Page 177 of Alessio

Yeah, fuck that, too.

The other man, Dare, shook his head. “All right, Les, since you’re feeling chatty today, you can take Corrado around and show him the rest of the complex while I talk business with Gian.”

Alessio scowled. “I didn’t volunteer to be some mafia principe’s babysitter for the day.”

Dare smirked. “I’m sorry. Did I preface that with, if you feel up to it and it pleases your spoiled fucking ass to do it? No, so do it.”

“Fine.”

“Did you introduce yourself properly?”

“No,” Alessio said. “Because I didn’t think there was a point.”

Dare sighed and waved between the two boys. “Alessio, you already know Corrado Guzzi … or you know what I told you about today. Corrado, meet the pain in my ass, also known as Alessio Sorrento.”

“Thanks for that.”

“But not a lie,” Dare replied. “And now my good deed for the day is done. Gian, do you think these two will be fine alone?”

Corrado’s father smiled a bit, amusement playing in his gaze as he nodded. “I think they’ll be fine while we chat.”

“Good, let’s begin.”

Alessio passed Corrado another look as Gian and Dare drifted away from the doorway, disappearing altogether. “Are you going to stand there all day, or what?”

Corrado didn’t move. “I’m not doing anything with you.”

“Yeah, that’s not going to work. Dare said what he said.”

“Fuck him, and you.”

“Oh, he swears, too.”

Corrado’s jaw flexed with his annoyance. “What is your problem?”

Alessio looked him over again, his gaze slow and deliberate. All over again, Corrado felt that same flare of frustration and interest all rolled into one. It warred inside his mind, clashing together and making him want to punch this guy in the mouth just because.

“Do you like what you see, or …?”

“Why, because I stare?” Alessio asked.

“Because your stare lingers. So, that means you either like what you see, or you’re trying to decide if I’m a threat. I think you know who I am, and you think you know something about me.”

Corrado replaced the knife on the wall, and headed for the door, only stopping directly in front of Alessio. He knew what this guy was doing—trying to size him up, but also make him feel out of place. Screw that noise. He didn’t know his purpose for being here, but he wasn’t going to run because of Alessio.

He leaned in close to Alessio, but the guy didn’t move back an inch. If anything, he stayed firm in his spot, those blue eyes blazing with the same interest Corrado was sure reflected in his own gaze. “Let me be the first to fix that mistake of yours—you don’t know fuck all about me, Alessio.”

“I prefer Les.”

Corrado tipped his chin up. “And?”

“And right now I’m wondering what your face might look like if I roughened it up a little. Do you box?”

He blinked.

“What?”

Alessio shrugged. “I didn’t stutter.”