Obliteration of Light

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Kismet

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The Sicilian Mafia was a famous criminal syndicate within Italy. Those who dared cross their boundaries would be killed with no explanation, and for the life that she was given when she breathed in the world's surroundings, Caterina could not think of a place any better than what she had grown up with. The young woman adored everything that was offered to her on a silver platter- the large feathery white mansion, the lavishing food and wine, all along with the beautiful luxurious landscape outside. One of her favorite places to go to was the spa out back, as well as the large garden outside, filled with a plethora of different flowers, including pink roses and white lilies, which circled the mansion. It was more than what she could ask for and her father was able to provide her with it all.

Caterina's life had been practically stress free of the outside dangers, everything was wonderful with her mother and father, it was a beautiful life, that was, until her mother passed away. Years passed; after everyone was able to get past the idealistic thought that everything which happened in life was inevitable, everyone seemed to pass by and carry on with their daily misdeeds of things like gambling, drug trafficking, loan sharking, and money laundering. Even though her father continued to bring her great cheer, Caterina still felt lonely inside. She sought out "help" from her Papà's men, becoming a different woman- cunning and deceitful, no longer sweet and innocent. A tough shell was built around her and now, Caterina was still the same from the first day she'd decided that she was going to change her fate.

The young woman idly sat herself upon the mahogany coloured desk, smooth upper thighs bare and a nice tight red dress hugging her curves. A nearly finished cigarette was placed in between her right index finger and thumb, as she removed it from her lips, blowing another ring of smoke into the air. She had been expecting a man, or rather, her father, Lorenzo, a middle-aged man nearing his 50 mark, was expecting an old friend. Caterina found no interest or any reason as to why she had to meet this man whom she barely knew anything about. Her father had only shared his name once- before she'd found out that he was going to be assigned as her bodyguard. The idea irked her; she had no love of being the damsel in distress- that was archaic in her handbook.

Regardless of her own thoughts and personal feelings though, she reluctantly agreed to meet her Father's friend. Apparently the reason for this round up was because it seemed that her life was on the line after her father had a brush in with a rival of his- one from the a Cammora group. Caterina believed she did not need any personal protection from any of his men- simply the rumour of her life being 'on the line' was enough to make her father go this far with security and protection of his only daughter. She understood her Father's means of doing so- he wanted to keep his daughter safe and, by all means, wasn't willing to take any risks by letting her walk alone any longer.

Caterina took another puff of her cigarette, irritation blatant in her body language and continuous groaning and complaining. "I can't do this if he doesn't get his ass in here," she grunted, sitting up stiffly and glancing at the clock on the left side of the room, harshly surveying the ceaseless ticking sound that emitted from the clock's hands. She dipped her cigarette into the ash tray on the end of her Father's desk, crushing it to smithereens.

"Where is he papà? You know I hate waiting."

Just as she was about to step down from the desk and head towards the exit across the room, there was a knock on the door. Caterina immediately glanced back at her father who sent a small smirk her way. "Good things come to those who wait," he stated amiably as he pushed himself up from his chair and began to walk towards the door.

Caterina, feeling tongue-tight, prepared herself for the best and for the worst. Slipping off the desk, her black high heels gently hit the ground as she straightened her body. All of a sudden, she felt trickles of sweat building up. She didn't know who this man was- he was a stranger no matter whether he was an old friend or not. As soon as the doors opened, Caterina felt her soul being silently taken away as her chocolate brown eyes connected with his.​
 
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David arrived in his red Alfa Romeo outside the house of his mentor and friend. The man was more than 20 years older to him, yet they treated each other like friends. His frequent interactions with the old man might be the reason he behaved like he was older than he really was. No one who didn't already know thought he must be 35, at least. He wore a crisp custom-made suit that fit him perfectly. He was called back urgently from Greece where he was dealing with business clients for the old man. He didn't question the request when the old man called on his phone. He had heard rumours that there would be a hit on her daughter, Caterina. And there was no one else he would trust with her security at this point. He had heard what had happened with the Cammora group and he agreed that the old man should take the threat seriously.

He flew back the next day, went home to change and drove to his mentor's house. As he made his way through the massive mansion, he passed through the various guards without them stopping him. They all nodded at him and some greeted him with words as he finally made his way passed them all towards where he knew he would find his friend who was undoubtedly one of the most powerful men in the country at this time. He did not hesitate as he knocked on the door. He did not wait for permission either before he turned the door handle and entered the room. His eyes quickly darted around the room, checking the room before he made eye contact with the beautiful woman in the red dress. Unlike the other men she must have been used to, his eyes did not travel down her figure. In fact, his gaze immediately moved on to her father as he smiled pleasantly.

He seemed to completely ignore her as he approached his mentor with his arm outstretched. As he entered the room, the other occupant of would undoubtedly notice the musky scent that he carried. He obviously knew how to take care of himself and present himself in the best way he could, when required. He took his mentor's hand and shook it before speaking in a clear voice, "Mr. Giovanni, how are you?"
 
How rude... Caterina thought sourly as she watched the man travel across the room, disdain crossing her features as she speculated the 'old friend'. Brushing her long black hair to one side, she pushed herself off the desk and gazed out at her papà, who, at the moment, seemed completely unfazed at the moment by his friend's discourtesy. The man had made eye contact, but he hadn't even been bothered to greet her in any way. Caterina didn't understand at all- this man, this friend of her papà was going to be her bodyguard? What nonsense was that? She wanted a man who was born with respect for others- not someone who barged in and walked right past her without a care in the world.

Caterina fumed silently as her father took his friend's hand and shook it vigorously, a warm and eager smile on his face as his brown eyes gazed upon the tall brute. She watched the exchange of grand words between the two, impatiently waiting for it all to be over. After this meeting, she would definitely have something to complain about to Francesco, her papà's consigliere. That man was much higher in rank than the asshole standing in front of her father, a person who was simply a caporegime.

"Ah, Davide, Sono contento di rivederti. David, I'm glad to see you back. Questo e' Caterina. This is Caterina." The old man gestured to his daughter, the wrinkles on his face becoming more prominent as his smile stretched wider. Caterina merely scoffed at the exchange and her Papà's meager attempts to make her feel comfortable with the stranger nearby. Lorenzo frowned at his Daughter's actions. "Mi scusi. Forgive me," Lorenzo muttered, leaning forward to whisper near David's ear. "Caterina is not exactly pleased with my decision to have a man become her bodyguard. I'm sure she'll warm up to you soon though."

Hearing those words, the young woman's eyes rolled to the back of her head. As if she'd ever warm up to that bastard. He'd made a sickening first impression and that left no trust or benevolence towards him on her behalf. "Caterina, per favore. Questo e' indispensabile—. Caterina, please. This is necessary—." She shook her head, waving her hand off. "Absolutely not," she remarked haughtily. Lorenzo's eyes narrowed as he began to walk over to stand in front of his daughter. "Caterina—," he warned sternly, his voice rising in warning. "I will not allow him to stay by my side. He can't take up such a worthless job given his ill-mannered demeanor. He's incompetent. You should've assigned someone like Luca, your underboss." Caterina crossed her arms over her chest, her cold, dark brown eyes gazing over at her Papà's friend, then traveling back to her Papà. "I'm sure Luca could provide something worthwhile with the duty of protecting me and staying as your second-in-command." She gestured rudely towards her Papà's friend. "This man is simply just a caporegime, a lieutenant. Papà, do you actually think that a man with a disposition such as his will ever be able to succeed in keeping me safe?!"

In an instant, Caterina felt two large hands grip her upper arms. "Certamente! Of course I do!" her father growled. "I do believe that he will succeed! He has never failed me- and you, Caterina di Giovanni, will not question your Papà!" Holding back the insult that tickled her throat and dared to reach the air, Caterina's hardened expression still stayed, but it was clear that she was on the edge of a breakdown. Her body trembled and no more complaints left her trembling lips. "Get used to him. He'll be beside you starting now. Leave." Her father removed his hands from her arms, and turned his back away from her. "Go Caterina." Caterina watched silently as he lifted his face to meet his friend's, a hand resting lightly on the man's shoulder.

"David, should there be any issues with her, contact me. I will be disciplining my daughter."​
 
David smiled politely as the old man greeted him. He was like a father or an older brother to him. Orphans usually formed such associations with others who they looked up to either in their professional or personal life. Such associations also made them fiercely loyal to these people. There were few instances where David had advised Lorenzo or had taken actions himself when he had suspected such loyalty in others. You could not buy such loyalty or respect. But you could surely exploit it if you knew how. In David's case, despite him not being part of the his family, he had earned a place in Lorenzo's inner circle because the old man understood that this very same thing applied to David as well.

This also made him a man that could trusted to protect someone who was obviously dear to him, his daughter. But that was not enough for the role he had been picked for by Lorenzo, obviously. He needed to have the skills required to make sure he could do it. This particular assignment required someone who could kill. And equally important was the willingness to take a bullet, if it came to that. As David watched Caterina, he realized that he was also perfect because he had a thick skin. It seemed he would need it if he was to become this young woman's shadow.

As Lorenzo made the introduction, David turned to finally greet the beautiful young woman in the room. But it seems he was too late. David instinctly leaned towards her father as he explained that she wasn't too wild about having him follow her around everywhere. He imagined no one would willingly want that to happen. He liked his privacy and his personal space as much, and maybe a bit more than anyone else. So he could understand the reason behind it. What he did not understand was why, knowing the people her father dealt with, she was adamant that her privacy was more important than her life, or at least her father's peace of mind.

He did not speak as the father and daughter had a conversation in that room in front of him. He raised his eyebrows and that was the only visible reaction Caterina would see to her outright insulting him in front of her father. He realized that her problem was not so much with having a bodyguard, but rather him being picked to do it. As she continued her outburst, he realized that she thought he had been disrespectful for ignoring her when he entered the room. She actually thought that he would pay her more attention than her father! Maybe that's what she was used to from the men that usually approached her. He worked for Lorenzo and he was being respectful by greeting the man before trying to suck up to her daughter. He knew then that this would be a tough assignment.

When her father reacted as David thought he would, David looked away from the pair. If she had manged to take her eyes away from the father, she would notice that he was trying very hard to ignore the humiliating way her father had forced her to accept the deal. When the old man approached him again, David met his gaze and nodded as he spoke, "I am sure that won't be necessary, sir." He looked up at Caterina again and saw her still trembling and read her well. It was time for them to leave the room. "It was nice seeing you again", he said his goodbyes and finally approached the young woman and motioned for her to lead, "After you, Caterina." He was not going to speak to her in this room. He was not going to use what he just saw to put her down.
 
Caterina gritted her teeth in distaste at the man's words. Not necessary? Oh for the love of- Of course it would be necessary! She just didn't want it to be, especially after the humiliation that she had experienced. Continuously trembling, she turned on her heel after David gestured for her to go ahead and leave the room. Without another word, she strutted toward the double entrance doors, her body flouncing carelessly. She already had plans for what she wanted to do in order to get the weight of her Father's words off her shoulder. At this point in time, Caterina didn't care if her "bodyguard" followed her like he was supposed to. She was simply too frustrated to deal with anything else.

Lorenzo sighed heavily, rubbing his temples as soon as his daughter slammed the large double entrance doors behind her. He patted his friend's shoulder. Ah, sometimes she was just... so difficult as a person. He loved her anyway though. She was his only daughter and the only one who constantly reminded him of his wife, her mother. He chuckled lightly. "In bocca al lupo, Davide. Break a leg, David." The old man grinned at his daughter's newly assigned bodyguard. "You will do wonderful. I know it."

~~~

Caterina grumbled under her breath as she stepped outside, the spacious lanai shadowing the sun from its beautiful rays, her red string bikini flaunting her curvaceous figure. She dropped her shoulders, breathing in the fresh tropical air of the afternoon. "Ah, Caterina! Buon pomeriggio! Come stai? Good afternoon! How are you?" Francesco called out buoyantly, the red wine in his hands swishing around violently. "Bene, grazie. Fine, thanks," Caterina called back, her voice neutral. A small smile dabbed her facial expression as she walked over to the spa, stepping daintily into the water. "I need a drink, Francesco. What do you have for me?"

"Some chanti for our dear Miss Caterina?" Francesco inquired formally, gracefully pouring the alcohol into the wine glass then handing it off to her once the wine hit the rim. "Grazie. Thank you. How have you men been doing?" Caterina questioned informally, her brown eyes glancing around the small group of men hanging at the spa. "Good, I hope." She tilted the rim of the glass towards her lips and took another gracious sip, sighing in content when her mouth let go. She was glad that her "bodyguard" was not around right now.​
 
David bowed slightly with respect and then looked him in the eye before assuring him, "I will protect her. Sulla mia vita. On my life." He left the company of his mentor and nodded at him again as he closed the door behind him. As he turned, he found that he had already lost the protectee. But he wasn't worried. As long as she stayed inside the house, he wasn't concerned about his safety. This house was where she was going to be safer than he could ever hope to keep her. After a few minutes of walking around, he found her. She seemed to have changed into a very suggestive red bikini and he took the time to appreciate her figure. He was not a celibate and he was not a monk. He found a beautiful woman attractive and he was happy to admit it. And Caterina Di Giovanni was a beautiful woman, and trouble. As she entered the water, he smiled to himself and stepped out into the sun.

He immediately felt the warmth of the sun and realized that he was clearly overdressed to be out in this afternoon sun. So he took off the jacket and folded it with one swift motion. It wasn't a surprise for anyone to see him wearing a dual holster with guns. It would have been a surprise to most that did not know how close he was to the mafia boss that he was allowed into the house with them. David made eye contact with the man talking to Caterina right now. David noticed Francesco meet his gaze for a short moment before returning to what they were doing. Francesco went back to Caterina and David pulled out his phone.

He was sure he was out of Caterina's earshot given that he couldn't really hear their conversation except to tell that they were talking. He picked a contact from his recent calls and dialed the number. It was for a young guy named Macro. He was a young guy who didn't really have the flair for violence like most men in the mafia did. But he was exceptionally smart. He was 23 years old and a lawyer. He was also David's go to guy and second-in-command. He too was an orphan that David sort of adopted after a chance meeting when David was just starting out in the organization himself. "Marco. Come stai? How are you?... Anything for me?" David listened to the man speak quickly and tersely for a minute or so. "Alright. Marco, I need some information. Ask around about Cammora and if there has been any recent spike in activity. I want to know everything so I am not caught off-guard." He looked over to Francesco and added, "Yeah, I will ask him too."

Then as Marco seemed to mention something about money, David responded quickly, "No, you keep that." He smiled as the young man expressed his surprise. "Consider it an early birthday present." David's smile widened as the young man thanked him. "Call me if once you have anything." Once he was done with the call, he got up from the chair he had been sitting on and walked over to the pair and waited for a gap in the conversation. "Sorry to bother you, Francesco... Caterina. I was told you might have some photos of known associates for Cammora that I can look through?" He took the time to address Caterina as well as he followed up later with a request, "Caterina, I would like to discuss somethings with you once you have the time... in private." He wanted to talk in private for one reason alone. He figured she would appreciate not having a public argument with him about this arrangement for he was certain of one thing, it was going to turn into a heated discussion.
 
Caterina kicked her feet a little, moving the water around with her legs. She leaned back against the beige concrete surrounding the spa, her smooth sculpted body showing bright as day. She took another sip of her wine, having listened intently on what each of the men had to say. Francesco was doing wonderful with his wife, who was currently off reading or something of the like. "Francesco," Caterina began. "I trust you've heard about my new bodyguard, Davide?" she inquired, distaste splashing her tongue, tone, and words. Her eyes were slightly narrowed, a sign of her irritable nature. "My papà just recently assigned him to me. I can't imagine what good it would do, considering he has no respect for a woman at all," she stated pompously. Francesco nodded his head in understanding.

"Sì, Caterina. Yes, I have heard of him. You say he does not have any respect for you?"

Caterina nodded her head in compliance. "Yes," she spoke in a small voice, leaning forward. "He didn't dare greet me before my father. Not even so much as a kiss on the hand. He's absolutely ignorant of the customs. Did he forget the way our culture works while he was away in Greece? That is absolutely abhorrent to me. He is a Sicilian. A member of my Papà's mafia. Does he not know that there are women here too?" Francesco tilted his head a little. Off in the distance, he saw David. His eyes seemed to be checking out Caterina from a distance. "...While I agree that disrespect for you is an abhorrence to our customs, I wouldn't say he does not know that there are women around here." Caterina raised an eyebrow. "Mi scusi? Excuse me?"

The consigliere raised his head slightly, gesturing towards David off in the distance. Caterina followed his line of sight and saw David talking on the phone with someone. She scoffed. "He was looking at your figure, Caterina," Francesco murmured with a silky laugh, raising his own glass and sipping some of the red wine. Caterina appraised David, observing him, her chocolate brown eyes getting lost as they traveled over his face and down his body. Once someone took the time to appreciate something, they'd really understand how beautiful it was. Caterina bit her lip slightly, suddenly feeling repentance for her earlier actions of hostility towards the man.

God, he's so...


As soon as she saw David flip the phone close and stood up, she blinked rapidly and immediately turned her head away in embarrassment. Some of the men chuckled and she flicked some water on them in an effort to shut them up. She heard David's footsteps and words as he approached her and Francesco, along with the other few men in the spa. "Sorry to bother you Francesco... Caterina," he began. "I was told you might have some photos of known associates for Cammora that I can look through?" A man sitting next to Francesco nodded. "That's me. I have the photos," the man spoke, ruffling his black hair with his hands. "I assume you'd like them now, yes?"

Caterina sat silently as the exchange of words passed through David to the men sitting around her. Her ears perked as David followed up with a sudden request she hadn't expected. "Caterina, I would like to discuss somethings with you once you have the time... in private." She stood up, sighing heavily, clear spring water slivering down her legs. "I can talk whenever," she stated curtly, her voice dripping with honey. She glanced up at David, her hands setting on her hips. "What do you need?"​
 
David treated the others in the mafia with a lot of respect and never let his relationship or closeness with the boss get to his head. He turned his gaze to address the man who had spoken and shook his head in response to his question, "That's fine. I don't need them right now. You know how to get in touch with Marco, si?"

"Of course", the man replied with a nod.

"Ok, you can pass on the information you have to him. I will take it from him when I have some time." In truth, he didn't want to disturb the man who seemed to be relaxing and enjoying himself at the moment. Besides, it was more important he had a chat with Caterina before it was too late. He knew Marco would add any information he had about the men in the pictures before he passed it onto him.

When it came to his request to Caterina, he was not expecting her to be as cooperative as she was when he asked her for a chat. So he was surprised, when she stood up from her place and spoke to him in a tone that he hadn't heard from her in the room with her father when she was insulting him. It took him some effort to not eye her curves as her body emerged from the water, and he was successful in keeping his gaze on her face. The other men who sat behind her had no such reservations as they eyed her beautiful body to their heart's content.

He smiled pleasantly and decided to take a humbling approach in order to deflect any hostility she might still have towards him. He didn't think he needed to but if it made his job easier, he was more than willing to do it. "I think we got off to a bad start earlier and I wanted to make amends." He turned sideways and pointed away from the spa. "Shall we talk over by those chairs?" He didn't want to pull her back inside the house if she wanted to come back to the spa and continue drinking with the others. He then looked away from her and addressed the men with her, "Excuse us, gentlemen." He then nodded at Francesco before waiting for the woman's response. The lounge chairs were a good enough place for them right now given there were towels for her to cover up if she wanted to and the umbrella if she wanted to get out of the sun.

Once the two were out of earshot, one of the men spoke, "How long do you think before one of them... quits? Two weeks?" Another chimed in with a bit of soft laughter, "You think she would let him last that long?" "No, but you never know with David - he is very stubborn. He doesn't quit easy."
 
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