Chapter Nine
Heidi
" W hat the heck?" I gape at the bakery as I pull up out front, my heart threatening to pound out of my chest. The police tape stretched across the entrance is gone. So is the shattered glass that littered the ground last night. Instead, pristine panes of glass sparkle in the morning sun where there were only jagged edges just last night.
What the heck did Alessandro do while I was sleeping?
I throw the car in park and hop out, not entirely sure I'm ready to step inside and face the damage despite the fact that the windows have been repaired. But I'm not letting whoever did this win. They may not want this bakery to open, but I don't care. I'm not backing down. I'm not giving up.
This is my dream, and they can kiss my butt.
I spy my sisters and Bronx through the windows, and my throat grows tight. Of course they're here already. Dillon must have called them. Maybe they're the ones who figured out how to get the windows replaced?
I stumble through the front door, and a choked sob bursts free when I see just how much work they've already put in this morning. Alessandro isn't here, but the bakery is mostly put back together. There's no glass on the floor. The broken countertop is gone. The tables and chairs are back where they belong. Aside from the glass missing from the display case, it's almost like nothing at all happened here.
"Heidi!" My sisters rush over in a big group, pulling me into their arms as I fall apart.
Bronx takes one look at us and slips into the kitchen to give us privacy.
"I can't believe you guys did all this for me," I sob, clinging to them as tears stream down my cheeks.
Adalynn strokes my hair, her touch soothing. "We didn't do it. Your man did."
I lift my head, staring at her with wide, watery eyes. "What?"
A smile curves my oldest sister's lips. "By the time we got here this morning to clean up, he was already here with half the fire department. They had most of the work already done. We just helped finish up."
"Yep." Gemma loops her arm through mine, her dimples flashing. "We directed while hot firefighters cleaned."
"Best morning ever," Charlie whispers dramatically.
Laughter bubbles up from deep in my chest, escaping in half-sobs, half-giggles. I wipe at my eyes and look around, taking it all in. My heart flutters wildly. "I can't believe he did all this."
"I can." Leia's voice is soft but firm. "He loves you, Heidi."
I bite my lip and nod, my cheeks heating. "I know," I whisper. "I..." The words catch in my throat. I haven't ever said them out loud before. "I love him too."
"Well, duh!" Gemma laughs, smiling brightly. "Of course you do. It's written all over your face. And no offense, but you're not very good at keeping secrets."
"You're kind of terrible at it," Charlie agrees.
I stick my tongue out at my younger sisters, but I'm not even mad at their teasing.
"Have you told him yet?" Adalynn asks me.
I shake my head, swallowing hard. "I told him about our parents. Last night before..." I gesture at the bakery. "Before this. We talked about it."
"Good." Leia hugs me tight. "It's about time you opened up to someone other than us. Maybe now you can start healing, too."
I look at her, not sure what she means by that, which prompts her to shrug. "The rest of us have already started, but not you, not really. You've always buried yourself in your dreams and ignored everything else. I guess we figured you'd face it when you were ready, but you were never really ready."
"I've always been terrified no one would want me," I admit quietly, a lump lodging in my throat. "If our own parents didn't want us..."
Leia sighs, resting her head against mine. "Our parents were messed up, but that's their issue, not yours or ours, Heidi. There's nothing wrong with us."
"It took me a long time to figure that out, too," Adalynn admits quietly. "Razor helped."
"Bronx, too," Gemma chimes in.
"And Xavier." Charlie grins.
"And Colter," Leia adds.
We fall quiet for a moment, all lost in our thoughts. It's...kind of beautiful to know that the five little girls our parents abandoned in a rundown apartment didn't just survive but have each thrived in their own way. It may have taken me a little longer than my sisters, but I feel like I'm finally getting there, too. What we went through didn't break us. We survived. And maybe we're stronger because of it.
Gemma giggles suddenly. "We're really all grown up now, aren't we?"
"Speak for yourself." A devilish smile stretches across Charlie's face. "I'm never growing up."
"Believe me, we know," Leia says, rolling her eyes as the bell over the front door jingles. I turn that way, hoping to see Alessandro walking in. Instead, I find Don striding inside.
Crap. He must know about the break-in.
Breaking away from my sisters, I hurry over to meet him, anxiety churning through me. I fight to keep my nerves from showing but can't help but wring my hands together as I greet him. "Hi, Don."
"Heidi." His tone is clipped, his dark eyes flicking around the bakery. "Heard there was a break-in last night."
"Um, yes. But we're cleaning it all up," I promise quickly. Please don't kick me out. Please. I'm not entirely sure he can do that since I signed a lease, but I'd really rather not risk it.
"Good." He stares at me intently, not saying anything else.
I clear my throat as the silence grows awkward. "Did...did you need something?"
"Your rent check."
Oh, crap. My eyes fly open wide as realization crashes through me. Rent is due today. "I'm so sorry! With everything going on, I forgot to bring the check with me."
His hard gaze bores into me for a long, tense moment. "I understand," he finally says, his voice still sharp. "Just don't make it a habit. I'd hate to have to evict you from the building, Heidi."
What the heck? My stomach twists at his words, shock running through me. He's always been nice, but this feels a whole lot like he's kicking me when I'm already down. I don't like it.
Leia apparently agrees because she swoops in, her eyes flashing fire. "She'll mail the check to you," she snaps. "In fact, there's no need for you to come here to pick them up at all. We'll make sure they're in your hands before the due date without you having to inconvenience yourself by coming down to the bakery to get them." The patently false, savage smile she shoots his way makes it crystal clear she's telling him to kick rocks and not come back.
Don scowls at her before dipping his head curtly. "Fine. I look forward to it." He pivots on his heel and stalks out without another word.
Adalynn walks over as soon as the door closes behind him, her brows furrowed. "What the heck was that about?"
"I don't know," I whisper, staring at my sisters uneasily. "That was weird."
"Super weird," Leia agrees.
An ominous feeling settles in my stomach like a lead weight. Is he mad about the break-in? Does he want me out of here now? I don't know, but I really don't like it.
I notice my sisters watching me, so I shake off the feeling, pasting a bright smile on my face instead. Don isn't going to ruin this morning for me. Alessandro fixed most of the bakery. He loves me.
Everything is going to be okay. It has to be.
An hour later, the bell above the door jingles again. My heart leaps as I glance up to see Alessandro ducking inside this time, looking as freaking gorgeous as ever.
"Morning, Sunshine," he rumbles, grinning at me.
I practically fly across the bakery to him, flinging myself into his waiting arms. He catches me effortlessly, pulling me up against his chest.
"Thank you," I whisper fervently, clinging to him as he holds me tightly. "Thank you so much, Alessandro."
"You don't ever have to thank me, angel." His deep voice vibrates through me as he dips his head, pressing his lips to mine. "Taking care of you is what I live for."
Tears prick my eyes at how easily he says it, as if it's the most natural thing in the world. I slide my hands into his thick hair, staring up at him.
"I love you." The truth spills out, unable to be contained any longer. I need him to know how I feel about him. I don't think I'll be able to breathe until he knows. "Not because of what you did today, but because of who you are. I love you."
"Fuck," he breathes, his muscular body trembling against mine. "Fuck, Sunshine."
"I love you," I whisper again.
His eyes heat and darken as he reaches behind his back to flip the lock on the door. Before I can even ask what he's doing, I'm in his arms, and he's striding toward the kitchen, purpose in every step he takes.
"Where are we going?" I ask, nuzzling my face against his throat. My tongue flicks out, tasting the salt of his skin as he strides through the swinging doors with me.
He sets me down on the massive stainless-steel workstation stretching across the center of the massive kitchen before he answers. His heated eyes meet mine. "We're christening this bakery, Sunshine."
The growly promise in his voice has a moan crawling up my throat.
"Christ," he groans, staring at me like he's never seen anything like me before. His big hands frame my face, tipping my head down to meet his until our eyes tangle together. The sweetest words I've ever heard spill from his lips. "I love you too, Sunshine. Every perfect, priceless piece of you."
I launch myself at him, sobbing his name. He catches me, yanking me flush against him as our lips crash together. His hands blaze trails of heat as they run up and down my sides, and he kisses me as if he's never going to stop.
"I need you." Desire practically vibrates in his deep voice. "I always fucking need you."
"Then take me," I whisper against his lips. "I'm yours, Alessandro."
It's the only invitation he needs.
We're a mess of eager hands and lips as we strip each other, touching and tasting as each piece of clothing falls around us. My head falls back in surrender, a sob breaking from my lips as he slips his hand between my thighs, his eyes locked on my face.
"So wet," he breathes, watching every flicker of emotion cross my face as he plays with me, driving me right to the brink with those skillful, wicked fingers.
I do the same to him, wrapping one hand around his erection. I pump in time to the way he thrusts his fingers inside of me, trying to drive him as crazy as he makes me. He groans my name, bucking his hips into my hand, telling me how good my hand feels.
"Alessandro, I…I…"
He doesn't let me go over. Instead, he lays me back on the cool surface of the worktable, his powerful body covering mine.
"I love you, Heidi," he breathes, his dark eyes burning into me. "I'll love you forever."
Then he's pushing inside me, stretching and filling me so perfectly I can't breathe.
I cry out, arching up to meet every deep thrust. He sets an almost punishing pace, like he can't get close enough, can't get deep enough. His hands run over my body, touching everywhere he can reach. His mouth is everywhere, too, kissing, biting, and sucking.
I cling to his broad shoulders, my nails digging into his tattooed skin as the pleasure builds to an unbearable crescendo.
"Tell me if it's too much, Sunshine," he rasps against my lips, but I can only shake my head, gasping for breath as the pleasure spirals higher and higher.
He grabs my thighs, hitching them up over his hips. The new angle makes me cry out, my body trembling beneath him.
"Shit," he growls, pounding into me with a grunt. "So damn tight."
"Alessandro," I moan, lost in the sensations threatening to overtake me. His name, his touch, his scent—it's all tangled up in my mind, branding him into my soul.
He keeps on, every movement of his body a promise, a pledge. His eyes never leave mine, keeping me locked to him even as the world blurs at the edges. I feel every inch of him, every thrust stealing my breath.
He hits that magic spot inside me again and again.
"Alessandro!" I cry out, my body tensing as waves of pleasure rip through me.
"That's it, Sunshine," he murmurs, his voice full of adoration. "Shatter for me."
I do. I shatter into a million jagged pieces for him, crying out his name, writhing, sobbing.
"Heidi," he groans my name like a prayer, burying his face in my neck as he pulses inside me, following me over the edge. "Heidi."
We stay locked together, hearts pounding, riding out the waves of bliss…so tangled up in each other that I'm no longer sure where I end and he begins. And I've never felt more cherished or safer.
"Thank you for today," I murmur later that evening, tilting my head back to look at him as we snuggle together in his bed. After we made love in the bakery, he drove me back here, and we did it all over again. We've been lost in each other all day. "For fixing the bakery, for loving me, for everything."
He presses a gentle kiss to my temple. "I already told you that you never have to thank me, angel."
"Well, I'm going to say it anyway," I inform him with a cheeky smile.
"So fucking sweet." His gruff tone makes my smile grow. So does the way he cuddles me even closer, as if he wants to fuse our bodies together.
"Did you talk to Dillon this morning?" I finally ask when the silence stretches between us. "Leia said you left to handle some things this morning."
He hesitates for a long moment before sighing. "I talked to Dillon," he says. "I also talked to Aaron Sims."
"Oh." I exhale a shuddering breath. Part of me is relieved that he's not keeping things from me, but hearing that name still makes me tense.
"He didn't break into the bakery, Sunshine." Alessandro runs a soothing hand down my back as he delivers the news.
"Oh. Do you...do you know who did?" I whisper, almost afraid to hear the answer.
He pauses again. "We have an idea," he finally says, his tone cautious, careful.
"Will you tell me?" I ask.
Another pause, longer this time. He doesn't want to tell me.
Just when I think he isn't going to, he mutters a curse. "Your landlord."
"What?" I gasp, bolting upright in shock. "You think Don did it? Alessandro, that doesn't make any sense!"
He sits up, too, reaching out to cup my face. "Sunshine, listen to me," he says, his tone gentle. "Five other businesses have failed in that building in the last three years. Dillon is looking into it, but we think there's something in the lease terms that makes it more lucrative for Don if his tenants' businesses fail."
An icy fist clenches around my heart.
"T-there is," I rasp out.
"What do you mean?" Alessandro growls, his eyes narrowed on me.
"If I fail, I still have to pay out the rest of my lease."
"How long is your lease term?"
"Five years."
"Jesus Christ." He grits his teeth, looking like he wants to punch something. Or someone.
"It's a prime location," I mumble, dropping my gaze as I try to explain why I agreed. "He gave me a discount on rent, said the last tenant left him in a bad position. I never thought..." I swallow hard. "Before all of this happened, I knew I could make this bakery a success, Alessandro. I didn't have any problem signing the lease because I knew I wasn't going to fail. But then..."
"But then you started getting those fucking notes, and someone broke into your bakery," he growls. "Son of a bitch. The prick is running a rental scam. He leases out the building, has you guys sign on with these impossible terms, and then runs you off, forcing you to pay out a lump sum. Then, when the building is empty again, he brings in the next tenant, lathers, rinses, and repeats."
"Yeah." I nod miserably. "I'm so stupid."
"Sunshine. Look at me." Strong fingers tip my chin up until I meet his fierce gaze. "You are not stupid. Don't even think that way."
"I feel stupid."
He pulls me into his lap and cuddles me close as I sniffle against his chest. "He's a fucking asshole, but he's not going to get away with it, Heidi," he swears, iron in his tone. "I'm going to Dillon first thing in the morning, and we're going to nail his ass to the wall for this."
I press my face into his neck, breathing in his comforting scent. "He came by the bakery this morning," I confess in a small voice.
"What the fuck did he want?"
"The rent check."
Every inch of Alessandro's body goes rigid with anger. I can practically feel the protective instincts radiating off him. "That motherfucker," he seethes. "I don't want him within one hundred yards of you."
"I still have a business to run," I point out, but it sounds weak even to my own ears. If Don is really the one behind all of this, I don't think I want him within one hundred yards of me, either.
Alessandro curves a hand around my jaw, tilting my head back until my eyes are locked on his. "And you'll keep running it," he says. "But you aren't going back there alone until I get a security system installed. I don't give a fuck if it violates his bullshit lease or not. I don't want him anywhere near you. Understood?"
When I start to argue, he cuts me off. "I mean it, Heidi. Your safety comes first. The bakery is important, but not more important than you. In fact, fucking nothing matters more than you. Okay?"
I want to argue further, but the fierce protection blazing in his eyes and the lines of stress carved around his mouth keep me silent. He's really worried about this. And after everything he's done for me, the last thing I want is to repay him by making him worry even more.
"Okay," I relent softly, reaching up to stroke his stubbled jaw. "I promise, Alessandro. No going to the bakery alone."
He exhales a tiny breath, pulling me closer, and I know I made the right decision.