The Belladonna Game

Aliyah's p.o.v

"To the parking lot, woman," his voice tickled my ear, low but sharp, as I squirmed against his grip.

"Who are you? What do you want?" I hissed, my voice cracking under the pressure of his arm. My feet scraped against the polished floor, desperate for leverage. The space felt darker now, shadows swallowing us whole.

"Shut up," he growled, not loud, but deep enough to still my next breath.

In one fluid movement, he spun me around and slammed me against the side of a car. My palms smacked against the cold metal, my breath scattering in white puffs into the night air.

The deepest shade of brown eyes bore into me,eyes so fierce they made my stomach knot. His rough, gravelly voice didn't match the almost cruel beauty of his face.

Fuck.

He would've been handsome, devastatingly so, if not for the taunting fury twisting his features.

"What the hell were you doing in there?" he demanded, his breath ghosting over my cheek.

"Nothing," I spat back, my voice thinner than I wanted.

The corners of his mouth curved into something almost cruel. "You were spying on the Marinos."

My gut lurched. "I wasn't..."

"Not everyone stares at the reflection of a family through their glass like that," he cut me off, leaning in closer, his eyes scanning me like I was a puzzle he'd already solved.

Oh no.

I tried to keep my face blank, to hide the fact that his words had gutted me, but my pulse was screaming my guilt.

"Let me go," I demanded, shoving at his chest, but his grip only tightened.

His smirk deepened, slow and deliberate. "You've got guts. I'll give you that."

Before I could think of another denial, a blur of movement caught my eye.

Eva.

She was the one I had dialed in the restaurant. She'd been camping outside all this time,neither of us could afford to be inside together.

Without hesitation, she swung something heavy, maybe a brick, maybe her bag straight into his shoulder.

He grunted, stumbling just enough for me to drive my knee hard into his groin.

His gasp was sharp, his body folding slightly as I slipped free.

"Asshole!" I snarled, cursing under my breath as Eva grabbed my hand.

We bolted, the sound of his choked swearing chasing us into the cold night.

****

"What the hell happened back there Aliyah," Eva asked immediately we got into the house, slamming the door and securing the double locks. The ride back home was quiet and her outburst is expected.

My pulse was still racing, despite it being close to an hour after the altercation, I still couldn't fathom the fact that I had failed, my first move and I failed.

"Hellooooo," she drawled, waving her fingers in my face as I jolted out of my thoughts and marched towards the fridge. I grabbed a bottle of water and after taking gulps of it, I was ready to explain.

"I'm a failure," I stated blankly, staring into space. I threw off the shawl which I had tried to firmly secure around me to cover dreadful memories.

Eva, the less emotional one of our pair, leaned against the wall and crossed her hand. "Are you ready to cut the bullshit and tell me what that mother fucker wanted?" She sounded disinterested but there's an edge of interest in her tone. Or rather anger.

"He saw me, he saw me spying on the Marinos,he knows." I chanted, trying to swallow the bile that was beginning to announce itself in my throat. "He... he said he saw me watching them,"

"Calm down girl, don't go all panicked with me now. Calm down." She said, pushing off from the wall and offering me another bottle of water which I took.

I gulped it down, this time slowly, I felt my breathing slow down. I had had to deal with panic attacks since the night I was told of Michaelo's murder.

A young vibrant fiancé of mine, who had gone to drop his friends over at the club, was brought back in nothing but his lifeless body. "Liya say something, how did it go with the Marinos,"

"I didn't get anything reasonable from them," I muttered finally, rubbing my forehead. "Apart from Brown spewing crap about looking for a bride with... perfect tits and ass." I scoffed. "That's it. That's all I got after two months of watching those snakes."

I let my head fall back against the couch. "I can't keep doing this, Eva. It's dangerous. I almost got caught tonight."

Silence.

Too much silence.

When I looked back at her, Eva was grinning at me like a cat who'd just cornered a mouse.

"What?" I narrowed my eyes.

She didn't answer right away, just kept smiling, her eyes running over me in that calculating way she gets when she's about to suggest something insane.

"No. No, no, no." I waved my fingers in front of her face, backing away. "Whatever you're thinking, forget it. It's not possible."

"Oh, it's possible," she said smoothly, tilting her head. "You have the perfect tits and ass Brown Marino might just be drooling for."

I froze. "Eva..."

"Think about it," she went on, stepping closer. "You wouldn't be marrying the jerk. You'd just be playing him. Flirt a little, keep him interested, get close enough to figure out which one of them killed Michaelo. Simple."

"Simple?" I almost laughed. "Brown's disrespect for women is on another level. I'd last five minutes before shoving his face into a wall."

Eva shrugged. "Then shove his face into a wall after you get what you need. Until then, you'll be the fantasy he can't stop chasing."

"He wants a Mafia princess," I pointed out.

"That we can arrange, give me few days and you will be given a suitable title." She winked at me.

"How the fuck do you plan on achieving that?"

"Watch me do my thing,"

I stared at her, torn between smacking her and hugging her.

"Eva," I said slowly, "you're insane."

"And you're desperate," she shot back with a grin. "Perfect combination."

I chuckled, buying into her idea. The plan isn't going to be easy, but it was way better than nothing, it wouldn't get to the point of marriage with Brown. I could just play my game fast and bolt.

"What do you think?" Eva nudged my shoulder as she wiggled her brow.

" I hate you," I muttered. "But how do we get plan B in motion?"