Sanguine (adj.) Optimistic or positive, especially in the face of a bad or difficult situation.
Nicolo's P.O.V.
My hands were under a layer of dried crimson blood, a sight that would strike others with horror, but my eyes gazed in satisfaction. As I pulled out my knife from my suit, I could not help but release a scornful laugh, remembering the events that had taken place tonight. I will not lie, the Aetos Family's plan to disguise a whore as an employee and bring her into my territory was clever, but to their misfortune, it was faulty.
Their spy had almost captured my interest during the earlier hours of today, but I have played this mafia game for far too long to readily give away my trust, and what a troublesome mistake that would have been. The woman had greatly entertained me tonight while I observed her, watching her shudder at the sight of weapons and blood, it was almost too gratifying for me.
Arabella broke so easily in my presence, I have never met such a failure of a spy: weak and pathetic. The Aetos' should have known that the girl was not fit to complete her assignment and go undercover. Their boss is just as foolish as her, but I was grateful for this, as their family will forever remain under my authority.
The Mazzerelli Family will be a follower to none, I sighed to myself while cleaning my knife for my next victim. From the polished blade, my fastidious eyes became distracted by my marble floors, which to my displeasure, have now displayed a trail of blood and muddy footprints.
"I do not pay you money for you to not do your job," I sneered at a maid who had made herself known through the clicking of heels in these empty halls.
This is the only purpose that women have in the world of the mafia. They are not capable of handling the business of drugs, money, or weapons. Instead, they are traded and bought to fulfill our needs. I give my maids what every woman wants, a life full of luxuries and an estate to clean and cook in.
It was a simple idea really; it is absurd to me that the Aetos' had even considered a woman to be at the forefront of this job. They were only right on one account, I would have never expected it if I had never seen her with Alexander, but this had only made me even more eager to get an explanation from her.
"What do you think they want?" Leone's voice became present as he suddenly appeared from around the corner, joining me on this walk to my office.
I remained silent as I didn't understand the purpose of Aetos sending two of his people to my establishment. The drug trade has been going well between our families, and there were no issues to be resolved between Alexander and I; I have not even encountered that man in months.
"Our families haven't been at war for years. I thought we came to an agreement with them," he said, and seated himself in a chair, near my desk.
Now feeling even more exasperated, I poured myself a glass of whiskey and took a sip, all while glaring at the imbecile sitting comfortably in front of me.
"Leone, do not forget, we have a mole amongst us. Unless you are him, I will not be taking any risks, so please, get your ass out of my chair, your feet off of my desk, and shut the doors."
I stared at him as he chuckled and stood from his chair, following my demands. Leone and I have known each other for many years and became close friends once I brought him into my mafia. He is one of very few men who have gained my trust. In addition to him, there was only one other man who has stood by my side through my worst failures and greatest successes; as soon as Leone returned to his chair, the doors of my office were opened once again, revealing his face.
Oh, mio Dio. Un altro idiota.
"Shut the door, Manny," I sighed with my thumb and index finger pinching the bridge of my nose.
Unlike Leone, Manny and I were born into the mafia, and have been alongside each other since childhood. Our friendship has been tried and tested throughout the many years of near death encounters and traumatic experiences. He is like a brother to me, with no hesitance, I would give up my life for him.
"Have you placed them in the cellars?" I asked, but sighed and took a swig of whiskey as I was ignored.
"Do we really think that she could be a part of this?" he wondered, leaning against the wall.
"We believe that they were both sent by Cairo," Leone answered, referring to the don of the Aetos family.
"But, she seems so clueless, it doesn't even look like she's working with Alexander," he remarked.
"That is the job of a spy is it not, Manny? To pretend to not have any knowledge when you are captured by your adversary," I said as I narrowed my eyes at him.
"It's possible that she's innocent," he suggested with a shrug to his shoulders.
"I doubt that she is just some innocent, random girl. Alexander was willing to die for her, surely they are working together," Leone scoffed.
"How did they even get into the museum in the first place?" Manny asked as he raised an eyebrow towards me.
"Baglioni was desperate to hire new employees, given what happened to his previous curator. He did not think twice to inform me of his decision or ask for my permission. It seems he has forgotten that his museum would not exist without me."
I had found Baglioni years ago when I was working to expand my network and trade with other mafias. He was an aspiring museum director, but his business was failing. It was the most opportune moment for both parties, and so I acted on it. I brought him clients while my products were processed in and out of the museum, the building simply acted as a front.
"But, this still doesn't make any sense. Why was one of Romano's men there?" Leone contemplated aloud.
"If the head of the Greek Mafia is ignorant enough to send two of his people to Italia, then he could be working with Romano..." Manny trailed on.
"I don't know Nico, this is a tough one. We need answers," Manny said while shaking his head in confusion.
He was right, the events of tonight have become more puzzling as we continued down a complex web of theories. My mind went to the only option that we had left, the source for all of our answers: our only lead.
Arabella.
A woman so frail that she could shatter under my touch. It is a shame that she is working for the Greek Mafia, but even more unfortunate that her death will come so soon. She is a life gone to waste.
I dismissed my thoughts on how my hands will bring death to both of these Greeks by the end of this night, and turned to look at Manny with a nod, signaling to proceed with the plan that has filled both of our pondering minds.
"Bring her in."
Arabella's P.O.V.
About an hour had passed since I have been trapped in this cold cell, kneeling beside Alexander's unconscious body. All this time has been spent cleansing the blood off of his face with a ragged cloth, a piece that I have torn from the hem of his ripped shirt. It was a simple task, although I did not mind at all, it had taken my thoughts away from this life-altering night.
One of Nicolo's men had given us glasses of water, Manuele was the name, if I remember correctly. But, only my eyes have touched his offering, as I kept my distance, watching it glimmer under the dim light of the moon, too afraid of any poisonous substances that may contaminate it.
I have tried, with all of my might, to push the gate open, to create a path for our escape, but nothing has worked, and we have fallen victim to this abhorrent group and their organized crime. We are stuck here, I frowned to myself, but sat up tall as I watched Alexander stir in his sleep and was met with his deep blue eyes as he slowly awakened.
"Arabella," he croaked out softly.
"How do those men know your name?" I asked him sternly, lifting the cloth from his face and wasting no time in getting answers of my own.
Hearing my voice, the dazed man sat up abruptly, almost hitting his head against mine from his swift movements.
"Where are we?" he asked with quickened breaths.
"They have brought us to their estate," I sighed and looked down at my hands.
My eyes began to water as I stared at the dried blood that covered my palms and fingernails, but the gruesome sight soon disappeared once Alexander placed his hand over mine.
"Are you hurt?" he asked
"No, I'm alright," I answered, and silence fell between us.
"We were given some water," I spoke up and turned to look at the tray by the gate.
"I think I'll pass, I had both of our drinks earlier today, anyway," he smiled, attempting to turn this situation into a lighthearted one.
I shook my head and chuckled, I had lost my appetite hours ago, I could not bring myself to look at the food, for fear had suppressed my feeling of hunger. All my mind could dwell on was my future, and the threat of not having one; I was terrified that I no longer had control over my life.
The door of the cellar entrance suddenly opened, leading Alexander to quickly stand to his feet, but I remained seated on the ground as I was too weak to move. This dimly lit space became brighter as warm light flowed from the hallway above and carried the sound of footsteps along with it.
"Arabella." My name was called as the man from earlier, Manuele, stepped into our view and began to fumble with the keys of the gate.
Alexander held out his hand, which I gladly took, but his arms snaked around my waist and his head dipped into the crook of my neck, holding me close. Now is not the time for a hug, I thought to myself as I tried to move away from his grasp, but his grip only became more constraining, almost causing me to wince in pain. What is he doing?
"Listen to me very carefully, Arabella. We do not know each other, that is the truth. You need to convince them or else they will hurt you. Do not be defiant. Do not fight back. Do you understand me?" he whispered lightly in a frantic voice.
"What-- what do you mean by all of this?" I asked, looking at him with widened eyes.
"Do you understand me, Arabella?" he raised his voice, ignoring my question, and held me tighter.
I gazed at the man with fear stricken across my face, but he looked at me pleadingly, wanting me to respond and assure him that everything he said was understood. I then gulped away my anxiousness and nodded, but his concern was still present as he refused to let go. Just as the metal gate became unlocked, I placed a hand upon his shoulder and squeezed tightly, hoping to communicate that everything was going to be okay.
I was pulled away from Alexander and turned around as the gate was shut, looking at him through the metal bars with a faint smile, but he did not give one in return, instead, he gazed at me with the same emotion that I had seen in his eyes when we talked about my mother: sadness.
"Where are you taking me?" I asked softly once Manuele and I left the darkness of the cellar.
"You will be speaking to Nico in his office," he said.
As we began our walk towards the grand staircase, I noticed a woman on her knees, scrubbing away at muddy footprints that stained the floor. She wore a rather tight and short black dress along with matching heels, an attire that one would not expect for a task like this. Her straight, dark hair had shielded her face from mine, but the sound of our footsteps had captured her attention. She glanced at me with emotionless brown eyes and presented a sad smile filled with pity as Manuele ushered me past her, not giving me the chance to greet her in return.
Upon reaching the top of the staircase, I stopped in my tracks as the sight of a monstrous figure forced me into a state of shock.
"What's wrong?" Manuele asked.
I stared into the mirror and kept myself from responding as no words came to mind. The reflection that I have come across was absolutely repulsive and disgusting. What was once a clean white blouse, is now designed with stains of blood. The cut on my chest, which had trickles of blood, had now dried into a nauseous sight, leading me to fasten my blouse to the highest button as I could not bear to look at the wound any longer.
"We have to go," Manuele sighed and placed his hand against my back, guiding us towards a door at the end of the hallway.
As we made our approach, the sound of men conversating filled our ears, but came to an end once we entered the office. When I was pushed inside, my attention was stolen by large flames and crackling wood under a glass fireplace, and above it, a large T.V. showing security footage of the estate. I then scanned the rest of the room and found Leone who sat comfortably in a leather chair with careful eyes that tracked my every move.
Dismissing his stare, I looked towards a black marble table, which was a cluttered mess of strewn papers and bottles of liquor. And, finally, without further avoidance, my eyes trailed upwards, narrowing at the horrid man who sat at the head of the desk with his threatening presence. He had shown off a contemptuous smirk before taking a sip from his glass cup, but I stood before him with a shiver along my spine, remembering Alexander's words.
Do not be defiant. Do not fight back, I repeated to myself in my mind.
*****
Author's Notes:
Hello Readers,
Nico and Arabella are finally going to have a conversation together! I don't know about you guys but I'm a bit excited for this next chapter. Again, thank you for making it this far into the book!
-Love, A