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But as I laid next to her, admiring her beauty and purity, the need to bare my soul was crippling. I wanted to tell her the truth about me. About who I really was. About my past. About why I really had to take the North. But it was too fucking risky right now. Too many people were watching my every move, waiting for me to fuck up. Too many things were unknown and unpredictable. What if once seeing Giovanni, she changes her mind? What if she leaves with him? And I’d confided in her the one thing that could give Giovanni all the power. The one thing that could destroy me completely. As much as I wanted to trust her, it was too soon.
But I would. If Giovanni agreed to this alliance and everything went to plan, I would open myself up to her like I never had to anyone before. And I had to pray that she would stay. That she would be able to see past all the fucked up shit inside me and still want me. Still choose me.
She released a soft, delicious moan in her sleep as she inched closer to me, seeking warmth from my body. I smiled as I wrapped my arms around her to draw her closer, brushing my nose against hers. I knew there was no chance of her waking up right now. This woman loved her sleep too much. But I wasn’t complaining. Holding her like this in my arms was my favourite thing. Fuck, I’d never admit that to anyone. No one would believe what a fucking wet wipe I’d become. But it was the truth.
My phone started vibrating on the bedside table and I quickly moved to grab it before it disturbed her. I frowned when I saw it was my security team on the gates of the estate. I pulled back the covers and climbed out of bed, walking over to the window to peer down the driveway as I answered it.
“Apologies for waking you, Boss. But your sister is here. She says it’s important.”
I rubbed my forehead and closed my eyes. Isabelle was the last person I wanted to see before the most important meeting of my life. But if she was here at this time, it must be fucking important.
“Fine. Let her in,” I grumbled, hanging up and walking into my dressing room to grab a top and a pair of shorts. Leaving Elle to sleep, I made my way downstairs and waited at the entrance for her car to pull up on the driveway. I uncrossed my arms and stood taller the moment I saw her blotchy, tear-stained face. She looked a mess and I knew instantly something terrible had happened. Anger and protectiveness coursed through my body as my mind immediately took me to Elio. Had he attacked her again?
“Alessio,” she whimpered, fresh tears coming to the surface as I dashed forwards and wrapped my arms around her shaking body.
“Belle? What happened?” I asked as softly as I could through my natural panic and confusion. She buried her face into my shirt, gripping it in her hands as she began to unleash violent sobs. I manoeuvred us inside the house, away from my men, who were all failing to avoid watching the scene with interest. Once we had made it to the living room, I sat her down on the sofa and wrapped one arm around her shoulders, pulling her into my side.
“Belle, you are freaking me out. Please, tell me what’s happened. Is it Elio? Has he done something—” she started shaking her head frantically, wiping the tears away from her face. She turned to look at me, pain and sadness in her eyes.
“It’s papi. He’s-he’s dead, Alessio,” she choked, a new sob rising to the surface.
My world shifted as soon as the words left her lips. Eyes wide and staring at her as if it was impossible, my mind wasn’t working quick enough. Dead. Diego Barbieri was… dead?
“He died last night in his sleep,” she whimpered. “The nurse found him when she went to check on him in the night.”
I continued to stare at her. Not really seeing anything. I knew this was coming. We all did. I had been preparing myself. Yet, somehow, it didn’t seem right. Diego Barbieri. The King of the South. Don Barbieri. My papi. Dead. Gone. Just like that. I had only seen him a few hours ago. And now… I would never see him again.
“Alessio! Say something,” Belle pleaded as she grabbed my limp hand in hers. I shifted my gaze from her face to the calming living room, staring out into space. Slowly, I lifted my hands and lowered my face into them. I was in shock. I recognised that. But I was also surprised by how unfathomably sad this news made me. If I was able to, I am sure I would be crying right now. But I hadn’t cried since I was a child. And I don’t think I knew how to anymore.
“How did he die?” I suddenly asked, lifting my head to look at her again.
She gulped once, forcing the emotion down before she answered, “Peacefully we think. In his sleep. At least he is no longer in pain.”
I bobbed my head continuously as I felt her hand on my back and she rested her head against my shoulder.
“He was a fucking asshole, but he was still our papi,” she whispered. We stayed like that for a few minutes as I tried my best to let this news sink in. To allow myself to feel all that I was feeling. To force my brain to digest what this really meant.
“It was time though, Alessio. It was time for him to go. And for you to rise, my love.”
I turned my head to look down at her as she peered up into my eyes, her hands still on my body and chin resting against my shoulder. My eyebrows furrowed as I let her words wash over me.
“You are the Don, now. You did it, Alessio! You are free of him,” she smiled, seeming to pull herself together pretty fucking quickly. I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply.
“Forgive me if I don’t feel like celebrating just yet, Belle,” I muttered as she sat back, her hand moving to grip my bicep.
“I know you’re in shock. You can fall apart with me. Here. Now. But in a few hours, the South will wake up and look to you as their new leader. You have to be ready, Alessio. The decisions you make in the next few days will set the precedent for what kind of Boss you are going to be. Take your stand. Show them who you are. A strong, ruthless and formidable man, who will be the first King of all mafia families united in Italy. An undeniable force. You were papi’s legacy, Alessio, but that will be yours.”
I fell back against the cushions on the sofa, closing my eyes and leaning my head back. She was right. Every word of it. I was now the King of the South. I was the new Don Barbieri. And every choice I made would be scrutinized with a fucking magnifying glass by everyone. My loyal men. The allied families. The Northern families. My enemies. Everyone. Now more than ever, I couldn’t fuck up. Diego Barbieri may have always held an axe over my head, but he also protected me from the other prosecutors. The ones who wanted to bring me down. Now, I was on my own.
“You have worked so hard for this,” her soothing voice filtered into my ears as I felt my mind enter a trance-like state. I couldn’t fall apart. I had to be strong. Ruthless. Formidable. I had to show everyone that I was the right man to put their trust in as their leader. The man I had been raised to be.
“All the sacrifices you’ve made. All the pain you’ve been through,” her words were helping me get there. To a place of focus. I vaguely felt a weight on my lap as I kept my eyes closed. “It has all been for this. For you to have achieved all of this. We are free now,” my shirt was lifted up my stomach and then I felt a tug on my shorts. My eyes snapped open to see her straddling my lap, undoing my buttons with lust in her eyes. “We can be together now. You don’t have to marry her.”
I grabbed her upper arms and threw her off of me, her body falling back on the sofa as I stood up abruptly. Rage poisoned my blood as I glared down at her wide eyes.
“What the fuck do you think you’re doing, Belle?”
“Making you feel better,” she batted her lashes at me as she rolled her hand over her tits, untying the bow of her flimsy top.
