"Morning." I look up to see Maya, the assistant for the HR department, standing in the doorway of my office.
"Hey Maya, what can I do for you?" I smile.
"I just have a message for you from Moretti Enterprises." She waves the little yellow paper in the air. "They said if you could give them a call, they wanted to talk."
"Oh, okay thanks, I'll call them." I take it from her outstretched hand.
"You're welcome, cute dress by the way." She winks as she walks out making me smile.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Admittedly, my outfit today was so simple but so cute. One of my favorite things about working here was being able to put in effort in cute little outfits instead of wearing a boring suit jacket everyday in a different shade of blue.
I look down at the note as Maya walks away and call the number. I wonder what they want. I do not want to go there and risk running into satans spawn. I haven't seen him since, you know. The reminder of the intense kiss, the burn of his lingering touch is all still present. But the sting of his words is stronger.
That was a mistake.
I roll my eyes. Men are so infuriating.
"Good Morning, this is Ariel Russo from Russo Security HR. I got a message from you." I start the call.
After a 10 minute long conversation, I figure out that they want to comb out some details, figure out what's in their employees best interest and that they would like to do it in person. Which sucks, yes, but I guess it is what I signed up for.
I soon collect my files and my bag, leaving my office to go to Moretti Ent. Thankfully it was only about a 7 minute drive from here. And inspite of my many protests, Uncle Marco and Grandfather had insisted on assigning me a chauffeur and a car.
A brisk drive through Rome, and I was standing under the tall, brooding building. Much likes it's CEO. I snicker at my own joke as the receptionist checks me in and asks me to go up to the 45th floor. Sometimes I wonder how on Earth companies ever fill up that many floors. It's truly bizarre.
GRIFFIN
"Sí." I answer my intercom, sitting in my office at Moretti Ent.
"Mr. Moretti there has been an altercation, our security system has been hijacked, the cyber wall is crashing and the doors and elevators are jammed. No one can get in or out of the building." My main security detail rambles over the line. "Capo, siamo sotto attacco." he says. (Boss we are under attack.)
Mother fuck.
"Is there any infiltrations? Unauthorized persons in my building?" I ask, my voice low but shaking with rage.
"The floors 45 and 46 seem to be completely of our radar, sir. No one is answering their intercoms and the cameras are completely disabled." He says.
"How the fuck did this happen Silva? I thought you were taking care of the fucking issue." I seethe, standing up, pulling out my gun from where it remains tucked into my pants.
"We hadn't finalized and signed the deal with the new security company, their HR rep is here today, finalizing-"
"What the fuck do you mean she's here today?" I growl into receiver. Their HR rep is Ariel. Fuck. "Give me her name." I ask.
"Uh," he pauses, some clicking is heard on the other side. "A Ms. Ariel Russo, she checked in at 11 am, she was sent up to the-" he chokes on his words.
"Which floor Silva?" I ask, my voice so cold my own blood ices over.
"The 45th sir." He says, his voice trembling. Fuck.
"Get me a team of my men. Sweep the open floors, get the employees to security." I stomp out of my office. By my men I mean the Mafia men. The only people I can count on.
My blood rushes into my head, the thought of Ariel in trouble is the most infuriating thing I can think of. I don't fucking know why I care so much, but I fucking do and I'll be damned before I let anything happen to her in lieu of my incompetent security.
I open the stairwell with my company card and walk down the many flights, my gun aimed and ready to shoot anyone in the way.
I reach the 45th floor's door, swipe my card, pushing it but it's locked. These doors are never fucking locked manually. I look around, an idle crowbar in the corner catches my eye. I take it and jam it into the lock, my arms straining before it snaps broken. I throw the tool away, opening the door, stepping onto the floor.
The eerie silence in the air settles in, my gut twisting in warning.
I walk quietly through the empty floor, desks left stranded, not a person in sight. When I finally reach the main hallway, I see the open expanse of the breakroom filled with people, atleast 30 of my employees. I skim over each one and my eyes quickly spot the familiar head of brown hair.
The hair that smells like mama's flowers, and summer rain. Her eyes are wide, but this time not in anger or shock, but something that jabs at my gut, mocking me. Fear. Her storm gray eyes are big with fear, a frown etched on her otherwise soft features.
I follow her line of sight to to see two armed men, rifles aimed, ready to shoot anyone dumb enough to protest.
"Hey! Don't you fucking move, cagna." One of the men shouts and I bring my eyes back to her just in time to see her flinch, as she sits up higher now.
"This woman is in labor! How inhumane do you have to be?!" Ariel shouts, her wavering voice splitting through the silence. I close my eyes.
Fuck, this girl is something else.
"Is she your fucking mother, ragazza? Just keep your mouth shut till we're done." The soon to be dead bastard says, his tone irritated. I get a message that my team is here and are on the way up here. I walk closer, getting behind a wall to get a clear shot at both armed men.
"No, but she's about to be someone's mother. Jackass." She mumbles the last part loud enough that I heard it. My mouth twitches.
"What the fuck did you say?" He seethes, walking closer to her, his thick boot steps onto her dainty hand that's on the floor and Ariel's cry of pain rips through the air. Any traces of my earlier amusement vanish as he puts the gun to her head and jabs as she flinches with a whimper.
In a flash, I shoot both men with three precise shots. Head, chest, groin. The last one is to spite the fuckers. Her piercing scream distincts from the 20 other screams that are heard as I run to her, just as my team bursts in.
"Target is neutralized." I tell them, running into the room as the captives start scrambling to get out. I make it to Ariel, who is still on the floor, staring at the dead body in front of her with wide eyes, her face pale.
