C A T A L I N A
If I was a duck, all my life problems would be solved.
I think it's very rude that I wasn't born a little ducky.
Quack.
With my eyes half open and my body sore from the crouched position I was in all night, I wandered around Mr. Gangster's home. He hasn't been here since he told me to sleep on the ground last night.
Like heck I was going to listen to that rude fella. I ended up raiding his fridge and sitting by the window all night. Watching people from where I was sitting is by far, the most interesting thing i've done my entire life. They looked like tiny ant people, I felt like a giant.
Technically, I am a giant. My dangerous height of five-feet-five keeps everyone around me shivering in their boots.
The sudden intrusion of loud talking invaded the area, filling the spacious apartment with echoes.
"He doesn't want her to work for him, don't you find it weird?"
"That just means he's gonna kill her," I heard another voice respond.
I gulp. Are they talking about me? I can't die. That's not allowed.
My heartbeat raced against my chest as I held in my breath, not wanting my presence to be known. I needed to think of an escape plan; as lovely as this place is, it's not for me.
"I don't wanna fucking kill her, bro. Don't need innocent blood on my hands."
"Nobody's innocent, you know that. And if you don't kill her, Enzo's just gonna make her death more painful."
Afraid and alerted, I laid my body flat on the marble floors so that I could glide myself towards the kitchen and grab a knife. The bigger, the better.
Hehe.
Bad Cat. No dirty thinking.
As i'm sliding across the floor like the trained assassin that I am, I decided to say a prayer in case today's my last day on this lovely earth.
Dear Sky Man,
Please don't let me die today. I think it would be rude if I died at the hands of a man. I also think that's sexist and downright wrong. I promise to never shake my patootie again, or kill a rodent. The last time I killed a rat was an accident, I promise. And the time before that was also an accident. So was the time before that. Thank you. Bless.
By the time I finished saying my prayer, I found myself already in the kitchen. My hand inched towards the drawer with all the cutlery and I scanned the organized, shiny silverware for a butter knife.
A pretty butter knife with fancy designs wrapped around the body caught my eye, causing me to whisper out a compliment.
Gently, I picked up the knife and hid it behind my back as I tip toed through the kitchen. The living room soon came into view, allowing me to see the door that led to my freedom.
Mustering up all the courage I had stored inside of me, I hurriedly walked towards the door, muttering: "I'm not here, i'm not here" over and over again.
As I approached the door, my brows furrowed at the sight of there not being a door handle.
What in the rich?
Do I have to use an excessive amount of brain power to open this?
"Open sesame?" I questioned the door, wondering if it could hear me.
When that didn't work, I huffed in my spot, not appreciating the lack of cooperation from the door.
"Listen, I just need to get on the other side. If you could be so kind as to let me through, I won't speak a word of this to your boss-"
My eyes perked up when I saw a shiny black device beside the door. It looked mean just sitting there stuck to the wall, like it was mocking me for not having noticed it earlier.
Still afraid that i'd get caught any second, I checked behind me to make sure that I wasn't being watched.
Just as my finger was about to tap the blacked out screen, the front door that I was standing right in front of, opened.
I bit my lip to contain a gasp, my eyes wide and body glued to its spot.
Standing there, I hesitated before saying a word. Eyeing Lorenzo's tall, muscular figure up and down, I asses the best way to approach him.
He looks rather... bored; his lips plump and free from any tension holding them to a certain expression. His eyes, however, contrasted in a way that changed his entire face. There was a daring gleam in them, as if he was taunting me.
Stepping inside and making sure not to touch me, he ignores my presence and allows the guard behind him to shut the door, closing my gate to freedom.
"Hi! Do you think you can let me go back home now? I can pay you back with," I checked the pockets of the leather jacket I was wearing, the one that belonged to Nix, "Two dollars and half a piece of gum."
When I looked back up from my hand that contained the price I was willing to pay for my freedom, I saw that nobody was in the main entrance of the apartment anymore, leaving me alone.
Why is everyone always leaving me.
Sniffling, I say some not so nice things to myself so that I don't end up a crying b-word.
"I'm supposed to take you shopping for whatever it is you may need," a deep voice speaks, making me jump in my spot.
"Marco, hi!" I smiled at him, "How are you?"
He keeps a straight face as he lifts one of his brows, nodding his head towards the butter knife that I had firmly gripped in my sweaty hand.
"I was shaving-"
"She ate all the cupcakes," Rocco interrupts as he glares at me, stepping next to Marco.
"That wasn't me." I'm such a smooth liar, nobody suspects a thing.
Marco smirked at my response, following it with the shake of his head when Rocco walked away, bad words in Italian spewing from him.
"Have you been given any toiletries to wash up?"
The softness his deep voice held made my timid demeanor reappear, making me bite the inside of my cheek as I redirected my eyes towards my sock clad feet.
"Love?"
I kept my head down and shook my head no. The fear that his gentleness evoked is something that happens quite often.
I'm not used to kind people that treat me with a soft hand. I believe that I have reason to be weary of him, for his kind act could all be a facade. If that's the case, I don't want to end up disappointed in the end, so it's best that I prepare myself in advance and avoid attaching myself to him.
"Let's get you cleaned up and then get you whatever you need, yeah?"
A smile attacked my face, appreciating how kind he was being to me. Even if it isn't genuine, I still appreciate it. "Yeah," I affirmed.
When I locked eyes with him, I found mine widening at the sight of him holding the butter knife that was in my hand merely moments ago.
Is he a magician? How on earth did he do that?
"You stole the knife from me, mister, hand it over."
"I'm afraid that I don't trust you with this, my apologies, miss."
✫*ﾟ･ﾟ｡.☆.*｡･ﾟ✫*
Curiously, I watched the lively city from my seat. The tinted window of Lorenzo's SUV didn't allow me to fully see the vibrant colors that the outside world held; the thought bothered me but when I tried to put my window down, the driver put it back up.
I had yet to know the drivers name since he wouldn't respond to me, something about not knowing whether or not he was allowed.
"Mister Driver, I just wanna smell the toxic fumes of the city, I promise I won't jump out if you open the window."
Marco let out a chuckle beside me, continuing to type away on his phone. "Parla con lei o non starà zitta."
Talk to her or she won't shut up
The driver let out a laugh before finally responding to me. "My apologies miss..."
"Catalina Adilene Cadieux!" My government name accidentally spilled out, I was too excited of the fact that he finally talked to me to even care. If he wants to steal my identity and frame me for murder then he has all he needs. I think he'd also need my social security number but if he asked kindly enough then i'd give it to him.
Maybe I should have lied about my name or added "assassin" in front of it so that he'd know not to mess with me.
"My, my, what a pretty name. Andrea Brando at your service, Miss Cadieux."
Smiling, I played with the soft material of the sweats I was wearing to occupy myself as I looked outside in awe.
Since I took a shower and my old clothes were rather icky and dirty, Marco supplied me with a pair of gray sweatpants and a forest green crewneck. The clothes were large; the sleeves went past my hands but that didn't matter to me since I don't like looking at the short and stubby sausages anyway.
That's so mean.
I'm sorry, hands.
You still work and help me pick up food and pet animals so I shouldn't be so rude.
The sweatpants went past my feet, making me feel like I was a penguin with the way I waddled around the apartment. I think Marco was really annoyed with me when I began to argue with him about what sounds a penguin made. He said that they didn't quack but I just quacked to him in response, not wanting to argue when I was obviously right.
He was going to roll my pants up for me until I flinched, making him furrow his brows at me in concern. I simply explained to him that I was just break dancing and began to beatbox so that he wouldn't follow up with any questions.
"We've arrived," Andrea, the driver that knows my government name, announced.
Excited, I tried my best to suppress a squeal when I saw that we were parked outside of a galleria. I know that every boutique inside of here is extremely overpriced, which is why I was a little worried. I was kind of hoping we could have went thrifting.
How do I tell them that I only have two dollars and half a piece of gum.
I can't even use the two dollars since i'm supposed to buy my freedom back from Mr. Pretty Gangster. I hope he accepts my generous offer. He's lucky I don't just headbutt him and knock him out cold.
Jumping outside of the car in a hurry, I ran over to Marco's side and opened the door for him.
Wait.
Wait a second.
Wait a fudging minute.
Realizing that I could just escape right here and right now, I gently closed Marco's door and made a run for it.
I dashed out of the parking lot faster than my father dipped out of my life.
Not funny.
Maybe a little.
Exhausted, I took deep and heavy breaths as I put my hands on my head to let my lungs expand to full capacity. I thought I made it far but when I turned around, the car was only about ten feet away, making me groan.
I've never been in shape.
When I saw that Marco was jogging up to me, I internally kicked myself in the patootie so that i'd continue running.
"Catalina, come here!"
I didn't bother saying anything back since I felt really bad that I just ran away from a potential friend.
I bet we could have been best friends had I not ran away.
Stopping for the second time, I bent over slightly and placed my hands on my knees. "Wait- wait, give me a second. I just need to breathe and then we can resume."
"Catalina, stop. I promise I won't harm you in any way, and neither will anybody else as long as you cooperate with us."
"I just wanna go home and be with my friends," I pouted and sucked in my bottom lip when it began to shake.
"I know. I completely understand but you being out of our sight is a liability. A risk. One that we aren't willing to take."
Whether or not it was noticeable to Marco, I was backing away from him, walking backwards like that little Michael Jackson dance move.
A scream erupted from me when I felt my body being lifted up into the air, large hands firmly gripping my armpits.
Although I tried my best to remain calm, the pit in my stomach and lump in my throat only grew. Somebody had picked me up and was now walking me back to the large SUV.
My legs were kicking back and forth, an attempt to free myself from the death grip this insanely strong person had on me.
"Put me down, please!" The broken strain to my voice brought back memories from times that i'd much rather forget.
My pleads were ignored until I was thrown inside the backseat of the car.
I'm sure they could have used different methods of persuasion to get me to come back. Maybe if they offered me a grilled cheese sandwich, then I would have come back without a fight.
"Love, please listen to me."
I nodded as I refrained from making eye contact with Marco, afraid that he'd make fun of me if he saw the blanket of tears fogging my vision.
"I know that you're overwhelmed and you have yet to process what has happened, but i'm sure you'll feel better after we go shopping. You can buy whatever the hell you want, there's no limit. Just don't try to run away again."
Embarrassed, I quickly wiped my eyes with the back of my hands as I looked up at him. I was hesitant to say something since I didn't know whether or not my voice was strong enough. The lump in my throat was lodged there, unfortunately.
I pictured an entire pool filled with Capri-Sun and began to take control of my breath, counting back from ten to help aid with that.
✫*ﾟ･ﾟ｡.☆.*｡･ﾟ✫*
"Eeny, meeny, miny, moe," I muttered under my breath as I tried to pick which hoodie I wanted.
Even though Marco said there was no limit, I felt guilty for using any money that wasn't mine. I tried to keep my budget under fifty bucks but everything inside this galleria is at least over a hundred.
"You want both of those? They're cute, look kinda big though."
Startled by the sudden voice, I placed my hand on my heart to soothe myself. Marco loves scaring me out of nowhere so i'm going to have to get back at him sometime soon.
"Um, I prefer oversized clothing," I shared.
He chuckled while simultaneously grabbing the thick brown and pink hoodie from my hand, placing them over his forearm alongside every other item of clothing that I took a glance at.
"I promise I don't need all that, a simple shirt will do."
"Don't worry about it, keep shopping."
"I don't need anything, I swear."
He rolled his eyes before calling the lady that was organizing a rack of clothing.
"Yes Marco, dear?"
"Gloria." Her name was just as pretty as she was. Unlike me, she was dressed just like everybody else here: classy and formal. Her soft eyes oozed a calm and gentle aura around her, the wrinkles around her lips and eyes only making her look friendlier and safe.
"What can I do for ya?" She smiled at the both of us, her Brooklyn accent thick through her words.
"Need you to pick out whatever would look good on my friend here. No budget, go crazy-"
"-Ahhh, go stupid, ahhh," I interrupted, stifling laughter in the process.
I didn't miss the fact that he called me his friend. I cant believe it, i've already made another friend.
✫*ﾟ･ﾟ｡.☆.*｡･ﾟ✫*
It's been at least five hours since we started shopping. Marco said all the bags would be delivered to Lorenzo's apartment so we didn't have to worry about it.
Throughout our entire day, I noticed that we were being followed by the same five people. The realization made a pit simmer deep in my stomach, making me feel unsettled. I didn't want to bring it up since I thought I was being paranoid, but I had to express my worries with Marco when the sudden urge to throw up appeared.
"Whats gotten you so sick?"
"I'm not crazy- wait, no, that's what a crazy person would say. I'm crazy and I think we're- no, now you probably think i'm a crazy person that's just self aware."
"Cat, breathe for me"
My heart soared when he used my nickname, it only made the fact that we were friends official.
"I think we were being followed earlier today."
He sighed, unbuckling our seatbelts when we parked outside of Lorenzo's building. "They're bodyguards, they'll be around us anytime we go out. You won't notice them since they blend in with the crowd but I guess you've just got a good eye."
I bid Andrea a goodnight as I stepped out of the car, handing him the half piece of gum I had in my pocket as a little present since I needed the two dollars to buy my life back. We also made up a handshake together and I gave him a pink hair tie that I had on my wrist so that he could wear it as a bracelet and remember me.
As I was waiting for Marco to open the door into the apartment, I tapped my fingers on the side of my thigh and gnawed on my bottom lip. Truth be told, I wasn't really looking forward to being back here.
I miss Jenny and Nix and working at the shop. The three of us all shared an apartment and I would sleep next to Nix since I felt safer that way.
Jenny didn't want me to sleep with her when I first asked since she needed space and privacy, which I completely understand. I just wish we spent more time with each other now that i'm gone.
As I padded my way inside the apartment, I found Lorenzo, Rocco, and Paolo all together in the living room.
Lorenzo was sitting on the white leather couch, his knees spread apart as he ruffled his tattooed hand through his dark hair. When I came into view, his gaze slowly traveled towards me.
His intense eyes soaked in my appearance, making me feel naked under his stare. I could tell he was mainly focusing on the clothes I was wearing as he poked the inside of his face cheek with his tongue, making it look like he had something to say.
Standing up, he cocked his head to the side, beckoning me over to follow him.
So is this where I die? I haven't even negotiated for my life yet, what a rip off.
"Enzo-" I swiftly cut myself off when he turned around in the middle of the hallway, a single thick brow lifted in a threatening manner. "Can I not call you that?"
"No," he finally spoke.
"Okay... I just wanted to let you know that I have a hefty amount of money to offer in return for my freedom."
He continued walking through the halls, taking me up a flight of stairs as he paid no mind to me. I took that as my green light to continue talking.
"I will not disclose the amount of money I'm willing to offer just yet. I'll be ready to pay it when you let me go- whoa." I was left speechless when he opened a door to reveal a dark room.
The floor was blanketed with a soft carpet, one that covered nearly the entire space of the large room. The walls were high, as were the windows. Just like the living room, it gave me a perfect view of the entire city. However, with this room, I could see an entire pool a couple floors down. The thought of cooling off in there excited me, I bet I could drown Lorenzo in there and run away.
Bad Cat. No.
A bed stood proud in the center of the room, making my lips part at the sight. The multitude of pillows sitting on the bed and soft wool blankets made it look like a well decorated cloud. If I had the chance to sleep on there, i'd probably be rested well enough for the entire month.
The rest of the room was covered with antique decor and gold accents, making the room hold a sense of power.
"Is this your room?"
"No," he replied as he continued to eye the clothing that I was wearing.
"Enzo, my eyes are up here."
His light eyes snapped towards mine, making me suck in my bottom lip for the millionth time this day so that I would be able to contain a gasp.
I've never seen somebody so pretty.
"You're so cool looking. If I was a guy, i'd wanna look like you." I bit the inside of my cheek when I accidentally spilled my thoughts out into actual words. My blabbing mouth is definitely going to be the cause of my death.
There was just something about him that I couldn't pinpoint, it was as if I was naturally drawn to him, like we had met in a past life.
Little splotches of freckles were messily arranged on the masculine bridge of his nose and on the apples of his cheeks; it was almost as though his eyes couldn't contain the little sparkle he held, so they splashed whatever of it they could all around his face.
A cough brought me to the realization that I had been staring this entire time, making heat travel up the nape of my neck and to the tips of my ears.
"Sorry for staring, that's rude."
"Ragazza strana," I heard him say.
Weird girl.
Before I could say anything else, the three boys came walking inside the room. They all laid down on the bed and let out sighs, making Lorenzo noticeably clench his jaw.
"Her room is so nice," Paolo said aloud.
"Enzo, you let her live here but not me? She doesn't even wanna be here, we kidnapped the motherfucker." Rocco glared at me as he spoke to Lorenzo, making me direct my heated expression towards him.
I don't get why he's being such a meanie to me. He probably just needs a big fat nap and some ice cream, that's what always makes me feel better.
"Cat, this is your room. It's sick, isn't it?"
Lifting my head up to share my shocked expression with Paolo, I found him directing a smile towards me, making me give him a toothy smile in return.
✫*ﾟ･ﾟ｡.☆.*｡･ﾟ✫*
"She ate all the damn cupcakes and now she wants the ice cream?!" I clutched the pint of chocolate fudge ice cream in my hands as I tried my best to run away from Rocco.
He was being an impatient baboon. I was going give him a bowl of ice cream accompanied with colorful fruit, but when he saw me digging in the freezer, he yelled out "Food monster" and started chasing me.
Giggling like a maniac high off of baby powder, I maneuvered my way through the apartment and tried my best not to get caught by Rocco.
A loud oomph came out of me when I collided with a hard chest. Caught by surprise, I fell back on my patootie and let out a quiet whimper from the pain the marble floor caused my poor derrière.
Alongside the pain was a tingling sensation on the skin that made direct contact with the chest; as if heat and sparks were exploding all around the surface of my face cheeks, nose, and forehead.
Directing my eyes upwards, I found Lorenzo to be looking down at me expressionless. He probably didn't appreciate me running into him.
Rocco soon caught up not long after. His large hands pulled the tub of ice cream away from me and he flashed me his not so nice finger before leaving.
・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.
AUTHOR POV:
↳ ♡₊˚. Hi lovelies! I hope y'all are well :) Give me an update on how your day went, i'd love to hear all about it!!
↳ ♡₊˚. 4/27 chapters rewritten >_< (not edited).
↳ ♡₊˚. not much Cat x Enzo interaction in this chapter but we will get there! Pinky promise.
Thank you for all the support you guys continue to gift me with.
Red </3