41. Alessia
CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
ALESSIA
I didn’t expect to be as emotional as I was, and I certainly didn’t expect Astor to be emotional. When he kissed me, it felt like a restart. It felt like the beginning to my happily ever after that I never knew I’d get. It felt like I was coming home, but it also felt familiar. Like I’d done it a million times before.
“I’m so proud of you, sweetheart. You both are perfect for each other,” my mom says, pulling me in for a hug. Astor is talking with his parents and I realize just how big his smile is. It’s contagious, because I can’t stop smiling myself now. My mom looks at my gaze and smiles. He’s walking over to me when he spots me, his smile growing wider, despite how big it already is.
“You were beautiful, Lessia,” Teagan says, stepping in front of me. I peek over his shoulder as Astor moves towards me.
“Thank you and thank you for being here; for him.” He nods, opening his arms to me for a hug. Before he can hug me, both of our heads snap towards the sudden screams that shriek from behind us. Astor is screaming my name and I feel the cold metal suddenly being pushed in my hand by Teagan. I look down at the gun before I’m being yanked down behind the table Astor and I were sitting at.
“Alessia!” Astor is beside me before I have a moment to wrap my head around the sounds I’m hearing.
“What the fuck is going on?” I scream as the sounds of bullets fly over my head. Astor is covering my head as Teagan peeks from around the table.
“There’s five out there, I’ll take one and two o’clock, you take five and six, Alessia; take four,” he instructs.
I look at Astor and he looks at me with questioning eyes. I know they think I’m sweet Alessia . I know they think that the violent side of me is gone. But the truth is, the last few weeks my memory has been coming back with a vengeance. I still haven’t put it all together, but what I do know is that my family? They are off fucking limits.
“I’m good!” I yell over the commotion. He nods, cocking his gun back.
“You better be. Teagan, now!” Astor yells. We all stand up and I see these men in suits. They blend in with the guests and I quickly wonder if they’ve been here the entire time, waiting for the perfect time to cause havoc at my wedding. Teagan shoots his men quickly, Astor following behind. My gun is raised, but it jams as I go to fire. My target notices, but so does Astor and Teagan. I don’t panic, I’m surprisingly calm as I run towards the man, swiping a knife off one of the tables as I go. He’s shocked; he doesn’t expect it. Astor and Teagan are rushing to him from both sides and he freezes, not sure who to go for first.
He reaches out to swing on Astor, then Teagan, but he forgets me. As usual, always doubt the woman.
Big mistake .
I flip the knife around in my hand. When I reach him, Astor and Teagan back off as I yank him by his head and ram my knee into his nose. My dress is tight, but I still have my range of motion—which Caroline said was a must and I’m glad I listened to her. Blood sprays his face and I ram my fist into his stomach, making him double over. When his knees hit the ground, I yank his head back by the roots of his hair, bending to his ear.
“You’re ruining my fucking wedding.” Then I ram the knife in the side of his neck; being sure to hit the right spot that’ll make him bleed out. He grabs his neck, his hand hovering over the knife as he struggles to pull it out. He drops and I step over him. “Asshole,” I grumble, reaching for another knife as we pass a table and head towards the entrance.
I see my father and Xavier telling the guards to keep all the guests in the corridor that’s in the backyard.
“Alessia!” my father yells as he rushes up to me. He looks me over and I shrug him off.
“I’m fine, what the hell is going on?” He looks over his shoulder at Astor and I glance between them. “Miles? Right? That’s his name? He’s here?”
“Find him. Take her to the safe room and fucking find him. Send everyone home, get a body count of who the fuck these animals killed,” Astor says to Teagan. I shake my head.
“Fuck that, I’m not running.”
“Alessia?” I turn around to see Caroline at the entrance. She’s holding her side and there’s blood leaking from it.
“Caro!” I rush to her, stopping when I see the man from the bar, the man that apparently holds many secrets of life.
Miles .
“Hi, tornado,” he says. My stomach feels sick.
Tornado? Why do I remember that? Why the fuck do I remember him?
Tornado .
“Alessia! Alessia! Open your fucking eyes!” I jolt my eyes open. I’m on the floor, pictures of Caro rush to my mind and I jump up.
“Caro. She was hurt...”
“She’s fine. She’s in surgery. You fainted.”
“Miles, he was here. He called me…”
“Tornado,” Astor says, pushing my hair out of my face. I nod and he lifts me.
“I’ve got her, secure this fucking place down,” he says, walking me to my room. He sits me on my bed and forces my face to his. “You did good, baby girl.”
“I did?”
“You did.” He kisses me and I expect tears to fall, but instead I feel good. Like I’m on a high, like I never left.
“I need to get to Caroline.”
“Justin is with her, he’ll call after her surgery is over.”
“Did anyone die?” He grinds his teeth and I know the answer before he speaks it.
“Yes, four people. Very important people to the mafia. Bad for Miles, good for us.”
My eyebrows furrow and he rubs my hands that look so small in his.
“They want him dead.”
“They know it wasn’t us?” He nods at me and stands, shedding off his jacket. “You have to leave?”
“Just to your father’s office. Come here.” I stand, gathering my dress to stand before him. His eyes rake over my body and he pauses on the blood that’s welted on my arm. I look down and shrug.
“It’s just a scratch.” I push my finger in my mouth and go to wipe it off when he grabs my hand. He bends down to my arm and runs his tongue over the clotted blood. It oozes a little and he laps it up again. He presses his lips against it before running his teeth across it. It’s sore, but doesn’t hurt much. A moan slips from my lips when a knock comes on from the door.
Astor swears under his breath before answering it.
“What?” he asks, yanking the door open to reveal our mothers. “Mom,” he says, softening his voice. My mother pushes past him when she sees the blood on my dress and I shake my head before she gets ahead of herself.
“Mama, it’s not my blood. I’m fine. Are you ok?”
“Yes, sweetheart. Your father and Xavier put us in the safe room the moment the gunshots went off. I was so worried about you; this is your wedding day, for Christ’s sake.” She starts crying and I brush the tears away from her face.
“It’s ok, the wedding was perfect. They ruined my reception, but they didn't get the satisfaction of claiming my wedding.”
“There’s a lot of damage control to do. You’re ok?” Astrid asks, peeking over at me. I nod and she smiles at me.
“Ellie, let’s leave them to it and go clean this disaster up, shall we?” My mom nods and they leave the room. Astor’s hand isn’t even off the handle before another knock comes.
Fuck’s sake.
“Boss, we’re all clear. Followed him to an abandoned road, but they lost him. I’ll have the report ready in thirty minutes.”
“Send it to Ander, we’re meeting in there. Make sure no one disturbs me for the next thirty minutes.
“Yes, sir.” The door shuts and I watch Astor as he strips off his tie and starts unbuttoning his shirt. I smirk at him, running my tongue over my lips.
“You covered your tattoos,” he says, running his eyes down my arm that holds my tattooed sleeve.
“Not all of them, just some. That bother you?”
“Come here, wife.” My insides are on fire when he says that, because now it’s true. I’m his wife.
“Yes?”
“Yes, what?”
I grin and tilt my chin up higher to face him.
“Yes, husband.” He lets out a hmm in satisfaction before wrapping his hand possessively around my neck and yanking me to him.
“Say it again,” he growls, nipping at my ear. I let out a moan before obliging and biting my lips.
“Husband.”