Chapter 12

ALESSIO

I was a fixer, a brawler, a man used to force to get his way.

A freak of nature, a tempest of fists and words, a man who made proverbial mountains move and kingpins tremble with my sheer will alone.

A warrior in the game of life, wielding my strength like a weapon to carve out a path in the chaos.

But fuck I was tired.

Exhausted from deciding other’s futures while my own hung in the balance.

Lorenzo’s call a few months ago, letting me know that the Abrazzio problem had been resolved, brought me relief.

Staring then out of the windows of my penthouse into the skies over New York, I’d mulled the signs life was throwing me.

Our enemies had been cut off at the knee in utter and chilling finality.

Fuck, finally.

It paved the way for a new era for the Calibrese family and, perhaps, for me.

Soon after, the call came about Cleo and Franco’s imminent release.

It hadn’t taken much to persuade myself to relocate to Australia from New York.

After being obsessed with my role as the family’s head capo for so long, my priorities and values became distorted, and I was burnt out from the constant hustle.

I’d departed the Big Apple without regret, escaping its dark mafia underbelly in the relentless pursuit of something better.

I was done with the grind, with the ambiguity of crime, corruption, and competition, which made it easy to forget what mattered.

What I wanted out of life now was a family, perhaps a woman of my own, even a baby.

That’s what my soul yearned for; for some reason, my spirit, my inner oracle, told me I’d find it in the land down under.

I’d also be closer to Lorenzo, Mia, Vitto, and Mauri.

Valerio was still holding out in Napoli, but I was convinced he’d soon change his tune and move near us.

The fence line disappeared into the horizon, acres of rolling green pastures and grazing cattle stretching as far as I could see.

A light breeze ruffled the grass and cooled the back of my neck as I strode the perimeter of Cleo’s farm.

Sunlight bathed the landscape in a golden glow.

I paused, hands on my hips, taking it in. No gunshots echoing in the distance. No smog and grime coating on every surface. Just open space, fresh breeze, and the tranquil sounds of nature.

I let out a long breath.

This.

I wanted this.

I craved what her world represented: an uncomplicated, uncluttered life in a place untouched by the darkness and death that had once defined me.

One where the sins of my past were washed away.

A life characterized by simple rhythms, pure food, sweet-scented air, and the gentle march of time.

A life shared with a woman, with her heart belonging to me, only me, one who’d remain in my arms forever.

My lips twisted, even as my hand bunched around a stalk of wildflowers and pulled the stems out of the ground.

Fotto.

Was my hardened mafia warrior spirit considering hanging up my guns and settling in a place like this?

There was always a first fuckin’ time for everything, I huffed to myself.

I shook my head and continued patrolling the fence line, forcing my mind back to the mission: to protect Cleo from Franco Conti and give him his due justice by lying in wait for him and putting him in the ground once and for all.

Then, and only then, might I entertain foolish notions of a fresh start.

A flash of movement in my periphery made me tense as I returned to the farmhouse.

My free hand tightened on my gun as I spun around, ready for trouble.

But it was just Cleo, striding across the yard from the barn, a flashlight in hand.

I jolted, soul-lurching, as I followed her progress with a confident grace, her lean, lithe frame evident even from a distance.

The evening breeze tousled her dark hair, and the dying sun illuminated her striking features - high cheekbones, full lips, and eyes that missed nothing.

I exhaled, relaxing my stance but not my guard. Even in this peaceful place, I couldn’t afford to let it down. Not with an enemy still lurking.

Cleo spotted me and altered course to intercept my path. As she drew near, she arched an eyebrow. ‘Expecting company?’

She nodded towards my gun.

My fingers slipped from the weapon’s hilt, and I shrugged. ‘Old habits.’

I extended the hand I’d hidden behind me to her, thrusting the wildflowers in her face.

I tagged her instant joy and pushed my tongue into my cheek in triumph, watching as she took them and sunk her nose into them.

‘You like?’ I growled.

She tilted her head at me and rolled her eyes, but I detected the pleasure in her expression. ‘Grazie.’

My gesture appeared to have unlocked something in her as her gaze tracked over me, astute and assessing. ‘Walk with me. I want to show you something.’

I fell in beside her, trying not to lick my lips at how the faded denim of her jeans clung to her thighs. Or the graceful line of her neck disappearing beneath her worn flannel shirt collar. I tried and failed.

No doubt, she got me high, so high, on desire .

Dio mio, she was incredible.

A beautiful, cold-as-fuck badass.

And here I was, traipsing around her goddamn farm, having domestic and gentleman farmer fantasies.

I needed to get my head straight and remember my freakin’ purpose.

But as we walked, our shoulders almost brushing, I couldn’t shake the sensation that Cleo would be a distraction I was ill-equipped to resist.

She led me to a slight rise at the edge of her property. From the top, the view stretched for miles, nothing but wild, untamed bush as far as the eye cast out. It was breathtaking and humbling.

‘This is what I wanted to show you,’ she murmured.

Her eyes were on the horizon, and I followed her gaze with curiosity.

‘Wait for it.’

I did, breathing slow and deep beside her.

Without warning, an unpredictable and astounding burst of color flared across the sky.

A celestial display of intense red and green collided into purple and blue lights that played over the firmament.

I raised a brow. ‘What the fuck?’

‘I caught it on the radio. A major geomagnetic storm is hitting the north and south poles. The result is this spectacular aurora over southern Australia and New Zealand,’ she breathed.

I had to admit, the magenta, amethyst, and ruby skies were breathtaking.

‘Feast or famine, or hope or fear, and in all things, land of chance, where nature pampers, or nature slays, in her ruthless, red, romance.’

I lifted a brow at her exhortation and nailed her with a curious gaze.

‘It’s a line from a poem by Patterson that I’ve cherished for all my life.’

As she whispered, she turned to face me as the sky’s unusual hues washed over us.

I was lost in all of her, at the soft smile on her lips, the fire of heaven reflected in her eyes.

At that moment, I understood how she loved this land, heart, mind, and soul.

Also, how much this slight, strong, savage woman was fast undoing me.

The realization hit me like a sucker punch.

The very thought made it challenging to breathe.

As if her spirit sensed my yearning, her hand reached for mine. Squeezing hard as the aurora above us flared with such magnificence that only reflected how stunning she was.

A stab of caution, doubt, and fear hit on the back of a wave of sorrow.

Memories of my parents and their love flooded my psyche.

Fotto. I hated thinking of how they’d been torn from us, my soul still ragged and worn with grief.

I’d witnessed so much death and destruction in my world.

Beauty never lasted, love never stayed the course, and if it did, it’d be blown apart by your enemies in a heartbeat.

What if I lost her too?

I was about to blow with emotion when she must have perceived something in my expression because her brow furrowed. ‘Alessio? ‘What is it?’

I shook my head, not trusting myself to speak .

I couldn’t do this. I couldn’t feel this way. Not now.

Maybe after I’d dealt with Franco’s mess, I’d explore Cleo.

Just not fucking now.

I stepped back, tearing my hand from hers, separating us.

‘Enough of this shit,’ I ground out.

Her eyes snapped to my face, confusion flitting on her face.

‘We need to get back,’ I said, hating how my voice sounded rough and strained. ‘I’m done.’

Hurt flashed in Cleo’s eyes, which she masked in a second, snatching back her hand. ‘OK.’

I realized then that this was possibly the first time she’d touched anyone of her own volition in years.

Cazzo, what a dick move.

I tried to open my mouth to stay her, to say something, but she’d already turned on her heel and started back down the hill.

I let her go, chest tight, biting my lower lip in frustration.

As her figure grew smaller in the distance, I cursed.

Beating myself up for what was undoubtedly a major fuck up.