Thiago

"Welcome back, Thiago!"

My former colleagues start clapping. Davi is right in front, savoring his triumph. I still don't know why he did it. With me back he has a direct rival that he didn't have before.

Then again, we have been friends since forever and I am not competing. I don't care about money or titles; what I maybe care for, is a bit of glory and the greater good.

"Come have a beer," says Bruno and hands me an already open bottle.

I toast the bottle against his and take a sip.

"Glad to have you back," he says.

"But what?" I have known Bruno since we were children and that sentence was not complete.

"Nothing."

"Out with it."

"I thought you were out with a reason, because, among other things, you didn't want your father to use your reputation in his campaign."

I sigh. He does know me well.

"So what made you change your mind?"

"Caterina."

"What's her real name?"

"Roxana."

"Pretty." Bruno smiles. It's genuine. Unlike with Davi, with Bruno what you see is what you get. "But is a girl worth compromising your principles for?"

"I am not. I am protecting the innocent." In her case even from herself if need be. She is very special but also very lost.

"Well, you must know best, but your father will not just change and let you do what you want." Good observation but I am older now; I know better. "I mean no disrespect but do you think it's a good thing that he wants to become president?"

"Good for whom? The people? His methods are questionable but he does love our country with passion. And there is no one better."

"Fair but, you know... There could be."

I raise an eyebrow.

"You. In a few years. But if you get associated with him and he messes it up..."

"Look at you, Bruno. And I thought Davi is the master schemer."

"I am not a schemer; I only say the truth and care about our country. You are not the only one that got into this line of work out of idealism."

That is true. Bruno also comes from a good family, has a clean background and enough financial resources but he chose this work to make a change. He is through and through a good guy.

"If these are not my favorite people. We only need to bring Henrique back and it's again the four of us." Davi gives us a characteristic, confident grin.

"Henrique is happy as he is. He asked Carla to marry him."

"I think Thiago is right. This is not a good life if you want a family."

Davi rolls his eyes. He is sometimes insufferable, thinking he knows better what you want than you do yourself.

"All-nighter today?"

"Why?" I frown. I don't like leaving Roxana alone for long, most of all now. Since the kidnapping, she looks sometimes so odd, so deeply depressed... I don't know. She should be happy that she is alive and reunited with her brother and me. But well, she was kidnapped and left to die in the jungle. That can fuck you up.

What a sadist. To just tie her up and place guards around her to wait for her to die. What an odd way of operating also.

The guys we caught on-site can be loosely traced back to João Costa's criminal organization. We obviously cannot prove anything. There was only one foreign guy caught, who committed suicide in his cell before we could question him. This means he is more afraid of his boss than of life in prison; that says something.

"Don't you want to know more about the ominous Stefano Messina?"

Like hell I do. I want to know what went on between him and Roxana.

"It was the correct bait. I am in. Bruno?"

"Sure. You two need a buffer." That's good. Bruno is very good with cyber security and we need that.

Later that afternoon we hover over an open pizza box thinking. The office is already empty.

"What did she tell you about him?" asks Bruno.

"That he forged their documents. Against money. Then she told me he raped her."

"That guy?" asks Davi skeptical.

"Yeah... I don't like your tone."

"Well, I am just being realistic here. Bruno, since you like men too, do you find Stefano Messina attractive?"

Bruno doesn't answer.

"Bruno answer..."

"Davi, you are an asshole."

Bruno sighs.

"Yes, Stefano Messina is an attractive man."

"That's my opinion too. Do you think he can get girls easily?"

"Yes but..."

"That's enough. All I wanted to state here. So, T, it's up to you if you believe that. But it's not the first time she lied to you. Actually, she lied ever since she opened her mouth and still does, in my opinion."

"Shut up. She also told the truth. Eventually. There is a white Russian gangster called Ivan Ivanovici that fits the profile and it didn't look at all as if she wanted anything sexual with Stefano. We even had a fight about it... "

"But maybe they are just having a lovers quarrel and he is actually her ex... Employer? Boyfriend? Both?"

"Stop getting into my head. I want to trust her."

"But..."

"But something is off. She says another guy wants to kill her but refuses to say who."

Davi burst out laughing.

"Told ya..."

"But she told me she wants me to arrest Stefano. She wanted to go on record so we can arrest him."

"Don't underestimate a pissed ex. Most of all a pissed Russian ex."

Davi has a way of aggravating me like no other but also has valid points.

"Don't let him get into your head," says Bruno.

"Too late. He is already there."

Davi blows me a kiss.

"So what do you suggest? We already had a fight today."

"I still have some 'truth powder'."

"Thiago, don't do that," says Bruno. He is right, that's wrong.

"It's your choice, T, but you see how your righteousness worked out so far..."

I don't want to admit it in front of Bruno but I am doubting everything. No, I don't trust her. I don't think she is evil but she surely doesn't have the capacity to make good decisions.

Sometimes you need to make hard choices for the best of others and protect them from themselves...

So later that day...

"Hey, Dani told me you are still upset. Let's talk. Like adults. I will not be accusing, or condescending, or assuming anything. I will listen and then we will make a plan together."

I enter the room carefully and sit beside her. It looks as if she spent the day crying again.

"What do you have there." Her voice is faint but not angry.

"Tea. For you. It's chamomile. Helps with agitation."

"I have all the reasons to be agitated."

"Doesn't make tea less healthy."

She takes a sip of the tea and I grimace on the inside. Maybe it's a bad idea after all.

"It's not particularly good."

Yeah...

"It's healthy."

"Thank you."

I take her hand. It's small and smooth inside mine. Touching her is so pleasant.

"You still wear the ring."

"I cannot take it off."

"Karma. We are meant to be together." I smile. I think we are. It was fate that brought me to that beach that night. It bloody looks like it. Never thought it would have Davi's face but still.

"Maybe we are." She sighs. It's a bit... I don't know. She still doesn't see how good I am and can still be for her.

"Come on, it cannot be that bad. People say I am a catch. My dad will be President. Now that you forced me to make up with him I am also rich..."

Now her smile is genuine.

"Why did you fight in the first place?"

"Different opinions about life, family, and politics."

"Did those change?"

"No, but you happened and I understood that sometimes you might selfishly want something even if it's not morally clear."

"I am most certainly not in the morally clear zone. This tea is growing on me. I feel a bit more calm."

"Happy to hear that." Yeah, it probably started working by now.

"Can you take Dani away, somewhere safe?"

That boy is always on her mind. Always first.

"I can try. But do you want to be away from him?"

"No. But I don't know what else to do to give him what he wants. Promise me you will always take care of him regardless of what will happen to me. I know it's a big thing to burden you with but I have nobody else."

I kiss her and she doesn't object. It feels good. I missed this.

"It is not a burden. You are mine and so are all your problems." I mean this with all my heart.

"Thank you. I am grateful that you are part of my life."

Yes, finally. Here is where we should have been all along.

"Now tell me, who are you afraid of?"

"Stefano."

"Only him?"

So she is afraid of him. Doesn't exclude they have been fucking though. I draw her close and start touching her back and arms. She doesn't move away.

"No."

"Who else, Roxana?" Come on. Say it.

"I don't want to tell you." Come on.

"That I am noticing, but you have to tell me because else I can never kill that motherfucker."

"I don't want you to kill him." I frown. This doesn't make sense. Maybe the dosage was too strong and she is delusional now.

"Why not, if he is a bad person?"

"He... Morality is not so straightforward... It's complicated."

"No, it's not. And you will now be a good girl and tell me the name of the guy that wants to kill you."

She still hesitates.

"Tell me his name, Roxana."

"Marco..."

A drop of blood drips from my nose on the floor. Shit, maybe it was too strong.

I take the tea away. She doesn't pay it any mind. She is quite out.

"There is blood," she says.

"It's okay, just a bit of nose bleeding." I wipe the drop away and the bleeding stops. Common side effect. "Let's go to bed," I say and lift her up in my arms.

This apartment is big, with several guest rooms and I made sure Dani gets the furthest away one.

"This is a very beautiful place," she says while I lay her down on the bed.

"The most beautiful you have been in?"

"No. But beautiful enough."

This is low-key irritating.

"What is Marco's surname?" Only Marco isn't going to help much. "And why do you think he wants to kill you?"

"Because I shot him and he is understandably very angry."

She looks up at me. Her pupils look very dilated. She is likely not going to remember anything.

"And why did you shoot this guy?"

She looks very hot though, how her hair is spilled all over the pillow and the t-shirt is lifted showing her abdomen.

"Stefano made me do it."

"Aha..." Stefano again. So she was working for him...

*Smut with very dubious con. Be aware!*

"Let's take this off," I say and lift her T-shirt over her head. She doesn't wear a bra and I can't help moving my hand over her torso.

She smiles and I cup one breast. I am instantly hard. That's this thing about her, I get aroused as with no other before.

"Are you going to fuck me now?" she asks.

"Do you mind if I do? I missed this," I ask, smiling and lowering my head to lick one of her nipples.

"I suppose it's okay," she answers.

She is high but she is technically telling what she really thinks and it's so addictive touching her.

"Can I take these off, too?"

She nods and I slide her shorts and underwear off. Then I take my own clothes off hastily so I can feel her.

"You are not wet yet," I say dipping my finger between her legs.

"It's sometimes difficult," she mutters.

"It's okay, baby," I will make you feel good, I say and reach out to get the lube from nightstand drawer. Then I drive my finger in and out to prepare her.

"Do you like it? Tell me you like it when I touch you."

"I... " she gasps.

"Here too?" My other finger slides lower.

"You can fuck me however you want if you take care of Dani."

"Shh, don't say that." I slide inside her and she moans.

It feels absolutely amazing. I am so crazy about this girl, there is no denial. So much I forget everything else...

"Thiago..."

I wake up the next morning to Roxana's voice.

"Thiago, we didn't use a damn condom?!"

"What?"

"Shit. And I forgot the birth control yesterday. Fuck! What the fuck was wrong with me?"

She seems very disturbed.

"Relax. I told you, if it happens it's okay."

"No! It's not fucking okay! Are you insane?! People are up to kill me!"

She stands up and locks herself in the bathroom obviously crying.

"Roxana, calm down. Get out of there."

"No. I... I need to calm down... I am stupid..."

She was crying hysterically. Why the fuck is it such a big deal?

"Calm down, okay?"

"Yeah, I just need a moment."

"I need to go to work."

"Go!"

"Are you sure you are not going to do anything stupid?"

After further bargaining I let her in bed drinking tea. Only tea.

And I am a fucking idiot.

Davi is already waiting for me expectantly at the door.

"And?"

"And nothing. She told me some things but nothing entirely helpful. There is indeed another guy that she shot on Stefano's orders and apparently the fucker didn't die and he is after her."

"Here we go. And what's his name?"

"Marco."

"Marco... What?"

"I don't know. She was out after that. And I am not doing that again."

"Well, you will have to ask her again because Marco without a surname doesn't help much. There are lots of Marcos most of all in Italy."

"No shit..."

"And, did she actually fuck Stefano Messina or not?"

"No," I answer grimly.

"Then why are you cranky? Lighten up."

"You make me feel this way."

But if I am something, it's angry with myself. I don't want this to be for nothing. I have to find Marco without a surname and take care of him so that we can finally move on.

After everyone is gone from the office, I walk to Bruno's desk. He is always working late.

"Hey... I was wondering can you make a people search for me?"

"Sure can but why don't you want Davi to know?"

"Because it's none of his business."

"Is it?"

I frown at him to drop the subject.

"OK, so? What do we have?"

"How many guys with the name Marco can you find in Italy?"

Bruno bursts out laughing.

"A lot. And I don't need a search engine to tell you that. What else have you got?"

"Not much but there is also this..." I put the weird, chunky gold ring Roxana was safekeeping on the desk. "Might not be related but I want to know whose this is."

"Oh, this is an old signet ring. A quite beautiful one." Bruno looks at it fascinated.

He takes several pictures and starts typing stuff.

"This is, as you already noticed, not any ring. It's antique and there are, I think, only a handful in the world."

"Well, magnificent. Who was the last owner?"

"Not sure but they can be traced back to the ancient Florentine merchant family of the Medici. Wow, this is really cool..."

"Aha... Whatever... Any names?"

After further minutes.

"Well, it appears that the Roman businessman Lorenzo Medici has one. His name really is Lorenzo. How cool is that?"

"Lorenzo you say..." It's annoying how excited he is about this. 

"Yes, but it appears this is not any random guy. He is surprise-surprise, very rich, and a tiny bit shady."

"Okay. Prize question: what the fuck has a third Italian to do with Roxana? Or did she lie about the name?"

Oh God, this gets more and more twisted. And another fucking lie. 

"No, I don't think she did. Because guess what? This guy has a grandson by the name... Marco. Who has recently returned after a mysterious absence. I guess this is your guy... Oh..."

"Oh, what? I turn to Bruno."

"Nothing, he is just... Kind of really cute."

"Do you want my fist to collide with your face?"

________________________________________

Yeah, things are slowly progressing.