CHAPTER 10 : PROTECTION

Nat's POV

"Hey, Nick," I say into the phone.

"Nat?" he groggily asks.

"Yes, it's me. Did I wake you?"

"Yes, no I mean. Why are you calling this late anyway?"

"I had to ask something," I say hesitantly.

"Go ahead"

"Can we meet tomorrow?"

"Sure. Where?"

"I'll text you the address"

"Is it important?"

"Do you think I would have called you at this hour if it wasn't?"

"True. I'm gonna hang up now"

"Bye," I say before he hangs up.

I let out a sigh of relief.

Step 1 is done.

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I wake up to the annoying sound of my alarm.

Today I have to talk to Nick.

Anything could happen like for instance, I could die.

Will he protect me?

I don't think so.

They are afraid of the Alfonsi clan so they should but taking me in only means threat for them cause I am something that the Alfonsi clan desperately wants.

I should cancel the meeting with him or don't show at all.

But you don't no-show on Nick.

With no more choice left, I get up from my bed and start getting ready.

I have to look presentable because he will take me to where his mother lives to make a final decision.

God, I hate his mother.

I wear a dress which isn't too formal or informal.

I text him the address of the booth where I want to meet him.

I take my purse and stuff some money and a pocket knife inside it.

Just in case.

I take my car keys and my purse.

"Hey, where you going?" Leo asks me as I am sitting in my car.

"Just meeting a friend," I reply.

"Wait, I want to ask you something," he shyly says.

"What happened?"

He runs his hands through his hair and asks me, "Do you want to go for a movie today if you come back early?"

"Sure," I reply with a smile.

"It's a date!" Leo says before I sit in the car and I can't help but blush.

=======

"You're finally here," Nick says as I step inside the cafe.

"Hi," I reply.

"So what did you want to talk about?"

"Um--"

"If it's about us getting back together, then I'm sorry--"

"No, why would you think that?" I ask him.

What's wrong with him?

Getting back together?

Never happening.

"I just thought--. What did you want to talk about then?"

"I'm in danger"

"I know"

"I need protection"

"I know"

"You do? So, could your clan be the one--"

"Wait, what? No, we won't do that," he says and starts laughing.

"Do you think this is funny?" I say and stand up.

"No, I'm sorry," he says and stands up too.

"Let's go to my house," he says and stands up. He holds my arm in his hand and pulls me towards his car.

"I'll go in my car," I say.

"Just follow me then," he says and sits in his car.

I need my own mode of transportation.

Who knows what might happen there?

I follow his car.

His house seems to be far.

I think they got a new one because the earlier house they had was in the opposite direction.

It was where I was kept for days and beaten up and I so don't miss those times.

It takes us half an hour to reach his house.

To call it a house would be an insult.

It's a mansion.

Even bigger than the house I live in.

But the house we have in Italy is huge, like even bigger than Nick's new house.

Nick parks his car and I park mine next to his.

He gets out of the car and waits for me. We go inside together.

The first person I see there is his mother, Marta.

A smile forms on her face as soon as she sees Nick but it quickly disappears when she sees me.

"Voi! What is she doing here?" Marta exclaims in disgust.

"We need to call a meeting," he grimly says.

"Why?" Marta asks him.

"I'll tell you in the meeting. Gather everyone," he says to the servants standing behind Marta and they rush.

"Is it an emergency? People from Italy too?" Marta asks with fright.

"No, no," Nick says and grabs my hand and pulls me towards where he is going.

Probably to that 'meeting room'.

Nick makes me wait outside for a few minutes before he calls me in.

By the time I enter, the room is filled with familiar faces which I'd never liked to see.

"What is all this about? Why is she here?"

Like I wanted to be here.

"So the reason I've called you all here is that she wants protection from the Alfonsi clan," he says and the room is filled with whispers.

"We won't help her! How dare she even come here!" one of them says but Nick glares at him which shuts him up.

"Without further ado, let's vote those in favor say aye," Nick says but they all laugh.

Laugh.

Is this really a funny matter?

My life is at stake here and all they can do is laugh.

I get up from my seat and slam my hands on the table and say, "I'll never forget this."

Then I leave that disgusting place with disgusting people.

"Nat!Nat!" Nick says but I slam the door in his face.

Useless leader.

I run out of that house and get into my car.

If Luca had been here, he wouldn't have let them laugh.

I would've gotten the protection I wanted and all those people would respect me.

But he's dead.

The drive back home is long and when I switch on my phone I see five missed calls and three texts from Leo.

I forgot we had a date.

Shit.

I call him but he doesn't pick up.

When I reach home, I see him in his lawn with a frown set over his handsome face.

"I'm sorry I couldn't come--" I start to say but he raises a hand and tells me to stop.

"Do you still want to go?" Leo asks me.

"What?"

"Do you still want to go?" he repeats.

"I don't know. I had a really bad day today."

I should maintain my distance from Leo.

He's the leader of the clan I need protection from.

"We're going," he says and grabs my hand.

"No," I say and pull my hand away from his.

No matter how sweet he is, he's still an Alfonsi.

But he doesn't let go and his grip tightness on my hand. He looks me in the eye and says, "We're going."