Chapter 39
Emilly
As I sat across from Alensis, with his strat eyes piercing through me as they were waiting for an answer. I had decided that lying wouldn’t do any good.
It would only make the station worse and if I had to believe my instincts, he already knew about Jason. This was just a way to test me a way to see if I would be honest with him.
“He’s Katy’s dad, but you already know that,” I gave him an answer, still calling him out even though I
didn’t have the right to
“You mean her dad who you said wasn’t in her life anymore?” Alessio countered, his tone making clear that I was the one in the wrong, and he was correct.
He gave me the chance to come dean, and I didn’t take it. I had a good reason though. I was already on thin ice, and back then, a simple confession would’ve made him map.
“It’s not like that,” I mumbled, feeling surprisingly relieved now that that was out of the way. I wanted to tell him about all the pain Jason had caused. Not just the Emilyotional abuse, but the physical as well but I couldn’t bring myself to say it out loud. “You wouldn’t understand.” I settled for the simplest explanation.
Alessio sighed, expressing that the answer wasn’t good enough. His eyes softened. “Then make me understand.”
For a moment I considered it, I really did. But the thought of recounting every detail of what Jason did to me–how he yelled, beat me, locked me in for days, used to throw me on the bed with his hand around my throat and do unimaginable things
I didn’t want to relive those moments
“He used to abuse me,” I didn’t want to get too specific. “And…” I trailed off, the mEmilyories too painful to
continue
Luckily Alessio didn’t push me for more. “I know enough,” he released a scoff, but I could tell it wasn’t towards me. It was towards Jason
“Did you knew he was in the city?”
“Thad an idea. I was going to leave the city, but then I saw him the day the driver picked in. I panicked-”
-up to move
“You were never going to get in that car,” Alessio concluded, chuckling. “You were going to run away from
Chapter 38
both of us?
“I was.” I responded in all honesty. I had to do who was worse between the ts of you and choos
Jason Can you blame me?
I knew he couldn’t.
He had threatened my life for god’s sake, of course I was going to See
Now I know all of that was just bluff, but how could I have known
i cance
“Do not put me on the same level as that soum, Alessio that his eyes for a second, sean almost loeng from his nose. “Now what do you expect me to do with the information that your ex has been looking fo
you?”
“Just let it go, because when this deal ends- only hun me ten times more.” I pleaded fearing the consequences of his involvEmilyent. By the looks of it, he wanted to kors–and I coidarter him do
that
“Are you afraid of him?”
“Y–You wouldn’t understand.” I stammered. He becomes a psychopath once you provoice him. He’s capable of doing anything, and I don’t want him to hurt Katy-
Alessio reached across the table, grabbing my hand. “No one will ever hurt Naty. I mean that
For the first time in ages, a warmth I thought I’d lost forever flickered in my heart. He truly cared for my daughter, and in that instant, I realized she was safe with him. The man I had feared so much ha become her protector.
We both wanted to protect the same thing
“Just let it go,” I squeezes his hand. “If you don’t want to do it for me do it for her.”
With a murmur, he released my hand. “I can take care of him if you want to. I’ll make it quick”
“You can’t,” I shook my head, far too calm considering he was plotting an actual murder. To us he may be a monster–but in Naty’s eyes he’s her dad and he can do no wrong If she would one day find out the truth, she would never forgive me.”
I tried to understand what Alessio was thinking as he stared at me with those eyes, but I couldn’t, and honestly, I didn’t want to. There was no reason to uncover the feelings hidden in his weak gaze.
People often felt sorry for me, and I was so over it. I never sought their pity or anything e
nd I wasn’t
about to start…
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Perhaps he wasn’t even feeling sorry for me
Perhaps his concern was for my daughter, and w–rounderstand that
“It’s all good. He left the city anyway dog a bar reprolong
“How do you know? What have you done?
Fear washed over me as a flash forward popped into my head way thr
Alesdo standing og to save could end up pointing right hark to me, was had news Knowing
wat would give me one fist for every disrespectful word Alesin might have red home for my pe might have given him.
I didn’t do anything.” Alessio assured me “All I did was kept an eye on his pack his bags and went back home
one I know
It
There it was again, that sympathetic look, and I wasn’t liking it one hat made me worry about the way 1
I had presented myself to him. He wanted answers, I couldn’t give him nothing, so gave him something–and pushed it to the point he actually thought I was pathetic
“Don’t look at me like that,” I released a breath.
“Tm just looking at you.”
Yeah, like I’m this sad, pathetic, hopeless little girl”
“It’s quite the opposite.” Alessio managed to surprise with a reaction I did not expert. That’s
had of you this entire time… but now I see just how strong you really are.”
The corners of my lips tingled at his kind words, and I fought hard to keep my smile in check. I didat want to seEmily as if I needed his validation, even though sometimes I did feel that way.
He didn’t need to know that
When his phone buzzed, I couldn’t encourage him fast enough to pick up. “Take it.”
“Thanks for your permission, but I wasn’t planning on doing otherwise.” Alessio’s amused snicker took me off guard.
A flush spread over my face. “I wasn’t giving you permission, I was-“:
“Gian, what’s up?” Alessio made it his habit to cut me off, and focused on what had to be his brother.
When he winked at me with a smug smile, I figured he knew exactly what he was doing. He found joy in cutting me off, and I fell for it, kept entertaining him with my reaction.
Hilarious.
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I
I let my eyes wander upward, feeling slightly Emilybarrassed. With each minute I spent with len, 3 was piecing him together bit by bit. Discovering we shared something in common, protecting Naty, made the realize he really wasn’t as bad as I thought.
At first, he had me fooled with his whole Disobey and I’ll kill your act, but I could see through in Sure you wouldn’t want to cross someone like him, but he seEmilyed to have a softer side, especially towards women. That’s the impression he gave me.
If I had known he was this understanding. I would’ve told him about Jason right away. I opened up, he listened, he believed me, he wanted to do something about it–and that’s more anyone had ever done for
- me.
He didn’t ask me for evidence or try to push the blame onto me. He believed me
Now, here I was, actually having a’good time at dinner with him, something I would have never imagined before.
The one he would eventually end up marrying, would not have it bad. That was for sure.
Alessio pulled different faces in response to whatever it was that Gian was saying. It was a cute side of him I hadn’t seen before.
Cute?
No.
Not cute.
Why was I even thinking this way?
It was just one magical moment we had. We bonded over Naty, and that was it. It couldn’t be enough for me to start calling this guy ‘cute‘.
yawned, stretching the phone away to put Gian on speaker. He pointed his best to the
me to listen.
phone,
“And then I was thinking, since you’re also in Miami–you should come to Club Fanucci and have a drink with me!” Gian’s voice, unmistakably wasted, could be heard through the phone.
“He’s drunk,” Alessio pointed out, stating the obvious.
“I got a nice VIP booth, everyone is asking where you are–I got hot girls, bottles, you have to come down here!” Gian called out over the loud music in the background.
Club Fanucci…
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Everyone must’ve been asking where he was, hoping for even as much as a second of attention from the
heir.”
“Listen, Gian,” Alessio said, “I’m having dinner with Emily? My fiancee who I’m loyal to nowadays, rEmilyEmilyber?” He glanced at me for a second as he Emilyphasized the word ‘fiancee‘.
Bullshit. I didn’t believe that one bit.
We had no commitment to each other. If we did, he wouldn’t have undressed Pilar with his eyes.
“Then take her with you!” Gian blurted out.
“I don’t think ” Alessio began, but I cut him off, the same way he always did with me. “Yes, we’ll come!”
“Are y
you sure?” he asked, his eyes turning big. I knew he thought I was boring, but I wasn’t.
“Why not, we might as well go,” I shrugged.
I could really use a night out after everything that happened this evening. Plus, Pilar had already texted that she brought the kids to bed.
“You heard the woman, get over here right now. Emily, the girls here can give you a run for your money–so enough with the turtle necks and wear something nice! I’ll see you later.” Gian slurred, then he hung up.
“Sorry for that,” Alessio said, feeling the need to apologize. I was unsure if he referred to his drunk brother or his last comment. Neither one had affected me.
“It doesn’t matter. He’s not all that either. He’s only being like this because you and Dante are eating him up in the looks department.” I said, making Alessio let out a mischievous laugh as if he had been waiting for someone to bully his brother all along.
“I didn’t know you had that in you.”
“It’s true though,” I responded.
Although not as eye–catching as his brothers, Glan was handsome, but he was literally the perfect definition of the middle child. I knew that because I grew up as one myself. Alessio, being the eldest and the heir, was praised and respected by everyone. Dante and Melody, the youngest son and daughter were adored by everyone. As for Glan, I would only rEmilyEmilyber he existed if someone mentioned him. Otherwise, he’d slip my mind.
“Do you think I should invite Pilar?” I suggested since it would be our last night here.
“If you want to.”
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Since he didn’t mind, I texted Pilar
“Up for a party?
Pillar and I squealed as we heard a loud shout behind us, and suddenly Glan had his arm slammed
around my shoulder.
His breath smelled like a future hangover, and perhaps a blackout.
“Sister in law with the new look, and fuck I forgot
“Pilar. I’m not going to tell you again,” Pilar rolled her eyes with a playful smirk.
“Pilar!” Gan capped his hands with still his arm over my shoulder, and I dodged a hit just in time. He whittled with his fingers, somehow managing to beat the loud music.
“Another round of shots for everyone because my beautiful sister, and her friend with the attitude are
here!”
Everyone cheered, but Pilar tapped his shoulder repeatedly. “I don’t have an attitude?”
“You kind of do-
“No, I do not!”
As the two were quibbling, it came to mind that Glan was the brother that wouldn’t even take a second to give me any time of his day. Out of all the Fanuccis, I thought he disliked me the most–even more than
Domenico or Stefano.
How far must he have been for him to call me his sister? And beautiful at that
Still in his grip, I attEmilypted to release myself only to get pulled closer. “Oh, okay.” I awkwardly giggled. feeling another one of his rants was about to start.
“When I heard about this thing going on between you and my brother,” he began. “I talked so much shit about you, trust me–you don’t want to know!”
Pilar nudged his shoulder. “Dude-
“But!” Gian pushed her hand away. Just the fact that Alessio’s dick is still in his pants? I mean, he is definitely looking but…he isn’t touching
What was he even getting at?
“Alright, let’s get you some water big guy,” Pilar pulled him away this time. As she dragged him to the table she gave me a wink, hinting she would take care of it.
Still in his pants? How long would it take before he would whip it out then?
Frustrated, I looked at Alessio again. This time three women were glued to his side, and he was smiling
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It shouldn’t have bothered me that much, but it did. It bothered me so much that it took every tone ja my body not to drag thEmily off him and tell thEmily to get lost.
A few hours ago, I was scared of this man.
I had never been territorial, not with Jason, not with anyone. Whenever I saw girls talking about my man, my man, I used to laugh at thEmily because I couldn’t understand.
Hell, this wasn’t even my man.
I didn’t want him to be, but by now it appeared he had completely forgotten about me and that, I contin
accept.
It only took a breath before a fourth girl took her chance and held on to Alessio’s arm
“Oh, god–not again.” I muttered after clenching my teeth again. Who was I even clenching my teeth for
Seeing no better option than to escape the scene playing out in front of me, I walked down the stairs. straight from the busy dance floor to the bar. At least that way I wouldn’t need to visit a dentist next week
“Can I get you anything?” The bartender asked.
I shook my head, “No, just sitting.”
As some time passed, I couldn’t stop thinking about Alessio. How many girls must he have around Rus arms by now?
Five?
Six?
My body left the scene, but my mind hadn’t. “Shit, this is so annoying.” I thought out loud, knowing no one would be able to hear me anyway.
I truly had no idea why I felt this attached to him after opening up, but I had to figure it the fuck out. I had to keep it together.
“Here by yourself?” A voice interrupted me. I gazed at the man sitting beside me. He had brown tousled hair, bright blue eyes. Cute, but not as cute as…god save me.
Since when did we move on to comparing?
ple nod. A smile
Too tired to explain about a fiance who wasn’t even watching over me. I gave him crept on the guy’s face. I bet he thought he had succeeded and I would randomly go home with him
Super W
1 shook my head. “I don’t drink”
I pressed my lips together to give him my name, but never came to that. “She’s out of your league, and you don’t want to go there”
Alessio revealed himself, taking a seat on the stool beside me as he moved closer. His tone was cold and
I didn’t know from where he had shown up, but he was there.
Chapter 40