Their Girl: The Hunt

Chapter Twenty-Nine

I feel for them girls I really do, but my focus has to be on protecting the men I love. They've done so much to protect me, I have to somehow repay the favour. Maybe once Antonio is dealt with and out of the picture then they can deal with Jason too. If i concentrate really hard I can think of it as being the lesser of two evils right now.

Jason nods his agreement. "You know my father knew Mattio well. He may have never agreed with my fathers business ventures" he pauses seeming lost in thought but all of this feels very calculated.

A business venture? Selling women against their will isn't a business venture but before I could scoff at his words he continued. "They had a mutual respect for one another it's a shame to see how The Family has faltered in Antonio's hands"

He does a dramatic and purposeful shiver "Mattio would be so disappointed. But looking at you now I can see why he chose you. You're definitely a force to be reckoned with given the right motivation" he says as he turns to go back to his car.

His words complete knock me. Mattio chose me but for what?

"Wait what do you mean?" I blurt out completely perplexed by his comment.

He stops and chuckles to himself before turning to Lorenzo "She doesn't know? Oh Lorenzo always always scheming about your next play. Typical you always having a plan running parallel" he tsk's and shakes his head as if he's disappointed. "I'll be in touch about Bianci"

Then he turns back to me with a radiant smile on his face. "I look forward to doing business with you Alissandra. When you've finally taken you're rightful place at the head of the table" he says and then the smile drops from his face. "Love can make you blind especially when it's from deceiving men like these" there's no malice in his voice as he speaks, it feels more like a parting warning. Then without so much of a glance he slips back into his car speeding off leaving us there.

My head is one big scramble of words, trying it's hardest to figure out what the hell just happened. I don't even realise I'm still holding the gun in place until Freddie takes it from my hands making me snap out of my own head.

"What the fuck were you thinking?" Lorenzo growls at me but I just stare at him as I think about everything that Jason just said to me.

She's doesn't know

Of course yet again everyone seems to know something that I don't. Jason said that Lorenzo always has a plan and I know for a fact that's the truth. He's the one that plans everything.

"Let's get you home" Alec says wrapping an around around me but I step out of his embrace. Jason's words keep going round my head over and over again.

"I want Peter and Garrett to take me home I need some space to think" I mumble back and to my surprise none of them fight me on it.

I'm so grateful for the silence as we head back towards the house I need the silence so I can somehow manage to unscramble some of the words. Figure out what the hell they mean

The head of the table. Mattio chose me. The family

Then there it is something Mattio once said to me hits me like a train. I remember sitting there with him a few months after my mother had died and he promised he would always look after me. That no matter what happened The Family would always be mine. Back then I only ever thought he was talking about him and Antonio but The Family was something more. Everyone outside of Italy referred to it as the 'Bianci Empire' but back home it was The Family.

I was only 9 I was too young to understand what he really meant but constantly after that he would always tell me that The Family was mine.

And they knew. They knew and they didn't tell me.

Through the silence I can hear Mattio and all the things he used to say to me. Things that never made any sense.

The power you hold will make people use and deceive you Alissandra. Trust your head never your heart.

God I'd been so naive I'd done just that I'd run into this with my heart open so desperate to have someone, anyone that cared about me. I really was blind to the truth and they knew that.

Then it clicks in my head. They already knew about Antonio. That night when I really told them who I was, what I was running from they already had the answers without me having to say much at all.

This is a goldmine I remember Freddie saying when I handed them the memory card.

Once I'm back at the house I hesitate at the door, I need answers and they're going to give them to me but I'm scared they won't be answers I particularly want to hear.

After a few moments I open the door to find them all sitting in the lounge expectantly waiting for me. "I need you to tell me the truth right now" I say taking a few steps towards them.

Lorenzo goes to open his mouth but I cut him off before he can say anything. "No I want them to tell me" I say turning to Alec and Freddie. "Because I don't believe a word that comes out of your mouth anymore" I know that anything they've kept from me has been his idea there's absolutely no doubt in my mind.

"It's all yours" Alec grumbles and it seems he's finally out of his daze. "We did some digging and turns out he never wanted Antonio to take over. He didn't trust him so everything was left to you but when you disappeared Antonio automatically took over"

"And you've known this whole time?" I feel so betrayed I can feel a part of me break away and shatter. This whole time they've kept this from me, kept this a secret. "That's the only reason why I'm here isn't it so you can have it for yourself"

They all look so shocked at what I say but all I can think is that they're just surprised I figured it out. Realising that they can't lie to me anymore. "No Alissandra it's not like that" Freddie says standing.

I instinctively take steps back keeping a distance between us. "I can't trust any of you" I hiccup the words out struggling to hold back the sob I can feel building. I've trusted these men to no end but the more I think about the more I realise how easy it is for them to keep things from me. How easy it is for them to lie.

Has any of this actually been real?

I quickly turn on my heels run up to my room not giving them a chance to say anything else. As soon as I'm inside hear that door lock I slump to the floor and break completely.