An Artistic Talent

An Artistic Talent

Comments: Ok so I lied, this chapter is one month later. There will be flashbacks to what happened in the previous month. It was getting kind of annoying how I couldn’t figure out anything to write and I wanted to get the story really going so here it is. It’s in Aria’s POV.

I forgot to mention this story is dedicated to a good friend of mine, Brianne. Good times in freshman science.

Chapter Three

I ran up the stairs of the apartment building in a rush. Not only was I horribly late but there something that Gabriel needed to know. Something important. I ran down the hall and sidestepped an old little so she could pass without being run over. I stopped at the apartment door and leaned over breathing heavily having just run from one end of the parking lot to his apartment near the other end. I stood and knocked on his door pushing some wisps of hair behind my ear. I didn’t have enough time to change after school into the clothes I knew Gabriel liked me to wear for the drawings. Thank god I always left a pair of clothes with him. I knocked again impatiently this time, tried to the door. It was unlocked so I turned it the rest of the way and pushed the door open slightly.

“Gabriel?” I called into the darkened interior of the apartment. “I’m sorry I’m late.” There was no answer and I frowned having seen his bike inside the garage when I drove passed. “Gabriel?”

I stepped further into the apartment and tried the light switch near the door. The lights turned on and I moved past the hall table towards the living room. I still didn’t see any sign that he was even home. I peered behind me at the bowl on the hall table and saw the keys resting inside. So he was home. I moved forward and opening the door to the studio but he wasn’t there. I was, to say the least, getting fed up. If he was here why didn’t he answer me when I first showed up. I knocked on the door to his bedroom and opened the door looking around. I shut the door after not seeing him and was about to turn when I heard the sound of a door being opened. Voices flowed through the apartment door as two people stopped before it. I cursed myself silently for leaving the door open and I frowned. The door was pushed open and I moved quickly towards the couch and stood by it as a man walked in. I blushed slightly and was glad when Gabriel walked in and spotted me before his friend did.

“Aria,” He greeted, “You didn’t get my message?” I shook my head no.

“What’s wrong?” I heard myself asking and I noticed his friend stiffen, presumably because of my Irish accent.

“It’s none of your business.” The man said and I only nodded.

“You’re right there, but I also have the right to know what’s bothering my friend.” I replied softly drawing back into the way I acted at school. “Call me later Gabriel, I need to speak with you about something.” I told him with a sigh and I started past them. “Oh, you should keep your door locked. Be glad it was me in here not some murderer or kidnapper.”

Suddenly I found myself back against a wall, the mans forearm pushing against my throat. I gasped for breath and clawed at the man’s arm as Gabriel tried to get him off of me. Everything was starting to get slightly hazy and I tried to push this man away from me but found he wasn’t going to be moved by my weakened strength. My head ached from being pushed against the wall with such force and I vaguely registered Gabriel trying to get his friend to calm down and let me go. It was getting harder and harder to breath and the man wasn’t letting up. Weapons, not karate, were my forte. I didn’t have anything on my that I could use to get him away from me. I could feel myself going limp and my knees gave out under me. Finally Gabriel got the man away from me and I slid to the ground, doubling over trying to get air into my lungs. I practically curled up on the ground as I tried to get air into me, as I tried to breath. I felt an arm close around my waist and I being pulled onto someone’s lap. I looked up and saw Gabriel looking down with worry in his eyes. I opened my mouth to speak but nothing came out.

“Shh…” He soothed, “don’t talk.” I rested my head against his chest and looked over at the man standing there glaring at me. “Giovanni get out of here. I can’t believe you attacked her.”

“She’s talking like she knew what happened.” Giovanni hissed angrily and I looked at him.

“Jackass,” I forced out finally. “So what if I’m fucking Irish, it doesn’t mean the fucking Irish mob had anything to do with this.”

“Calm down Aria, you don’t even know why he’s pissed,” Gabriel said pulling my closer to him.

“No? He thinks the Irish Mob had to do with some kidnapping, he wasn’t fazed with the other things I said,” I reminded him, still glaring at Giovanni. “Now he’s blaming me because I’m Irish.” I crossed my arms tighter and was relieved to actually be able to breath.

“She has a point Gabriel.,” Giovanni said and I smirked happily. “What are you so happy about?”

“Nothing,” I replied while trying not to laugh. “Now Gabriel who got kidnapped?”

“My sister,” He told me and I raised an eyebrow. “What? Do you know something?”

“I know a girl was kidnapped outside a store in Venice this morning,” I told him and he nodded. “That was your sister.” Another nod. “Sorry Gabe, my guys tried to help her. I’m sure if they knew who she was they would have tried harder.”

“Which guys?” Giovanni asked wondering what was going on.

“You mean Eric and George?” Asked Gabriel but he already knew the answer. “Did they say who did it?”

“Well Eric said the guys had an accent and spoke a language they didn’t know,” I informed them. “Meaning that it wasn’t Irish Gaelic or Italian.” That was directed at Giovanni.

“So who do you think kidnapped her?” Gabriel asked nuzzling my neck and I pulled away from him.

“Gabe!” I admonished as I moved away. “I’ll give Giovanni over the one guess and it isn’t the Irish or the Italians.”

“That leaves about twenty or more possibilities,” Giovanni replied.

“If it’s not the Irish Mob who kidnapped her, then who else could it be,” Gabriel whispered and I threw my hands into the air at how stupid they all are.

“The Russian Mafia!” I exclaimed and they both looked at me. “They hate both the Irish Mob and the Italian Mafia.”

“She has a good point,” Gabriel said agreeing with me but I could see that Giovanni didn’t.

“Then what about all the clues that point to the Irish Mob?” Giovanni retorted and I waved my hand drastically.

“What clues?” I asked.

“A necklace with the insignia of the Irish mob was found from where she was taken. There was a witness who said that someone had an Irish accent and was talking to the two men who kidnapped her.” Giovanni announced and I rolled my eyes.

“Right, and I’m the queen of the England,” I said sarcastically as I reviewed the ‘clues’. “First the Irish Mob doesn’t have an insignia and if your talking about a four leave clover or something, that’s pretty much associated with luck. Not the Irish Mob.”

“What about the Irish accented guy?” Giovanni asked and I turned to Gabe.

“Tell me, if you didn’t know I was Irish and heard me talk for the first time, what two countries would you think I came from?” I asked.

“Ireland or Scotland,” Gabriel answered and I looked at Giovanni.

“Ok then, you made your point.” Giovanni said and I smiled as I stood up and grabbed my bag.

“I should be going, my brother is probably wondering where I am,” I said and started past Giovanni to the door. “Oh, Gabriel, you might want to be careful when you go outside alone, a few members of the Russian Mafia were spotted in the city.”

I had reached the door by then and my hand was on it to open it, when it was opened from the outside and pushed against me. I fell backwards to the floor and stayed there as someone, well actually a group of people walked in. The first one in was the only one I recognized. He was the man in the picture with my father. Gabriel’s father. In other words I was probably screwed. He glared down at me and passed by me and so did the others, including a few women who looked at me with disgust. Probably because of the way I dressed and looked. Gabriel was there at my side and picked me up, while I finally came to my senses. I elbowed him in the side and retrieved my backpack from the spot it had landed. Gabriel’s father looked at me and Gabriel together and I pulled away turned back to the door.

“I’ll see you at school tomorrow,” I said quickly as I started to leave but wasn’t quick enough.

A hand closed around my arm and I was dragged backwards into Gabriel’s chest. My bag slipped from my shoulder once again and hit the floor even though I tried to grab at it. I rolled my eyes and tried to glare over my shoulder at Gabriel but was in fact failing quite horribly. I let him hug me to him even though I was really starting to get pissed off. His female relatives or whoever they are were staring at me like I was a dead body and they were a vultures or something along those lines. His whole family, extended and close were all watching me. I gulped under their stares and tried to elbow Gabriel again so he would let me go. Suddenly a smile came to my face as I remembered something important.

“Gabriel, I have a test tomorrow, an exam. I really need to get home so I can study and you can hang out with your family,” I said slowly so my accent didn’t come out in full.

“Go ahead,” he said finally and let me go. “I’ll call you later.”

“Uh, spend time with your family, don’t bother calling me tonight. I’ll be on the roof away from my brother studying,” I retorted and he smiled at me. “Bye. Nice to meet you…all.” I added as an afterthought.

“Bye,” Gabriel said and shut the door after me as I left.

‘Boy was that fun,’ I mused as I walked down the hallway and the stairs. By the time I got to the bottom of the stairs I was thinking about a new plan of action against the Russians. The Italians now have a bone to pick with the Russians, but the Italians think the Irish kidnapped Ms. Velario. At a time like this I couldn’t remember her first name. I yanked my keys from my back pocket and got into my car, wondering what would be awaiting me once I got home. I sat in the car for a few minutes and rolled my eyes at my stupidity as I started the car and pulled out of the parking space. AS soon as got I home I was logging onto the internet and searching for information about the Russian Mafia and Gabriel’s family. Hell, if they have stuff like that at the library I’d go, but they usually only have fictional Mafia/Mob stories. Not what I need. What seemed like an hour alter because I was stopped at all the lights I pulled into the driveway of the house my family owns and groaned. You’d think your day couldn’t get any worse, but when you go home and find cars in your driveway, you either think your brother is having a party or your family showed up for an impromptu visit. The best guess would be the latter since not many college students can afford a Jaguar or a Porsche. I parked behind the Porsche and got out dragging my bag after me. This was going to be horribly fun…not. I stalked past the cars and past Duncan’s SUV my bag drifting slowly to my shoulder as I walked. The door was probably unlocked and as I turned the knob the door swung inward and I looked at the bags littering the front hall. Oh yes, this would definitely not be fun.

“I’m home,” I shouted as I let my backpack fall to the ground beside the other bags littering the floor, “and I’m going to bed.” I found a path through all the bags and I went up the stairs not caring that everyone was looking at me.

“Máiréad,” came a demanding voice and I growled under my breath.

“I’m going to bed,” I repeated again and kept walking.

“Young Lady.” Came the heavily accented voice.

“Athair,” I hissed turning to him, “Tá mé tuirseach.”

“Where have you been all day?” Another voice said and I groaned looking over at my real brother.

“I was at school and than being a model for an art student,” I answered semi-truthfully. “can I got to sleep now?”

“No, come and sit with us.” Father ordered and I growled as I walked back down the stairs. “What is this artists name?”

I choked and tried to think of a good last name, “Gabriel…Carminelli.”

“Sure.” My real brother said as he practically pushed me into the living room where my whole extended family sat in chairs or leaned against the wall.

“You think I’m lying, Tommy?” I asked in pretend disbelief.

“No, but that doesn’t mean your aren’t.” Tommy retorted and I hit him over the head.

“Will you two stop bickering?” My father shouted and we both gulped. “Good, now Máiréad, your cousin Aislinn was kidnapped yesterday by the Italians.”

“Russians.” I corrected without thinking.

“No the Italians.” My father hissed.

“Oh and I bet there was some Italian insignia that has to do with the Italian Mafia and that some witness said that there was an Italian person speaking with the kidnappers.” I said and everyone looked at me. “What?”

“How did you know that?” Duncan asked and I smirked.

“Let’s just say a birdy told me that Ms. Isabella Velario was kidnapped and it was blamed on us. All because of an Irish insignia and a witness who said that one of the kidnappers had an Irish accent.” I explained.

“We didn’t kidnap anyone.” My step-mother shouted with outrage.

“That’s what I told Gabriel.” I muttered under my breath.

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There we go chapter three. Only a day after I uploaded the first two. I’m on a roll. Don’t forget to review.

Athair: father
Tá mé tuirseach. :I am tired