Weiji (n.) From risk and opportunity, the idea that there can be a positive result in a wisely handled risk.
Arabella's P.O.V.
The full moon displayed its ethereal beauty as it brightly dominated the midnight sky, leaving no possibilities for stargazing as it drowned out even the brightest twinkling orbs. I watched as the calm waves of the Mediterranean Sea brought ripples of moonlight towards the shore and illuminated the white sand beaches. My eyes gazed out the window of the car and was drawn towards the elegant resort that sat gracefully on the rocky coastline of Siracusa.
I wanted to treasure and bask in the beautiful scenery in front of me, but my admiration was hindered by Nicolo's growing displeasure as the looming presence of tension thickened in the air. I studied Nicolo's face as the flashes of city lights allowed me to catch glimpses of his morose stare. Wrinkles formed between his brows as he frowned at the road and his knuckles appeared white as he gripped the wheel.
"Why do you want to help? You will get nothing out of this, you will not benefit from involving yourself in this situation," he asked suddenly in a vexed tone.
"Nicolo, you must live a very disappointing life with that mindset. Not everything you do comes with a reward," I answered with a sigh.
"But you have no reason to help-"
"Your men spoke of explosives, guns, and breaking in. The hotel may be run by a mob, but there are families there, couples, people who are enjoying their vacation," I explained as I cut him off.
"Not everything should be answered with violence. People could get hurt," I added with his lack of response.
"And if you get hurt?"
"I am only one person, I'd rather it be me than a family that gets caught up in your mess," I responded in a quiet voice.
"Maybe if you start to take other people into consideration for once, you'll begin to understand where I'm coming from," I said as I looked at his conflicted expression and left the car.
The crisp and cool breeze of the night surrounded me as I began to walk towards the entrance of the hotel. The sound of Nicolo's men conversing could be heard from behind me as the wind carried their light voices throughout the air. A chilling sensation began to crawl down my spine, not from the wind, but from the thought of my plan going awry.
The ideas that the boys mentioned during dinner were absurd, ridiculous, and unnecessary. The use of weapons and force should be their last resort, I could help them, or at least try to. My thoughts were suddenly interrupted as I felt the bitter wind disappear as a warm embrace surrounded me.
"I am trying to understand you, Arabella," Nicolo said softly from behind as he helped me put on his coat.
"Ma, per favore, try to see where I'm coming from when I say that I do not want to see you get hurt again," he said as he gently rubbed my shoulder as his fingers grazed by my stitches (But, please).
Nicolo placed his hand on my back as he guided me towards the hotel and gave a slight nod to the receptionist that sat at the front desk. Our footsteps echoed throughout the polished and spacious hallways as we made our way towards two large mahogany doors. The sandstone walls of the hotel showed signs of aging, but the golden trims and crystal chandelier created an elegant and charming interior.
Once Nicolo unlocked the doors, I was greeted with a sophisticated meeting room. I walked towards a glass wall that reached from one end of the room to the other, and overlooked the sapphire blue sea. I turned around to see Nicolo sitting at the end of a long glass table that faced a large whiteboard as he waited for his men to join us. I sat down beside him and gave a worried look as he pulled out a cigar.
"You really shouldn't smoke that much, it could hurt you," I said as I stared in disgust at the cigar between his fingers.
"And this thoughtless plan of yours could also hurt you, but I don't see that from stopping you, so what exactly is your point here, Arabella?" he retorted as he brought the cigar to his lips. I looked at him, completely at a loss for words, but I let out a sigh of relief as his men started to walk through the doorway.
"The layout of Romano's hotel is quite simple, Bella, I think you'll easily find your way around," Gabe said, breaking the silence between Nicolo and I.
The sound of the projector whirring to life caught my attention as a blueprint of the hotel made its way onto the whiteboard.
"The first floor of the hotel is mainly a casino and has a bar section, that is where we predict Romano and his men will be."
"But you will need to find a way to get onto the 10th floor so that you can access Romano's office."
"We'll be able to hack into the security footage, so we'll have eyes on you at all times, Bella," Leone said as I watched the blueprint on the whiteboard change into multiple screens.
"Is this all live?" I asked in shock as I stared at the feed that the cameras were capturing from different angles.
"Yes, what you see now is happening in real-time, there are cameras throughout the bar, casino, and hallways, but once you reach the top floor we will not be able to follow you," Gabe responded as he clicked through the different cameras.
"You will need to wear these, Bella, so that we can hear everything from your end and you can hear us," Manny said as he slid over a small plastic box that held a microphone and earpiece.
"If you somehow manage to get through to his office, you will need this," Gabe said as he got up from his chair and made his way towards me.
"It's a flash drive. Once you insert it into his computer it will automatically download a software that will help me break into his data files, but it will take some time to download," he said warily.
"How long will it take?" Nicolo asked as he glowered at Gabe.
"Around ten minutes."
"No," Nicolo said as he shook his head.
"You're not going to do this."
He began to stand up from his chair, but I quickly grabbed his wrist and gently pulled him back down.
"It's alright," I replied to Gabe.
"It will be a quick ten minutes," I said as I looked at Nicolo and let go of his wrist.
"You will know that it's finished once you see three green lights on the flash drive, that is when the download is complete," Gabe replied as he sat back down in his chair.
"So..." he said as he clasped his hands together.
"How do you plan on sneaking into his office?"
I bit my lip as the four men were now staring at me, waiting for my answer. I briefly looked at Nicolo and watched as he rubbed his jaw in frustration; my gaze trailed towards his men and saw that they were all looking at me keenly. I began to ignore their stares and directed my attention towards the screen.
Many people walked around the casino as bright flashing lights from the slot machines brought color to the surroundings. Eager gamblers surrounded the green velveteen tables as they wagered their money on roulette, poker, and blackjack.
Blackjack.
"I'm not going to sneak in," I said as my plan came clear to me.
"Then how do you plan on getting there?" Gabe asked as he furrowed his brows.
"By grabbing their attention."
"How?" Manny asked.
"I'm going to rob them."
"And how the fuck do you plan on doing that?" Nicolo growled.
"Discreetly."
"You're going to gamble," Leone said as he leaned back into his chair and crossed his arms over his chest as he narrowed his eyes at me, catching onto my plan.
"I'm sure they'll start to get suspicious if they see a woman running them dry of their money," I replied to Leone as a smile started to form on my lips.
"It could work," Leone said as he returned a grin and I turned towards Nicolo hesitantly.
"I need to borrow fifty-thousand euros in cash," I said with a sheepish smile as I looked into his eyes that glared at me.
"When do we start?" I asked aloud when Nicolo refused to respond to me.
"We do this tonight. There's no way in telling how long Romano will stay at his hotel, we cannot drag this out into another day," Gabe responded immediately and I nodded in return.
"I will just need a few minutes," I said as I stood up from the table and left the room. The sound of Nicolo's footsteps trailed closely behind me as I walked down the hallway.
"Where are my belongings?" I asked aloud.
"You're not going to stop are you?"
"Not when your only plan is to put yourself and other people in danger," I responded as I stopped in the foyer.
"Your stubbornness could get you killed," he uttered as he guided me towards the elevators.
"I could say the same thing about your impulsiveness," I mumbled under my breath as we went up to the top floor.
Once the doors ringed open, I was suddenly distracted by the modern and minimalistic layout of the suite. The white sheer curtains glowed as the moonlight shined through the large windows and three sets of glass doors lined the walls as they stood as a barrier between the living room and the balcony that wrapped around the entire top floor. White leather couches filled the lounge area as they surrounded a glass fireplace that provided warmth throughout the suite.
I followed Nicolo as we passed by a kitchen and walked up a marble spiral staircase; we roamed down a dim hallway, skipping multiple doors, until we reached the end.
"This is our room," Nicolo said as he pulled out a key.
"We're sharing a room?"
"Would you like to have your own?"
No, I immediately thought.
"Yes, some privacy would be nice," I responded softly as I sat down on the bed.
"I will have that arranged for you then," Nicolo answered as he pressed his lips into a line and I nodded my head in response.
"I'll get the money ready," he said quietly as he left the room and closed the door behind him.
I got up from the bed and walked over to my suitcase to look for my red dress. My fingertips met the cold silk fabric as I laid out the backless dress onto the bed and straightened out any wrinkles. I began to strip out of my clothing and slip on the luscious garment, wearing nothing but a thong underneath.
I ran my hands down my waist as I looked at myself in the mirror; my curves were hugged in the right places, and the deep neckline showcased my cleavage while the backside of the dress sat lowly above my hips, almost revealing the dimples on my back.
It's flattering, I thought. Seductive, but classy.
I heard a knock at the door as I began to rummage through my bag to look for my final piece that will help me get through the night.
"Come in," I called out and gave a soft smile as Nicolo walked through the door.
"How do I look?" I asked him through the mirror as I began to put on red lipstick, completing my getup for this daring mission.
"Staresti meglio senza il vestito," he replied as he made his way towards me (You would look better with the dress off).
"I'm not sure what you said, but I'll take it as a compliment," I replied with a grin as he chuckled.
"You will need to wear these, Arabella," he said as he held up the tiny microphone device and earpiece.
"Are you sure you can do this?" he asked as he stood behind me.
"Are you underestimating me, Mr. Mazzerelli?" I asked playfully as he began to gather my hair from my shoulders and moved it behind, exposing more of my neck and chest.
"I am just worried," he mumbled as he brought his fingertips towards the top of my breasts and began to trace the neckline of my dress.
"You will have the attention of every vile man tonight, but I will not be there to keep you from them," he continued while his hand slightly dipped in between my cleavage as he attached the microphone to the inside of my dress.
I leaned my head back against his chest as his electrifying touch sent shivers down my spine and I closed my eyes when he brought his lips down to my face, slightly brushing up against my skin.
"Cosa mi stai facendo?" he whispered and I bit my lip when his hot breath trailed down my neck (What are you doing to me).
"Open your eyes, Arabella," he said as he moved his hands down towards my waist.
"You need to focus," he said sternly as he tucked my hair behind my ear.
A gasp escaped my lips as he gathered my hair into his fist and gently tugged, pulling me back into him, allowing me to melt into his touch.
"Non capisci quanto ho bisogno di te," he said lowly against my neck (You don't understand how badly I need you).
"Nicolo," I breathed out as I rolled my head back against his chest.
"I think you're the one that needs to focus," I chuckled as I traced my fingertips over his hand that still laid on my waist.
"You're making that very difficult for me," he replied as I began to blush.
"This will help you communicate with us," he said as he helped me adjust my earpiece.
"We'll be with you every step of the way," he finished as he brought my hair to one side of my shoulder, hiding the device in my ear, and I nodded as I turned around to face him.
"The money is in your bag."
"I promise I'll give it back to you by the end of the night."
"It only matters that you get back to me when this is all finished," he responded as we made our way out of the suite and down to the foyer of the hotel.
"Bella!" Manny called out as Nicolo and I walked towards the meeting room.
"Are you ready?" Leone asked.
"Yes," I replied with a reassuring smile.
"If you ever feel uncomfortable or if you're in trouble, your safe word is rossa," Manny said.
"The second we hear that word from your mouth, we'll send help," Leone added.
"But, Bella," Gabe called out as he typed away on his laptop.
"Try not to get into trouble, because, well, if you do..." he trailed on as he looked at me.
"You'll be there," he said as he pointed at the livestream.
"And I, myself, the cavalry, will be all the way here. In the comfort of this chair," he finished as he placed his feet on top of the table and laced his fingers behind his head.
"That's great, Gabe; very encouraging, thank you," I responded with a sigh as I rolled my eyes.
"Anytime, Bella!" he said with a wink as he snapped his fingers and pointed a finger gun at me.
"Nicolo, everything is in place," a somber voice said behind me.
"Dante," I said softly as I turned around to greet him, but a frown came upon my face when he refused to look at me.
"He will be taking you to the hotel, I cannot risk going there with you," Nicolo said to me as he placed his hand on my shoulder.
"La lascerai all'ingresso, ma stai vicino. Non lasciare i locali finché non l'avrai di nuovo con te. Capisci?" he said sternly to Dante who provided a simple nod in return (You will drop her off at the entrance, but stay close. Do not leave the premises until you have her with you again. Do you understand).
I trailed closely behind Dante as I followed him out of the hotel, but a sudden pull at my wrist made me stop in my tracks.
"Be careful, Arabella," Nicolo said as I stared into his dark brown eyes that glimmered in the moonlight.
"If you are in trouble and we do not get to you in time, remember your training," he added in a grave voice as he looked back at me worriedly.
If eyes allow us to take a glimpse inside a person's soul, then I am starting to see Nicolo's vulnerable, honest, and true self. If our hearts are gateways to our emotions, then I am starting to recognize an admirable quality in this coarsened and cynical man. His caring soul, although hidden under ruthlessness, still remains deep within him, hanging by a single thread as he tries to seek out the good in people.
Silence surrounded us as no words left his mouth, but his eyes spoke of what his lips were not willing to say.
*****
Author's Note:
Hi Octobruhs,
At first I was a bit upset that it took me six days to write this chapter, but then I realized it's okay to take breaks, even if it's from something that you love doing. Always remember to take care of yourself and do what you can one step at a time! Take it easy guys!
-Love, A