We walked mostly in silence. Layla let go of my hand when I insisted I didn't need assistance for the twentieth time. I didn't want a single person here to think I got weak easily, especially not due to a little fatigue.

My act was mostly convincing, until we got to the marble staircase that seemed to ascend forever.

Layla noticed my dismay, motioning towards a door by the corner, "There's an elevator over there we can take."

I nodded, thankful for the perks obscenely wealthy people were afforded.

She firmly closed the two doors, hitting the button for the third floor. After a few seconds there was a ding, as the doors slid open. Layla led the way, seeming in a hurry.

I had so many questions, I began to wonder if I could count on her to give me truthful answers. "So, what's up with this twin rivalry Dario and Dominic have going on?"

We passed a few identical looking doors, before she paused in front of one. The room adjacent to it was noticeably bigger with double doors, it must've been Dario's.

"It's really complicated and I'm just as exhausted as you," She ushered me into the room. "Just know, things are much deeper than some sibling feud. If you want to survive, make sure you don't get in the middle of the crossfire."

With a nod, she lightly closed the door as she walked out.

I walked over to the large bed, sinking into the softness of the mattress. The room was bigger than I thought it would be. My fingers toyed with the fabric of the sheets, guessing how expensive the material must be.

I had to admit I found myself liking the room. 

I kicked off the one slipper I had left, digging my feet into the brown carpet. The room was pristinely neat and clean, as if it had never been occupied before. The décor was minimal, consisting of the bed, bedside tables on both sides, and crystal lamps on each table. A big screen TV took up most of the wall straight ahead.

To my right was a sliding door, leading to a small balcony. I decided to wait another time to explore that area.

There was a clock above the headboard, it read 4:15am. I should really sleep, especially when the sun would be out in the next hour. This whole situation will probably be more adjustable after some rest.

I pulled up the duvet, sliding into the sheets. It took a few tosses and turns, but I finally found the right position. Something still felt off though. I pulled my sweatshirt over my head and unclasped my irritating bra, letting out a breath of air as I absently threw both on the floor.

As soon as my head hit the pillow again, sleep seemed to overtake me instantly.

***

I shot up, abruptly wiping off the perspiration that ran down my face. A light breeze wove through the side window I didn't realize was opened.

My breathing was slow and heavy. I tried to understand why I had woken up in such a manner. I wasn't having a nightmare, but I felt this strange energy, a sense of danger.

The sun still wasn't out, which meant I hadn't been sleeping for long. Before I could clear my vision and wipe crusts within the corner of my eyes, I felt a cold piece of metal press against the side of my head.

Someone was in my room.

My duvet slipped down, leaving my bare chest exposed to the intruder.

I slowly turned my head to Dario, a pair of grey sweatpants tugging loosely around his hips, and a gun held firmly in his hand, searing through the skin of my forehead.

Confusion and fear overtook me. My mouth was extremely dry, making it almost difficult to form any words. "What. The hell. Are you Doing?" I managed, making sure to stay as still as possible.

He stepped so close that his knees perched onto the side of the bed. "You asked me what my game was. Well now, I'm asking what's yours?" his gun didn't move from its position, but his face lowered to meet my eye level.

I scrunched my face, taken aback. "What?"

"I'm going to ask you this once. Are you working for Dominic in any capacity other than your previous public role?"

"What?" I repeated, not being able to find another word to properly convey my confusion.

He seethed, jerking the weapon against my head. I squeezed my eyes shut, anticipating him pulling the trigger any moment.

"Stop saying what, and answer my damn question before I blow that moderately sized head of yours off," he said, impatiently.

Moderately sized head? What an observation. The man really had a way with words.

"I'm not working for your stupid brother. You know all this information about me. I would think you'd be smart enough to ensure I wasn't a double agent before you chose to stalk and mentally abduct me!" I found my voice rising.

"Do you know why they call me shotgun?" He tugged my jaw to position my face right before his piercing eyes.

"Is it because... you have a strong preference for sitting in the front passenger seat?"

"No, because I have a strong preference for hunting my enemies, then shooting them down like prey," he corrected. "Cross me, and I'll give you more than a taste of hell."

His gun lowered and so did his eyes, lingering a few seconds longer than they should have. I quickly pulled up the sheets to cover myself, heat rising to my cheeks.

He cleared his throat and before I knew it, stalked out without another word.

***

I woke up again. This time I was finally allowed peace to fully rest, but instead of my mood being lightened, I was only more enraged.

To say Dario was a psycho would be an understatement. I thought I could cooperate and try to make the best of this situation, but it's clear I was in over my head. Dario, Dominic, all the mafias in the world, and the annoying fly swirling in my room can collectively suck my dick; I wanted out.

I'm wasn't scared of any of them. I grew up in Long Beach, I was more than capable of taking care of myself in the threat of gangs and violence.

I took a shower, making sure to use up all the hot water I could. I was no match against Dario, that was a given, but if I couldn't hurt him physically, then maybe I could hurt his bank account?

There were a pile of new clothes stacked on my bed when I returned. Plain shirts, jeans, shoes, and underwear. Along with it was a small note placed on top, "When you get dressed head down to the kitchen. I have some food made for you. I'm sure you'll like it."

Was this Dario's ill attempt at an apology, or another ploy? Either way, he had his own agenda and I had mine. The second I got the chance, I would hitch a ride out of here.

I quickly got changed and stepped out of my room, eyeing his down. My mind wondered at the possibility of finding any valuable information in there. After all, snooping is what got me into this mess, maybe it'll aide me in getting out?

I tiptoed across the hall, looking back and forth to ensure no one snuck up on me. My ears were held up to the door, checking for any noise before I attempted to turn the knob. When I turned it, the door didn't budge. Of course he kept it locked.

I took a few steps from his door, disappointed,  when I heard a sharp whistle.

"Is mamacita looking for something?" A man leaned against  the wall, toying with a switchblade knife. His Italian accent was noticeable, but not distracting. 

He flicked the blade up only to push it back down, then repeated the process. His lips curled into a seemingly friendly grin, but his eyes danced with mischief.

"Oh, I was just trying to find the kitchen," I cleared my throat.

He walked slowly towards me and I took a step back, nearly tripping, as he got invasively close. He was taller than me, but definitely the shortest out of all the men I've encountered so far. His dark hair was slicked down with gel to perfection and the shirt under his jacket was teasingly unbuttoned to show a good amount of his smooth chest.

He flicked his blade back up again, placing his index finger on the tip and twirling the knife like he wanted to poke a hole into his finger. "You're the girl who's going to help us kill that bastard aren't you?" His pearly white teeth were on full display with a smile that almost resembled the joker's.

I was at lost for words. Though his face definitely wasn't bad to look at, the man made my skin crawl with nerves.

Kill? Dario wanted information he could use to kill Dominic?

This only further solidified my need to get out of this house. If Dario would kill his own brother there's no doubt he'd kill me without a second thought.

"I-I don't know. I'm honestly just really hungry right now." I said.

He lifted the tip of his finger off the blade, clicking it shut. A tiny droplet of blood poured out, leading him to slowly drag his tongue to lick it off clean. "Well allow me to escort you."

The man looked like he had no intentions of leaving me alone, so I reluctantly followed him. I hoped we'd come across more people when we got downstairs so I wouldn't continue to feel so uneasy.

Right before descending down the stairs we stepped to the side as Sonny began walking up, looking genuinely cheery. "Luca, my brother" he lifted the man off the ground like nothing, pulling him into a hug.

Luca looked visibly flustered, readjusting his suit after being placed back down. He gritted his teeth, quickly pulling his knife out. "One day I'm going to skin you alive like a snake."

Sonny brushed him off, laughing heartedly, "In Italy, I have hundred snakes in my room one time. I rip snakes apart one by one with bare hands. Si, is true."

When Sonny lifted his hands I saw they were covered in bruises. Whatever violent act he was committing didn't seem to hinder his mood.

"Do you hear this idiot, mamacita? His brain is so small he can't remember anything, so he just lies and lies."

"Doctor say this brain very big, very strong, like bull." Sonny fired back.

They began to argue in Italian, talking a mile a minute, before they both smiled and performed a intricate handshake.

"I see you later, Bella." Sonny patted me on the back, heading down the hall.

We got to the wide-set kitchen with Luca taking a seat on one of the stools by the island, scrolling through his phone. He picked through the bowl of apples before he found an adequate one and loudly munched into it.

I opted to sit at the table by the side, hoping he didn't join.

A middle aged man walked from the pantry. His chefs jacket looked a size too small and his walk was more of a wobble.

"You are Bella, correct?" He pointed to me. Before I could even answer he had multiple plates set up on the table.

"Yes, I am." The eggs and fruits looked normal, but my eyes couldn't look away from the pancakes, or at least they're what I believe them to be.

I didn't want to insult the man, I just couldn't help but ask, " with all due respect, why do these pancakes look like the Grinch threw up on them?"

He didn't look offended, thank god, only chuckling. "Dario wanted me to make breakfast just how he likes it. Those are kale and wheat pancakes, his favorites."

The inner chef in me wanted to die. Normal people usually added chocolate chips, strawberries, even bananas, not kale.

I put a fork through one of the brown and green pancakes, further examining. "Ya, this man is definitely a psycho."

Someone suddenly cleared their throat behind me. I didn't need to turn around to know it was Dario, but when I did, he stood erect in his perfectly tailored grey suit, giving me a look of disapproval.

I should be frightened of him, especially after what he did last night, but for some reason I just wasn't fearful in his presence.

"Did you sleep well, Ms. Aden?" He asked in an almost mocking tone.

I got out of my chair, stepping up to make sure he looked me in my eyes. "For sure, especially when some freak barged into my room in the middle of the night and tried to kill me."

His face went cold "I would advise you to choose your words carefully. Don't think I'll let you ever disrespect me in front of my men."

"Disrespect you? You disrespected me by pulling a gun on me then having the audacity to ogle my titties. Ya, don't think I didn't catch that."

"Did someone say something about titties?" Luca's head shot back, enthusiastically.

Dario and I both ignored him. "And don't even pretend to be all proper constantly calling me by my last name when you don't even pronounce it correctly. My dad is Somali, it's pronounced Ah-Den not Aiden."

"I apologize for the mispronunciation." He leaned down to my ear, his voice turning into a deep whisper, "but I don't apologize for being a man. If a beautiful woman's breasts are in front of me, I'm going to give them a look."

It killed me to admit his statement sent a slight chill down my spine, but just a slight of course, I wasn't dumb enough to actually fall for any of his charm. If his brother couldn't succeed, he definitely wouldn't either.

"Lets just call a truce. I'll refrain from calling you the tiny dicked bobble-headed maniac you are, so I don't embarrass you in front of your little buddies, and you won't threaten my life again. Okay?"

"Ms. Aden, you're looking for a shitload of trouble and I'd be glad to give it to you," he threatened. "Remember last night and keep it ingrained in your head, because that was a warning that can be fully executed at any moment."

So my suspicions have just been confirmed. Staying here would mean Dario hanging my life by a thread the entire time. I would surely have chocked this man if only I could reach his thick neck.

"Shotgun, we got that meeting with Del Rossi's people, we need to get going." Luca interrupted our intense stare down.

Dario nodded, turning back to me "I'm going to be gone for the afternoon. When I come back there will be a hunt at sundown, afterwards I want you to report immediately to my office, we have a lot of talk about."

I gave him the biggest fake smile, until he and Luca stepped out.

In the back of my head I was thinking, this was it. Dario was going to be occupied with a meeting and hunting trip. My time to escape was now.