The Suspicion (pt. 1)

We had finished our desserts and were currently waiting for the owner of the restaurant to show up because Marco had requested for the owner of the restaurant to show up. I think… I hadn't been paying attention. My eyes were stuck on a painting hung on the far back wall of the restaurant. It was a huge painting and something about it was dark and sinister, but overall seeing it gave me déjà vu.

There was something I knew about that painting that wasn't coming to mind right now, and it was pissing me off that I couldn't remember what it was. If it was important, I needed to remember the details. From afar, the brushstrokes of the painting seemed so garish and grotesque, which was fitting considering the painting was of a naked couple with their skin pooled around their feet. Moreover, it seemed like the type of painting I'd find at abuela Montenegro's house. Maybe that's why it was giving me déjà vu?

"Come on," Marco grabbed my hand to pull me along as he stood up. I hadn't even noticed when everyone except me left the table. Why was I so out of it lately?

"Where are we going?" It wasn't hard to keep up with him, but his grip on my hand was making me sweat. It reminded me of the grip he had on my neck during the first week. What was wrong with me? "Ooo wait, don't tell me… it's payday isn't it?"

"Yep," he continued to grab my hand even as we went through the back of the restaurant and up some stairs. Even after we'd walked through the maze of halls on the second floor, he continued to hold my hand. It wasn't until we were in an office with the two backseat guards behind me that he let go. He really thought I was going to run away from him? He was probably faster than me, I wouldn't risk it like that.

Behind the desk there was a woman dressed head to toe in Alexander McQueen and garish purple lipstick, but the only thing that stood out was her Christian Louboutin nail polish. I'd recognise that red shade anywhere. "Signore DiBiancci, what are you doing here?"

"Hello, Lina," Marco grinned at her with his hands in his pockets and looked around the office. "Love what you're doing with the place."

"What are you doing here?" She asked again before looking me up and down. I smiled and wiggled my fingers at her, noting how her eyes came to stare at the exposed area of my chest and stomach. Along the way up the stairs, I started to feel hot again so the buttons of my jacket came undone and it was currently sitting halfway open. It wasn't the first time I'd dared to venture into the world with only a jacket and no top, so it wasn't so hard to keep the sides where they needed to be.

"Where's your husband, Lina?" Marco wandered closer to the desk and casually leaned on it. From my angle, it looked like he was leaning down to match her eye level. "I have something to speak to him about."

"H-he's not here. He left about an hour ago," she avoided his eyes by typing on her computer and turning the monitor to him. On the screen was the video of a man walking out of the restaurant and getting into a Porsche before taking off. God, even the car was gaudy. For such a classy place, these people sure sucked at personal style.

"Where'd he go?" Marco was still smiling—from what I could tell— but something about his aura shifted to exude a suffocating darkness. On instinct, my heartbeat sped up and I watched, frozen in place as he continued to lean over her. "I would thank you to be honest, okay? This has nothing to do with you."

"I don't know, he only said he had to do some shopping. What's this about? I thought we'd already paid you?" She reached for the desk drawers but considering that Marco pulled his gun on her immediately, she didn't get very far. "Signore DiBiancci, please… I'm pregnant."

"Oh don't worry, this isn't for you," Marco smiled kindly and dangled the gun on his pointer finger. "Actually it is, but since you say you're pregnant, I can't really use it, right?" He clicked his tongue and shook his head. "You know where your husband is."

"I promise I don't know! He hasn't been telling me anything for months! I thought we'd already paid you, I swear! We even have transcripts of all our payments to you, please allow me to show you!" The woman, Lina, clasped her hands together in a pleading stance and her eyes welled with tears when Marco cocked his gun and pointed it back at her. Honestly, what kind of shit show was this?

"Oh come on, at least allow her to show you," I stuck my hands in my pockets and leaned against the guard on my left. Marco turned to look at me with an exasperated expression in his eyes, almost like he didn't know what else to do with me. "Sorry, I won't provide my input anymore," I made a zipping motion over my lips and watched as he turned back around to face her. "But you really should let her show you, at least. Gather all the facts and all that."

"Fine," he lowered the gun and waved a hand. "Show me."