Let's Play a Game (1)

XII - The Devil Wear Armani

When I wake up all I can remember is being pulled up off the ground as my uncle walked away with my father and Mr. Armani's father. Dante wrapped his arms around me and started to drag me upstairs. I think Vincent was there too. I remember looking at Enzo on the ground while I was pulled up the stairs, dead. He's dead. My uncle didn't give it a second thought. I must have taken a shower, I must have changed. I see the box on the side table and open it. Was this diamond jewelry always here?

I have a massive headache. The pillows under me are the softest I've ever felt. I'm in a small bedroom. It's almost all white with a de whim of color. The taste is very expensive. I think I'm still at Vincent's. At this point I hope I am.

I sit up and I'm wearing a man's shirt, it's huge. It smells so familiar. Is it Dante's? I don't remember him wearing a t-shirt. It can't be his.

When I get up im half naked. Thankfully I see my purse laying against the wall. I rummage through it and pull out pepper spray. When I stand I can see into the bathroom. In the trash can my dress is barely shoved in. There's dried blood on the floor.

I move to the door quietly and open it  as slowly as I can. I'm lucky that nothing creeks. I shut it behind me just as quietly and look up and down the hall. There's too many doors. I've never seen this place in my life. I don't hear anyone or anything. I have a feeling I could get lost in these hallways. I start walking slowly when I get to another intersection of hallways.

I sigh and immediately regret it when I feel a heavy hand in my shoulder "hey-" the person starts. I whip around so quickly as I scream, the pepper spray going in the person's eyes. "Fucking bitch!" The person swears, rubbing their eyes vigorously.

"Vincent? Oh my god Vincent I-I..." I start to think as I relax. This man, like my father, lied to me and let my fiancée be murdered. He let them shove the gun in my hand. He never stopped my uncle. I take a step away. Before I can react he grabs my wrist tightly, pulling me into one of the many rooms. "Let me go! You-you, you murderer!" I start to think some more. "You invited me over here knowing what was going to happen. You knew this entire time! You piece of shit!"

"And she's back." He snarls, absolutely livid.

As we enter I see a woman half naked in his bed. She gives me a look as Vincent pulls me into his restroom. He pulls the pepper spray out of my hand and throws it into the trash. "Help me get this shit out of my eyes!" He yells and sits down on the toilet.

"Fuck-"

"I hear one more fucking word out of your mouth there'll be a bullet in your head." He pulls a gun out of his belt and sets it on the counter.

I pause and the words run dry. I focus again and grab a towel, wetting it down. I add some soap on it too.

As I start to dab his eyes I can see his features tighten, the soap taking the oils away but stinging his eyes. I can see his hands turning into fists and a pit starts to grow in my stomach. I've never been afraid of this man despite everyone's warnings. Was everyone trying to warn me of this? Was I just innocent and oblivious? This man could easily kill me. I take a shaky deep breath in and swallow hard. Thankfully, I see the tension in his face release.

"You should be thanking me for keeping you alive. Your uncle thinks you're a useless whore. That mouth of yours is really going to get you in trouble."

I take a step back and he stands to put his gun back in it's holster. "Im gunna be sick..." I lean down and puke in the toilet. He sighs and holds up my hair. "Partire!" He yells to the girl in his bed. I hear some covers shift and the door close behind her.

"If you're going to be such a pain in the ass I won't let you stay here."

I wipe my mouth and sit back. "Why the hell would I want to stay here? I'm getting my stuff from Enzo's and going back to my apartment. I'm not getting involved in all of this."

He laughs and it makes me shake. "You think you have a choice, that's cute. We already moved all your stuff here and now that you know everything, we can't let you go unattended. So if you'd like to live with, Sara, was it? You'll have to live with one of my men. Or we could just kill Sara and we could place someone outside your apartment and put wires  everywhere."

"Know everything? I don't know anything. I know that I was almost forced to shoot the man I was in love with! We were getting married. I barely remember anything from last night." I start to think back and a lightbulb goes off. "Wait, did you drug me last night? What the hell was in that tea?"

"Besides the point. Speaking of..." he walks past me and into his bedroom. He moves to his nightstand and picks up a ring. "Condition of your life. We're engaged." He grabs my hand and forces the ring on my finger. "Don't get me wrong you're interesting to have around but I'd never marry you. I have women around all the time and you can have your pick of any of my men. Fuck Tyler if you like."

I look at the ring on my finger and I feel myself start to shake; exactly what I didn't want to happen, happened. I've been pulled into whatever this is, not by choice, and my uncle already wants me dead already.

"I don't know if I should start crying or slap you for insulting me!" I take the ring off and shove it into his chest. I put my hands up, "I'm not doing this! And if all you want to do is fuck other girls then why get engaged at all? You don't even want to marry me!"

"Again, I don't think you have a choice. No matter what I think." He laughs a little.

"That doenst answer my question! What? So my uncle is still part of the mafia? Right out of prison?" I turn around and ask. "How the hell does that work?"

"Jessica your uncle isn't part of the mafia-" I let out a sigh of relief. "He is the mafia. He's the Don of your family business. Since he went to prison your family has been keeping it together, staying under the radar. But now it's time to rebuild your empire by taking over the De Lucas. They've crossed our families too many times. They took your family territory after their fall and now it's time they learn their place."

"So you using me this entire time? To get to Enzo? Everything has just been a lie? Did you have to kill him?"

"We has to start somewhere and he would have died eventually. A head in a box sends a good message anyway."

"You sent-"

"His head in a box? Yes." He puts his hand in his pockets like it nothing. What the hell.

"So you hired me because I was all part of this plan. You knew the entire time?"

"I didn't know the first day but you're father keeps many tabs on you. I knew a few hours after you left the interview."

"So you knew at the party? With the explosion?"

He nods. "Oh and that was a bomb. But you didn't hear that from me."

I throw my hands up, not knowing what the hell to do. All the events from the last few days that don't have explanations are starting to make sense. "So what do I do?"

"Well there's a tv downstairs or you could make me some food." He shrugs and starts to walk away.

I follow. "This isn't a joke. What's wrong with you?"

"A lot, but soon I think you'll be just like me."

I'm close enough to him that I can feel his breath. "I will never be as heartless and cold as you or any of my family. You're a fucking murderer."

He smirks and whips around, grabbing my wrist. "Murderer? That's the best insult you can come up with? Last time I checked your late fiancée is a murderer too. Little girl...you haven't seen anything yet."