Lesson 1: Surprise

The sound of my blaring alarm grated on my ears all the way from my bedroom as I showered in the scalding water to ease my tired body and tense muscles.

I'd gotten barely a wink of sleep last night. My mind had been racing with ways I could've made my last mission run smoother. This tended to happen rather frequently. I was what you could call a bit of a perfectionist but that trait of mine had saved my ass more than once so I definitely wasn't complaining.

I quickly scrubbed my body and got dressed, readying myself for the day ahead despite how tired I felt. In my line of work, I always had to be alert and ready even if my body was protesting.

Feeling somewhat refreshed, I exited my room to head downstairs towards the kitchen, catching a whiff of some freshly cooked eggs. There was a mouthwatering omelette on the kitchen island which I swiped without a second thought. However, I didn't even get to eat my first forkful before my plate was snatched away.

"Now Blair, stealing isn't nice," the voice chastised, making me scowl as I looked at him.

"Well Emilio, maybe you shouldn't leave your food unattended," I retorted, slipping out of my chair, readying to rip the plate from his hands.

Realising what I was about to do a split second before I could act, he lifted the plate above his head, far from my reach. "Tsk. Tsk. A rookie move, Blair. I expect a lot more from a mafia trained assassin. Where's the element of surprise?"

Too caught up in his momentary victory, he didn't anticipate my next move, thinking he'd already won. Idiot. Using the knife I'd picked up from the counter, I sliced down the side of his abdomen, not deep enough to scar but enough for him to wince and put the plate down.

"What the fuck, Blair!" Emilio cursed, clutching his side in pain as he reached for the cabinet containing the first aid kit.

Lightning fast, I snatched for the plate, bolting out of the kitchen and into the living room, laughing in victory over my shoulder. "You shouldn't have let your guard down. I expected more from a mafia trained assassin," I shouted in triumph, a smirk on my face.

I plopped down onto the cushy sofa in the living room, crossing my legs underneath me and turning the TV on, changing the channel to a random game show. I answered every question with ease, barely even having to think. I really should go on one of these; I'd be rich in only a few hours.

About twenty minutes later, the sofa dipped beside me, Emilio sitting down with a sulky expression as he shoved a brand new omelette into his mouth.

"Where'd you get that from?" I asked, the smirk from earlier returning to my face.

He glared at me then returned his attention to his breakfast. "I got Maria to make me another. I don't see why you didn't just ask her instead of stabbing me," he said, pouting as if he were a child.

I chuckled at the theatrics, finishing the last of my delicious omelette. "I didn't want to wait and it looked so inviting just sitting there, unattended. I couldn't let such a good meal go cold, now could I? And I barely grazed you, stop being so dramatic," I finished with an eye roll, putting my empty plate down onto the coffee table.

"Barely grazed," he mimicked as another person entered the room.

"Blair, Maria sent me to ask why there's blood on the kitchen floor," Gio said, a shit-eating grin on his face. His jet black hair was messy as if he'd just gotten out of bed and the fact that he wasn't wearing a shirt confirmed my theory, his slender yet muscular build on full display.

I plastered on a sickly sweet smile, feigning innocence. "Why would I know, Gio? Little innocent me?"

Emilio scoffed and Gio snorted, making me gasp in fake shock as I put my hand to my chest. "You really think such things about me?"

"Sei la diavola, sorella," Emilio accused, gesturing to his wounded side where a bloodstain was clearly visible on his t-shirt and Gio burst out laughing, his coal eyes shining with amusement.

"Fuck both of you," Emilio cursed, leaving the room with irritation radiating from him in waves.

The grin didn't leave Gio's face as he moved to sit next to me, pulling me close to his side so he could whisper in my ear. "You know how much of a turn on it is when you do things like this. And the best part is, now that Emilio is gone, we're all alone," he said lowly, his hot breath fanning my neck.

I turned my head to him slowly and saw the exact same look on his face as I knew was on mine. Moving onto his lap, I ran my fingers through his thick, black hair, tugging it to pull him closer.

His movements were similar as he brought his rough hands to my face, cupping my cheeks with the softest touch, bringing my lips to his. The moment was short-lived though because we both had to pull apart when we heard someone clearing their throat from the door.

"Porco cane," Gio and I grumbled at the same time as we turned to see the cause of the interruption.

In front of us stood Maria, her hands on her hips and a towel resting on her left shoulder. "Not in the living room, you two," she scolded. "And, Blair, don't think I don't know what you did to Emilio earlier."

I tried to look confident as I met her eyes but I was sure it was obvious that I was basically pissing my pants. Nothing could scare me like Maria did — even an assassin had their fears.

Her angered expression morphed into a grin in the blink of an eye as she watched me, amusement dancing in her dark brown eyes. "Nice one, that boy has been getting on my nerves all week!"

I sighed in relief, smiling at the woman who had raised me for most of my life, her petite frame not hindering her ability to terrify anyone in the slightest.

"Now, you go look after Adriana. I can hear her crying from here," she told Gio firmly, clasping her hands together.

He shook his head defiantly. "Why me?"

Maria grabbed the towel from her shoulder and slapped him across the face with it, flour getting in his hair. "Giovanni, do not make me repeat myself," Maria warned in a deadly calm voice.

"Alright, alright. I'm going," he said hastily, leaving the room without a second glance.

My laughter was cut short by Maria, this time addressing me. "Luca wants to see you, cara mia."

I nodded, not wanting to annoy her. I stood up to head to his office, giving her a quick peck on the cheek before leaving the room.

Luca — or rather, Luciano — was the head of the family and therefore the head of the mafia as well. Most called him boss or capo to be respectful because, trust me when I said, you did not want to get on his bad side. You'd be dead in minutes, literally.

To me, though, he was just Luca and he wouldn't have me call him anything different.

He was the one who had taken me in when I was a child and saved me from life as an orphan. Him and Maria, his wife, saved me. They were my family and I'd do anything for my family.

We'd die for each other.

I knocked on the mahogany door three times before I heard 'entra' being called softly from the other side. Once inside the room, I went to sit on the plush armchair that faced opposite to Luca who sat with perfect posture behind his desk.

"Ah, Blair, lovely to see you," he smiled. His deep-set brown eyes were warm and inviting as he greeted me, the wrinkles by his eyes and mouth creasing slightly. I noticed that he must have had a haircut this morning because his hair was short, only centimetres above his scalp and his usual dyed-black hair was mostly grey.

"Likewise," I smiled in return, leaning back in my chair. "You wanted to see me?"

"Yes. Before the boys get here, I wanted to let you know that I have a mission planned especially for you. A big one and your most dangerous one yet," he told me, his voice losing its friendly tone. He was all business now.

I nodded, not being able to help the smirk taking over my features. This was just what I'd been craving. Something dangerous. Something life-threatening. Something with everything to lose.

"But before we even get to that, I've got a much simpler one planned for tonight. You'll be going with both Emilio and Giovanni. They should be here momentarily. But Blair, this will be dangerous so I need you to prepare yourself."

Again, I nodded, a look of determination clear on my face just as we heard a knock on the door, both Emilio and Gio walking in.

"Ah, perfect timing boys. Now, let's get down to business."

~*~*~

First chapter done. Let me know what you think!

Stay safe xx