The Death of Me

4

"Ariel? Are you awake?" A voice echoed. My heavy eyelids flickered open, a bright light searing into my eyeballs.

Once I adjusted to the light, I saw I was in my living room. And, that Irina and Ricardo fucking Romano was inches away from my face. I'm not proud of it, but I always act without thinking. Such as smashing my fist against his face.

"Shit! What was that for?" He held onto his face as Irina burst into laughter.

He stormed up to me and punched my shoulder causing me to open my mouth. We continued punching each other more violently and I leaped up, with my arms around his neck as I tried suffocating him. He threw me onto the ground and threw more punches.

"Ariel, you're awak-" my uncle walks through and we both froze for a moment before returning to our fist fight.

My uncle tried breaking up the fight, getting punched in the eye in the process. He groaned in pain and held his eye, making us both turned our attention towards him.

He walks away to the kitchen saying a string of curses as he left the room. Realising I was pinned on the ground by Ricardo, I pushed him away and stood up. "Jesus Irina." I breathed, seeing she was almost blue from laughter.

Ricardo's lip was dripping blood. He took his finger and wiped the blood away, his empty eyes never once faltering from mine. He walked out.

****************************************

"Try this." Irina said as she handed me a blunt.

"Get that away from me."

She rolled her eyes, before putting it out. I knew she was waiting for a lecture which I would have given her before Jett walked in.

He paused seeing us, though he was unsurprised. "Dad wants us all in his office."

———

As soon as we entered, Irina and Jett tried to hold back their laughter seeing my uncle ice his black eye. Fuck I tried holding my own laughter back too.

He shook his head at them, before placing his arms resting the table.

"Children, Gianni Romano has invited us all to a dinner party."

And all my amusement disappeared. "And?"

Wait for it.

"And we're going. Including you." He pointed at me and then calmly sat back, waiting for my reaction like I was a time bomb.

"Like hell I am!" I spat, breaking the silence. "He's your best friend, not ours!"

"You're going, end of. I don't want a war between the Americans and the Costa Nostra, it would destroy everything we've worked hard to build."

"I'll rip his son to shreds." I threatened coldly.

"There'll be none of that crap Ariel, and I'll see to it that the guards keep a look out on you."

*********************************************

I admired my tight black dress through the tall mirror. It went down to the floor, and had a dangerous thigh split. I applied some red lipstick over my lips, puckered them and looked at the result.

My uncle told me that Gianni Romano requested no weapons, but that wasn't going to stop me. We aren't stupid.

I slid a gun into the holster around my thigh and a knife into the other one. This should do, I thought as I headed downstairs and into the limo.

"Dinner with the devils. How bad can this go?" I said as I sat into the limo. My uncle gave me a deadly glare from the other seat, silently lecturing me.

*******************************************

I sat at the dinner table forced to make small talk and be nice to the Romano men. Ricardo Romano sat at the other end of the table, as we exchanged cold glances.

Their home was filled with the sounds of people laughing, and sweet classical music playing. People were scattered all over the house, some drinking. Some in serious discussions.

After dinner, I huffed in boredom and leaned against the wall of an empty hallway. I hated the endless charade of dinners, parties and events we had to go to.

I pulled my glass of champagne to my lips, the hair on the back of my neck suddenly standing on end - I felt a consuming presence.

Unfortunately I knew who it was.

"You again." Someone bit out. I turn to face him, unamused. Ricardo stood there, his eyes searing into my skin as he scanned me head to toe.

It gave me an opportunity to do the same, though I was modest. Black Armani dress shirt. Sleeves rolled back. Tattoos.

I sip my champagne. "Unfortunately. But don't you have someone else to stalk?"

I walk past him, brushing my body against the side of his on purpose. I might have enjoyed the feeling of him close to me a little too much, because what caught me off guard was the smack of his hand on my butt.

He did not.

He's a dead man now.

I slowly turned around to look at him, the corners or his mouth lifting. I couldn't control myself any longer and threw a slap across his face.

He pulled his deadly eyes to mine, before I attempted to slap him again. He grabbed my wrist, eyes fiery enough to melt steel.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." He lowly snapped. I ignored his warning and kneed his stomach, making him stumble back a few steps.

It took a rough push to make him drop to the ground and he groaned. Idiot.

***Ricardo POV***

The look on her face as she won the fight made me want to throw her to the ground and tackle her. I grab the back of her dress as she walks away again, hearing a rip as she falls on top on me.

A gasp escapes her mouth. Her hands plant on my chest. Our faces inches away.

Her eyes narrowed, but she didn't suspect what I did yet. A grin formed on my face as she came to the realisation - her dress was ripped. She reached her arm to her back, looking for the material that covered her.

Her lips parted, fury raged in her eyes. I couldn't help but let a chuckle escape my mouth, but the feeling of something cold against my forehead made me realise she had a gun against me.

She pulled the trigger but I ducked the bullet narrowly. As she stood up, the shot the gun more times. I ducked every bullet, but it made me wonder how skilled she really was to almost kill me.

I managed to snatch the gun out of her hand, and started shooting it at her. She ducked to avoid the bullets which now pierced holes in the walls surrounding us.

Once the gun was out of bullets I tossed it aside.
We both started punching each other, I left a gnash over her eyebrow and burst her lip as she broke my nose again, and left bruises all over my face.

"Stop this!" A voice called out making his both stop.

We both turned our heads, her hand still grabbing my collar and mine grabbing her neck. Our fathers stood there inspecting the mess angrily.

"He started it."
"She started it." We both spoke at the same time, like children.

"Ariel, get in the car!" Her uncle angrily ordered before She released her grip on me and followed him.

"Ricardo! Get in my office!"