Tick, tick, tick, tock.
The sound of the clock on the wall woke me up from sleep. I didn't know how long I slept but I knew it'd be the long that I had been sleeping because, from the curtain, I could see the sun was already settling down for the evening. I was tired and famished, tired because I had been jet lagged, hungry because I hadn't eaten since morning.
I remembered that Alec had proposed a ball party tonight and I needed not to go hungry. Dressing up in a jean short and lace top, I make my way out of the room.
My eyes scanned the empty hallway and I began walking through it, in search of someone that would lead me to the kitchen.
I tried walking down the stairs as I knew what I was looking for was probably down the floor but a voice stopped me. I looked back and it was coming from a door in front of me.
"Let her sleep, it'd be a long night tonight," Zavi said to whoever was in the room with him.
"You know it's dangerous, Zavi. The world you're creating for her is dangerous." A male voice stated.
I tiptoed to the door and listened, from the small opening, I saw Zavi sitting on his bed, smoking while Alec stood by his left.
"That was the only way I could make her be by my side. I haven't been completely honest with myself but I liked her."
"Then let her go or what happened before repeats itself," Alec told him and there was a pause, he looked like he was thinking, his face was neutral and he just sat there looking at his joint.
He dropped the joint on the ashtray on the stool and looked up at Alec, "I'll protect her, the person that would kill her isn't alive anymore."
"You can't say that now. No one knows what will happen," Alec persisted in talking him out of it. I know they were talking about me, I must have looked like someone they knew, before I slept this morning, Alec said I looked like her. I do not know who but that person must be a very important person to them. The way Alec looked at me when he saw me, maybe Zavi did look at me that way when we met but I didn't notice that.
I also liked the way Zavi said he would protect me, I knew the mafia was dangerous, no one comes out once they walk in, so I knew what I was getting myself into.
Zavi was angry, "Look, I will protect her from anything, this time I would die for her. So whatever fucking thing that would harm her will have to go through me." He ruffled his hair after he was done.
I opened the door and walked in. All eyes went on me, I folded my arms under my breast and said, "Look, guys. I'm sorry that I had been snooping around and eavesdropping, I also appreciate that you would die for me but I'm not selfish. I know what I had gotten myself into when I accepted that I would work with you." I looked from Alec to Zavi and continued, "Don't die for me. The only reason I got into this was that I was gonna find the bastard that killed my mom. I was gonna use the opportunity that I had here to fulfill the promise I made to my mom. Don't tell me to quit because it was dangerous, I had accepted willingly."
"You wanted to escape, why did you change your mind?." Zavi threw the question at me.
"Because I thought through it, the only way I can get my revenge was being a part of you. That is the only way my mom will rest wherever she is." I finished, feeling angry. My mom was my favorite, she was there for me.
"If...if we kill your mom's killer, would you stay?." Alec asked.
There was silence. Zavi was looking at me.
"He already bought me, it depends if he lets me go," I replied, looking intently at Zavi, he looked away.
I turned and walked away.
…
Zavi Coville.
When she left, I stood up and walked to my nightstand. I carried the picture frame up, I looked at it with sorrowful eyes, Anita stared at me with so much happiness, her smiles clouded my mind, the same smiles that met Vanora whenever she smiles.
Her eyes were emerald, beautiful, and full of life. Her brown curled hair lay on her head, she looked like Vanora. The first time I saw Nora, I thought I had seen a ghost. I thought I was seeing things again, that I was hallucinating, but I wasn't. She just stood fresh and alive, I didn't know two people could look like this much.
I had already looked into her background, I had seen that she isn't the same person, but a person, lots of characters, and the same fighting spirit.
Alec held my shoulder and mumbled to me.
"I also loved her too. But you have to listen to me, we can find the killer and let her go. Would you stand her being your whore?. Going to your meetings and meeting the other dangerous Dons. Moreso, what if Luciano and Gambino find out your weakness and use her against you, what would you do?."
He was right. I had started things that I can't be able to back out of. My enemies were going to use Vanora against me, they were going to kill her to get at me. Vanora is that girl that I would never lose for anything in the world.
"What if I protect her?. What if you train her to protect herself?."
Alec sighed, he had given up on talking me out of it.
"It's both of us together." He patted my back.
He turned around to leave.
"I saw the way you looked at her." I said to him, He stopped but didn't turn.
"Do you love her?." I asked him.
He looked over his shoulder and answered, "That's what I'm going to get rid of."