Tainted Affair

Two: два

"You haven't text me in a while."

Liliana D'Onofrio was fixing Sophia with a pointed stare, one brow arched in question and her lips pursed is disapproval as she waited for an explanation. Sophia felt somewhat guilty for avoiding her friend for so long, she certainly had missed her company like crazy, but Liliana had been laying low since the attack and Sophia knew in order to avoid Giovanni she had to keep her distance from the house.

"Sorry, I've been busy, preoccupied."

"With?" Liliana asked, not sounding convinced as she took her first sip of the lemon ice tea Sophia had ordered for her before she'd arrived.

"Graduation," she lied. Not that she hadn't graduated this summer, she had, but it was certainly not the graduation that kept her so distracted. In fact it was Liliana's husband that had been keeping Sophia so busy these past months - the great Mercello D'Onofrio. The infamous Mafia Don had been busy amassing her great uncles empire, and with it Sophia and her particular set of skills. Not to mention with Angelo and Gio indisposed with their injuries, she had covered their work too.

A lot of running around for one assassin.

And a lot of bullshit men for one woman to deal with.

It was funny the warped sense of self-importance men in their line of business had. Never did they fail to to underestimate her either. What else were they to think when they encountered the blonde party girl that she was, a drink in her hand, tight dress to show off her assets and killer heels to stand tall and proud above the crowds - other than to believe she was a flirtatious drunk to do with as they pleased. And how wrong they were. She had enjoyed putting each and every one of them in their place, under the orders of Signor D'Onofrio.

The pressures of becoming the D'Onofrio's silent right-hand woman would have been more than enough to deal with. Except Sophia hadn't been just the niece and assassin to the deceased Alessandro Barbato; she was also the only daughter of Nikolai Raptis, a key member of the Russian mob. There was no question as to which side of her family she preferred.

Yes, her mothers Italian lineage led to some awfully powerful men of whom Sophia was very familiar with, but it was her fathers Russian heritage, that struck fear into her. As someone who killed for money, that had to say something. She didn't know much of her father's operations, he was far to 'traditional' - sexist - to believe a woman could be involved in the business. But she knew enough to know even if her father did want her involved, she sure as hell would take no part in it. Drugs, murder, money laundering; that was a world she was used to, could accept. Human trafficking? The theft of a human being, the violation of their bodies, their minds, their free will; and exposing those women to world more sadistic and unforgiving than they could ever be prepared for? That's where she drew the line.

"We should do something together, go somewhere other than this cafe, it's getting a little repetitive," Liliana mused, completely unaware of Sophia's thoughts, and Sophia was perfectly content to keep it that way. Liliana didn't need to know of all the filthy things she involved herself with, she didn't want Liliana to view her any differently. It was a stupid concern considering her friends husband was the one controlling it all, leading the empire, but a concern she couldn't shake nonetheless.

"Yeah..." Sophia clear her throat, taking an awfully large gulp of coffee. "We'll arrange something soon."

The smile she shot Liliana was pathetic, and she wasn't at all surprised by her friends next question.

"You would tell me if something was wrong wouldn't you? You would tell me if you weren't okay?"

"I'm fine, I promise," she assured earnestly, "I've just been busy, running the bar and everything." And running after all of your husband's enemies. Truthfully the bar she had inherited from Alessandro, The Alchemist, didn't need her attention at all. She had hired enough staff to take care of it without her ever needing to check on anything. The only time she ever visited was to drink and play pool with Paolo and Cal.