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"But killing them… how does that make you any better than they are?"
Alessandro's face hardened, his mouth drawing into a thin line as he sat up straighter. "I am a thousand times better than they are. So are Matteo, Luca and Enzo.
Alessandro seemed harder and colder. I waited silently to let him continue for fear of angering him more.
"You want to know how we are better than them even though we are willing to kill them? What about war? What about our soldiers? When they kill an enemy to protect the greater good are they just evil as the enemy that they just killed? No." His voice snapped, and I jumped. "We do what we have to do to keep the ones we care about safe. To protect the city, to protect our family, and to protect ourselves. The Romano's deserve to die. If you had any clue what they had done. The horrible things that they are willing to do. The things that they do every day..."
"Then tell me," I said softly. "Make me understand."
Alessandro calmed slightly. He took a deep breath before meeting my eye and letting out a sigh as his shoulders fell. "The Romano's sell drugs to anyone. They don't care if it's a child. They have no regard for human life unless it's their own. They deal in the flesh trade. They kidnap, torture. I can't even start to explain to you the horrors that I have heard about from people who have experienced it firsthand."
"That's horrible."
Pain in his eyes drew me to him and I couldn't help but reach out and take his hand, giving it a light squeeze to offer him what little comfort I could.
"That's why we have to stop them because not only do they do this to other people they've done it to our family as well and they're coming after us because they don't like the way we do things. They don't like the fact that Teo and Mia have joined their two families making them more powerful."
"I'll never fully support taking a life because it goes against everything I've ever been trained to do but I do understand.”
I turned my gaze out into the vast property before us. The well-manicured gardens mostly cast in shadows were peaceful. I thought about Alessandro's words and let out a sigh of reservation. and I guess if it was to save someone else I could see how it might be necessary on occasion.
We sat there in comfortable silence for a few moments while the heaviness of our conversation settled around us. The quiet was finally broken by Alessandro's words.
“I realize that I never did tell you that I'm sorry.” Alessandro spoke with a new softness to his voice that brought my attention back to him. “My decision to take you from the hospital that night made an irreparable impact on your life. I'm sorry that I uprooted your entire life and put you in this position.”
I looked into his eyes and could see the sincerity of his words. He was sorry, but what would have happened if he hadn't taken me? Would he have picked some other surgeon?Would someone else be sitting in my place right now?Would Luca be dead?
I gave him a soft smile and while there was some sadness behind it for the life that I'd been taken from, I couldn't hold him fully responsible.
“I understand why you did it. And I can't blame you for wanting to save your friend's life. I still think that you could have taken him into the hospital, and I could have treated him there in a legitimate surgery suite instead of going about things the way you did but I know that you weren't acting out of malice. You didn't take me to be cruel or out of selfish reasons. You were trying to save your friend.”
“Thank you.” Alessandro squeezed my hand and offered me a soft smile that gave him a new gentleness to his features. “And thank you for saving him.”
He leaned toward me, gently pressing his lips to my cheek, dangerously close to my lips and I breathed him in, a woodsy, fresh, purely masculine scent that lured me to turn toward him. Just a small turn and his lips would be on mine.
Before I could fully contemplate the temptation, he pulled back. It was crazy for me to be tempted by him, my kidnapper, my captor.
Chapter 13
Sienna
.Early Saturday morning, I practically hopped out of bed before my alarm even had time to ring. I’d gotten to see a different side of Alessandro during our dinner on the patio and I was beginning to better understand him. I was disappointed when Monday came around and instead of having Alessandro escort me to the clinic, he had Gino take me because he had work. He must have had a lot of work to do before our trip to Tuscany because I hardly saw him the entire week. Maybe it was the anticipation of going home to see my father or the fact that Alessandro hadn’t been around, but the week seemed to drag by. I was excited to see my dad and couldn’t wait to get home to him.
I’d been packed for two days so once I made myself presentable, I grabbed my bag and headed for the door. I was startled to find Alessandro standing there with his fist raised to knock.
“Whoa, where’s the fire?” He chuckled.
“Alessandro, you scared me.”
“I was just coming to see if you were almost ready, but I see that you are.”
“Yes. I can’t wait to see my dad.”
“Do you want to grab a quick breakfast first?”
I hesitated, not wanting to insult him but I was too excited to stop and eat. “Is there any way that we could eat on the plane instead? I just—”
“Too excited to eat,” he chuckled. “I understand. Sure. We’ll grab something from the kitchen that travels well. I think Bianca made some of her famous breakfast pastries.”
