TWENTY- SIX (Odessa POV)

The Continental Hotel in Naples follows the same aesthetic guidelines than other hotels in Europe: an old building located in the historical district, renovated and equipped with the latest technology, there's a discreet gun store somewhere in the basement where we can buy weapons at a good price, rooms are comfortable and functional with bulletproof windows, and lounges, the bar, restaurant and reception desk on the ground floor are fancier. Burgundy marble floors with a floral pattern in this case, that contrast with cream walls, golden ornaments and a fresco painted ceiling. There's more light than usual, above all compared to the NY Continental where everybody does business in the darkness, and it's smaller than the majestic building in Rome. But rules are strict here too: no fights or killing on this sacred grounds and Markers must be honoured.

And yet, Lucky doesn't trust The Scorpion and has insisted on carrying her own weaponry: a gun on her jeans waist hidden under the T-shirt and some knives tied to her ankles, I'm pretty sure she would've loved to bring more but they'd be too visible under the summer clothes and she fears that a police officer could arrest her. And I'm worried, of course...

Ares is a legend in the underworld, the best assassin and bodyguard of the Company, the woman who survived a fight against John Wick, who's famous for her good aim and the immaculate way she handles knives to slit throats, she's been admired and watched closely both by the old guys from the mobs and by the young recruits who want to emulate her. If someone starts a fight in this hotel, she only needs to take her gun and shoot and everybody here will recognize her. My girl has been working hard to be able to change the way she gestures, those subtle movements we all make unconsciously like tilting our heads in a certain angle or brush the hair away of our foreheads nervously, and the fact that Ares was a cold and serious assassin has helped a lot. Few people saw her smiling... But for a member of the Italian mob, taking her gun and shooting is an instinctive movement and she was the best... Someone will notice her cover, I'm pretty sure...

"Damn it, even if she's just walking, she's doing it in a very distinctive way..." I grumble angrily when I see Lucky in front of me heading to the elevator while monitoring the surroundings, it's pretty obvious for anyone with eyes on their faces that she's armed and is familiar with the underworld. Her poise and confidence give her away. On the contrary, Jay and Sofia are looking around with their eyes wide open, despite they already know the NY Continental, and are very excited about the views from the rooftop terrace, taking pictures leaned on the railing, while Lucky and I pick out a table from where she can watch the door and warn me if Winston comes here.

"I'm hungry, I think we should order the brunch menu: Brioche French toast, Shrimp and goat cheese omelette, Eggs Benedict, Fruit salad with honey lime dressing, Blueberry muffins and scones, Bacon, egg and mozzarella sandwiches, Italian sausage scramble, Ricotta pancakes, Caprese salad, coffee, tea..."

"Can I order a Mimosa cocktail too?" Lucky nods, smiling amused. "Then count me in... Are you all right?" My girl looks at me puzzled after ordering our food to a kind waitress who's looked at us in shock because of the colour of our hair, uncommon among criminals than never want to draw attention. Everybody is smartly dressed here, Italian style, and rock T-shirts are odd. "Because you're back in Naples and all that..."

"Oh, I understand... I haven't thought about it that much, we've been busy..." The assassin winks at me and I can't help blushing, remembering how this morning she took advantage of the fact that there's a big shower in our room to invite me to get in with her... we arrived late to breakfast. "I'm fine, Odessa, I assumed that my childhood was different long time ago and it led me to a very special lifestyle... but I was able to meet you too and that makes me happy."

"So, old memories don't bother you?" I ask curiously.

"Of course they do, above all the ones related to my parents but there're good memories too, believe me. I don't think I'll be able to come to Naples often so I'm trying to enjoy the sunlight as much as I can, the smell of the sea, the food, the Italian argot full of peculiar words and expressions that I haven't heard for years... It's a bittersweet feeling, happiness and nostalgia at the same time, but it's not unpleasant. Can you see those apartment buildings over there, closer to the bay where streets are narrower? That's San Ferdinando district, I was born there... It's a popular neighbourhood, crowded and full of life, famous for the level of criminality too but it has improved a lot and shows the charm that only Naples can offer... Here comes our food."

"Did someone say food? Great, I'm starved..." Sofia and Jay sit down and decide to try a little bit of everything because they're unable to choose only one dish. I chew my French toast staring at the horizon pensively, at the blue sea and Lucrezia's home neighbourhood: the truth is that I don't know how she feels. I grew up in different cities all over the world, home schooled surrounded by the Russian mob bodyguards and I only had friends that were children living like I did because they were sons and daughters of my dad's minions, my home was where my parents were, sometimes on a private plane flying over the ocean, in a big city, on a tropical island or a country house. New York still has a special place in my heart because I went to the university there and met my dear friends, but I don't know how it feels when a place means home because you enjoyed your childhood there.

"What's wrong?" I ask startled when Lucky kicks my ankle hard, coming back to reality abruptly while rubbing the throbbing bone. My girl rolls her eyes frustrated and tilts her head to point at the French window at the other side of the terrace: Winston is standing there checking his phone, wearing a smart suit and a silk tie around his neck as usual, his skin is healthily tanned after spending some days in the south of Italy but otherwise, he looks like the dandy he is. I drop my toast and get up abruptly although I try to walk slowly towards him so no one knows I'm anxious while my friends keep eating, or pretending they're doing it. "Hello, old fox. I'd heard that you were here doing business. It's good to leave that dark and gloomy hotel in New York you run sometimes, the sunlight does wonders for your skin."

"Odessa, darling, I'm so happy to see you..." Winston leans forward to kiss my cheek, smiling delighted although his eyes are full of curiosity because he knows that my sudden appearance in Naples may be due to my business or the interest his operation of weapons sale has drawn, and I decide this is the right time to whisper he must be careful with... "Let me introduce you to The Scorpion, a member of the High Table, I think your father knew her in person even if they didn't have business in common but I don't know if you both..."

"No, I think I haven't met this young lady before..." The soft accent sends a shiver down my spine, my instincts are warning me that this woman is lethal and I should be careful even if she pretends to be kind.

"She's Odessa Nikoláyevna Vorontsova-Dashkova, the daughter of the legendary Nikolai..." Winston says formally waving his hand at me.

"I'm pleased to meet you, Miss..."

"Dashkova is okay, Winston is the only member of the Company who made the effort to memorize my full name since NY Continental takes pride in its personalized attention and all that... Actually, is a matter of honour for him to address to his clients properly..."

"Yes, he's a perfectionist." The Scorpion shakes my hand and I don't understand why I shudder with apprehension since the lady's skin is flawless, soft and warm and she smiles kindly at me. The beautiful woman with dark eyes wears a designer dress in a flashy blue shade that makes her look more elegant than people around her, which is very difficult in Italy, and seems kind and approachable but her bodyguards are waiting close and look at me with hostility while they monitor the rooftop bar. I won't be able to talk to Winston discreetly without her hearing me, damn it! "What are you doing in Naples?"

"I'm on holiday with my friends, sightseeing and eating pizza Margherita." I point with my thumb over my shoulder and they both look at the table with curiosity, fortunately the girls are still eating and Lucky has lowered her head pretending that she's checking her phone. Her hair shines under the sunlight and the colourful tattoos on her arm are perfectly visible from here.

"Have you brought... civilians... to a Continental hotel?" Winston asks staring at me outraged and horrified and I shake my head frantically.

"No, they're part of my entourage... If fact, they've already stayed in your building once, some months ago..." The old fox frowns, trying to remember, he likes to know what's happening in his hotel all the time but is unable to keep up with everything in his business and needs to delegate a large share of his work to Charon. He doesn't recognize Jay because she was dressed as Miss Qīngtíng and Sofia stayed in the room watching the surveillance cameras when we broke in the basement vault, but the receptionist saw them leaving the next day in a taxi and he'll confirm that I paid for their room when Winston calls to check it later... and I know he'll do it.

"Your entourage?" The Scorpion asks kindly.

"I mean they aren't members of the Russian mob or the Company, they work for me directly and I pay their salary from my own personal fortune, but they're familiar with the underworld," I answer firmly. I need this point to be crystal clear because I don't want them to believe I've infiltrated spies, undercover cops or common girls who don't know the rules, which is forbidden, despite that's what they are... or they were given that Jay and Sofia know how to walk around several Continental hotels now. I'm lucky they're my friends because I believe any other girl with half a brain would've run away from me after learning about the way I live.

"Green hair is too flashy for a criminal," Winston scrunches his nose in disapproval but shows no sign of recognizing Ares who's still averting her eyes and not looking at the manager while pouring more coffee on her cup.

"So is purple hair and here I am..." I wink at him boldly and he snorts nodding.

"I've heard that you've changed your mind and won't live in New York running the few businesses the Russian mob still keeps in the city, is it because of what happened to you in Paris? Attempts on our lives are part of the job, unfortunately, and we have to resign ourselves to the situation... if we don't die before." My dad's old friend sighs pretending to be sad while his lover stares at him smiling like the viper she is, Winston doesn't know how close he is to be part of that amount of members of the High Table who don't die peacefully in their beds but I can't warn him about it right now.

"Maybe yes, but it also was too much work and responsibility for me right now... I know Boris has sent someone to re-launch some businesses and regain our original position in the city... Maybe I'll go back one day, in the future. I better go and sit with my friends again to finish my brunch. It's been a pleasure to meet you, take care of yourself, Winston."

"You too, dear, please come and visit us at the NY Continental more often so we can have a glass of wine and catch up."

"Sure," I answer turning around and walking back to my chair feeling my legs shaky. Lucky gives me a tray full of pancakes and we start an argument about what monument we'll visit this evening, if it'll be too hot to go to Pompeii or we better go shopping. Minutes tick by while we wolf the food down and make sure no one is paying attention to us. "I was unable to tell him..." I whisper sadly.

"I know, I'm sorry, I didn't realize she was right behind him hidden by that curtain when I sent you to talk to him... At least, he hasn't recognized me."

"No, but the old guy has noticed your green hair and felt outraged, he's said it's too flashy..." Lucky chuckles and nods. "We need a plan B."

"Whatever we're going to do, we need to plan it this evening..."

*****

"This is a mess, I don't know how we're going to fix it..." I can't help but to pace up and down across our hotel room while Lucky and my friends watch me from the grey couches. There're a handful of city maps on the coffee table along with some ideas noted down on papers with a list of pros and cons of every plan. "The Scorpion and her bodyguards with pit bull faces follow him as if they were his fucking shadow, we can get close to Winston... Do you think she suspects anything?"

"Maybe she's just trying to be cautious... He was walking into a meeting room followed by several men and women when we left the hotel, I recognized him by his elegant suit..." Sofia mumbles staring at the ceiling pensively. "I guess they were members of the North Africa and the Balkans mobs with whom he's going to sign that weapons sale deal but, I don't know, maybe you could've gotten close tiptoeing carefully and slid a small note in his pocket explaining it all."

"We can't risk The Scorpion finding it because she could identify Odessa as the rat, the woman fears no one and respects nothing, not even the Russian mob... she'd try to kill her for sure. Which reminds me we need to buy ski masks and caps despite it's hot, we can't afford to be recognized as Winston's saviours... we're supposed to be here sightseeing." My girl leans back on her seat and taps on the floor with her heel, nervously. "Besides, someone would've noticed what Odessa was doing, bear in mind that half of the members of the company started in the underworld being a humble pickpocket hiding in the streets of a big city."

"I'm really fast with my hands, my dad taught me... but you're right, there's every chance that someone sees me shoving that note in his pocket or The Scorpion would notice that something goes wrong. What are we going to do?"

"So to recap..." Jay takes the documents and rearranges them on the table. "We could go to have dinner tonight at the Continental and try again but we all agree on the fact that it would be difficult, almost impossible, get to contact Winston..." I nod discouraged and flop down on the couch next to my girl. "Our only possibility, then... Intercept him somewhere after he leaves the hotel but before he reaches the alley where we think they'll intend to ambush him..."

"Winston will be in an armour-plated vehicle," Lucky whispers while thinking and looking at me with squinty eyes. "We need to stop that car but, how?"

"I could hack the traffic control system of the city, switching all the lights to red..." Sofia takes her laptop and starts typing frantically. "It's an old system, I bet it's easier to hack than a bank website..."

"If you manage to do that, we could have enough time to persuade the Continental manager to leave his car and come with us, it won't be easy because Winston doesn't trust anyone, not even his own mother, and believes his armour limousine is a safe place, but I think Odessa can convince him... After all, she wouldn't gain anything hurting him." Lucky leans forward, watching Sofia working entranced.

"What will happen later? We can't take him to the airport because I'm pretty sure that venomous woman is watching it closely, her plan B could be to kill him before he sets foot on a plane. We need to take him out of the city somehow, unless you know a hideout in Naples where the Camorra won't be able to find him." I look at the assassin hopefully buy she shakes her head.

"No, you're right, we need to take him out of the city... can your father help us?"

"I'm going to call him right now. A small jet in a discreet and well-protected private airfield would be perfect to take him to Rome, my dad knows someone who can get him that for sure..."

"Wait..." This time is Jay's turn to stare at the ceiling pensively. "The Scorpion seems to be a smart lady and I think you're right, if the plan of shooting up the car goes wrong, I bet she'll have another trap set at the airport... but she could've several of those and Camorra guards everywhere. I'm worried about logistics: once we manage to persuade Winston to leave his car and run away with us... what vehicle will we have at our disposal? Are we going to squeeze all into that Fiat the size of a matchbox? It's not the fastest car in the world and certainly not bulletproof..."

"I have an idea..." Lucky mumbles with a big grin on her face. "It's a bit crazy but it could work, in fact, it'll be perfect to be able to drive across Naples, through stairs, pedestrian streets or alleys and The Scorpion's guys will be unable to follow us... This is Italia, after all, isn't it? We need some Vespa scooters... With a rigged engine to make them faster, of course, and I think I know where we can get those if you're ready to pay the price."