Chapter 3: Thank you but, no thanks!

"Why is your watch glowing red?" Her sudden question and her concerned look took me back to our reality. 

'Fuck, they are here!' 

Luckily, even if I was impaled I was calm and prepared, I had been in this situation for a thousand times. I was continuously attacked when I was abroad and when I became the head of the family a lot of unsatisfied members would take any chance they got to kill me. 

Antonio was the first one to get close to that bill and Ivanov, that old prick! I had Richard installed protective measures for the past week and to get to me would be a very bad idea or desperation had just killed them. 

"Grab the gun underneath your coffee table and wear this." 

I threw my bulletproof vest to Isabelle and just like any normal woman's reaction - NOISE.

"Berate me all you want after we survive this," 

"Where did you get these guns?!"

"My secretary had them hidden."

"Your what?!" 

Unable to register all information at once, she was left confused as she tried to put on the vest, 

"Fuck! You'll get us killed with that speed, just put that on, and let's plan for an escape. Your apartment is too vulnerable for any attack."

"If I get killed I'll surely go back as a ghost and annoy the shit out of you."

Her comebacks were way too funny to focus on the ongoing crisis we had to face. Isabelle, just as my cousin used to say "a breath of fresh air" her hazel eyes were too prominent not to look at. 

"Your eyes, they are pretty."

"Yes, mafioso, I have unique hazel eyes, who cares? No one! Now, let's escape I still have to work tomorrow."

I let out a hearty laugh, "You're seriously thinking of going to work after tonight?"

"If we survive, I have to work. Life goes on."

"Fine, if we survive tonight, I'll grant you 3 favors. No more no less."

She rolled her eyes as she led us both to the fire exit. Richard had studied the possible choices if all security measures were breached, it was all in my head but seeing her leading us to safety I felt no urgency in telling her what to do next. 

"Are you sure this is the right way?"

"We just need to hide from your enemies, so I think it's better to hide where the authority is. Right now, if your cousin found us in my apartment Marcus is our only choice."

"Woman, are you out of your goddamn mind?! Marcus hates me,"

"Makes us two, now faster."

I stopped walking in the back alley when my watch had turned green, probably Richard had taken care of the intruders after all. He was quick. 

"Look, I know you two are not on the same page, but he's the only choice we have now. Remember that the safest place is the most dangerous one?"

"Where did you learn that? That's full of bullshit."

We took another left from the alley and finally arrived at a rundown apartment, with one working light bulb outside the door. 

"Marcus purchased this apartelle last year, he had been too busy for the renovation."

"More like a demolition job, you say."

Isabelle's habit of rolling her eyes whenever she was pissed had been part of my experience outside the mafia world. Her sarcasm and quick wit were refreshing but what was the best part about her, Isabelle was kind and benevolent like my mother. 

I admit it, I lied when I said I never saw my mom's different side. I grew up in a family full of danger, conspiracy, and cruelty but I had always seen my mom's benevolent side, and when she died from the assassination she protected me to the very last breath of hers. 

***

"What the fuck are you doing with that killer?!" Lt. Rodriguez was shouting as Isabelle was standing in his so-called living room 

"Are you out of your mind?!"

"That man is dead! Haven't you seen the news? His crazy cousin is doing everything just to kill him! Isabelle, I thought you changed!"

"Look, we just—"

"No, I am not going to clean up your mess like the last time. For once in your goddamn life, be selfish!"

"ENOUGH!" Isabelle shouted. "If you don't want to help you can say so. It was a wrong choice to come here tonight. Protect your ego, Lt. Rodriguez."

With her hazel eyes turning red and tears forming on the side of her eyes, she pushed Marcus' shoulder, walked towards me, and grabbed my uninjured right hand. She dragged me out of the apartment building and walked around the alley without any destination. 

"Hey,"

"Hey," she weakly replied as she continued to fidget with her fingers and noticed she was wearing thin clothes. 

"Should we call Emily?"

"No, she's working right now and I don't want to ruin everything —-"

"Excuse me…" 

I did not hesitate or wait for her to respond, my initial response to a situation like this was to escape and let the person deal with their emotions once they calmed down they could try to look for me and we could have a mature talk. But, there was something different from Isabelle, something I was scared to discover …

"You can cry all you want, no one is going to see you."

I hugged her.

I hugged someone aside from my mom and cousin. This sudden change in my behavior was baffling, I was a person without emotion - if not without I could control my emotions but whenever I was with her, my defenses, my principles, and even my code were gone. 

I gently patted her hair and coaxed her to calm down, I never knew I was capable of doing this. I allowed someone new and unfamiliar to be so close to me. 

***

"That was ugly. Do you want ice cream?" She asked after letting out a sigh of relief. "Then I'll take your silence as yes."

She was walking towards the convenience store when Richard arrived with a few bodyguards, 

"Sorry for the delay, sir."

"Mmm" 

Isabelle went out with a bag of ice cream when she noticed Richard beside me, briefing me on the situation, 

"So, you must be the boyfriend—-" she handed her soft hands for a handshake when Richard took steps backward and covered her shivering body with his coat, 

"Ice cream?" Isabelle happily offered as she opened mine and handed it to me. 

"Continue,"

"The police are now in Ms. Harper's place for a routine check, once they are done our team will sweep the place and check if there are any signs of intrusion. The men outside triggered the alarm when Antonio's hackers were closing into your location, sir."

Isabelle leaned next to the pseudo wall next to the trash bin and realized she was not used to my world, Richard was used to brief me whenever and wherever. 

"Is my place ready?" 

"Yes, sir."

"Hey, nightingale!" 

"Are you done?"

"We're leaving. This is too open for Antonio's minions."

***

Going back to the old apartment my mom used to live in was a surprise, when she was stuck with work or just wanted time for themselves they would usually use this condominium my father bought her. 

"Nice place." 

"It was my mom's."

"You can use the guest bedroom down the left, there's a bathroom inside and some clothes if you need thicker ones."

"Excuse me?"

"Oh, Richard prepared all the things for you too, in case of any emergency."

"Wow, crime boss, you never fail to amaze me."

"Ms. Harper, your uniform is also inside the room, if you need anything else let me know."

"I have to say, mafiaso, you have a capable boyfriend."

She gave me a playful thumbs-up when a woosh of knife swiftly past her, missing an inch away from her left ear and causing a sudden burst of reaction from everyone; 

"I, Richard Allen, am the special secretary of Dominic Rossi and never his boyfriend. My sexuality and his are not tabloid worthy and if I hear another joke about it will die instantly." 

"Well, stoicism has its end too." I playfully remarked as Isabelle tried her hardest to walk straight to her room.

When her doors were finally closed, I grabbed my gun and pointed it at Richard's head, 

"Do another stunt like that to Isabelle and you'll see where your life ends." 

"Understood, young master."

- - - 

"They are more aggressive in hacking into our system but they don't know me." 

[Should we set up another team to locate them?]

"I've located them, it's fun to beat them in their own game, isn't it?"

[...]

"Speak, don't hold back."

[Sir, pardon me, but I think you change.]

Right, if this was the old me I would have them killed last week and handled Antonio brutally, but what made me change? 

"Locate them all, check if there's anything we can hand over to the police department, and kill all unnecessary rats."

[Yes, sir.]

Knock, knock, knock…

"Come in," 

Isabelle leaned against the door frame and looked at me like some kind of pity case, she took steps forward before sitting on the ottoman in the room, 

"So you were alright all this time? When did you fully recover?"

"I never said I was 100% fine, look," I showed her my bandage in crimson red color. 

"Fuck, I'll go get the first aid kit." 

Isabelle changed the dressing of my wound and checked it for any infection. Since we stayed in my mother's old condominium I had been paying less attention to my wound,

"Is there any update on when can I go back to my apartment?"

"It's not safe yet,"

"I need to go back to my own life, Dom."

"Am I not treating you alright?"

"Alright? Are you nuts?!" She placed her palms on her forehead as she started to berate me. 

"Look, I don't need your protection, I don't need your men in the hospital guarding me like some kind of mafia princess! They check every single thing in my life and even disturb patients. The hospital has looked the other way because it's your people, but what about my co-workers? I have been tagged as a mafia mistress!" 

"Aren't you?"

"What?!"

"Look, I saved you that day because it is my duty, I don't need your money or influence or you disturbing my peaceful life. So, please let me go."

"Choose one, I'll kill all your co-workers or buy the hospital?"

"Can't you understand English? Is my English different from your English? Am I Greek to you?" 

Her irritated face and piercing hazel eyes were a sight to behold, she became even more attractive whenever she was mad. Right now, this was the Isabelle I wanted to keep in my memory for the longest time. 

"What do you want me to do then?"

"Leave me out of your war and give me back my old life."

"I can do that." and when she heard those words escape from my lips her irritated look softened, "But I am not interested in doing so."

"What do you mean?"

"Right now, things are going to get complicated, until I flush out all threats I need you to stick with me."

She sat back and finally, my words made sense to her. Antonio sent people to track down Richard's movement for the past weeks and finally had an opening and attacked us in the middle of the night. If not for the people I planted in the streets Antonio would have found Isabelle and it would be easier to trap me. 

[We found his team, sir.] Richard calmly uttered,

"Deal with them."

[Someone wants to speak with you, should I arrange a meetup?]

"Send me the address. Also, I need Raphael here with Isabelle." 

I drove outside the city and found an abandoned building, it was one of the abandoned properties of the Rossi Family, it was a perfect location to bury our skeletons. This place had been in the family for three generations and as the head of the family, I had a lot of experiences in this property. 

Bloody ones, [if you are interested to know those, continue reading]

"Speak." 

"Dominic fucking Rossi, you're alive?! Antonio's aneurysm will burst the moment he sees you alive and breathing."

"Is he going to talk or let's just blow his head off?"

"Wai-wait, I have something you'll be interested in."

"Amaze me,"

"His finances–"

"He's on the red and most of his income is coming from the druglords my grandfather removed in the city."

"His father—"

"His father's death was suicide and not the boring lies he told my father and grandfather when he first came to the family."

"His team—"

"His team is created to execute me anytime they have the chance, he employed criminals."

"Wrong."

"What do you mean?"

"Your infamous cousin employed an elite team of mercenaries to kill not only you but also your father and grandfather."

Suddenly the wind changed, the murderous intent began to mix with the dry air of March, and a burst of loud laughter was heard, 

"Did I catch your attention?"

"Do you want to live?"

"Mmm, it depends. What's on the line?" 

"Your head and your family."

There was a long silence before he responded, "It's my pleasure working with you, young master." 

The young hacker stood from his bounds and bowed.