Song: Silence by Marshmello ft. Khalid
A WEEK PASSED by Xante and Chioma decided to use an air ambulance to fly Chidinma back to Los Angeles, just so she could be nearer to home. It was a good thing too, staying in Italy was driving him insane. Knowing that a place he called his home was the reason that his current home was in a coma.
When they arrived in Los Angeles, Chidinma was flown into the helipad of Victoria General Hospital, the same one she worked at. The helicopter doors opened up to showcase her fellow doctors and nurses who showed their sympathy for her situation, then all promised to keep her at maximum comfort level. They rolled her into one of the exclusive suites, one with a breathtaking view of LA and the Hills.
"Just a week, then she's gonna wake up," Chioma exclaimed, excitedly as she combed through her sister's messy hair, trying to make it presentable, 2 weeks later. She had insisted on doing this, because apparently, Chidinma would have a fit if her hair wasn't shampooed and conditioned when she woke up.
Xante looked down at his fingers with blood embedded underneath his fingernails and absently replied, "Yeah, a week,"
Looking up at him with a pitied expression, Chioma spoke gently, "When was the last time you slept, Xante?"
Sleep. What a privilege. He looked up at her with tired gray orbs and dark eye bags. His raven curls were growing into a messy field on his head. Xante looked like shit. However, his looks were not the matter. What mattered was catching Soliso by working his way through her family's mediocre cartel. If working was another word for killing. All Xante knew was that someone needed to pay and that person would be Angela Soliso. If it meant that he had to murder everyone who ever called themselves her family for that to happen, then why not?
Xante tried to give her a reassuring smile, but all he felt his lips do was a small tug at the corners. He shook his head, "I am fine Chioma. In fact, I am going home, right now,"
"Okay," She reasoned, hazel orbs concerned, "But, I'm just worried about you. That you would drown yourself in all sorts of vices,"
"Whatever gave you that impression?" He inquired sarcastically.
Chioma became serious as she gestured to his fingers, with a nonchalant shrug, "The literal blood on your hands," Xante sighed and tucked his hands in his pockets, "I would check up on you, but I have another way to do that,"
Xante raised his thick brow, in complete disbelief at the audacity the child in front of him had. Scoffing, he walked out of the hospital room, leaving the girl and Chidinma in the hands of four bodyguards. He drove home at a dangerous speed, the purr of his engine filling his ears as he refused to play any music. Because that was what Chidinma did. She would connect her phone's Bluetooth to the speakers and blast music as they drove together.
Suddenly, his chest tightened and he stepped on the gas.
When Xante arrived home, his chef, Anita greeted him next to the gardener, Anthony. Then he heard it.
The excited barks.
What the-
In his line of vision, two hyper Dobermanns raced towards him clumsily. The dogs stopped at his toes, raven tails wagging furiously, pink tongues drooling on his hardwood floor. They both looked up at a shocked Xante expectantly, large, obsidian eyes demanding attention.
Then, Xante realized where they had come from and internally swore. Chioma. He took out his phone and dialled her number, holding the bridge of his nose, furious at her nerve.
"What the fuck do you think you are doing?" He gritted out harshly and he could just hear her cocky smirk.
"Hello to you too, Mr. Deliano. Meet Cerberus and Asmodeus, or as I called them when I picked them up from the shelter yesterday, Cece and Dede," Then, she continued in a rushed voice, to ensure she would not be interrupted by an angry Xante, "They are fully vaccinated, don't shed, love walks and cuddles and treats and making sure their official owner, you by the way, does not drown his sorrows in alcohol or drugs. Bye,"
Then, she dropped the line. A 20-year-old ended the call on the head of the Italian Mafia. He released a shaky breath. If she wasn't related to the love of his life-
I like the names. Alessandro mused and Xante raised a mental middle finger at the asshole.
Fuck off. Xante looked down at the expectant dogs, who looked back at him. Cazzo.
"Sit," He ordered coldly and at once, the excited dogs planted their behinds and wagging tails firmly on the hardwood floor. Well, the things obeyed orders, at least. Xante shook his head at the nerve of the whole situation and moved towards his bedroom. Those stupid dogs followed. So much for orders.
Xante entered his bedroom and found himself drowning in the hurt in his chest. Everything in the large room reminded him of Chidinma. The silk pillow on her side, the heavy Bible and the matching journal she kept on her bedside table alongside the tub of Vaseline.
God, he missed her.
He took a deep breath to calm the wave of emotion threatening to break free and removed his shirt, moving towards the bathroom. Then, Xante saw her lines of hair products in the closet and a sob broke in his throat. He grabbed the half-empty bottle of coconut-scented conditioner that Chidinma had used and popped it open to smell the sweet scent.
Xante closed his eyes, his senses drowning in the memories they both had in this room. Brushing their teeth together, her teaching him how to condition and comb through her curls, her rubbing body wash down his torso in a seductive manner.
Fuck. Why was this so much harder to do? He had lived alone before. No, he had survived alone before. With Chidinma, he truly lived, he truly saw the good in the world, and he saw light. She brought life into his world, her aura healing the death around him.
I can't do this. I can't stay here.
Xante walked out of the bathroom and as he was leaving, his eyes caught sight of the letters they had written to their firstborn child. Xante thought of how Chidinma wanted to write them, almost as if she knew that this would happen. Almost as if she knew she would not be here with him.
He took a shaky breath and went towards the 2 bedroom guest house at the back of the compound, passing a confused Anita. Texting his assistant Samuel to pack a suitcase of clothes for him, he threw himself against the bed of the main guest bedroom and those fucking dogs followed his actions.
"Listen, get off the bed. Now,"
The dogs whimpered at his tone and moved toward the corner of the room. Xante refused to look at it for a minute, until their whimpers were all that filled the room, as they widened their dark, obsidian eyes.
"Stop looking at me like that," Xante retorted, feeling slightly guilty, "You can't be on my bed,"
The dogs, Cerberus and Asmodeus, whimpered even more loudly, placing their front paws over their large eyes as they lowered their snouts sadly. Almost like Siamese twins. Xante sighed reluctantly and texted Samuel to buy two dog beds and treats, "Any fuck ups and you are going back to adoption people. Hai capito?"
Xante could have sworn that the dogs nodded. After taking a shower and dressing in slacks and a fitted shirt, Xante watched the sunset, absently scratching the dogs next to him as his assistant chattered on about his work and his chef placed down a plate of food. Just as Samuel was talking about meetings with the other Mafia leaders to work down new shipment plans for the new year, Xante's phone rang sharply interrupting the speech.
The mafia Don picked it up without looking at the caller ID and placed it on the speakerphone, "Hello?"
"Xante?" Chioma's excited yet surprisingly terrified voice rang through the phone, "Chidinma's awake,"
Xante shot up from his chair, his heart racing at the possible idea. His throat dried up and he rushed out, "What? I'm on my way," He nodded toward his bodyguards and they left the compound to prepare his car. Even Samuel and Anita listened with earnest concern.
"However, before you come, you should know..." Her voice was a hushed whisper, almost as if she was afraid that someone would hear, "Chidinma isn't... she isn't the same,"
Xante's brows furrowed in confusion, his heart skipping a beat at the different possible meanings for Chioma's words, "What do you mean?"
A few seconds of silence. Then, she sighed, voice soft, "I can't explain it. Just come and see for yourself,"
---
POSTED ON: THURSDAY 30 MARCH 2023
so, chidinma is back. and yes, she is will be that bih.
isn't xante's relationship with cece and dede like when the dads that don't want dogs, get them and love them at the end??
i love dogs. just saying.
by the way, if you do not know, i have a new erotic romance called Sinful Passion. it is a story between second year college student Chiara Jhazara Noor (ethopian-iranian) and older, British Professor Nicolas Sebastian Hendrix (spanish-english)
and it is going to be steamy.
practically a take on that good-girl-meets-bad-boy plus teacherxstudent plus bwwm.
the aesthetic page is already up on my page as well as the blurb (it kinda cuts on the book's page) so make sure to add it to your libraries and reading lists to be notified when more chapters come out.
bye (and sorry for that long ass a/n)
ada.