Til Death Do Us Part

Thoughts of last night still caused Aelia's heart to start racing. She could still see the blood splattering, the screams, the gunshots. Just the mere thought of it all caused her blood to run cold and make her feel like she was going to faint. It was terrifying, a truly horrible thing to have witnessed.

Yesterday had Truly been one of the best days Aelia had ever had. That morning, she had her first chocolate croissant, recommended by the bakery that was stationed under her hotel. It was so sweet and still warm, just out of the oven. Not to mention that it paired will with the cappuccino that she got as well. Then, when she went out for the day, she found the most beautiful part to spend a few hours before heading down to the docks. That, was when she saw it.

Standing on the side of an old, what she assumed was abandoned, warehouse. Her camera raised to her eye as she took shots of the docks. The crashing waves and the passing ships. It was the perfect day for adding to her scrap book, not a cloud was in the sky.

It seemed like the day would just keep getting better and better for Aelia, but. When the door that faced the docks opened and three huge men in suits walked out. Pushing two men who looked like they had just gotten beat up out and forced them onto their knees. Aelia knew, that something was up. So, she sank back a little bit, out of sight of the men who were standing in front of the two kneeling guys. Lia raised her camera and zoomed in, trying to get a good picture of what was happening.
It was then that she saw the shiny glistening of a gun. Followed by a loud angry sounding Italian. She really had no idea what was being said, but, as she took a picture of the men, the first gunshot went off. Splattering one of the men's brain matter across the ground behind him. Staining it a dark red color. The man next to the now deceased man watched on, panic in his voice as he looked to the man and seemed to beg them for forgiveness or something before he as well, was shot in the head. This time though, the top of his skull came off with the shot, and pieces flew off into the water in the short distance from the men.

A loud squeak escaped from Aelia, which seemed to have caught one of the men in suits attention. Pulling back, Lia pressed her back against the wall. Her eyes wide as she tried to reel in what she had just seen. Then, acting quickly, she fumbled for her phone and called the Italian police and crossed her fingers that they understood English because she was sure that they would be taking their slow ass time if she spoke French.
Keeping her voice quiet as she turned and quickly ran from the scene. Aelia told the operator everything she had seen. They seemed really aware when she was detailing the situation, but as soon as they asked her where this crime had occurred, they seemed to pause. They even dared to ask her if she was sure she wanted to report what she had just scene. That earned a scuff from Lia. Even with the operator's broken English, she could tell that they were a little wary of everything.
Still though, after she agreed to want to report this, they agreed to send a police car to the scene.

After she hung up, Lia had just gone back to her hotel room and stayed there the rest of the night. She didn't want to deal with anything else for the rest of the day.

Now, it was a new day and she was determined to not let the last few days of her vacation be ruined. She was going to start college a few weeks after she got home, and this was supposed to be an eye-opening experience for her.
Moving to the bathroom, Aelia turned on the shower and started to strip before she grabbed her phone and started to blast her favorite song when she wanted to get her mind to focus on something else. As Animal I Have Become starts to play through the speaker on her phone, Lia stepped into the shower and started to belt out the lyrics as she tried to wash away the bad memories from the night prior.

@ FallenHope95
It only took the mafia three hours or so to find out who had reported the shooting off of the dock. It took them even less time than that to find out where the girl was. A hotel not too far away from the crime itself. That made things rather convenient. Though the fact that she was in a hotel made it a little more difficult. But that little fact made everything make more sense. Of course, it was an out of towner that called it in. Anyone from town knew better, knew to keep that information to themselves. 

Once morning came, the mafia was able to get two guys into the hotel with room keys. They were under disguise, acting as if they were security for the property. Even if this girl was from out of town, even if she did not know better, they had a reputation to maintain. That was how they were able to keep the whole city quiet, fear. Those who reported in their crimes died. It was really that simple. 

One of the men pressed his ear against the door to the room before using their key and slinking in. They closed and locked the door behind them. Now, the music and the girl singing on the top of her lungs was being heard clearly. Though, as they went to open the bathroom door, they hesitated and looked at each other. That was not Italian she was singing or even English. It was... French? Both men put their guns away, now knowing what they needed to do instead. 

On the count of three, one man charged into the bathroom. He was quick to get to the shower, his arms wrapping around her neck tightly. He was trying his best to try and choke her, wanting the snitch to pass out. The other man was quick to come up from behind, stuffing the shower curtain into her mouth to stop the girl from yelling. 

As the woman went limp in their arms, the two men were quick to bring her to the hideout. Their plans of killing her had quickly changed just by hearing her voice, and they were sure the boss would want to know about this.  

@ BearGirl
It all happened so fast. The blur of a man running into the bathroom. The pain as he wrapped his arm around her neck, the squeeze. The feeling of oxygen having trouble getting to her lungs, and not to mention the feeling of the rough material of the shower curtain as it was shoved into her mouth. She had no time, Aelia had no time to react, no time to scream, but what she did have time for before blacking out was. She was going to die. She didn't know why, but she knew she was going to.

Growing up, Aelia was the girl who always kept her head down. She never got into any kind of fights. She never did drugs, heck she never even had a boyfriend or a one night stand. She was a good girl, her grandparents raised her to be respectful and mindful. So, why was this happening? How could this have happened? Was it because of what she had seen? Were those guys drug dealers or something?

Drug dealers, that must be what they were. She saw a drug deal going wrong and now they were going to expose of her like those guys. She was nothing to them, Lia was just a normal girl. She wouldn't be anything but a speck of dirt to them, nothing but an ant under their shoes.

A loud gasp escaped from Aelia as she came out of the darkness. Her heart beating rapidly in her ears as she panted like crazy. Her body taking in as much air as she could get. The sudden consciousness of the girl caused her muscles to spasm slightly. Her arms jerked back slightly and so did her bare legs. The movements making Lia realize she was tied to a chair. Naked no less.

"Oh, mon Dieu," Aelia mumbled quietly as she allowed for her bright green eyes to look around the place. It was pretty dark in the place, but she could see she was in some kind of warehouse. Maybe the one she was near yesterday? The few windows at far tops of the walls were indicators that this was a storage place of some kind as it let in very little natural light. The light fixtures on the ceiling were those old style long ones that barely lit the place as all, giving the place that scary ambiance that whoever took her were obviously going for. There was a large door to her right, big enough to probably bring shipments of whatever into the building once upon a time. A smaller door next to it, the same kind of small door was to her left, at the top of some old looking stairs.

Glancing down, Lia could feel her cheeks turning a bright pink color. She was naked, and she could see some water slowly sliding down her body still from her damp hair. Zip ties were wrapped around her wrists and ankles, keeping her in place on the chair.

The sound of the metal door above the stair caught Aelia's attention and she glanced up. Her mouth instantly going dryer as she spotted a few men in suits coming down the stairs. She was about to meet her doom.

(Gonna post the translations at the bottom of posts when Lia speaks French. :3)
1.Oh god.

@ FallenHope95
Luca headed down the stairs with his hands in his pockets. The other men were speaking in, telling his father who they had managed to find. Some girl who had called in a crime that she saw on the pier yesterday. That wasn't very interesting on its own, but what was interesting was that she was a French Citizen. Which they confirmed by getting ahold of her purse with her ID in it. 

The four men headed down and moved in front of the woman. This was the opportunity that they had been waiting for. An unmarried French woman, around the same age as him and who was already in trouble with the mafia. As three other men continued to speak on the likihood of this working, Luca was inspecting the girl closely. She was attractive enough to pass as his wife, for a few years at least. Though, he wondered if she was meek enough. Luca didn't want someone who was going to fight back considering what they were trying to do. The wrong woman could get Luca in a lot of trouble. 

"Dove sono i suoi vestiti?" Luca asked as he looked up at the two men who kidnapped her. The men stopped speaking and turned to Luca, the large bald man in the middle responding back. "Era sotto la docia quando l'abbiamo presa."

"Gesú Cristo. Non potevi darle un asciugamano o qualcoas del genere?" Before the man responded back, Luca waved him off before turning back to the woman in front of him. The three men went back to discussing in Italian, but Luca cleared his voice and started to speak to her in English. 

"Do you know why you are here?" Luca asked, his head turning a bit as he watched her closely. He wondered if she would agree to their idea... They would need to threaten more than just her own life to get her to go through with it, probably. Surely, she had family or friends that she cared about greatly. 

(That sounds fantastic!)

1. Where are her clothes?
2. She was in the shower when we got her. 
3. Jesus Christ. You couldn't give her a towel or something?

@ BearGirl
As the men came down the stairs and started to speak in what Lia presumed was Italian, she shifted her gaze downwards. Her cheeks a bright pink color from her embarrassment. So many men were around her when she wasn't wearing any clothing, and strapped to a chair. This was far from what she ever imagined being naked in front of a guy would ever be like. Not in a million years did she ever think that this would happen either though.

A feeling of dread slowly started to seep deeper into Aelia's veins as the men slowly quieted down. Then, as one of them spoke in English, Lia felt like she was on the edge of her lifeline. "Non..." She mumbled in French, then quickly repeated herself in English. "I-I mean no." She mumbled again, refusing to look the man in the eyes.

Just from the man's tone alone, she could tell that he was probably the one in charge. The guy who called the shots about what goes down where. Or, at least that's what she's sensing and if her movie knowledge of Kidnappings is correct. This guy is going to try and force a gun on her or something before her hero would either break through a window or possible come rushing in through a door.

At least, that's what happened during the movies. This was real life, and if Lia knew anything, it was those movie scenarios weren't real. "I-I'm sorry if I upset someone, I'm just a foreigner. I swear I didn't mean to do anything wrong to insult Italy." She was speaking out of her butt, she had no idea what she had just said it, or why. These guys weren't the police, they wouldn't care if she J-walked across a quiet street at night or if she accidentally broke a cheap pair of sunglasses and put them back when no one was looking. Although, surely saying something would be better than nothing, right?

1. No...

@ FallenHope95
Luca gave the woman a nod before straightening up and taking a few steps back. He looked to the other three men, listening into their conversation. At one point, they all turned to Luca, waiting for a response. The man stared back at them for a few long moments before giving them a shrug. He then turned and started to head back up the stairs. "Sta a te decidere." He continued on once he got to the door. "Lei è abbastanza carina ma ascolterà?"

With that, the man headed out of the room. His part in this was done. Luca just needed to let his father know that he approved of the girl, and would move forward with the plan if he desired. Now it was up to the older gentleman to choose for himself if this French woman was what he was looking for. And if he trusted her to keep quiet once they were in France. It was a hard call to make, considering the rewards it would reap if this worked.

The older gentleman, wearing quite a fine looking suit, grabbed another chair and pulled it up in front of their kidnapped. He turned to the two other men and ordered them "Abiti! Adesso!" The two men nodded before running off and leaving the room as well. The man then turned all of his attention on the girl in front of him, a smile coming over his lips for a moment. He had the feeling that this was going to work out for him.

He cleared his throat a bit before beginning to speak. "Hello dear. You are here because you called in a report of a man getting murdered on a pier. Do you remember that?" The man asked as he leaned in, his elbows on his knees. "You saw two of my men and you tried to report them. Tried to get them arreted and possible worse than that.

1. It is up to you to decide. 

2. She is pretty enough but will she listen?

3. Clothes! Now!

@ BearGirl
The words of Italian flew through the air. Each word, each syllable that escaped from the men's lips caused Aelia to flinch. She didn't know what they were talking about, she didn't understand them. They could be talking about ways to torture her for all she knew. They could be talking about where they wanted to bury her body, about how to hide her remains. Oh god, she hoped they didn't attach her feet to cement blocks and drop her into the ocean like in the movies.

Slowly, Aelia started to shiver. Her fear and panic slowly starting to take over. Her mind bringing up millions of different ways they could possibly dispose of her. This wasn't good, it was a dead give away that she was not going to handle anything horrible that they could do to her. She was a weakling, she was a cry baby. She couldn't even stand getting a paper cut without crying, okay that was a little over the top but still. She wasn't good with pain, or scary things.

As one of the men brought over a chair, Aelia could feel herself getting nauseated. This was it, he was going to tell her that her life was over, wasn't he? Tears started to well up in Aelia's eyes as the man started to speak to her. Her head raising slightly to glance up at the man, he was so close to her. In a swift motion, she was sure he could reach out and choke her if he wanted to. She was sure of it.

"I-I didn't mean to cause you any trouble, I swear!" Lia rushed out, then quickly pursed her lips together and looked down again. She squeezed her bright green eyes closed, praying that she didn't just do something so freaking stupid. "Please let me go, I'll be out of your hair in a few days. I'll keep my mouth shut, act as nothing happened.."

@ FallenHope95
"No." The man said as he looked at the woman in front of him. She was already squirming, that was a good sign. He was getting the feeling that she was weak. That it would be easy to make her succumb to the pressure of this situation. Though, he was going to have to wait and see if that really was the case. He would need to do more than just sit there to make sure that is the case. 

Leaning over, he grabbed onto her face and lifted it up. His fingers pressed deep into her cheeks as he made the woman look at him. There was no forgiveness, no mercy in the man's eyes. She would already be dead if she wasn't a tool that they could use. " You messed with mia famiglia - my family. That means you either have to die or make yourself useful to me."

Letting go of her face, the man leaned back into his chair. He pulled on his suit a little, letting his words sink in for the woman in front of him. "I am willing to make a deal with you, girl. If you agree, and you follow our instructions, then I will let you go. I will forgive this whole ordeal and leave you, and your loved ones alone. If you decide not to take my offer, then both you and those you care about will be dead before the sun sets tomorrow."

The man was quiet once again, wanting to let this sink in further and further into her mind. He knew that some had a difficult time understanding the situation they were in, needing a moment for it to actually appear clear to them. Though, once that moment was gone, the man continued on. "Would you like to hear my proposition or should I kill you now?"

@ BearGirl
All of the color seemed to start draining from Aelia's face and body, as she listened to the man, starts to speak, Her body growing incredibly cold as she let his words sink in. The instant his hand touched her, it was like a fire. Hot and painful to the touch. Her bright green eyes widened as she stared at the man. Her mouth was dry as she listened to him.

As the words left his lips, Lia felt her eyes widen slightly. Her panic was showing, and she could feel her breathing becoming more rapid as well. She felt like she could pass out at any moment if she was able to, but. She had a feeling that the man in front of her wouldn't let her pass out. He'd find a way to keep her conscious. Keep her breathing long enough to answer his questions.

The tight hold the man had on her cheeks lessened and Lia could just feel the bruises forming. The rush of blood going to her cheeks as it caused the muscles to go back to normal. Her back slowly moved back to rest against the back of her chair. Her bright green eyes looking fearfully at the man in front of her. Keeping her gaze on him as he was the one who was holding her life in his hands at the moment.

"W-what do-do you want me to do?" Aelia asked quietly, her gaze flicking towards his hands for a moment. Watching them, wondering if they would reach out and strangle her at any moment. Then, she looked back up towards the man's face. No longer did she care that she was butt naked in front of him or the other men that were in the room before they left. No, now the only thing that was on her mind was how she could protect her grandparents and her friends. How her one act of trying to be a good person could have turned her whole world on its head.

Never in her wildest dreams has Aelia thought that mafias were real. That they actually liked people who they didn't like. For calling the cops on them, over a small innocent act. This was something that Aelia had to be smart about. She needed to get out of this alive and protect everyone she cares about.

@ FallenHope95

One of the men from before came back down, now carrying a long dress and a bra with him. After handing them to the boss, he ran off again. When they were alone, the boss turned to the girl and showed her the dress that he had with him. "This is for you, but you'll have to wait until we reach an agreement." He said before setting the clothes down on her lap. There was nothing she could do with them anyways, since she was completely naked.

"What I want from you is really quite simple. I want you to marry someone." He said matter of factly. The boss watched Aelia's face closely, trying to get a read off of her while he continued to speak. "It would not be a long marriage, only a few years. You'll just have to pretend to be in love. And, of course, not betray me or him during it all. If you snitch, you and everyone you love dies. If you stay quiet, be a good little wife and then divorce him when the time comes without any fuss, then you can go on your merry way,"

The boss stood up from his chair, no longer interested in sitting. Instead, he headed up to Aelia and took a strand of her hair, wrapping it around his fingers. "It is a small price to pay, when you think about it. Just a few years of marriage to get yours and everyone else's life back. He probably wouldn't ask much of you anyways. He'd be more of the type to let you do whatever you wanted as long as it didn't threaten him or the image that you'll need to keep."

Letting go of her hair, he let it fall back into place. "It is up to you to which one you want to decide. Of course, I would personally recommend the marriage but I'm willing to let you pick which matters most to you." The man took a few steps back again, now moving his hands into his pockets. "Do you have a decision or do you need a few minutes to think it over darling?"

@ BearGirl
As Aelia waited for the man to tell her his plot, she imagined the worst. Stealing something, doing some kind of drug for his amusement, breaking into a building. Or, she really hoped wasn't the choice of what he wanted her to do, kill someone. She couldn't even hurt a fly! Okay, she could, but she'd never be able to kill someone. Aelia didn't even know how to properly punch someone! How could she manage to kill someone if she couldn't kill them?

Then, as the proposition left her lips Aelia couldn't help but sigh. He wanted her to marry someone. How horrible, it was a bad idea, something she couldn't do. How could she go through with that? Wait, marriage?

Confusion slowly appeared on Aelia's face as she looked at the man. Her lips parting to ask him about it but stopped as he went on. The remainder of protecting her loved ones was really all she needed to remember what she needed to do. She was eighteen, she had just become an adult in the eyes of the legal system.

"I-I'm only eighteen," Aelia informed the man, not sure if that would even make a difference to him. Her eyes looked down at the dress that was draped across her bare legs. It very well might be the last thing she wears before they kill her if she refuses. But, she really had no choice but to accept it, why was she refusing the offer running through her head. She was such an idiot, her grandparents and friends lives were on stake here! She had no time but to accept this thing and playhouse for him. She'll give her life to whoever it was she had to marry, as long as it meant that her friends and family were safe.

"I-I'll marry whoever you want me to marry," Aelia said quietly, looking up shyly at the man. "I'll be a good wife to him, just please leave my friends and family alone," she said quietly, silently praying in her head that this wasn't a trick.

@ FallenHope95

A smile came over the boss' face and he gave the woman a nod. "Good choice." He said before he headed over to her chair. The man went about untying Aelia from the chair, now being careful with the rope on her and the knots that were pressed into her skin. Once the woman was completely untied from the chair, the boss took a step away from her. "Go ahead, get dressed now."

He headed over to the all besides the stairs and leaned back. There was only one way for her to run if she decided to escape, and that was past him. Besides, the man was rather sure his gun was faster than her feet. "Now, I need to get some information from you as she solidify our deal."

For a moment, he glanced down at his watch before continuing on. "I know your name is Aelia Basset. You are a French Citizen and are 18 years old. We also have found your current address and the university that you will be starting at once school semester starts. But that is not enough information. Do you live alone? We are also going to need your phone number. I am sure that my men will also have plenty of questions for you once we meet with them."

Once Aelia was dressed, he turned and headed up the stairs. "We are going to have to get a lot of things done today. Tomorrow, you will be married.... When are you suppose to head back to France?" Would there even be time to train in this woman? It was important that they taught her what to do and what not to do. It would be best to give her and Luca a fighting time during their time in France. But, unlike what the man originally wanted, they had to find some strange woman off the the street.

As the door at the top of the stairs opened, Aelia was brought into a warehouse office. There wasn't much to look at but there was a comfortable couch pushed against the back of the wall.

@ BearGirl
The smile the man gave her sent, sent shivers down Aelia's spine. The second that he stood from his chair, she expected the worst. Her eyes closed and she flinched as she felt his hands near the restraints that were on her. Although, as she felt the zip ties coming undone, she slowly opened her eyes and looked at the red marks on her. "Ow." She mumbled quietly and rubbed at the bruises she was sure to be getting.

Then, she listened to the man's orders and stood up. Even though the man saw her naked, Aelia still turned her back to him as she slipped on the bra and dress. A slight surprise filled her as everything seemed to fit her perfectly. She wanted to know how his men knew her sizes, but, then stopped herself as she kinda figured out why. They either felt her up when she was uncontious or, they had gone through her things when they knocked her out.

Either way, once she was done dressing, Lia glanced around the place warily. Her legs felt a little shaky, as she had no idea how long she'd been unconscious and the lack of oxygen for who knows how long really didn't help her. Then, she slowly made her way towards the man who seemed to be in charge of her at the moment.

As she approached the man, Lia's slight frown deepened. It was really unsettling how this guy just seemed to list things about her off like it was nothing. "Um, I live with my grandparents currently. Once school starts up in the fall, I was supposed to live on campus, but. I guess that's out of the question now." She mumbled quietly, following behind the man as held her up those terrifying steps that led to who knows what.

The sound of the steps squeaking caused nerves to raise in Lia as she followed the older man. They felt so unsafe and the questions he was asking really weren't helping her either. "Wait, we'll be married tomorrow? I don't, even get to meet this guy or get to know him?" She asked her panic over all of this starting to intensify once more. "I-I'm supposed to leave at the end of the week. Saturday at noon." She mumbled quietly, then stepped shyly into the room that turned out to be an office.

Stopping by the door, Aelia stood by the door. Her bright green eyes looking around the room shyly, not sure if she should take a seat on the couch in the room or if she should stay standing. "Um... Sir." Lia asked quietly, not sure what to be calling this guy. "Um, who will I be marrying?" She really hoped it wasn't him. He seemed a little old, and frankly, she wasn't sure if she'd be able to pull off fake loving him.

@ FallenHope95
"You can call me Nicola." The man said as he motioned to Aelia to take a seat on the couch. Even a blind man would see how wobbly the woman was on her feet. "As for your fiancee, you will meet him later today but there was a few things that need to be settled before you do. No need to worry though. The both of you will have some time before the wedding."

Nicola sat down on a chair and called out through the office door. Soon, the two men from earlier came in. They glanced over at Aelia for a moment before turning back to the boss. "This is Diego and Federico. These two will be taking care of you during the rest of your stay in Italy." He then looked up at the men. "They will take care of you, make sure you're comfortable and that you don't get into any more trouble."

The men nodded in agreement. The three of them then proceeded to have a conversation in Italian in front of Aelia. One of the men soon left the room and the other moved to stand behind Nicola. The boss turned his attention back to the woman in front of him. "For the rest of your time here, you will be staying in a different hotel with your soon to be husband. Once you both return to France, you will move in with him. Arrangements for your new home, near campus, will be taken cared of. We will also take care of moving your items for you."

Diego then came back with water bottle and a bag of chips, setting them both down in front of Aelia. "You will get a proper meal in a bit but that is what we have for now. Anyways, we have no interest interfering with your education so you may continue on going to school. Do you work anywhere?"

@ BearGirl
Now that the scary old man had a name, it seemed to cause Aelia to feel a little bit more worried. Before, she was certain that if she died she'd not have to worry about cursing someone in the afterlife for ending her so soon. Now though, it was feeling like this was a more personal thing. When people let their names slip, it always started a connection with people, and Lia really didn't want a connection with this man.

Slowly, she moved towards the couch when he gave her the okay. Her legs pressed together as she tried to sit ladylike on the couch. After being naked in front of this man, she wanted as much privacy as she could muster.

Then, the hair on the back of Lia's neck slowly raised as the two men from earlier came into the room. A sense of panic starting to fill her once more. She really hoped that neither of them was the one she was to marry, and thankfully, as Nicola spoke. She found out they were her babysitters instead of her betrothed.

Glancing down at her hands, Aelia listened to the men as they talked in Italian. It was a sure sign of the head guy, Nicola, planning something. She was getting into such a big mess, she wasn't sure if she'll ever be able to dig herself out. She didn't know how long she had to be married to this mystery person, but, she was sure that her life would never be normal after the fact.

The reminder that she was going to be marrying a stranger tomorrow caused Lia's stomach to twist. She didn't want to marry a stranger, she wanted a love-filled marriage like her grandparents. She wanted to be able to find ways to smile every day with the one she loved, now, she was practically in a slave marriage. She didn't even know how to be a wife for some sort of Mafia guy. Was it any different than a normal marriage? Did she have rules? Was she supposed to learn Italian just for him? Oh, she hoped she didn't have to sleep with him, she wasn't ready. She wanted her first time to be with the one she spent the rest of her life.

The sound of the door opening and closing caught Aelia's attention and she glanced up. A brief look of confusion appearing on her face as one of the men seemed to have left. Her bright green eyes shifted towards Nicola as he started to speak again.

"Thank you," Lia mumbled quietly to the man who brought water and chips for her. While she wasn't too hungry, the water seemed like a lifesaver. A with a wary hand, she reached out and took the bottle and took a few sips as she listened to Nicola. Then, as she lowered the bottle, she held it with two hands as she looked at the older man. "I waitress at a local cafe called Roselia on the weekends." Lia's lips twitched downwards slightly. She'd been working at the cafe for years, she was really close with the owners and would hate to have to quit without any notice.

"Um..." Lia mumbled quietly, looking at the two men nervously before glancing towards Nicola. "Do I.. have to share a room with this guy I'm supposed to marry?" She fidgeted slightly with her fingers as her question was directed towards the hotel and new living arrangments. She wanted to know how far she needed to go to sell this thing, how far they were going to push her.

@ FallenHope95

"You're going to quit. Tell them that you need to focus on your students now that you're a university student." Nicola told her. "If you need to finish up a week there, fine but that is all." The man slid his phone out of his pocket and started to type away on it. He let out a small hum as Aelia asked her question about sharing a room with the man. "Ask him that when you see him."

Nicola didn't care if they shared a room or not. He only cared on whether or not Luca and this woman were going to be able to keep up the act long enough. The man would be pissed if it ended up being Aelia that ruined everything for them. After another few moments had gone by, he slid his phone back in his pocket and stood up.  "It's time for us to leave. Lets go."

With that, the man turned and headed out of the room. He brought her down a few hallways before they ended up in the back of the warehouse. The two guards were behind Aelia, ensuring that she would not make a run for it. 

A black car with blacked out windows was waiting for them outside. The guards had Aelia sit in the middle seat as they sat down at either side of her. Nicola sat down in the passenger seat as their driver took off towards the road. Silence filled the car as Nicola moved back to his phone, once again typing away as they were driven off to their destination. 

It was less than a half hour later that they pulled up to a nice 5-star hotel. Nicola got out of his car and headed up to the door. Almost immediately, the doorman opened the door for all four of them, a large smile on his face. "Mr. Massina, welcome back." 

Nicola gave the man a nod as he continued inside. The manager of the hotel quickly coming out and handing Nicola a room key. He wished the man a nice day and assured him everything in the room had been taken cared of. Once they reached the elevator, the manager peeled off and Federico pushed the button to the top floor. Silence befell them again as the elevator went up up up. 

At the top there were only three doors to three different hotel rooms. Nicola turned to the right and opened up the door to a gorgeous, spacious, expensive two-floor hotel room. The man from before, Luca, was sitting on the couch, waiting for them. "Meet your fiancee." 

@ BearGirl
A small defeated sigh escaped from Aelia as she heard what she didn't want to hear. She liked her job, it made her grandparents happy when they learned she had landed the job. Sure, sometimes she had horrible customers, but that was everywhere. She loved the smell of fresh baked goods when she had opening shifts and the discount that she got was quite nice as well.

The rest of the little discussion seemed to go on in a blur. She wasn't happy, she was so ready for the day to be over. She just wanted to go to sleep. So much had gone on, that she didn't know what to think or how to react to anything anymore. What even was her reality anymore? When did she end up turning into such a terrified little girl? Probably when she was ambushed in the shower of her hotel room.

She must have zoned out because the next think Lia knew, she was in an elevator that looked so expensive. So expensive in fact that if she dared to touch something she'd leave behind a streak of dirt and grime on the shiny buttons that were polished.

Walking out of the elevator once they reached their floor, Lia couldn't help but move a little bit slower. "Woah." She breathed out, looking around. Then, she followed Nicola towards their room and felt like she'd just become royalty when she stepped into the room. It was larger then what she could have ever imagined. The furniture in the place, the polished flooring, it all screamed money. Just who in the world were these guys? Weren't Mafia people suppose to be poor and scary? Not loaded beyond belief?

At the word fiance, Lia looked towards Nicola before looking towards the man sitting on the couch. Her breathing seemed to catch in her throat as the hazel eyes of the man who seemed to have sized her up in the warehouse seemed to be staring at her. Lia opened her mouth and closed it a few times. Trying to figure out what to say to someone you're going to be marrying in less than twelve hours. "H-hi." She squeaked out, her cheeks doing a light pink color.

Mentally, Aelia was slapping herself. Hi? Really, that's all she could come up with? She couldn't say something cooler, like that Italian greeting she learned or even try and sound more feminine in her native tongue? Ugh, this was going to be rough. He probably already though lowly of her because this was being forced on them, and now she probably proved t to him as well.

@ FallenHope95
Luca looked up from his drink as the three men and the woman walked into the room. His eyes shifted to the woman as she managed to squeak out one word at him. That was... well it was unimpressive. "Ciao." He murmured back before setting his drink down on the table. The man leaned back into his seat as his attention moved onto Nicola. 

"Sei sicuro che questa sia la ragazza?" He asked with a raised eyebrow. Luca had been expecting for his father to come back alone. But, instead, the girl was still with them... Luca supposed it did make some sense, however. It was clear that the girl was meek. She must have also managed to answer their questions perfectly in a way that made her good for the situation. Even he could see that she wouldn't be a threat to their operation.

Nicola let out a small huff at Luca's question. "Questa è la ragazza. Hai già detto no a metà della città, bambina. Ora ottieni quello che ti do. È ora."

The man waved his father's words off before letting out a small chuckle. It was amusing to say the least. "È ora."

With that settled, Luca turned back to the woman. He eyed her over curiously before motioning to the guards to leave. There was no reason for them to stay in the room. The two men nodded and headed out, standing guard outside of the room. "It is a pleasure to meet you, fidanzata. I am Luca. What is your name?"

1. Hello
2. Are you sure this is the girl?
3. This is the girl. You already said no to half the city, child. Now you get what I give you. It is time.
4. It is time 
5. Fiancee

@ BearGirl
Shifting her gaze back and forth, Aelia looked warily between the two men. They were speaking in Italian so she couldn't really understand what was going on, but. From the tones, it seemed that Nicola wasn't very happy and the guy she was to marry wasn't taking things seriously.

Then, a small frown appeared on her lips as the two guys who were to watch her left. Leaving her like a lamb that was supposed to walk into the slaughterhouse on her own. Lia's bright green eyes shifted towards the man on the couch as he spoke once more to her. Luca, seemed to be, quite relaxed about this whole thing.

"Aelia." She said quietly, somehow not stuttering as she spoke to him once more. Her bottom lips sucked into her mouth out of habit and she gently bit down on it. How awkward could this get? Standing with Nicola by the door, she had no idea what else to say or do. She was just told to marry this guy, Luca, or she'd die. It's, not exactly a cause for any sort of romance.

"But I prefer Lia." There, she managed to squeak out more than a one-word reply to a question that he threw her way. Point one for Aelia!

Still being a little shy, Lia glanced back towards Nicola for a moment. He seemed to be in charge, but, it seemed that these two were both men she should mind. A power struggle was sure to ensure if she dared to be to shy. So, once she noticed that the first guy wasn't going to be too angry, she slowly stepped more into the room and took a seat across from her soon to be husband.