"First, don't call me a bitch or a snitch. I am not one of your soldiers you can threaten whenever you feel like it. I won't tolerate any disrespect from you or anyone else. Second, you better not betray me here. I am putting my neck on the line to open a new branch with you, so suck it up and step back." I was furious at his behavior, and his glare indicated that he was not pleased with mine either.

Dario smiled and grabbed my chin with his hand. I knew he was mad because of his firm hold. "Okay, I won't call you that. However, don't you ever dare slap me again. Next time that happens, I will cut off your arms and send you back to your dad," he warned, and I wanted to counter back, but he left his room before I got the chance to speak. I stayed in my chair for a while. 

He is bipolar, and I should tread carefully around him since I do not want drama around here. He is the mafia don, after all.

I got up, took my bag and laptop, and headed to my new room. I placed everything on the bed and started cleaning everything. The dust was everywhere, and I understood that Dario's definition of "clean" extended to tidiness only. He neglected this room since it was unoccupied, but that was about to change. After I finished scrubbing my room and was satisfied with the smell, I cleaned the whole house. I was not going to stay in a place full of filth.

"What are you doing?" Dario asked once he stepped inside the house. I was wiping the floor and would not let his dirty shoes waste my efforts. Was that blood on them? I better not ask.

"Don't you dare take another step with those shoes on! Take them off outside. I am cleaning!" I demanded as I wiped under the couches. "You don't stay here much, do you?" I stated when I looked at him.

He sighed yet took his shoes off per my command. He threw them outside and was careful not to step where I wiped. At least he had common sense. "No, I don't. I rarely stay here. I spent most of my time in grandpa's house, the main mafia headquarter."

"No wonder the house was filled with dust. Next time, you are helping me clean," I replied. Dario scoffed, sat on the couch, and raised his legs on the table.

"You don't have to clean it anymore; I can afford to hire a maid in case you forgot."

I rolled my eyes and finally sat after three long hours. "I can afford to hire someone to help clean too, in case you forgot, but one should clean their own house to feel some connection to it. Your house is so empty and lifeless," I reasoned, but he did not reply. I then remembered his last threat and felt sore again. I grabbed the knife from the fruit bowl on the table where he put his legs and threw it in his direction without warning. I aimed near his ear, and I hit that exact spot. "And don't you ever grab my chin again." He was too stunned to speak, and I did not give him the chance to say anything.

I walked upstairs to my room and suddenly heard him laugh. He was a weirdo, and I decided to ignore him for now. I took off my clothes and went to the bathroom to take a shower when my phone rang. I wrapped a towel around my body and got out of the bathroom to answer it. I looked at the screen and frowned. "Hello?" No answer. "Who is this?"

"My sweet Jolene... I am getting closer. Just wait for me, and I will save you again."

I hung up the phone before Atlas could say anything else. "This motherfucker!" I kicked the chair. "I will deform his face and put him in jail once I see him," I yelled, and not a second later, my door burst open.

"I heard shouting. Are you okay?" Dario asked as he looked at the flipped chair and then at my body. I was only in a towel but did not feel shy since I was too furious to care. However, I made sure that my scar from Atlas' last scheme was hidden from Dario's view.

I was not ready for integrations... if he cared enough to ask.

I nodded as I pressed my back to the bathroom door. "Yes, it was not important. Now, leave me alone so I can take a shower."

His gaze met mine, suggesting that he was not convinced by my answer, yet he did not push it. "If you say so. We will visit my sister tomorrow, not today, since it's late now."

"Fine, now go."

"One last thing, I need your phone number." He grabbed his phone, and I recited it aloud. He dialed my number, and my phone rang twice to save his in my contacts. "Call me whenever you need anything. I made a promise and intended to keep it whether I like you or not. Goodnight." Dario left my room, and I sat on the floor, feeling defeated. My life was tiresome.

"He said goodnight, but I haven't had dinner yet. He must be joking!" I sighed and entered the bathroom again.

~~~

I got out of the shower and wore my clothes. After a few seconds of relaxing in my new place, I heard a knock on my door. "Jolene, I made pasta. Come down and eat."

"Shocking, he can behave like a decent human," I said.

"I heard that."

"That was my intention," I opened the door to see him there with crossed arms.

"You are playing with fire. You don't want to do that," Dario commented, and I chuckled.

"Sure I do. I am made of water; I can turn you off. Move," I remarked, and he walked ahead of me, apparently too defeated to reply.

We sat at the dining table, which was too big for us two, and started eating. "You made this?" I asked, and he nodded. "It's good, thank you."

"So, you do have manners."

"Don't push it, Dario."

"Fine, but we need to talk business now. I plan to meet with my grandpa, Lazlo, and Mattia next week to finalize the contract with you, and after that, we will have a business dinner with my mafia. If I intend to open a business, they need to know to get on board and help us achieve the best results. After all, my mafia members received the best academic education with my help. I had the money, and they had the brains."

I raised my eyebrows in astonishment. "I didn't take you as the kind of guy to value academic education. Did you study anything?" I asked.

He finished his plate and looked at me. "I have a master's degree in Accounting and a bachelor's in Mathematics and Finance," he said. "You thought I was just a mafia don who relies on others?"

"To be honest, yes. But now, you will make our business so much easier. I thought I would have to explain the smallest details for you to understand, no offense, but this is better." I grabbed my plate and his, and we went to the sink. As I was about to clean them, he covered the faucet with his hand.

"You cleaned the house. Let me do the dishes." His reasoning took me by surprise. His personality traits were unpredictable, but I gathered that he was a fair person. He was still vexing and dangerous sometimes, but he had common sense, so I did not oppose his temporary kindness. 

I would not know when it would happen again, so I must seize the opportunity to relax.

I sat on the bar chair and watched him clean with his back to me. His muscles were just right, his height was perfect, and he was a handsome man, indeed. I hoped he did not bring women to this house. I did not want to hear unpleasant sounds while I was here. He could pleasure himself somewhere else. "When will we meet Enola tomorrow?" I asked.

"She told me when Andrea is napping as she wants to give you her full attention. So, at twelve, be ready before that since it's a half-hour drive to her house."

"That's sweet of her... are you sure you are related by blood?"

"Very funny," he rolled his eyes, and I laughed. "And I have been meaning to tell you. If you intend to bring men over for fun, don't. I don't bring women over, so I expect you to do the same."

That was out of the blue, but it was like he had read my thoughts. "Don't worry, I never planned to do that, not here, and not even in my own house. I don't do one-night stands, and I am here strictly for business."

"Good, because I don't believe in that bullshit either. We won't have a problem regarding this issue." He wiped his hands clean and sat in front of me.

"Don't you have a girlfriend, though?" I asked since we were on that topic.

"No, never had the time."

"We have more things in common than I had imagined. Well, goodnight, Dario."

"Goodnight, Jolene."

I think our relationship is improving...

~~~

I hope you liked this chapter :)

Dario is an interesting character, isn't he?

1/12/2022 (Finally, this year's almost over)