Need to Break Out

[Shana O'Malley]

It was a nice home. Well kept, with an Italian flair to it that reminded her so much of Dante. But as nice as it was, it was still a prison.

Shana didn't really understand how. Everytime she was left alone here, she thought she should be able to escape and get back to Dante, but she simply couldn't. If there were charms on the house to keep her inside, she simply didn't understand them. She knew very little about magic and wizards.

It was so strange how things worked. After a year, it felt like she lived here. Unless there people over and Mateo was having a meeting, she was free to roam the house. But that was about as far as her freedom extended. And when he was having a meeting, she was confined to the bedroom.

Today, she was starting to get restless again, which inevitably meant another try at escape would happen soon... she just had to figure out how.

She was in the kitchen, making a sandwich and keeping quiet like she often tried to do. Her mind was back in a bar in New York, where she had last seen Dante. She wanted to get back there so badly, but he was probably long gone by now. He'd probably forgotten all about her by now, and he was the only thought she had that was keeping her sane.

She was so deep in these thoughts that she didn't even hear someone else enter the kitchen.

[Mateo "Teo" Rossi]

Teo had hired an older woman to be a companion and guardian for Shana for as long as she was here, but today was Lucille's day off. Teo came home early on such nights, usually with a bag of Italian take-out. When Lucille was there, they ate home-cooked meals, but Teo didn't cook. It wasn't that he couldn't cook... if he had to, he could have done it. He just chose not to.

Teo entered the kitchen to see the redhead there, making a sandwich. He'd never admit it, but after a year of having the girl around, he was getting rather accustomed to her face. But sooner or later, they were going to have to figure out what to do with her. Now that Dante had finally given up and come home, it seemed like that time would be soon.

"Good evening," he greeted her, just a hint of cynicism in his voice. "That for me?"

[Shana O'Malley]

Shana jumped a little when he spoke, completely unaware that he'd even come into the kitchen. She turned, and her eyes landed on his before they looked down at the bag of take out he was holding. "No," she answered quickly.

"I was hungry and you're later than normal." She knew better than to ask where he'd been or anything along those lines. She was quite aware that he was involved in things she wanted nothing to do with. And for whatever reason, she'd been dragged into it.

She decided early on that it was best not to make him angry, but she wasn't going to play house keeper for him either. She wasn't here of her own will, afterall, and she had to hate him on principle alone.

[Mateo "Teo" Rossi]

Teo smirked slightly. The girl had a fiery temper, but she'd calmed down after realizing that she wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. Not that it stopped her from trying to escape, but she argued a lot less.

He had to hand it to the Santino kid, he had good taste. Shana was pretty, and more than once hhe had been tempted to try things with her. But she seemed to be stuck on Dante, who had probably forgotten all about her. After all, no one had tried to free her yet.

"Too bad. It looks good."

He held up his bag of takeout. "I actually brought ravioli from that little place you like, but I guess I'll just keep it for myself."

[Shana O'Malley]

"Is it a little place?" Shana asked. "I wouldn't know." She was making a point. She hadn't been out of this house since she was brought here a year ago. She was beginning to wonder if there was an outside world at all.

She turned though, and put a hand on her hip, the other on the counter, and raised an eyebrow at him. His little comment about going to the place *she* liked was not going to make her feel guilty. It wasn't going to make her give him the sandwich and take the ravioli, even though the soft hearted side of her really, really wanted to, if he wanted the sandwich.

She may have calmed down and given in in a lot of areas over the last year, but she was not going to act like she was friends with him.

Though, secretely, she was growing a little.... fond? of him. Granted, she would be thrilled to get away from him if she ever got the chance, but you couldn't spend so much time with someone without them being a part of you in some way.

[Mateo "Teo" Rossi]

Teo shrugged. He'd gotten enough for both of them, actually, and he didn't really want the sandwich. He'd just been messing with her. Over the year she'd been his hostage, he'd sort of grown used to having her here. He almost thought of her as his wife.

They had even passed a few pleasant evenings together, playing cards or other games. Or they would sit around and read in the same room. A part of him felt sorry for her. He wasn't sure what to do with her now, after all this time. He had thought Dante would go to his father and ask for help finding the missing love of his life. And either Teo had greatly overestimated the Santino boy's affection for the girl, or he'd underestimated the animosity he had to his father.

The fact that Dante was now back in town seemed to indicate the former.

"Well, if you want some, you're welcome to it," Teo replied. "I have two orders, and I can't eat both, even on my best day."

[Shana O'Malley]

Shana sighed. She hated when Mateo was nice. Living with him for a year had given her something of a soft spot for him. She still hated him, on the surface. He kidnapped her, and kept her prisoner here, and she knew that he was a very scary man. Ruthless came to mind, and she didn't even know the half of it.

But on good days, she almost overlooked that, and she could almost consider Mateo a friend. She reached for a paper towel and wrapped the sandwich up in it, then put it in a bag in the fridge. Quietly, she poured two glasses of wine and grabbed two forks, nodding to him.

"Do you want me to get the deck of cards out, too?" It was as close to a thank you as he could expect from her for now. Her tone relaxed though, and she wasn't ready to bite his head off anymore.

[Mateo "Teo" Rossi]

Setting the bag on the table, Mateo sat down and looked over at her. He lifted his shoulder casually, his version of a shrug. He was a man who didn't often like to admit that he didn't know something, but he was always quick to say if he didn't care about something.

"If you want to," he replied. "There aren't any meetings tonight, although Gio might stop by. I wouldn't mind a game of cards to pass the time."

That was his way of saying that he would enjoy her company.

[Shana O'Malley]

It always made her wonder what his family was used to that his siblings stopped over from time to time, and there was nothing ever said. No weird glances in her direction, and she knew that they all knew she wasn't here of her own will. It was just weird.

She set the wine glass in front of him, and then the fork, and methodically set her own down as well before she grabbed the deck of cards. It was habit between them now, and she couldn't say that she hated it. It was something to pass the time.

"Am I going to be banished to my room again when your brother gets here?" It was no secret that she resented it, like she was a child being sent on time out.

[Mateo "Teo" Rossi]

It was hardly a normal situation, yet, in this family, it was hardly odd. The strangest thing about it, really, was that she was still alive. Mateo rarely took prisoners. She was a special case, even though he had realized long ago that it was pointless to keep her. She was still here... but taking her prisoner had failed to achieve its purpose of drawing Dante Santino out. But now... now she knew too much.

Besides, he'd grown accustomed to her face.

"No, I don't think so. Gio's not coming to talk business. Maybe we can just make it three for cards."

[Shana O'Malley]

"We'll deal an extra hand when he comes, then," Shana replied, her eyes grazing over him. She was beyond curious what he had been doing, where he went every day. She wasn't blind... she knew his job wasn't exactly honest. She just never knew the details.

Sitting down across from him, she gauged his mood for a moment before she set a plate in front of each of them, the deck of cards by her wine glass for the moment.

"How do you do it?" she asked, deciding that he was in a good enough mood. She took her time shuffling the cards then, letting him put the ravvioli on the plates. "Keep me here, I mean. You don't even lock the doors half the time."

Still, after a year, she knew nothing about magic. It might have been easier for her if she understood that concept, but Mateo explained very little to her. Still, she knew that there was something at work here.

[Mateo "Teo" Rossi]

He eyed her for a minute. He was never entirely sure what she had figured out from her time here. Clearly, she did not know about magic. And although she probably had her suspicions about what he did, she didn’t know anything specific. Had Dante really not told her anything about his life? If he loved the girl, shouldn’t he have been honest with her, letting her know just what she was getting herself into?

“I have my ways,” he said simply. “Interesting that you ask me how and not why. I know you wonder about it.”

[Shana O'Malley]

Shana shrugged. "I don't really. I mean, I figured you weren't going to tell me, so why stress about it? But since you brought it up..." she raised her eyebrows and sat back, setting her hand on cards face down on the table. "Why are you keeping me here? It's obviously got something to do with your business, or whatever you do, which I'm smart enough to know is not a 9 to 5 desk job. Would you care to fill in the details?"

She ran a hand through her hair, her eyes steadily on him. She had no qualms holding his gaze, and since he brought the subject up, she figured she was safe to ask. Maybe he'd even tell her... but she doubted it.

[Mateo "Teo" Rossi]

Teo’s face was impassive. “It is about business,” he said simply, shrugging. “You weren’t supposed to be here this long.”

There really wasn’t much he could tell her, not if he ever wanted to let her go free. He wasn’t sure that he’d ever be able to do that as it was. But if he told her too much or made false promises… Well, even Mateo wasn’t that cruel.


“I don’t suppose your boyfriend ever told you about his family?”

[Shana O'Malley]

Shana's face wasn't nearly as impassive. In fact, it was pretty easy to figure out what she was thinking just by the look she gave.

"No. I mean, he mentioned that he and his father had something of a falling out, and I always kind of figured that New York was an escape for him. He didn't want to talk about them, so I didn't ask."

What did his family have to do with all of this, anyway? "You kidnapped me to get to his family?" She asked suddenly, and then laughed. "Wow. You screwed that one up. He doesn't keep in contact with them."

[Mateo "Teo" Rossi]

"I'm aware of that," Mateo said in a dry tone. He had, after all, spent a great deal of time in New York while Dante was living there, keping an eye on the eldest Santino son. As a matter of fact, Teo had watched the boy long enough to become relatively convinced that Dante would never be following in his father's footsteps. Unfortunately, it was decided by his father and some senior associates at the time that it would be beneficial to have Dante back in contact with his father again. They hoped to use the renewed connection to influence Marcello to cut back on operations, and so they ordered Mateo to kidnap Dante's girlfriend, expected Dante would ask his father for help.

Only he didn't. The plan had backfired, and so Shana was still here, still a captive, and Teo had no idea what to do with her.

"There's more to it... it's complicated, and I think you know I can't explain it to you. Not if you ever want to have any hope of getting out of here."

[Shana O'Malley]

Shana's brows knit, and she set her elbows on her knees, just watching him carefully. "I really don't get it, then. If you knew going after me wouldn't accomplish anything, than why am I here in the first place?" she was angry, and it could be heard in her voice, but she wasn't really angry at Mateo. It was, currently, all directed at an absent Dante. It was his fault she was here, and then he didn't even come for her?

She laughed at his remark though. "Please. You and I both know I don't have a hope of leaving here anyway. I know too much, right? And I barely know anything at all. So, are we at a stale mate? I can't leave, but I can't stay here forever."

[Mateo "Teo" Rossi]

He raised an eyebrow at her. "Anyone ever tell you that you ask too many questions?" he asked mildly. "It's going to get you in trouble one day."

Of course, technically, she was already in trouble, and it couldn't get much worse. He also fully expected her to point that out to him. Shana never held anything back. "At the time, I didn't have a lot of say in the matter," he replied. "I do now, but it's too late, isn't it?"

[Shana O'Malley]

"Are you going to kill me, Mateo?" The question was quiet, calculated. It wasn't how she usually approached things, but then, maybe she didn't really want to know the answer so much. They would never let her go, because she could go straight to the police about all of this, and they knew it.

It was obvious, after a year, that no one was going to come to her rescue. Dante didn't care and her family wouldn't know where to look. So where did that leave her? Extra baggage in Mateo's life.

[Mateo "Teo" Rossi]

What Shana idn't know, however, was that going to the cops--the muggle police--would do her no good. He had protected her from finding out about the magical world far better than he had protected her from knowing what he did. Everyone who visited was under strict orders not to perform any form of magic in her presence. If she were to be released, she would never be able to find her way back to this house, due to the magical protections he had placed on it. And, of course, he could also put a memory charm on her to make sure she would forget everything she knew about him and her time here. Because of these reasons, killing her was not really a consideration for him.

"If I were planning to kill you, Shana, I would have done it already," he said.

But he would have to do something soon. Now that Dante had returned to town, Mateo had men watching him to see if he made contact with his family. His next move would depend on Dante.