Romancing The Mob (ON HOLD)

chap. 14

            “Get some ice.”

           

            Laura gave them plenty of time upstairs to get Alexei into and out of the shower before she returned, and found Yanes and Bruno slapping Alexei in the face.

            “Hey! Stop that!” Laura hurried over, pushing them aside. “You’ll hurt him!”

            “He has to stay up, he may have a concussion.” Yanes replied. “If you’d like to keep him awake, then by all means please do.” He gestured to the bed and Laura blushed, but lifted her chin defiantly.

            “I’ll stay with him.”

            “Good.” Bruno nodded and they started to leave the room. “Let us know if he says anything. We’ll be next door if you need anything.”

            Laura nodded and turned back to a nearly unconscious Alexei. His eye lids fluttered at her.

            “Laura.” He croaked, and she shushed him, pressing the ice pack she’d found downstairs against his eye. Alexei sighed and shook his head. “I don’t have a concussion. I promise.”

            “And how do you know that?” Laura demanded.

            “Because I’ve had a concussion before and I don’t feel my vision going black this time.” Laura smiled faintly at him.

            “Okay, well then you should go to sleep! Get some rest, you need it. I’ll be in the next room if-“

            “No, stay with me.” Alexei said, clutching her hand in his, and Laura hesitated. “Per favore.” He whispered, and Laura sighed, climbing onto the bed next to him and leaning against the headboard, back straight. Alexei sighed beside her, his head turned away from her, his eyes closing, still clutching her hand in his.

            “I refuse to have this discussion.” Laura said, trying once again to keep her calm.

            “Then it’s a good thing this isn’t a discussion!” Carlos growled at her, practically red in the face with how angry he was. They stood in Alexei’s home office, the man himself leaning against his desk, arms crossed, silent since the conversation had begun. Carlos was insisting that Laura come away with him, that being around Alexei was far too dangerous for her. “You are coming with me, and that is final.”

            “Father, I am an adult.” Laura said sternly. “And I make my own decisions. Now I am not going with you, and that is final.”

            “This is not the first instance, Laura, you can not just keep ignoring these episodes.”

            “I would hardly call them episodes.” Alexei muttered behind Carlos, who snapped at him over his shoulder.

            “Shut your fucking mouth, that could have been my daughter who got jumped!”

            Alexei straightened to his full height, letting his arms fall to his sides, and suddenly he seemed to encase the whole room. “Watch yourself, Santos.” He said quietly, but lethally, and Carlos scowled, turning back to Laura.

            “Papa, your concern is touching, but I’m not going anywhere.”

            “As misguided as your father’s man handling is, Laura.” Alexei shot carlos a dirty look. “He is correct, it is not safe for you here. We can’t ignore the fact that these have been very specific attacks, not random muggings and break ins. I’m sorry, cara, but we have to do something.” He shrugged, his eyes sad, and Laura’s heart broke a little. Her hands shook as she raised them to run through her hair unsteadily, turning away from them both.

            “She needs to come with me, Giovanni.” Carlos said to Alexei softly.

            “She may choose for herself where she’d like to go.” Alexei replied, and Carlos sighed.

            “What shall it be, Laura? For the last time, I won’t be asking you this question again so think wisely.” He cautioned. “Will you come with me or with him?”

            Laura looked between the two men, and grasped her father’s hand. Kissing his cheeks, she whispered to him.

            “I’m sorry, Papa.”

            “I can’t believe this is all happening,” Lizzie said as she had lunch with Laura. “It’s all been one huge whirlwind! I mean, who would have thought you’d find each other, after 5 years!”

            Astounded, Lizzie shook her head and sat back to survey Laura as she absently stirred her coffee, feeling guilty for lying to her best friend, but she couldn’t chance Marco finding out that it was all a lie. Marco. That was just another thing that had her mind spinning. Was it him that was behind everything? Could that be true? Laura didn’t want to think about it, didn’t want to consider that the man she’d been dating for months, would do this to her apartment, do this to Alexei.

            Alexei. Just the thought of him had her stomach clenching in anticipation, and her hands sweating. Dropping the spoon abruptly, Laura clenched her hands together in her lap, remembering the startling situation she’d found herself in a week ago after she’d said goodbye to her father.

            “He’ll come around.” Alexei had assured her, getting her a bottle of water as she sat down heavily on the chase lounge in his office. “Just give him time.”

            “He’s very disappointed in me.” Laura said, wincing at the thought, and Alexei folded his arms as he stood in front of her, looking down at her.

            “He is your father, he’ll always forgive his little girl.”

            Laura smiled faintly up at him. “I’m not a little girl anymore.”

            “Non, you are not.” He mused, his eyes raking over her body, and Laura squirmed where she sat under his gaze. “Laura,” He said her name, and she looked back up at him. “There’s going to be a little more to this than just us going away.”

            He crouched down till they were at eyelevel, resting his elbows on his thighs, his still bruised and slightly swollen face studying her own. “Laura, we are going to have to get married.”