Chapter 5: death trap

Giovanni's POV

When I walked into the cafe with my friends, my eyes scanned the room, taking in the warm atmosphere. That's when I saw her, her dark hair was tied in a neat ponytail, while she focused on her work. Her delicate features and petite frame gave a sense of determination and courage that I found intriguing.

I was immediately captivated by her beauty, but it was more than that, there was a quiet strength and resilience about her that drew me in. As we waited for our order, I couldn't help but sneak glances at her.

I had closed my office earlier, and my two most trusted men, Michael and James, and I decided to grab a coffee at the nearest cafe. As the head of the Italian Mafia, I'm a dangerous man, but I don't get engaged in illegal activities like human trafficking or mistreating women.

"You've been staring at her for ages, Giovanni!" Michael teased, chuckling. I turned to him, my expression dead serious.

"I mean it, guys. I'm drawn to her. I want to know what makes her smile, what makes her heart race. And I won't deny it - I want to make her mine." Michael burst out laughing, and James just smiled, shaking his head.

"Oh, Giovanni, you're so intense!" Michael said, still chuckling. But I didn't back down. I knew what I wanted, and I was willing to go all in.

"Come on, bro, you've never loved a woman before, apart from your mother, who we lost years ago." I knew it was hard for him to believe me; I'd always had one-night stands, but none had captivated me ever.

James, the quiet one, smiled and nodded. He was carefree, but I knew better than to mess with his family – which is us. He was always looking out for us, and we respected him for that.

"I'll tell the manager to call her over," Michael said. When she came to take our order, she didn't even look us in the face, too busy with her work. Her voice was soothing, like her beautiful face. "I need two espressos and a black coffee," she jotted down and left.

"Aren't you going to talk to her, boss?" Michael asked, but before I could respond, our eyes met, I saw pure fear staring back at me. She was shaking like a leaf, and I couldn't understand why. As she tried to stand, I rushed to her side, calling out to James to open the car door. We sped to the hospital, worried sick about her.

Michael whispered, "She freaked out the moment she saw you. Something's wrong."

I turned to James, "I want you to run a background check on her, I need to know everything by tomorrow." James nodded and disappeared.

The doctor came out, "She's sleeping now. Do you want to see her?" I nodded, and as I entered her room, she was peaceful, like an angel. But the moment she opened her eyes and saw me, she let out a blood-curdling scream.

"Marcus!" she kept shouting, her eyes wide with terror. The doctor rushed in, and the doctor and I tried to help her understand things, but she was too scared and confused to listen. After much everything, she was well enough to leave the hospital.

"Let us drive you home," I offered, but she recoiled in fear. I didn't want to scare her more, so she called an Uber. "Follow her, make sure she gets home safe," I told my driver.

This morning, James sent me her file. Her name is Elena, and she escaped the Spanish mafia. As I read her file, my heart burned with anger at how she was treated. My fists clenched, ready to take on anyone who dared to harm her. I made a call to Spain, my anger boiling over. "Why didn't you tell me?" After a brief explanation, I hung up, ready to protect her with my life.

Reading her file I found out she has an appointment today, so I decided to take her myself knowing fully well she wouldn’t be happy to see me. I sent her a message, "I'm waiting for you downstairs. Let me take you to your appointment." But when she came down, she tried fighting me off, refusing to go. I understood she didn't trust me yet, but I was determined to gain her trust. When she refused, I gently scooped her up in my arms and carried her to the car, trying to reassure her, "It's okay, I've got you. You're safe." But she protested, struggling against me, her eyes flashing with fear and anger.

"Let me go! I won't go back!" she cried, her voice breaking. I held her firm, trying to calm her down, but she continued to fight, her small fists pounding against my chest. I knew she was terrified, but I had to get her to the appointment. I couldn't give up.

After her doctor's appointment, I decided to drop her home. "Is there anything you want, amore?" I asked while driving.

"Why are you helping me? You haven't told me who you are," she said, looking down and playing with the hem of her clothes.

"Don't worry, I know you don't trust me, but you will soon know everything. But just know I will protect you," I assured her, and I meant every word.

"I would like to get ice cream and pizza."

"Okay," we stopped at the ice cream shop, got the pizza and ice cream, and debated for 30 minutes over who would pay. While debating back and forth, I stretched out my card to the cashier without her knowing.

"Fine, you win," she scoffed, looking pretty even when upset. I dropped her home, making sure she entered safely before driving off.

When my phone rang, "Any news for me? What! Okay... Thank you." I quickly drove back to her house. "Elena!" I knocked, calling her name.

"How did you know my name, Giovanni? Have you been lying to me? I knew you were faking an act on me!" She kept talking without listening.

"Shut the fuck up, amore! I have been waiting for you to tell me about your past, but I never wanted to pressure you, so I did a background check on you. And right now, you need to follow me because he knows you're in Italy." I said, sounding calm yet upset, not wanting to get her angry.

"What?! Did he find me? Oh my God! Then who are you!”

"I'm sorry, but you have to follow me to my safe house, where he won't be able to find you," I told her ignoring her question.

Elena's eyes widened in fear as I urged her to follow me to the safe house. She hesitated for a moment, then quickly gathered her belongings. We drove in silence, the tension visible. I could sense her fear and uncertainty. As we arrived at the safe house, a secluded villa on the outskirts of town, I led her inside.

"You'll be safe here," I assured her. But just as we entered, my phone rang. I knew that ringtone – it was my contact, informing me that Marcus, Elena's pursuer, had been spotted in the area. I took her inside, "You'll be safe here; just stay here while I go check this out. I'll be back; I promise."

"No, please don't go, I don’t know who to trust," she pleaded.

"Don't bother; the house is heavily guarded. I'll be back; I promise." I kissed her forehead and left.

Nobody knows I run the Mafia, and anytime I go to war, I always wear my mask. I have spies in every Mafia world without them knowing; that's why I'm the first and most feared Mafia. I heard Marcus has been trying to find out who I am to kill me and become the first.

"Guys, let's go, and you guys protect my woman at all costs," I said, facing the guards protecting her. We all entered our cars, while I wore my mask, ready to go fight him.

On arriving at the arena where Marcus was, I got a call from Michael. "What do you mean he's not there? Find him!" At this point, I was boiling.

"What game is he playing?" My phone rang again. It was from the safe house. "What is it? What!! What do you mean he took her away!" I commanded the driver to stop driving.

I jumped out of the car, my mind racing with thoughts of Elena's safety. I quickly called my contact, demanding to know how this could have happened. "I'm sorry, Giovanni. Marcus must have had inside help. We're working on finding out who betrayed us."

I slammed my fist into the car, my anger and frustration boiling over. How could this have happened? I had taken every precaution to keep Elena safe. I quickly gathered my team and we raced back to the safe house, our guns drawn.

When we arrived, we found the guards lying on the ground, unconscious. I rushed inside, my heart pounding in my chest. Elena was nowhere to be found. I searched every room, my anger and fear growing with each passing moment. Elena was gone, and I knew Marcus had taken her. I quickly gathered my team and we set out to track him down.

"We need to move fast," I told them. "Marcus has a head start, and we don't know where he's taking her."

We raced through the streets, following every lead, every hint of where Marcus might be headed. And then, finally, we got a break. A tip that Marcus had been spotted heading for the airport.

We sped to the airport, our hearts pounding with anticipation. And that's when we saw it: Marcus's plane, taking off into the sky.

"Spain," I growled, my mind racing with fury. "He's taking her back to Spain."

I quickly called my contacts in Spain, alerting them to the situation. "Find out where Marcus is hiding," I told them. "I'm on my way."

And with that, I told my flight attendant to prepare my jet, my heart consumed with a burning determination. I would find Elena, no matter what it took. And I would make Marcus pay for what he had done.

But as the plane took off, I couldn't shake the feeling that I was walking into a trap.…..