Taming a Dark Heart - Ch.3 - Memories from a Photo

********Thank-you, thank-you. I really consider the number of hits for TADH as an overnight success.

To the people that have commented. You have no idea how you make my week :) If you have any more suggestions for me please let me know. And if your wondering why the story seems a bit subdued, don’t worry, it will pick up soon. Vote and comment! ;) Oh and I tried to get a picture that's Gabriele's green eyes. Picture him like that but even more green :)**********

Chapter 3:

I played my keyboard and sang for about another 2 hours or so. I was just floating on the notes.
I decided after awhile that I was really sick of my work clothes, especially the torn pants and a healing cut on my leg. So I walked to the bathroom. Luckily they had toiletries and towels for me to use. I jumped into the shower and smiled as the water cascaded down on me. I even decided to wash my hair.
I eventually grabbed a fluffy towel and dried off. I walked to the wardrobe(which I could see had already been stocked) and chose my clothes. Jackie always gave me a hard time about the way I dressed. She says I’m too tomboy about it. Well I don’t really care. As long as I’m comfy, I’m good to go. I dried my wet hair as much as I could and shook my head as I looked at the rebellious curls in the mirror. Well, they’ll have to forgive me until all my stuff gets here…I thought to myself as I wirled it into an untidy bun.

I was eventually interrupted by a knock on my door.
"Come in!" I shouted from the balcony. Marie-Lou walked in and smiled a big smile as she approached the balcony. Marie-Lou was quite short and a bit chubby(but not fat) and she must have been a bit younger than me. She looked to be Spanish or something exotic like that because she looked a bit like a porcelain doll that you didn’t want to break
"Miss Rossi, that’s was just beautiful! I’m sorry to disturb you but the maids would like to prepare your room for the day". I turned and looked at her with my eyes narrowed.
"um, Marie-Lou, how do you know my surname? I don’t remember telling anyone here?"
"Mr Lombardi informed the staff miss"
"well please call me Kara, I really don’t feel like you should be calling me something superior when I don’t even know why I’m here exactly…", I realised then that it would be easier for me to be out of the room as they prepared it.
"Marie- Lou, do you think Mr Lombardi would mind if I played my keyboard outside where we had breakfast?
"Not at all! Do you need help carrying it down because I could call someone…"
"No I’m fine, thank-you", I smiled and began packing up my keyboard and switching it off.

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….Gabriele’s point of view….

Straight after breakfast I hadn’t had a chance to do anything else. I had a meeting in the next hour and had to prepare. Danny was coming to negotiate with me about his misdemeanor charges…
I really wasn’t in the mood for the pipsqueak but knew I had to do it. Anyway, I don’t know why but I kind of saw him like a little brother. Nevertheless, someone had to be the boss around here though.

I was sitting outside on the deck and seeing to some paper work when James came in and told me Danny had arrived. I told him I would meet them in my office in a bit. I got my paperwork together, pulled my tie straight and walked back inside. Just as I did, Kara walked down the stairs. She looked kind of…well, cute. She had on black converse tackies. Jeans that I think she had cut above her knees, and long baby-blue top that looked slightly big, and she had her keyboard bag on her back.
I definitely don’t know why but found myself staring at her face for awhile. She also didn’t have any makeup on now. I definitely liked it more…. Wait, why the hell do I care how she looks??

"Hi, Mr Lombardi, um sir, I’m just going outside…", she looked so nervous around me. It was amazing how people feared me especially when I knew she was not a timid person. I think in the club last night, she would have attacked Trey had I not "seen" to him. I sometimes enjoyed the fear but strangely with her I didn’t really want her to be afraid of me.

Just as she got to the bottom of the stairs, James and Danny walked past. I watched him look at her and blush. She smiled at him as she walked past. I felt my stomach knot when she smiled at him.

….Kara’s point of view….

I walked past the three men in the foyer and I was pretty sure I saw Mr Luca frown when I smiled at the younger guy. He was cute. He looked about 19 but when he blushed I just had to smile at him.

I knew that I didn’t know why I was there or anything specific really but I realised that it was Sunday afternoon and the next day I had to have a piece due for college. I had been working on it for the past too weeks now and I just had to finish it off. I sat down at the table and switched my keyboard on. I pulled out my writing pad and began to play.

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….Danny’s point of view….

I was so nervous, you have no idea how intimidating James was. The man was huge! And he just always had this look on his face, like he was gona pummel you. You know what I mean. I really hadn’t meant to cause all this trouble. I just borrowed some money from Mr Luca and was going to return it. I really was. But then I couldn’t repay it. And this is why I’m here now looking into those eyes. I actually really respect him. My goal is actually to work for him. I know that not all he does is, well- legal, but to be so successful at his age? To not have to worry about money at all? I’d love that life. I also love how he has total command of everyone around himself-even James. that’s why I knew what I was going to say to him.

"Sir, I know that I’ve messed up big time. I know I promised you the money and I’m really sorry that I cant give it back right now…"
"You do realize I cant just let you go right?" he said that with no force at all but I was still nervous.
"Yes, sir. I actually have a thought as to how I could pay you back…", is eyes narrowed but he nodded me to continue.
"How about I work for you sir? I know that I’m not very big or violent but I know that I will be a loyal worker. I know that I haven’t been very trustworthy but I can guarantee you that I will learn all I can from you"
He laughed as I said that," What makes you think I would want you on my team? I don’t even know you well".

"I know that sir, but I would like to repay you and I know that I could by helping you in anyway I can". Mr Luca sat quiet for awhile after that, not saying anything. He just tapped his fingers on the table and looked me in the eye. I think it was about 2 minutes of that but I swear it felt like an eternity.
"Okay, I tell you what. I’m gona put you on duty at one of my clubs. If you can follow my orders and do a good job for me then we can talk again. If you let me down then….well."
"Thank-you so much sir! I will do my best to do you good!" As I was saying my Thank-you’s , James was practically pushing me out the door.
"Oh and James, hook him up with a cellphone so I can keep in touch with him", James nodded and saw me out the door.
I was so excited. I would be working for Gabriele Luca! But apart of me was definitely very scared because I knew I may have just gotten myself in a lot of trouble…

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….Kara’s point of view….

The day seemed to go by pretty quickly somehow. I think I was outside for hours preparing for college the next day. Marie-Lou had informed me that my room was all ready for me. When I walked upstairs, I saw that Marie-Lou had tried her best to make my room look like my apartment bedroom. I walked over to the dressing table and felt tears form in my eyes. I picked up the picture and traced my hand along the man and ladies face in the picture. I could see that I had a bit of both of them in me. I had her hair and lips and his eyes and complexion. They looked so happy in this photo…I think after what had happened over the last day or say, I was actually quite emotional.

I was interrupted by a knock on my door. "Come in…oh Mr Lombardi, its you", I suddenly felt so under dressed, I guess that’s because I really was compared to him. Maybe Jackie was right…

"I’m sorry to disturb you. I just wanted to see if you have settled in well", I realized that he probably saw my puffy eyes and knew I had been crying. I still had the photo frame in my hand.
"Do you mind if I take a look at that?" I passed it to him and wondered what he was going to say. Do people that shoot other people have feelings?
I watched his face as he looked at the frame. I actually saw a small smile, it was a strange smile and I couldn’t put my finger on the emotion expressed.
"You look like them". He sat down on my bed with it still in hand. I nodded and looked at the gun that was now exposed in his belt. I hated guns. I remembered failing a drivers test because the instructor had a gun…

I think he saw me staring at it because he responded by taking it out and putting on the floor kicking it to a corner. I had been standing the whole time not saying anything. Only then did I sit on the bed next to him. "My dad died when I was 7 and my mum died about 5 years ago…I miss them a lot", my voice was just a shaky whisper. I didn’t know why I was telling him in the first place. He hadn’t asked me anything about himself and as I told you I hate crying.

I hadn’t told anyone about my parents before and here I was telling this guy that had just shot someone a couple of hours ago. I didn’t look him in the eye and he just stayed very still, not saying anything. I laid back on the bed and tried to hold in the tears. I hate crying.

Then he did something that stunned me. He put his hand on my thigh and said,
"The people left behind feel more pain than the people dying".
I sat up and looked at him when he said that but I didn’t have a chance to respond because he got up, picked the gun up and tucked it into his belt. He gave me one last look as he walked out the room. I was sure I saw some something in his green eyes, maybe sadness?
I stared at my closed door quite confused.