The plane ride had... been interesting. It turned out that Moran was about a thousand times better at poker than she was. She was a little embarrassed. Once they'd landed, it was about a thirty-minute drive to the villa in the car Jim had arranged to be waiting for them. Of course, that meant Lorna had to get into her dress in the back of the vehicle, which had been an enormous amount of work, but when they pulled up outside the villa she was presentable. "Okay. I know the faces of most of the key players here, so just stick close to me tonight. Sound good?"
"Anything you say, dear," he said with a touch of sarcasm. He was in a poor mood, as he had to leave most of his weapons in the car. Something about party etiquette. He had two thin blades made into the backings of his boots, but that was about it.
Lorna smiled at him and stepped out of the car, keeping herself balanced on the gravel even in her heels and the distractingly tight dress she wore. She had to get their interest somehow, right? "Come along, Steven, I have some fabrics I really want to get into China."
He climbed out of the car, downing one last shot of whiskey for show. "That would be why we're here, Luc'."
"I'm glad the alcohol hasn't fogged up your brain," she quipped, holding a hand out for him with a mockingly sweet expression. "Come on, we're late to the party! If we're any later we're just going to look bad."
"Fashionably late, love. No one worth anything gets anywhere on time." He took her hand, for all the world a couple vaguely in love.
"Except the occasional world leader, but I guess that's none of my business," Lorna smiled, the gravel crunching underneath their feet as they walked towards the gate. She wasn't worried at all about being convincing - she was an amazing liar. She could even control the level of dilation in her pupils to convey interest if she really had to. It didn't actually come up much.
He grunted, reaching up to rub at his eyes with his free hand, playing hungover as best he could, which was fairly accurately, from years of experience. He stopped rubbing as they approached the gate, letting Lorna take the lead.
The men at the gate were not surprised to see them. In fact, they simply waved them through, looking uninterested. But she could tell that the both of them were packing heat, even if they thought they were hiding it. Then the walk to the main building was a short jaunt through a cute garden, and they were being let inside, the music that had been filtering through the open windows suddenly much louder. All classy, piano and string music, of course. It was crowded inside. Unconsciously, she held Moran's hand a little tighter. Okay. They had to find the Don.
He gripped her hand back, though he wasn't exactly sure why. It looked better, he assumed. He looked around for something to drink, grabbing a couple of champagne flutes from a passing waiter and passing one to Lorna. "So, darling, this is your crowd, lead the way."
She immediately took a sip from the champagne, extremely grateful that he'd gotten her one, and nodded. She began to lead him nonchalantly through the throng of people, gaze skimming over the crowd, over the opulent decor, scanning for familiar faces. There. He was in the.. wow. The gigantic hall. Was it even a hall? More like a museum showroom.
Lorna shook those thoughts from her head and led Moran over, putting a warm smile on her face as she reached Don Joseph Morello, dropping Sebastian's hand to hold out hers to shake. "Hello, I don't believe we've met. You're Mr. Morello, correct?" she asked smoothly, dropping into the rich voice she used when she wanted somebody to really pay attention to her. It usually worked.
The Don raised an eyebrow, inspecting the new woman and smiling, taking her hand and raising it to his lips. "I am, though I'm afraid you have me at a disadvantage," he said in a mild Italian accent, flashing her a smile, eyes flickering to Sebastian for a moment as well.
Lorna giggled, feigning being flustered as she looked up at the Don through her lashes. "Oh! Christ, I apologize! I'm Lucy Morrison, and that there is my husband Steven. He's a little under the weather, though, so don't mind him if he's all quiet-like," she laughed, keeping ahold of Morello's hand just a few seconds longer than a married woman would really need to hold his hand.
'Steven' mumbled his own greeting, looking amiable enough to not be rude, but just very hungover, as he took a sip of champagne. The Don gave a smile. "I know that feeling well. Bloody Marys at the bar, my friend, if you're interested." Moran offered him a weak smile, but the Don had already turned his attention back to Lorna. "So, Ms. Morrison, what brings you to Italy?"
"Business, actually! I was hoping to find somebody to move some fabrics for me into Hong Kong without having to pay for the embargo," she shook her head, although a charming smile was still glued to her face. "Believe me, I wish I were here for pleasure. And, please, call me Lucy," she requested. It didn't slip by her that he hadn't given her a 'Mrs' title. Moran was playing his part well, too. Keeping himself out of the focus of attention. She appreciated the way he worked.
Sebastian murmured something about 'that Bloody Mary' and wandered off towards the bar, giving 'Lucy' room to work. The Don flashed his teeth cheerfully. "You've done your research. I have quite a few discount trade routes with Hong Kong."
Lucy gave a rather disgruntled look after her husband, while Lorna silently thanked him. "That's wonderful," she laughed, pretending relief with a swipe of her hand over her forehead. "I really have to move my product soon. There's a whole warehouse deal, blah blah blahh. Do you have any place we could talk business, actually? I'd love to talk seriously about it." C'mon, she thought under her pleasant, innocent veneer, take the bait, try and get me alone.
The Don glanced around for a moment, as if ensuring no one was vying for his attention at the moment. "Absolutely, Lucy. Please," he extended his arm. "Let me show you a bit more of the house. It's beautiful, and we can find somewhere quiet to talk business."
She took it, easily letting her pleasure at having convinced him so easily shine through as she sipped at her champagne and allowed him to lead her out of the busy, gigantic room. Lorna had some drugs hidden away on her person that she could slip into his drink if she really needed to, but it would be easier to access his villa if she stayed the night. The plan wouldn't be too difficult for her to orchestrate; plant the suggestion into his head that she and Moran stay in the villa, 'sneak away' from Moran to gain the Don's trust, filch the key off him - always an easier task if somebody was sleeping - and take photos of the files. Easy.
"So, tell me more about your... operation..." the Don suggested as they walked through long, pale halls, lit by the sun shining through floor-to-ceiling windows on one side which overlooked large grounds planted with glorious gardens.
"Well, I've recently happened to come into quite a lot of Egyptian silks and cotton. Several thousand feet of both, actually, which is all tied up in a warehouse in Indonesia. Except if I don't get the fabric out of there by the end of the week, the fabric is turned over to the owner of the warehouse and I lose it all. I have a buyer in China, but I can't come up with the money to pay the taxes to get it into the country," Lorna explained, letting out a weary sigh while quietly appreciating the architecture. It was a well-built place. Beautiful, even. "I'd do anything not to fuck this one up, if you'll pardon my French," she laughed softly, running a hand through her hair, mostly to draw his attention to it. "I've been trying to prove to Steven that I can handle myself."
The Don scoffed slightly. "You seem like you're capable of anything, if you don't mind my saying so. He doesn't think so? As for the material, I've moved more in less time. I'd be thrilled to work with you."
Lorna put on a beaming, relieved smile, gripping the Don's arm for a moment with her feigned excitement before she tossed her hair and settled down. "Thank you, that's wonderful, really! And, well.. Steven and I have our differences. I don't resent him for it; it gives me more freedom to do what I want if he underestimates me, anyways."
"My dear, I'm not one to advocate for the law, but something tells me that underestimating you is an absolute crime. And yes, I'm aware that was unreasonably cheesy, forgive me." He gave her a friendly smile.
She couldn't help a genuine chuckle at that joke. Oh, God, he just had no idea. "No, no, I can appreciate puns. And puns at fancy-dress parties? Even better, believe me. Some of these things are so dry. Oh! Goodness, I haven't even complimented your home! It is stunning."
He beamed at her, pleased that she enjoyed his humor, and residence. "Thank you. I love it here, it's my sanctuary."
"I can see why! Steven and I still have yet to find a good B&B to stay at while we're here. There was one we were hoping for, but apparently they gave away our room," she hummed pleasantly, shrugging slightly. "Oh well, right? Perhaps we'll go camping. I hear the nights here are beautiful."
"Camping! My dear Lucy, you cannot go camping here this time of year, the nights get horrendously cold, despite our warm days. Why on earth would they give away your room? That's terrible."
"A little mix-up in the books is what they told us," she sighed, her brows drawing together slightly. "It's not a big deal, though, Steven and I are actually quite avid campers, and he runs like a furnace. I won't drive two hours just to find an empty hotel room. Call me stubborn, I'll admit it," she shrugged, throwing in the bit about Sebastian on the hope it would illicit at least a small jealous reaction from Morello. He was being a bit difficult so far, compared to some of her other marks. Maybe not as easy as she thought. She had low standards for marks.
He shook his head. "Avid campers or not, I must insist. Why not stay here? I have plenty of space, a few other guests are also spending the night, it would be no imposition and give us time to work out the details of your business venture."
She looked hesitant, her footsteps slowing slightly as she faked deliberating over it, then she nodded resolutely, the smile returning to her face. "Why not, right? Thank you, though, that is so, so gracious," she gushed, reaching for and shaking his hand again. "Honestly, it looks like I'll owe you quite a lot by the time I leave!"
"Nonsense," he said, smiling broadly, looking thoroughly pleased with himself. "I'm always eager to help an enterprising woman along wherever I can." He held onto her hand a moment longer than was strictly necessary, before shifting it to his arm smoothly. "Would you like to take a quick tour of the gardens? It's a beautiful day out, and the party will still be waiting in full swing when we get back."
"That sounds fantastic, actually, I would love that," Lorna said warmly, her heels clacking on the marble floor as he led her through the villa and towards the gardens. Yes, she was fairly confident that by tonight she would have the Don where she wanted him, and tomorrow morning she would have the key. They could be gone in 48 hours, if she played it right. Now that would impress Moran. She wondered what he was doing.
Moran, as it happened, was watching the situation unfold from a quiet, concealed location out on the grounds, where he'd casually wandered and set up with a telescopic scope. Everything seemed to be going well, which was good. Hopefully this would go quickly.
"So, tell me more about yourself, Lucy," the Don said casually as they walked.
Lorna shrugged, flicking a strand of hair out of her eyes. "Oh, there's really not that much to tell. I'm from England, if you can't tell from the accent. London, born and raised. It was an ex-boyfriend of mine who really got me into the whole business scene - that's where I met Steven, of course, he was a lot more promising then," she joked, adding a bit of bitter edge to her words before she returned to laughing. "I would almost consider picking us up and moving us here to Italy if I wasn't so attached. What about you?"
He raised an eyebrow at the slight bitterness, but let it slide for the moment. "Italian, born and raised, as you said," he said, smiling. "If you can't tell from the accent." A chuckle. "Got into the business with my father when I was young, and have had time for little else since then. I am just now reaching the point where I can take a breath now and again, such as now, and I must say I am finding it most enjoyable."
"I'm glad," she smiled, a bit of pink rising to her cheeks before she quickly cleared her throat and finished off her flute of champagne. It was an old trick she'd learned years ago. "Resting every once and a while is important, though, honestly. I mean, why not enjoy life? Live a little, right?"
"Precisely," he agreed, walking over to a bench and offering her a seat, sitting next to her and watching a nearby fountain. "It's important to enjoy the good things in life, with the right people."
Lucy agreed with an appreciative hum, crossing her legs and looking out over the gardens with a nearly-awed look. Lorna couldn't deny that the view was spectacular, of course. Beyond the immaculate charm of his garden and the grounds stretching on after that, the rolling hills, dotted with other such villas, were an impressive sight. She wondered how much of what she saw the Morellos owned. "I know," she sighed, the smile on her face becoming a little more soft and pleasant, "Some things aren't enjoyable at all if you don't have the right people around."
He nodded, casting her a sidelong glance, as if trying to determine how precisely to proceed. "Could I ask an impertinent question?" he queried.
She tore her eyes away from the view with a small lift of her eyebrows. "Hm? Well, I don't see why not, go ahead," she shrugged pleasantly, looking expectantly at him.
He nodded slightly. "Again, forgive impertinent curiosity. But Steven... Is he the right person?"
She sighed, looking down at her hands folded in her lap with a tiny shrug. Hesitation at telling a stranger such personal information, but with the hint of the feeling that maybe they weren't strangers. "I don't.. I don't know anymore, I suppose. He is for some things. But I'm not sure if he's right for this life," she shook her head, keeping her voice soft. She'd hooked him now, she knew that. All she had to do now was reel him in.
He frowned slightly, eyes softening. His accent cradled his next words as if to increase their gentleness. "What do you mean by that?"
"Steven doesn't believe that I'm capable of running this sort of business. One not strictly inside the law. I don't know... I'm sorry," she breathed, sounding more emotional now, "I shouldn't be bringing this to you. You just make me feel... comfortable."
"Don't apologize," he said, shaking his head. "It isn't fair that anyone should hold you back from what you want to do. You strike me as a very intelligent person. If he doesn't see that, doesn't feel you're capable of what you want to do, that is his loss."
"Thank you for understanding," Lorna murmured. "It doesn't really matter, though. He might try to hold me back, but, well," she gave a small, bitter smile. "It just makes me better at my job."
He smiled back, encouraging. "Which I'm certain you do brilliantly. If you need further assistance beyond this shipment, I'd be happy to make you a regular on my discount routes, if you're interested."
"That would be magnificent. Something else always manages to turn up when you least expect it, you know?" she chuckled, wondering in the back of her mind when she'd be able to get out of these heels. They were killing her feet.
He laughed in agreement. "Absolutely. I look forward to having such a charming woman as yourself as a business partner. If Stephen doesn't like it, you'll just have to prove him wrong."
"His name is Stev- well, you know, it doesn't matter," Lorna rolled her eyes at her absent 'husband'. "But yes, I rather plan to."
He flashed a cocky smile. "I like you, Lucy. You have drive. I look forward to seeing what you can do."
In a few weeks, when Jim had the files and had made his decision on whether or not to approach a business deal with these people, the Don probably would have already forgotten all about her, but Lorna made sure that Lucy gave him an eager grin, reaching for his hand in her excitement. "Thank you. That means a lot, Mr. Morello."
"Please, call me Joseph," he said, laughing slightly at her formality, gripping her hand gently. "What say we head back into the party? I feel badly for dragging you away from it." He stood, offering her a hand up.
"Anything you like; I'm equally happy in the midst of people or alone," she smiled, taking his hand and standing. Shit, he was too polite. Had she given off the wrong vibes, or had she simply underestimated the Don?
He smiled. "Still. I owe you for politely listening to my prattling on... Might I make it up to you with a dance or two?"
Alright, perhaps she was overreacting. "That sounds lovely," she nodded, glad that she'd have an excuse to be moving. She got restless when things didn't move fast enough on jobs.
He smiled, taking her arm again as they walked back through the garden towards the house. "You know, I can't have you out here too long, anyways," he sighed. "It puts the garden in a bad light, being compared to you."
"Oh, goodness, thank you, Joseph," she blushed, beaming up at him. "But I'm really not much compared to your beautiful estate. It's really, really quite stunning."
"Well, you are really, really quite stunning, as well, and you have the ability to smile at my incredibly cheesy attempts to compliment you. The grounds are distinctly lacking in that aspect," he said, smirking.
Lorna smirked in return. "Well, if you sprinkle the grounds with cheese you're only going to attract ants. I take my cheese with wine. Champagne is close enough that you caught me in a good mood. Keep complimenting me like that and it may even be a great mood."
His smile widened. "I should hope so. There is plenty more champagne, and I find it hard to believe I could run out of compliments, so it promises to be a good evening."
Yes, she thought to herself, eyes flitting away from the Don's for a moment to scan their surroundings, both noting the security cameras and possible places Moran may have been hiding, it does promise to be a good evening. She really did like her job.
Music could be heard a few hallways from the main ballroom, and the Don chuckled. "Sound like they got the party into full swing," he said cheerfully.
"Oh, good, that means I have the rest of the evening to spend with whomever I chose! Steven will be off in some corner with a drink in hand," she added, rolling her eyes with a dry, explanatory air. I'm avaiillablleeee.
"Most certainly his loss," the Don scoffed. "If you were my date I'd be loathe to be away from you."
She shrugged, smoothing down the hem of her dress. "Well, the novelty's rather worn off for him. Me, too. Let's stop talking about Steven, hm? Let's dance."
He smiled broadly at the suggestion, his eyes following her hands for just a moment, taking in her figure before returning to her face. "Let's," he agreed, entering the ballroom and leading her onto the already crowded dance floor.
She was glad that he agreed easily - she didn't want to put in too much work to drag the Don onto the dance floor. It was classical music, for Christ's sake - nothing fun to dance to. Just uncomfortable closeness. It was a lot easier to fake having fun if it didn't require effort.
He put a hand at her waist, another taking her hand as he stepped seamlessly into the dance, smiling as they spun across the floor to the slow time of the music, appreciating her form inches from his, concentrating on subtly decreasing that distance.
Lorna had spent far too long in this game to not know when someone else was trying, and since she wasn't in this one for the long haul, she made it easy - she tripped into him. "Oh, Christ, I'm sorry, these heels just murder my coordination," she giggled breathlessly, pressed up against him. Wherever Moran was watching from, she hoped he liked the view.
Moran, as it happened, had reentered the ballroom just in time to see her trip, and rolled his eyes slightly, leaning against the wall and snagging a passing drink. Though he had to admit, she knew how to work with that dress. It was a weapon in and of itself.
The Don caught 'Lucy' effortlessly, pulling her a bit closer in the process, until they were right up against each other. "I can't imagine," he laughed softly. "I wouldn't last a step in heels, I don't believe. I'd break both ankles and then my neck when I fell." He wrapped his hand a little farther around her waist, settling in the small of her back.
Her laugh had her arms wrapped around his neck, further cementing them together. "Oh, you probably know better than to put yourself in dangerous positions," she hummed. She caught sight of Moran across the room and gave him a tiny wave of her fingers.
"Mmm... depends on the dangerous situation," he purred, dancing slowly now, eager to keep her close.
Sebastian just rolled his eyes, taking another sip of his drink. He had a weird feeling in the pit of his stomach, not unlike his danger instinct, but that wasn't it. He decided the solution was more alcohol.
She kept herself from leading, letting him take control of the dancing for the moment. Most men liked to be handed control once she was this close. "Yeah? Like what?"
"Like you," he said, his grip around her firm as he danced, voice low. "I'd be interested to know your real name, for example..."
