Chapter 25 Alessio
ALESSIO
“We are a mess. What’s it called when two men mourn their sex lives?” I asked Klaus as we sat inside one of Matteo’s clubs. I was bored out of my mind, but being here with Klaus beat being at my empty apartment.
I was so lonely these days, something I hated to admit, that I was contemplating getting a damn cat. I’d even gone as far as going to the shelter to look at them.
Either I was losing my mind or getting too damn old. It was open for debate.
“Pathetic,” Klaus muttered. “That’s what I’m calling it. Or us.”
I scoffed at that. He likely wasn’t wrong.
I stared out at the sea of people. It was unusually busy. It did this when the weather was nice. I suppose warm temperatures made people wear less clothes and more likely to fuck.
“She’s pretty,” I said, nodding to the blonde who was dancing with a group of her friends.
Klaus grunted but didn’t look her way.
The girl caught my eye, and I smirked at her. I didn’t feel anything at all inside of me, unless I counted the self-loathing that seemed to be growing heavier as of late.
“No,” Klaus said as I gestured for the girl to come to me. “Alessio.”
“We need this,” I said as she approached.
He grunted his disapproval and drank more. Typical Klaus behavior.
“Um, hi,” the girl said as she stopped at our table.
“Hello,” I answered, taking in how pretty she was. Long, tanned legs, a sexy hip flare, pouty lips, and blue eyes. I could easily get lost in her for an hour or two.
“Are you having fun in our club?” I asked, gesturing for her to sit.
Klaus muttered something in German as she slid into the booth next to me.
“It’s so much fun,” she said, leaning into me. “We’re celebrating my birthday.”
“Well, happy birthday, pretty girl,” I said, smiling at her.
Her cheeks flushed pink.
She was a sure thing, that much I knew.
“Is this really your club?” she continued.
“Mm, yes,” I said, reaching out and twirling a lock of her hair around my finger.
“It’s really nice.” She leaned in closer to me. “I like it.”
“Good,” I murmured. “What’s your name?”
“Jade,” she answered, batting her long, dark lashes at me.
“Jade,” I mused. “Well, Jade, my name is Alessio, and this is my friend Klaus.”
Her blue eyes roved over to Klaus, who was finishing another drink. He didn’t cast her a second look.
“He’s… big,” she commented.
“In many ways.” I winked at her, which only made her cheeks flush a darker shade of pink. “He likes it when women go to him and beg for his cock. Are you a beggar, Jade?”
“Um.” She let out a soft, nervous laugh. “Maybe.”
I chuckled at that, doing everything I could to keep Indigo out of my damn head. We weren’t a couple. She was someone I admired and fucked. Twice. It meant nothing.
It meant nothing.
NOTHING.
I breathed out.
“I don’t like to beat around the bush,” I said, pouring her a drink and sliding it to her. She lifted it to her lips and drank, her eyes fixed on me.
“I want to fuck you with my friend. That’s it. We get one another off, and then you leave. How does that sound?”
“Good,” she said, glancing at Klaus again.
She was clearly into him, too, so that made this easier. Although I didn’t think we’d ever find women who weren’t into us.
That made life easier when we weren’t on the hunt for good pussy. It typically just found us.
Pussy fate.
That’s what I referred to it as.
“Klaus likes to be warmed up,” I said, leaning in to kiss along her jaw. She shuddered as she pressed her tits against me. “Go warm him up.”
If she could get past Klaus, this would be a great night. I wasn’t sure if he’d take the bait, and if he didn’t, it told me everything I feared.
He was truly in love with whoever the girl he was seeing was.
Jade stood and went to Klaus. He finished his next drink before looking up at her.
“What the fuck do you want?” he demanded.
“I-I thought maybe we could…”
“Fuck?” Klaus shook his head and shot me a sour look. “I have a girlfriend. I’m not interested.”
“Where is she?” Jade asked, her eyes wide. “She doesn’t need to know.”
“I would know, and it’s unacceptable to me.” Klaus stood and glared at me. “But don’t worry. My friend has a woman too, and he clearly doesn’t mind using your pussy to forget about her.”
I clenched my jaw, hating how his words cut me so deeply. Klaus always just said what he thought. This time was no exception.
“You’re leaving?” I asked as Klaus stepped around Jade.
“Yes. I need to speak to…” His voice trailed off. “Enjoy your night.”
He pushed past Jade, and she looked at me.
I watched him disappear through the crowd, my heart in my throat. He was in love. And I was sitting in the club with a woman who didn’t give a shit about me past a few free drinks.
“You and your friends drink for free,” I murmured, getting to my feet. “Have a good night, Jade.”
She called out to me as I left the club. I thought I could catch up to Klaus, but he was long gone.
Sighing, I pulled my phone out and called Vincenzo.
The phone rang five times before his deep voice came on the line.
“Father,” he said.
“Can we meet for dinner?” I asked. “A late one?”
He was quiet for a moment before answering. “Just us? No kidnapping or anything?”
“Just us,” I promised, hating that he had to question my intentions at all. I wasn’t this man. I’d never wanted to hurt my boy, but here I was, begging him to trust me after my sins against him and his new family.
“Right now?”
“Yes, if you’re available.”
“Uh, yeah. I can meet you. Where?”
“The Loon,” I said, mentioning a neutral ground in the city for anyone cutting a business deal.
“OK. I’ll be there soon.”
“See you soon, son.” I disconnected the call, got into my car, and drove away.
I did all I could to keep Indigo out of my head on the way to the restaurant. She had a way of creeping back in, though, despite my best efforts.
Once at The Loon, I got out, tossed my keys to the valet, and went inside.
Immediately, I was led to our usual table, reserved for the kings, and sat down.
“Will you have anyone joining you this evening, Mr. Valentino?” Sarah, the hostess, asked.
“My son. Vincenzo will be here shortly. See to it that he is brought straight to me.”
She inclined her head and left me.
I drummed my fingers on the tabletop and looked around.
It was fairly busy in here tonight, which would explain why so many people were in the waiting area, desperate to get in to taste the food here.
While the food was good, it was the place itself that mattered.
It had been a neutral ground for many decades, and some of the worst in the world’s history had sat at its tables.
Monsters. Elite. Even Everett Church dined here from time to time, but I suspected he would no longer be a patron, considering he was on the run.
It wasn’t long before I spotted Vincenzo being led to me. I stood to greet him with a hug, which he thankfully returned, before we sat.
“You look well,” I commented, finally getting to see him for the first time in weeks without the strobing club lights. He was certainly bigger. Stronger. Healthy.
“Thanks,” he said, eyeing me. “Are you well, Father?”
“I am not,” I said, smiling at how perceptive he was. He was so much like his mother. “I suspect we are both unwell.”
He nodded. “How is B?”
“She is good. Sassy as ever. Does she put you and the kings through your paces?”
He grunted. “Too often. She’s a bit of hellfire, if you know what I mean.”
“I do.” I nodded. “But she is a good woman, and I am proud of you for having picked her.”
He was quiet for a moment as he stared down at his hands. “When can I have her back? Is she coming back to me?” He looked up at me, his dark eyes glimmering.
“She is,” I said gently. “I do not foresee Matteo keeping her.”
“Is he planning to kill her or the babies?”
“No, son. He is not.”
He breathed out. “Has she been hurt at all? He isn’t forcing her, right?”
“He isn’t doing any of those things,” I confirmed. “She is well-cared for. She has her own space and all she could ask for.”
“Except us,” he muttered, looking down at his hands again.
“Vincenzo, what did I tell you when you were a young boy? About bad days?”
“If this is the worst day of my life, then I’m having a good life,” he muttered.
“It is merely a bump in the road. Matteo does nothing without cause or good reason. Trust that.”
He grunted again but didn’t push the subject.
“How is Levin?”
“He’s fine,” he said, glancing at me. “Upset that I was coming here. Tried to come with me.”
I nodded. “He is protective, like his father. It’s an admirable trait. He is a good man.”
“Then why all of this?” He threw his hands out around him.
“It’s so fucking pointless. Why was he dragged into the fold, only to be fucked with and beaten?
Why did you lie to me about Drake’s involvement in all of this?
Why is Bianca with you guys and not us? Why is Matteo so intent on killing Dom? Like, fuck, Dad, why?”
I stared at him, taking in the turmoil on his face.
“It’s just part of a bigger plan,” I said softly. “I expect we’re leaving the game, son.”
He crinkled his brows at me. “What?”
“We’re tired. We seem to want different lives. We always have. Matteo never wanted this empire. When we were your age, we wanted to play in a band and tour the world. We had no interest in running a mafia syndicate.”
“The only way out of our world is in a body bag,” he said softly. “Is that the plan? Go out with guns blazing?”
“Perhaps,” I muttered.
“I’m not going to kill you,” he said fiercely.
“I’m not. I already lost my mom and my sister.
I won’t lose you, too.” His voice shook as he stared at me.
“We may not be getting along right now, but you’re my dad, and I love you despite all of the shit happening around us.
It hurts me, and I don’t like it, but I do love you.
I remember the man you always were, and I am begging you to come back. ”
I swallowed hard at his words. “I will not leave you.”
“Do you promise?” His voice trembled as he stared at me.
“I do,” I said gently, reaching for his hand. “I just want a different life.”
“Who is she?” He stared back at me.
I let out a soft chuckle. So damn perceptive.
“I do not wish to give her name. She is simply a beautiful woman who has me confused.”
“Because you still love Mom,” he murmured.
I nodded, my throat tight. “Yes. Because I do still love your mother.”
“Mr. Valentino, would you like to order?” our waiter asked, his voice holding a slight tremble to it.
“Yes. My usual,” I said, not looking away from my son.
“I’ll take whatever he’s having,” Vincenzo said.
Our waiter left, leaving us alone again.
“Does this woman know how you feel?” Vincenzo asked.
I shook my head. “She does not. I ran out on her when she told me she loved me.”
Vincenzo sighed. “Bad move. Women don’t like that.”
I chuckled. “You’re quite right.”
“So what’s your plan? You going to admit it to her or what?”
“I suppose I need to admit it to myself before I take that step.”
“Then admit it,” he said. “It’s hard as hell, but I think it would be good for you.”
“You would not be upset?”
“I want you to be happy. I will accept it in whatever capacity it’s in because I love you.”
I smiled at his words, knowing I didn’t deserve them, but Vincenzo truly was like his mother. Always forgiving. Always such a sweet boy.
“I love you, too, Vincenzo.”
He smiled at that. “Then please, tell Matteo to stop trying to kill my family, and to let us have our girl and babies back.”
I inclined my head at him, knowing I wanted him to have these things.
“I shall.”
And that was it. The conversation turned light, and we ate with smiles on our faces.
It was the best dinner I’d had in a long time.
And for that, I was grateful.