Chapter 32: Chapter 32

Okay. Don't act rash, don't think stupid; let her talk and then you can take the next step of approach. And by approach I mean the quickest means of death. So, she better have a pretty good explanation in the next seconds or she won't like the real me. Waiting for her to say something, anything. She didn’t, rather letting out a nervous laugh looking like a deer caught in headlights to which my frown deepens folding my arms across my chest.

"I came in for a vaca." Her eyes never meets mine, looking everywhere else but mine. Squinting my eyes further at her she begins to shuffle on her feet all tensed and shit.

"With?" My eyes slyly search the entire block way for anything amiss. Drones, spycams, snipers on attack. I'm too open, I need to get out of here. My mind screams at me.

"Why are you acting like that? Trying to guilty trip me or what?" She says rather defensively. Assessing me thoroughly, she pops her hand on her hip with an attitude. "By the way what are you doing in Italy?" The sound of her voice and her obvious veering question screams it's quite clear she is green.

Sighing in relief pinching the bridge of my nose I look back at her weary expression. "Can I trust you?"

"Okay, but you are really freaking me out." She drawls.

"We need to leave here first." Pulling her along with me not taking any chances in the very open street.

"Nia is something going on that I don’t know about." Halting my steps, I look at her in a solemn expression not sure sure how to say this in a less violent way without trying not to freak her out.

"Julio is dead."

"What?!" She screams loud enough just as I flag down a taxi to take us back to the hotel.

"Shhh. Yeah. Let’s go, now." Pushing her into the taxi ducking in quickly after her. Speaking Italian to the driver to take us to the Grande hotel. Her eyes focuses on me in an apparent fear.

***

"Whoa! You life sounds like something out of a block buster movie." She stands pacing back and forth in the suite deeply buried in her shallow thoughts.

"Figures." I muse with sass. She goes to take a sit on the couch shakily reaching for the vodka she ordered having huge gulps from the bottle. I get her; not everyday you find out your girlfriend is a mafia and heir to an empire with someone placing a bounty on her neck.

"So your boyfriend or ex tried killing you and shit got slapped back in his face. Always knew there was something off about him, never liked him or his boy-next-door kinda look." Flopping on the couch besides her snatching the bottle in her hand taking huge gulps after telling her detailed information of everything that transpired since we last saw each other.

"Nia! What is wrong with you?" She admonishes snatching the bottle back. I could already feel the effects of the alcohol taking place feeling so weird. "How the hell did you run away from daddy yo? I know I won’t." She says teasingly wiggling her brows at me, a playful grin on her face.

"I didn’t run away from him. I did it to keep him safe." She snorts.

"And how has that been working out for you?" Bad. Very bad. I can't do anything without him popping in and out of him mind like a damn toast. Letting an exasperating sigh, I slap my forehead groaning out loud.

"Okay what is the plan now?" Sagging on the couch, I slip falling down really having weird cramps in my stomach as my eyes rolls in. I grunt in pains.

"Kill or be killed."

"That sounds like a dead plan. A very shitty plan." She chastises glaring hard at me.

"Ya think." She squints her eyes at me. Blinking away the foggy cloud dancing around my eyes. What is happening to me? Why am I feeling afloat? Then again her voice snaps me awake.

"Why don’t you call daddy yo and let him do his magic?" Shaking my head furiously, I try getting up only to fall to my knees this time.

"Hello. Mafia. Russian. Italian. No way. I have enough on my plate." I try again and fail. Grunting at the painful stab I feel in my lower abdomen, I whimper clutching my stomach. Ella sees me thinking I need help to have a seat; helps me onto the couch. The pain only but intensified.

"And it is killing you babe. You need help."

"That is why I need you to leave before you also get yourself deeply involved in my mess." About to butt in, I silence her. "I'm serious Ella. This is not like what the movies makes it seems. It is way worst than that and I won't be at peace if anything happens to you. Please." she sighs defeatedly plopping down alongside me. I couldn't dwell on her unspoken thoughts as I fought and struggle against the pains I felt in my abdomen. Slowly going in and out of unconsciousness, perspiration covers my skin as I feel hot all over.

"Hold on who were you pissed with earlier." I squeak out. She glance at me sceptically, I try putting on a brave smile now her focus is on me so she wouldn't get worked up about nothing. Scooting closer her hand raise to my forehead in wonder as to why I feel hot in the AC suite. Maybe I need sleep or basically just tired.

"Oh. Just a very annoying Italian who won’t let me be. Why are y'all Italians so damn irritating?" A soft chuckle escapes our lips.

"I’m not ir..."

"No. Nope. Don’t go there." It got silent for a few seconds before we burst out laughing so hard I almost forgot about the pains. Her phone suddenly went off, giving an aggravated groan she answers the call.

"What? And? No! Whatever. Bye. Fuck you!" Was her monosyllabic reply and all I could make out from the angry phone call morphing her facial expression into different acts. Here I thought Elijah and I had our differences. This time the excruciating pains came back ten times fold, the dramatic sounding bell goes off in my head. One question probing my mind; did I get poisoned? And by whom? Fear gripped me so tight that I beg my eyes not to close hearing Ella talk animatedly.

"Sorry babes. Gotta go. Please keep me in check when going for your suicide mission." I look at her wanting to grasp what she says fully watching her walk about the suite in search of her things.

I can't hold on much longer knowing the battle my body fought to stay awake is lost. Soon, my eyes begins to shut close and my body fails me loosing my balance as I slip off the couch.

"Babe? Babe? Nia!"