Anton
My plan was working.
It was a technique I'd never thought I'd have to use, but here I was, keeping her in my life with friendship.
Friendship. It made me laugh. We were never meant to be friends, a fact that she and I were both very aware of.
But, this friendship with Artemisia was allowing me closer to her than I'd ever been before.
Like now for example, we were sat in a bar in Queens playing cards with a few regulars, old guys who smoked inside and drank rum.
Colombians.
They loved Artemisia, and seeing her talk in her perfect Spanish with her perfect Colombian accent so freely made me smile.
I was having fun.
I was actually enjoying us being friends.
Fucking hell.
"Mierda," she smirked as she looked back down at her hand.
(Spanish: Bullshit)
The old man opposite her groaned, the cigarette between his lips staying in place as she turned over the cards and exposed his lie.
The two other men jeered and banged the table, laughing at their friend's demise to the beautiful young woman. I chuckled, watching as a huge grin spread along her lips as she pushed the pile of cards towards the man.
"Como eres tan buena en esto artemisia? Nos ganáis siempre." The man sighed, a puff of smoke emerging from his lips. Artemisia chuckled as she lit her own.
(Spanish: How are you so good at this Artemisia? You beat us every time)
"Soy bueno leyendote Cesar. Golpeas tu rodilla un poco cada vez que mientes, y eso hace que tu camisa se mueva." She grinned, and the old man gasped before muttering to himself.
(Spanish: I'm good at reading you Cesar. You tap your knee a tiny bit every time you lie, and that makes your shirt move)
I laughed and watched as the round commenced before leaning over and mumbling to her, "Maybe a poker career after all of this is done won't be the worst thing in the world."
"I'm actually very happy coming here and playing with these guys every day, poker's overrated." She mused, looking over at me. She had that glint in her eye, filled with kindness and a sense of mischief.
"No vamos a estar por aquí por mucho tiempo arté, tal vez usted puede hacer más dinero con el póquer y luego pagar por mi casa de cuidado." One of them chuckled, and Artemisia scowled at him with a shake of her head.
(Spanish: we won't be around for too much longer Arté, maybe you can make more money from poker and then pay for my care home)
"Estúpido, no digas esas cosas. Voy a pagar por ello a pesar de todo, pero tienes mucho más tiempo en el reloj." She muttered as she watched him place his card down. I smiled to myself, shaking my head.
(Spanish: Stupid, don't say stuff like that. I'm paying for it regardless, but you've got a lot more time left on the clock)
This was how I knew we were getting somewhere.
It was a Friday night and Artemisia had brought me to her weekly date with three old men who played cards, chatted about their wives, kids and grandkids, smoked cigarettes like chimneys, and made her feel connected with her roots again.
And I was here with her.
I doubt she'd ever brought anyone else considering the exclamation on their faces when I arrived at the table.
The card game continued for another twenty minutes, we'd been playing cards for three hours now and Artemisia had insisted that this was our last round.
She won, as expected, and we said goodbye.
"Traelo de nuevo Arté, el Ruso habla perfecto español." One of them called as we walked out and we both laughed.
(Spanish: Bring him again Arté, the Russian speaks perfect Spanish)
It had hit 10pm, and now we were walking back to our cars parked next to one another on the opposite side of the street.
"So those guys are your..." I started, trying to figure it out in my head.
"Nothing blood related, I just met them when I came in here four years ago, played cards with them a couple times week in week out, and then we just made it a thing." She mused as we approached her car.
She leaned back against the G-wagon and looked at me, a kind smile on her face, and I wondered if she knew how difficult this was for me.
I was in love with this woman, and she had to have figured it out.
Artemisia knew I didn't do rejection, I didn't do friends, and I definitely didn't do spending three hours with old Colombians on a Friday night for fun.
She knew, and maybe she was using it to her advantage.
I didn't care though, which was irritating, because I actually enjoyed the company I kept with her. For all I thought about my feelings for her all the time, her presence calmed those feelings down and surprisingly I didn't feel that burning urge to tell her I loved her or make a move when she was next to me.
Even if I just got to spend time with her, that was more than enough.
"What are your plans?" I asked as I placed my hands in my pockets.
I'd come straight from a meeting, so I ended up in my suit minus the blazer and tie, sleeves rolled up and some buttons undone. I could tell she was having a hard time not peering at the tattoos that were being shown by the undone buttons, or the ones on my forearms and hands.
In a way it made me feel victorious.
In another way it made me annoyed that I couldn't just take her as mine.
No, that wouldn't work. This had to be slow.
And, in a way, I wanted it to be. I was genuinely enjoying the time we had together, untouched by the betrayal she was going to feel soon when I put my plan into action.
Right now we were unaffected, unbothered, normal.
"Heading home," she smiled gently, "paperwork."
"You? Paperwork? Never knew carrying out hits required admin." I chuckled and she shook her head with a smile.
"Nothing to do with that, David wants me to check some things over for him." She replied calmly
My mind was briefly drawn back to her creator.
David had created the analytic and logical machine that she became when she was on the job, more specifically when she was carrying out a hit or analysing someone in front of her.
If he could manage that, he could manage anything.
He taught her how to read people so brilliantly, and I knew that it meant he had to be able too as well.
I had a moment in my mind where I wondered if he knew what my plans were, but then I realised it was impossible.
Maybe he knew about what was going to happen, about the shipment and the chaos that would come out of it, but he didn't know about the plan I had which would precede that. It wasn't possible, Artemisia wouldn't have risked being with me now.
"Well, enjoy it." I mused, and she walked towards me and hugged me goodbye.
"I'll see you soon," she sighed, and with that she opened her door and got into the car.
I made a move to my own, and watched from the driver's seat as she drove away, disappearing around the corner of the quiet street.
And just like that, she was all I could think about.
Back again, into a pattern of waiting for her next message or phone call. Back into a pattern of seeing her everywhere she wasn't. Back into a pattern of being on alert for the wrong reasons, just in case she sailed past. Back into a pattern of feeling rage when I thought about her and Leandro.
Leandro. He was treating Arté like shit by keeping her as his mistress, and right now I was trapped, unable to say anything.
Right now.
There was an element of my plan which would shift a lot of her feeling of betrayal away from me and towards him.
I didn't want to be the bearer of more bad news. I couldn't stand the thought of it. But, another piece of information had fallen into my lap, and with the proof that I had been given, there was nothing I could do but use it at some point soon.
This news would make her realise that he would never be the man he pretended to be. This news would make her realise that he hadn't changed at all. This news would make her realise that all he would do in his life was hurt her.
This news would bring her back to me, because she was mine, and she had been since that day I met her at the gala.
I was the only one who could occasionally read her before she could do it in response, we both knew that.
I was the only one who would put it all down for her and not care about the consequences, unlike that poor excuse for a man Leandro.
I was the one between myself and my Italian counterpart who had actually defied their father.
He could have rescued her regardless, put her into hiding and saved her from another two years of torture.
Leandro had that opportunity twice and he didn't take it.
Artemisia was engaging in her own wishful thinking, and I would be the one to snap her out of it.
-
Leandro
She had been...off.
That was the best way to put it.
There was nothing lacking in her love, no traces of resentment or anger, no signs of hating me, if anything she was actually very happy to see me and wanted to spend as much time with me as she could.
But then Artemisia would fade into her own world, and it would take me a couple of attempts to bring her back to reality.
When she got lost in those spaces her expression blanked and she would just stare at whatever she had previously been doing.
Like just now, when suddenly she had stopped typing mid-message and had just stared at her phone for ages.
I mean ages. I left the room and it had already started, but I thought she was just thinking about what to say, and then five minutes later I came back into the kitchen and she was still sat on the counter, just staring at the object in her hands.
"Arté," I called, walking towards her, but I got no response. She had totally zoned out. "Artemisia Celeste Pericelo, ci sei?" I mused
(Italian: Are you there?)
She returned to consciousness and looked over at me blankly before realising what had happened and a small, embarrassed smile came to her lips.
"Sorry," she said quietly with a small shake of her head, I chuckled before wrapping my arms around her, stood between her legs as she sat on the counter.
"What's going on in that head of yours?" I murmured, tucking a piece of hair that hung over her face behind her ear
"I got some news," she sighed, tearing her eyes away from mine. I felt my body stiffen, my grip on her thighs becoming a little tighter.
"What is it?" I asked, hating the way she wasn't looking at me
"We have to go and do a job somewhere else, but I don't know how long I'll be away for." She sighed, looking back over at me.
"Where?" I asked immediately
"I don't know, David won't tell us, says this is too confidential to risk anyone finding out who it's to do with before it happens." She sighed, wrapping her arms around my shoulders.
I looked into her eyes, trying to find something. I don't know what it was, maybe a trace of a lie? Maybe hesitation or nervousness?
I couldn't find any of that, I could see sadness though.
"Can you keep in contact?" I rasped, and she hesitated for a second.
"I don't know yet Leo, we found out about it two days ago." She murmured, "most likely though, I've never had to go totally awol."
I nodded as I shut my eyes, taking in a deep breath as I processed the news of her leaving again.
And then there was the added risk of death on such an important job that she didn't even know much about.
I felt my jaw tick, and did my best to control my breathing.
"I'm gonna be fine baby," she mumbled before pressing her lips to my cheek.
"You don't know that Arté," I muttered, opening my eyes to see a pained expression on her face.
"Trust me," she rasped, "I will be."
She wanted to say something else, but stopped herself. I looked at Artemisia with confusion, wanting to know what she was keeping from me. "Say it Arté,"
There was a moment of silence between us, a look of fear appearing but vanishing as soon as it came.
"I have a bad feeling that while I'm gone Anton will start trying to bring you down. Things have been too quiet," she sighed and I nodded
"I know my love, I'm prepared." I soothed, and I watched as she shut her eyes this time. "I just need to know that you'll be safe."
"Leo, neither of us are ever safe. Don't make me tell you things I can't promise." She said quietly, bringing her gaze back to mine.
I felt a streak of pain stab my heart, the truth of her words making me resonate in the reality of our lives.
I would never be able to love this woman in the way that I wanted to, without the ties to infidelity, history and the risk of danger and death.
But what we had was more than enough for me, because all I needed in the first place was Artemisia's simple presence.
I never expected more from her at the beginning, it just happened that we fell in love.
Knowing that she was alive would've been enough to soothe me at the beginning, but now that I had her I couldn't ever let her go.
"I love you angel," I said gently, cupping her cheek, and a small smile came to her lips as she pulled me closer.
"I love you too Leo, always." Her lips found mine and we engaged in a long and passionate kiss, one that said everything we were feeling.
One that said we weren't sure what the future held but what we did know was that we had one another.
I lifted her from the counter as I continued to kiss her deeply, her legs wrapping around me as she ran her hand through my hair.
Walking us into the bedroom I felt her hips buck against me slightly, causing me to smile a little at how easily she began to feel desire.
Like it wasn't mutual.
I sat us down on the bed, her straddling me as she immediately moved her hands to the hem of my t-shirt, dragging it up my torso. I complied, pulling it over my head, feeling her hands resting on my abs as she stared at me.
I watched as she pulled her t-shirt over her head, leaving her upper body bare in front of me. I hummed in appreciation before kissing her neck, tangling my fingers in her long hair.
She suddenly stood up and I pulled her shorts along with her thong down her thighs, biting my lip at the sight of her physique. Pulling Artemisia to me, I placed a kiss on her midriff as her breathing broke a little, her hands finding my hair and gripping it slightly.
"Lie on the bed for me baby," I murmured against her skin, and she took a step back before climbing onto the bed and lying back in the middle. I stood and bit my lip, not wanting to acknowledge that I would be losing her again for an unknown period of time.
I walked over to the side, my eyes staying fixed on hers. They were filled with so much need and readiness, telling me that she was mine and I was hers. The feeling of love and wanting to protect her only grew this need inside me to prove to her how much I loved her.
She needed to remember.
I pulled her into my side, one leg bent underneath her whilst the other half of my body hung over the edge of the bed, giving myself a good view of all of her.
Slowly I ran a finger over Artemisia's slit, causing a small whimper to emerge from her lips and her chest to rise suddenly. I kissed her temple before beginning to circle her clit, kissing her temple again and again as she moaned my name softly.
I took her left hand in mine as my right worked on her clit, and she gripped onto it tight as she tipped her head back, resting it on my shoulder.
"Leo," she moaned as she turned her head into the crook of my neck
"Doing so well for me angel," I praised her as I continued to circle her clit. A moan of my name tumbled from her lips again as she gripped my thigh with her right hand. "Fuck, sound so perfect moaning my name baby."
"I'm so close Leo," she managed to breathe as her body began to tense up, I watched as her abs became more defined and her knees rose slightly from the bed, and with that I shifted her further up the bed and higher up my body, entering her with one finger, curling it gently to that sweet spot I found instantly every time.
"Doing so well for me baby," I mumbled next to her ear as I used my thumb to circle her clit slowly, entering a second finger.
"Leo," she moaned once more, her head falling back onto my shoulder. "I can't hold it."
"Let go for me angel, look and sound so beautiful right now." I rasped as I watched her eyes gently close, I felt the words get stuck in my throat slightly as I absorbed the sight of the goddess in my lap.
"I–fuck...Leandro," she managed to moan through scattered breaths, and I kissed any available bit of skin I could reach as I carried her through her high slowly.
"Well done angel," I mumbled into her ear, kissing the tip it before grazing it lightly with my teeth.
She relaxed into my body, catching her breath, and I gently moved out from underneath her, staring down into her hazed eyes as she lay there, calm. I dipped my head down, kissing Artemisia softly as she grazed her fingers down my back, sending shocks through my body.
"Want one more?" I asked as I stared into those beautiful fucking eyes.
"Please," she mumbled
I undid my jeans and slipped down my boxers and jeans at the same time, watching as Artemisia bit her lip, my erection for her in full view.
I came onto the bed next to her, lining myself up, running my dick up and down her soaked slit which triggered a Spanish expletive to slip from her lips, making me more aroused. I groaned, pressing my tip into her entrance, listening as her breath was caught short, her nails digging into my back as a result of the anticipation.
And then slowly, I moved, causing a gentle moan to slip from her lips and a low one to slip from mine.
"Jesus Arté, so fucking perfect." I grunted as I began to slowly push in and out of her. Her eyes fluttered open as I began to move inside of her, a moan of my name slipping her lips again.
"Oh my god, Leo, fuck." she cried as I drove deeper into her, my grunting growing louder. Our moans became intertwined as we melted into one another, our eyes meeting as I noticed her body beginning to give way.
I leant down and kissed her lips before kissing her forehead, finding her eyes once more. "You're incredible–my beautiful girl."
"Leandro," she moaned, tipping her head towards me, our lips colliding, vibrations of moans melting into one another.
Artemisia trailed her hand down my back as my lips disappeared to her jaw, grazing my teeth across her skin.
"Fuck, im–"
"Look at me angel," I grunted, and her hazed eyes met mine. "Let go for me when you're ready, look so unbelievably beautiful right now." I rasped, my strokes getting sloppier.
I could see it in her eyes, the moment of ascension, her eyes shutting slightly before she arched her back off the bed, her lips parting beautifully and a gentle moan leaving her lips.
The sight of it alone pushed me to the edge and I let out a list of strained and quiet expletives as I came inside of her, kissing her deeply after, not pulling out.
"Leo, you're incredible." she mumbled, the tips of my fingers trailing down her cheeks. I smiled before kissing her cheek once more, pulling out slowly and collapsing next to her on the bed.
She shifted onto her side and gave me that kind smile, and I took her hand in mine, bringing it to my lips.
"Mi mancherai artemisia," I murmured gently against her knuckle
(Italian: I'm gonna miss you Artemisia)
I watched as a flash of pain ran through her expression, but the soft smile returned and she gripped my hand a little tighter.
"Torneremo insieme prima di quanto pensiate,"
(Italian: We'll be back together sooner than you think)