The Rock Star and The Mafia

Chapter 4

"Jake would you please tell Mr. Castellano that I will be waiting for him outside?" "Sure thing, Sixx" Jake replied. Walking through the doors, Cheri breathed in deeply and exhaled.

Kicking an imaginary can around the parking lot, Cheri never heard the footsteps come up behind her.

"You're a hard one to track down" the man said. Cheri shuddered at the sound of his words. "Geraldo. Still doing dirty work for my father I see." Her sarcasm was not lost on him at all.

"I'm hurt, Cherisa Rose" his turn for sarcasm.  "Don't.call.me.that" she gritted.  "I haven't been that girl in a long time."  He scoffed as he got closer to her. 

Cheri backed up a few steps.  "Little girl, you'll always be a Lantana" he told her.  She sighed, completely done with this.  "What do you want?" she asked again.  "Your father wants you home" he answered.

She shook her head.  "I'm not going anywhere near him" she told him.  "He said you would say that" Geraldo answered, pulling out a syringe.

"Really?" she questioned.  "He's taken to drugging people to get what he wants?"  Her voice incredulous.  The man stepped towards her again but this time she ran back towards the club.

She'd almost made it to the door when he caught up with her.  Grabbing her roughly, he slung her into the door frame causing her face to hit.

Blinded by pain and the sensation of blood running down her face, she could hardly stand and that's when she felt the sting of the needle.

Her body relaxed immediately as she headed for the ground but before she hit, she was caught by someone and it wasn't Geraldo.

"Stay with me, cara" the echoed voice called out but she just couldn't.  Darkness closed in around her and she sensed nothing but warmth.

Aware of movement around her, Cheri tried to sit up but her body still felt drugged.  Raising a hand to her head, she was stopped midair.  It was Alessio.  "You've had a nasty knock, doc stitched it up."

"Where am I?" she asked hoarsely.  "My home" came his reply.  She noticed right away that her boots were removed and her pants.  "You did this?" she asked smirking at him.  He nodded.

"Do you have a shirt I can borrow?  This corset is just damned uncomfortable" she laughed.  Something had wrecked his mood because his expression was stoic.

He walked to his dresser and pulled out a pair of boxers and a wife beater, handing them to her he said "We need to talk."  She nodded.

Getting up from his bed, she reached down and pulled off her socks, throwing them on top of her pants and boots.

Cheri started unhooking the front closure of her corset, revealing a very naked body underneath.  Alessio only caught a side view, but fuck!  Her breasts were magnificent.

It was then that Alessio saw her back tattoos. The colorful wings and the words in an arch over her lower back. Mi Famiglia in beautiful cursive writing.

"Wow" he whispered. She turned, looking over her shoulder, their eyes meeting. She held his gaze quite a while and then she put the shirt over her head and then pulled on the shorts.

"Would you still want that drink?" he asked. "Yes please" replied. Walking to the bedroom door, he was the perfect gentleman in holding it open for her.

They passed a lot of men on their way down the stairs. "We'll take drinks in my study" he added. She just nodded as she stepped through his open door.

"I guess you've got questions?" she asked him as he handed her a drink. He scoffed. "You could say that" he replied, leaning against his desk.

"Well, ask away" she said, sitting on the couch in Alessio's study. "Let's start with your name" he asked. Sighing and running her hand through her hair.

"Cherisa Rose Lantana" she answered him.  He had the perfect poker face.  She knew his type and there was no way he didn't know who her father was because Alessio Castellano was in the same business as her father, the Mafia.

"Who was that man that attacked you?" Alessio asked, still leaning against his desk.  "Geraldo Bussi, my father's enforcer" Cheri answered honestly.  She wasn't going to insult Castellano's intelligence by lying to him now.

"When did you see your father last?" the questions continued.  "Ten years ago.  Around the time Guardian got their big break.  At first, he showed up to a couple of shows and then he would send his men to taunt me and then he just completely disappeared from my life.  Until tonight."

"Why do you think that is?" Alessio asked.  Cheri shrugged.  "When I was fifteen, he went on and on about a marriage to keep our family intact and one that would be beneficial to our family and the groom's.  I told him hell-to-the-no.  I got a wonderful black eye for that answer."

"I don't think it's safe for you to be back at your place" Alessio said, finally walking towards her.  "Well, having said that, what do you think I should do?" she asked coyly.  He just smirked and shook his head.

"You're staying here" he said as more of a statement than anything.  "No argument from me" Cheri answered.  "You'll stay in my room, with me" his eyes giving him away.  "Okay" Cheri was way too easy on all of this.

"Is there anyway that you can get me to my apartment or if I make a list, have someone gather some things for me?" she asked sipping her scotch.  Leaning towards the coffee table, Alessio picked up a pad and pen and handed it to her.

While writing, Cheri asked "I don't suppose you have a place I could practice my guitar and singing?"  Alessio stood up.  "Come.  I'll show you" he said holding out his hand.  She only hesitated for a second, her mind remembering the last time they touched.

It felt warm wrapped up in his and she was ever aware of the fact that he was rubbing her knuckles with his thumb.  She felt warm from the waist up as the feelings she had worked so hard to suppress were coming to the surface.

Making their way down some stairs, Alessio flipped on a switch and the light shined out what looked like a huge basement, but it was nice, really nice.

There was a full kitchen, bathroom with shower, tables for eating or meetings either one, maps on the wall, computers everywhere, what looked like small bedrooms.  Everything that you could need to sustain yourself for a chunk of time.

He led her to an open space towards the back of the long room.  It was nice and open, lots of plugs and power strips.  "This entire area is yours for as long as you want it" he told her.  "I don't know what to say" she answered.

"How about you just play for us?  For me?" he asked almost shyly.  Turning to look up at him, she gave him a brilliant smile.  "Well it's the least I can do for my knight in shining armor" she joked.  Scoffing, Alessio pulled out a chair and sat down next to her.  "I'm anything but a knight and my armor is anything but shiny" he told her.

Leaning over she placed a small kiss on his cheek.  "Not to me" she said simply.  He didn't know what to do with what she'd just said other than to kiss her and kiss her he did.