Finally taking a step ahead

"Okay. I understood and I will contact Williams personally tomorrow."

I said. 

"Yeah but I would prefer you contact his right hand first and don't directly ask them to stay at our hotel. That will sound creep."

He said as if I didn't knew that. 

"Okay."

I nodded. 

"Don't you think you should be good at physical training as well. I will surely provide you a body guard but you should learn self defence too. As you would be the first mafia woman to run mob business."

Enzo suggested and he was right. Once the legal proceedings were done I would have many adversaries who would try to get their hands on me. I wouldn't be some general girl, they would think of me as an equivalent enemy as Enzo. 

"When can we start my self defence training?"

I asked. 

"Tomorrow morning but for now, the lawyer is coming to get our signatures on the lease, she has already taken from the other partners. Tomorrow the hotel will be officially handed over to you and the news would be all over. Get ready to face your enemies. They won't sit quiet for too long seeing that."

Enzo was absolutely right. And I should have been terrified at the prospect of making more enemies but I was enjoying it and was excited about it. What was happening to me? Was I on my way to becoming vicious, just like the mafia men? 

"Yeah. I am ready to face it."

I told him confidently. 

"Good."

He remarked. He went back without saying anything and I finally decided to see his apartment, I don't think it would have been any objection for him as I would be living here. I went toward the kitchen first. I assumed it would be there as a servant this morning was taking grocery items in there. The modern kitchen with all the facilities just like the one in my father's house but I was a really bad cook so I let go of the thought of going through refrigerator and seeing if I could prepare something. I hadn't even boiled water in my entire life. I went to the first floor, the upper one to it was terrace. There were many rooms in the house, considering it a bachelor's apartment. I seemed like a whole traditional family lived there with all the ethics and aesthetics. I decided not to go on and check out on everyone room, they all looked similar from the door that I couldn't distinguish between bedrooms and other purpose rooms. Obviously Enzo had set up his gym and training area in one of those rooms. I went back to my room. The swimming pool was clearly visible through the glass window and the water was shining like pearls in the sunlight. I sat on the chair beside it. I was so busy, throughout the day that I didn't even think about how lonely I was now. Of course, Enzo was there to help me but he wasn't family, it's not like my family ever made me feel so but at least the pretending helped and now there was no-one even to pretend. 

I pushed the thoughts aside before I could start thinking about Alantino again. Thinking about those things again and again would make me both anxious and furious, which I did not need to think cleverly about my next steps. I didn't realise when I dozed off in the chair and my eyes opened when someone was shaking me to wake me up. 

"Enzo..."

I said in a raspy voice as I rubbed sleep off my eyes. Enzo was standing in front of me wearing a black shirt with top buttons opened and revealing the tattoo on his chest and a pair of black slacks. 

"Get up, slumber queen."

He said in a low voice almost comforting. But his mask wouldn't give anything away.

"What time is it?"

I asked him and it still pissed me not having clock or any gadget to check time. He moved aside to let me look at the the wall clock hanged on the left wall and I was so grateful for it, it was still just a wall clock but I felt so relieved. Also there was a alarm clock on my bedside table. I hadn't complained to Enzo about not having clock in my room but he still sensed it. He was a saviour for real. It was six o'clock and the sun was about to set, the sky outside the window was already turning dark. 

"And here, a Phone for you. I already inserted a sim card in it and it's all ready for your use."

He said shoving a latest version of iPhone towards me. I grabbed it and wasn't sure, whom I was gonna contact with it, other than Enzo. 

"Thanks, Enzo."

I said to him with the most genuine smile, I ever gave to someone. It wasn't only for the gadgets but for everything he did, and was about to do for me. 

"Now hurry up to the downstairs, our lawyer would be here anytime now."

He told and left, his smell remained even after a couple of moments he left. The best smelling cologne. It's not like I've smelled many of those, I had never been close to men but this smell was surely good. 

I got up from my chair and my back and neck were hurting so bad because of the position, I slept in. I ignored it and went to the bathroom and after washing my face, I went downstairs. Enzo was already sitting with a man in his fifties, dressed strictly in formals. And hairs perfectly gelled. 

"Good evening, Valerie."

He greeted as soon as he saw me. I smiled and nodded then went to sit beside Enzo. Even he was a bit shocked as I sat closer to him than ever. But somehow it felt safe around him especially when someone was around. My body went on alert zone around everyone, but Enzo's warmth felt oddly comforting. 

"You would have to sign these documents, Enzo already did."

He said in a formal voice handing me a file with a bundle of papers. I took it and signatured the spots wherever he asked me to and it took a good time signing the bundle of papers and my fingers were already cramping. 

"The signing is done. The hotel will be legally yours from tomorrow onwards and I guess, that's my leave."

He said as he got up.Usually the legal proceedings regarding properties would take time but it was Enzo Amato, he can get whatever and whenever, he wants. 

"The news would be all over tomorrow and that will be our first step in the way of vengeance."

Enzo said in a cold and low voice once the lawyer was gone and I could feel confident in myself as finally I would be known in whole Italy tomorrow. That news would be no good for my father and husband. 

"I could not wait for tomorrow. I can even imagine the looks on my father's and Alantino's face."

I said and could not wait to see their expressions myself. It would be so exciting and I wouldn't let my sentiments come in between. I was past that point now. 

"I am leaving for Genoa, now. I will be late, so I have positioned guards on the gateway and feel safe in the house and order something to eat from the menu kept on the kitchen table."

He told and I felt bad, he was leaving and I would be alone in the big apartment. But his work was certainly important and I was no-one to stop stop him, just a mere handler of his business. OK, not yet, officially from tomorrow.

"OK. Have a safe journey."

I told him and he left with an emotionless smile. I think he meant to actually smile but was so used to carrying his mask along that he usually forgot to show some emotions but never mind. 

Enzo left and I went to the kitchen to get something to drink. I was hungry, oh god why am I such a big eater, can I feel not-hungry ever? I poured myself a generous glass of cranberry juice and was scanning the menu while taking gulps of it. Then finally decided to have pizza for dinner. I called the restaurant and ordered two veg pizzas and a chill dessert from a pizza shop in the locality. That's when I realised, I can actually use my phone to call someone other than Enzo.

The food would take at least thirty minutes to get delivered, it would have not taken much more time than ten minutes, if I had told them that the order was from Enzo Amato's house, but I could not use his name everywhere. I went outside,near the swimming pool and sat on the deck chair. The water was glistening in the moonlight,relaxing my nerves, but the darkness soon started haunting me as the similar dark incident started reforming in my mind, nevertheless the times I tried to push it back. The touch of wind on my exposed skin, reminded me of Sandro and when I decided that I couldn't take it anymore, I headed back inside and locked the door. I tried to console myself that I was safe, everything was alright but the loneliness felt way too evocative than ever. I couldn't focus on anything until there was a voice outside the house and someone rang the doorbell, I started shaking and it took all my efforts to open that damn door.