Falling Over

Holding the chin I drew back his face to look at me. "Speak." I said. The bloody end of the fucker's mouth curled upwards in a barely evident smirk. My eyes followed the trail of blood that increased as his lips sought to curve up more. The low-life was testing my patience, which at this point was simmering down. There was no other option. I rammed the gun barrel thrice in his head causing more blood to flow, wanting answers from him. He mumbled something incoherent, coughing violently. Spitting out more filth. Even in his battered state he had no ounce of regret. This man was one tough shell to crack. And I was enjoying every moment of his breakdown. Yanking his hair I pulled him to look at me, straight in the eyes. "H-He is coming for you." "Where is he?" "This time h-he will have her. Y..You won't be able to stop him." That was it. Even in his almost lifeless state, his eyes held the promise that he sought to convey. And for the first time, it filled me with a sense of unease. I pushed his face back with as much force as I could. I was done with him. Walking out of the filthy place, I discarded the gloves on the table wanting nothing but to be out of this place. It was a Friday night which meant being with my princess. As my footsteps halted near the car, the echo of a gunshot was heard in distance. Another down. Two more to go before I get to him. ~*~ Angelina The slight tapping of raindrops against my bedroom window could be heard while I sat on the small stool, where Brianna was finishing up her final touches on my face. Checking my reflection in the mirror I smiled. It was still a mystery as to how she could manage to cover up the tiny blemishes on my nose so perfectly. It was like there was a hidden makeup artist waiting to show itself whenever she got the chance. Brianna just loved every single thing about it. "Wait, don't move we are not done yet," she frowned while tapping a large brush of the top of a canister and dusting it all over my face. Especially on days like these where we were supposed to report to work at nine in the morning. I had to compromise on my sleep. I was a more of work at night person, a habit that I had picked up in college. Damn these busy clients and their schedules. The offer was a huge one for Vincent's company, The Interio. He had been asked to take up the project himself, but having to look over many others, he had decided to use us instead. And naturally, the meeting was supposed to be held in The Poseidon Palace, one of the most spectacular hotels in the city. "Ready?" Brianna called out just as she was about to exit the door. "Yes." Climbing inside the car we both settled ourselves while putting our seatbelts in place. The drive was not a long one, if the traffic was low, which should be at this early hour. " So . . ." "Who is the meeting with today?" Brianna looked up from her phone and turned down the radio. "Yes, it is supposed to be with the owner of The Cesare. I don't really remember his name but he too is some big shot billionaire. And dad happens to personally know him. I guess, Mr. Cesare and Dad were college buddies or something." She shrugged, looking ahead. I nodded, taking every word in. The Cesare name wasn't unheard of. I knew it pretty well from the glossy covers of the magazines that I loved to read while in high school and college. "But I think the old boss probably won't be there for the meeting. If the tabloids are to be believed, three months ago his son the heir to the Cesare Enterprises took over as the boss. I don't think the old man handles the affairs anymore." She added. If it was coming from Brianna the information had to be true. Along with following celebrity gossip, Brianna was well aware of the big names in the business world. And to add to it, Brianna had many friends from the media. She was, after all, Vincent Lombardi's daughter who loved to party her ass off, while she covered her tracks with the help of them, whenever she got the news of having been caught. "Who's the new boss then?" "Maximillian Cesare." The sound of his name itself screamed power. The Cesares were one of the most powerful and influential families in the United States, so were the Lombardi. Vincent's father had started The Interio and it had grown to be one of the most prestigious companies offering its inputs and amazing design solutions to a large scale of projects which varied from rich homes to celebrity mansions in Los Angeles to the most extravagant hotels of America. Naturally, the Cesares happened to be one of their clients. But I was still confused as to why I didn't know about this before. "How does he look by the way?" My curiosity spoke. "Who?" "This, Maximillian Cesare," I replied, chewing on my bottom lip. God, his name was a mouthful. "Nobody knows. It has always been Antonio Cesare and the vice-president on the covers. Nobody has actually met Maximillian Cesare. But I have a hunch that dad knows him. Our families haven't ever met but I kind of remember seeing him. I think." As the car came to a halt in front of The Poseidon Palace we gathered our belongings and got out of our small beetle. Brianna handed the keys to the valet. She briefly smiled at him who went red as a tomato. Brianna had that effect on the other half of the human population. With her 5'9'' height., accentuated by the tight formal dress she wore, Brianna had curves at all the right places, a typical body of a model. Her gorgeous blue eyes and blond hair that came to her shoulders complemented and defined her perfect looks. She could easily pass for someone from the Beverly Hills. "Let's go." Brianna grabbed my hand and moved towards the entry to the restaurant area. Excited, I followed her inside, my eyes wandering to the extravagant entrance. As expected, the interiors were amazing. As a designer, I couldn't help but wonder who designed this, noticing the exceptional eye given to detail. I was itching to take notes and if possible wouldn't mind sitting down and actually sketching everything out. It was just so good. The restaurant was every bit spectacular. The tables were lined in a magnificent way and several chandeliers were hung from the ceiling casting a soft glow on the diners. I imagined how breathtaking this place would be in the evening but I was sure the real thing would be much more grand. Vincent spotted us approaching and smiled as he rose up from his seat. "Morning girls." "Good morning dad." Brianna replied, hugging him sideways. "Morning Vincent." I said, doing the same. We took our seats while the hostess came up to us. With her blonde hair tied up in a neat bun, the kind waitress, gave us a happy smile while placing two menu cards on the table. "What would you like to have?" she asked pulling out her notebook and pen. "Two strawberry milkshakes please," Brianna ordered for the both of us. "Right. Anything else?" "That will do." I nodded towards her, returning her smile. While our orders arrived, we filled Vincent on the details of our recent project that was under the wraps. He hummed in approval as I explained the finishing touches that I had given to the choice of furniture. "This is fantastic, dear." Flipping the pages, he went over it once again, his lips quirking upwards, the slight silhouette of a smile visible. After a minute he turned towards me while his eyes shone. It was not the same way while he was about to appreciate his employees, rather I could feel it was something more personal, like when he would look at Brianna. And every time I saw it in his eyes, my heart soared with happiness. This being one of those moments. "I am so proud of you Angelina. I bet if your father would have been here he would be proud of his little one doing so well." Vincent spoke, his voice thick while he swallowed visibly. "It's all what you have taught me, Vincent," I replied with a huge grin on my face. I gave him a quick hug, conveying him, all that I said came straight from my heart. ***