11. Alessandro

Chapter eleven

Alessandro

The Next Morning

Adriana's body is just breathtaking. Her curves revealing themselves in those damn jeans she just put on… I want to rip them off her and make love to her all over again.

"You're staring."

I stand to my feet from the bedside, joining her in the bathroom. She's looking in the mirror.

"I'd stare more if you were naked."

She hits my arm playfully, pretending to have a frown on. I stare at her through the mirror.

"You're so fucking beautiful." I kiss her neck, making her tilt her head to the side.

Last night was different. I finally had a good night's rest with her in my arms. I can't remember when I last had one. Adriana does things to me. I can't have her know how much of an effect she has on me.

"You're going to make us late," she whispers.

I clear my throat, pulling away from her. Her reaction changes as I pull away. A tiny frown tugs at her lips. It's almost unnoticeable. She tries to speak but keeps mute instead.

I walk back into the room and grab my shirt from the bed.

"Are you sure you're ready?" I ask, sliding the shirt on.

She sighs heavily and takes a glance at me. "I can't hide forever. Let's just get on with this fake marriage deal."

The deal gets us both what we want. A coke supplier for my father's business and, for Adriana, freedom from her father. I'll do anything to save the Malgeri empire, even if it means pretending for a while.

But under my watch, this stupid deal would only last for a short while. It's not easy to be forced to live with the daughter of your worst enemy. Because although I won't let anyone touch her, she will still remain that… the daughter of my enemy. And my head tells me I can never share my life with my enemy, no matter what my other body parts say… or want.

I swallow my words and nod instead. Even though I had suggested the idea, I don't quite enjoy its reminder. "I'll be waiting outside."

I grab my keys and exit the room.

I've had Madre speak to her father about the deal. This better work. I fucking hope it does.

***

"I hate this place," Adriana mumbles.

We are walking to the front door of her father's house. Her shoulders are tense as we reach the door.

"I won't let anything happen to you, Adriana."

She locks eyes with mine for a second, like she's searching for something in them.

She nods slightly as she holds the doorknob and opens the door for us.

A smile spreads across her face as she walks in. I follow behind her, conscious of the stares from her father's men.

"Beatrice!" Adriana exclaims.

I did my homework on Manny and found out he has two daughters. Adriana has a sister, Beatrice. Her only sibling and immediate family member after their mother died. They look alike with the same eyes. But just like with Adriana when we first met, I don't know much about Beatrice.

Adriana whispers into her ears and she stiffens, staring at me.

"Father is waiting in the living room," she says.

Adriana turns to look at me first and starts to head for the living room.

Unlike my house, the walls are light brown with pictures on the walls. A family portrait sits at the center as we walk into the living room.

"Adriana?" His voice is stern, just like a fucking asshole.

"Father," Adriana breathes. She looks like she doesn't want to be here.

"Where have you been, bambino viziato (spoiled child)?" His eyes are glued to the paper in his hand. I have no idea if he knows I'm here with her.

"Alessandro is here, Papa," Adriana replies instead.

He shuts the paper hastily and raises his head up to us.

His brown eyes stare at me through his glasses. He has awfully long white hair packed into a low bun.

"Isn't this the famous heir to the Malgeri's empire? Welcome, son." he stiffs a smile.

Oh, now I'm his fucking son?

"Mr. Gustavo," I nod.

"Come. Sit. Adriana, leave us to sort out business."

"If you don't mind, I want her to stay. We won't be staying for long."

Adriana and her sister look at me, confused.

Three of Gustavo's men walk into his house with rifles hung on their shoulders.

"I know my mother has spoken to you about the deal. Adriana and I will get married and you can have my men at your disposal in exchange for the supply. I want it tonight."

I know I'm not letting her stay here tonight.

"No long talks, son?" Manny laughs crookedly. His potbelly protrudes inside the white shirt he has on. I don't see any resemblance between Adriana and him.

"Very well," Manny says. "Let us join our houses in a week with the wedding. Our two families joining hands will secure our places as the most powerful families in New York. No one will dare challenge our forces."

I nod in agreement. One week and I'll be tied to this man for the foreseeable future.

Manny produces a document from his desk and, with a pen, signs the document. He pushes it over to me and I review it; it outlines our agreement. I sign it.

"Perfect," he drags the paper over, barely looking at it. "We should celebrate with a drink."

Before I can say where he can put his drink a man enters the room with champagne and hands each of us a glass.

"To Family."

My stomach churns.

Adriana takes a small sip and I chug it back and put it on Manny's desk.

"It's a pleasure doing business with you. I'll be expecting the supply tonight. Adriana?" I do what she doesn't expect and hold her hand in mine. She puts her own glass down on the desk.

To my surprise, Manny doesn't say anything else and seems to be in agreement with the few words we had just exchanged.

We walk out of her father's house and she mutters ‘thank you' a couple of times.

Adriana stares at me keenly on the drive back to my apartment in Brooklyn. She's quiet throughout the drive, staring out the window.

"Are you alright?"

"You've gotten what you want. It doesn't matter now."

She has no idea that I wouldn't leave her in the hands of the man who locks her up for days. I nod instead and continue the drive.

"You should get some rest," I say to her as we arrive at my house.

"Ale? Why are you being like this to me?"

"It's Alessandro to you around here. Know your place and act it," are the words that leave my mouth instead. It's as if the devil takes over me as soon as I feel Adriana is getting too close to me.

My phone rings in my pocket, it's my mother on the phone. "Excuse me." I step out of the car and head inside first. I walk into the other room and lock the doors.

" Madre ."

" Mio figlio (My child), is it done?"

I stand at the center of the room with my hands in my pocket. "Yes, Mama," I respond.

She lets out a shaky breath. "Thank you, Ale. I'll let your father know about it. How's the expansion downtown going?"

I pace the room, having doubts about Adriana's father and the supply.

"Daniel and I have gotten the perfect location on Eighth Avenue. Are you sure we can trust Manny with our supply?"

"If he doesn't keep the end of the deal, there will be consequences. We have his daughter, remember."

"Leave her out of this. She isn't a threat."

"And why do you suddenly care about her? You didn't want her in the first place."

"Goodbye, Mother; I'll talk to you soon."

"Bye, Ale," she sighs.

I'm not telling her or any-fucking-one-else, I think I like Adriana.

I end the call and step out of the room. Adriana is by the kitchen sink when I join her there.

"Is everything fine, Poppy? You're never this quiet."

She gulps down the glass of water in her hand, holding a finger out to me. "Want me to be a hundred percent honest with you?"

I reach for her face and tuck a loose strand behind her ear. "Yes. Tell me what's in your head."

"I don't understand you at all. One moment you tell me I mean nothing to you and, the next, you're saving me from my father. Or just now at my father's place, you're acting so kind towards me and the next minute you tell me to know my place and stand back," she stares. Her eyes look tired.

"You said you hated it there; I couldn't leave you."

Adriana leans forward to me and stretches a bit higher until her lips graze mine. I kiss her back as she wraps her arms around my neck.

I pick her up from the ground and she locks her legs around my waist. We don't break the kiss until I reach my bedroom.

It's slow. And sweet. I like the way she tastes. I put her down on the bed, kissing her for a few more minutes before letting go. Her arms are still wrapped around me as we stare at each other.

"You can stay here for as long as you want."

"Okay," she mumbles. I kiss her again till we get interrupted by Daniel's call.

I'm frustrated by the sudden interruption as I let go of Adriana and walk to my closet to answer his call.

"Where are you?"

I open my closet and drag out the first blue shirt I see. Adriana didn't get to pack anything before we left their house. I toss my shirt to her.

"Put that on." She catches it in the air and sniffs it.

"In my apartment in Brooklyn," I reply to Daniel.

"She's with you?"

"Yes." I look at her.

"How long have you had this here?" Adriana asks.

"Just put the fucking shirt on, Adriana."

I turn to stare at Adriana, then the bedroom's door, as I hear the front door slam open. Ending the call to prevent drawing unwanted attention, I turn back to Adriana.

"Hide," I whisper. I hastily grab the gun from my bedside drawer and position myself by the door.

Adriana runs into the bathroom and shuts the door.

"Arghh!" a voice yells as I pull the trigger. His body falls to the floor, with blood stains forming on his stomach.

I slam the door of the bedroom shut as bullets start flying in its direction.

Locking the door to buy some time, I slide underneath the bed frame. A loud noise fills the air as the men try to break the door.

After a couple of heartbeats, they finally get it crashing down and away from its hinges. I count six legs entering the room.

"Where is he?" a voice says.

"Find him!" another commands.

I aim for their legs, destabilizing their balance. While swiftly rolling out from underneath the frame, I take more shots, aiming at their upper half.

I kill all three of them, but a new one enters, who dodges my shot. He runs into the bathroom and comes out, holding Adriana at gunpoint.

"Shoot and I'll blow her brains out," he threatens.

"Who the fuck are you? Who sent you?"

"None of your fucking business. You'll listen to me and do as I say." He pulls Adriana's hair hard, forcing her to yell.

"You fucking hear me?"

"Leave her alone," I say through gritted teeth.

"Drop your gun."

I hesitate, looking at Adriana.

"Drop the fucking gun!"

"Fuck," I hiss.

"I'll kill her."

I bend and drop the gun right in front of me. Adriana is crying.

"Now, kneel with your hands in the air."

I clench my fist tight, wanting to gut him the fuck out with my bare hands. I kneel instead, with my arms in the air. Someone shoots at me.

"Fuck," I groan with a bullet in my arm.

Adriana screams my name. I wrap my palm around the wound. I'm stained with my own blood.

I turn to see two more men approaching the bedroom. One of them tries to take another shot but I crawl away in time. The bullet meets the bed frame instead.

Adriana kicks the man holding her hostage in the groin and snatches his gun. She points it at him and takes a shot. The bullet crushes into his skull as he falls down. Dead.

I must confess I'm impressed.

I grab my gun as I hear yet more men approaching the bedroom. It's like there's a fucking army of them here. They're gonna reach us any moment now.

Adriana quivers, staring at my bloody arm.

"Alessandro," she cries. She stares at the wound.

"Take my phone. Call Daniel now."

She picks it up just as the door opens.

I take shots at the men but miss one as my arm stings with pain. He shoots me in the leg and I fall to my knees, groaning.

I aim at one and shoot him right in the groin. Adriana points her gun at the other man just as he points his at me.

"I'll fucking kill him before you can pull the fucking trigger," he says, staring at me.

She shoots at him before he says anything else. It pierces his chest.

"Fuck you," she says.

"Alessandro, Ale," Adriana whispers, kneeling in front of me. I'm bleeding from my wounded arm and leg. She lays me down flat on the ground.

"Call… Dan… iel."

She picks up my phone and I barely manage to whisper the passcode. She starts to scroll for Daniel's name. My eyes flutter as my breaths grow heavier.

"Daniel!" Adriana cries. She stares at me. "Alessandro, he's shot. Please help."

"Yes, we are still in Brooklyn," she says again. She ends the call and kneels beside me.

"Alessandro, please stay with me."

"I'm not going anywhere, Poppy," I whisper. She plants a kiss on my cheek.

She looks at the dead man beside her. Her eyes widen as she stares at him. She must be realizing that she just killed someone for the first time in her life.

I can't keep my eyes open any longer. Her voice gets fainter as she tries to keep up a conversation with me.

"Poppy…"

I see her teary blue eyes stare at me. Till I can't.

It's all dark now.