Hey lovelies, sorry for the short break but I'm back fully to serve you better. Thank you for checking in and I really do appreciate your efforts
"You look just like she did.. The way you walk.. Your eyes.. The color of your hair.. Your thick lips.. I've never seen you laugh, but I believe you laugh exactly like her, too.."Mercedes had awakened that morning to more pressure by Don Fabrizio, who was dressed, seemingly for an outing, and had sat by her on the bed. She'd opened her eyes to him sitting by her and since then, he hadn't stopped speaking, forcing her into a conversation.".. How can I laugh, Don? I have no reason to.. I'm locked in here, stripped of all my rights, and yes, I have been treated fairly, but I am not happy.."".. And it's all your own doing..""What? How can you even say this? I didn't create myself.. I didn't make myself look so much like your late wife, and I am not obligated to take her place and fulfill her duties..""No, you miss the point, still, Coochie.. You don't simply look like her, and you are not merely her replacement.."Don Fabrizio's hand moved from her face to her chest area, and Mercede
70. This was the number of times Detective Dan James, the officer who'd been on hand at Agent Snyder's house after Mindi was killed, had watched the surveillance tapes outside the house just before the attack and just after. He'd watched it 70 times from that night until the following morning. He'd watched it meticulously until he slept off in his office, and when he woke up, he resumed watching it again. He was looking for something to hold on to. Anything.Ever since the previous night, he had been unable to rest, feeling very distressed at the manner in which the poor woman, Mindi, was killed, at how much she'd had to suffer, judging from the marks and wounds on her body, and also at how much pain he'd seen in the eyes of Agent Snyder, who'd looked shaken, a sign that he'd really cared about the woman.So far, he'd had no luck, but he was determined."Good morning, detective!" A voice bellowed.Dan James looked up to see Naomi Wallace, his protégé, holding his door half open an
"So, how did you come to the United States?""By plane," Sensi replied, laughing.After the meeting between Don Fabrizio and all his regional capos, which had gone smoothly, as opposed to how fiery it had been billed to be, with both sides being very reasonable and coming to a peaceful, mature agreement where everyone had ended up shaking hands, Sensi had decided against going home with his father or brother, opting instead to visit Marie at her house, seeing as that day was her off day at work, and he wanted to be with her. The feelings had been mutual on their first meeting, and he'd memorized her address on the day when he'd dropped her off. However, he made sure to let Gio know exactly where he was, just in case he got into any trouble.Right now, they were seated on her bed in her humble but tidy one room apartment which, although it wasn't fortunate enough to boast of a couch, had been managed as dexterously as it could have been, with books, clothes and a cooking area all carv
"For how long have you been.. Owned.. By Aleksandr?""Four years.."That same night, over at Don Fabrizio's mansion, Mercedes and Gio were cuddled up together in her bed. Don Fabrizio, having returned from the meeting with the capos, had rushed off to another appointment with a new cartel whose loyalty he was trying to win over in order to expand his organization, and when he'd gotten back from that, was so jaded that he'd gone straight to bed, retiring for the night. And so, Gio and Mercedes could be together without any fear, seeing as the mansion was huge, consisting three buildings, and Don Fabrizio lived alone in one of the buildings, so, it was impossible for him to come over to Mercedes's room without Gio having a headstart.Now, Gio and Mercedes were engrossed in one of their many deep, long conversations."Four years you've been stripping?" Gio asked, stunned.Mercedes chuckled. "No, I haven't been stripping for four years, that started just a couple years back.. But I've be
"He took a girl in, Snyder, and we both know what a grown man and woman would be doing in a hotel by this time of night. We're keeping an eye on the cars, though... Soon, as it moves, we'll move, too." This was probably the sixteenth time since they spotted the number plate that Ruby had had to rephrase the fact that they had eyes on the Ford Fiesta."Good. The bastard killed Mindi. However, don't forget that. He's dangerous. Don't give him any reason to suspect you.." Snyder warned over the phone."We don't even know if he's one of the men who killed her or not. He could've been the one who drove them there that night. But then again, he could be the one who pulled the trigger. It will do us all good if you stop assuming and concluding, Snyder," Ruby rebuked him."Fuck that, Ruby… You know I'm right.." "No, I don't, Snyder. We don't know anything at this point, and that's why we're trailing this fellow, so we can KNOW!"Ruby emphasized 'know' in a way that triggered laughter from O
'48 SALT LAKE STREET. BRICK BUILDING. SECOND FLOOR. FOURTH DOOR ON THE LEFT'.These were the contents of the piece of paper that Gio had in his hands, which he had gotten from Mercedes. It was apparently where her sister had been hidden away.He was cruising in his Ghibli, driving slowly, something he rarely did while trying to locate the street by looking at all the signposts and street indicators, observing which one he was supposed to be on.His car was presently stocked with groceries and toys that he'd gotten from the store while making his way here. He'd heard that the girl was still 14 and had automatically guessed that she would most likely be fascinated by teddy bears and Barbie toys, so he'd gone and purchased a boatload of them. Now, he looked to his left and saw a brick building that looked exactly like the one Mercedes had described: Big, brown, and ugly."Yeah, this is definitely it," he said to himself and proceeded to get out of his car. He'd made sure to dress normal
"We went to the same high school, and we were even dating..""For real?""Yeah.. For real.. I know her like the back of my hand.. At least, I used to.."Seeing Naomi Wallace walking into Aleksandr Matiç's compound had signaled the end of Omari and Ruby's spy mission the previous night, and they had gone home. Omari had promised to come to see her this morning after getting some sleep, and now, he was here, dressed in a soccer team jersey and a pair of shorts, sitting on her couch and telling her all he knew about Naomi Wallace."We were in a relationship, I and her, and although we were opposites, in the sense that I liked school work and she didn't, we still mixed well and kind of… completed each other, if you can call it that.."Ruby was sitting by his side, in a sleeveless top and jeans, listening keenly as Omari continued:"And it was all going good until one day when we heard that she'd been raped.. And then, I didn't see her again.. Rumors flew around.. Some said she left town t
Having finished the meals bought for her by Gio, Daniella was then sitting in the living room with her and Sensi, in full-blown, deep conversation."So, you've been in here, by yourself, all this time?" Gio asked. Mercedes had told him this before, but it seemed so surreal that he had to get a second source to confirm. "No friends? No people? Nothing?""Daniella shook her head gently, a sad look on her face. " Mercedes says nobody is to be trusted because Aleksandr has men everywhere in the city. So, I've been in here. No school, no friends, not even neighbors.. She comes to see me once every month, and she stocks the kitchen with food enough for a month until she comes again the following month."Gio's mouth hung open for a moment, as he imagined this much loneliness and depression the girl must have gone through.Daniella had more to say, though:"The door is always locked from outside, so I can't even go outside. Mercedes says I have to stay as silent as possible to make the house