Natasha strode into the suite, tossed her clutch onto the coffee table and flung herself down into the couch.
Gianni entered the suite behind her, his manner more sedate though his face was both grave and ominous. He took the seat opposite the couch and watched Natasha closely as she leaned forward and buried her face in her hands with a low groan.
Despite the look of things, the evening had gone quite well. Dinner had been lovely. They had danced afterward and even stopped at a street vendor to order gelato as they walked hand and hand along the streets. At one a.m. the streets had been crowded with the city's youth on their way out. It was when they had entered a narrow alley full of vendors selling their wares that the tone of the night had shifted.
Like many of the narrow back walks of Florence, this one was full of small stands and booths, their owners peddling beads, silver jewelry, and Italian leather goods as well as knock off designer shades and handbags.
Gianni was reaching into his wallet to buy a small silver ring for her as she wandered to the next booth; a man selling strings of beads, some of the strands made of semi precious stones like amethyst or turquoise. A man was perched upon a stool cutting leather in the next booth and stitching pieces together into wallets and shoulder bags.
"Signorina," the vendor nodded and smiled at her.
She returned the smile and tapped a wallet with the tip of her finger. "Cuanto?"
Before the man could answer a large hand closed around her upper arm in an almost bruising grip.
"Jeez Gian, chill out," she breathed as she turned to face him. She stopped short and her heart dropped into her stomach.
The man who held her was not Gianni. He was tall and bald, his gaze hooded. He was dressed in a dark suit and tie, a tattoo peeked above the collar of his shirt. He was flanked by two equally sinister men at his sides.
"Signorina Pezzini," he nearly growled at her. Natasha recognized him instantly. She remembered the man at the airport staring so intently at her as Alejandro had all but pushed her into the limousine calling this man a 'henchman'.
Benicio Morelli. 'Henchman'. Natasha had laughed at the time, thinking Alejandro's choice of words a bit melodramatic. But at the current time, Natasha thought Alejandro's melodramatic choice of words were quite appropriate. This guy was definitely sinister. He practically oozed menace and self-importance as his fingers dug into her flesh.
The gelato cone she had been holding slipped from her fingers to land with a soft 'plop' upon the ground. Morelli didn't even bat an eyelash, his gaze intent upon her.
"I think you should come with us, Miss Pezzini." His voice was low and heavily accented. His words sounded clumsy on his tongue.
Natasha stared at him. She looked at him incredulously, "Come with you?" she pretended to think about it a moment and then sighed. "Actually, I'm thinking no." She shrugged in mock apology. "I'm just not feeling it. I think I'll stay right where I am."
They were receiving curious looks as people moved through the alley. Morelli's grip tightened on her arm. "It would be best if you didn't cause a scene."
Her gaze narrowed as she stared at him. She snorted. "Right."
Taking him off guard she brought her spiked heel down on his instep. He cried out and his grip slackened as she pushed him with both hands. He stumbled back, the two men at his sides reaching out to steady him as he nearly fell.
Natasha's hand struck out catching him across the face in a stinging slap. Yes, they definitely had everyone's attention now.
"How dare you," she raised her voice to shout at him in Italian. "Sleeping with my brother?" she at him in mock outrage and watched his mouth drop open in shock. "I don't ever want to see you again." She tossed her head and flounced away to move through the crowd, dodging the reaching hand of one of the men flanking Morelli.
Her amusement was shortlived. She took off running, spewing apologies to the people she jostled along the way. She could hear shouts as the men came after her, less cautious in their pursuit.
Where the hell was Gianni? Her thoughts raced as she ran through the alleyway. Almost before the thought was completed a hand shot out from a doorway and she was nearly yanked off her feet. Terrified, she opened her mouth to scream, the sound being cut off as Gianni's mouth swooped down to cover her own. He shielded her body with his own, hiding her from view as Morelli and the two men raced by. The kiss lingered before Gianni raised his head to study her face. He cupped her face in his hands, his thumb brushing absently over her lips as she struggled to catch her breath and slow the rapid beating of her heart. "Are you alright?"
She nodded slowly.
He met her gaze with intensity and took her shoulders in his hands. She trembled. "Are you sure?"
"Yes," she gasped.
"Good." He took her hand and looked both ways before stepping back out into the alleyway. He walked swiftly. She almost had to run to keep up with his long strides as they made their way quickly back to his car. The ride back to the hotel seemed to take an eternity. Natasha was silently gazing out the window. Gianni was tense, constantly checking the rear view mirror for a following car as he took a round about way route back to the hotel.
Now he sat, studying Natasha silently as he sat across from her. He'd felt like he'd been sucker punched when he'd first seen her. She wore a strapless red satin dress that hugged her body and fell to mid calf. Her lustrous dark hair was piled atop her head and long curls lay about her face. She wore pearls in her ears and about her neck. She frowned and winced in frustration as she sat upright and began pulling the pins from her hair. The dark ringlets fell about her shoulders. Gianni smiled faintly as she reached up and ruffled her dark locks. Her beauty took him by surprise on a regular basis.
She raised her brows at the smile on his face. "I don't see that there's much to smile about right now, Angiolini."
The smile broadened. "Why don't you head to bed, bella. It's been a long day."
She stared at him mutely a moment before standing. "Sure."
She was heading towards her bedroom when the sound of his voice halted her. "Natasha..." He stood and came towards her to stand over her. He slipped his arms around her waist to pull her against his body. His smile was playful. "Don't you think it's time we dispensed with the separate bedrooms?"
A small smile tilted her own lips as she toyed with the buttons on his shirtfront. "That could be arranged I think."
