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I looked over at him, knowing exactly who he was referring to. His own father was a vile man.
“It’s just so sad!” I replied, exasperated.
He nodded slowly. “There is sadness everywhere in this life.”
“I’m sorry about how I acted when you told me about asking Gio. I was being a brat,” I apologised as he looked out across the road, smiling as he nodded.
“You mean how you lost your shit entirely at the thought of dating me?” he laughed.
I smiled and hit his arm. “No. I didn’t lose my shit entirely.” He gave me a knowing look and I rolled my eyes. “Fine. I did. But it wasn’t because of you. It could have been anyone. I just hate feeling controlled and told who I can and can’t date.”
“I get it,” he said quietly. “You want to choose who you want to be with on your own terms. But unfortunately, in this life, we don’t always get that privilege.”
“You do. You’re a man,” I scoffed and he turned to look at me.
“I won’t force you to be with me, Elle. I like you. I think you are beautiful and a nice girl. I have to take a wife and produce an heir eventually and I would prefer to have a wife who knows this life. But I am not a complete asshole. I would never force a woman to marry me if she didn’t want to. All I am asking for is a chance to get to know me. Make your own decisions about me.”
“That is quite a proposal,” I chuckled, but his words had softened me towards him. He seemed just as trapped as me in some ways. At twenty-one, he was so young and had all this responsibility on his shoulders. The pressure to find a wife and have an heir to secure his family’s name must be stressful.
“Just think about it, that’s all I am asking.” He nudged my elbow with his. “Your choice.”
“I’ll think about it,” I agreed, giving him a small smile. He nodded and stomped out his cigarette with his polished shoe.
“Don’t stay out here too long. The Barbieris and Leones will be watching us soon.”
“The Barbieris are in the South,” I stated, folding my arms across my chest.
“We think Alessio Barbieri was here just a few days ago. At that club. We need to be extra vigilant now.” He winked at me and walked back inside.
I stared out into the dead of night as Enzo’s words rattled an unsettling feeling in my chest. Dread. Pure, soul shattering dread. Alessio Barbieri was here. In the North. In the Club. A few days ago.
A memory of first seeing those blue eyes through that gold panther mask flashed in my mind. No. It couldn’t be. It was just a coincidence. It had to be.
Pulling out Flora’s phone, I saw I had another text from Panther in response to my greatest fear.
Free from what?
Ignoring it, I typed the question that I had been avoiding because of my own identity but now, this was more important.
Panther, what’s your real name?
I hit send and started biting at my thumb nail. He read it immediately.
Why? I thought we liked the mystery.
I can’t keep calling you Panther to all my friends. It’s embarrassing!
My heart was racing and my palms were sweating as I waited with bated breath for his reply. It couldn’t be him. But the more I thought of those eyes, the same vibrant blue as the ones of that boy who stole my first kiss eleven years ago, I knew it deep in my soul.
The phone pinged and I looked down. All the breath knocked out of my lungs and my legs gave way as I crumbled to the floor.
Alessio. Tell your friends I say hi ;)
Crash and Burn
Wading through the charcoal debris of what was once La Casetta made me realise just how lucky we were that we only lost four of Lorenzo’s men and incurred eight injuries to staff and clients. The place was unrecognisable. It would be one hell of a clean-up mission and was going to cost a fortune in damages.
“Fucking Buccini,” Lorenzo gritted through his teeth while kicking fallen plasterboard with his shoe. “They won’t fucking get away with this.”
