39. Alessia
Chapter thirty-nine
Alessia
I ’m rolling my body with my hands in my hair as the music flows through me.
The adrenaline from earlier only rolled into more energy, and I needed a night out to release the steam. Otherwise, I would’ve spent the entire night feeling trapped and jittery. Also, very alone.
I’ve been fending off male after male since I decided to take myself for a spin on the dancefloor. It isn’t time to pick out my victim to lure back to my place tonight yet. I only just got here.
“Hey, baby!” Someone comes up behind me and breathes their hot breath down my neck. His groin touches my ass, and it may not have been the crudest grope I’ve endured tonight, but it was uninvited, and I’ve had just about enough of it.
Just walk away, Alessia. Walk away .
I plan on doing just that, but as soon as I take a step forward, his hands grab at my hips to pull me back. “Where you going, sweetness?”
I grit my teeth so fucking hard my jaw groans under the pressure. I fist my hands trying to quell the trembling in them.
“Just one dance, baby.” His puny erection rubs against my ass, and it’s more than I can take.
My actions are out of my control as I spin around with a toothy grin, facing the guy with a death wish. He returns my smile, utterly ignorant of the danger. “You want to dance?”
He nods his head with enthusiasm, licking his lips as he violates me with his eyes. When his perverted gaze reaches my face again, he must sense something disturbing in it because his expression drops simultaneously with his hands. But it’s too late.
I have no recollection of taking my shoe off, but it’s in my hand one second, and then the next, the heel of my stiletto is piercing through his left eye socket. Blood instantly bursts from him, and he goes down, howling like a baby. His entourage I was oblivious to jump back, but keep close with concern. Though they avoid me with caution.
I grimace with a girlish gasp, adding a hand over my mouth for theatrics. “Whoopsies.” I step over the writhing punk, planting my feet on either side of his torso. “Aw, what’s wrong, baby? I thought you wanted to dance,” I say with a pouty tone, but I can’t wipe the gleeful look off my face.
“You bitch!” he cries out, holding his damaged eye with bold hands. “You got my fucking eye!” he screams with blood dripping into his mouth and staining his teeth.
My head cants to one side in amusement as music and lights continue to blare around us. The rest of the patrons are too far gone in alcohol and desire to pay us any attention.
“You fucking bitch!” Spittle comes flying out as he rolls around on the floor.
I take a seat on top of him, plopping down with unnecessary force and pinning him down on his back. He grunts and groans. “No one touches me without a formal invitation,” I coo, dragging my nails up and down his chest seductively.
“Goddamnit! My fucking eye! My eye is gone!” he cries over and over like a little bitch, and I don’t appreciate being ignored.
Pulling out a knife, I lean down and hold the blade to his neck. Luckily, he still has one good eye and freezes under me when he catches the glare of the shiny metal. I grin and take a look at the rest of him. “Too bad. If you could’ve been a good boy and remained patient, we could’ve been going back to my place tonight.”
He pants beneath me, giving me that look I know and love. The one that tells me I wield all the power.
“I guess we still could.” I drag the dull side of my blade back and forth against his skin, toying with him. “You’re actually really sexy like this,” I purr. “All bloody and vulnerable.”
“You’re fucking crazy,” he rushes out in a choked voice.
I stop. “I am.” Leaning in all the way, I flatten my tongue against the side of his jaw, not completely tainted in his blood, and swipe it all the way up to his hairline. “Mmm,” I moan. “You’re tasty.” I giggle and lean back some.
He’s even more petrified as he gapes at me, his good eye unblinking. “Okay, you’ve had your fun,” my new friend Kamea says, appearing out of nowhere with two grizzly men flanking her as always.
I give her a pouty lip. “But I was just getting started,” I whine, causing her to smile and shake her head at me.
“Is anyone going to get this crazy bitch off me?!” One-eyed Willy shouts for anyone to listen. He tries to sit up, and I shove him back down without taking my eyes off Kamea.
“Come on,” she says patiently, holding her hand out for me.
My shoulders slump as I look back down at Willy. “I’m sorry, baby.” I play with the collar of his shirt. “Looks like this is where we say goodbye.” I lean down, and he recoils from my proximity. “You should know,” I rasp against his ear. “Chicks dig scars. And eye patches.”
Planting a wet kiss on his cheek, I place my hand in Kamea’s and let her pull me to my feet. There’s a commotion behind me as one of her men handles the situation, and I let her drag me through the unaware patrons and back to her VIP section in the club.
“You really do not know how to lay low, do you?” she sasses as we take a seat on the suede couch.
I shrug a shoulder and pick up the drink sitting on the table in front of me. Not bothering to check who it belongs to. I know I have nothing to worry about here in this private section surrounded by security to protect little Princess Kamea. She’s mafia royalty over here on the West Coast.
“You do need to cut that shit out though, Less.” I eye her over my drink, and she rolls her eyes at me. “ Frida ,” she corrects. “My dad can’t have you drawing attention like that in here.”
“He touched me,” I grumble.
“So knee him in the face next time. A bloody nose can go unnoticed. But not when you take someone’s eye out.”
I look at her as she calmly waits for a response. “Okay.” I sigh. “I’m sorry, Kam. I’m just a little tightly wound tonight.”
“Any particular reason why?”
I stare at the crowd beneath us as they all dance to the music and with each other. So carefree …I’m reminded of times with Massimo, and it instantly sours my mood.
I finally shake my head. She doesn’t know what I do now for a living. No one does. She’d be horrified if she did. She might come from a crime family like I do, but she did not grow up knowing that, nor has she embraced it like I have. She dresses edgy and has dark, exotic features, but she’s a real sweetheart. She and I couldn’t be more opposite.
I turn my attention back to her and find her staring off into space, her usual smile missing. “What about you?” She looks at me. “There’s obviously something going on with you.” I get up to sit back closer to her, so I don’t have to shout over the loud music. “Spill.”
“He’s back,” she says solemnly.
I frown. “Who?”
She stares back at me silently for a moment. “Anson.”
“Oh.” I pause. “What do you mean by back? Like back into town, or…?”
Her eyes dart around. “I can’t really talk about it here. I’ll fill you in later, though.”
I nod my head in understanding. “So, have you seen him yet?”
She nods. “Yup.”
“And?” I question. “What happened?”
“He fucking hates me.” She leans forward to grab the bottle of liquor and pours two shots.
“Why?”
She hands me a shot, and we both take them. She slams her empty glass down on the table. “Because I ruined his life.”
I join Kamea in drowning in alcohol to numb our pain, and dancing late into the middle of the night before calling the quits.
It’s still dark outside when I wake up to the annoying chirping going off. I yawn and stretch before padding my way through the quietness of my home.
Hmm, perimeter breach . Probably just a coyote or deer or whatever else lives in these deserts. Grabbing my rifle propped up beside my back door, I pull up the surveillance on my tablet and check all the cameras out there. “Definitely not an animal,” I mutter as I turn all the lights out and grab my night vision goggles. I’m in the middle of nowhere, and there’d be no other reason to stumble across my property unless it were intentional.
Whoever is moving in the dark out there comes to a stop. Probably realizes I know they’re there and now waiting on me to make the first move. Good luck, buddy . I can wait all night long. I flinch a little when my phone starts going off, and I see it’s a blocked number.
“If you’re here to kill me, then at least stop pussyfooting around,” I say plainly to who I assume whoever is trespassing.
“Alessia. Where are you?”
The feelings of longing and heartache are both short-lived but violent enough to throw me off kilter when I hear the sound of a much too familiar voice. It’s quickly replaced by enmity. Ignoring the urgency in his voice, I tell him to go fuck himself and hang up. I can’t waist time staring at my phone or entertaining these twisted thoughts. I need to focus on my current situation.
Peering through the night vision lenses, I see the trespasser still hasn’t moved. My phone goes off again with the blocked number. “Look, I don’t have time for your games right now—”
“Alessia, listen to me,” he growls. “Where. Are. You?”
“None. Of. Your. Fucking—”
“Goddamnit. Are you at home?” he snaps.
Needing to end this call soon so I can focus, I answer him truthfully. “I’m at home. Why?”
“I need you to stay put. Get away from all the doors and windows. Do you have a panic room or bunker there?”
“Now, why would I need a panic room or bunker?” I sass. “I moved here to be safe, remember?”
“Stop fucking around, Alessia. I know what you do.”
I roll my eyes. “Don’t know what you’re—”
“Hey, what’s going on?” I turn around with the rifle raised. “Whoa.” He raises his hands in surrender and backs up some.
“Who the fuck is that?” Massimo barks over the phone.
Shit , I forgot about the guy I brought home last night. Oops . “It’s no one,” I murmur, embarrassed for some reason.
“Kick his ass out. You have trouble coming your way.”
“Who?” I ask, then address whatever his name is. “You need to leave.”
“Why? What’s going on? Maybe I can help.”
“You can help by leaving, and not telling anyone you were ever here.” It was stupid and impulsive of me to bring back one of Kamea’s guard dogs. No one is supposed to know where I live. Especially not someone close to another crime family.
“But, I—”
“Go!” I shout, raising the gun higher.
“Yeah, no problem.” He throws the rest of his clothes on and goes out the front door without another word.
“Alessia!” Massimo shouts over the phone, and I jerk my ear away from the phone.
“Okay, okay! Stop shouting. Just tell me what you know.”
“Your employer put a hit out on you. They found out who you are.”
“Fuck,” I hiss.
“Yes, fuck.”
When I hear an engine revving, I go to check out the front window, standing at an angle so that I can’t be seen. Thankfully, my intruder allows my one-night stand to leave in one piece.
“How do you know all this?” I go back to my post at the back of the house.
“Komodo came to me.”
“Komodo? Why?”
“He was hired to take you out.”
“Then why the fuck did he come to you ? Better yet, why didn’t he carry out the hit on me?” An alarm sounds. “ Cazzo ,” I hiss.
“What was that?”
Another side of the perimeter has been breached. Pulling up surveillance, I see that I’ve got some more company. “Huh. Sending more than one mercenary to take out little old me. I’m flattered.”
“This isn’t fucking funny.”
“I’m not laughing.” I sigh and put him on speaker so I can set the phone down.
“I’m about three miles out.”
“What?” My eyes snap to my phone. “Why?” My voice pitches higher. “I don’t need your help, Massimo. This is my land, and it’s littered with shit that’ll blow them to pieces before getting within a hundred yards of my house. And so far, it’s just two pussies who’ve yet to make a move.”
“It’s more than two pussies, Alessia.”
“How do you know?” I say defensively.
“I have drones circling over. You have a small army coming your way.”
“I’ve taken down a small army before and was less prepared for it.”
“Well, you’re getting my help whether you like it or not.”
“Whatever.” I disconnect the call and toss it aside bitterly. Why the hell am I sitting here waiting on them? I know why they’re here, and I won’t let them even think they can take me out.
“That’s right motherfuckers. I’m Alessia Bonetti, and you pompinaras are trespassing, and you can literally mangia merde e morte .” Eat shit and die .
Lining up my shot at the corner of the closed window, I pull the bolt back and then slide it back forward, locking it down. God, I love that sound . I pull the trigger, and the glass shatters around a perfect hole. I watch through the night vision scope as the man goes down. I snort as I reload. “Sorry, Charlie,” I mutter and pull up the surveillance again as I move through the house.
This other guy is on the move, and I watch him in excitement as he nears a landmine. I grin when he steps directly on it, and he’s blown to pieces. The little enjoyment doesn’t last long, though.
Damnit, here comes the firing squad .
One by one, my property is surrounded by men on foot. All prudent to keep their distance since they’re now aware of the landmines. Little do they know I apparently have backup coming, but it doesn’t matter anyway. I have the advantage of knowing each and every one of their locations, but they can’t see me. I can do this all night with all the toys I’ve been collecting.
I don’t need Massimo’s help. I didn’t back then, and I damn sure do not now.
Alright, eeny meeny miny moe . I’ll start with the one closest to the front of my house. Going into the living room now on my hands and knees, I skip the reload and switch my Remington out for my Dragunov, and begin to unload. Right away, they all start firing back blindly. Bullets come from every angle, hoping they’ll randomly get me.
I begin picking them off one at a time, varying my positions to prevent them from pinpointing me. As long as my location remains unknown, they won’t coordinate their fire in one direction.
“Whoa!” I drop to the floor and take cover when I realize one of these stronzos brought smokin’ aces to the party as drywall and plaster explode from the wall behind me. “You stronzos are ruining my home!” I yell as I army-crawl to safety. I have a .50 cal too, but it’s on the other side of the house in my arsenal. This would be an excellent time to use it too. When the hell else would I be able to use that thing?
I’m taking cover behind the metal coffee table I flipped over as holes are being blown through my walls behind me, and shots are being fired from every window in my house. Okay, so I might need backup . They clearly aren’t going to try and approach the house. They’re just going to pepper it until there’s nothing left.
Bright headlights shine through the front of my house, and the gunshots double in sound. I whip off my goggles and take a deep breath in part relief and part anxiety. My nightmare in shining armor has arrived.
Fuck, I hope they brought the big guns too . Just as that thought enters my head, I hear a heavy machine gun begin to go off.
“Oooohhhhh.” My mouth falls open in awe. “Fucking sweet.”
The shots being fired into my home begin to die off as they’re now directed at the cavalry, and I get back in the game. We pick them off quickly together, and I see that they sent more than a small army to take me out. What the fuck? I’m aware of my reputation for being crazy, but if it weren’t for Massimo coming, I would have been taken out with the small army that first started coming for me. Let’s be honest. Maybe they also got tipped off and knew Massimo De Luca was coming.
Finally, the shots come to a stop, and I stand up with ringing ears and adrenaline coursing through my veins like fire. Wow. What a rush . I look around my house at all the damage done, and there isn’t an untouched surface. Everything is in ruins. “Damnit,” I groan and drop my head back. I really liked the little home I made here.
“Alessia!” Massimo bellows out, and it’s like I’ve been thrown back in time. “Alessia!”
“I’m alright!” I shout back. “You can go now,” I mutter to myself.
The door splinters open, and there stands Massimo in the doorway, bathed in the headlights’ glow.
The devil himself has come to my rescue.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Alessia
His wild gaze scans me from head to toe.
When he reaches out to touch me, I recoil. “I’m fine. Not even one shot got me,” I say monotonously and avoid looking at his handsome face. God, why does he have to be so handsome? And his hair is longer, all the way to his chin, with the brown waves tucked behind his ears. And did he get his hands tatted?
His fists clench at his sides, turning them white and red. “How could you be so stupid ?” he spits in outrage, triggering my own.
“I am none of your concern, Massimo,” I snap and turn away from him to do who knows what? Clean? Pack up anything that survived and leave?
“You’ll always be a concern of mine. Get whatever you want if there’s anything left. You’re coming with me.”
“No, I’m not,” I say, picking up the broken picture frame of myself with the other banished Bonettis. The only family I have left. I’d be a liar if I said I didn’t miss my brothers and the rest of my family. My heart hurts thinking about how much time I’ve missed with my nephew.
“You are,” he says firmly, tearing me from my thoughts. “You know damn well I’ll make you if I have to.”
I spin around and point my rifle at the man I once loved with all my heart. “I’m not going anywhere with you,” I hiss venomously. “Thank you for the heads up and coming to my aid, but I can take it from here. Now, kindly get off my property.”
“You wouldn’t shoot me,” he foolishly taunts.
I cock my head to one side. “You don’t think so?” I cock back the bolt and slide it back forward, locking it. I might not kill him, but I will shoot him.
He steps forward some. “Do it then.”
I can totally shoot him. Why not? I know where to hit without killing him. He believes he still wields power and control over me. I’ll have to demonstrate how far I have outgrown his significance. The only reason why I don’t kill him is because his men will rush in here and shoot me dead on sight. But not if I just injure him…
Taking a breath, I place my finger on the trigger. Just as I’m about to pull it to graze his arm, a shot goes off from somewhere behind me and hits me on the back of my shoulder. My eyes widen as I gape at Massimo in shock. “You shot me?” Then the world tilts just before everything goes black.
“Ugh,” I groan as I begin to come to. “What the…?” My limbs feel leaden as I gradually pry my eyes open, squinting against the harsh light. I try to rub at them and realize I’m unable to. I yank on the cuffs that are restraining me to a chair. Or a seat more like it. I’m on a plane, cuffed to one of the seats in an upright position. That’s why my fucking neck is killing me.
“Couldn’t have at least given me a neck pillow?” I say dryly as Massimo stands in my peripheral.
“I wasn’t trying to make you comfortable.”
“Yeah, no shit.” I look up at him, seemingly unfazed. “What’s up with the cuffs? We’re in the air. Do you think I’m going to crash the plane with me on it?”
“Wouldn’t put it past you.”
I look away and lean my head back. “Can I have some water? Maybe let me take a piss?”
He leans over to uncuff me without reservation, and I hold my breath, fearful his scent might compromise my resolve. “Come on.”
Surprisingly, he let me go to the bathroom alone, giving me privacy. I wash up a little, and he’s waiting outside the door when I come out. Silently, I follow him back to the seat, and he goes to cuff me again. “Seriously, Massimo.” I hold my arms to my chest. “I’m not going to try anything. Where would I go?”
His eyes narrow on me for a moment. Then he snaps the cuff around one wrist and rises back to his full height. “I’ll get you some food and water.”
“Oh, what a great host you are.” I give him a cloying smile to add to my sarcasm. He doesn’t react as he turns and leaves.
When he comes back several moments later with a sandwich and a bottle of water, he hands them to me and sits beside me. Because this won’t be awkward at all .
“I assume Tullio and the rest of the Bonetti brigade will be waiting for me with the welcome wagon?” I ask as I uncap the bottle of water to chug it.
“He doesn’t know anything yet.”
My head whips around to face him. “What do you mean?”
“I haven’t told him,” he says coolly, giving me his profile and a moment to admire his robust features.
“Why?”
“Didn’t have time to.”
“But you’re taking me to him, right?”
He doesn’t answer right away. “I’m taking you home.”
“Whose home?”
“Ours.”
I scoff and shake my head as I look away. My appetite completely gone. “And I’m the crazy one,” I say in disbelief. What the hell is he actually thinking? “I’m not going home with you. If you really think I am, then you certainly are dense.”
“I’m dense?” he blanches and finally looks at me. “You thought you could go all Kill Bill and become a fucking assassin.”
I bite back a giggle, and it only enrages him even more. “I’m sorry. It’s just kind of funny hearing you make any movie reference.”
“You still think this is all a joke. That you almost died back, there is a fucking joke. We sent you away to keep you safe, and you put yourself in even more danger by becoming a professional killer. How could you be so arrogant and reckless?”
“I prefer audacious,” I say smugly, and his face somehow darkens even more.
“Alessia, I swear—"
“Judge me all you want, Massimo, but it wasn’t my choice to be sent away. It’s my fucking life, and I’ll do with it as I please. If you ever knew me, you would’ve known I wasn’t going to just settle down in the suburbs and meet a nice guy, get married, and have a normal life. I never wanted that, and I never will. Go ahead. Try and ship me off somewhere else. I’ll just find myself another thrill there as well.” We both sit there seething, our nostrils flaring in detest. “I’m not going home with you. If you try, I’ll do my damnedest to escape and make it so you never find me again.” Each word is more spiteful than the last, leaving my lips.
“Thanks for the warning, gattina .”
“Do not call me that,” I growl, and he finds amusement in it as his lips twitch. Giving me a small taste of my own medicine.
He invades my space, and I don’t dare move an inch. Standing my ground proudly. “I’ll call you whatever I want, gattina . Especially mine ,” he rasps in my face, and it takes every ounce of strength not to be affected.
“I’ll never be yours again. Just so you can toss me to the curb for the second time? No fucking thank you. Fool me once, and you’re dead to me.”
He chuckles and leans back in his seat, allowing me to fill my lungs with air. “ Siamo fatti l’uno all’altra, amore mio .” We’re made for each other, my love . He lightly trails a finger down my forearm, then back up again. I keep still as my skin breaks out in little bumps. “I made the mistake of sending you away, and I won’t make the same mistake twice. So, get used to it, Alessia, because I am never letting you go.”
It’s me who invades his space this time. “In your twisted ass dreams, cornuto ,” cuckhold , I whisper against his lips, then flick my tongue out to swipe from his lips to his forehead before falling back into my seat and facing forward.
His eyes remain on me. “Eat your sandwich.” He stands up. “We’ll be home soon.”
I take three bites of the sandwich and then toss it in the seat next to me. I’m not hungry, and I’m not going to be his obedient prisoner. I’d rather be Tullio’s. I’ll have to find a way of contacting him. Once he learns of the attack on me and Massimo’s intervention, he’ll undoubtedly come to confront the De Lucas, insisting on seeing me. I’ll beg him to take me home with him, and unless Massimo is willing to jeopardize his alliance with his new best buddy, he’ll have no choice but to let me go.