Marco
After the call had ended, it was so hard for me to concentrate on what everyone was talking about. If I could, I would go straight to her place, make sure she was safe and try to explain. What was there to explain? She was right about everything she accused me of. I led her on,letting her believe that something would happen between the two of us, when I was not ready at all. I want her so much but I have to be the one to protect her, to keep her out of this mess.
I really can't understand how things got so out of hand. Not only did the Irish retaliate O'Bryan's death but they had approached other smaller Italian families talking them into an alliance against my organization. War was about to break out and I was in the middle of the greatest crisis my family had ever witnessed. Trying to reassure everyone that things were under control was useless at the time.
Our alliances were fragile; my authority was questioned every day as blood was spilled on the streets of New York and every other city under our command. I had to take action, make some tough choices and keep my family united.
Tonight was meant to be the night my plan was set to motion and my mind was anywhere but here. Men were talking, but I couldn't hear a thing. In the basement of one of our casinos, protected from curious eyes and ears, every trusted member was present to offer their help and opinion. Fortunately, none of my men turned their backs on me, no matter how alluring the Irish proposition was. I was grateful for their loyalty and I was ready to return that trust.
Trying to end it as quickly as possible, I kept checking my watch. I told her it would take me two hours tops. Would she be awake waiting for me? Would she be sober? How would she react seeing me again? A light smile appeared on my lips thinking about her. My brother noticed and whispered in my ear to get my shit together and act as a real Don. I hated it when he was right. This was not a time for me to smile or be happy.
Three hours later and after everything was settled, everyone had their orders and I was finally free to go see her. I could no longer drive around by myself. It was too dangerous. We had no idea who might be watching me. I picked Luca as my driver. He is about my age and we always got on well.
Arriving at her place, I let Luca know that I would call him to pick me up when I would be ready and spotted the man in charge of watching Rose, in the park opposite her house. I gestured for him to come closer.
"Did she leave her apartment? Did anyone visit her?" I asked keeping my voice low. He informed me that he had only been here for an hour but the man who he was supposed to replace left earlier than he should. So he had no answer to either question I was asking him. Dario, the soldier who was supposed to be here until midnight, never picked up his phone. That was strange. Something was wrong, but I needed to see her first and then I would deal with anything else.
Waiting for the elevator to come, I remembered how scared she was when we entered it two days ago. What else was she scared of? Was she ever going to tell me what happened to her three years ago? I might have read her files, but I wanted her to trust me, to share her deepest secrets and fears with me.
Standing outside her door, I took a deep breath and practiced a speech. After knocking a few times I started to get worried. Could she have gone to sleep? It was late but she said she would wait. I tried to call her but it went straight to voicemail. As I was ready to leave, the next door neighbor appeared and informed me that Rose was not at home.
I guess every building has at least one tenant that doesn't mind their own business but I appreciated the lady's indiscretion. She saw Rose leaving with a small suitcase in hand. She seemed to be in a hurry and took a taxi that had already been waiting in front of the building. Thanking her for all the information, I made a mental note to warn Rose about her nosy neighbor and the nonexistent security of her building.
I lost count of the times I called or texted her. I had to find her. I had no idea if she was a target, if Dario's disappearance from his post had anything to do with her leaving. The worst images invaded my thoughts and before I knew it, I was standing outside Jay's place. Maybe he knew something more.
After reaching a dead end and before I alerted my contacts in the police to spread the word around, she texted Jay back saying that she was going to call him later. No hint of her whereabouts. I felt my heart returning to its place and for the first time in my life I experienced what the fear of losing someone you care about felt like. An awful feeling indeed.
I didn't stop calling or texting her throughout the following day. She would have to pick up eventually. Between trying to reach her, running the business and keeping the organization in line, I felt exhausted. These must have been the hardest twenty-four hours of my life. How did I end up like this?
When I saw her name flashing on my screen, I almost dropped my phone. After the quick exchange we had, she hang up and never returned any of my calls or texts. No one had ever hang up on me or dared to ignore me. I was furious and ready to make some very stupid choices. Closing my eyes, I tried to calm my nerves and think clearly. Setting priorities was the best course of action for the time being.
I knew she was safe. That was my top priority. I called Jay and asked him to find out where she had gone. He was about to give me a lecture on leaving her alone and all the reasons why I shouldn't be with her, but I wasn't having it. I needed to see her, just one last time.
When he called me later that day informing me that she was in Boston, back at her parents' house, I felt so relieved. I called my people in Boston ordering them to track her down and keep an eye on her until I would be able to get there.
Things had been wild all week; random attacks, lost shipments and an attempt against my brother were the highlights of it. I lost seventeen men and as much as I hadn't wanted to, I acted exactly as my father would. Driven by rage I answered to every hit with more force resulting to a vicious circle of blood. We were on the news daily. A meeting was set with the Irish leader and I reluctantly accepted. I had to put a stop to this madness. I couldn't recognize myself anymore.
We reached an agreement to cease fire and make peace for now. The danger of being exposed and risk every illegitimate business we had was now greater than ever. No matter how many police officials and politicians I had under my payroll, this kind of mess could not be concealed. My phone wouldn't stop ringing from people asking me to lie low and diffuse this fucked up situation, which was starting to seem as a massacre.
I hated being told what to do, but they were right. Our dead were buried and mourned properly. I felt empty and helpless for the first time in my life. When I took over four years ago, I thought that I could make it work, keep my hands clean from blood and my people safe. How naïve was I.
In the middle of this chaos, the only thing that kept me sane and strong was the thought of Rose. At the end of each day, I would receive a detailed report. Some days there would be pictures of her but as my people informed me, she mainly stayed in. Whenever I wanted to relax, I would take a look at a picture of her, touch her face and think about our kiss. I felt like some creep but I really needed this to keep me going.
The moment it was safe for me to leave New York, I packed a bag and arranged my trip to Boston. It was high time we spoke. I owed her honesty. I was fully aware that she would run for the hills the minute she found out what I really did for a living and the monster I truly was. But seeing her once more was worth it. Both my brother and Jay tried to talk me out of it, but my mind was made. She had managed to haunt my dreams, confuse my thoughts but brighten my life in ways I didn't know it was possible. One kiss and some cups of coffee had turned into an obsession. I couldn't even imagine what having her completely would do to me.
Standing outside her house, I didn't have the chance to knock when the door opened. Her back was turned to me, but a man standing in front of her noticed me and made her aware of my presence. I had already heard her asking him to leave her house. When she turned to look at me, I saw the surprise in her eyes but there was something more. Why was she pissed? Who was this man?
The conversation that followed made her nervous and I could feel her tense under my touch when I held her hand to stop her from hitting him. What had happened before I got here?
After he left she asked me to let go of her hand but I managed to bring her closer to me. Her scent was driving me crazy. I wanted to feel her lips against mine, to let her warmth conquer all my senses. I wanted to stop thinking about anything else, to hold her in my arms and never let her go. Before I could turn any of these thoughts into actions, the door opened and she stepped away from me.
"Dad? What are you doing home so early?" she asked the man who had just entered. Great. That was so not the time to meet her father. On the other hand, what was I thinking showing up at her house? Of course her parents would be there eventually. I hadn't thought this through at all. Being known for my careful planning and precision in decision making was obviously a joke when it involved her.
"I needed some time off. This case is killing me. Did I interrupt something? I'll be in my study. Don't let my presence bother you." He said smiling. I like an open minded parent but watching Rose's cheeks flaming, I felt bad for smiling myself on his comment.
"Dad, stop talking like that. You are embarrassing me. This is a friend of mine, visiting from New York. Marco Mancini. This is my not funny at all father Christian Marshall." She made the introductions and I extended my right hand for a proper handshake.
"Please call me Chris, no need for formalities. Mancini? As in ....?" She cut him off midsentence with an audible sigh.
"Yes dad the Mancini of Mancini Investments. How come everyone except me knows about your company?" her face was turned to me and I just shrugged with a smile. Did they only know about my legitimate business? Could they have heard about all the rumors and my involvement in shady ones? I remember she had told me about her dad being a lawyer. Knowing about my darker side would make sense.
"What's that smell? Is something burning?" I noticed it the moment he brought it up and I saw a terrified Rose towards to what I supposed was the kitchen. Returning my attention to her father, I accepted his invitation to join him for a drink in their living room. Their place was lovely. Modern furniture, few works of art on the walls, family photos on the fireplace mantel and an impressive bar on the far corner.
I took my seat on one of the sofas while he sat on an armchair. There was an awkward silence for a while, with him staring at me while sipping his wine.
"This is excellent." I tried to break the ice, making a nice comment on the wine he had offered me.
"It is. I really love wine and always try to find something new. I like to discover new tastes and unique bottles. I always treasure what's important to me. You see when you love something with passion; you'll do anything to protect it." Okay I don't think it was about wine anymore.
"Are we still talking about wine?" I asked, making myself more comfortable on my seat, placing my glass on the coffee table in front of me and focusing on him.
"Of course. I was talking about the bar and the special cases I have for my unique bottles. I made it myself you know. I wouldn't want anything happen to them. I would be devastated if one of them was stolen from me by someone who wouldn't appreciate it or worse broken by someone who was careless or wouldn't know how to handle it." Either he was so fond of his wine bottles, which would be extremely weird or he was referring obliquely to Rose. Either way I didn't know how to answer.
"So, you are friends with my Rosie. How come she hasn't mentioned you before? Don't get me wrong, but I want to believe that I have a good relationship with my daughter. I don't know how long you've known her and if you know about certain things she's been through, but..." seeing his hesitation and discomfort, I tried to reassure him but Rose beat me to it by reappearing in the room.
"Dad, please. Marco is just here to visit me. There is no need for this kind of conversation. The food was thankfully salvaged. Why don't you call mum, see if she will be home early too? I made her favorite." Smiling at her, he kissed the side of her head on his way out, excusing himself.
"Are you here on business?" she asked without looking at me.
"Actually I came for you but I might do some business on the side. Can I see you later today? Are you free? I really think we should talk." Walking towards the large window, she stood there watching the street, the sunlight illuminating through it, made her seem like an angel.
"I don't know if that's a good idea, but I guess today is as good as any other time. Where are you staying?" still not looking at me, I got up and stood behind her. Being so close to her brought a strange warmth and serenity to my heart. What was going on with me?
"The Four Seasons. But I was thinking dinner maybe? A friend of mine suggested a great new place near the old docks. A renovated warehouse with an excellent chef and...." She turned around and her eyes were filled with horror. Shaking her, head she told me to meet her here at eight. Taking a walk by the nearby lake was more suitable for a talk than dinner, she said. Fine by me.
Her father came back shortly, letting us know that his wife was on her way. He invited me to stay over for lunch, but I thought it was too much. Rose's gaze confirmed my reluctance and I kindly declined.
I said my goodbyes and left, not without looking back one last time at her as she was closing the door behind me.
Well, that could have gone worse. I was in a dire need for a drink and I knew just the place.