Nadine's POV
"Don't worry, I'll be back in a little."
You don't know how much that hurt.
I'm trying to do what Ivan said, but it's just so hard. If this is love, then I don't like it, nor do I want it.
If Rue decides she doesn't want to stay when I get this alliance going, then that will keep her safe. She'll get what she always wanted.
Freedom.
But without her parents, I don't know what she'll do.
And if she does stay...
Then I can't get close with her.
I have to break her heart.
She needs to stay away from me.
And I need to stay away from her.
This was my last chance.
I should've used it better than this.
But maybe one day she'll understand why I did it.
I put the bottle of champagne in the drivers seat, and start going towards Ivan's actual house. Not some too secured "secret hideout".
Ivan wanted me to discuss some things with Isabella, make sure we're on the same track. She texted me to bring champagne. So I did.
I guess I forgot to mention that we exchanged numbers.
I wore this stupid suit so that Rue would think I'm going somewhere important. I take the dress jacket off and slip my coat back on. I take the tie and throw it on the floor of my car. I grab the champagne and go inside.
Isabella is on the couch watching T.V. "Hey." I say, informing her that I'm here. She looks up at me and gives an awkward smile and walks over to me.
She's wearing a yellow sweater-shirt type thing. It shows a bit of her stomach and cleavage. She has ripped jeans and is wearing just socks.
"So should we get started?" She asks. I nod. "Follow me." She tilts her head to the side, motioning for me to follow.
She leads me upstairs to her room. She has a mini couch perched in front of her window, she motions for me to sit, so I do. I take a seat on the couch. She must have brought two wine glasses up without me seeing, because now she's opening the champagne and pouring me, and herself, a glass.
"Here." She hands me the cup of liquid. She takes a sip of hers and smiles to herself. "I'm really sorry you have to do this."
I look up at her and meet her eyes. "I chose to do it. My Mafia is dead. My friends were kidnapped and all I could do was watch one of them die. This is the only way I can protect them."
Protect her. I leave out.
Even if it means hurting her first.
"Either way. I'm sorry." She gives me a sweet smile, showing off all her pearly white teeth. "At least you'll be able to bring the rest of your old living Mafia, to your new one. That's something, isn't it?"
"I'm not sure they'll be happy about it."
"Who cares? You're in charge now. Not them. You. After our marriage... you will be one of the most powerful men, in the world." She takes a big gulp of her drink. "This is smooth." She says holding up her glass.
"I know, right." I laugh.
"Should we go over something's. You know, plan the future?" She asks with a small laugh.
"Sure." I chuckle. "Go ahead."
"So, I want you to know that this relationship means nothing to me. It purely for my Mafia. So in that case, I don't care if you have sex with other girls, as long as you don't have them around me." She laughs.
"My father will probably want to continue the bloodline or whatever, soooo, how do you feel about kids?" She asks.
I almost choke on my drink. "I uh- don't you think this is a bit early?" I ask, still coughing.
"Chill, I'm just messing with you." She laughs. I start laughing too. "I wasn't joking."
"Oh."
"I guess we can save that for another time." She takes another drink. "We would have to stay here. Get married, get a house, then we can handle the Mafia. Your friend will either join, or leave." I stare at her in shock. "I know it sounds hard, but it has to be done. And if they leave, they won't have a mafia anymore. Meaning they're carrying a secret we don't trust them to keep. So if you don't get your friends to stay, my people will kill them."
"Ivan never mentioned that." I scoff.
"Sorry."
"No need to say sorry. They're going to join."
"I hope your right. It won't be pretty. My people will not be easy on them."
I get a text from my personal driver.
Jorge: Mr. Rossi, I have the rest of your living Mafia with me. 10 in total. I wanted to let you know that I'm going to be dropping them off.
I text back a quick-
Me: Thanks.
"Listen, I have to go. I enjoyed this, but I really should go." I stand up and grab my coat.
"Wait-" she stands up and walks to me. "Here." She hands me the half opens bottle of champagne. "You brought it, you can take it." I send her a forced smile. She stands up on her tippy toes and plants a small kiss on my cheek, only a few inches away from my mouth.
I stop myself from rolling my eyes and pushing her off of me. "Bye." I manage to force out. I feel nauseous.
- - -
When I arrive home, the living room is full of luggage. But no people are in it.
The rest must be here.
I go upstairs and see every single room on the first hall, is occupied. The second hall is where me, Rue, Alex, Kaylee, and Diego stay. There are 5 people I had come in from New York. There's 16 rooms. 12 of them are bedrooms, two are training rooms. A hot tub room-which for some reason, I haven't used yet- and the living room.
We have plenty of space.
I go into my room and see my maid-Anna- cleaning up the mess I made the other night. Ever since, I hadn't been sleeping in here. I haven't really been sleeping at all.
She turns the vacuum off once she realizes I'm there. "Thanks, Anna, you can go now."
She gives me a small smile before leaving the room. I set the half empty bottle of champagne on my desk, and take a deep breath. I have to start training them. Ivan told me they won't be ready unless I make sure that they are.
"Fuck it." I whisper to myself.
I walk out of my room and start banging on the walls. "Wake up!" I yell. I bang on every single door at least once. "Wake the fuck up!" I go to the second hallway and bang on those doors too. "Everyone go downstairs, or there will be consequences."
Everyone comes down the stairs, rubbing their eyes. "What the fuck Nadine!" Kaylee yells as she wraps a robe around her body. I can already identify the last living members of our Mafia.
Naomi. She has a dark brown skin tone, has braids that usually reach down to her waist, but she currently has a bonnet on. I used to have gun training with her. She could handle it very well. Her father was Puerto Rican. He married a girl that wasn't from our Mafia.
Dante. Dante is originated from my mafia. Italy. He has tanish skin, light brown hair, and soft freckles that go over his nose. They're nowhere as deep and beautiful as Rue's. His freckles kind of make him look soft. And when I say soft, I mean that he won't hit you. But he will.
I had three classes with him.
Martial arts.
Fencing.
And fun training.
I know it's weird how we all have "classes". But it's because My Mafia basically had our own school. My dad made it after he realized we all weren't trained well enough.
Alice. Has brown wavy hair, tan skin, a beauty mark above her lip. She's Italian. I didn't have any classes with her.
Soña. Short black hair, with slight curls, making it shorter than it actually is. Very tan skin. I think she used to hang out with Aniyah.
Damn.
Lizzie. She has dyed blue hair that goes a little to her shoulders. She doesn't look like someone I would talk to. The only reason I remember her name, is because my parents once got in a fight with hers.
"Great." I give a sarcastic smile. "You're all awake." I can't help it. My eyes fall to her. She's wearing a black silk robe, her hair tied back into a low ponytail with the front pieces of her hair out. She keeps her head down. Not meeting my gaze. "Get dressed. Today, we start training. Then we can start making a plan to bring the French down."
"Oh. Like how you made the plan to take Ivan out?"
I turn my head to the side, and see Diego out of the corner of my eye. "What was that?"
He laughs. "The reason we came here, was to kill Ivan. And here you are. Ordering people to do something we probably won't get to do. Your wasting our time and energy." Diego turns towards everyone. "This is really who you want leading you? A man who couldn't protect my best friend?!" Diego shouts, getting everyone's attention now.
"Diego. You need to chill the fuck out. Go outside. Take a walk. I don't give a fuck. But before you come over here, talking all this shit. Remember who you're talking about." I'm only a few inches away from his face. I feel my jaw locked, and my teeth clenched.
Diego looks up at me amused. "You think I'm scared of you?" Diego's not super buff, but he's definitely in good shape. "Cause if we were to go there right now, I doubt you'll be the one standing."
"You don't know what I'm capable of, ragazzo"
"No, no. You don't know what I'm capable of, gilipollas. I'll play your little training game. But don't expect me to be nice about it." He walks back upstairs without a second glance.
Everyone is quiet. "What the fuck are y'all doing, go get dressed!" I yell. Some of them flinch, but quickly go upstairs. I push my hands through my hair. "FUCK!" I yell out of anger.