Fiery Revenge⎪✓

54

☀︎

My head is pounding after the past couple of days, we've been investigating the rink of dealers and everything in regards to that. I've been helping Owen with researching, which has equaled to me having my nose against a computer screen for hours on end. My bed has been waiting for me every night as I've thrown myself into the soft goddess, falling asleep on the spot. 

Tonight is yet another exhausting evening for me, but I've decided to join the others in the movie room. Oriana, Xavier's cousin, told me during breakfast that they like to spend their nights in that room, picking a movie and more often than not falling asleep to it as well. 

Stepping into the exact room, my eyes adjust to the darkness instantly. The room is one huge mattress with countless comforters and pillows. On the wall is a huge television with Robin Hood playing on it. I can recognize some of the people in here, including Oriana, her son, Santi, then there's Marc, Owen, Roman, Joseph and of course, Xavier. 

His dark eyes are scanning mine, we haven't seen much of each other lately. I haven't been in the mood because of the pure exhaustion from plotting how to take down his father, but my tiredness doesn't mean I don't want to end up with him again one of the upcoming nights. 

"Eloisa!" Santi yells at me and pats the spot next to him, where Xavier is currently seated. "Uncle Xavi, move over. I want Eloisa to sit next to me."

Xavier moves away from Santi reluctantly and I sit down between the two of them, sending a smile in Santi's direction to which he replies with a toothy grin of his own. "We're watching Robin Hood, it's because I want to be like him when I grow up," Santi explains, the nod to his words makes it clear he's being honest. 

"I can teach you how to shoot with a bow and arrow then," Offering this he lights up instantly. 

"You know how to shoot a bow and arrow?" He exclaims. 

"My brother loved archery, he taught me some of the basics," Nodding my head, I try not to seem too affected while talking about Gio. He and I spent a lot of our time in the yard, learning the basics and some special skills in archery. Giovanni loved to drown his sadness in the art of archery, if he had a bad day at school I could always find him practicing. 

"That's so cool!" He says and looks at Xavier with a grin. "Do you hear this, Uncle Xavier? She is an archer!"

"Well-" I try to tell him I'm not exactly an archer, but Xavier shakes his head at me with a small smile. 

"That sounds amazing, Sant. I'll get the bows and arrows for you then you can start training, if that's okay with you?" He asks me, clearly not wanting Santi's excitement to be diminished. 

Nodding my head, two small arms circle around my waist and Santi places his head on my arm. "Thank you, Eloisa! Mom wasn't too happy with the idea, but I'm sure she'll be fine with it because it's you who's teaching me."

I look towards his smiling mother, "Oriana?" I ask. 

"No worries, but I'm not driving him to the hospital if he ends up shot by an arrow."

I laugh at her very motherly comment and get comfortable in my position, Santi releases his hold on me, but still has his head against my arm. The simple action has me feeling something. I haven't allowed myself to feel shit for years, but the familiarity of being happy in the presence of others, it awakens me again. Which is fucking dangerous. 

I can't care about them. 

This is mission over man, which equals to me having to distance myself from this purehearted family. Although, every part of me feels a certain need to belong somewhere again, that's just it; I'm hopelessly in love with the idea of belonging. I can't let that dictate my actions or feelings. It would be stupid. 

"You have your thinking face on," A deep voice whispers to my left, Xavier looks at me in the darkness of the room and I shake my head. 

"My thinking face?"

"Yeah, the one where your dimples appear because of your slightly pursed lips," He elaborates and I'm shocked. That's exactly what my dad said to me when I was younger, that I had my thinking face on with pursed lips. 

"You need to stop staring at me," I tell him, making sure that no one else hears. Looking around the room, all of them are swallowed in the action of the movie, the sound is too booming for them to hear our conversation anyway. Turning towards Xavier again, "It could come off as creepy and desperate."

"I am no such thing, but I know when to appreciate beauty," His words are spoken with pure honesty. 

"I never thought a mafia leader would be joining his members for a movie night," I comment, finally mentioning what's been on my mind. 

"Why didn't you?"

"Because it could ruin the image they have of you and your cold heart."

"I don't have a cold heart, Eloisa," He tells me with conviction. "I've said this before; I hate stereotypes of how I should act because I'm the leader of a mafia. I'm also human and have a family, which entails me having to join them for movie nights. My life isn't all about murdering and torturing, it's more than that. My most trusted members know this, they also need the simplicity of watching a movie together."

"Fair point," I tell him. "Do they know how much you loved your grandma's cooking then?"

"Fuck no," He scoffs, adjusting his back against the wall. "That's too close to who I am. My grandma isn't mentioned in the mafia, they shouldn't even try and they are aware of this. I respect my men and in return they respect me."

"That's probably the best way to go about it," I have to agree. "Are you ready for the attack against your father? I could imagine it must be a little strange."

"Why are you suddenly asking me this?" He questions. 

Meeting his dark eyes, "Because I don't want you backing out on me last minute. I can't simply trust you and your intentions, you're the leader of a mafia and this is your father, the former leader."

"Don't question my intentions, Eloisa."

"Then answer my question, Xavier."

"Yes, I'm ready for the attack against my father. I fucking hate people questioning me though," The anger is visible on his face and I'm glad the loud movie is drowning out our conversation. 

"Non essere patetico," (Don't be pathetic) I tell him. "I come first to me, always. It doesn't matter how many times we fuck or how many of your men are helping on this case. I need to know what I'm working with, if that gets your fucking panties in a twist then so be it."

"You're frustrating," He growls at me.

"And you're a dick."

"Ti piace il mio cazzo," (You like my dick) He whispers into my ear.

Smirking at him, "Not when your mouth is filled with it, no."