Chapter 26
When I get out of the shower, I dress in the white tank top and torn jeans I grabbed from my wardrobe. It’s so eerie being back in this room. What’s even stranger is it’s all set up back to what it was before they took all my furniture away. I have my own space again. Who knows for how long because I can’t imagine Geovani is going to let me stay here, but I enjoyed my shower and scrubbing the filth of yesterday’s street fight from my skin and hair.
Before I leave the room, I gently towel dry my hair, allowing my curls to fall loosely over my shoulders. I collect my dirty clothes from yesterday and throw them in the hamper. As I do, something falls out of the pocket of my cargo pants. A black flash drive. What on earth? I didn’t put that in there.
I wander into the room and don’t even react when I see Alessandro sitting on the edge of my bed in his fancy suit. I guess I was expecting it. His gaze travels up and down my body, hunger overpowering his anger. It’s been a long time since we were alone together. A part of me wonders if he’s about to fly across the room, pin me down, and fuck me for having the audacity to sign some work contract with Geovani. We both know he’s just pissed because he didn’t know anything about it, and he craves control. Especially over me. Honestly, this is on him. If he’d come to me in the first place and offered to help me with my family businesses like Geovani did, he could be the one benefiting right now. Instead, he kept all that stuff from me and tried to control me.
Instead of approaching him, I choose to stop and pull the curtains back so light floods the room. It’s a stunning day outside, and I need the sun on my skin to make me feel alive again. I also slip the flash drive discreetly into my back pocket, not sure I want him to see it. “What can I do for you, boss?” I ask as I watch one of the new guards patrolling the yard.
I am aware of Alessandro standing up and moving across the room, coming closer to me. I don’t bother to turn around. Instead, I close my eyes and let the sunshine warm my face. He places his hand on my hip softly, and I hear him take a breath, maybe trying to calm his crazy before he opens his mouth. We can both only hope because he knows as well as I do if he starts in on me, I’m going to give it back to him.
He drops his head closer to me, breathing me in, and for a second, I lean back into him, remembering how nice things used to be between us. How badly I craved his touch. “Geovani wants to see you downstairs,” he murmurs softly, but there is no sense of urgency in his words. He could stand here all day holding me just like this, and I would let him. Because it feels so damn normal.
Eventually I swivel to face him, staring up into those dark eyes that captivate me so much. Something passes between us, a buzz of electricity, and I want to reach out and wrap my arms around him, pull him into me, and have his big strong arms cradle me while he tells me everything is going to be okay. He used to feel so safe to me. But there is too much pain between us now. Too much uncertainty. “Okay,” I mutter, wanting to say so much more but not finding the words to even start. I wish I knew how to fix us, but maybe it’s not possible.
Just as I’m about to leave, he quickly places his hands on both sides of my waist, keeping me close. His haunted eyes meet mine. “Look, Harley, I should have listened to you last night. I could see you were scared; I should never have tried to force you to get in that car.”
I blink back up at him, a little shocked. Is Alessandro Moretti apologizing to me?
“Things have gotten so far out of control with Enzo and Carlo. I was hyper-focused on getting revenge, making them see who was really in charge of Ravens Hollow. And I didn’t pay attention to how that intense situation would have been making you feel.”
“Are you okay?” I ask, sounding super sarcastic, but I’m in shock. When does he apologize for anything or give a shit about how I’m feeling.
For a second, he closes his eyes and leans his forehead into mine, and I start to really worry. Is he broken? “We nearly lost one of our own last night, and that’s on me. I won’t let it happen again.”
I hold him close, knowing it’s what he needs. He may not be my favorite person right now, but that doesn’t mean I want to see him hurting. “Alessandro, we’re not all your responsibility. We’re adults who make our own choices, good or bad.”
His fingers dig into my sides as he hugs me tighter. “I won’t lose someone else I care about. Not again.”
I move my hand up his body and gently cradle his face, and he kisses it. His heart is shattered and haunted. We are all tortured souls just trying to survive. “Come on, we better not keep him waiting. He’s likely to start dishing out punishments.” I take one of his hands in mine, and we walk from the room. I could have stayed in there with him all day pretending the rest of the world didn’t exist, but we both know it does.
“I don’t want to know what you mean by that.” He presses the button for the elevator, his face hardening, and we step in. His mask is firmly back in place. In my room just now, he was just a person, Alessandro, not hardened mafia boss.
“No, you don’t,” I mutter under my breath, a small tingle running through me at the memory of Geovani and his belt the other day. Alessandro would go ape-shit crazy if he knew.
Alessandro moves in behind me, his arms wrapping around my front as we take the elevator down to the lower floor. His lips drop to my ear. I glance in the mirrored door to see the two of us together. Bruised and battered from the fight last night, we both look like shadows of our former selves. “I could think of a few good punishments for you myself after what you did.” His lips twitch up at the side, and I know he’s imagining just what he would do to me right now. My insides clench at the thought. What is wrong with me?
The doors ping open, and our reflection is gone. “I’m sure you could.” I chuckle lightly, glad we can still have some playful banter between us. Maybe all isn’t lost after all.
He takes my hand before I can leave. “Princess, if you ever scare me like that again, I will kill you myself.” His words send a cold shiver over my body because I hear the truth in them. It’s not a threat, it’s a promise.
My hand moves to his solid chest, our eyes meeting. “I scared myself. I can promise you now, I will never run from you again. Thinking Maddox could die because of me…” I shake my head, trying to remove the memory of the horror I felt last night. “I will never…” The words get caught in my throat. “You all mean too much to me.”
His eyes hold mine, and I know that’s what he needed to hear. We don’t really do the mushy stuff, but I need him to know I’m not that stupid. “I promise you, if you come to me again scared, I will hear you and make sure you feel safe. You’re mine to protect in every way.”
Now it’s my turn to smile. “Thank you. But just so we’re clear, I’m not yours, boss.”
His hand moves down my side, finishing on my ass. “I think we both know you are.” He moves in to kiss my lips, claiming me with a heated kiss that makes my heart race and my toes curl. The tension between us is so twisted. He has the uncanny ability to turn me to liquid with a few flicks of his tongue. My hand twists into his shirt, and I cling to him as our kiss deepens.
When we both pull back, I’m panting and breathless. “Let’s go deal with the consequences of you signing some contract before discussing it with me first.” His bossy tone is back, and the lust I was just feeling for him is gone in an instant. Evaporated into thin air.
I roll my eyes. His kindness lasted all of five seconds. He snakes an arm around my shoulders as we enter the living room and kitchen. Goosebumps rise over my skin, unease filling me, when I glance toward the patio area where the wall blew up and that man tried to grab me. The trauma is still way too fresh in my mind.
“It’s all fixed. Like nothing happened,” Alessandro says quietly, sensing my discomfort of walking into the room where it all happened last time we were here. The glass door is in one piece, and the marble has been scrubbed clean of any evidence that the blown-out brains of that dude would have left. It’s back to normal.
Geovani stands in the spacious kitchen. His piercing gaze fixes on us, his strong arms folded tightly over his chest. The faint aroma of freshly brewed coffee lingers in the air. His face is covered in dark, painful bruises, with one eye nearly swollen shut. I will never understand why he enjoys fighting when the result looks so fucking painful.
I’m at a loss for what to say to him. It feels like so much has changed since yesterday before his fight, when the two of us last shared a kiss and a moment alone. Part of me wants to check in with him, see if he’s okay after what he and Alessandro did to his pa, but I can already see today isn’t going to be that day.
I distance myself from Alessandro, feeling awkward and not wanting this to turn into a pissing match between them. Instead, I head for the glass sliding door and stare out at my old favorite sunny spot. The lounger is in full sun and looks mighty enticing. I also can’t believe how normal the rest of the patio looks. The wall is rebuilt, and if I didn’t live through it, I wouldn’t believe that only a few weeks ago, this place had been totaled.
“Red, we need to talk,” I hear Geovani’s voice, raspy and worn out, which comes as no surprise given my knowledge of him. He rarely gets enough sleep, and last night would have been no exception. I wouldn’t be surprised to find out he hadn’t slept at all yet. How could he, knowing he killed his pa.
I let out a weary sigh, bracing myself for the inevitable confrontation. Slowly I turn back toward them. Alessandro has made himself useful and poured me a coffee and a plate of food, with some fresh berries, yoghurt, and muesli. It looks delicious. I take a seat at the kitchen island where he’s left it for me.
The kitchen is filled with an eerie silence as both men watch me, their presence palpable. “What, you guys are freaking me out,” I say, popping a blueberry in my mouth, trying to act normal even though I don’t feel it. Having them in the same room is scary. There is too much testosterone or power or something. I’m not sure how to handle it.
Alessandro leans into the opposite counter. “Geovani and I have come to an arrangement that works for us both,” he finally says.
The sound of Geovani cracking his neck echoes loudly in the kitchen. “I’m moving my operations in here, including Dani and Marco, until we sort this trouble out,” he adds, and my eyes go wide in surprise.
Maybe Ricky was on to something last night. “We’re all going to play happy family. Okay?” I agree, but I still don’t really believe it.
“Harley, take this seriously!” they both snap at the same time, then glare at each other.
I cover my mouth, trying to stop myself from laughing out loud, but this is the funniest thing I have seen in a long time. I always knew they were similar, but now they know it. Now they’re both giving me a fierce look, arms tightly crossed. “Nope, if you could see what I do right now…” I burst out laughing, seeing the hilarious side here. “You would be laughing as well.” I’m not sure if I’m delusional from lack of sleep or what the fuck is going on. Every time I try to stop giggling like a schoolgirl, I start again. And the funnier I think it is, the angrier they get with me.
“Red!” Geovani startles me as he forcefully slams his fist onto the kitchen counter, and I know I need to pull it together.
“Sorry,” I mutter, shoving food in my mouth to stop the laughter escaping again. Standing side by side, they don’t look all that similar, but they certainly act like cousins. I guess growing up the eldest child in one of these mafia families really does shape you a certain way.
He clears his throat. “Like I was saying, we will work from here. Alessandro has bedrooms set up for all of us and a spare room for us to use as an office. You can commence work again on Friday when I have it all set up.”
“Only if you want to, princess. That contract is bullshit,” Alessandro adds, a bitterness to his voice.
I shrug one shoulder. “I want to. I like the work I’m doing with them, keeps my mind busy.”
“Hmmm,” Alessandro grumbles, and I know he doesn’t approve. If it were up to him, I would be arm candy like his mother is for Enzo. No fucking way!
The tension between the two of them is palpable, and I find myself growing more and more annoyed. They’re not fooling me. “I’m sorry, but how is this going to work? Seven of us in this place? You two in this house, together. I’m less worried about what’s going on out there and more worried you’re going to kill each other.”
Geovani’s eyes narrow in on me, and he massages his scalp like he’s getting a headache, or maybe like I’m his headache. “Your brother moves in as soon as I can get everything set up. We will resume training on Friday at seven a.m. I expect to see you in the gym.” With an annoyed huff, he pushes off the counter and briskly walks away from the kitchen.
Fuck. He’s pissed. I watch him go. His massive body is coiled so tight with tension and pain. And I know I’m not helping, but this tension between us, he caused it. Not me. Why the hell did he want me at that fight yesterday?
“Nice to know it’s not just me you like to rile up,” Alessandro says on his way past me.
I throw my hands up in the air. “I wasn’t trying to,” I mutter into the now empty room. Well, at least I know how to get some space when I want it. Burst into a laughing fit at an inappropriate time, check. I finish off my food, enjoying the silence. The calm before the storm.
Seven of us in this house is going to end badly, I just know it.