Dangerous Affair (A Mafia Forbidden Romance)

BLAIR

If I have to stick my hand out to wave

the gasoline attendant one more time, I might just get down, smack him on his head and show him never to mess with me ever again. I'm twenty years old on a run and I don't have much time for this nonsense waste of time. I honk impatiently until I see a frown crease his brows. I can't believe he's mad right now. I should be the mad one.

Finally, after what feels like centuries, he walks up to me, the gas pipe in his hand. Normally, I would come down and do it myself, but there are a lot of surveillance cameras around. Ones that I can be tracked with and that's the last thing I want.

I'm not a convict running from the law. Hell no! I've never done one wrong thing my entire life. I've always been a perfect little princess for my daddy, while he kept feeding me with stories of how one day, I'll be married to a powerful man and I'll leave happily ever after. Well, this is my happily ever after. Running away from him. Because all my life, I feel like I've been held down. In Bondage. In chains.

The gas man stares into my car, a curious look on his face. Granted, I look younger than the normal age limit for driving a car, especially through this part of town. St Petersburg, palmetto. It's also past ten at night.

"What you looking at dork-face?" I snare at him and he gasps in surprise at my harsh words. I'm not apologizing for that. Never in hell.

"How may I help you?" His voice is strained and suspicious.

"What do you think? Fill my tank and I'll be on my way"

"We're you headed, girl?" He asked me and my nose flare with anger. Girl? I'm fucking twenty and have never been treated as an adult all my life. I thought things would change when I became eighteen but it only got worst. Daddy only wanted to protect me, and that meant four bodyguards around me per day.

"First thing first. You have no right to ask me an absurd question like that. As it's none of your concern, two, I'm not a girl, I'm twenty..." Why did I just tell this man my age? "Also, don't I have the right to pump my car?"

"Y-Yes you do ma'am" he strutters and I smirk.

"Good. Now fill up my tank you fucker" I say and even I was shocked at my words. I've never spoken this violently before in my life. And I've never cursed out, except in my head.

The man hurried to do the task while I glance at the name tag on his weird station uniform of grey and white. "Speed it up, Troy," I say and he lets out a gruff sound.

When he's done pumping, I stare into the convenience store, my eyes flickering over two men that just got out, cigarettes in their hands, a wild look in their eyes. They had no shopping bag in their hand, and I couldn't understand why they would be smoking in a gas station, unless, they want to blow the place up.

I stare at Troy who's looking at me to tell me that he's done. "You need to leave here right now," I say with a panicked look and he eyes me warily.

"I'm on duty. And why would I leave?"

I stare back at those two men again, my eyes narrowing. They're no longer smiling, but have their eyes fixed on me. I lock eyes with one, and he popped a grin. Then my eyes trail down to his hand that had a crested tattoo of a spear. Russians! MAFIA'S!

"Get the fuck out of here now!" I yell at Troy but he turned away from me, an irritated look on his face. I huff, pulling out of the station. I pity for Troy if he doesn't get out of there, he doesn't sight those men on time. My heart is doing a pound and that's when I hear a BOOM!

My car slides to the side of the road, and I let out a squeal at the sudden intrusion. When I'm safe, away from the station, and parked by the road, I look behind me at the station, now erupted in flames. Did Troy get out? He was an annoying man to me, but I wouldn't wish any human on this earth death.

And those Russian men! Where were they? Did they get out? Why would they bomb an empty convenience store? And What were they even doing here in Florida?

...

My car is set on the road again, and I'm driving off into a lone road, it's like I'm going out of Florida because I can no longer spot any more buildings, skyscrapers, or resorts by the beach. Just a clean, slate road.

I've been driving for hours, not knowing where I'm going when my car bumped, driving into a rough edge. Shit did I hit something?

I'm in the middle of nowhere and afraid to step out of the confines of my car, but if I don't? I'll be stuck on this lonely road till morning, that is if I don't get kidnapped. So after so much thinking, I pushed my door opened and jumped out from my Jeep to check what I got hit.

It's an old, rusty iron and it looks like a railroad because there are lots of tracks. If this is railway lines, there must be a station nearby. But then again, they are old and haven't been used in years. Damn it!

My whole plan of running away from home was slowly coming to an abrupt end. I didn't even have a plan in the first place. If I did, I wouldn't be out here, in the middle of nowhere, stuck, broke, and alone. I shiver into the night air as it hit my skin. My skin suddenly felt damp and that's when I realized it was drizzling. Could this day get any worst!

From afar, I see a car flashlight coming my way and I consider hiding. It could be my father's men searching for me. Or it could be the police or a normal citizen that could help me. I stand by the side of the road, flashing my hand, hoping the car stops.

Slowly, it pulls to the side of the road and I sigh in relief. The doors opened and a young man came out. I couldn't see his face yet until he stepped in front of the light and I stop dead in my track.

Holy shit! He's handsome. Or am I dreaming this? He has the most perfect jaw- square. His eyes are grey and a small smile tugging his bottom lip. I also notice the way he looks super casual with dark jeans and a grey t-shirt that doesn't hold his body quite well, but it still looks good on him.

"How can I help you?" He asked and then pause, staring at my car. "It broke down?"

"Eh- not exactly. I kind of bumped into something. An old rail line"

His eyes size me, from my childish full bang to my brown boot"What's a pretty girl like you doing out here, this late and alone?" He asked, a small smile on his lips that makes my cheek warm instantly. Does he think I'm pretty?

I've been told that a lot, but it meant like something coming from this stranger.

"I um..." I scratched behind my neck.

"Runaway?" He asked and I stare at him.

"Yes"

He chuckled. "You didn't come out equipped then. You don't have a camp bag, I'm guessing no extra clothes, no phone, no money with you, food item or a card on you"

Wow...he kind of knows my state right now.

"Yeah...it was unplanned," I say.

He nods in understanding as he takes out his phone. I hear he speaks in Italian a little bit with whoever he's on the other line with before sticking his phone back in his pocket and smiling at me.

"I called a tow-truck. They'll get your car out of here in no time. In the meantime, come with me and I take you to a phone booth so you can call whoever"

"Thanks" I sigh under my breath. I've been speechless since I saw him. He takes my hand, leading me to the car, opened the passenger seat for me, and tucked me in before rounding the car and coming into the driver seat.

"Don't we need to wait for the tow-truck First?" I ask him.

"No need. The guy is my friend and he'd know exactly what to do"

"Ok," I put my seat belt on as he starts his car. My hands entwine each other nervously. I don't even know this guy but I hopped into his car like a child. What if he's a serial killer. What if he's a Russian?! No way? He spoke Italian and he doesn't look, Russian.

"Where are you from?" He breaks the silence in the car. We were on the road and heading into town.

"Um... around," I say, stuffing a loose hair behind my ear.

"O...k. I'll take that as an answer," he said. I watch the way his hands grip the steering wheel nice and tight.

"Thank you for helping me" I blurt.

"No worries"

We're silent the entire drive and sometimes, I felt like he was stealing glances at me but I'm not certain. He takes me to a nearby store in Tampa and I make a quick phone call to my house.

"So...they coming for you?" He asked when I put the phone down and I nod with a small smile.

He stared down at my hands tight together and a smile broke out on his lips. I must be radiating nervousness. Also, I'm tired as hell. I've been on the road for hours and it's almost five am in morning. My dad would be pissed at me but I don't think I care anymore.

"Um...not exactly. I'm too tired to even eat" I sigh.

"I get"

I turn to him. "What about you? From around here?"

He stuck his hands in his pocket, shrugging. "I recently got here"

"Florida?" I ask and he nods. "Where are you from exactly?" I ask and he glared at me, wondering why I'm asking so many questions. It's cool if he doesn't want to tell me. After all, I'm a stranger and I don't know his business. "It's ok" I sigh.

"I'm from Italy" he voiced out. "I recently got a job as a bodyguard" he adds.

Huh. "That's cool"

"Yeah. I start tomorrow" he said but I still see his eyes lingering on me for a while before he looks away. It's almost like there was something he wanted to tell me. I notice tattoos on his fingers. Little cross signs. And it looks darn sexy on him. "I'm Ross by the way"

"Blair," I say with a pout and he smiles down at me, he got a dimple on both cheeks and a devilish smile to accompany it.

A black Mercedes pulled by the store and I move away from the wall as that was my cue.

Two men stepped out of the car and rushed toward us, they don't come for me but go for Ross, pinning him against the wall roughly.

"Griff! Hunt! Stop!" I call to both my dad's favorite bodyguards.

"What the fuck!" Ross gaped when he was pinned and I chuckled.

"Did he harm you, little miss?" Griff asked and I shake my head.

"He saved me. Now, let him go" I huff in irritation.

They let go of Ross and he eyed both of them warily before his gaze lands on me. "Sure you'll be alright?" He asked me.

"Yes," I say with a nod. I walk to him and drop a slight kiss on his cheek. Brave on my part, since I just met him and he's staring at me in surprise. "Good-bye Ross"

I walk away with Griff and Hunt behind me before I slide into the car. I stare out the window, at Ross who's still staring at the car. I wave even though he couldn't see me and for a second, I think he walks toward the car but we zoom off.