Smoke & Gun (+18) (COMPLETE)

|2| Knowledge of an Age |

 "There's not much to say about Sophia Esposito. She was a sister to a Mafia Boss, she wasn't much a talking piece. She died in a car explosion and there was no mention of her being pregnant. That is, if I had indeed, had access to the Faust file. "

The corner of his mouth lifted. "That's how she liked it." He walked over to her and tossed a photo on the table. She frowned, examining the image then looked up at him. "That was taken four years ago. How do you think it's possible a dead woman pops up looking so alive eleven years after her death?"

She frowned and stared at the image. It was clear enough to see without a doubt that it was Sophia Esposito. She shrugged. "Even if she is alive there's nothing I can do to help you." She emphasized her bound hands."

"you're a valuable asset to everyone except for me. ever since the faust file you turned in went missing.

"what?"

"oh you didn't hear? that's not surprising considering how dirty your country is."

"and you're to talk? your offenses are a mile long and at least as wide, hmm let's start with...you're a sick bastard you know that? shipping children across the world like boxes of bananas."

"I did not do that!" "oh surprise surprise the criminal saying they're innocent. what you going to deny the other stuff too?"

"no." he paused his eyes catching her. "I've done most all of those things, but not the children. I would never."

she raised an eyebrow. "are you trying to convince me that somehow you've got some redeemable qualities because I'm not buying it. you're a heartless fiend. you killed your own fiance--" her words got caught in her throat when he was upon her knife at her throat.

"don't talk like you know anything." his voice had a cool disconnected quality that made a chill trace her spine. she swallowed waiting for the volatile man to make a move even if that meant ending her life. he pulled back slowly.

"Why are you keeping me alive?"

"In such a hurry to die?"

"I figure that's better than whatever else you might do to me. I thought I was more to you dead. come on piero show me who you really are." he growled.

"Don't poke the bear."

"Why not! come on go ahead take me out. that's what you intended to do wasn't it? then again you are more one to hire someone to do your dirty work aren't you. you're spineless--" he words stopped when he grabbed her bound hands and used the knife to free her hands. she frowned rubbing her wrists noticing the harsh rope burns that brushed her tanned skin. He knelled and freed her ankles as well. then pressed the back of his hand on his forehead.

"What's this? what trick is this? what scheme? free me so you can claim I shot myself in the head? none of your back alley antics are going to work--"

"You talk a lot you that right?"

She crossed her arms and eyes him wearily.

Perhaps," he said looked back at her over his shoulder. "Perhaps if you listened more people wouldn't be trying to slit your throat." His voice was tense, but measured and held onto his accent in an elegant way. It was almost like he danced with the words, caressed them. His voice was pleasant, unlike what she'd imagined of the man, but the information was right about one thing. He was handsome with his tanned skin, dark eyes that set relaxed under low dark brows. His lips were wide and slim, but defined. She could imagine him in the tailored white and cream colored suites that always showed up in the photos taken of him.

He was in all black then. The t-shirt still fit him nice, but he looked weary.

"Is that how this is going to go? I actually decide to listen to you and you go silent?"

More silence followed before he turned to face her. "If you read my file thoroughly you'd know that I'm patient. Another virtue you seem to be lacking."

"We all have our strengths,"

He nodded. "Yes, and our weaknesses." He looked down at his shoes before looking up again at her. "You will help me find her."

She frowned. "Find who?"

"My dead fiance."

She laughed. "You can't find a body that was burned to ashes in a car you set to explode."

"Wrong."

"Even you couldn't--"

"You misunderstand me. You read the file wrong. The fire wasn't hot enough to disintegrate human bones. There wasn't a body recovered from the vehicle, because there wasn't a body in the vehicle."

"That's not what the police report said."

"Ah, yes, the police report written by humans is inaccurate." "Your country is corrupt, that's no lie. Italy, we invented corruption."

"Are you implying the police officer lied?"

"Not implying, stating because I know she's not dead and neither is my son."

Shock, flashed across her face and through her body. "T-the file didn't say anything about a child."

He held her gaze for a long time so long that she was finding different assortment of colors in his irises. "It wouldn't, because only two people knew. Sophia's father and Sophia. He cut her off when he found out she was pregnant outside of marriage. The man was sick, but I find it interesting he died a few months after that. She went to her brother who, despite her father's distaste of me was still my very good friend."

"Lorenzo Esposito? Your friend?" She harrumphed. "I heard he's the one that provided the evidence to send you running like a pup with its legs tucked between its tail from your home country."

"Vivid word choice. He was on my side until the explosion and she was pronounced dead."

"So, say I believe this very finely woven story. What do you want with Sophia now? It's been almost fifteen years."

"I want my son. I've been looking for him ever since Lorenzo told me about him. When the car explosion happened I was the only one shocked for a moment, because I know Sophia Esposito better than most. She seemed the perfect lady, perfect daughter, and perfect wife, but she was still raised by a fierce unapologetic crime lord. Don Esposito was a jackal with a nice smile. I actually looked up to the man. He didn't have to like me for me to learn a great deal from him."

"Say we find Sophia and you son. What are you going to do then? Have you ever thought that maybe this is just like a dog chasing a car?"

"Not even close. I know exactly what I'm going to do. I'm going to send Sophia straight to hell where she belongs and I'm going to raise my son."

"He's already near a man--"

"She sold him! She sold my son and you expect me sit by and hope that life is better for him now that he's almost a man!?"

She shrunk back at the outburst and let silence settled between them. "I'm a bad man, sure. I know it and am willing to admit to such, but I won't give up on my son. He must know that I didn't give up on him." He walked away and rubbed down his face before coming to a standing position with his back to her. "A spider, my Sophia. Weaving her web while I, the dumb fly happily flew into it." His head fell toward his chest. "I wonder if she ever even loved me." Annabella wasn't sure if she was supposed to hear what he whispered, but she did.  He cleared his throat and turned to face her with his arms crossed. "We were meeting up in our favorite Piazza in Ascoli Piceno. I loved that city. The old downtown was a page from the past. The best of the country I love so much..."

|:|A/N|:|

Story time! Story within a story is that like double cream filling? *shrugs* sounds about right! ;)

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-Alex