around the dispersed room and winced. I do this whenever I’m angry and I hate company around me when I’m in that kind of mood. She knows the best thing is to turn and leave but she doesn’t.

“Tammy…” I called out, unenthusiastic. I left the room unlocked yet again. I’ve been careless with my life lately or the hotel room should work on their door access. Either way, that’s my least worry. I have to look for my love. Yes, I declared her that this morning after I found out she was the one I had the most amazing sex with.

She rolled her eyes and walked further into the already messy room. “Where have you been all day? And why did you leave early last night? Something came up?”

I’m not even going to ask her how she knows I’m here because I know Jayden clearly told her. I should be upset about that—he knows how I love my privacy and security. Just because I trust Tammy, it doesn’t mean he should throw my info like a piece of paper.

I unbutton my blazer and collapse on the bed and she joined me, sitting on the edge of the bed as she stared down at my face. She’s smiling at me but I don’t smile back. I sigh, closing my eyes shut and the only thing I can see it that girl.

“F*ck…” I cursed under my breath. This was the second time I was letting her slip off my hands. I could swear Tammy was behind all these ruses but I noticed how dumbfounded she was and I knew she might not know what was going on. I am not going to tell her because she has a thing for me and she amenably finds a way to ruin things for me. I know a lot about her that she has no idea I do. I know what she did to my ex-girlfriend. I know what she’s capable of doing to my future girlfriend, I don’t care about Tammy and her bullshit. She’s my least problems in life but I sure will deal with her when I get my shit together.

“I was… I was tired and sleepy, and I had a meeting this morning,” I explained briefly. I needed to be alone, but I know Tammy would never leave even if I ask her to. She was persistent and conceited.

I ignore her… even when she joined me in bed and hugged my torso. Even when she started kissing my cheek down to my neck. If I don’t stop her now, she’d comfortable get my zipper.

“You’re getting a little too contented, Tammy,” I spoke sternly and she knew it was her cue to stop and let me be.

“You’re no fun! See you in Italy.” She adjusted her short, tight dress and left. I watch as she grabbed her purse and walked out, hitting the door behind her. She’s expecting me to go after her but I’m not about to do that. I don’t see myself doing that. She’s not my girl. She doesn’t have a soft smile or black wavy, silky long hair. She doesn’t have blue eyes that I could see myself drowning in. She doesn’t have a soothing voice that I could turn into my favorite song. She is nothing like her.

I breathe out wearily, unhappy lines etched up deeply on my forehead. It hurts—I could feel the pain in my chest, it was scorching. If I knew she wasn’t going to stay, I wouldn’t have left! I’d rather risk my career and life, and not attend to those meetings than leave her slip out of my sight.

I toss to my right and my eyes caught sight of a shiny golden piece of jewelry. I sat upright to examine it. It was a heart shaped necklace, it must’ve broken off when we were busy last night.

I smile because it had her name on it. “Hazel,” I murmured and it’s the most beautiful word I’ve ever said my entire life. I can’t say I’ve ever been this excited to hear someone’s name like hers.

“Hazel,” I say it again. It sounded so right next to my last name, because she’s going to take it.

**

The next week, I was back in Italy—Hazel and the steaming sex we had were still clinging onto my mind. It seemed like I just was getting more obsessed with her and her body day by day. I’ve put a search on her in Omaha but she’s not where to be found there. It seems like she just disappeared because the hotel told me she left with her suitcase in the afternoon the day I found out we had an accidental one-night stand.

It's funny to think she could hide from me forever. I do what I want and I get what I want. I want her and that’s what I’m going to do. I want her to myself and it’s going to happen even if it was the last thing I do.

I was sitting in my office, in my penthouse, surrounded by my men as I gave them orders.

“I’ve gotten her details from the hotel she stayed in back in Omaha, turns out she lives here in Italy. Your job is to get more information about her, especially her home address, got it?”

They all nodded, responding to my command before they parted ways to do the job the I asked them to.

It didn’t take them long to find Hazel and everything about her. They didn’t leave out anything including her mother’s obsession with gambling and her heavy amount of debt.

I stared at her family photo; my lips curled up in a smile. I can say now I’m relieved to know everything about her—relieved that I am so close to getting what I want. Hazel Emilio Scott.

Her mother’s Italian while her father is American. Her mother’s gambling death caused her to lose her father and she might likely lose hers if her mother doesn’t at least settle those debts.

“Get the cars ready, we’re going somewhere,” I order as I got to my feet to get ready.

I’m not about to waste time or lose her again. I must see her today—tell her what has been bothering me and how I wanted her to myself. How I am going to do everything we’ve done that night again. I just got back from Omaha and I’m expected to lie low for couple of days but I’m not about to do that. I’m not going to miss my chance of having hazel again.

My phone chimed, interrupting my reverie. I smack his lips together as I made his way to my bed from my dresser to pick up.

“Andrey? Where are you?” It was my Mamma, Paula and it sounded like she was crying. It has to be something ruthless and colossal for my mamma to be crying this uproariously. I know her to be a strong woman and a supporting wife. You’d never see her being weak or give up easily on things or anyone. It scares me to death to hear her like this.

“I’m home, Mamma, what happened? Is everything alright?” I ask her as my heart hammer against my ribs. It feels like my heart is building something. Possibly a wall to shield my heart from what my mamma was about to say.

“It’s your Papa… he’s dead. He’s dead!” She burst into new set of tears that made me to crash down to my knees. Everything suddenly became pale and the aroma around me distressed.

His father, Leonardo Sandro; the owner of Sandro casino is dead? The leader of Al-Capone Mafia group has been killed?

I find it hard to believe because I was with him last night and there wasn’t any suspicious activity around him. If someone was bothering him, he would’ve told me. I would’ve given me signs. But he seemed happy and relaxed last night. It’s even as if he doesn’t have any mafia leaders on his throat. As if he doesn’t have numerous crime charges against him.

I was at my family house in less than half an hour. I still have Hazel in my mind, but the chaos that was before me now has suddenly overweighed her thoughts. I have to clear things with my family first before I can think of anything else. My father has just been found dead and I can’t say I’d just ignore that because of her. If she was to hear what happened now, she’d tell me to handle things with my family before I come looking for her.

She could wait a little bit—I am sure of that.

The moment my mamma spotted me, she rushed over to me and hugged me. Her body was shaking so horribly and I feel for her because she loves my father so much. They’re always together. They do everything together and she doesn’t care about the dirty work he does.

“He’s gone, Andrey. Your Papa is gone…” she cried out, sobbing into my chest. I close my eyes and hug her closer, trying to get a hold myself and stay strong for my mamma.

The police force was roving all around the house, looking for evidence as they packed my father’s dead body and left with it for autopsy.

“What happened?” I finally asked after the great disbelief and aggrieve of my father’s sudden demise.

“I have no idea, Andrey. We… we were together in his study and he asked for tea. I went to get it and the next thing I heard was your father screaming for help and that was it. Everything just happened too quickly. Sono rovinato…” she broke down again wholly and I comforted her with a hug. I need one too but my mamma needs it more than I do.

“We found this under one of his books in the study,” one of the police hands me a card. I take it and examine it. I’m not shocked with what I see. It was the first thing that came to my mind when my mamma called me.

There was a symbol on top of it and I would recognize it whatever situation I find myself in. It was his father’s greatest nemesis. He had threatened to kill Leonardo Sandro countless times and take over his companies, casinos and Mafia group.

I wasn’t dazed at all. They took my father’s life and thinks he had gotten away with it. I’m sure he’s working his way to take my father’s properties—I’m not about to sit back and let that happen.

“It’s Aldo, isn’t it?” My mama asked through her tears. I sigh with a nod even though I don’t want to. “And he wants papa’s properties.”

She snapped her head up to look at me. I shake my head and wrap my arm around her. She leans to my hug and I massage her arm.

“It’s not going to be easy to fight this guy but I will never let him take what’s rightfully mine.”