The sound of blood hit the floor as I slammed my fist into the Irish's face. I took a step back as he picked his head up again, blood was covering every inch of him. Multiple open wounds that would kill him in the next few hours.
He choked on his blood as he spoke, "Alpha doesn't tell us-" he coughed, opening his eyes that were almost swollen shut.
"He doesn't tell us anything. We only do the jobs for him. The only people who know his plan are his sons, a few cousins and this girl they keep around."
I grabbed the towel from the table nearby. Wiping my hands I stared at all the knives and guns I had laid out on the table, deciding which one I wanted to use next.
"What girl?" I asked, thinking we could get to something they held valuable. I wasn't one to do harm to a woman like other mobs but a simple conversation with a girl that was most likely sheltered would do the job.
"I- I don't know. She huh-"
I waited for him to get the words out. Most people would've killed him already from all the stuttering. But I learned to have patience when it came to these things. It was something my father did and I hated taking after him, but this was one thing I learned and picked up from watching him torture people for hours. I couldn't change now. I may hate my father, but he was Salvatore Bertelli and I was his son. Some things just ran in our blood.
"We don't see her much anymore. Alpha kept her hidden after he bought her. Probably because every man that laid eyes on her from the Carollo's wanted her."
From all the times we had interactions with the Irish there was never a girl that I knew was associated with them. Unless they were wives or family of the Carollo's, but even then they didn't get involved with mob matters.
"What's her name?" I asked.
"I don't know, man." He spat out blood right in front of my shoes. I rolled my shoulders back, throwing the rag on the table. I looked up at the clock that hung on the brick wall.
"Think about it." I looked at the man one last time before I walked away. I could've gone for a lot longer if I didn't have to change and pick up Faye in an hour.
"Wait! You can't leave me here. I'll die!-"
His screams echoed down the hall even as the door shut behind me. Rafe was at the top of the stairs, leaning against the wall, he was smoking. He was already dressed in a suit for the event and he looked down at his shiny watch then shook his head.
"You were in that room for eight hours. That's almost a record time." He mumbled, putting his cigarette out against the wall he flicked it on the floor. It was dark in the basement hallway. Only a couple overhead lights that flickered here and there.
"He was a tough one. Said something about a woman that's in the loop with the Carollo's," I said, taking my blooded shirt off I threw it in the trash nearby. Then I washed my hands at the sink we had built right at the entrance of the basement for this exact reason.
"Get her name?"
I shook my head, "said he didn't know."
Rafe laughed, mumbling under his breath about what a stupid answer that was. We both left the basement and up the stairs to the main section of my father's home.
I hated being in this house. Once my father was gone I'd burn it down. Everytime I walked through here it was like the gray walls and marble floor suffocated me with my mothers voice. She was everywhere.
"Alessio."
Rafe sighed and stopped walking as well. We both turned towards the kitchen where my father sat with Bianca.
She didn't look too good to say the least. I couldn't blame her after what she's gone through.
The chandelier above the marble dining table reflected off every shiny thing in the room. Even extra on the spot where I sat in my mothers blood.
"Heading to the casino?" He asked.
"Yeah."
"I'll be attending as well-"
"I thought you weren't going," I muttered, feeling the tension rise from my back to my jaw. I could see Bianca tense and slowly she backed away from my father.
"They'll kill each other one day." My uncle always whispered to himself everytime we were in a room together with my father. Everyone that was ever in a room with us could feel the blood that never got split, but was bound to break at any second.
"I changed my mind. You may be taking over, son. But I am still alive and this is also my business."
I didn't give a fuck if he went or not. "See you there," I told him, turning around.
"Son. You should bring that girl you've been hanging around, the one that works at our club. She's a pretty one-"
"Stay away from her."
I didn't turn around to face him, my threat was clear in my tone and he didn't have to see my face to know I was serious.
Rafe and I quickly left my old childhood home before I strangled my own blood.
"You know I'll help you whenever you're ready," Rafe stopped me before I could get in my car. I looked up at him, he was about to get in his driver's seat.
"I know."
He stared at me for a couple more seconds before he nodded and opened his door and got into his car. I looked at the house as he drove off.
My father had eyes on Faye now. My suspicions of him trafficking her only worsened by the day. I wouldn't put it past him to do that, and it all made sense. Fuck. I shouldn't be hanging around her. What would she think if she found out what my father had done?
I was thirty minutes early to pick up Faye.
After I had over thought everything. I was still currently parked outside her apartment, contemplating if I should go up now. I would text her but she wouldn't give me her number, sure I could've gotten it some other way but I decided not to. If I had to work to get her number then I'd work for it.
I was starting to grow impatient. And goddamnit I never got impatient. But everyday since the shooting at the cafe I'd been torturing the Irish for hours, waiting for answers and everyday I had little and little. I was blaming that for the reason why I was so impatient and not the fact that I wanted to see her.
I shifted in my seat, checking the time like it moved since the last second I looked at it.
Fuck it.
I got out of my car, looking around the place. It wasn't the nicest area and I was hoping the inside wouldn't look like the outside. But when I walked into the apartment complex it was almost worse.
There was an elevator to the right, the walls were so dirty I couldn't even tell what color it was. The tile under my dress shoes was chipping and the ceiling looked like it was bound to give in one day.
The guy sitting at the front desk wasn't even paying attention to me until I stopped in front of him. He blinked and then stood from his seat, putting on a smile.
"Alessio Bertelli-"
"What apartment number does Faye Rameriz live in?" I cut him off, just as he put his hand out like I'd fucking shake it.
He cleared his throat, his whole face turning red at the mention of her name. I narrowed my eyes as he spit out the number, "uh. Third floor, door number seven."
"Thanks."
I walked to the elevator which sounded like it was breaking as it took me all the way up to the third floor. I found Faye's apartment as soon as I walked out, the hallway was quiet and there were two other apartments next to hers.
I knocked on the one that had the big number next to the wooden door. Seven. The number was tattooed on her three times and she carried a necklace with the same numbers.
Luck.
I found out something new about the girl everyday.
I heard shuffling on the other side and I realized right now there was no peep hole.
Faye opened the door a second later and fuck my life.
The red dress that I had sent her in the morning fit all her curves in all the right places.
"You're early," she said, narrowing her blue eyes that looked brighter against the black eye makeup she had on.
"And you look like you're ready- Faye." I stopped the door from shutting in my face with my dress shoe.
She pulled it open again and rolled her eyes. Which only made my goddamn itch for her worse. It had always been there. The desire to grab her from the back of her neck and taste the attitude right from her lips. I never kissed the women I had one night stands with, never did I have an urge to anyway. And I hated that Faye tempted me on it and I hadn't even fucked her.
"Well I guess it's a good thing you're here. I need help zipping my dress," she smiled forcefully at me and the cut on her lip was almost fully healed. Her blue eyes went big and did that thing they always did when she wanted something even though she was being a bitch about it.
They were fuck me eyes for me.
"Not if you leave me in this hallway for another second," I threatened.
"Fine."
She opened the door the rest of the way and let me in. The first thing my eyes caught onto was the canvas that sat right in front of her window with an array of colors on it. There wasn't just one canvas, she had dozens of them laying around. With paint brushes and different colors laying everywhere on her living room floor.
"You paint?" The words left my mouth before I could think about it.
I heard the click of the door shutting before I felt her grab the back of my suit jacket and stop me from walking in further.
"Hey. I'm not letting you all the way in. Stay where you're at, pretty boy," she snapped at me and I felt when her fingers swept over the gun I had in the back of my pants. Even felt when she swiftly took it out and if I was anyone else I wouldn't have noticed. She was that good.
I grabbed her wrist and yanked her in front of me, taking the small black gun from her hands. I placed it inside the front of my suit jacket, "when are you going to stop calling me that?" I asked.
I watched as her eyes sparkled and she tilted her head, "is Alessio Bertelli offended?"
My jaw clenched. I reached around her and I didn't miss the way she tensed just a little bit, but relaxed when I only swept her hair to the side of her shoulder. The slickness of it made me want to tug on it. I don't think I'd ever see anyone with jet black hair like Faye's.
I felt for the zipper on the back of her dress, her wrist still in my hand, her eyes holding mine but the mischievous look in them died down. My other hand came into contact with her skin. Soft.
The further I went down the faster Faye's heartbeat sped up against the pads of my finger tips. My grip tightened on her, until I reached the zipper and pulled it up. It was the only thing that filled the silence. Something must've changed in the look on my face because she quickly looked down at her wrist I was holding and took a step back.
"Just so you know I'm not going to take any shit from anyone tonight," she said with a fierceness no other woman would have with me. Fuck.
"What do you mean?" I asked, narrowing my eyes.
"You know what people are going to think when I walk in with you? I'm a stripper at your club. I'm practically going to be seen as your whore," she snapped, her eyes going even angrier.
She was right.
"But you're not a stripper-"
"I'm not on the pole but I still work in a strip club nonetheless. They all see me there."
"No one will mess with you. My men know better," I assured her, but she still didn't look like she trusted that.
"I promise."
Something went soft in her eyes that were intimidating in themselves. Then something in my chest cracked and I was left regretting all my words.
"Let me grab my coat. Stay here," she muttered, turning around on her red heels that matched the dress.
I chose that color so I could keep an eye on her tonight, so I can make her out in a crowd full of people that weren't all on my side. Faye was right about being seen as nothing but a stripper, my men were loyal to me and respected women as much as me. But my fathers men didn't trust me, neither did they like me.
But no one would touch her and I'd make sure of it. I protected her when the Irish decided to shoot up the cafe, there was no difference in protecting her now. Even if she did have a smart mouth that tempted everything inside me.
MERRY XMASSSSSSS (:
I hope you all have an amazing holiday even if you don't celebrate. I wish you guys the best, the holidays can be sad and lonely for a lot of people but just know that you are loved and cared about and if you've lost people around the holidays they will always be with you.
Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, also hope you guys were surprised (: my present to you guys!!
Also quick question, do you guys see the photo I attached to this chapter???? 抖阴社区 has been acting up.