*This is how I imagine the bathroom aesthetics, more or less*

"Not to be rude or anything, but how did you get inside my house? I am pretty sure I saw Jolene lock it twice." Dario's question brought me back to reality. It was a very good question.

"Basilio let me borrow an extra key when he knew I wanted to surprise my daughter with my presence. Now I understand why he was hesitant to give it to me. You look like shit, by the way."

Dante Hansley has no filter, and I got that from him.

"Dad! That's too much!" I tried to sound reasonable, but Dario's laugh contradicted my words. 

I did curse him... a lot.

"Don't act like you haven't said worse than that, Ba- Jolene," he remarked, quickly recovering from his almost mistake. I thanked God that his tongue did not slip and called me Bambi in front of Dad. I gave Dario a pointed look, warning him to be more careful. He glanced at his gun, avoiding my gaze. He knew better than to piss off my dad.

I turned my attention back to Dad, who stood up while yawning like he had not slept for weeks. "Do you have an extra room I could crash in? If not, I can book a room in a nearby hotel."

"Of course, there is an empty room with a bed down the hall. Could you show Dante the way, Jolene? You know, since I can't move properly." Dario's smirk caught me off guard, and I slapped his head when Dad was not looking and walked away.

When I burnt my hand earlier, Dario ran to my side. 

'Can't move properly' my ass.

"How do you like it here, Bambi? Is Dario treating you right? Is he respectful? If not, I can deal with him, just give me a shovel." Dad asked once we entered his temporary room, and I chuckled at his threat.

"I love Sicily, I went sightseeing with Enola, and it is breathtaking! And yes, Dario is treating me well, and he is respectful," most of the time. Dario's inappropriate comments and dirty jokes should stay between us. Dad did not need to know about them, or else I would seriously need to give him a shovel.

Dad nodded as he crashed on the bed. "Good. Now, if you will excuse me, I am jetlagged and in need of sleep. Goodnight, sweetheart." He kissed my forehead, and I covered him with a soft new blanket I made Dario buy a while ago in case of unexpected guests. It came in handy.

I also made Dario clean the whole house with me on a weekly basis so he could feel what the cleaners felt. Sure, money could save us the hassle, but it was a fun bonding activity. It brought us closer and made me not want to kill him all the time. He became bearable.

"Goodnight, Dad. If you need anything, just call out." 

~~~

"We dodged a bullet there," Dario said after he saw me enter the living room. "Well, a second and figurative bullet. You know, for the business, I mean," he added quickly and rubbed the nape of his neck. He was nervous.

"Sure," I replied. I suddenly remembered what I needed to do and took off the ring and handed it to him. "Thanks for letting me use it. You can have it now." My finger felt cold, but it did not matter. It was his ring.

He stared at me for a hot minute yet did not take it from my hanging hand. "You must keep it. We will reencounter Atlas, and we need the fake marriage cover-up story. Even if it's unbelievable, we planted doubt in his head. Here, let me..." He took the ring and gently grabbed my hand, dragging me toward him. I almost fell on his stomach but steadied my legs. He did not give me time to react as he slid the ring on my finger. I almost blushed at the action because it was so intimate and shockingly sentimental. 

It is for the cover-up story, right? So why am I so bothered down there?

"Avrei voluto che la storia dell'insabbiamento fosse reale."

"I beg your pardon?" I asked with a raised eyebrow. He knew I did not understand Italian, yet he used it anyways.

"I said you should take a shower and sleep."

I felt he was lying for some reason but decided to let it slide for now because I was drained, mentally and physically. "Let me clean your upper body at least, and then I will go."

"You can't resist touching my body after all!" he said in a serious tone, and I face-palmed myself, then slapped his head. He laughed like he had never laughed before, and eventually, I found myself caving in and laughing too.

He looked angelic when he was not glaring, but looks could deceive as he was literally the Italian mafia don.

So, why am I warming up to him?

~~~

"Jolene, I will return Dante before midnight, don't worry. After all, Cinderella would lose her cool past her bedtime," Basilio laughed at my dad's disapproving look, making me grin.

"Vey funny! My stomach is hurting from laughing at your hilarious joke, Basilio. See you later, Bambi," Dad said as he kissed my forehead, and both men got into the car. They went to a bar to meet some old friends, though it was a weird choice, considering it was still nine in the morning.

I would never understand how older people function.

I locked the door and walked to the living room, feeling more energetic than yesterday. Dario was on his phone, yelling in Italian at whoever was on the other end, and I felt sorry for them. He looked and sounded furious, and I did not want to interrupt until he was done. 

Not a second later, he turned off his phone and gazed at me. "Good morning, Bambi."

His smile made my stomach clench, but I played it cool and smiled. "Good morning. Everything's alright?" I pointed to his phone, and he nodded with a sigh.

"Yeah, just some mafia business you shouldn't worry about. So, what are our plans for the day?"

"First, we need to clean you up. Yesterday's upper scrubbing will not work. You still smell like blood."

"So eager to see me naked?" His words made me blush, but I cleared my throat and tried to sound professional.

"No! I just need to give my nose a break from this awful smell. Now, let's get you up. I already filled the tub with warm water." I helped him climb the stairs since his only bathroom with a tub in this gigantic house was in his room. Other rooms had regular showers.

Once we got to the bathroom, I helped him take off his sweater and sweatpants, making me almost gasp at the sight before me. He should have been a supermodel or an actor. "Shouldn't I remove the boxers too? You know, for your convenience's sake," he smirked. I slapped the back of his neck. "I'm just kidding, although I would not mind if-"

"Dario!" I yelled for him to shut up, and he did as he laughed at my flustered face. I was usually in control of my feelings and collected under any circumstance, yet ever since I met him, I have seemed to lose control of everything.

It scares the shit out of me.

I slowly helped him step into the tub. Once he sat down, I ensured that his wound did not get any water by covering it with a plastic wrap that the doctor gave me. I carefully began scrubbing his head and body. I went over every spot and was fascinated by his muscles until the tiny tattoo on the nape of his neck caught my attention. It was barely visible, but it was definitely there.

"What does F3 mean? It's not a function key on laptops, isn't it?" I asked, feeling mortified for a second, but his chuckle made me relax.

"No, I am not shallow. It means February third..."

I thought about the date for a second, and it all clicked once I connected the dots. "When your grandma passed away?"

"Yes, and Dad's birthday."

"Oh," was all I could utter as I placed my fingers on it, gently caressing it. "I am..."

"It's alright. I am over their death. I wanted it as a reminder that life is gray so long I do not exact revenge." His tone became rigid and low, making me pity him for such a way of living and thinking. 

He boxed himself in a corner for something so dangerous, and I wanted to help him get out of it.

~~~

10.08.2023

Who is your favorite character so far? 

Things will get interesting in the next chapter, hang tight ;)