Chapter four

C H A P T E R  F O U R

“You got everything you need?” Loris asked Athena as she took one last look around her room. She was travelling to New York today along with Giovanni and Elvio Mancini, but Loris would be staying in Sicily, which truth be told kind of scared her. But all these years of training told her that she did not really not Loris to hold her hand every step of the way. He had gotten her in, and now the rest was for her to handle.

“Yes, the rest I will get in New York.”

“Good, remember, if you feel like you’re in way too deep and need to get out, you have the phone. Just send the signal and agents will contact you.” He said almost whispering as she nodded.

“I’ll be okay, we should start going.” She spoke and Loris nodded, opening the door, and leading her towards the exit. Once standing at the mansions door, she hugged him as he whispered a quiet “be safe” to her. Elvio and Giovanni Mancini were standing outside, near the cars waiting on them. They were in their usual suits, but this time with black glasses covering Giovanni’s eyes. They both looked at her as she said her goodbyes to Loris and then walked over to them, with her little bag that she had packed with the very little stuff she had brought with her. She could not actually see Giovanni’s eyes, but she felt them burning onto her as she walked down the mansion stairs and made her way towards Elvio Mancini.

“Ready Ms. Vaccarelli?” Elvio asked as she nodded, and he opened the car door for her, gesturing for her to step in. She gave him a slight smile, thanking him before stepping into the car. He closed the door behind her and stepped into the passenger seat in front of her as Giovanni sat in the driver’s seat.

The car quickly filled up with the scent of musk and coconuts that she learned to associate with the man driving the car. He pressed the button, igniting the car engine and pulled out of the gate that she had entered a few days ago. A black SUV pulled out behind them and followed them on their journey. It was quiet in the car, Giovanni focused on the road, and Elvio scrolling through his phone. At one point, he made a call and only using 2 words before he hung up.

“The plane is waiting.” He told Giovanni, who’s only sign that he heard Elvio was a little, tiny nod that would have been missed if you weren’t looking closely at him. That man was still as a rock. He really did not speak much. Athena wondered if he did not have much to say, but whenever she looked at him he was always observing something or someone. He saw every little move and was aware of everything going on in a room before he even stepped into it. It would be impossible for someone like that not to have any comments or opinions worth sharing.

As if he read her mind, she saw him looking right at her through the car mirror. His eyes locked on hers. His dark, dark eyes. When they said that the eyes were a window to the soul, they were not mistaken. It felt like a clouded, frosty winter night, blowing with crispy snow hitting your face in the dark. You not knowing where to find shelter, if there even was one to find. The snow almost stinging as it makes contact with your skin. He kept his gaze on her, and although she knew it was mere seconds, she felt like it had been going on for hours.

Suddenly he removed his gaze and turned off the engine, making her realize where they were. Both the men in front of her stepped out of the car, as another man opened up her door, giving her his hand to hold on as she got out of the car.

Growing up in a foster care system and moving from house to house, as well as living on the streets for times, made her a stranger to this classy and gentle treatment, and deep down her heart adored it. But she knew that she could not get too attached to anything since this was all temporary.

She looked ahead to see the captain of the little jet they were about to board standing near the entrance of the jet as the men made their way towards him. He nodded greeting the men, with a smile on his face. The men nodded back, and Giovanni made his way inside. Elvio turned around, looking at Athena who was still in awe of the jet in front of her.

“You coming in or just gonna admire it?” He asked, with a hint of amusement in his face. She let her eyes fall on his little faint smile before walking towards him and making her way up the few steps. Giovanni was already sitting, with a drink in his hand and a mini bar to his left. He was looking out the window, not giving them a thought as they walked onto the jet. Elvio sat in a seat alone as well. Leaving her with three options, sit alone too, sit in front of Elvio, or sit in front of Giovanni.

It was almost a ten hours long flight, she was not sure she would survive the stare downs with Giovanni Mancini all that time, and as amusing as Elvio was being, she knew he was no saint neither. He was no Giovanni, but still, the stories she had heard about him and his role in the family would make you unable to sleep for days if you even heard the half of them. So she took the seat to the right of them, sitting alone with an empty seat in front of her.

It would be a lie to say that the jet did not impress her. The beige and dark wood interior looked like it was straight out of a movie. Faint, off white lights illuminating the plane, as well as the light coming through the windows. She looked at the door in front of them that she imagined leads to the cockpit. There was even a long, dark brown curtain at the back, covering another entrance. She wondered what was behind there but tried to not make her curiosity too obvious. It was nearly a 10 hours flight from Sicily to New York city, they would surly fall asleep eventually, and then she could go on a little adventure.

The seat belt light in front of them started blinking and a little sound followed with it, alerting everyone to wear their seatbelts. She felt the jet starting to move as it made its way to the runway. She loved the feeling of planes taking off and landing, excitement ran in her body every time she had been on a plane, and it was time to take off or land. She clasped her seat belt and soon the engine of the jet become louder and louder as she felt the force of gravity pulling her towards her seat as they took off. She could not help but smile.

When the seat belt light had turned off, Giovanni did not waste a second before unclasping his and walking towards that dark brown curtain in the back. He pulled it open before walking in and closing it behind him. She did not even catch a glimpse of what was behind that curtain, and Elvio caught her curiosity.

“He likes being alone when traveling.” Elvio spoke, answering a part of her unasked question.

“He does not talk much.” Athena said seeing a little curve on Elvio’s lips.

“No he does not. He likes observing more,” Elvio spoke, as he took out his phone from his pocket and placed it in front of him. He stood up, walking over to the minibar and poured himself a drink. “Would you like one? It is a long flight.” He asked, his eyes focused on the scotch he was pouring.

“Yes please.” She said as he poured another and walked over to her, handing her a glass. But instead of going back to his seat from earlier, he sat in front of her.

“You don’t say much either Ms. Vaccarelli,” Elvio spoke, his eyes studying her as she took a sip.

“I don’t have much to say, not yet.” She explained.

“Tell me Ms. Vaccarelli, are you afraid?” He asked, sitting further back in his seat as he took another sip from his scotch.

“Isn’t everyone, Mr. Mancini?”

“and what is it that you are afraid of?” He asked.

What was she afraid of..? She disliked the dark, and spiders. But she knew that these answers weren’t what Elvio Mancini was after when he asked that question.

“I am not sure..” she replied truthfully.

“How about this? Does this scare you?” he said, taking his gun out from under his suit jacket and loading it. He did not point it at her, but he was looking at her, deeply.

“No.” she said, her eyes not leaving his.

“and now, Ms. Vaccarelli?” he asked, pointing the gun towards her head.

She looked at him for a few seconds, knowing that there is no way they already found out her secret.. right? Or did they, and Giovanni is in the back bringing the body bag they were gonna put her in?

She made sure to not remove her eyes from his as she replied calmly, “no.”

They surely knew nothing, or they might be suspecting. So she had to put on her best act, saying that she has nothing to hide and no skeletons in her closet that she is afraid would get discovered. He did not remove his gaze or gun from her direction. Studying her, trying to see a hint of fear, a hint of regret. But she gave him nothing, and so he let down the gun before sliding it over to her side of the table.

“It is empty, you can check if you’d like.” He said, drinking what was left in his glass before standing up.

“Why?” she asked quickly, making him look back at her.

“In this line of work Ms. Vaccarelli, everyone has a hidden agenda and a mission they want to accomplish. I needed to make sure that your mission is not one that would hurt my family.” He spoke and moved back to his seat.

“and you could tell that I wanted you no harm by pointing a blank gun at me?”

“Oh no, I could tell that if it was up to you, you would kill us all and go far, far from here. But you need us, just like we need you, and until then we will have to make this work so no one gets hurt.”