Chapter 11
***Aurora's POV**
"I want to take you out" I said as I sat infront of his desk.
"As a fight? I'd be honored" He said, taking in his blunt.
"No…not a fight..why'd you think I'd fight you? Do you honestly think I'd win?" I asked, looking at him incredulously.
"You know, you just gave me an idea. Let's see, you'd take me out only when you knock me out..see, fair enough. No?" He said, putting his nearly finished cigar in the ashtray.
"And if I can't knock you out?" I asked, relaxing into my chair.
"Well…I'll be the one taking you out and I'd choose where" He said and stood up, gulping down the rest of his whiskey.
I am already hating this idea. I could have relaxed and gone to sleep despite the suffocating tension.
"Coming?" He called out, holding the door open. I rolled my eyes and ran towards him. He closed the door and I walked off behind him.
We went to the courtyard, the same place he trained me how to shoot a gun.
"Okay, Mancini. You have three minutes. Knock me out" He said and placed the timer on the table. I breathed in and wore my punching gear.
You can do this.
I got into position and charged at him but he was quicker as he held my hand and flipped me over, causing me to land on my ass and back.
The pain shot up my spine, as I joined my elbows together behind me to cease it, but it didn't help.
"Can you be softer?" I said, grunting as I stood up.
"No. The enemy won't be softer" He said and gave me a signal to come at him. I breathed him and steadied my breath.
But he dodged, I punched him again but he dodged. First one, second one. Screw this.
I stood, breathing like I had run a marathon, while he just stood there, not one hair out of place. I nodded my head, like I was accepting the challenge I had been dancing to since over ten minutes now.
"You do know three minutes is up right?" He asked, rolling up his sleeves. I nodded and walked towards him, but at the leg distance.
He looked at me, scanning my eyes, like he was trying to guess my next action. But he was slow this time around.
I brought my leg up and kicked him in between his legs, causing him to bend over and I took his hand and flipped him.
"Yes, suckers!" I screamed, giving myself a round of applause and he was just grunting on the floor.
"You know that's not fair" He said, as he was still rolling on the floor.
"Five, four. Three…two ..one!" I said, jumping up happily, he was still on the ground after a ten seconds count.
"I won. Go get dressed, princess" I told him and ran into the house.
After thirty minutes I came downstairs, ready for our big day. I actually had no idea on what we were going to do exactly, but…who cares.
"Let's go" I heard Zeno's voice from behind me. I scanned him from head to toe.
"Ohh, Zeno Stefano Is in anything but a suit. You look good" I said, smiling widely at him.
"Remind me again, why my gate is without your head" He said, his eyes glimmering with amusement. I had no reply, as he walked past me to his car.
We drove off first to an eatery, one I and Martha had come to when we went grocery shopping.
"What are we doing here?" Zeno asked as he parked opposite the eatery.
"We are going to eat" I announced, staring at the door of the eatery and I could see my divinely prepared glazed doughnuts and my mouth began watering.
"Yeah, when don't you ever?" He asked, and this caused me to turned to him, squinting my eyes and glaring at him.
We got down from the car and entered the eatery, my face lit up when I saw a particular face.
"Mickey!" I called out and he turned, enveloping me in a big hug.
"Hello, beautiful. What are you doing here? Oh, don't tell me, you miss me" He said, still holding me.
"Hmm…you were close but no too close. I missed your, ahh, wonderful croissants and doughnuts but doughnuts will be later" I said, throwing my head back and shaking my shoulders.
"And he will miss his hand if he doesn't let you go" Zeno said from behind us and this caused me to stop my little dance and Mickey let me go.
"I…I'm sorry, Mr. Stefano" Mickey said, bowing his head
"Hmm..get us the croissants, please" Zeno said and I saw Mickey run towards the kitchen.
"You know him? How do you know him?" I asked, but he just looked at me blankly.
"What did I say about too much questions?" He asked and went to sit down.
"I know this isn't related to the Mafia, so speak" I said and sat opposite him.
"Well, he is the son to one of my men. Happy no" He said, not sparing me another glance.
After some minutes, Mickey brought our croissant and some drink.
"Yay, it's here" I announced but Zeno was too obsessed with staring at the window. I didn't mind him, as I picked up a croissant and was about to get a bite.
"Aurora, get to the car" Zeno said, his eyes still on the glass.
"Why? I'm about to just start eating" I told him, staring at the window but not seeing anything off.
"Aurora, car, now!" He screamed again but I didn't have the time to retort as I heard a gun fire and the glass shattered.
Screaming of children and people were heard, inside the restaurant and outside. Zeno had dragged to down to the ground, just few seconds before the glass shattered.
He took me by my hands, as another gunshot was fired. Who the fuck fires a gun in the middle of the street?.
Zeno held me as we crawled out of the eatery, but dead bodies were a growing obstacle as we had passed three and their bloods stained my knees.
I felt compassion for them but I soon found myself, colliding with Zeno as he had stopped and stared at a particular place.
"Zeno! Move" I whispered behind him, but he still didn't move, until I brought my head to look at what he was looking at.
I stared at the same place he stared at and the noise from the background soon turned into a quiet bliss.
Mickey's had a bullet to his head as he laid there on the ground, with his notepad and hand towel. He was dead.