Aria’s POV #2
Another woman piped up. “Seriously, suga, you needed to git the fuck outta dat shit.” She was a plump, middle aged woman with wildly curly brown hair with tufts of gray sticking out.
I looked away and down towards the table, trying to appear submissive and scared, but I was able to see a third woman staring at me with wild eyes through my eyelashes.
She looked more innocent than I was acting.
She had pale white skin, very thin framed, hair so blond it almost looked white, with big doe eyes that were pale blue.
Oh hon. You think this shit is scary. Just you wait!
I pretended to listen to the garbage these women were spewing at the table, but I had other things on my mind. Lorenzo had given an earpiece to me, which Maximo did not know about. This way I could be given information from Lorenzo as we prepared to execute our plan.
I was starting to get agitated with waiting when the time came.
Lorenzo was in my ear, snickering about how Maximo was losing his shit because I hadn’t made a move towards the Black Widow.
I had plenty of opportunities, but I was not going with his plan.
This plan was all mine now. He gave me the green light to get close to her, and I was taking it from here.
The women at my table began to titter louder as Tania began to beeline straight towards us.
Finally! I could feel my insides vibrate with anticipation and excitement. Was I supposed to be this excited to kill someone? Probably not, but this bitch deserved it, had it coming.
I kept my gaze lowered to the table as she approached, but could hear Lorenzo in my ear.
“This puttana needs to be put her in place!”
I had to lower my head as I smirked at his statement.
Just as she was about to reach me, I heard, “Aria Dominguez.”
I raised my head to her, making my eyes go wide like I was shocked.
She smirked at me. “Oh sorry,” she drawled. “Aria Ruiz. How is your lovely husband by the way?”
She looked smug and calculated.
I made myself look flustered. Then I intentionally stuttered. “I….I…..think he’s….ummmm….okay….maybe….” I stared at her, making my lip tremble just a little.
She looked me over, but not sure she found what she was looking for.
She rolled her eyes at me. “Dear God woman, quit being such a weak stronza.”
I squinted my eyes, trying to make it look like I was about to start crying. The unfortunate truth was, I had never been able to fake a cry. But hopefully that would be irrelevant today.
People around began to whisper and murmur.
“I heard you slit a woman’s throat on your wedding day yet you sit her, still his pathetic wife.”
Several gasps, and voices raised.
“Oh my God she did what?”
“That’s like a whole other level of crazy.”
“Who would let someone like that in here?”
I bowed my head, trying to look submissive to her. I bet the bitch was smug right now.
“Any time now, Aria. Shut that puttana’s mouth.”
From the moment she had approached me, I had tucked my hand opposite her direction, and slid it up backwards to my waist. In my waistband was my knife, sheathed into my belt loop. I had been holding the handle this whole time, waiting for the right moment.
And I took it. In a quick movement, so poetic and smooth, I slid the knife from behind, slowly moved up, but to avert attention from my hand, I began to stand up, head still bowed.
She was closer than she should be and it was perfect.
As I raised my head to meet her eyes, I swung the knife quickly, and sliced her neck so fast. No one moved as she stared at me wide-eyed, blood dripping and spurting out of her neck.
She went to raise her hands to her neck just as women around us began to scream.
I heard one of the ladies at my table shout, “This bitch ain’t no weakling. She’s a fuckin, crazy ass bitch!”
I moved only my eyes to her so she could see how “fuckin crazy” I was and she looked scared shitless, backing away from the table quickly.
People were moving, and I heard shouts and gun fire.
But before moving, I leaned in to Tania and whispered, “Never should have had eyes on my brother, troia del cazzo!” Her eyes bulged as the blood continued to pour out.
I dropped to the floor and moved under the table, but soon realized I had moved too slowly.
Apparently a bullet had grazed my arm. Oh well. Could be worse.
I pulled my pant leg up and pulled out my pistol from a holster at my ankle.
It was so small it barely fit the palm of my hand, but I only needed it until Lorenzo got here.
And I heard him. I could recognize his gun from anywhere in the room.
He called them his “Lara Croft twins” because they were based on the guns Lara Croft two-fisted in the movie.
Within a minute or two I could see his pant legs beside the table.
There was still shouting and yelling, but then it all started quieting down.
I peeped out and could see Maximo charging into the room looking beyond pissed, heading straight for me.
I climbed out from under the table, getting my slacks dirty.
Before I could fully stand, he was yanking me out to stand up.
I felt a burning pain on my arm, making me yelp.
Maximo’s eyes moved to my arm, making me turn to look too. There was blood streaking down my shirt. Without hesitation he ripped my shirt sleeve open, exposing the wound.
“Dammit Aria!” Lorenzo was on alert next to me, but glanced at the blood.
I pouted to him. “I’m fine. It’s just a little scratch.”
Maximo began swearing in Italian. “What the fuck were you thinking, Aria? For fuck sakes!”
I shrugged, even though it burned, and Maximo was holding his large hands on my arms near my elbows.
“The puttana was targeting Nino.”
He stared at me. “Why the fuck didn’t you tell me?”
I glared at him. “Like it would have made a difference?”
“I wouldn’t have let you get near her.” His voice was rising.
“I took care of the stronza pazza, didn’t I?”
“You could have got fucking killed!” He roared at me.
“I bet you would have liked that, wouldn’t you?” I yelled back at him.
Something flickered in his expression. His voice dropped considerably. “No Aria. No, I would not want that.”
He stared hard at me for a moment, then turned and stormed away.
“Aria….” There was something in Lorenzo’s tone.
“No Lorenzo. Not now.”
I glanced up at him, as he was looking back at me. He nodded slightly. His voice dropped to a whisper. “I’m just glad you’re okay.” He glanced at my arm.
I nodded back. “I really am okay. It really is just a scratch.”
He turned back around to look around the empty room with tables overturned, a mess everywhere. I seemed to have missed that action. Tania’s bloody body remained on the floor in front of us.
“I need to get laid.”
He laughed. “You and me both, babe.”
I had an appointment to keep.