Love and Fire

Chapter 4

                   Freya~

                   Roman was welcomed in with open arms by my mother, my brothers on the other hand were both cowering as they felt overpowered by Roman's stature. I, without caring what was going on, went to my room to go and take a shower after the motorcycle race. Feeling like someone scraped dirt and rubbed it in til my skin was dry, was not an ideal feeling of the night. But by the time, I got home with Roman, it was already 2 a.m due to the struggling of Bruno and gas breaks. We also had to avoid the way we came in due to police being on the same path. No need for police questioning us for a battered up fugitive.

                     After a well-needed shower and dressed, a knock came across my door. I wrapped my hair within the towel and opened my door - my mother and Roman were standing there. Roman looked uncomfortable and I guess his way of getting out was my room. 

                     "Well Roman, have fun chatting with my daughter. If you need anything, just ask." my mother offered. Roman smiled softly and I could see my mother was under some type of spell. Closing my door when my mother left, it was awkward due to the silence and how my shirt was soaked with my hair just laying on it. I patted my hair dry with the towel and draped it over the wet areas. 

                     Clearing the air, I cleared my throat before speaking, "Sorry about my mother. She's usually minding her own business. But I guess because my father is busy with Bruno, she has a break from his intensity."

                    Roman turned around and leaned against my bedframe, just staring at me like I'm a ghost. "Freya, tell me something. How did you learn to ride a motorcycle, how did you know Bruno, how did you know he'll be there? Most importantly, who the fuck are you really?" he demanded coldly. 

                    I was stunned by the amount of questions while he crossed his arms and just waited for me to answer. "Well for starters, none of your business of Bruno since it is family only. Secondly, I am Freya DiStellio. Daughter of Salvatore DiStellio. I was taught by one of my father's partners who owns a motorcycle business and knew how to ride one, so I got lessons. And yes I am licensed. I've been hearing stories of him all over social media and television, recognized his eyes and body stature, so easy enough to know it was him. And who I am, is no where near a princess you were hoping for." I replied. 

                     Roman looked skeptical of my answers, but before he was able to respond, I cut him off, "Now Roman Marchetti, before you decide to make my decision. I'll make it easier for you, I don't want to be in a marriage just because of saving my family's bloodline. I am doing this because I would like to know who I'll be with before I wed myself off. And if you have a issue with me, then there's the window or door, and you can see yourself out." 

                   He, then, looked shocked as if he wasn't expecting such hostility from me. But after a minute of being shocked, he then smiled, "I gotta say, that is not what I was expecting from you." he said. I asked what he had meant and he stood up straight this time, still keeping his arms crossed, "Well a princess wouldn't be riding a motorcycle, she would be driven. A princess won't be seeking out enemies and throwing knives, she'll be the intel of the family and fleeing. And a princess won't talk back to anyone. So clearly someone, like yourself, would be living lavishly and in paradise. While as everyone, beyond those doors, would be cowering once your foot steps onto their grounds." Roman explained.

               I smiled softly, realizing there was one flaw to his explanation, "Not this princess." I simply stated. Roman then became curious based on how his arms began to relax. "This princess has had nothing but a difficult time to finally be seen as a hand of the family. I was seen as weak because I don't use guns until I need to. I don't live lavishly, based on what you can see in my room, it's not much. I've been used by many so they can get intel of my family and I had to end them. My father sees me as an asset to the family, rather than his own daughter. He would rather marry me off to someone who I just met hours ago, keep the bloodline going, and lose his daughter than his own dignity and pride. And lastly, people outside of my house, don't know who I am until they hear my father's full name." 

            Both of us just stared at each other like what was said, was being processed differently. As silence fell in the room, Roman's intensity lessened and I calmed down a bit after telling him to fuck off basically. "Look I'm sorry that I made an assumption of you. I'll let myself out so you can get some rest. But tomorrow, our families are going to be meeting." He spoke gently. He headed to my door and opened it. But before leaving, he looked at me and smirk, "Also, I suggest you leave the knife home, I don't bite." and left. Leaving me standing in my room, feeling my face heat up from the thought of him biting specifically. 

       Going towards my window, I see Roman heading to his Dodge and leave the property with a roaring engine. I realized my door was left open, which I had a feeling he did that on purpose. I headed over to my door to close it, but I ended up overhearing my parents talking. It was involving the marriage arrangement. 

        "She will finally stay out of the mafia business. I've seen Roman, he's more capable of shooting someone without hesitation than she is." My father stated. My mother, soft-spoken as ever, trying to get him to be reasonable and how I am not scared to shoot a gun. "I get that Iris, but she needs to be more careful than ever. Knowing she went after someone, giving her identity away to the public eye, and who knows if the police are on their way now to us. We could be in prison because of her. Roman knows better and it is evident. I can't even say she's my daughter, due to her not following the 'No Mercy' rule. " my father blurted out. But once it was blurted out, my mother lost her calm and let out the worst of her voice. 

         I closed my door immediately before the yelling was echoing into my room. But it was unfortunate that I had to hear that. I am willing to believe Roman was onto something and was trying to get me to listen in a subtle way. 

         With tears in my eyes, I blinked to get them to go away but more kept going. I climbed into bed to go to sleep. But instead of going to sleep and wake up refresh, I was going to sleep to ignore what I just heard and never want to wake up. It was more difficult now, knowing where I stand in my father's eyes when we are in a gathering. Tomorrow will be the next gathering, which means a possible proposal in front of many people. The only problem of this whole ordeal - Roman will have me being seen as weak or a different beautiful mafia princess who can kill.