The Rock Star and The Mafia

Chapter 33

What in the absolute hell possessed him to just walk out on a woman who'd just said 'I love you'?  "God you're a pussy, Castellano" he said to himself bitterly.  He went to find Lorenzo when the guards from the front gate had sent word that Cheri had left.

Running back to their room, Alessio didn't find her.  What he found was her laptop was gone, phone was gone, the closet was open and so were some dresser drawers.  Christ Almighty!  Fuck!  This was all he needed.

"Which car did she take?" he shouted.  "Your Ferrari, boss" the one guard provided an answer.  Turning to Lorenzo, Alessio demanded he check into the GPS on that thing.  You don't drive a car like a Ferrari and not have any way to track it.

While Lorenzo was busy doing that, Alessio called her several times in a row and then sent several texts.  Nothing.  He imagined she had turned her phone off when it went straight to voice mail.

Moving like a man on a mission, he went straight for Lorenzo's office to see what he'd discovered.  His under boss was clacking away on the keyboard when the data started coming through.

"She went straight from here to the Jersey Shore.  Time code stamp shows she was there about two hours when she left again and now the car is parked at St. Vincent's."  That made both men exhale when they had tracked her down.

"Grab Rico and Sal and let's go" he told Lorenzo stalking from his office.  "Alessio, what the hell happened between you two that she would just take off and not answer your calls or texts?" his second demanded.

"Me being stupid" Alessio mumbled.  Lorenzo let out a frustrated exhale as he ran his fingers through his hair.  "She is so crazy head-over-heels for you.  What did you do?" he was angry now.

"She told me that she loved me" Alessio answered honestly.  "And?" Lorenzo, still demanding.  "I didn't say anything.  I just looked at her, panicked, got dressed and walked out" Alessio knew right away how awful it sounded once he had voiced it.  He'd hurt her and badly.

"Oh Holy Mary!" Lorenzo said.  "She told you, in bed?  And you walked out on her?  I would have left your ass too!" he shouted.  Alessio's eyes got dark quickly as he came face-to-face with his cousin.  "You better remember your place, cousin.  You are family, but I am your boss and you'd best keep that in mind before you shout at me again."

"Let's go" he snapped.  The ride to the hospital was tense and deathly quiet.  Alessio knew what Lorenzo said was right and part of his pride got in the way of that fact when he yelled at him.

He couldn't admit it, even to himself just yet, that he was deeply in love with her as well.  He'd just gone on the assumption that neither of them would voice it for a while.  Something must have changed for Cheri in order for her to tell him openly like that.

He felt like a first class shit for what he'd done and he prayed harder than ever that she would forgive him and come back home.  He would lose his mind if he lost her over his own stupidity.

Alessio's heart started to speed up when they were nearing the hospital and he sagged in relief when he saw his car in the parking space.  She was still there.

The men noticed right away several squad cars at the entrance as well and were starting to wonder what had happened.  Alessio sent Sal in to find Cassidy, Tommaso's nurse, to find out what was going on before they all went inside.

The man was gone for about fifteen minutes before he returned.  Walking over to Alessio's window he told him exactly what had taken place.  "The nurse said that someone had tried to smother Tommaso with his own pillow when Cheri stepped in and stopped it.  Apparently she jumped on his back and held on, screaming at the top of her lungs for help.

She still wouldn't let go, so he rammed her into the metal window frame, causing her to lose her grip and then he tried to take her out by strangling her.  Security and hospital staff got there just in time to stop him from killing her but he got away and now the cops are here.  Cassidy said security called them.  They're talking to Sixx right now."

Alessio took in everything that Sal had told him, all the while there was a rage building inside him that he'd never felt before.  His beautiful Cheri.  Another asshole had dared put their hands on her trying to do her harm.

The men sat, waiting for Alessio to speak.  They noticed the cop cars and detective car were starting to leave, then they would go in.  He was not in the mood for talking to them right now.  He didn't want to end up in jail for the evening so he stayed clear of them for now.

"Let's go" he said, as Sal opened his door.  When they reached the eleventh floor, he noticed that Tommaso's nurse, Cassidy, had been waiting on them.  Walking to them, she offered them a shy smile.

"Mr. Castellano" she started when Alessio interrupted.  "It's Alessio, please" he said nicely.  "Alright.  Alessio, Cheri is fine.  She's shaken up but I want to prepare you for the fact that she has significant bruising to her throat.  That maniac grabbed on and just didn't want to let go.  She also has bruising on her back from the metal window frame.  The doctor on duty insisted on giving her a sedative, so she may seem a little out of it.  She's in Tommaso's room."

Alessio thanked the woman for the information and the men walked towards Mas's room.  The first thing he noticed was Tommaso, still looking very much alive and asleep, which made his heart feel better and then he saw her.

Cheri was on the couch, her knees drawn up, her head resting on them.  Lord help him, she was so beautiful and vulnerable at the same time.

Walking to where she sat, he crouched down and softly laid his hands on top of her shoes.  She slowly lifted her head where her glazed over eyes met his.

"Hi" he said quietly.  "Hi" she croaked back, her voice pretty much gone.  "Cheri, I..." he started when she just shook her head.  Dejected, he asked her "Do you want me to leave?"  She shook her head no as she patted the cushion next to her.

Not hesitating, Alessio sat down next to her and watched her crawl into his lap.  She placed her head on his shoulder and without saying a word, she was out, asleep from the sedative.  He would take this for now, just glad she was in his arms.

Lorenzo looked over at them, nodding his head to Alessio.  Sal and Rico were talking to Cassidy again trying to get an idea of what the man looked like.  Their night was going to be busy as they would search until the wee hours of the morning for the man that had tried to kill their 'brother' and Cheri.