CHAPTER 17

**AVA**
I wake slowly, the first rays of sunlight entering through the cracks in the curtain. I blink my eyes, adjusting to the daylight, and realize I’m alone in Pietro’s bed. I sit up, looking around and remembering I need to go to work. However, before anything else, I need to stop by my apartment to change clothes.
Still wearing Pietro’s t-shirt, I leave the bedroom and walk down the hallway. The delicious aroma of fresh food reaches me, and a smile appears on my face. I approach the kitchen, where I find Pietro, with his back turned, cooking. He’s only wearing sweatpants, and I bite my lip as I notice the large snake tattoo covering most of his back. The tattoo is intricate and seems to move with each of Pietro’s muscles as he cooks. I wonder what the meaning of that tattoo might be.
Standing at the doorway, I watch Pietro in silence. When he finally turns, holding a pan with eggs, I smile even more.
“Good morning, little seductress...”, he says with a smile on his face.
“Good morning. I didn’t know about the tattoo on your back. Does it have any important meaning?”, I ask, approaching the kitchen counter.
Pietro sighs, as if the subject is not relevant.
“Eat, Ava.”, I smile, teasing him:
“So now I have to follow all your orders?”
Pietro’s blue eyes shine with intensity.
“Eat, or I’ll take you back to the bedroom, but this time I’ll punish you hard.”, I laugh, but my tone becomes more serious.
“That’s very tempting, but I can’t be late for work.”
“Alright, I’ll take you after breakfast.”
“I can take an Uber.”, I suggest, sitting down and starting to eat a toast.
Pietro looks at me seriously.
“Why are you so reluctant to let me see your place, Ava? You’re in mine now.”
“I know, but not today.”, I reply, feeling a bit uncomfortable.
Pietro nods, eating beside me in silence. I continue looking at the tattoo on his back, fascinated. I lift my hand and trace the contours of the snake’s eyes with my finger.
“Danger...”, I whisper, staring at the tattoo.
“What?”, Pietro asks, not understanding.
“Your tattoo seems to exude danger.”, I say, smiling, before resuming my meal.
Pietro remains silent, focused on his meal. When I finish, I return to the bedroom to change and grab my things. Pietro goes to take a shower and soon appears in business attire. I observe the transformation, noting how different yet still imposing he looks.
“Are you going to the company this morning?”, I ask, curious.
“Yes, I have a lot of work to do today. Are you ready?”, he replies. I nod, walking beside him to the apartment door. Pietro insists on driving me to work, and although I was initially reluctant, I accept the offer.
I follow Pietro out of the apartment, still feeling the lightness of the morning. We enter the elevator together, and as we descend, Pietro decides to ask about me.
“Why did you decide to become a librarian, Ava?”, he asks. I sigh, taking a deep breath while looking at the elevator panel.
“I’ve always loved books, and this job makes me feel closer to what I love. But my goal was never to be a librarian.”
I turn my head, seeing that he’s still watching me, but this time, he doesn’t say anything. I blink my eyes, absorbing the familiar scent of his cologne. Pietro lifts his hand, gently touching my face, and I smile, closing my eyes for a few seconds to savor the moment. Still in the elevator, I ask:
“When will we see each other again?”
“Soon, I promise.”, I nodded, feeling a slight anxiety mixed with hope.
The elevator doors open on another floor, and three men in suits enter. I frown as I observe Pietro fix his eyes on a man in the corner of the elevator. I touch his hand, noticing he’s tense in the presence of that man.
“Are you okay?”, I ask, concerned. Pietro blinks before responding, his expression serious:
“I’ll take you home; it’s safer that way, Ava.”
“Why? What’s going on?”, I insist, but he doesn’t answer.
When the elevator opens in the garage, he holds my hand tightly and quickly guides me to his black car.
I’m confused; I'm noticing he keeps looking back constantly, as if staying vigilant.
“Pietro, tell me what’s happening.”, I ask as we get into the car. He sighs heavily.
“I just thought I saw something. I’ll take you home.”, he says, starting to drive. The tension in his shoulders is evident, and he grips the steering wheel tightly.
“Pietro, what did you see?”, I ask again, my concern growing. He increases the speed, and his anxiety is shown in his movements.
“Put on your seatbelt. There’s a car following us.”, My eyes widen as I do what he asks, feeling my heart pound harder in my chest. I turn my head, seeing a black car pursuing us. Adrenaline starts to course through my body as the tension in the air becomes palpable.
“Pietro, what’s happening? Who are they?”, my voice trembles with a mix of fear and confusion.
“I don’t know for sure, Ava, but we need to get out of here.”, he replies, keeping his eyes fixed on the road. We accelerate, the car roaring with the increasing speed.
The streets blur as Pietro skillfully maneuvers, trying to lose our pursuers. The tension escalates with every turn and every passing moment. I look in the rearview mirror, seeing the black car relentlessly following us. I try to stay calm, but the situation is terrifying.
“We need to call the police.”, I suggest, my voice trembling. Pietro shakes his head.
“We can’t. Not now. I don’t know who’s after us or what they want.”, My mind works frantically, trying to understand the gravity of the situation. I feel a mix of fear and helplessness, not knowing how to help or what to do.
I look at Pietro, his face tense and focused, and realize the seriousness of what’s happening. He makes a sharp turn down a side street, trying to shake off the car that is following us.
“Ava, I need you to trust me. Everything will be alright.”
I trust Pietro, but the situation is frightening. The car sways with speed and quick turns. I grip the seatbelt tightly, trying to stay calm.
“This isn’t the way to my place, Pietro.”
“We can’t go there now, Ava.”
Finally, after several maneuvers, the black car seems to have disappeared. Pietro slows down, still checking the mirrors. I breathe a sigh of relief, but the tension is still in the air.
“We’re going to a safe place.”, he says, turning onto a quieter street.
“I can’t risk going straight to your place now. It could be dangerous.”, I nod, not questioning further.
The experience has left me scared and vulnerable, but I know Pietro is trying to protect us. He drives for a few more minutes until we reach a small parking lot of a discreet building.