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10: Beatrice
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2024-10-29 19:42:56I walked out of the conference room and watched Giuliani Trivisonno, Alessandro Trivisonno, and their three guards stalk toward the elevator. My stomach turned just watching them go, remembering the threat they had made. It was a subtle threat, but one I took seriously regardless.
I turned to look at Mark and noticed he was pale. He looked worse than I felt and that was saying something. Then, I laughed as I was hit with a realization. It took me a moment but I finally knew why he looked so worried.
"He threatened you, didn’t he?" I asked Mark with a thinly veiled smirk. Now he knew how it felt to be in the crosshairs of the mob and I couldn't help but feel satisfaction at that knowledge. He deserved it.
"He threatened the firm," Mark contradicted sternly as he glared at me. The way he tried to intimidate me w
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Caught in the Crossfire 11: Beatrice
I flipped through the pages of evidence one last time. There had to be something I was missing. I had spread everything out on the conference room table of my new office, off-site from the firm, rented by the Trivisonnos. The firm had five levels and the lowest level took half the floor with reception and IT servers. My new office was on that level, across the hall from the IT offices and our main reception, so I could pop back over to my regular office whenever I needed.It wasn't unheard of for lawyers to have offices off-site for their large clients and I supposed the same was true for their dangerous clients, too. Or, maybe I should classify the Trivisonnos as my guilty and rich as sin client. They would want the evidence showing their guilt to be as contained as possible and that was hard to do in a law firm as large as ours. There were too many possibilities for a breach.
Caught in the Crossfire 12: Beatrice
"Time to go," The Butcher said, glancing behind me. I glanced back and saw Alessio nodding subtly before his hand rested on the small of my back. I jumped forward, avoiding contact with him, and tried to step around the two men but Alessio crowded me out of the doorway and into the hall. I could see Mark looking through the glass doors of the firm’s reception toward me, a question in his eyes. His eyes flitted between me and The Butcher before his face took on a defiant expression. He made to walk toward me but I shook my head slightly and he paused. I may be angry with him, but he was possibly one of only two people I could go to for help. He was practically all I had. That was a depressing thought, especially since his willingness to help me stemmed from the threat the Trivisonnos had made that morning. But, I wasn’t being picky with my allies these days.
Caught in the Crossfire 13: Devon
The news station replayed the press conference from that afternoon and I rolled my eyes at Rachel as her voice interrupted the surrounding noise of the press and Beatrice.“Did you have to poke the beast?” David asked, voicing the thoughts we both had. Rachel was never one to shy away from controversy and Beatrice was the same. They used to work together, a seamless, sarcastic, assertive team and they made a formidable front. Seeing them at war with each other was like watching someone shoot a bullet at a car, wondering when they would hit the gas tank. The subsequent explosion would decimate the surrounding block into a heap of ash and dust, leaving the rest of us to navigate through the flames and smoke.“I can’t help it,” Rachel said with a sigh as she shook her head and gave us a reluctant cringe.
Caught in the Crossfire 14: Beatrice
I was walking forward, not knowing where I was supposed to be going really, but being led by Alessio nonetheless. He steered me to the elevator, through the lobby, and out the side door toward a waiting vehicle. My mind was in a daze and the acidic taste of my vomit still coated my mouth.The back passenger side of the vehicle opened and in a daze, I stepped in barely noting that Callie was already inside. She had slid across the seat first, watching as I slid inside next to her. Alessio followed me, sliding next to me before nodding toward the driver.They had me sandwiched in the back seat and I registered the driver and a security guard perhaps sitting in the front passenger seat. They were taking me to Alessio Trivisonno's house. The man himself was sitting by my side as we started down the busy streets through rush-hour traffic.
Caught in the Crossfire 15: Alessio
Someone had shot her. Someone had fucking shot her on my territory. I was livid. I wanted to grab my gun and go shoot down the road toward the car, but I knew it was gone now. On the other hand, I couldn’t tear myself away from the woman, unconscious on the ground. Her blond hair was spread out in a wave behind her. Her face was pale, and her breathing was slowing. I knew we were close. I needed to help her. I couldn't let this be the end, but I didn’t know how to help. I could hear voices on the phone yelling at me, but I couldn’t pick the phone back up and put it by my ear because my hands were pressing against Beatrice’s chest, willing her to live. I don’t even know when Callie answered the ring. She dropped it and it was the least of my concerns. The voices stopped; I knew they must have hung up. “Where’s the doctor?” Callie asked me, her eyes wide with p
Caught in the Crossfire 16: Beatrice
I woke to a sharp pain in my side, the red hot fingers of fire stretched through my chest and grabbed hold of whatever pieces of flesh they could find.The pain was debilitating. I had never felt anything like it before. In a burst of self-preservation, I desperately hoped I never felt anything like it again.There was something incredibly disorienting about waking up in extreme pain with no recollection of how I got that way. Slowly the memory returned and the panic started to fill my chest. I had been shot. The reality set in of what that meant. I had been shot and now I was somewhere strange with a gunshot wound. The throbbing pain in my side? That was the gunshot wound.But I was alive. That felt like a small win.I could hear murmurs down the hall, and I took
Caught in the Crossfire 17: Beatrice
"Do you have any cash, Trey?" My voice was wobbling as the taxi sped off into traffic, swerving as if we were mid-chase and we were trying to lose a tail. "Cash? No. Well, maybe," his voice sounded unsure. "Maybe like a hundred bucks. What do you need cash for? You're loaded," Trey said as he glanced nervously out the rearview window as we sped through traffic toward our destination. "I only have my phone, which means I'll have to use my e-wallet. We need cash for the hotel," I gasped out as I groaned from the pain the last half an hour of effort had brought. The pain meds that my last cab driver had gotten for me had kicked in and it had taken the edge off, but the dull ache was ever present, reminding me that I had been shot. "Why do we need to use cash for the hotel?" Trey asked, completely oblivious to
Caught in the Crossfire 18: Beatrice
I accepted the news that someone was trying to actively kill me with a great deal of grace. I only screamed in the shower twice. Granted, that was an hour after Alessio told me that I had been the target of the shooting, and the shouts were two minutes apart, but it was still only twice. I feel that under normal circumstances there would have been a lot more shouting involved.There was a small reward in withholding the third well of emotion that rose in my chest. It felt like an anvil was pressing on my chest, crushing me from within. Each day it pushed harder and harder. I knew eventually I would give up; I would reach a point when I had too much, and I would succumb to the pressure.Luckily, that was not today. Two shouts and I had achieved the release I needed.The water of the shower coursed over my
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Caught in the Crossfire 34: Alessio
“I told you that was a bad fucking idea,” I said, watching Beatrice, Trey and Callie drive away from my house. “Why did you tell her the Bianchi’s were trying to kill her?” David asked, turning to look at Devon. “Because that’s as close to the truth as we have and explaining all the shit going on right now to her would very likely break her,” he replied. I agreed but it felt dangerously like we were still lying to her. “The last year very nearly broke her, I don’t think finding out that there’s a mole in the Bianchi family and he’s trying to kill her but we don't know who it is, would do her in just yet,” I replied. My words rang in the room but no one was listening any longer. I felt Michael and Rachel leaving, heading toward the kitchen. I knew we’d find them there but we had other business first. Important business. I stopped and stared at David. I could feel Devon’s gaze on me too but I couldn't take my eyes away from David. “It’s been so fucking long,” my voice rasped as I
Caught in the Crossfire 33: Beatrice
“What is it like, then?” I asked. Then, without waiting for him to reply I went on a tirade. “I asked them for help dealing with your family. I went to them for help after they brutally massacred my heart last year but I sucked it up because I was sure I was going to get assassinated by your fucking henchmen and what were you doing? Conspiring with them behind my back, and for what? To try to play hero? To try to win me back for them?” I stopped to take a breath and I could see the hurt in Alessio’s eyes. “How long have you been selling out your family to the FBI?” Alessio’s eyes burned with anger at my latest accusation. “I’ve never sold out my family to anyone.” “No? Then what do you offer the FBI? What’s your value to them?”
Caught in the Crossfire 32: Beatrice
I stepped out of the shower, the wound in my side a sharp reminder of my mortality as I hobbled to the room to find clothes. My hair stuck to the side of my throat and my eyes had small black circles along the bottom where my mascara had run in the steam. I was never great about removing my makeup before a shower and it showed. “Bea? You done?” Trey’s voice called out for me from the hall where he had gone after making sure I could navigate the shower on my own. “Not yet,” I called out. The drawers in this room were filled with clothes my size and I was hit again with the irony that Alessio had everything I needed before I even got here. It was almost as if he had planned it. The room blinds to the windows were closed and I could see the sun shining through the small slits on the side of the frame, casting
Caught in the Crossfire 31: Beatrice
“What does that even mean?” I yelled in frustration. “I work for you forever and somehow that doesn’t kill me? I retire? Your father lets me walk away at the end of my career and spend the rest of my days in a little hut in Costa Rica? You know that would never happen. I’m with your family until I die, whenever that is. There is no reality where someone works for your family and then suddenly just doesn’t. Unless they’re dead.” Alessio stretched his neck as I huffed out the reality of my situation as if he were entering a ring and needed to loosen his muscles in anticipation. “I will protect you,” he said, ignoring the rest of my rant and zeroing in on my fear for my life. “I won’t let anyone in my family hurt you.” “THEY’RE TRYING TO KILL ME! I’VE BEEN SHOT AT AND THREATENED AND YOUR FAMILY IS THE TOP OF T
Caught in the Crossfire 30: Beatrice
“Your brother’s company is in DC? I thought he lived in New York,” Callie said, trying to sound nonchalant as we drove closer to the industrial buildings on the outskirts of the DC Metropolitan area. “Just his data storage,” I replied. “It’s held by a company in Annapolis.” “Why did you need Mark to tell you that?” “It’s not public knowledge but Mark’s his counsel,” I said. “It’s the reason I got hired at the firm.” “That’s why your mother loves him?” “Oh yeah, and Mark is an acceptable choice for a Welsh.” I could see Alessio turning his head slightly to listen to our conversation. His eyes glanced back at me in the rearview mirror and I felt the intensity of his stare.
Caught in the Crossfire 29: Beatrice
Callie looked at me with confusion. "We went there, I didn't see a camera," she said slowly. Her face was scrunched in concentration. "No, you wouldn't have," I answered. "But you did?" Alessio asked. I nodded. "Mind giving us a little more information?" Callie asked. I loved working her up when I had information she didn't yet have. "There's this company, Safe and Secure," I started. "Your brother's company?" Callie asked. I nodded in triumph. "Exactly." "You have a brother?" Alessio asked.
Caught in the Crossfire 28: Beatrice
Mark stared at me with a look of disbelief. I was standing in the doorway of his office, breathing heavily from the effort of the day. I was exhausted but I needed information and Mark would help me. "You were shot?" I nodded in agreement and my face reflected my exhaustion. The day had been long and Callie kept trying to pull me back toward the elevator. I knew she wanted to get me back into a cab heading toward Alessio's. I wasn't ready to go back yet, though. I had things that I needed to find out. Mark was the first stop. "Listen, I need a favor," I said and I watched as Mark's brow rose expectantly, waiting for me to explain. "I need to know who stores backup files for Safe and Secure? Specifically for S
Caught in the Crossfire 27: Beatrice
I walked around numbly through Alessio's house. It was a large house for the city, but small enough I felt like there was someone near, just around the corner, waiting to soothe the loneliness that came with this day. I wanted to go home, back to my house but he wouldn't let me. I supposed that was because someone was trying to kill me, but today, I didn't care. I could die the same day Leah had died and I would be at peace, finally.Unfortunately, Callie had other ideas because she followed me like a puppy. Alessio had left and as soon as he walked out the front door to "meet with some business partners" I felt uneasy. I didn't like being in his house without him here. Trey had similarly gone home, despite my protests. Alessio had assured me Trey was safe and my inability to argue meant he, too, walked out the front door ahead of Alessio."Callie, I need
Caught in the Crossfire 26: Devon
I knew she wouldn’t be happy that we had put flowers on Leah’s grave, but I had hoped she might be able to look past her anger and see that we sent the flowers as a way to honor her friend, not to taunt her with memories of the past. Perhaps it was presumptuous of us to assume we could be a part of her grief when her anger was too raw, too poignant. I could see her from a distance. I was sitting in a car on one of the winding roads through the cemetery and I watched her visit Leah. I knew she would come here, I didn’t know when but I knew she would make an appearance at Leah’s gravestone. I needed to be near her today. Of all days that she needed me, today was the most important of all. She needed me, David, and even Alessio, as new as he was, and I needed to be close so I could help her, even if it was from the shadows. As soon as I felt her tense on the bench next to me in the courtroom when she realize
