A Touch of Sin |18+|

39

ALANI

It was my first time at Valerio's warehouse.

I didn't know what to expect, but the building situated on a high hill in the middle of nowhere was not it.

The structure of it was a common warehouse, but it was surrounded by a fence and had surveillance cameras on every corner. I knew what Valerio did and seeing his men pace around with guns as long as their arms shouldn't have surprised me, but it did.

I sat alongside Valerio in his car, still wondering why he needed me to go with him.

I guess I could understand that Valerio didn't want me out of his sight, but I was stepping right into formidable territory where Alonzo was apparently tied up and waiting for him. I had no interest in seeing Alonzo again, but for the sake of Valerio's peace of mind—I let him take me with him.

I watched him drive underneath the rolled up garage door, finding a parking amongst the other cars that I assumed belonged to his men. 

"I can wait in the car," I murmured, and Valerio turned his head to throw me a glare. Of course he did. The look on his face told me that my words were ridiculous and I shouldn't bother arguing with him.

"I know," I said when he opened his mouth to speak. "I know. I was just trying,"

Valerio killed the engine and reached over, clasping his hand underneath my ear as he made me look at him. "Stop trying, amore. We won't be long."

"I'll hold you to that," I whispered, inching closer to give him a kiss on his lips. Valerio smiled—a smile that reached his eyes and made his dimples show on his cheeks.

I softened at the perfection of it, unable to grasp how he could give me butterflies with a simple pull of his lips. Using the hold he had on me, Valerio kept me in place and gave me a deeper kiss. It was a confidence booster, one that I didn't know I needed until he gave it to me. I had a feeling that he needed it too when he held me there for a second longer than usual.

Valerio pulled away, his brown eyes softer than earlier but it changed the moment he looked away from me.

He clenched his jaw, pursing his lips as he gazed out the window and to the building. "Alonzo is in there and I'm starting to think this isn't a good idea. With the way I feel right now—"

"Valerio," I intervened. "You can't let your brother control you like this. Go in there and talk to him."

"Talk?" Valerio scoffed. "My hands are itching to squeeze the life from him, Alani. I don't have time for talking."

"You're going to make time," I deadpanned. "I know that you want all of this to end but killing your brother is only going to cause more problems between you and your family. They're going to hate you and I promise that you'll only feel worse when it's done."

What a fucked up situation.

I never thought I'd see the day where I'd be talking someone out of killing, but there I was—going against my better judgement and telling Valerio that he shouldn't kill Alonzo.

"Considering everything, I'm far past the point of giving a fuck if they hate me or not," Valerio muttered, unfastening my seatbelt for me.

"I get that, Rio. But I don't want you hating yourself afterwards because I know that you will. I'm just trying to help. " I let out a heavy exhale, not believing the words coming out of my mouth.

Alonzo was a pain in the ass and he needed to learn a lesson or two without murder being involved, but how? It seemed impossible to get through to him but Valerio was the rational one, and he knew what he needed to do.