The Italian Dons Bargain

Chapter 5

The room maintained silence, the only noise was coming from the music being played down below. Nadia finally stopped running from Donnatielo's gaze and faced him head-on, his sharp blue eyes seemed to have sparked with interest as she did so

"Alex, are you going to tell me what this is all about? Or are you going to keep me here guessing?"

"Uh...in a minute, right now let's get to know each other better", Alex laughed nervously while rubbing his shiny head

"For what reason, you've never introduced me to any of your friends before so why now?", Nadia glared angrily at Alex

"This one is...different, he's a much more important friend"

"Why? Because he's rich?", Nadia raised her brow

"No, no, it's because-"

"Enough Alex!", Nadia pushed back her seat and rose up in anger, "I didn't spend so many hours looking for you, wondering if you're alive or dead, wasting money on cabs to come here just for you to stall and waste my time, either you tell me what the hell is going on or I live and you can piss yourself"

"Okay, okay...please lower your voice, I'll tell you", Alex took Nadia's arm and tried to calm her down

"Let me go", she shook his hand off

"Take it easy, Nadia", Alex took a breath, "There's been a bit of an issue"

"What kind of issue?"

"Eh...it's...a money issue"

"I'm not even surprised", Nadia rolled her eyes, "so you borrowed money that you can't pay back, again"

"Not exactly...I didn't borrow any money, but I am owing"

"This man here? You're owing this man money?"

"Yes...it's uh...quite a sum"

Nadia sighed

"How much money are you owing this man?"

"Don't be rude, his name is-"

"Just answer the question, Alex, how much money do you owe your friend"

"Two hundred...", Alex lowered his voice

"Two hundred what, Alex?"

"Two hundred and fifty thousand dollars"

"Two hundred and fifty thousand dollars! Are you insane?"

"I know it sounds like a lot but..."

"No s**t it's a lot, you know you don't have that kind of money, how are you owing so much mone- don't tell me"

"In a game of poker"

Nadia held her head with both her hands

"You were gambling money that you don't have? What kind of idiot...scratch that, you are an i***t so I expect nothing less"

"I know, I know, I'm sorry"

"Sorry isn't going to pay your debt, Alex"

"That's where you come in"

"Me? I'm not helping you pay that money back, I only work at a convenience store"

"True but...I was able to negotiate"

Nadias stomach turned at his words

"You what?"

"I was able to negotiate my way out of the debt"

"And how exactly were you able to do that?", she approached Alex

"Um...you see I...uh I was desperate, Nadia"

"What did you do Alex?!"

A sudden clap interrupted Nadia's confrontation, she looked back and saw it came from Donnatielo. Donnatielo held the armrests of his chair firmly and stood up, his magnificent frame dwarfed everyone in the room.

Nadia's mouth ran dry as she took a better look at him, he was interesting enough sitting down but standing up he resembled a Greek god, all tall and mighty. Despite looking so majestic he kept a neutral aura, his broad shoulders were relaxed and his large hands entered his pockets.

As he approached Nadia her heart began running tracks, with every step it threatened to give her a heart attack. Standing only inches apart, Nadia could smell his strong cologne, she didn't know the brand but she was sure it was expensive. Looking up into his eyes, Nadia was sent into another world where only they existed, it gave her much excitement.

"Honestly Mr. Weston", Donnatielo spoke, his strong Italian accent caressing each word, "I gave you enough time to sort out this situation and here you are wasting both our time"

"Sir...I apologize greatly but this is a...a delicate issue, don't you agree?"

"Of course I do, but your daughter is growing impatient and so am I"

Nadia couldn't keep her eyes off Donnatielo, the way he looked mixed with the way he spoke put her in a daze, he was like a man straight from a novel, unrealistic.

"Right...Nadia-"

"You had your chance, now I speak"

Donnatielo fixed his eyes on Nadia, her brown eyes glowing with a feeling he couldn't mistake for anything, curiosity, he liked it

"Forgive me for being too direct Miss. Weston"

"Don't call me that", Nadia interrupted and quickly recovered, "It makes me sound old"

Donnatielo chuckled

"Mie scuse, Nadia"

The way he said her name made Nadia sure he was trying to seduce her, he relaxed into it and said it like a tune, making her shiver.

"What Mr. Weston has been trying to relate to you since you got here is a negotiation was set between the two of us, in this negotiation, you are to follow me and stay by my side to make up for the money he can't pay"

Suddenly the feeling of warmth escaped her body and in its place a cold breeze of reality. Nadia opened her eyes wide at the statement, she turned to Alex hoping for a proper explanation but Alex' nervous smile confirmed what Donnatielo had just said

"What?!"

"It's only for the time being...I promise"

"YOU SOLD ME?!"

Nadia pushed Alex back, the doors holding her patience for her father broke down, and with them gone a flood of fury burst out.

"HOW COULD YOU?!"

"Nadia please calm down, let's talk like civil people"

"To hell with your civil s**t, you just sold me to a complete stranger without my knowledge"

"Not sold bargained, and it's only for the time being"

"You think that makes it any better?!", Nadia picked up the seat behind her and tossed it to Alex, it missed him only by an inch.

"Nadia! That's no way to behave"

"Piss off, you just used your own daughter as your scapegoat, is that any way to behave"

Nadia was about to grab a glass off the table when a pair of strong arms held her in place by her shoulders sending tingles down her spine

"Facile"

She didn't understand what he just said but it eased her anger only for a moment. Glaring at Alex, Nadia flared her nostrils, no matter how hard she tried to stay calm the words kept repeating themselves until her anger boiled over again.

Getting out of Donnatielos grip, Nadia reached out for the very glass on the table and threw it with all her might at Alex, it only managed to hit his foot before shattering on the marble floor in many pieces

"I just can't believe you'd do something like this, after everything I've done for you"

"It's hard to understand now but-"

"I won't understand it ever, I will never understand you selling me as if I'm a piece of clothing or a doll"

"Sir Donnatielo isn't a bad man, look at him Nadia, he's handsome and strong and he'll give you a very comfortable life"

Nadia closed her eyes and took deep breaths

"I'm not going anywhere with this man", the interest she had in Donnatielo when she first arrived jumped out the window, she couldn't get excited after what she had just learned

"It's out of our hands Nadia, you don't have a choice"

"Excuse me? I do have a choice and I choose to not go anywhere"

"You can't, this is a very serious situation, if you leave...he'll kill me"

Nadia swallowed, she was actually scared by that statement but was too angry to consider it

"I don't care, you made the bed now sleep in it"

Alex' face was covered in fear, Nadia's words hit him hard, his blood pressure was about to hit the roof

"It's not even about me anymore...sir Donnatielo likes you, he wants you by any means possible"

Nadia straightened her back, in the corner of her eye she saw Donnatielos arms crossed over his chest, his eyes were fixed on her as he slowly nodded his head, it was almost like a silent agreement to what Alex had said.

"You don't even know me", she spoke in a low voice 

"Your eyes tell me everything, farfalla"

Nadia looked up at the chandelier, her cheeks hot from Donnatielos words, looking down at Alex she gritted her teeth

"And what if I still refuse?"

"He's no ordinary man, Nadia, when I say you don't have a choice I mean it"

"Is that a threat?", she raised an eyebrow

"If it was you'd have to obey, Donnatielo Larcetosa is not just a wealthy man...he's the head of the Larcetosa Famiglia, New York city's top Don"

"Hold on, Famiglia? Don? You bastard, I'm being sold to a cartel boss?"

The closest Nadia had ever been to a gang was the local thugs that would terrorize small shops for money, she once dated a member of the gang at sixteen and it was the greatest thrill of her life, little did she expect that at 21 she would be given off to a real mobster

"Do you have any idea how dangerous they are?"

"He won't hurt you, I swear"

"You expect me to believe you? When have you ever been true to your words, Alex? And on top of that, hurting me is the least of my problems, I refuse to go down with gangsters if the police ever find out"

"I can personally assure you the police will never so much as look your direction when you're around me", Donnatielo spoke, he moved next to Nadia, his arm grazing her bare skin

"Thanks for your assurance...but I'll have to pass, seriously, I just can't-"

"You'll learn to get used to it, I'm not leaving this casino without you"

"Women don't like pushy guys"

"Persistent"

"Same thing"

"But with class"

Nadia breathed out, she felt trapped between Donnatielos large body and Alex's lumpy body. Backing up towards the balcony, she took in another deep breath and let it out, she looked out over the balcony and saw guests roaming the main gambling hall, scanning the entire hall she desperately looked for a way out

"Nadia, don't make this any harder than it should be, you'll be in safe hands"

"Shut up, Alex"

A red blinking light from a white censor caught her eye, looking it over she blinked in realization as a plan immediately formed in her head.

"I repeat, I'm not going anywhere with this man"

Saying a silent prayer Nadia jumped and grabbed a gun from one of the suited men standing like statues on the balcony, it was an unexpected attempt that made it easy for her to take it. She aimed the gun at Donnatielo who was poker-faced;

"Nadia! You're outnumbered, put that gun down"

"Unlike you, Alex", Nadia backed up, "I know how to get myself out of trouble"

Spinning back around, Nadia fired the gun three times, twice in the air and once at the white sensor causing a beeping sound, it was a fire alarm. The shots caused havoc in the gambling hall beneath, in the midst of guests running for safety, Nadia quickly took a leap of faith off the balcony and landed on her back.

Pain shot up her spine, she laid on the floor for a moment before jumping to her feet. Looking up at the balcony, she was relieved it wasn't too high, Donnatielo and Alex stood on the balcony looking down at Nadia

She ignored Alex's presence, she looked at Donnatielo whose expression was very different from what she expected. From her actions she thought he would be furious and throw a fit, contrary to that, he smiled at her, it was a look of satisfaction.

Dumfounded by his charisma, Nadia looked away from his smile and made a break for the exit in the crowd of people. Pushing her way through the guests she made it outside, sighing in relief, she held her breath again and started running.

Nadia ran without a plan, she didn't know where she was going to hide or how she would evade her new pursuers but she kept running blindly to the future ahead, the only thing on her mind was getting far away.