Under the Mistletoe... with the Mafia King.

Chapter 4 - Are you expecting anyone?

R H E A

I wake with a searing headache.

Memories of last night come rolling in slowly as I groan quietly and sit up in bed, looking around my room and seeing that it is already morning. Golden light floods in, making me feel somewhat at peace as I climb out of bed and begin to make my way to the bathroom. My head continues to spin as I groan softly, bringing my fingers to my temple just as memories of last night begin flooding in...

First thing I remember is Cassie trying to convince me to go out for the night, to which I eventually agreed. We headed out to the club for a Christmas Eve party, and we were actually having a lot of fun. Then the mistletoe dropped, and Cassie dared me to kiss anyone in the club. I refused, of course, until she showed me how easy it would be by kissing the bartender. I decided to go through with the dare and look around the club for anyone who caught my attention. And that's when I saw him... the hottest person in the building.

As I reach the mirror and look back at myself, the memory of me grabbing him and kissing him begins to replay in my mind. And the worst part is, I enjoyed every minute of it, to the point where thinking about it again makes me bite my lip as I remember how his lips moved against mine. But then it hits me.

The man I kissed is a Mafia leader... A Don of a criminal syndicate, according to what Cassie said...

I should be scared out of my mind, but the truth is, I'm now curious about him. And dare I say it, I hope I one day see him again.

I shake those thoughts away quickly. Maybe I'm just hungover and need to freshen up to feel like myself again.

After that, I brush my teeth quickly, strip off my clothes and take a 20-minute shower, washing off last night's escapade. But it's not enough to shake the thought of him...

Once I'm all cleaned up and dressed, I make my way out of my room and towards the kitchen, where I would find Cassie sitting on one of the barstools, a steaming cup of coffee placed in front of her as she holds her head in her hands.

"Cass?" I call out just as I approach her, a small smile appearing on my lips. She exhales slowly before she lets go of her head and raises it to look back at me.

"Morning..." She answers groggily, just before she lifts her coffee mug and holds it out to me, taking a short sip of it.

"Good morning," I answer her just as I finally reach her.

"Not so loud..." She mumbles, and I raise an eyebrow at her, chuckling lightly.

"I wasn't being loud," I answer matter-of-factly, and she looks back at me through tired eyes, giving me a smug look.

"Debatable." She answers, and I chuckle once again before I walk around the counter and head over to the coffee machine. She always makes enough for the both of us in the morning; she knows I need it just as much.

"Seems I'm not the only one with a headache from hell," I say to her just as I begin pouring my coffee into the mug right before adding a few sugar cubes and creamer.

"Again, if I try to drink like that again, please smack me across the face." She grumbles, and I laugh just as I walk over to the stove, seeing that she has already prepared breakfast as well. Scrambled eggs, bacon and buttered toast.

"How are you feeling?" I ask her just as I begin plating my food, walking over to her afterwards.

"I'm good, nothing a good shower and coffee can't fix..." I asnwer her just as I take a seat across the counter, placing my food in front of me, but pausing for a second as I look back at her.

"Now are you ready to talk...?" I say, and she looks back at me with confusion, brings her mug to her lips and takes another sip.

"About what?" She answers me, seemingly oblivious, but I have a feeling she knows exactly what I'm talking about.

"Cassandra," I say seriously, and she raises her eyebrows momentarily before setting the mug back down on the counter.

"Government name, damn." She lets out, and I huff lightly, shaking my head at her as I grow a bit frustrated.

"Seriously, you said we'd talk about... you know... Micheal Vescari... you said that you didn't know if we were in danger or not..." I say seriously, and that's when I notice her expression change into one that matches mine, one filled with genuine concern.

"I don't know Rhea, seriously..." She says, and I huff lightly, feeling myself give up on this entire discussion... until she speaks up again.

"But I'll tell you everything I know..." She lets out, and I adjust myself in my seat, nodding at her with eagerness to know more about the stranger I kissed that night

"The Vescari family is an old one." She begins, just as I try to eat my food.

"They run New York City, and have been here for decades. They're both hated and feared, meaning they've got a lot of enemies..." She explains, keeping her eyes on me as she explains.

"Micheal is the son of Raphael and Maria Vescari... and they own a multi-billion dollar empire... one that Micheal inherited and now runs. He is the CEO of Vescari Holdings. On top of that, he also owns countless businesses, all of which he and his family use to launder money..." She carries on, and that's when I pause mid-bite to stare back at her with shock, setting my cutlery down on my plate.

"If this is someone everyone knows... How come no one goes to the police..." I shake my head slightly, trying my best to understand.

"Because no one is stupid enough. And... the Vescari own the police... so if anyone tries to go to them with this information, they're as good as dead..." She explains, and I feel a chill pass through my entire body. Of course... from what she's described, the Vescari family is too powerful for even the police to stop...

"Micheal is dangerous, Rhea... trust me," Cassie explains, and I believe every word that has come out of her mouth. But still, it's not enough to shake the thought of Micheal.

Okay... what the hell is wrong with me...?

Before I can say anything in response, we hear a sudden knock on the door, making us both halt all our movements and stare back at each other, frozen in fear.

"Are you expecting anyone?" Cassie questions, her voice coming out as a whisper as she glances between me and the door.

"No..." I answer, matching her voice as I glance towards the door fearfully, standing to my feet as I begin approaching the door.

"Rhea! What the hell are you doing?" Cassie whisper-yells as she too stands to his feet.

"Gong to see who it is..." I answer casually, but that only seems to agitate her.

"Answer it? Are you crazy?!" She whisper-yells and I frown back at her. I understand that she's scared, but she may be overthinking at this point.

"Did you not hear a word I said about the Vescari family? They're dangerous, and because you kissed Micheal, who knows if they might be looking for you..." She tries to explain, and I sigh heavily, trying to make me see more clearly.

"Yeah, but even you said, they didn't know follow us... so we're safe for now. And it could be one of our friends..." I try to say just as I make my way towards the door.

"But Rhea, it was any of our friends, they usually call to say they're outside, or send a text. This is 2025, no one knocks anymore!" Cassie persists, and I shake my head at her, trying my best to think rationally even though I understand why she is being so paranoid.

"People do knock Cassie, and I think you're just being paranoid. Besides, it's not like we were followed last night..." I answer her.

"And how are you so sure...?" She questions, and I fail to answer her, but that seems to give her all the confirmation she needs.

"I'm grabbing a knife just in case." She lets out, and I shake my head at her before walking over to the door.

"Who's there?" I shout, hopefully loud enough for whoever is on the other side to hear.

"I've got a delivery for Rhea Anderson!" I hear a man's voice, and that's when I frown to myself, trying to figure out what sort of delivery it is.

I finally reach the door, unlocking all the locks Cassie put in place before I pull open the handle and reveal what's on the other side.

Indeed, it is a deliveryman, dressed in a brown and orange uniform.

"Hello." I greet him politely, just as he gives me a small smile and holds out a box to me.

"Hello... P-Please just sign here." He suddenly says, stuttering over his words and holding out a box to me, and that's when I notice his hands are trembling...

"Hey, uhm... are you okay...?" I ask him, keeping my gaze on the box and watching as his hands continue to shake.

"Y-yes... I'm fine... J-just please sign here." He answers in a quiet voice, motioning to the paper on the top of the box. That's when I see the words on the paper, as clear as day... and once I do...

My heart sinks to my feet.

The words are large, and written across the paper in red...

'Run...'