First Impressions in Rome
Rome, Italy.
Alliana's pov:
The flight to Italy was exhausting, and Souline and I barely slept. We left around midnight and arrived at 8 a.m., which wasn't too bad, but we were both drained. The plan was to check into a hotel, grab a bite to eat, and then meet up with Kai and Carlos. We're already settled into the hotel, so the next step is to rest. We're aiming to leave for lunch around 2:00 p.m. and meet Kai and Carlos around 4:00 p.m.
I'm eager to meet them and get the meeting over with.
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Rome, Italy.
Carlos's pov:
I woke up a little earlier than usual to handle a few errands. First, I had to wake Kai so he could start preparing for Alliana's arrival later. We hadn't finalized where or when we'd meet yet, so I told him to call Souline to sort out the time and location. Once my errands were done, I'd change, grab a meal with Kai, and wait for them to arrive, wherever or whenever Souline and Kai had settled on.
I'm really hoping Alliana can help with this disreputable case; it's been weighing on me, and the stress is becoming unbearable. Sure, I could have hired any lawyer in Rome, but Alliana keeps getting recommended by everyone I speak to. But the thing is, I don't even know what she looks like or how old she is. Is she a senior citizen? The elderly are known for their wisdom and caution, so maybe she's the one I need. What else can I do at this point? I have no other choice.
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Rome, Italy.
Souline's pov:
I woke up and glanced at the alarm clock on the hotel's frame; it was 11:00 a.m. The flight from Ontario to Rome had drained me, and my body ached from being cramped in that seat for so long. To make things worse, Alliana and I hadn't eaten a thing since we boarded. The plane food was barely edible, like something you'd serve to prisoners.
We'd planned to go eat around 2:00 p.m., thinking it was a decent time to get some food before meeting up with Kai and Carlos. But first, I needed to call Kai and let him know we'd made it to Rome, plus discuss where we should meet. I sat up on the bed, stretching like I hadn't stretched in years. My back cracked with the effort, and I sighed in relief. Time to get moving.
I grabbed the phone from the pillow beside me and dialed Kai's number, trying to stifle a yawn so I wouldn't embarrass myself on the call. "Hello?" Kai answered. "Hey, Kai, it's Souline," I said. "How's it going?" he asked. "I'm fine. What about you?" I replied. "Pretty good, just wrapping up some files here," Kai explained.
"Sounds exhausting," I said sarcastically. "You have no idea," Kai said. "Of course I do; I'm Alliana's assistant after all," I joked. "Right, I forgot," Kai said. "Anyway, I'm calling to let you know that Alliana and I are in Rome, and we'd like to meet at 4:00 p.m." I said. "How was the flight?" Kai asked. "It was awful. We barely slept, and the food was terrible, so we didn't even bother eating," I said.
"That's tragic," Kai said, sounding amused. "As if you didn't know how a plane functions," I said sarcastically. "You're right, I don't fly on public planes; I fly on private jets," Kai said, his tone smug. I rolled my eyes. "Do you consider yourself a billionaire?" I asked. "No, my brother's the mafia," Kai explained.
My face instantly turned bright red. "Mafia, you say?" I asked, my voice faltering. "You seemed terrified," Kai observed. "Not really, but some mafias are a little... unsettling," I said. "Oh, I'm sorry," Kai said. "But Carlos isn't the type of mafia guy who kills people unless he absolutely has to."
"Oh, right," I said, still processing everything. "Besides, we're well-liked here in Rome; I'm sure you'll hear people mention us when you go out to eat," Kai said, sounding smug again. "So egocentric," I said. "Nope, just telling you so you'd believe me," Kai said nonchalantly. "Look at us talking about this when we're supposed to be discussing where to meet," I pointed out, trying to refocus the conversation.
"That's simple; why not at our place?" Kai asked. "Uh, your house?" I asked. "Mansion," Kai corrected. "All right, Mr. Show Off," I teased. "Not at all," Kai said with a chuckle. "Yes, you could have just said yes instead of throwing in the mansion," I said. "What kind of mafia family do you think we are?" Kai asked. "The self-centereds," I chuckled before hanging up the phone.
I quickly texted him for the address since I had forgotten to ask earlier. Teasing Kai was both fun and a bit terrifying, considering I didn't want to find out the hard way what happens when you cross the wrong person. A few minutes later, he sent me the address.
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Rome, Italy.
Kai's pov:
I just got off the phone with Souline. Despite her sass, she seems like she'd be a lot of fun to hang out with. We share a few similarities, like being assistants and working a lot, which has its perks. We both make money and get the recognition that comes with it. But honestly, I can't wait to meet her. The idea of seeing her in person, though I have no clue what she looks like, is kind of unsettling. I just hope she's not an elderly lady.
BANG!
A loud crash interrupted my thoughts. I turned around to see Carlos throwing things around again. Great, here we go.
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Rome, Italy.
Carlos's pov:
After I returned from my errands, the feds showed up at the bank and found me. I have no idea where they came from or how they tracked me down. The last time I saw them, they gave me a warning before I went on probation for my first arrest. I thought I'd never see them again, but after learning about my recent legal case, they seemed determined to find me. Kai had installed something that kept them from locating us, but somehow, they hacked into it and found our location.
They warned me that I could face serious consequences for my past actions. The case they were referencing was the second one. Apparently, the family of the man who murdered my parents had somehow figured out who I was, despite my efforts to remain anonymous. Being well-known in Rome was probably how the feds tracked me down to the mansion.
Fuck. I could have been used fifty times by each family member, and none of the feds would have found me. The clock is ticking away, and I need this woman to help me with my legal matters; otherwise, I'll be fucked.
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Rome, Italy.
Alliana's pov:
I awoke and stretched, checking the time to find it was already noon. No eyebags in sight, so I must've slept like an angel. For a moment, I thought about canceling the meeting and just exploring Rome. The view from the air was breathtaking; everything about the city was beautiful. But today was the day we were scheduled to meet Kai and Carlos.
I'm not entirely sure what the plan is, but I'm hoping Souline got the message across that we're in Rome and will meet them at four o'clock. I headed to the bathroom, brushing my teeth while showering. Being new to the place, I didn't fully trust the hotel's offerings, so I used my own soap and body wash.
It's not meant to be taken out of context; it's just a little habit of mine when I'm in unfamiliar places. After showering, I changed into something more presentable. Before leaving the room, I sprayed on some perfume, slipped on some jewelry, fixed my hair, and grabbed my purse. Souline's room was across the hall, which was a relief. I knocked on her door and waited. It took about five minutes before she finally answered.
"Sorry! I was changing," Souline said as she let me into her room. "No, it's fine," I said, looking around at her space, which was identical to mine in size and furniture. I sat on her bed while she finished getting ready. "Just to let you know, I called Kai earlier and told him we were in Rome. He invited us to his home—well, mansion," Souline explained.
"Mansion?" I asked, raising an eyebrow in surprise. "Apparently, Carlos is mafia," she said with a shrug. "Interesting," I said, processing the new information. "Well, I'm starving, so let's go eat," I said. "Yeah," she replied, grabbing her things. "We go straight to their place after we eat?" Souline asked. "Of course," I answered.