When I arrived in Ohio, I immediately checked into my hotel and unpacked my things. It was the 14th of August 2008, I was in the city of Ohio, taking an art class to get to know Mrs Andrea Concertino, whose husband was a part of an exportation site for stolen paintings. That assignment was the only glimpse of freedom that I had seen since uncle Donny was killed.
It was ten o'clock am when I was standing behind my canvas and easel, along with fourteen other girls. We all stood in a circle, waiting for the nude model to arrive.
"Do you think she'll let me get a coffee?" A deep voice asked from behind me.
From experience, I knew that the only people who brought food and beverages into an art studio were the ones with a death wish. I turned around slowly to tell him just that.
"I wouldn't, she'll most likely...." I trailed off when my eyes meet his, "Gabe?"
And then it all came back, the addictive kisses, his soft hazel eyes, the olive skin tone, the chocolate brown hair. The last time that I had seen Gabriello Larrunzario, was nocte fractorum - the night uncle Donny was killed, six months earlier.
"Taylor" Gabe smiled.
What is he doing here? Are we on the same job?
"What are you-" I raised my brows.
"When you're ready Mr Smith" Mrs Concertino, the woman running the art class looked over to Gabe.
That's when I realised he was wearing a robe. Gabe walked into the centre of the circle before dropping his robe, revealing every inch of his body.
I stood stunned for a moment while everyone else began painting. Once I had recovered, I picked up my paint brush.
When the class was over, I hid behind my canvas.
"Not bad," Gabe admired from behind me.
"You can't say that when the subject is you" I smirked, twisting my body around slowly.
"Well you paint it well" he half smiled. "How you been?"
"Well...." I trailed off.
It was a hard question. If it were anyone else asking I would have said that I was well, without any hesitation but Gabe wasn't just anyone. He knew me too well.
"That bad huh?" He cocked a brow.
I shook my head slowly "No...everything's fine"
"I heard about your uncle," he admitted, "if it makes you feel better three of my uncles also died that night..."
"I'm sorry" I looked down.
"No, you're not" he lifts my chin.
"I've missed you" I chewed on my lower lip.
"I've missed you too....but really how have you been?" He repeated himself.
"Better" I admitted.
Now that you're here.
"I know that feeling," Gabe nodded while we walked out the studio. "How's Katie?"
Surprisingly, Katie managed to fit right in to the Ashton family. After all, she hated the Larrunzario's as much as we did.
"Good" I nodded. "....so what are you doing here?"
"Same as you" he informed me, "investigating the transmission site"
"Hmm...well its nice to see you with some clothes on" I smiled as we climbed down the stairs. "I mean, couldn't you just take the class like I did"
"I would have but I have zero artistic talent" Gabe pointed out.
"But you do have a great bod, right?" I cocked a brow, my lips forming a slight smile.
"Now you're getting it" he snapped his fingers, ".....so what have you been up to?"
It was like no time had passed. Our conversations still ran as smoothly as ever, making it difficult to hide my sheepish grin.
"Nothing," I tell him honestly, "this is actually the first job that I've pulled in six months" His eyes widened in surprise. "...Uncle Nate seems to think that I'm a porcelain doll...fragile. Needs to be kept behind glass"
"I can imagine" Gabe nodded. "...You're different"
"In what way?" I asked when we reached the sidewalk, outside the studio.
"I can't explain it but something's different," Gabe insisted, "...It's like you've finally got your shit together...or maybe that's just what you want people to believe"
I looked down and smiled. My heart beating quicker now.
"Well, it was good seeing you again" I nodded walking away from Gabe slowly.
"See you tomorrow" I heard him cry.
Once I made it back to my hotel room I poured myself some Bourbon and then began doing chin-ups on the door frame. I couldn't stop picturing their faces. Uncle Donny, Paige, and Jason. Which each rep, it felt as though the weight on my shoulders was growing heavier and heavier. I just wanted time to freeze, that way, I had enough time to run so far that no one could ever catch me.
"Jason stop, put the gun down! This isn't you!" I screamed, my eyes wide and fearful.
"I need to do this, Taylor," My cousin clenched his jaw, his eyes welling up with tears.
"Hey, we can call uncle Nate and he can fix this" I took a step towards him fearfully.
"Do you know what its like to be around him every day, knowing what he's done?" His hands shake uncontrollably.
I jumped off the door frame, slapping my hands over my forehead as an attempt to pause the memory.
The next morning, I woke up on the floor of my hotel room with a bottle of bourbon in my hand. My wristwatch sat a few feet away and read ten o'clock. My class started in twenty minutes. I walked to my suitcase that sat on my bed, where I pulled out the first pair of jeans and tee shirt that I found. I then ran out of my hotel room. I couldn't mess this up, if I did, uncle Nate would never trust me again.
When I burst through the front doors of the studio, everyone snaps their heads in my direction. Just like the day before, Gabe was posing with a group of women painting around him.
"Quickly, Ms Davids" Ms Concertino clapped her hands.
She stood by the window with the ends of her eyeglasses in her mouth and her eyes focused on Gabe's body.
"Sorry, Ms" I apologised, dropping my handbag beside my easel and began painting.
Suddenly a phone started to buzz. Ms Concertino pressed her cell phone against her ear, her eyes still on Gabe.
"Oh yes, I see" she nodded, "you'll have to call my husband, I don't really know...oh...well you'll have to ask my husband..tell Stacey I say hi...yeah..yeah...take care, by Jimmy"
I furrow my brows before meeting Gabe gaze, who was also making a mental note of the conversation. I wasn't sure exactly what Gabe's assignment was but mine was simple. Figure out who was running the exportation site so we could join in.
I need to find out if anyone knows a Jimmy, married to Stacy who is involved in the forgery business.
"Is this a little too-" a young British asked.
"Dark yes" Ms Concertino finished, "but that's okay...it your interpretation" Ms smiled before walking around the circle. "Good, very good, are you alright? Ms Davids?"
"Huh?" I look up to see Ms Concertino with furrowed brows.
I was deep in thought, trying to piece together the exportation site mystery. Of course, I couldn't let her know that.
"Are you alright?" She repeated.
"Yes, why wouldn't I be?" I blinked.
"Its just you look a little dazed" she admitted.
"No, I'm fine really" I smiled, shifting my gaze to the canvas.
After class, I didn't hesitate to leave the studio as soon as possible. When I crossed the street, my phone began to to ring. The caller ID told me it was my family's home phone.
"Taylor" Uncle Jared greeted.
"Hi, uncle Jared" I continued to walk down the sidewalk, "what's up?"
"Uh, it's about Donny" he started slowly, making my heart to drop "we were able to locate his will earlier today...."
I stopped in my tracks "what did it say?"
We were trying to locate the will since he died. This was a victory for all of us, but especially his children.
"He left everything to his kids...."
"Well, I assumed so..." I continued walking.
"No, Taylor" he sighed, "let me finish...he left everything to his kids...and you"
I paused for a moment "me? Why would he leave me anything?"
"Who knows" Uncle Jared said, "you'll see when you get back...take care"
"Bye," I ended the call.
I looked down, holding back my tears. I felt as though I were being tormented, like uncle Donny's ghost was preventing all of us from moving on. I was beginning to feel physically and emotionally drained by the lingering nightmares of that night.
I feel like I'm losing my mind.
"Snap out of it, Taylorina" I shook my head.
"This isn't you! We can call uncle Nate and he'll make you feel like you again!" I screamed. "Put the gun down, Jason"
"Taylor" I heard a voice from beside me.
I jumped, my eyes glaring at him dangerously.
"Gabe" I gasped.
"I'm sorry, did I scare you?" He raised a brow.
"No" I shook my head.
"Right," Gabe flashed me a half smile, "well, tell me you caught the phone call"
"Yeah, but I don't know a guy named Jimmy married to someone named Stacy" I admitted as we began walking side by side.
"Well lucky for you, I do," he said smug, "are you okay? You don't seem....you"
It was amazing how fast he caught that. That observation made me miss him even more.
"I'm just tired" I assured. He raised his brow suspiciously. "I am!"
"Taylor, I can't work with you if you're not completely honest with me" he folded his arms. "I thought we established this last time"
"Gabe, can we just focus on the problem at hand for once? who are Jimmy and Stacy?"
"Alias of Giacoma and Anastasia Esposito" Gabe finished.
"Esposito?" I widened my eyes. "I haven't seen them in years"
"You know the Esposito's?" Gabe blinked.
I knew Anastasia's brother in law's family - the Koleawiskis's. Uncle Donny was married to one of them. Together they had their three kids: Tyler, Lila and Chris.
"My cousins are related to the Koleawiskis" I explained, "they have direct links to the Esposito's"
"Would they know about the exporting site?" He asked.
"I don't know but its worth a shot" I raised my brows.