Mafia Love

Chapter 24

ATTENTION! This chapter and the next will contain mature content. Viewer discretion is advised.
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Grace

I woke up about thirty minutes ago in a strange room. I had no idea where I was until I saw the note on the night stand left by Lorenzo telling me I was in a safe house and to wait until Alessio returned. My body ached, my throat was bruised and the cut on my leg was wrapped up but still hurt like hell. I let out a shaky breath as I try to get out of the bed. The closest I was able to move was to the end of the bed.

I didn't dare try to walk because I knew I wouldn't even make it to the desk to try and steady myself so I could get to the bathroom. So I'll just sit at the edge of the bed and wait. As I wait, thoughts flood my mind on what would have happened to me if I had stopped running. If I had not kept fighting, I wouldn't even be here. I shiver at the thought of the life being drained out of my body and touch my neck where it almost was.

At that moment, I hear my door open and look up to see Alessio standing there. He looked a mess. His hair was all disheveled, his vest was undone exposing his white dress shirt, his tie was undone and hung on both sides of him, then my eyes find his hands. They were all bruised and bloody down to his knuckles. I look up to his eyes and see no remorse just pure, cold darkness and rage.

He makes his way over to me and sets himself next to me on the bed. I face him and he does the same. He moves his bruised hand onto my neck making me jump a little at his touch. Alessio runs his fingers up and down my neck caressing it slowly. He lets out a sigh and whispers something, "Il mio combattente," he says. "My little fighter."

I look in his eyes before he pulls away from my neck. "Alessio," I start, "what did you do?"

Silence falls among us. It was so quiet all you could hear was our breathing. He looks away from me and speaks, "What I had to."

I wanted to ask what it was, but I already knew the answer. I knew what he did to that man, and all I wanted to know was why.

"I need you to answer something for me, Alessio," I tell him, and he turns back to me.

"Anything."

"Why? Why do you care about me enough to....to even k-kill for me?" The words came out almost foreign to me.

He sighs, "The truth?"

"The truth."

I see him comb his hand through his black, disheveled hair as he turns to face me.

"Grace," he sighs once more, "when I hired you, I didn't expect you to last long. All I wanted was someone to help clean my house and cook my food no questions asked; I never planned for you to be my personal assistant. However, you just couldn't keep your nose out of my business, and you just happened to stumble into a mafia. My mafia," he says with authority.

I don't speak; I just keep looking at the ground even though I know he's looking at me.

He continues, "You we're a pain in my ass that I didn't plan on babysitting, but there was just something that I liked about you where I couldn't quite let you go yet."

At this point I look at him because I feel his hand caressing my cheek.

"You were a fighter," he tells me. "You have stood up to me and you have held your ground. Not many women have the balls to do that. Especially to me. Which is why I have no fucking idea why I feel the need to protect you. You have proven that you can take care of yourself, but I feel like you have scars and that I need to protect you from that wound ever opening again. That I need to protect you from my world, but at the same time I might hurt you."