Chapter 9
CHAPTER NINE
ALESSANDRO
The leather of the backseat is cold against my spine, but the fire in my blood hasn't cooled since Sienna’s room. Fucking hell, it’s been three days and I’m still stuck there. Sitting on that bed. Feeling her hands on me. The way she touched herself.
I sit in the shadows of the tinted windows, my dark tailored suit hiding the tight stitches in my forearm. Up front, Valerio rests his hands on the steering wheel, his profile completely unimpressed as he stares through the windshield. He doesn’t like what I’m about to do. Ask me if I care.
Outside, luxury cars are winding slowly around the grand, circular driveway of the DeLorenzo estate.
Through the glass, I watch the guests. People are drifting about the manicured lawns, smiling, laughing, drinking champagne from crystal flutes, and talking to each other like normal people.
Everyone here has their hands soaked with blood.
Like me.
But unlike them, I’m not pretentious.
I look toward the glowing mansion, my eyes narrowing. I don’t care for the old man celebrating inside. In fact, I think Luciano DeLorenzo has lived entirely too long. The bastard doesn’t deserve to be breathing, let alone to be alive to celebrate another birthday.
But who am I to judge? I'm no saint myself.
And more importantly, I wouldn’t even be parked in the dirt outside this circus if I didn’t have to pick up Sienna.
She is my golden ticket tonight. Her family’s invitation is the only thing that gets me past the heavy security gates at Belvedere Manor without triggering an all-out war before I can catch Luca.
So where the fuck is she?
I look down at my phone. The screen glows in the dark interior of the car. I texted her ten minutes ago.
My jaw tightens as I stare at the heavy oak doors of the mansion. If she thinks she can play games with me, or if she’s letting her stubborn pride get in the way of my timeline, she’s about to learn a very loud, very public lesson about what happens when you keep me waiting.
"Any sign of her?" Valerio asks, his eyes flicking to the rearview mirror.
"Not yet," I rumble, my fingers tightening around the phone until the glass threatens to crack. "But she's coming. Even if I have to drag her out of that ballroom myself."
Valerio shifts in the driver’s seat, his eyes meeting mine in the rearview mirror, unblinking and dead serious.
"Involving the Caruso girl like this is foolish, Alessandro. It’s a massive risk.
If Massimo finds out you’re using his daughter to sneak into a closed-door syndicate gathering, you won't just be dealing with Luca.
You'll trigger a war with the Carusos before you even have the elders' backing. It’s dangerous. "
A cold, lethal calm washes over me. I lean forward, pinning him with a glare. "Remember your place, Valerio. I don't ask for your permission to do anything."
Valerio’s jaw tightens, the reprimand landing heavily in the quiet car. I usually don’t use my position to silence him, but I feel on edge. He quickly lowers his gaze, bowing his head slightly. "My apologies, Alessandro. I spoke out of line."
"I am not letting Luca tear down the Gallo empire and strip away everything my family built," I say, my voice a gravelly, fierce whisper.
"The throne belongs to me, not to a treasonous bastard who plays in the dark.
Sienna is my only way past the gates of Belvedere Manor tonight without raising an alarm.
I will use whatever weapon is at my disposal. Period."
Valerio is about to speak, his mouth parting to reply, when my attention is instantly ripped toward the grand entrance of the mansion.
Through the tinted window, I catch sight of a frothing silhouette of a champagne-gold dress cutting through the crowd.
Her beautiful, glossy brown hair is pulled up into a high ponytail, the curled ends bouncing provocatively against her bare shoulders with every hurried step she takes.
Just looking at her makes a dark, possessive urge spike in my gut.
I want to wrap my hand around that ponytail, fist my fingers in her hair, and yank her head back until she’s forced to look up at me.
"There she is," I murmur, my eyes tracking her as she slips past a group of drinking executives. I lean back into the leather. "Get out of the car and escort her here before she attracts the wrong kind of attention."
"Yes," Valerio obeys instantly, popping the door open and stepping out into the cool night air, disappearing into the winding driveway.
I watch from the shadows as he intercepts her near the edge of the lawn. She looks startled for a fraction of a second, her wide eyes darting around before Valerio directs her toward our vehicle.
Moments later, the rear door is pulled open, and Sienna is sliding into the backseat with me, bringing the scent of expensive vanilla into my space.
She settles onto the leather, smoothing down her dress before turning her sharp eyes on me. "Don't you have any manners? You should have met me outside, not your underboss."
I narrow my eyes as the car pulls off, the tires crunching quietly against the gravel as Valerio guides us away from the DeLorenzo estate. "Don't start, Sienna. You're in the car. That’s all that matters."
She rolls her eyes, letting out a frustrated huff as she sags into the seat beside me.
“Why are we going there anyway?” she asks. “Is this because of Luca?”
I only give a stiff nod. She hums and turns away, leaving me alone.
The interior of the car suddenly feels entirely too small. I’m acutely aware of her, more than I’d like. Far more than I’d like. I can hear the soft rustle of her silk gown, catch the subtle rise and fall of her breathing, and see the faint glow of the dashboard light catching the curve of her jaw.
Then, she pulls out her phone. Her fingers fly across the screen, and a small, genuine smile touches her lips.
A sudden, blinding flash of red hits me behind my eyes. The sight of her smiling at a screen, completely checked out of my presence, makes a dark, irrational spike of jealousy flare deep in my chest.
"Who are you texting?" I demand, my voice dropping into a harsh rasp.
She eyes me sideways, her thumb stalling over the glass. "None of your business."
I narrow my eyes at her, the air in the backseat turning instantly lethal. Sensing the shift, she rolls her eyes again and scoffs. "It's my sister, okay? And just because we’re getting married doesn’t mean you have to be constantly in my business. I never bother you about yours."
A small, dangerous smile touches my lips, even though the last thing I feel right now is humor. I lean just an inch closer into her space, my voice a dark purr. "I’m going to thoroughly enjoy dealing with that attitude of yours, sweetheart. Keep it up. See where it gets you."
She rolls her eyes at me one last time, clearly refusing to let me intimidate her, and turns her head away to stare out the window into the passing darkness.
The rest of the drive passes in a heavy, suffocating silence.
Finally, the grand, towering, iron gates of Belvedere Manor loom ahead through the midnight fog. The entire perimeter is crawling with private security—men in tactical gear carrying automatic weapons. Up front, Valerio slows the sedan to a crawl as a guard steps up to the window.
Invitations are being collected right here at the main gate, which I’m incredibly grateful for. I’m in no mood, and certainly in no physical condition with my stitched arm, to stand in a crowded line at the front door.
Sienna reaches into the folds of her dress, pulls out the crisp Caruso invitation, and hands it to me. I pass it forward to Valerio, who rolls down his window and presents it to the guard. The man scans the heavy cardstock, verifies the Caruso seal, and looks briefly into the dimmed backseat.
I breathe a quiet sigh of relief when he nods, stepping back to wave our car through. The iron gates grind open, and we roll smoothly onto the grounds of the manor.
The tires roll over the smooth stone driveway, finally coming to a halt beneath the massive, columned portico of Belvedere Manor. Valerio kills the engine, stepping out to open the door for us.
I slide out of the leather seat first, adjusting the cuffs of my suit jacket.
I turn, offering my hand to Sienna as she exits the car.
She glares at my open palm for a fraction of a second, her jaw tightening, but she plays her part.
She places her small, gloved hand in mine, her fingers surprisingly warm.
Locking her arm securely in mine, we walk up the grand marble steps and through the towering double doors into the party.
The space inside is breathtakingly massive, an opulent labyrinth of soaring gilded ceilings, grand archways, and a sea of high-society figures dressed in diamonds and tuxedos. The low murmur of a hundred dangerous conversations hums beneath the live classical music.
Sienna leans in close, pretending to admire a sprawling crystal chandelier, but she gives a sharp, subtle yank on my arm to get my attention. "The place is huge," she whispers, her voice barely a breath against my ear. "How are you going to find what you're looking for?"
A quiet strike of approval hits my chest. I'm thoroughly impressed by how she didn't mention any names.
She didn't say Luca, and she didn't specify anything in particular. She’s intelligent, sharp, and proves with that single question that she was truly bred for this dark world.
In a treacherous snake pit like this, even the walls have ears.
Keeping my face entirely impassive, I look straight ahead into the crowd. "I'll find it. I just need a little time."
She nods, accepting the answer.