16. Adriana

Chapter sixteen

Adriana

Beatrice is waiting by the door as we wait for my phone to ring. Alessandro said he was coming soon. I can't seem to think straight around him. We had sex again with no condoms. It's about time I start on some birth control to be safe.

She's here to get the guards away while I sneak out to meet him. She looks more scared than I do.

I hold my arms, staring at the phone beside me. I can hear my heartbeat as I anxiously wait to hear his call. Father will be here to take me back home if Alessandro doesn't.

"Are you sure he's coming?" Beatrice asks. I hug myself, raising my eyes to meet hers.

"He said he was."

She nods and turns to the door.

I'm hoping he does. After our moment yesterday, it felt like something changed between us. The sex felt different, too. Or it's just me. I couldn't stop thinking about him. Every time I try to get him out of my head, I feel myself falling a bit deeper for him.

Beatrice and I jump as my phone rings. She raises her eyebrows, silently asking if it's him. I nod in response, grabbing my phone in a hurry.

"Third row, black SUV," he says as I pick up the call. He cuts it off immediately when he's done talking.

I stand to my feet as Beatrice steps out. I wait for her signal to alert me when the guards are gone.

"Adriana," she whispers behind the door. I slide on my flops and sneak out of the door.

Beatrice had brought a black cap to hide my face as I exit the hospital. I hastily walk out the door and into the parking lot, soaking up the smell beside all the disinfectant from the hospital.

Spotting Alessandro's car in the third row, I walk towards him. He winds down the window, and I see Daniel instead. My heart sinks a little.

"Hello, Adriana," Daniel greets me as I slide into the other seat. I force a smile, putting on the seatbelt.

"Hi. Thank you for coming."

He winds back up the window and starts the car. I check my phone to see a text from Beatrice asking if I had gone. "And thank you for the flowers." I make a mental note to call Beatrice when I get to Alessandro's house.

Daniel smiles a little as he drives the car into the street. "Ale said you should have this," he says, reaching for something in the backseat. He hands over a bunch of red roses to me.

I breathe in the sweet floral scent as I bring it closer to my nose. It makes me smile a little, hating him a little less. "Why isn't he here?"

"Work."

Nodding, I look outside the window, taking little breaths. Father isn't having his way this time.

***

It's been two days since I arrived at Alessandro's home. He's been very busy lately, and I don't see him as much as I want to. I only get to see him early in the morning. I like this new little routine; him stopping by my room to kiss me before he leaves.

He had given me some of his shirts to wear till I got ready to step out. The clothes he had Daniel get for me were either too big or too small. I'm lying in his black shirt, thinking about the way he looks at me in his shirt.

Today, I got up early so I can hear him knock on the door. I roll on my bed to the edge to grab my phone on the wooden nightstand. It's almost 7:30 a.m. Just about the time he always comes around. I gruff as I roll over again and plant my face into the sheets. It muffles my screams as I hit the bed with my feet.

I don't understand him. I take my phone, calling Beatrice to distract myself. She answers on the first ring.

"Adriana, are you alright?" She whispers on the phone. I stare at the ceiling, picking at my fingernails.

"Is now a bad time? You're whispering, Beatrice."

"Sorry, Father came visiting. He left some minutes ago."

"Are you alright?" I ask, worried.

"Yes. He had the guards killed. Both of them."

I gasp, cursing under my breath. It makes me more worried about Beatrice's safety. Father has no stopping when something doesn't go his way. I doubt he will hold back just because his own blood is the one in his way.

"Are you sure you're alright?"

"I am, I promise. He still has no idea I helped you."

I stand to my feet and give up the wait, walking instead out of the room to the kitchen to grab a glass of water.

"Does he know yet?"

Alessandro is by the island as I walk into the kitchen. Our eyes meet, but I don't stop. He is shirtless with a glass in his hand.

"He does. But he knows it's foolish to go after Alessandro when he is still in need of his father's men."

I take a glass from the cup rack and place it under the faucet in the kitchen sink. My stomach grumbles. I only had leftover pizza last night.

"Are Bruno's men still after him?" I take a sip of the water, resting on the tiled countertop. Bruno is my father's business associate, and I always find it difficult to tell who is more aggressive between him and my father.

"Yes. I have to go now. I'll talk to you soon. Take care of yourself, Adriana."

She cuts the call before I say goodbye.

"Who was that?"

Dropping the glass, I turn to the door. Alessandro is resting by the door frame with his hand hanging above his head.

"Why do you care?" I reply.

He tries to speak but stops himself before the words fall out.

I pick up the glass again and empty it into the sink, feeling uneasy as he watches me. When done, I dry my hands and make a move to go past him.

He stops me from walking out as he blocks the way with his body. "Are you pissed at me, Poppy?"

Without looking at him, I move my eyes to the side. I don't even know if I am pissed at him or why I am pissed at him. I am so tired of all these push and pull games he is playing with me.

He grabs my arms and presses my back against the door frame, forcing me to look at him.

"Let go of me, Alessandro!"

"You're mad at me."

"I don't get you. You're making me lose my fucking mind," I grunt.

He brings his face closer to mine. Our lips are inches away from each other. Just one move closer, and I'll have his lips on mine.

"You're doing the same to me every time you get like this."

I can feel his hot breath on my skin. His eyes flicker as he exchanges glances between my eyes and lips. Like he's stopping himself from doing what he wants most now.

"Talk to me, Poppy," he breathes.

I swallow hard, my breaths getting heavier with him this close to me. "It sounds stupid."

He moves back and gives more space between us. "Try me."

Using a few seconds to prepare myself, I cringe at how stupid it sounds in my head. "You didn't stop by this morning," I say in a low tone, my eyes away from his.

He takes my chin and raises my head so I can stare at him. The edges of his lips curve with a little smirk on his face. "Did you miss me, Poppy? Let me make it up to you."

He doesn't wait another moment as his lips reach for mine. He tastes like red wine. It's a slow kiss as he lazily moves his lips on mine. We stay there, kissing for a couple more minutes before he breaks it.

"I had a bad night, and I'm staying in today. That's why I didn't stop by your room."

I wet my swollen lips with my tongue and nod. My stupid stomach grumbles loudly this time. "Sorry," I mutter, slightly embarrassed.

"I've ordered some toast with eggs for breakfast. I knew you'd be hungry."

Argh… my heart melts some more for him.

"I just want to kiss you some more right now," he adds.

This time, I don't wait for him to make the first move before I merge our lips together again. I wrap my arms around his neck as he lifts me by my waist. He doesn't break the kiss as I lock my legs around him, his strong arms holding me tight.

He walks us out of the kitchen to the couch in the living room and lowers me on it. We continue kissing as he hovers over me until a knock on the door interrupts us. He grunts as he lets go of my hips.

"Who the fuck is it?" he yells.

"Henri."

Alessandro grunts again and kisses me one more time before standing to his feet. "Wait here."

He walks to the door and steps out instead of letting Henri in. He stays outside longer than I expected, as I hear him yelling something in Italian.

Sitting down properly, I adjust on the couch. I can tell he is angry as he walks back into the house and slams the door hard. His fists are clenched together tightly. I can see his knuckles have turned white.

"Is something wrong?"

"Those fucking bastardos (bastards) can't do anything right!"

I'm startled by the intensity of his voice. I've never seen him this angry. He walks to the bar and smashes the glass he left on the table on the ground. Glass pieces litter the spot on the floor.

"You're scaring me, Alessandro." I wrap my arms around myself and shift on the couch further away from him.

"Fuck," he grunts. He punches the wall and rests his head on it.

"Alessandro, you're hurt." I watch as blood drips on the floor from cuts on his knuckles.

"I'm alright, Adriana." He doesn't take his head off the wall.

"You're not alright, Alessandro." I stand from the couch and try to move closer to him.

"What's wrong? You can tell me."

"I want to be alone. I need to think." Ignoring his words, I take another cautious step closer to him. "Talk to me, Ale."

"Leave me the fuck alone, Adriana." He lifts his head off the wall to face me. "You are only here because of a stupid deal I had no choice but to strike. Know your place around here!"

Here we go again…

Unlike before, I don't stop the teardrop from falling from my eye. I just fucking knew it. He was playing me all along, making me believe he wants me the way I want him. Fuck. I'm so stupid to think...

His words make my heart hurt; I can feel them stab deeply. I leave his presence, running into my room and slamming the door shut. I hear him call my name but I ignore him, searching through the closet for my clothes.

I don't want to stay here anymore. Or anywhere near him. I can't take his games anymore. I wipe my tears as I take off his stupid shirt.

"Adriana," he knocks.

"Fuck you, Alessandro. I don't want to fucking see your face."

He doesn't knock again or call my name.

I put on the blue jeans I had on in the hospital and my grey top. I toss his shirt to the ground and walk into the bathroom, turning on the faucet in the skin to wash my swollen eyes and tears. I have no idea where I'm about to go, but I'd rather not be here with him.

He isn't in the living room when I walk out of the room to the kitchen. I grab my phone from the countertop and walk to the front door.

My eyes bulge out as I see a dead man at the front door as I try to step out. He isn't the only one. They are all dead, with their bodies littered around the house.

And blood. There's blood everywhere. I hear a gunshot sound in the air as I try to run back into the house.

" Cagna (Bitch)," someone curses.

A bloodcurdling scream leaves my mouth as soon as I feel a sting in my stomach. I touch the wound, and I see a wet stain on my shirt. Falling to the ground, I can only stare at my bloody palm. Bouts of groans escape my mouth as I feel my heart pounding from my insides.

He shot me.