The Deal

15. New friend

Isabella Rose

*Two Months later*

I finished my last shift for this week and return home. I've started working at a restaurant.
I also moved in with a coworker. Her name is Tanya. She's the best for opening up her home for me and letting me stay.

When I finish work I head to Tanyas place. She is already home cooking dinner for us both. "Hi girl, how was work today?" She asks cutting some tomatoes. "I'm so tired and hungry" i say as I get seated at the table.
"I thought this day was never going to end" I add as she places a plate with lasagna in front of me.

"So I have some good and bad news for you" she says.

"You're scaring me" I say waiting for her to talk.

"The good news is you no longer have to pay Châu for your stay there." She says and immediately I let out a relieved breath. Thank god it started to get tight with the money. I promised Châu to pay him for everything I used while I stayed there.

"The bad news is... you know how you told me about not wanting to be found... someone found your old location and payed it all for you." She says and I instantly start to panic. No way he has found me. Has he been looking for me?

What if it's Dante? Shit. What do I do.
"Tanya did Châu tell you anything else, did he tell the man where I'm staying now!" I ask stressed out.

"I don't think he did..." she says.

We both get quiet for a moment.

"Unless they paid him..." she adds. Fuck.

I'm dead. If not now I will be in just hours. They know where I am.

"I need to leave" I say grabbing my bag.
Where the fuck do I go now?
Why do I have to keep running away.

"Wait, you can't go, what if they are out there! Stay here and if someone comes I tell them I haven't seen you" she says holding onto my arm.
"It's safer in here than out there" she adds and I think about if for a moment.
Maybe she's right. They could be anywhere outside. If I just stay here they won't know...right?

"Fine I'll stay but we have to be very careful" I say. She nods. "So are you going to tell me why there are people looking for you" she says.

I sigh. "So basically two men from the mafia is after me."
She gasps. "Mafia! Do they exist"

"They do sadly, first one is Dante... I escaped on our wedding day. So he's very pissed at me and probably will kill me the second he sees me. The other one... Valentino." I pause at his name.

"What about him" Tanya asks giving me a smirk. "You liked him huh?" She says like she knows it. Is it that obvious.
I give her a slight nod. "But he hurt me a lot. He was ready to send me to die after everything we went through. So I broke our deal and ran away." I say.

"He would kill me in a heartbeat if he got to me now. I just know it. He's much more dangerous than Dante. He's cold and scary when he's angry. I saw it in his eyes the night I left. He was going to shoot, but knew he needed me for the job. Dante is nothing compared to Valentino. Dante never tried to kill me. Even Dante was scared of him."

"So why didn't he kill you while you stayed there?" Tanya says.

"I made a deal if he let me live for a month in his mansion I promised I would get him the papers. Those were going to save his family. He was going to be free, no one would be able to control over him, but I ran. I betrayed both Valentino and Matteo" I say crying.

"But like what did he expect? That you would just walk right over to Dante?" She says.

"I would never hand myself over to him. He made my life a hell. Used me in every way. Even if he wouldn't kill me he would make every day torture for me." I say as Tanya puts her arm around me. How nice it feels to cry in someone's arms. I've never had a mother or father who cared for me.

"Why can't Valentino just get the papers himself?" She asks.

"Dante's location is hidden. I'm the only one knowing where he lives. The plan was to sneak me inside the house and find the papers and hand them over to Valentino. They can't do it without me. It's impossible to just walk right in. He has guards everywhere and they would shoot Valentino if he tries to go in."

"And now he will never be free. Dante has control over him and his brother. He threatens Valentino with killing Matteo and throwing them back in the streets." I say sobbing.

"Shhh... it's fine now it's not your fault. I'll protect you from those monsters" she says knowing she could do nothing to them. No one can.

Any first thoughts on Tanya?