HER ATTRACTION

EIGHT: TWO NEWS

Leonardo pushed the blanket aside and stood up from the bed, stark naked. Caterina sat up in bed. The room was dimly lit with a ceiling fan oscillating slowly. Nothing was outstanding about the room and it had no furnishings except for a wooden table and a chair, beside the closet, a single window draped in a flowery lace curtain, and a bed.

Leonardo picked up his pants from the floor and started wearing them. Caterina watched him quietly for a moment. He took his shirt from the bed and shrugged it on.

"Did you have another nightmare?" Caterina asked in English.

Leonardo picked up his ring from the table. "Yes. It's just the memories from the night my father died." He sat down on the bed and started wearing his shoes.

Caterina wrapped the sheets around her, shifted closer to him, and place her arms on his shoulder. "Are you leaving tonight?" she asked in s sexy voice.

Leonardo tied his shoelace. "I am a don, I have a family to protect."

Caterina scowled and nibbled his ear. "You don't have me to protect? I am your woman. Why can't you just spend a night with me?"

Leonardo shoved her away immediately and she fell on the bed, almost hitting the headboard, and she let out a yelp.

"You are my w***e and you don't tell me what to do," he said, his voice husky.

Caterina clutched the sheets to her body as if she was suddenly shy of him seeing her nakedness. Leonardo wore his remaining pieces of clothing and turned to her.

"You should get back to work and make sure you don't open those legs for any other man."

"Yes," she answered briskly in a hoarse voice.

He threw a bundle of money on the bed. "Here, get yourself some nice clothes. Come here."

She obediently crawled up to him and he cupped her chin and kissed her deeply. She didn't respond, he left her and pushed her gently.

"You are mine," he whispered and smiled at her. She nodded but said nothing. "Now, get up and get dressed."

He left her and picked up his staff and phone from the table and dialed Pietro. Pietro answered almost immediately.

"Don Leonardo, " Pietro's voice sounded from the other end of the phone.

"Did you sleep off?"

"No."

"I am heading out now, make sure no evil is lurking around."

"Sì, capo." (Yes, boss)

A few minutes later, Leonardo was in the back seat of the Rolls Royce Cullinan, Pietro on the wheel.

"Boss, your uncle called a few minutes ago asking after you," Pietro said as they hit the highway.

"What does he want? Did he say?"

"He didn't relay it to me. He said he wanted to talk to you, it was urgent. Should I put him on the phone?"

"No. I will talk to him when I get home. If it is that urgent, he will be up waiting for me." Leonardo said and looked out of the window.

The streets were brightly lit by the street lights and the road was silent now except for a few cars owned by late-night keepers. He wondered what his uncle couldn't relay to Pietro.

Luca was sprawled on the couch carelessly, snoring aloud while Marco paced about. The guards stood still, their hands behind their backs. Leonardo walked into the living room and saw his uncle pacing about. His uncle saw him and rushed towards him.

"Oh, you are finally here. I have news for you."

"Can't it wait until morning? I am tired."

"It might be too late. I have two pieces of news. Two bad news actually."

Leonardo looked at his uncle with surprise. "Bad news?"

Pietro came in and they were distracted a little. They both looked at him and faced each other again. Marco looked at his nephew.

"I made my findings and learned that Riccardo traveled to America and got involved in a gang s**t the same day Izzy got involved. He is currently on the run."

Leonardo's hand tightened around his staff, his chest swelled with anger and his eyes became furious.

"How did you get this information?" His voice boiled with anger.

"From a reliable source. You can investigate yourself and see that it is true."

Leonardo gestured for Pietro to get him a drink. Pietro quickly went to the bar, poured some drink into a glass, and took it to him. "What is the second news?"

"Izzy has been kidnapped."

That was the bombshell. Leonardo hauled the glass, it hit the wall and shattered. Luca who was dreaming about naked women dancing in his front jerked up immediately.

"What is that? What happened?!" he asked looking around and wiping his eyes.

In a deep rough voice, Leonardo asked. "What of that bastard Riccardo?"

"They have not heard from him at home," his uncle replied.

"Pietro, get the car ready. I will be visiting Don Vicenzo."

"No, no, no, no," Marco said and blocked his way. "I won't let you do that."

Leonardo glared at him. “Why?”

"You don't know what he has in store for you tonight, besides it's late leave it till early the next morning."

Leonardo stared at his uncle for a while and Marco pleaded with his eyes for Leonardo not to go anywhere, Luca just looked at them in confusion. Leonardo looked around still boiling with anger. After a while, he stormed up the stairs trying to control his fume. Marco looked at him until he was out of sight. He turned to the soldiers.

"Clean up the mess."

Luca looked from Marco to Pierto to the soldiers and back to uncle Marco. "What's going on?" he asked.

Marco eyed him. "Go back to sleep and keep dreaming of naked women!" he called and started moving up the stairs as well.

Luca tilted his head and frowned. "How did he know I was dreaming about naked women?"

The waves pushed the water to the shore and the seagulls squawked while other birds chirped. Cold air washed over Isabella's face and she stirred in her sleep, she became conscious of her surroundings but did not want to open her eyes. She felt very uncomfortable and groaned in her sleep, trying to move her body but her whole body felt numb and she was freezing. She slowly opened her eyes and everything seemed blurry until she blinked twice.

She looked around trying to take in her environment. The sun was waking from the east. "Where am I?" she asked herself and kept looking around. She had slept in a car and now her whole body felt like she was thrown down a ten-story building. What was she doing at a seashore? How did she get here? Her coat was draped over her body and she tried to move her hands and open the car door, but she felt some stings all over her. Then it all came back to her.

She had been kidnapped!

She threw the coat away from her and looked around and saw his silhouette coming in front of her. The day was not bright enough to see his face, but she could see his form, all tall and hunky. She watched him as he pulled closer.

"You are awake, bellissima," he said when he got to the car.

His strong Italian accent made her feel kind of safe. She wasn't supposed to feel safe with this man, he had kidnapped her and had altered her life. A few hours ago, her life had been normal, like every other person's life, waking up in a comfy bed, having a nice and delicious breakfast, going to work, working, coming back from work, everything was normal, but now she didn't know where her life was heading to. She slowly opened the door and brought her legs down but tiny pins stung at them and she had to stand to stop the sting. She shrugged on her coat and leaned her back on the car, beside him.

"Where are we?" she asked.

He shrugged. "I don't know, you are the gringo here, you should tell me."

She ignored him and flipped her hair. "Why did you kidnap me?" she asked, looking at the sea.

"I did not kidnap you," he replied quickly.

"Then let me leave."

"I can't."

She glanced at him. "You can't? You do realize that there are people who are waiting for me, people who love me, right?"

"Bellissima..."

"Don't...don't call me that," she snapped.

"This is fate, bellissima."

"I said not to call me that."

"It is only fate that has brought us together."

She chuckled sarcastically. "Fate my foot."

He stared at her for a while. "I can't let you go out there, those guys are dangerous and they would stop at nothing to eliminate anyone that is involved with me. I am only trying to protect you."

"Protect me you say? I think the only one I need protection from is standing right here with me."

"I am the only one that can protect you at this moment if you need to be alive."

She ran her hands over her hair in frustration and moved away from the car, coming to stand in front of him. "I need to know, I need to know what this is all about if I am involved in it."

"I can't tell you, you are better off not knowing."

"Then, let me out of here now!" she yelled.

He quickly grabbed her by the shoulders, turned her and pushed her to the car, and stared straight into her eyes. She saw a glint of fury in his eyes that died down almost immediately.

"You don't dare yell at me, I don't have so much patience."

"I am not a piece of object you can use any time you want and anyhow you want." She pushed his hands away from her and broke away from their proximity, which was making her feel hot even in the open air.

"Get into the car, you must be hungry," he said slowly.

She scoffed. "You now tell me how to feel too? Great!" She started walking away.

"I said get in the car now!" he called, but she kept walking away. He went after her.

Her pace increased and her hair flew about in the wind. As she walked, she thought of her life, her brothers, her friends, her colleagues, and her boyfriend. Then she broke out in a run and he pursued her. He caught up with her and grabbed her hand, she flung her arm, trying to break out of his grip, but his hold was strong on her.

"Where do you think you are going to?"

"Let go of me."

"Get into the car, right now."

She ignored him and tried to move away from him, but he held her, she pulled and struggled but he kept drawing her back to him.

"Get into the damn car, bellissima, while I am asking nicely."

"Do your worst," she challenged.

He bent down and grabbed her two legs, lifted her, and hauled her over his shoulder. She started to yell, beating his back and kicking the air. He held her tight and carried her back to the car, put her in, and locked the doors. She kept screaming and hitting the windows and jerking the doors. He went and picked up her shoes that she had kicked off and went and sat on the bonnet of the car, waiting for her to stop throwing a fit.

He wasn't this patient with women. He had never tolerated any woman, they obeyed him, they respected him, they feared him, but this woman doesn't. She was so defiant and daring and although it makes him impatient, he found it kind of sexy. He couldn't let her be by herself anymore, she was in danger because of him and he could have left her, could have moved on the way he had always moved on, not caring what happened to the other person, but something pulled him to this woman, something he couldn't understand.

He looked back into the car, she was calm and looking out of the window. He stood and went over to the driver's seat, slid in, and ignited the car. She didn't say anything to him nor turned to look at him when he entered. He pushed the car forward.