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The cab pulled up the long gravel driveway making it's way past rows of enchanted forest like trees. Dawn had started to peek itself out of the starry twilight, showering the world in warm early morning sunlight. Gentle rafts of orange yellow light broke through the thick foliage of the trees to create soft patterns on the grass like stain glass windows.
Angelo stood leaning casually against his door on top of the stairs of his house, waiting for the cab to stop in front of him patiently.
He looked like a hot mess even for someone his age. At 45 Angelo was still a highly attractive man, chiseled jaw, piercing frosty blue eyes, and a gravely voice that could make your knees weaken. Had it not been for his patented glare and frozen rigid personality maybe people would actually stop steering clear of him so obviously.
This morning he looked especially tired though. His once finely pressed white t-shirt was crumpled and creased in every which way, his dark wash jeans no better, and his salt and pepper black hair was disheveled messily, having seen his anxious hands comb through them firsthand one to many times that night.
Angelo had been in his study all night filling out "important" paperwork, late into the night and then early on into the wee hours of morning, when his phone rang informing him, the guards at the front gate confirmed his daughter was finally home.
He of course had not been waiting for his beautiful 19-year-old daughter to come home from a harmless night out with her best friend like an overprotective father would have done.
Nooo! Defiantly not him Angelo thought sarcastically as he near sprinted towards the halted cab in front of him.
Angelo peeked into the clear glass windows of the cab, checking to see if his daughter was safe, only to find himself chuckling as he saw her and her best friend Sara curled up next to each other sound asleep.
With their hands gripping each other's tightly, Sara had her head lent comfortably on Essie's shoulder, and Essie's own head on top of Sara's. The girls looked peaceful as they snored quietly, snuggled together warm and content on the plush backseat of the cab. They must have been exhausted from last night's escapade Angelo thought fondly turning to the driver. He wrapped his knuckles on the front window and the cabby rolled down his window.
"Boun giorno, I take it these two are yours?" The cabby asked politely, tipping his coffee stained fedora at Angelo with respect.
"Si, allow me take them off your hands." Angelo motioned for a near by grounds guard to come over to the car.
"Take Sara to Esmeralda's room and make sure to have some of the maids get them out of their clothes and into some Pj's." Angelo ordered. He turned back to the cabby again.
"How much do I owe you?" Angelo turned again to ask the man, the cabby frowned and shook his head 'no'.
"No no no, a bello paid their fair when they left." (Handsome man) The cabby said. "Gave me quite the tip to."
"Capisco... Grazie signore." (I see) With that Angelo opened the backseat door and lifted his daughter out of the car as easily as carrying a baby. He noticed a piece of paper and a rose in the backseat, Angelo had a feeling he knew what it was but took it anyway just in case Emerald wanted it.
Her soft breathing tickled his neck as he carried her bridal style inside the house and up to her room, as Angelo passed servants they all stopped and gave a low bow waiting until he had passed to continue with their work. Angelo pretended not to hear the sigh of relief the helpers gave when he passed them by. This was a man who was not be trifled with.
Angelo was the type of man who excreted a deadly aura, it reeked of dominance, power, and fear. From his cold calculating glare that could pierce flesh like bullets to his manipulative tongue that could lead even angels astray from the path of God. The servants knew this man not as De Luca the driving force behind Italy's dark underbelly but as De Luca the man who had saved them from human trafficking and stray bullets from gang wars.
For that he had their unflinching loyalty but they were not so foolish as to think he was their friend, this man had been sired from no one but Satan himself, such was the man Angelo De Luca.
Angelo opened his daughters bedroom seeing Sara already sprawled out on it in warm Pj's he tucked Esmeralda under the sheets next to her and watched as they unconsciously scooted closer to each other for warmth even though they were still sound asleep.
He stood there watching, as his daughter continued to dream of sweet nothings lying next to her best friend after a long night like any normal girl would do. Angelo had been a monster, he still was, but finding her, and moving to America had been the best thing he had done in his life.
He reached down to gently stroke his daughters hair, she was starting to look more and more like her mother everyday, sometimes Angelo would come down the stairs to see Esmeralda cooking breakfast and humming to herself only to feel like he had been physically punched in the gut. It was hard reminding himself she was gone, but when he did he remembered how thankful he was to have revived her parting gift a little baby girl, as she left him forever.
He sighed as he walked from the room and closed the door with nary a sound as he made his way back to his office and on to real important business that awaited him on his return.
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When Emerald stirred she felt like she was coming out of a deep coma. Her head was foggy with sleep and her eyes had no will power to open. Bright beams of sunlight burned onto her sensitive closed eyelids making her turn away from the damnable light. She rolled onto her other side only to have her eyes snap open as she fell off the bed with an "Ouff".
Emerald groaned. Her body tangled in the soft white sheets of her bed, she was in no mood to get up and opted for just sleeping on the cozy rug of her floor. Pulling the blankets towards her they were heavy and stuck on something. Emerald tugged harder this time the sheets sprung free of whatever held them prisoner. Just as Emerald was snuggling into the delicious warmth of her covers she heard a load "thump!" and a moan that sounded oddly like her best friend coming from the other side of the bed.
"Sara?" She called out hoarsely.
"I know bitches better not have woken me up." Sara growled her voice muffled from the mattress in between the girls.
"I love you too darling." Emerald giggled and crawled over to Sara with the sheets still draped around her shoulders.
Sara just muttered darkly under her breath as Emerald flopped down beside her on the floor and wrapped them both in blanket. Sara was on the sunnier side of the bed so cozy beams of light soaked into their skin making the girls eyes grow heavy with sleep again. Both of the girls sighed content and drifted back into a vampiric like slumber. There was a nock on the door.
Angelo strolled into his daughters room and was welcomed with the angry snarls' of two sleepy females.
He tutted at them delighted to see the heap of entangled limbs they had become while he was gone. It was simply adorable.
"Good morning beautiful bellas." Angelo greeted them warmly. Only with his daughter could he show his affection and love to.
Emerald growled at the chipper voice of her father and Sara just rolled over portraying a very good dead possum. Angelo sighed. This was going to be hard. He tried a different method, one that wasn't cheerful morning greetings.
"Essie, Sara, I know you had a long night but the cook was very worried you wouldn't have your strength back yet from partying so late last night, he told me that he made something called a... caramel macchiato latte and freshly baked blueberry and cranberry scones? Oh and their might be some bacon on the way to-" Before he could even finish he felt a strong gust of wind nearly nock him down as he heard the musical laughter and squeals of delight coming from some now very awake teenagers.
He sighed chuckling to himself as he closed the door that had been hazardously left open in the devastating wake of two spinning blurs of tornados-for-girls behind him with a soft 'click'.
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Emerald basically nose rapped the kitchen when she set foot through the swinging doors with Sara right behind her doing the same thing. Almost instantly their target was found, locked onto, and quickly acquired as they scrambled over to the marble island hoisting themselves onto the tall barstools.
A plate of freshly baked scones stood waiting on a large platter still pipping hot from the oven, Sara made a grab for the sweet blueberry ones and Emerald dove herself at the tarter cranberry ones. A hearty chuckle behind the girls made Emerald turn around and smile through the muffin she had stuffed in her mouth.
Chief Bernoulli stood there by the stove with a sizzling pan of bacon in hand looking at the girls like a proud father. Despite them being too skinny for his likings they were his most avid eaters in the house and he loved their enthusiasm for food as much as he loved cooking it for them.
"I take it you did not eat last night?" Chief Bernoulli asked his heavy French Italian accent making it hard to understand him for most people, though to Emerald and Sara this was just a normal morning conversation understanding everything he said no problem. Emerald nodded.
Though Chief Bernoulli was born in Italy his mother had been French, when he started to cook and grow serious about pursuing it as a carrier he studied in France after learning everything he could about Italian cooking. For 7 years he had studied in France, having started study there at age 18. He was a culinary genius. Upon completing his training in France, he made his way into the culinary world with a bang like an atom bomb. An instant success, Emerald still had no idea how her father had convinced him to become their in-home private chief but she was certainly grateful he had.
Emerald grabbed another scone as Bernoulli placed two large plates of bacon, sausage, and steaming hash fries in front of the girls. Baked goods forgotten they dug into the plates like starving rabid hyenas. Another chief brought out two elegant but small cups of their caramel Macchiato Latte, the aroma driving the girls crazy with its orgasmic like powers.
After at least 20 minutes of solid silence and unnatural human bacon/ scone devouring the girls finally surfaced for air much to the surprise of Chief Bernoulli who was in the ready position to quickly whip up more of whatever they liked.
"Chief Bernoulli you are a culinary genius who's cooking I don't think I could ever live without." Emerald gushed sweetly, Sara nodded her head, seconding that motion.
Bernoulli narrowed his eyes, the sneaky ella demonio (she devil) was up to something.
While Chief loved both girls to death he was never quite fond of their overwhelming appetites some days. Often times he would come into the kitchen ready for work only to find nearly all his ingredients gone and the junk food and snacks vanished into thin air. Had it not been for the obvious trail of sour cream chips, stray chocolate chips from cookies, and splatters of orange sherbet ice cream leading to the very familiar door of Esmeraldas room, Chief would have ripped out his remaining hair and gone crazy from buying groceries all the time.
Emerald was always nice to him but when she wanted something from him she oozed sweet like melted gummies, overbearing and sticky to the point of cavity. Sara just giggled knowing her friend was up to something.
"Beautiful vixen of malvagio what do you want?" (Evil) Chief asked wearily waiting for the Guillotine to drop and chop off his head.
"I would like to invite Sara and a few others over for dinner tonight if you don't mind. Papa has a meeting and it should be no trouble." Emerald batted her eyes like fans in scorching summer heat and smiled like a cat with a mouse in its paws. Chief nearly had a heart attack, a large party on such short notice!?
Emerald pouted her eyes starting to water a bit and Chief found his resolve quickly weaken, he really stood no chance against this child, even though he knew he had just been played.
He sighed. "Ok, ok, ok! You may have a few friends over tonight, BUT! Do not expect any five course meals!" Chief said adamantly but Emerald knew he would produce something close to heaven anyway. It was his pride as a chief.
Emerald laughed delightedly along with Sara as they talked animatedly on what they should do to prepare just as her father strolled into the kitchen.
Angelo was not surprised when he walked into a bustling kitchen to the distinct sounds of giggling and animated chatter coming from the girls.
"Do I even want to know?" Angelo asked his Chief with a sigh. Bernoulli just shook his head 'no' wallowing in self-pity as he thought of all the food that would go missing from his freshly stalked pantry tonight before waddling off to start last minute dinner preparations.
Angelo turned to his daughter and Sara.
"Essie you remember I have that meeting tonight?" He asked. Emerald nodded he had told her while they had been on the plane home from America yesterday. It was true that she had literally kidnapped Sara to go to the club as soon as she got home from the airport.
"Good, good." Angelo said absentmindedly as he grabbed a piece of bacon to chew on. Emerald noticed her father had changed, no longer in his simple casual clothes he was now decked out smartly in a well-tailored solid black luxurious suit. His hair slicked back perfectly and his shoes polished to a blinding shine.
"Papa, be safe ok?" Emerald worried cutely. Angelo smiled fondly at her his heart swelling with love and pride. How had he gotten so lucky as to be blessed with such a wonderful child? Especially after all he had done in his life his thoughts darkened.
"Of course my amare. I'm heading out now, be good and call me if you make anymore plans tonight ok?"(Love) Angelo said sternly.
"Ok Papa." Emerald smiled like an angel but there was no mistaking that sparkling glint of mischief in her eyes. He shook his head grinning at how this child would be the death of him as he strolled out of the house and into the waiting car.
"Where to sir?" His chauffer asked.
"The Cavern." Angelo ordered.
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More to come if voted upon!