Marcello
My men saw Federico lurking around Elsa’s friend’s apartment complex. I have had them watch the building for any suspicious activity. Luckily the girls didn’t move out after Elsa went in the morning. Federico was seen around the building. He stayed in his car for about thirty minutes then moved out. He has two bodyguards with him. He entered the complex with one of them and the other remained at the car keeping watch. One of my men went in after him. He didn’t spend long inside. He just moved around and came back. Nothing like lingering around Rita’s room or trying to go in. Maybe he figured out he was being watched.
He left thereafter.
What did he want? He knew that Elsa was in there. Is he targeting her friend? He could use her as a bait. The two girls love each other immensely, and Elsa wouldn’t hesitate to do anything to save her friend.
Elsa is not safe at her place anymore. She shouldn’t go back there in the meantime. It would be better for the both of them. Federico is capable of anything.
Federico has been out of the country for the last two weeks almost. I guess that’s why Elsa has been moving about without any threats to her security. Well, we have to be more careful next time.
By the time I am done with my meeting with my agents who transport my cocaine neon the sea, which has been my last engagement for the day, I fly back home. I was a bit distracted half the time but I had Gabrielle with me. I can count on him to have captured all the important information that I couldn’t. We couldn’t bring our phones with us to this meeting because this is a very discreet meeting where any leaking information can either result in huge losses of money or lives. We have to be careful especially when it comes to these illegal businesses. They are the most dangerous yet the most profitable. The government is always keeping a close eye on these kinds of transactions and mobile phones can easily be used to track our locations. That’s why we have to do without them in such crucial meetings.
By the time I switch on my phone on my way home, it is eight fifteen. There is a bunch of messages from Elsa.
18:12 Elsa: Where are you? Are you alright?
18:15 Elsa: Okay, I know that you don’t have to always tell me your location but I am worried. Call me.
18:15 Elsa: Marcello, call me when you are done. I want to talk to you.
18:16 Elsa: If you get killed, I swear I am never going to forgive you.
18:17 Elsa: I don’t like it when you do such things, Marcello. It scares the shit out of me when I call you and your phone is off. Are you alright?
18:25 Elsa: Am sorry for the nonsensical texts but I just want to know if you are right.
I find myself grinning like an idiot. She could just say she misses me. I would be able to understand. I thought she had made up her mind to go back to her home and hate me for the rest of the day.
I tell the driver to take me straight to her friend’s place since my men have still not reported any movement out of the building by any of the two girls.
I knock at the door and there is no response for some time. I knock again.
When there is no movement, I start panicking that Federico could have done something in here before he left looking unsuspicious. I should have called her before coming. I pull out my phone from my pants pockets. Before turning it on, the for opens. The blonde stands there looking cross and shocked at the same time. I have only seen her once. When she was leaving for the club with Elsa yesterday. She looks better now that she no longer holds the load of makeup from last time.
“Elsa! There is someone for you,” she calls out from inside.
“Sorry. We were kinda in the middle of something,” she begins apologizing.
Before I respond, Elsa is at the door, hair messed up, dressed in shorts and a tank top. I am sure at those long legs my mind racing to the glorious moments of them wrapped around my waist.
“Marcello? You could have called,” she begins. The blonde excuses herself. Good.
“I had to rush here after the threatening texts I found on my phone,” I tell her. Her face turns a shade of pink, but tries to hide it with sudden anger I can tell where it’s coming from. I caught her probably unprepared.
“I was going delusional after your phone was off for almost three hours. What did you expect me to do,” she says, her eyebrows creasing.
“I am here now. I am fine. Are you okay now?” I say with a shrug.
“No am not. I am mad at you,” she says.
“For whatever reason you are mad at me, dolcezza, we can talk about it in a better environment,” I suggest.
“Would you like to come in?” she inquires, though her face tells me no. She doesn’t want me to go in though she is polite enough to ask me otherwise.
“How about you go pick up whatever you need in five minutes so that I can take you home?” I ask.
“Home?” she inquires. She also knows there are two places she refers to as home.
“Our home, dolcezza. It’s high time you came back home, no?” I raise an eyebrow at her.
“You said you’re going to give me time to think about it. I haven’t made up my mind and I am very much certain I don’t want to be there on your conditions,” she says.
“Whatever you want, dolcezza. We shall talk about it later. You will tell me your conditions and I will see if I can work with them.” That seems to have been what she wanted to hear from the very beginning.
“Okay, but I will take at least ten minutes to get ready,” she says, her mood lighting up.
“Don’t bother getting dressed because you won’t be in the clothes for long,” I tell her. She grins before closing the door. I hope she doesn’t take long or I will be forced to go in. I would rather wait out here than go in there and be forced to have an awkward conversation with her friend. I am so she would be uncomfortable the whole time.