Un/Traditional ( dark mafia romance)

Warm.

Unedited as always.

"Are you ready to go?"  Leon questions looking at me through the mirror.

I contemplate his question before  answering, was I ready?

Well let's see, I left a girl to die yesterday on my carpet after she had begged me to help her. And even in my dreams her tear filled visage had haunted me. Slowly depriving me of my own sleep and sanity.

So to answer him, I wasn't fucking ready for anything, emotionally.

But physically, well,  I was wearing a beautiful peach coloured high end designer dress and pumps that did wonders for my height but we're already killing my toes.

I grab my clutch and simply nod at Leon. His eyes scan my body for a second after which he heads out without a word.

I follow him out.

When we reach the elevators he lets me enter before him. Suddenly Leon stops before getting into the lift. I look at him  with a slight frown on my face expressing my question without speaking.

"I forgot something"  he answers and heads back to the apartment. I sigh getting out of the elevator and  lean against the flat surface of the its door. Suddenly, the door opens and I fall on my ass.

"Ouch that hurt" I moan trying to rub my sore behind. A hand suddenly comes in my periphery trying to help me up. My own hand clutches on the offered one that  pulls me up  effortlessly .

As I raise my head, my eyes are confronted with the familiarly void visage of Leon's bodyguard, Igor.

"Are you alright madam?" He inquires still holding my hand.

I nod solemnly.

He looks at me from top to bottom in his typical bodyguard manner as if to verify whether I am lying or not.

"I really am ok" I say trying to get him to believe me. I flash him my pearly white teeth and try to give him reassuring smile.

"What is going on here?" Leon asks looking between me and Igor.

My grin falters as Igor lets my hand go. Before I am about to speak, the usually quite bodyguard answers  "Madam fell, I was trying to help her up."

Leon looks at me and smirks and slightly shakes his head in a manner that clearly tells me that he is judging me for being so damn clumsy. And I just lower my head in shame.

"Let's go" he orders and I jump towards the elevator. Igor nods but does not join us in the elevator leaving me alone with the judgmental fellow.

As the elevator door closes, the awkward silence ensues.

Our penthouse was on the 51st floor and in my mind I was counting the seconds we took to cross every floor.

48

47

46

45

44

43

42

"Do you know why we have been invited by your family for brunch"  Leon inquires. His tone is neutral and uninterested clearly meant to show his lack of curiosity.

But I knew this was just an act. Leon wouldn't have asked me something merely for the sake of making small talk. So he must also not know the purpose of our rendezvous or maybe he did? Ugh I don't know.

"Well, maybe they want me to return home before the wedding ceremony" I offer him my logical answer.

"Would you want to go back?" He continues with his questions "back to the Moretti Mansion and stay till the wedding?" This time his tone is clearly filled with curiosity and his eyes pin me for an answer.

Did I want to go back to the place I had been living in since the day I was born?

Yes.

Yes I fucking did. It might not have been the best place but it has still been mine.

It was safe, painful but safe.

My sister and brother were there and they were all I needed.

They were home, my home.

But this was not something I would never tell to the person standing beside me.

As he could use it as leverage against me.

So I craft my answer with wit I never knew I could possess "It is the appropriate course of action for me to stay there. We haven't taken our vows yet. The elders my not find the appropriate". As I finish speaking the elevator comes to a stop. The doors open and I rush towards the exit without waiting for Lucifer. But I hear him following me, his pace slow, his steps deliberate. He catches up to me easily and I curse his long legs.

The security opens the door and I'm hit with the warm sunlight with relaxes my nerves.

But this moment is cut short as security ushers me inside a car which is as black as Leon's soul. He sits beside me in the backseat as I discreetly try moving near the window.

"I'll have to leave early due to work but you can stay till the evening"  the devil tells me.  "Igor will accompany you back to our house".

"Alright" I say with little enthusiasm, disappointed at the fact that i'll have to return to the devil's lair. Marriage or no marriage this was the place I belonged to now but why was it so damn hard to accept.

As the driver starts the car, I exhale a deep breath praying for this brunch to end peacefully.

But something inside my stomach churns telling me that wasn't going to be the case.

I look outside the window. People are walking on the road side they look happy, carefree some are couples holding hands.

Are they happy?

I look at Leon's hands, one resting beside mine and the other covering his eyes as he rests.

On impulse, I intertwine our hands and interlocking his fingers with mine.

I must really have lost my mind.

But his hand felt warm and big.

Warm just like the sunlight that had calmed me outside our building.

I wait for Leon to seperate our hands or to push me away.

But he does none of it, doesn't even look in my direction.

He just gently holds my hand and I hold his.

My mind refuses to think about the repercussions on my act.
And for once I just relax and let go off the worry.

I close my eyes and go to sleep holding the devil's hand.

And that's a wrap for this chapter. I hope you guys like it and if you do then don't forget to like, comment and follow. Also I hope all of you and your families are safe during this pandemic.
Thank you and stay safe.