4: What happened?

We stared at each other in odd way, as if we were in a silent argument.

"Thank you for this beautiful dinner, Richard." I smiled pretended. "But I have to go now."

I still couldn't believe that I kissed this killer.

It was so ... weird, I didn't expect to think about it that much.

He was good at kissing, I had to admit it.

But that wouldn't save him from prison.

"So early? I'm flying for Italy tomorrow. Let's have some fun tonight." he suggested. “Why don't you stay here with me? Besides a restaurant, this is ...."

"One of your houses. I know. Thank you, but I don't want to ...."

As I said this, he kissed me again.

His lips touched mine. Not innocently, like a tease but hot, fiery, passionate and powerful.

"Stop." I said, pulling away from him. "I thought I wanted it, but no...."

"No, on what?" he asked.

"These kisses ... they are too nice."

"You're right." he said immediately.

"So I don't think we should go on with this." I sighed. "As you said you're leaving tomorrow. I don't want to feel used like the other girls in your collection. I'm not that kind of woman. I'm not them." I looked him in the eyes. "Just forget about this and I'll do it too."

I thought that would make him invite me to Italy with him.

Or at least I hoped so.

He was thinking about something.

Then he started laughing.

"Are you making fun of me?"

"What? No, I ..."

He interrupted me with his laughter. “You know? You're right. You better go."

I didn't expect him to say that.

"How quickly you changed your mind." I stated while pretend to laugh.

"I just hate being played by some girl." he said. "Peter's outside, he'll take you to your home." he looked at me with his dark eyes. "Good evening."

"So you're sending me away because I don't agree to sleep with you tonight?" I couldn't believe it. “You are exactly as I thought. An idiot who wants to take advantage of every woman.”

A freak.

"That's right. Now get out of here." He was looking at me with his horrible black eyes. He couldn't wait me to leave.

"Goodbye, you idiot." I looked at him vaguely and went downstairs.

AT LAURA'S APPARTMENT

LAURA P.O.V.

Damn it.

What happened suddenly?

I thought everything was going according to the plan.

I even kissed this jerk.

What went wrong?

I hit the kitchen counter a few times to get rid of the anger I had accumulated.

All night with this bastard and at the end I failed.

Damn it.

I poured myself a glass of scotch and put on two ice cubes.

My boss would kill me.

He relied on me.

Now we ciuldn put Richard Valentino in jail.

How could I fail?

Maybe I had to sleep with him.

But I thought that when I'm different from his girls he would invite me to Italy.

What an idiot I was.

Apparently he didn't play his game like that.

AT RICHARD VALENTINO'S MANSION

RICHARD VALENTINO P.O.V.

Damn it.

This bitch just wasted my time.

I swirled the whiskey in my glass, listening to the chinking of the ice cubes, breathing in a fragrance that only years in an oak barrel could achieve.

Already the worries of my night were beginning to fade, even before the first taste. This was my one and only vice and I intended to make a virtue of it, savour it.

I let the amber fluid sit in my mouth a while before swallowing.

I closed my eyes, dwelling only on the flavour.

God it was so good.

The whiskey distracted me from the thought of this woman.

At that moment, my business partner entered my office.

"What's going on, John?" I asked him.

"I came to keep you company." he took a chair and sat down next to me. "I thought you were coming to talk about our next deal. Where did you get lost tonight?" he poured himself a whiskey.

"I was at dinner and now I'm here." I said quickly, without explanation.

"Dinner? I'm sure there's a woman on the menu." John winked at me.

I frowned.

"I'm not in the mood, man."

"Come on, besides being your business partner, I'm also your friend. Share with me."

"There's nothing to share. One bitch has been playing stupid games with me for 2 days and I finally get rid of her."

He looked at me puzzled.

"It's the first time you're so angry about a woman, do you realize it?"

"Because only this one refused me."

John laughed.

"Should each one fall at your feet? Leave some for us."

"Of course they should. It's me. Besides, I took her to the balcony of my private restaurant. It was a completely waste of time. This bitch was just making fun of me."

I frowned at the memory of her playing me.

"Then show her who the boss is." said John. "You're the boss, aren't you? Show her who are you." he winked at me. "Once she meets you, there is no going back." he laughed.

He was right. Absolutely right.

No woman has ever fooled me.

She wouldn't do that either.

I am not an ordinary man.

I'm the boss.

Once you start with me, you play to the end, bitch.

AT LAURA ROŚON‘S APARTMENT 

LAURA P.O.V.

I poured myself another glass of scotch.

I didn't know how to tell this news to my boss.

How should I tell him that his most trusted person has failed?

I thought I knew how to deal with Richard, but I was obviously wrong.

I got nervous at myself because I wanted to put this criminal in jail.

He was very dangerous, he had business in many states, and even outside America.

I took a shower, got my pijama, and fell asleep with that only thought.

The thought that I failed.

ON THE NEXT DAY

LAURA P.O.V 

I woke up with great reluctance.

I knew what I should do today.

To tell my boss that the mission is being canceled.

Damn you, Richard Valentino.

I hope you rot in prison.

I had no time to lose.

I dressed up quickly, brushed my teeth, tied my hair in a ponytail and left the apartment, going to the office.

I went outside and unlocked my car when I heard a noise from another car stopping next to mine.

It was a black car with tinted windows.

A man in black clothes and a black hood came out.

I couldn't see his face.

"Excuse me, can I help you with something?"

He laughed.

"You're coming with me, miss." he said, holding my hands behind my back.

No..no..

Was that one of them? One of the men who killed my husband?

Were they coming for revenge?

Adrenaline flooded my system, my heart was beating like it was trying to escape.

I thought it would explode.

My eyes was wide opened with fear.

My body wanted to either run fast in somewhere safe or to fight, push and break what I could, but instead I remained where I was.

Suddenly I stopped being the detective Laura.

For a moment, this man managed to convince me that I was the weak girl from last year.

For a moment I came back that night ... in that horror night, when they killed my husband and almost killed me.

No..

Was it possible?

The two scoundrels had found me?

I had caught so many criminals, but these two caused me so much pain then that I couldn't move now.

While I was able to shake off my thoughts, this man put a towel soaked in chloroform on my mouth.

The last thing I remember was he getting me into the car.