Rosalie Fierri [Book #5]

Chapter 15

Rosalie's POV
I leaned against the balcony's railing, watching the crowd of club goers dance, drink, and flirt with the strippers on stage.

I'm sure Lorenzo's losing his mind trying to find me- if he isn't already dead of course.

As I'm watching my brothers' club continue to fill with more and more people, I spot a familar face.

Max?

Not sure if I'm just imagining things, I take the elevator back down to the main floor. Shuffling through the multitide of drunken people, my eyes dart around the room in search of that familar face once more.

I pause when I spot him again, a plethora of questions floating around in my mind. I call out to him, hoping he'll be able to hear me over the loud music.

"Max!"

He whips his head around at the sound of his name, his eyes zeroing in on me. He doesn't look as surprised to see me as I am him, which means he had been looking for me.

Pushing and shoving my way towards him, I almost throw arms around him, but stop myself when I remember why we parted ways in the first place.

I'm hoping that we can make amends and catch up on the last five years. But then he says, "I have a contract for you."

Is he serious right now?

We haven't seen each other in half a decade and the first thing he wants to do is shove me right back into my old life, as if I never left.

It's clear now that he hasn't changed much. Despite the gray hairs on his head and chin, he's still the same selfish man who took me in when I was thirteen.

When I was young, dumb, and naive, I always thought Max cared about me. But it was all a lie. He only cares about what I can do for him.

I was his star pupil, the ultimate killing machine. And there wasn't a thing I wouldn't do for the man, because in my mind, he was my family. It wasn't until I came here that I realized that I was nothing of the sort.

"I don't work for you anymore."

He laughed a deep laugh. "Tsk, tsk, tsk. Il mio piccolo assassino(My little assassin)," he said, shaking his head. "You belong to me, puppet. I made you. Which means that until I take my hand out of your ass, you will always be in my control."

Even though I've heard him speak this way several times before, this time I was really hearing him. And I was shocked by the fact that I hadn't really noticed how terrible of a man he was until now.

"I don't work for you anymore," I repeated, drawing out each syllable slowly.

I shifted to the bar, the bartender greeting me with a smile when he recognized who I was. He offered to take my order, but I refused. I wasn't in the drinking mood. I never really am.

"Who do you think you are?" He snarled. "How dare you walk away from me when I'm speaking to you, puppet."

I rolled my eyes. "You're starting to irritate me, Max. And you know how I get when I'm irritated. Be a dear and don't follow me."

Stepping away from the bar, I smiled and waved goodbye to some of my brothers' men as I took my leave.

The cold nipped at my nose and chilled my breath, the wind combing through my hair the moment I stepped foot outside the club.

I glanced behind me when I heard heavy footsteps, Max's round figure coming into focus. He locked his cold, rough fingers around my wrist. But before he could do whatever it is he had planned, a dark figure swooped in and right hooked his jaw.

He dropped to the floor, looking around in a daze. I zeroed in on Lorenzo's dark hair and bright eyes, realizing that he had been the one to strike Max.

The fucking bastard just refuses to die.

He hovered over him and gripped at his collar, growling, "touch my wife again and I'll make you wish your mother had swallowed your ass."

Wife?

He's never addressed me as such. I was taken aback, my heart pumping in a way I never thought it would at the sound of Lorenzo calling me his wife.

Why did I like it?

I suppressed the smile trying to form on my lips, and I crossed my arms over my chest so Lorenzo wouldn't know how much I strangely enjoyed having him address me as his wife.

I didn't even understand why I was reacting the way I was. I still hated being married, and I still hated him.

But if I truly hated him as I claim with whole-hearted conviction, then why do I feel so warm and fuzzy inside? And why am I blushing?

"I didn't need your help," I said firmly, trying to hide the feelings I was currently feeling. "I was handling it."

"And I don't doubt that, sweetheart. But seeing a man that's not me touching you, brings out a side of me that I've worked my entire life to keep caged."

Seeing Lorenzo be so possessive and protective of me was surprising. I don't know if he suddenly had a change of heart, but this was the last thing I ever expected him to do. Especially after I tried to kill him.

"So please," he continued. "Please just listen to me for once, and go wait in the car with Javier."

I did what I was told. Not because I was afraid of Lorenzo punishing me again, because secretly, I kind of liked it. But because I was afraid of the man, or beast, Lorenzo would become if I hadn't.

The man was clearly enraged. I don't know if it was because of what I did to him earlier, or if it was because Max had put his hands on me. But Lorenzo wasn't happy. He looked like he was one pushed button away from losing himself completely.

And I don't know if I ever wanted to see that side of him. Because even though I enjoyed provoking him, I had a feeling that I wouldn't be able to control the Lorenzo that would stop at nothing to obliterate everything in his path.

So for now, I'm going to back down.