[Any text in (bold) are translations]
Chapter 2
Wednesday was wet and dreary, and by Thursday, the whole city was being lashed by intermittent but powerful thunderstorms.
Talia Mangiameli had fled her family's deli earlier that morning after a nasty argument with her brother, Michael, over who would go to the pharmacy to fetch their mother's prescription. Infuriated by her younger brother's behaviour, the petite woman had left wearing just her boots and an eggshell blue dress for cover against the turbulent weather.
Luca Changretta pitched forward in the backseat of the automobile like he'd been given an electric shock. "Pull over."
Matteo glanced incredulously at his boss from where he sat in the driver's seat.
"Pull over!"
As soon as the car had pulled up to the curb, the tall Italian American threw open the door and rushed out onto the sidewalk. A startled brunette woman in an eggshell blue dress, completely soaked by rain, stopped in her rush up the street at the sound of someone calling her name.
"Talia, it's Luca Changretta, we met - "
With Changretta looking at her expectantly and gesturing toward the car, Talia declared despite the violent weather: "I recall who you are, Mr Changretta, but I'm also not stupid. I don't get into the cars of men that I've met once in passing."
"Mio Dio (My God)… " the black-haired man said, frustrated, before reaching deep into his suit jacket and pulling out a switchblade from the inner lining. This was an item he kept on his person at all times, just in case; he definitely never thought he'd have to offer it to a woman to protect themselves against him.
Prostrating the small weapon to the woman standing in front of him, who was obviously soaked through to the bone, he growled: "Here. Now will you please get in the car?"
Fingertips shaking from the cold, Talia took the small blade gingerly, shocked more than anything, that she had just been offered a real weapon to defend herself. The rain-drenched brunette then let herself be bundled into the backseat of Changretta's car, who slid in after her and pulled the door shut with a slam.
"Miss Mangiameli." Matteo greeted her as he started the car's engine once more and peeled away from the curb.
"Matteo." Talia had time to reply cordially, before she was cut off by Changretta, who had begun pulling the long overcoat he had discarded at the beginning of the car journey around her tightly.
"What were you doin' out there?" The tall man demanded, American drawl slurring the words a little.
Comforted by the weight of the small blade in her palm, the brunette relaxed back into the seat and relished in the warmth of the dry coat around her. Changretta sat beside her, beetle-black eyes fixed on her unrelentingly, obviously expecting an answer.
Feeling strong for the first time that day since Michael had yelled at her, Talia replied with just the slightest waver to her voice: "It's a long story, Mr Changretta."
"That's my blade you're carrying, Talia, y'can at least call me Luca." The Italian American man leaned his head back against the car window, stretching the tattooed cross on his neck. "An' no rush with the long story. We've got time."
"Michael and I had an argument about who was going to get Mama's prescription… " Talia began after a few moments of silence.
"Your brother, Michael?"
The brunette nodded, yes.
"I have a lot of pieces that need to be finished before the end of the week. Michael said it was my responsibility to get the prescription even if I was busy because I'm the daughter, I didn't need to work and it was only because Da is soft that I'm allowed to at all."
Luca made a deep clicking noise with his tongue from where he sat, indicating his displeasure, and waited for the seamstress to continue.
"I told him what I thought of that, and – "
Leaning forward at this, Changretta muttered conspiratorially to the woman beside him: "I want to hear what you thought of that, Talia."
Blushing deeply, Talia murmured: "Vafuncolo, cos'altro (Get fucked, what else)?"
Luca grinned at her; a wild, wolfish grin, that made Talia's heart pound, and she couldn't stop herself from smiling back at him.
"Bene (good)." He declared loudly, leaning back into his seat now, visibly pleased.
Still blushing, Talia went on: "He went on and on about how he's the only son, he's 21 and engaged, soon he'll be providing for all of us, and it isn't fair to make him do it when he's supposed to be running the deli."
"Doesn't your father run the deli?" Luca pointed out, raising his eyebrows.
"He does, Michael's just… " The brunette rolled her eyes and let out an exasperated sigh.
"Un idiota (an idiot)?"
"Si (yes)."
For Talia, it felt so good to verbalise how much her brother's behaviour frustrated her. She barely even felt the cold anymore, and was increasingly aware that was probably more to do with Luca's company than anything else.
"Talia, who's that?" Her brother demanded when Talia entered the storefront ten minutes later, Changretta trailing dutifully behind her. The Italian American man had chosen to accompany her under the guise of collecting his suit jacket, however he also had another reason brewing in mind.
Still wearing Luca's overcoat, Talia completely ignored her brother and walked through the deli toward the stairs that led to the upper floors.
"Talia - !" Michael called out again loudly, abandoning the deli counter altogether and marching after his sister.
Luca intervened swiftly, stepping around Talia from where he had been behind her, blocking her brother's view of his sister altogether.
"Talia, take that prescription upstairs to your Mama," the Italian American man said calmly, having witnessed the slight tensing of the woman's shoulders at her brother's raised voice. "I'll be up shortly to pay for my jacket… just let me talk to your brother first."
Talia nodded and departed up the stairs two at a time, Changretta's long overcoat flapping around her as she did so.
"Who are you?" Michael Mangiameli demanded brazenly of the man who turned around to face him.
"Luca Changretta, a client of your sister's," Luca said easily, raising one hand to scratch the back of his neck effortlessly casually.
Changretta stood at least a foot taller then Michael, and had no qualm with using that height to his advantage to do a little intimidating. "Now, lis'sen, Michael, I know what havin' a sister is like, got three of 'em myself." Changretta found a toothpick in the pocket of his suit jacket and popped it easily into the corner of his mouth. "And I'll tell you somethin' for free. You don't gotta worry about Talia, she's a good Italian girl."
Manoeuvring the toothpick between his teeth, Changretta smirked as he added: "But what you do gotta worry about is the bastard who's gonna take her off your hands one day, because he's not gonna like you."
Michael's upper lip curled with extreme distaste at this arrogant foreigner. Maliciousness dripped from every syllable as the youngest Mangiameli declared: "I'll tell you something for free, Changretta. My father is never going to allow Talia to spend so much as one evening with an American, so back off."
"We'll see," Changretta replied nonchalantly. "Either way, this American is definitely taking your sister out dancing tomorrow night." The black-haired man leaned back on the balls of his feet, the corners of his mouth curling into another smug smile, toothpick presenting jauntily. "An' if I hear any misgivings about it from you, Michael, I'll be sharing with your dear father just how poorly you treat Talia when he's not within earshot. Capisce (Understand)?"
Realising sourly that he had just been outsmarted, Michael Mangiameli gave Changretta the most withering glare he could muster before turning away, tight-lipped, and returning to the deli counter.
The initial rush of victory Luca Changretta had felt at putting Talia's manipulative brother back in his place quickly began to fade as he ascended the stairs.
The man realised he had just declared his intention to take Talia out the following evening, only there was one thing standing in his way: he hadn't actually asked her yet.
Author's Note: Please review if you liked it! Thanks!
