《The Thorned Rose》19
Advertisement
I got a flight the next day, and took a taxi from the airport to a car dealership; I wanted my own car. I settled on a jaguar F-pace in the colour Fuji White. I drove it straight to the main shopping part of Rome and parked it on the side of the road. I needed some damn retail therapy, and considering everything I bought that time before I got kidnapped got 'lost' (according to the hotel – bullshit), I needed more stuff. I bought bags, coats, dresses, tops, and literally every item of clothing ever. I bought a stunning new vase for my room, and some beautiful sunflowers to put in it. I also got an air freshener for my car in 'Lime Splish'.
"Hey," said a young-looking man, my guess is about twenty, "my name is Diego." I shook his outstretched hand.
"Hi, Anastasia," I said, as if I was going to use my real name.
"Are you hungry? Do you want to go get some lunch?"
"Yeah I'll probably go in a bit."
"I meant with me," he smiled. Fuck. I've always been awful at seeing other people flirting with me, but how did I miss that one?! I had no idea what to do, I was completely caught off guard.
"Why?" I said. Why did I say why?
He laughed, "I don't know, you attracted my attention from the other side of the shop, and now, speaking to you, you seem nice. I guess... I'm shooting my shot."
"You want to shoot me? What?"
He laughed harder, "it means, like, letting go of my pride, and asking someone I'm interested in to lunch."
"Ah," I nodded, "okay, sounds nice." I was pretty hungry to be honest.
We ate in a cute little pizzeria place in the centre, and chatted. He told me his father was a big investment banker, and he was set to take over the business. When he asked me about what I did, I told him I was a contractor, that was simple enough, because I am a contractor, just by assassinating people, not... fitting their kitchens, although I did have to say it was in construction when he pushed further.
Advertisement
"I've got to go home now," I said after his advances made me feel a little weird.
"Are you sure? We could go shopping some more, have dinner this evening?" he pleaded. Just go away!
"I have a lot of work I need to do, I'll see you around maybe," I turned to leave and he grabbed my hand.
"Can I at least have your number?" he asked. No, I don't give my number to anyone because they could track me down in some way, and I didn't know who this man was.
"No, give me yours and I might call," I replied. He looked somewhat disappointed, but better he has a couple hints now then creating this lunch into some huge thing, and think we would go on more dates, and
hold hands, like no. No. Thank. You. I said bye as I left, got in my car and finally headed back to the Russo's house.
As the guards on the door didn't recognise my new car, I had to pull up to the little box that has a man in who could control the gates and once he saw my face, he opened the gates. I drove down the long driveway and parked on the gravel just outside the house, grabbing my shopping from the boot and heading straight upstairs. I didn't see a single person in the house, or a single maid or butler or anything, which I thought was odd, they must be out or something. I began to unpack all my shit into my wardrobe, and put the vase filled with sunflowers on the mantlepiece of my fireplace. It really suited the room.
Eventually, very late that evening, the boys returned back to the house smelling of alcohol and cigars. The girls were on a Spa holiday and would be back the next day. Fabricio completely ignored me, but Mateo and Romeo gave me a huge hug, one holding each side of me, wrapping their muscular arms around me. Dimitri gave me a smile and put his hands on my shoulders to kiss me on the cheek, and Rico still wasn't awfully happy about me being there, but still gave me a slight smile and outstretched his hand for me to shake it, pulling me into a hug as soon as I grabbed his hand. All Fabricio did was roll his eyes, go over to the alcohol cupboard and bring out another bottle of liquor, all of the boys cheered, and I went back upstairs.
Advertisement
The next day Donna and Loretta came home, and Donna gave me a huge hug, apologising for the manner in which Fabricio spoke to me and treated me, and that although the lunch would've been nice, we would have another soon, and understood that plans change all the time. Loretta also gave me a hug. I swear, this family has given me more hugs in this short time I have known them, than I have been hugged ever before in my damn life!
Fabricio basically ignored me for the whole week, but after the first day, I didn't notice, I had other shit to do and it didn't really concern me, whatever feelings he had towards me, he could deal with them and be professional, or be a child and ignore me, and if he chose the latter, it wasn't up to me to talk to him and break the ice that he set.
After about a week since I arrived back, Dimitri burst into my room and tried to grab me by the wrist, which I dodged and grabbed his wrist instead, holding his hand away from me.
"Sav, you are so late for the meeting! Follow me!" he commanded.
"How am I late for a meeting I was never told about!" I complained, but followed.
"I swear... the damn twins!"
I followed Dimitri to the basement, and then along the corridor, where he flicked open a fake brick to reveal a button, and a door that blended perfectly into the brick wall opened, revealing another lift. We went down another floor and I continued to follow Dimitri down a corridor, and into a big board meeting room. Fabricio sat at the head, with Dimitri on one side and Dino on the other, and the rest of his capos sat next to them. Mateo and Romeo were next to them, and opposite the twins was Loretta and Donna. Taking up the other thirty seats around the table were a sea of faces I had never seen before, and there were more people standing around the table, maybe twenty? When I came in, a woman with bright red hair in a single plait that was pulled round to the front was speaking, something about security or some shit. Dimitri led me to the side of the room where there was a spare chair, indicated for me to sit, before going back to his seat on the right-hand side of Fabricio. Initially, I didn't have a clue why I was there, and it was so ridiculously boring. They were talking about different clubs, restaurants, hotels, various things that needed doing, then they spoke about drugs, smuggling, weapons, selling drugs and weapons, which moved onto Aleksander and his alliance with us. Finally, I was involved. I genuinely could've sat in my room for an hour more before coming down, as nothing until the point my name was said was relevant to me.
"I would like everyone to meet Sav," Fabricio indicated for me to stand up, so I did, but I had no idea why, "this is our new head of cybersecurity. She will be coming up with a way for us to all be safe from any cyberattack by Domenico, so at some point will need all of your phones. She will be working alongside my head of security, and a capo of mine, Lazarro. I would also like you to work with the head of all drug smuggling business especially, I want that to be watertight," Fabricio indicated for a man on the table to stand up, "this is Diego."
Fuck. Off. Diego. Fucking Diego. As in, the Diego I had lunch with a week ago. As in, the Diego who gave me his number to call him. As in the Diego whose number I had and never called. As in the Diego I now had to work alongside, who was probably pissed at me.
"We've met," Diego stated, looking at me, but I couldn't tell what he was thinking by his eyes or his face, he must be very good at poker.
Advertisement
- In Serial49 Chapters
The Stolen Shield
Raine just wanted some money. All he needed was enough to get his business rolling. But when he agreed to take a much-needed job from his college friend Levin, he hadn’t expected to get stabbed, shot, and chased at midnight in L.A. with a drunk girl in the back seat of his car. And he hadn’t planned on joining a strange organization based in another world, thanks to which he flies off to a private island to suffer weeks of grueling training and endure intensive foreign language study the likes of which he hasn’t experienced since high school. His friends sold the other world to him as a land of hope and second chances, a simple but beautiful place where he could put his many failings behind him and get a new start. Ignorant, trusting, and naive, he believed them. But they lied. Please note that the story has a slow start (practically all of my readers say this).
8 166 - In Serial7 Chapters
Sent Adrift
He was a normal man living a normal life. A bright future ahead with a promise of happiness and fulfillment few are lucky enough to receive. That all changed one cold winter night. Now, forced from the world he knew and the woman he loved, he must battle against forces he never knew existed. Reality itself is not what it once was. Will he be able to survive this new brutal playing field he's found himself in filled with suffering, mystery, magic, and more? Or can he do more than survive, and take a hold of his fate with an iron grip, while creating his own path that may or may not lead home. Only time will tell. "HAL 2011 iPhone Background" by Patrick Hoesly is marked with CC BY 2.0.
8 145 - In Serial8 Chapters
Rewound and Rewritten
How many times have you wished you'd done things differently? Made better choices, put in more effort or worked towards a different goal altogether? But unfortunately, you know life doesn't work that way, thus you have to treat and treasure every moment as if it were your last, lest you leave behind any regrets. But if you were truly given a second chance, if time was actually rewound... would you really act upon those goals?? Potentially rewriting your fate, and that of those around you?? This is one my first stories, so kindly excuse my grammar. I don't own the cover pic, so if the owner has an issue then please PM me, I'll take it down...
8 124 - In Serial40 Chapters
Fate Of The Swordsmen
Anarion Ragnor struggles to move ahead in a world that is on the brink of collapse. Demons, Gods, Undead, Cursed Beings and more are all fighting for control of Terath. Anarion a student on his way to graduation from the Swordsmen Academy struggles to cope with his issues of abandonment while those around him are trying to breach through the emotional mask he wears to protect himself from becoming attached to the people around him. Anarion is forced to live in the Shadow of his older brother who has fastly become one of the most renown Swordsmen alive. Dealing with his insurecity, ineptitude and inner fears. Anarion must face the world and himself. Swordsmen are ancient Warriors who wield legendary blades that can become so powerful they could shatter reality. They also know a unique magic called Elestran.
8 75 - In Serial27 Chapters
The Tree-Man and His Wife
When Ron finds a woman attempting to steal a special flower from his forest in the middle of the ocean, he punishes her by giving her the flower and a year to come back and serve him for two years straight. When she doesn't return in the allotted time span, he doubles that period of time for her to work for him. Emily does as her guild instructs her to do and follows through with her punishment. Fear grips her as she grows to love the village Ron had created, for a great evil is after the power she contains and puts the island at risk. This is the story of two polar opposites who find that love can be exciting, as well as deadly.
8 223 - In Serial31 Chapters
Give me your full attention~! (IN PROGRESS)
Donatello constantly pays attention to new things, plans, creative inventions, but when will he pay attention to an orange, attention-seeking turtle? **★**Mikey will do just about anything for Donnie's attention. Just how far will Mikey go until Donnie realizes his love for the little brat? ✧・゚: *✧・゚:*WARNING: Yaoi... Sex scenes... Cussing... ♡You have been warned...
8 195

