26 - Alessia
Breathe in…
Hold.
Breathe out.
I open my eyes, stand and aim my gun and fire at the body that stands closest to me.
His body collapses to the floor and chaos erupts around us.
Lorenzo and the guys follow my example and start dropping bodies.
I step around the couch and men start coming at me, one after another.
I fire off every bullet I have before my gun jams. Next to me Elio is in a hand-to-hand battle, the other guy isn’t winning.
I’m hit at the back of my head with something and stars dance before my vision.
Strong arms grip around my neck, holding me in place.
I put my foot back behind his and make a quick turn, surprising him.
Before he can respond I flip him onto his back on the cold marble floor.
I reach for my knife and plunge it into his windpipe.
“That’s what you get for cutting off my air supply.” I scold.
The man thrashes on the ground and dies.
I rip my knife from his throat and see Elio struggling to get back on his feet a few yards over.
I rush over and stab the man that’s attacking him straight in the side of his neck.
Dark red arterial blood sprays everywhere and Elio throws the body off of him.
“Thanks, boss.”
I nod and walk off to find the next asshole to kill. The room is littered with bodies, I look around and see my own men still standing. Blood covers their faces and hands but they’re all still alive.
A high-pitched scream pierces the hall and I look up. Manchini is holding Harper in a rear headlock and has his gun aimed against her temple. The entire hall falls quiet, nobody dares to move. Gianni, the coward, nowhere to be seen.
“This ends now, Alessia.” he declares.
I aim my gun at him, Elio does the same beside me.
“Let her go!” I demand.
Harper’s face is tense with fear, her breaths shallow.
“Ah, Alessia. Always the hero.” He smirks.
“You want me? Fine. Just let her go.”
“Oh, it’s not that simple. Do you know how much trouble you’ve caused me? How many plans you’ve ruined? No. Tonight, you’ll watch what happens when someone you love pays for your mistakes.”
“Alessia, don’t,” Harper croaks.
I cut her off, “Harper, it’s going to be okay. I promise.”
Manchini ’s grip on her throat tightens, making her gasp for air.
“Such sweet lies. You’re good at those, aren’t you? But promises don’t mean much when you’re powerless.”
“I’m NOT powerless!” My voice low and promising as I take a step closer.
“Oh? Then why aren’t you stopping me? Go ahead. Take your shot. But if you miss…” He presses his gun harder against Harper’s temple.
“You don’t want to do this, Manchini. This isn’t about her. It’s about us. You and me. She’s innocent.”
“Innocent? No one’s innocent when they’re caught in your orbit. Everyone pays, Alessia. That’s the lesson here.”
I look him directly in the eyes, “You think this is about teaching me a lesson? It’s not. This is about you, isn’t it? You can’t stand that I beat you. You’re scared. That’s why you’re hiding behind her.”
His smirk falters for a bit, but returns, colder as he says, “You think you’re clever. But you don’t get it, do you? I hold all the cards. One wrong move, and she’s gone.”
I take another step forward, my voice steady, “No, Manchini. You’re holding onto something you can’t control. You hurt her, and I’ll make sure you regret it for the rest of your miserable life.”
“Alessia… Don’t… Let me go.” Harper whispers.
I soften my eyes at her, “I can’t, Harper,” I whisper, my voice trembling as I tighten my grip on my gun. “Not when you mean everything to me.”
“Threa ts? Really? That’s the best you’ve got? You’re not in control here.” Manchini interrupts
I focus myself back on him.
“I don’t need control. I just need you to make one mistake.”
Elio aims his gun at Manchini, beside me.
Lorenzo and the guys flank us. I slightly shift my aim to a lamp behind him and fire off my gun.
His grip on Harper falters, only a little, before I hear another gun go off.
I frantically look around at the people I love, to see if anyone is bleeding.
My men seem okay, I look over to Harper and see she’s covered in blood and pain is written all over her face.
Manchini’s grip loosens around her neck before his arm goes limp and he falls to his knees behind her, the bloodstain on his chest now visible.
Harper clutches her shoulder and steps forward on unsteady legs.
I run over to her and catch her just before she hits the ground.
Elio kneels beside us. “I’m so sorry, boss; it was the only way.” He apologizes.
Tears streak my face as I look up at him. “I know…”
I look down at Harper, applying pressure to her shoulder wound.
“It’s not that bad. I’ve had worse,” she forces a small smile through the pain.
“You’re bleeding a lot, Tesoro. ‘Not that bad’ doesn’t exactly cover it.”
“I’ll live… I think…”
I run a hand through my hair. “You’re bleeding because I brought you into my world.”
“Says the woman who crossed the world to get me out. Hypocritical much?”
I narrow my eyes but a small smile tugs at my lips, “That’s different.”
“Oh, really? Enlighten me.” She coughs.
“It’s different because… losing you isn’t an option for me. You’re not just… anyone, Harper. You matter.” my voice falters, but I hold Harper’s eyes, “You matter to me .”
Her expression softens, and she reaches out with her uninjured arm to take my hand, “And you think you don’t matter to me? Alessia, I’d endure this all again if it meant coming home to you.”
“Okay, Tesoro… You can tell me about it when we get you back on your feet.” I whisper before she passes out in my arms.
Harper’s body goes limp, her weight suddenly a leaden presence against me. Panic tightens in my chest as I cradle her. Blood seeps through my fingers pressed to her shoulder, its warmth a grim reminder of the urgency.
“Hold on, Harper,” I murmur. “I can hear the ambulance coming… Hold on, Tesoro.” I whisper in her ear.
The seconds stretch into eternity, each one punctuated by the shallow rise and fall of her chest.
When the ambulance finally arrives, the paramedics move with practiced efficiency, their calmness a stark contrast to the storm raging inside me. I clutch Harper’s hand tightly as t hey load her onto the stretcher, refusing to let go even though they insist I drive myself to the hospital.
“Not happening. I ride with you or you fix her right here!”
The paramedics look at each other and with a sigh, one of them agrees. I step in the ambulance; I’m not leaving Harper for a single second.
At the hospital, the fluorescent lights are harsh and unrelenting, casting everything in a sterile, clinical glow.
The staff whisks Harper away, leaving me standing in the hallway, feeling hollow and helpless.
I sink into a plastic chair, her words replaying in my mind like a lifeline, anchoring me to hope.
Minutes blur into hours before a doctor approaches, his expression grim.
“She’s stable, for now…” he says. “She lost a lot of blood, add that to her other injuries and malnourishment, it’s a miracle she got this far.”
“What injuries?” Anger rises in me.
“I can’t disclose that information without Harper being conscious, you’ll have to wait until then. It may take a while for her to wake up after so much trauma.”
The words feel heavy. I thank him, my voice barely above a whisper, and follow the nurse to her room. Harper lies pale and still against the stark white sheets, an IV taped to her arm. I sit beside her, my hand cupping hers, and whisper,
“You’ve got to wake up, Tesoro. You promised to come home to me. ”
The hours tick by and still no sign of Harper waking up. Elio stationed men around her room and the hospital. Since Gianni is still out there somewhere we need to keep our guards up.
The door of Harper’s room opens and Lorenzo walks in, Amelia following on his heels.
“Hi, big sis. How are you doing?” He puts his hand on my shoulder.
“I’ll be fine.” I scoff.
“I know, just wanted to check in. Amelia flew in and she brought some food for you.”
“I’m not hungry.”
“I know that too.”
I sigh and tear my eyes from Harper to look at them. Their faces are lined with worry, though they try to mask it with small smiles. Amelia steps forward, holding a small brown bag.
“Just something light,” she says gently. “A sandwich, some fruit. You need to keep your strength up.”
I nod reluctantly. “Thanks,” I mutter. Amelia places the bag on the side table, her hand brushing mine briefly before she steps back.
Lorenzo pulls a chair closer to me and sits down, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees. “Any change?”
I shake my head, my throat tightening.
“No. She’s still out. The doctors said it’s just a matter of time, but…” My voice trails off, and I glance back at Harper. She looks so small and fragile under the hospital sheets, her usually vibran t presence reduced to shallow breaths and a pale complexion.
Lorenzo sighs deeply, running a hand through his hair. “We’ll get through this. You know Harper, she’s a fighter. She’ll come out on top.”
I nod, though the words feel hollow. “And Gianni? Any updates?”
Lorenzo’s expression darkens. “Not yet. But Elio flew in every available man to go find him. He won’t get far.”
Amelia clears her throat, her eyes darting between Lorenzo and me. “I can stay here for a while if you need to step out. Get some air, maybe?”
I shake my head again, more firmly this time. “No, I’m not leaving her.”
Amelia hesitates, then nods. “Alright. Just… don’t forget we’re here if you need anything, okay?”
“Thanks,” I say, the word coming out quieter than I intended.
Lorenzo stands, giving my shoulder a reassuring squeeze. “Stay strong, big sis. We’ll handle the rest.”
I watch as they leave, the door closing softly behind them. The room feels impossibly quiet again, save for the steady beep of the monitor and the rhythmic hum of the machines.
I text Elio to tell him we need to transport her back home as soon as possible; I want her out of Italy now!