Vincenzo was staring at Terza intently as he was resting his hand on either side of her on the wall. She had her back to the wall as she was staring back at him breathlessly after they had an intense kissing session.
Vincenzo shook his head "You arrived at this meeting on time but it is too bad you arrive without permission and you have brought uninvited company with you too. You know trespassers are not welcome here... Do you know what I do to uninvited guests?" He then leaned closer and whispered "Do you want me to show you."
His breath on he cheek was making her tickle. She said with a hint of a smile "Would you rather I came here with no guards and protection?"
Vincenzo pulled away slightly "No. I wish you came with a proper army. These guards are obviously not fit to protect you. Not like how I can and my people can."
Terza defended "They did fine actually until Vitale came along. You can't hold it against my people. You wouldn't dare hurt them. They are my people."
Vincenzo gave out a dark chuckle "Tsk Tsk Terza. You should know not to dare me by now. Haven't I thought you not to?" Then, his expression turned serious "Also I would like to correct you. My people are your people too."
Terza sighed "You call your people mine when you don't call my people yours. Vincenzo let's end this argument right now and get to the point. You proved your point that your territory can't be invaded. Your border control of your territory is quite good. Now tell me is this over now? Are you letting my people and I go now?"
Vincenzo said I thought you wanted to drop by in my meeting. Why waste a trek Terza. Of course you can go once you get what you need. I will escort you to safety but your purple will stay."
Terza said " We are Irish. We have immunity. If you hurt my body guards there will be war."
Vincenzo retorted "As if what we already have is peace. I am sorry to break it to you Terza but the tensions are rising. My uncle Angelo's wife is hunted by your big brother and refusing to take any offers of peace on the table. There are plenty tensions in the business relations between the Irish and Italians while FBI is closing in looking for weaknesses in our defences to bring our walls down. The peaceful times are ending. It is time for nemesis. It's the era of the survival of the most intelligent and the annihilation of the careless criminals. Terza ... don't attempt to threaten me on my own land. It is to no avail to do so."
Terza said "Is it inconvenient if I do so. Why is that?"
He kissed her cheek as he whispered "Because Terza you are my territory. You can't threaten what's part of you. You are part of me and I am part of you."
Terza had enough "Its been nice catching up... I should take my leave now and I will come back to take my people to safety." She then tried to side step him but he leaned closer to her trapping her.
Terza sighed "Vincenzo. What do you want from me?"
Vincenzo said "Defeat. Surrender... remorse... penance .... but I will wave all that for another kiss." He then bridged his lips against hers "Terza. Don't deny me your touch. I need it now..." He then slowly attached his lips to hers. He was gentle. He tried not to be rough. He tried not to be forceful. He was mad at her. But a gentle kiss tastes better.
As Vincenzo pulled away he took a step away from her and stated "Fine. If you want to leave, I let you. I take you to safety but when you come back for your people don't expect anything to be left of them. They trespassed."
Terza took a step closer to him " You wouldn't dare."
Vincenzo said "Don't dare me Terza. I warn you. I will make it worse."
Terza stared at him "Are you serious?"
Vincenzo said "Yes Terza."
Terza spoke quickly "I do a deal with you. Let them go unharmed and we can negotiate
Vincenzo raised an eyebrow "Deal. You will stay ... I will take you see my family and dine with them... it's time for me to introduce you to them as my girlfriend. Then I let you go with your people."
Terza asked "What? See your family? You haven't even done that. You said you don't eat at the same table with them knowing your father doesn't do the same..."
Vincenzo shook his head "This is different Terza. I don't see any point in dining with them when I don't have you right next to me. Now you are here. I see a purpose to do dine with them. I have to make it official who you are. With you being there it doesn't feel wrong. It feels right. It has to Hepplewhite Terza. What do you say Terza. Deal?"
Terza was taken back "So I just go see your family and you forget this ever happened? That's all... What is the catch?"
Vincenzo said "There is no catch. I don't need to be too harsh with you Terza. I am happy to see you. I don't like how you risked your safety but your guards are good at their job but Vitale is too good as my head of security and second in charge."
Terza found it strange how his tone was soft "Why are you suddenly so nice to me? A trespasser?"
Vincenzo said "You are not being hostile and you are being co-operative which I like. I know it won't last forever. But I like it when you do as I say."
Terza replies "Don't get used to it. I only do it because I have to in order to protect my people. I feel responsible for them."
Vincenzo said "You are speaking like a true Irish queen dealing with a Roman emperor." He then offered her hand for her to take "Let's go."
Terza slapped his hand "I am not holding your hand. You are holding my people hostage."
Vincenzo said "Terza. This is my land. You don't slap me on my land. Don't do it out there in public or I will make an example of your soldiers you have brought."
Terza said "I thought I was your girl. Don't I have the right to slap your hand?"
Vincenzo said "You are an Irish Queen. I am a roman emperor. We are not married. Are we? So no. Until you take my name you can't slap me around with no consequence to you and your people but ..."
Terza said in an amused tone "But one I marry you then I can?"
Vincenzo said "No. I just make sure I would never give you a reason to push me away. Once I have you Terza, I won't let you go and won't give you an excuse to want to leave me. I will make sure you will always want to hold my hand. It's just a hand holding Terza. I am not kissing you in public. What do you take my people for. I can't even let you sleep in the same house as me tonight if tradition has it's way."
Terza said "Hold on. I am not sleeping here tonight. You said you will let me go with my people."
Vincenzo said "Yes I did. But I didn't say when. Did I? Don't look at me like that Terza. I am not going to leave you at the mercy of the night once we say good night after you see my family. I take you to safety tomorrow when it's bright. You are stuck here tonight."
Terza sighed "Isn't your family sleeping already right now?"
Vincenzo said "No, they stay awake till very late most nights. It's part of the family culture... They have already dined but would be happy to show you hospitality on even late into the night."
Terza said "So if I stay the night you will let my people go and me?"
Vincenzo spoke sounding frustrated "Stop calling them your people. It bothers me Terza. Your people are here too."
Terza took a step closer to Vincenzo and stared him down "It makes not much sense to me Vincenzo when you don't even treat these people as your own. You call them your own because there is no denying it. But you don't love them. I never understood your relationship with these people in particular with your grandfather."
Vincenzo closed his eyes and put his hands in his pocket as he said "The Lord saves souls when men can't ...."
This left Terza baffled not knowing what he was talking about. She waited for him to speak more and didn't comment.
When he opened his eyes Vincenzo said "Terza. You don't need to understand my relationship. Know that families are sacred in my culture. I do respect my family even if I don't truly love them."
Terza pressed on "Tell me Vincenzo. Why can't you be more open about how you feel?"
Vincenzo said "Why can't you stop asking about a topic that you know lights a fire in me when I have the life of your body guards in my hands? Terza. You don't want to go there right now."
Terza said "This is as good as a time as any Vincenzo. I have tried so hard making sense of your feelings towards two people in your life to no avail. One is your grandfather and one is Cristina Constantini."
Vincenzo replied "Go on. Tell me then. Have you made sense of these relationships?"
Terza said "Not yet. I want you to tell me because I don't know what to think. With Cristina, you love her but not like that. You look at her like how you look at your cousin..."
Vincenzo said "She is just my best friend."
Terza said "That's what I don't understand. How can you have any best friends? How did she get through to you when you don't let anybody in?"
Vincenzo objected "There is an inaccuracy there... I do let family in."
Terza said "She is not family."
Vincenzo said "She is as good as."
Terza asked "Why?"
Vincenzo said "Why not? Terza, you won't get any information out of me if I don't wish to share it with you right now..."
Terza stepped closer "I am persuasive Vincenzo. I will get the information I want from you by any means necessary."
Vincenzo gave her w mischievous smile as he stepped closer to her making her wary. She was about to step back but Vincenzo wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close to him "You want to try now? Let's try it."
Terza was confused "Try what?"
Vincenzo stated "You said you will use any means necessary. Go on. Use your means Terza. I am waiting. But don't be surprised if I use my means to. There is a law of physics Terza in case you have forgotten that says every action has a reaction. Take action and see the reaction."
Terza sighed "Vincenzo. I will need the element of surprise for that. Won't I. I can't use my means when you are watching me ... this closely."
Vincenzo said "You know, you are entertaining me here with your come backs. I like it. So I say don't waste your energy here. Save some energy for entertaining me later when we are alone. When we step outside I need you to compromise. I can't have my Irish queen running rogue in Sicily. Just compromise"
Terza said "Why should I compromise when you don't even tell me who Cristina is?"
Vincenzo said "It's not as complicated as you think Terza. How deep do you want to go and how much of it you are going to handle? Have you ever asked yourself that? Can you handle my secrets Terza? Be careful what you wish for. I just thought I give you a break until the day I marry you and make you my wife. That day would be the wedlock day. Wedlock is a meaningful word. You will be locked in a bond with me and there is no escape to wedlock except death."
Terza said "There is divorce." She then gulped as she saw his eyes widen with hands balled into fists. He did make his feelings about divorce pretty clear wordlessly. He was a man of honour with every intention to honour every wedding vow. He was going to take care of his woman and despised those who didn't. He didn't want to be someone he despised and had no respect for. Terza had been through this conversation with Vincenzo before and wanted to test the waters... Vincenzo didn't think a man who divorced his woman was worthy. So did he see his grandfather as unworthy for divorcing his wife all those years ago? She had asked but he had chosen not to answer.
Terza said "Look. Don't take it to heart. I am just stating the fact."
As though she had made it worse Vincenzo then pressed his lips and closed his eyes. He then made the sign of a cross as he prayed in Latin under his breath.