Lesson 2: Rope

Emilio, Gio and I were all dressed to the nines, ready to intrude on a banquet that was taking place tonight. Luckily, this banquet was in Rome — where we lived — so there wasn't a massive rush to get ready and fly out on time for a last-minute mission.

My Italian was perfectly fluent which one would expect considering I had grown up here almost my entire life but apparently my English accent wasn't even remotely audible when I spoke. I sounded like a native which made my job ten times easier because people were always suspicious if you didn't sound like a local.

I remembered when I moved here and didn't speak a word of anything but English. It was like learning how to talk all over again but now I was fluent in German, Spanish, French, Polish, Italian and English thanks to Luca and his persistence. More recently, I'd been working on some non-European languages — most prominently Hindi, Russian and Korean — as well and I was making decent progress with them but I wouldn't call them anywhere near perfect just yet. I was only seventeen after all.

Tonight we were members of high society ready to enjoy a luxurious meal together.

Step one was complete: infiltrate.

The next move was slightly more tricky: locate our target — Matteo Marcelo, world-renowned musician, at least that was how the public viewed him; in reality, he actually ran a minor crime organisation — and gain his trust.

Normally, we wouldn't get involved in such small affairs. It wasn't our job to deal with every public enemy that arose. That was what the police were for but, just last week, Matteo made a grave mistake. He hijacked a shipment of ours and killed two of our own in the process.

He definitely didn't realise which family he was messing with but that didn't matter anymore because it was much too late for him. He'd be dead before sunrise.

The task was simple, seduce Matteo, lure him away from the others and then strike. Usually, this was where I'd step in and ask him to dance, seeing as the music had just changed to a slow waltz as per our request but he didn't swing that way so it was Emilio's time to shine.

Gio and I had posed as a rich couple and Emilio was my supposed cousin who had never been very lucky in love until tonight when he spotted Matteo sitting alone, staring sulkily into a glass of red wine.

It was almost amusing to watch Emilio try to flirt but he was somehow pulling it off well enough. He had that boyish charm about him with messy brown hair that covered his forehead and mischievous light brown eyes which were brought out by his tanned skin.

Matteo wasn't bad looking either with a similar appearance to Emilio only he was slightly taller with cropped black hair and a less muscular build. At first glance, they seemed to be the same age but that wasn't the case. Emilio had just turned twenty last week and Matteo was nearing thirty-two but you would have never been able to guess that from a first look. This man definitely took care of himself and it was probably with the money he made from his secret 'business'.

I couldn't be seen watching the two of them so I decided to turn my attention to my 'boyfriend' Giovanni. It was not a difficult part to play seeing as we'd had to do it numerous times and we were already dating in our real lives — the only difference being that our version of dating was not the usual approach, in fact, it was far from that — making acting a piece of cake.

"Everything is going according to plan," I told him lowly pretending to make a flirtatious joke to any potential onlooker by painting a sultry smile on my lips.

He nodded in agreement, letting out a light chuckle, playing the part. "Within the next hour, he should be able to get him alone. He'll signal where before he leaves. You got everything?" he asked so quietly no one else would be able to hear.

I nodded subtly just as Emilio and Matteo started to waltz along to the music. Not chancing even the slightest possibility that we could lose them, I stood up and reached for Gio's hand, pulling him towards the centre of the room to dance as well.

Ballroom dancing was easy once you had the hang of it but as I was dancing with Gio I couldn't help but remember when we were children and were first learning together. Giovanni was only a few months older than me so we grew up together and we learnt how to dance together as well.

Neither of us was rather gifted in the dancing department which was a bit strange seeing as we were both very agile. We had always moved in the wrong directions and stepped on each other's toes. It drove Luca mad when he was trying to teach us but eventually we had worked it out. It was very comical to see Luca get that frustrated and I couldn't help the chuckle that escaped my lips at the memory.

"What's so funny?"

I shook my head in dismissal, regaining focus on the mission at hand. Now wasn't the time to get lost in fond memories. I needed to keep an eye on Emilio and Matteo.

After some time of waltzing casually around the grand hall, Emilio began to whisper something into Matteo's ear, making him blush furiously before nodding in agreement. Emilio plastered on what he liked to call his 'seductive smirk', letting Matteo leave the room first so he could gesture to us that they were going to the supply room upstairs. After waiting a few moments so we didn't look suspicious, Gio and I slipped out of the main hall, heading for the supply room as well.

It was time for step three: assassinate.

Emilio and Matteo were nowhere in sight, having already disappeared from the crowds of people. Wordlessly, Gio opened the supply room door, his hand clutching the gun hidden inconspicuously in his waistband with myself standing cautiously behind him.

Matteo's back was to us both. He didn't even hear us enter, much too engrossed in the make-out session he was having. Emilio noticed though and waved us away with his hand, gesturing to give him five minutes. Horny bastard couldn't keep it in his pants.

I released an amused laugh as we both left the room, letting him finish what he started. "He can't be serious," Gio huffed once the door was shut.

I shrugged with a shake of my head. "Relax, Gio. This mission is a piece of cake. Just let Emilio enjoy himself a little bit," I reasoned.

"Fine. He's got exactly five minutes," he pouted but it quickly turned to a smirk as he looked at me. "Guess we might as well have some fun as well."

Not needing to be told twice, I pulled him closer to me, my arms locking around his neck. "I couldn't agree more," I said lowly and his eyes turned a shade darker at my tone.

Within seconds, my back was pressed against the wall, Gio's large frame trapping me in place. His lips were fierce and hungry as he crashed them against my own, a low groan escaping from his throat. I matched his pace, wanting this just as desperately, letting myself get lost to his touch, his mouth.

Our heated moment came to an abrupt halt when we heard whispering voices from an adjacent corridor and split apart like we were on fire, both of us on high alert with all previous actions completely forgotten. We couldn't get caught. Not wanting to wait any longer in case someone was nearby, I opened the supply room door, Gio right behind me.

We walked in on something I never wanted to have to see which made my face immediately scrunch up in pure disgust. Emilio was laying against the wall, baring all to Matteo who has his mouth in areas I'd rather never think about.

Still too entranced by what he was doing, he failed to notice us for a second time. This guy really was a crappy minor crime lord. Again, Emilio did notice us and by the look of urgency on both of our faces, he knew that his fun was over. He smirked, mouthing for us both to be quiet.

"Baby, I want to try something," he told Matteo in a husky voice.

He grabbed some rope from the shelf next to him, tying it around Matteo's arms and securing him to the shelf. Grabbing Matteo's discarded shirt, he tied it around his eyes, obscuring his vision. He pulled his trouser up — fucking finally — and gestured for us to move into the room as silently as possible.

"What are you planning, babe?" Matteo asked, desire laced heavily in his tone.

I stepped forward, placing my gun to his temple, the cool metal making him frown in confusion. "Is that a gun? This is some weird kink."

"Oh shut up, would you?" Gio grumbled.

"Wait. Is this some orgy type thing? Because—"

"No," I said sharply, my voice deadly.

"A girl? Look, baby, I thought this was just going to be you and me. I'm not—"

"You've been a bad boy, Matteo," I stated, cutting him off. "Last week you hijacked a shipment of ours." I shook my head in disappointment even though he couldn't see me. "And, as if that wasn't bad enough, you had the audacity to allow two of our own to be killed."

He gulped, finally catching on. So he definitely was not the sharpest tool in the shed.

"I think a life for a life is the only fair protocol," Gio chimed in from his station at the door.

I nodded, a devilish smirk on my face. "Agreed. Now, I'd kill you but I think there's someone else who deserves to do it more. Plus, I kinda attacked him earlier so I owe him one. Would you do the honours?" I asked Emilio, making sure not to use his name — you never knew who could be listening.

There was a dangerous glint in his eyes as he stepped forward and we swapped places. "Of course, how could I refuse?" he asked rhetorically, reaching for the gun in his pocket and turning it over in his gloved hands, checking the silencer was in place.

He brought the gun to Matteo's temple, the look on his face sinister. "Bye-bye, Matteo. It's been fun," he smirked, making a mocking wave gesture. Matteo screamed in protest, shaking and trembling but unable to escape due to the tight binds on his wrists. Emilio was scarily good at tying knots and I didn't think that was a skill he'd acquired from his training.

Emilio punched him in the stomach to silence him, clearly getting annoyed.

"Watermelon! Watermelon!" Matteo shouted, tears soaking the shirt covering his eyes and Gio and I both looked at each other in confusion. "That was our safe word, wasn't it? Watermelon!"

This time, Emilio slapped him across the face, the sound slicing through Matteo's pleas. "You still don't get it, do you? It's too bad that I've got to do this. You're pretty good with your mouth."

Matteo's whimpers were loud and aggravating. So much so that I was almost tempted to rip the gun from Emilio's hands and finish the job for him.

"Shhhhhh," Emilio reprimanded before I had the chance, finally pulling the trigger, the silencer muffling the otherwise deafening noise.

Matteo slumped to the ground, his ear-splitting cries finally ending. His movements ceased and his body no longer writhed in protest.

Everything went deathly silent and I couldn't help the wicked grin taking ahold of my features.

Mission accomplished.

~*~*~

Hope you liked the chapter!

See you next week. Stay safe xx