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“So,” he sat back holding my gaze. “What is your plan for the girl?”
“Giovanni has already given up his hold on Venice and signed over all his businesses in the city to Leone. He cares for his sister and as long as we have her, we have him right where we want him,” I explained.
“Then why has he taken Sergio?” Elio asked.
“I don’t know. But I will find out and get our shipment back. In the meantime, Lorenzo is working on pushing through Trieste and stealing some of Giovanni’s business there. It won’t be long until Giovanni is drowning and losing influence in the North. The word will soon spread that the Leone’s have our backing, people will flock to them in fear. Sides will have to be chosen,” I repeated the words I had rehearsed in my head on the drive here, knowing what would please Diego.
A small smile appeared on his face and he nodded. “Very well. Keep the girl.”
Relief filtered through me and I nodded in agreement, trying not to look too eager. The door opened and I expected to see Dante stroll in, but when it was Fabricio instead, my body turned to ice. His eyes locked with mine and I could see the apology in them already. My heart started pounding as I turned back to my papi.
“Ah, Fabi. Come, join us. I ordered you here because you have witnessed the events over the last two days that I have been kept in the dark on. I want to hear your version.”
I dug my nails into the skin of my palms as I tried to remain calm. If Fabi was here, who was watching Elle?
“It was Lorenzo’s plan. Alessio decided to take control of the situation as much as he could by bringing the girl back to the South with him. Giovanni has seemed to comply with our demands apart from when we heard about the fuck up this morning from Dante,” Fabi backed me up and I looked to Diego.
He stared between us and then sighed. “Well, that shipment and Sergio turning his back on us is a problem. But luckily, Dante was willing to sort it for us.”
“What does that mean?” I hissed, uncertainty flaring in my eyes. My heart was now out of control and it was taking everything in me to stay in my seat.
“I presume you told Giovanni that the girl would remain unharmed as long as he cooperated. Well, he hasn’t. I know how you feel about upsetting women, so Dante offered to do it himself. He won’t hurt her, of course. Just scare her. Cause a few tears and make it look genuine for the camera,” papi replied and my breathing became laboured. I didn’t trust my cousin to stop at a few tears. I had seen what he was capable of doing with my own eyes. How sick in the head he was.
“Are we free to go?” Fabi suddenly asked and Diego nodded. I stood up from my chair quickly.
“Alessio. I want regular updates on how this is going. And don’t let that girl out of your sight. If she is valuable, she needs to stay valuable,” I nodded once and walked briskly out of the room, Fabi trailing behind me. As soon as I was outside, I grabbed him by the collar of his shirt.
“Tell me you didn’t leave her with Dante!”
“What could I do? Diego rang me and ordered me to come down here. Said he was sending Dante to watch her. I told Este to watch her door. What the fuck was I supposed to do?” he replied and I let go of him, grabbing the keys of his Porsche from his hands.
I raced to the car and climbed in the driver’s seat as he jumped in next to me. Adrenaline was coursing through my body and I had never felt rage like it. If Dante had touched a hair on her head, I would fucking kill him.
When we pulled up outside my estate, I didn’t even turn the engine off, dashing inside and up the stairs as fast as I could. The door to her room was slightly ajar and I heard her scream as I reached the top of the steps. The sound rattled through me like a hurricane, causing me to only see red and want blood. When I barged into the room and saw Dante on top of her, her eyes screwed shut and tears streaming down her face, I fucking lost it.
Everything became a blur of uncontrollable rage. Only the satisfying feeling of my fist connecting with his face was all I could focus on. Again. And again. It wasn’t enough. It was only when I felt Fabi wrap his arms around my body and tackled me off the fucker that I started to become aware of my surroundings. Of Elle still tied to the bed. I could hear Este mumbling apologies as he held Dante’s phone in his hand. Without a second thought, I grabbed Fabi’s gun and shot him in the head. He was dead to me the moment he entered this room.
My chest started aching when I looked over to see her shaking, curled up on the bed with her eyes closed. I darted towards her, pulling the key for the handcuffs out of my pocket and freed her wrist. This was my fucking fault. I left her here like this. I couldn’t bear the thought of what would have happened if I hadn’t got here in time. And it would all be on me. She dived into me, squeezing me tightly as I wrapped my arms around her back and picked her up. I had to get her out of here. Somewhere safe. My room.
It took everything in me to walk away from her and leave her in the capable hands of Zia, but I was no good to her right now. I was still too angry. At myself. At Dante. I had to calm down before I could see her again. When I stormed back into her bedroom, Dante had regained consciousness and was propped up against the wall as Fabi perched next to him, holding his shoulder.
“You—” I raged towards him again and he had the nerve to smile through his bloody, cracked teeth. Fabi stood up and grabbed my shoulders, pushing me back.
“Don’t lose your head, Boss. As much as he deserves it right now, you can’t kill him. He is family. Diego will never stand for it,” Fabi argued, but I didn’t care. I attempted to get around him again as Dante stared up at me, evil lurking in his eyes.
“I see why you like her, cousin. She is a feisty thing,” he smirked, spitting blood onto the floor.
“I will fucking kill you, Dante. You go near her again. You so much as look at her and I will slit your throat myself,” I roared, pointing at him over Fabi’s shoulder as he held me back.
“I think Diego will be interested to know how much you care for the girl. Unless her pussy really is that good?” he chuckled.
“You need fucking help, Dante. You are a sick man,” Fabi shouted over his shoulder, pushing me from the room. As soon as we were in the hallway, I shoved Fabi off of me and started pacing the carpet.
“I will kill him, Fabi. As soon as I am fucking Boss of this family and everyone answers to me, it will be the first thing I do!” I roared, making sure Dante heard my threat and Fabi ran his hand through his dark hair.
“You need to fucking calm down, Alessio. I get it. I do. But fuck, you can’t lose your head like that. You can’t pick that girl over your fucking men. You shot Este for fuck’s sake,” he groaned.
“And I’d do it again!” I shouted. “It is not even about her, Fabi. You know my rules. We don’t do that shit! We don’t rape!”
