TRIGGER WARNINGS:
EXPLICIT LANGUAGE
SWEARING
ALCOHOL/SMOKING
I sat on a leather chair in my meeting room, my eyes narrowed at one of my men. Was he fucking with me? I daren't know. I clenched my jaws and stood up. "Who the fuck do you think you're working for?" I growled, being unable to hold back my anger. I held it back for too long now.
The dozen men all sitting in chairs like mine, around the long glass table, became silent. The only sounds that could be heard was heavy breathing and the ticking of the clock. The men all watched me carefully, some of them averting their gazes as if my stare burned them. I missed watching them cower in fear. Fear of me. "Is it not easy to do your jobs? Such fucking simple little jobs. Yet you test me, test my patience. I have none. Do you know what that means? It means I will cut you open without blinking. Now stop fucking with me and give me some good news. I do not want to hear about how some bitch robbed me of business. Fucking get it back." I growled as I looked around the dimly lit room which conveyed my feelings.
"But how can we get it back?" A man adorned in a cobblestone grey suit asked while twiddling his tattooed thumbs. I scoffed and blinked several times. "How?... mi prendi in giro (fucking kidding me)" I muttered under my breath. "You fucking take it back!" I spat in anger. Am I not being simple enough for them. Is it not easy to take something that belongs to you back. I could do it myself but why should I. I had a whole mafia at my disposal.
My blood was boiling, I missed my mafia and home but fuck, I felt ever so nauseous. Smoke lingered in the air even if none of the men smoked. Even if the room had been cleaned from floor to ceiling. The men sat in their seats, fidgeting with their watches or scribbling notes on papers before them. My eyes rested on Ace, who was sat crossed leg on a chair in the far corner. A vision of cool calm dangerous. His gaze met mine and he bowed his head slightly. He was here to keep an eye on me. I didn't protest because I knew I had to keep an eye on my stress levels and he was better at controlling me than I cared to admit. His fingers gently drummed his thigh slowly, as he observed everything, never intervening. He would want to interrupt, it was only a matter of time.
I exhaled slowly, trying to leash my beast as Ace sometimes called me. I sat back down, my aching heels protesting when I took the pressure off them. I picked up my glass of water and took a sip, placing it back onto the table with a soft clink. I would always be who I was, albeit I was trying to smooth my rough edges. "What's next?" I asked no one in particular.
The men looked alarmed as if they didn't want to share something with me. I waited until one of them grew some balls. "Monica..she passed away this morning." A man spoke hoarsely. My breath hitched and flashes of the woman whom I gave money to, whom treated me like a daughter clouded my vision.
Fuck. I looked down and gulped as I tried to hold back my tears. "Murder?" I asked, my voice on the verge of cracking. I cleared my throat and interlaced my hands to stop them from shaking. Monica was the closest mother figure I ever had and now she was gone. Oh fuck. The man shook his head. I looked down at my sneakers, my belly in the way. Only last week I saw her with Ace. Only last week did she beam when she saw me and wished me a happy life.
"Anything else?" I asked not looking up. I wanted her there with me when I gave birth. I was scared. I couldn't face Ace, he would know. "Someone broke into one of the vaults." The same man stated in a that same gritty accent. What the fuck!? "Someone broke into one of the vaults? Which one?" I asked as I looked up at him, my heart beating calmly. He pursed his thin lips and scratched his barely there stubble. "Gold." He mumbled, his voice low.
"You fucking what!? Did I hear that right!?" I yelled as I shot up from my seat. Pain seared throughout my lower back and across my stomach. I placed both hands down onto the table to steady myself, my hair fluttering around my face. My breathing was shuddered but I felt the pain subside slowly.
"Leave the room." Ace ordered, his voice a cold threat. The men quickly left the room, whispering amongst themselves. I smelt him first, musk and power. If power had a smell, it would smell like him. My body relaxed as he came to stand beside me. He touched the small of my back and slowly his hand travelled up and down, in soothing circles. I focused on my breathing. "Go and rest. I'll take it from here." He said quietly. It was a silent demand. An order. "I hate feeling useless." I whispered, my back revelling to his touch. I winced as I straightened up.
His hand stopped. He placed his finger under my chin and turned my face to look at him. My gaze was a weak mess looking into his sure willed eyes. But yet he looked at me like I was the strongest woman he knew. "The men in this room are useless, you my love, are not. Don't you forget that." He spoke, every word comforted me. I leaned forward, closing the gap between us and kissed him.
When we let go, I saw his dark eyes twinkling as if stars truly lived behind them. "I'll go and see Mariano...just remember Ace, if they disrespect you. Kill them. Everyone's expendable. You got that cretin?" I smiled giving in to his silent order. To make him happy I would do it. "Of course amore mio." He smiled back, the corner of his eyes lifting up. I gently ran my hand through his soft hair, seeing how it relaxed him.
"Don't be going soft on me." He smiled, using the same words I used on him when I fell for him. He rubbed my cheek with his thumb, his hand being warm. "For you, always." I replied. He kissed me once again.
He called the men back in and they found their seats once more even if they were in a huff. They looked completely dumbfounded when they saw me leave the room. I heard Ace as I closed the door behind me. "Sto prendendo il sopravvento. Non alzare la voce con me. Non fottere con me. Inteso? (I'm taking over. Do not raise your voice at me. Do not fuck with me. Understood?)" I'm sure the men flinched at his words and at the fluency of his Italian.
Well fuck me. I let him take over, he was as good as I was at this type of business. And his mafia, my mafia. They were ours. We ruled them as one.
I left the house, stepping into the bright sunshine. The warmth was beautiful, soaking into my skin. I stumbled and was about to fall but Aldo caught me. I shook his hands off me. "Fuck off." I growled. Shit. I could almost hear Ace telling me to fucking behave. "Thank you for catching me. Appreciate it Aldo." I looked at the towering man of muscle. I was only going to Mariano's house, I didn't need a guard but I was becoming used to the man.
I was driven to Mariano's house and I walked inside unannounced and definitely uninvited. I looked subconsciously towards the wine cellar and frowned. Instead I walked to the kitchen, finding it empty. Flicking on the lights, I made a beeline for the fridge and let my eyes scour the shelves. Cartons of juice, strawberry yogurt, fresh vegetables and bag of kale. I almost wanted to vomit at the sight of the leafy greens. I spotted some prosciutto and grabbed it. I placed one of the thin air dried pieces of ham into my mouth. Delicious.
I headed upstairs and could hear voices in Mariano's bedroom. I stopped myself from opening the door. God knows what he was doing in there. Fuck, I did not intend to scar myself. I knocked on the door loudly. "Pack it up!" I yelled.
I heard Mariano curse and a woman's voice sounding panicked. I pushed open the door and saw a brunette in his bed, with the white sheets wrapped around her. Mariano was also in bed but with his boxers on thankfully. I grinned, walking in. I perched myself on the edge of the bed, sighing when I lifted my feet off the ground. Without saying anything, I plucked another slice of prosciutto from the packet and chewed it.
"I didn't know you had a girlfriend. She's pregnant too." The woman muttered to Mariano. She had a faint french accent. I smirked. Looking at her, I faked devastation. "I'm his poor wife, he sleeps behind my back even when I am pregnant with his twins." I made a point to glance down and then continued eating like the liar and bitch I was.
The woman looked wide eyed and slapped Mariano. I gasped and put a hand to my mouth. Fucking hell, I might choke. She slapped him so quick I barely had time to register it. And he, he looked like rage. There was no other word for it. His eyes brimmed with hatred and then settled to a lethal calm. "She's my fucking sister..Alessia what the fuck." Mariano growled as he rubbed his cheek, his dark hair falling over his eyes.
I know for a fact that if I wasn't pregnant, he would have fought me. Hand to hand and he would have held me in a chokehold until I yielded. "I like you. What's your name?" I asked the woman, avoiding Mariano entirely. "Diané." She replied in her smooth accented voice. I smiled and picked up a another slice of ham. She seemed to watch my every move. "Did Ace tire of you?" Mariano asked. "If anything, the complete opposite and besides, I thought you weren't fucking girls yet." I smiled as I watched him blow out a deep breath.
"Couldn't do it." He smirked, tossing an arm behind his head. I knew it. I was happy though, that he had moved on even if he was being a whore. "I knew you couldn't fucking do it." I chuckled. Turning to face Diané again, I knew what I had to do. It was my destiny. "Tell me, was he a good fuck? You can be honest. On a scale of one to ten." I grinned widely. Mariano didn't intervene, clearly he wanted to know. The girl blinked several times. I almost forget how some people can't comprehend my bluntness. Or maybe she was shocked that his sister was asking. "He was..good. Oh maybe a nine." She nodded her head.
I smirked when I saw Mariano's eye twitch ever so slightly. "You know I'm a ten. I could show you how it's done." I said in a sultry voice. I bit my lip, refraining from laughing. "Shut the fuck up Alessia." Mariano growled in annoyance. "What!? It's true. Ace seems to think so." I chuckled.
"You are married?" Diané asked as she looked at me and at the ring on my finger. I smiled as I looked down at my own hand. The diamond band was only a reflection of what Ace and I were. We were always more than husband and wife. Two souls made for each other. I wanted to be with him forever. "I am." I sighed and placed a hand on my belly, feeling the little one kicking me relentlessly. I would no doubt need to use the bathroom soon. "Her husbands a real dick." Mariano spoke up. "A real dick who's also a ten." I laughed, accidentally knocking the packet of prosciutto over. The meat tumbled onto the soft carpet and I couldn't help but frown at it.
"What the fuck are you doing here?" Mariano asked, drawing my attention to him. I looked into his deep brown eyes, noticing the sparkle that was playing in them. He got it back. "You should shave." I muttered ignoring his question. "I like his beard." Diané smiled looking between us. I looked at the woman, she was practically a model. Her dark hair was swept behind her, her legs being long and a body to die for. Her face was one of innocence yet her cheekbones were high and lips full. Her eyes, they were of the richest black.
"Sono venuto a trovarti. So di aver interrotto la tua vita sessuale ma pensavo che saresti stata felice. (I came to see you. I know I interrupted your sex life but I thought you would be happy)" I smiled gently. "Quindi è genuina o non devo preoccuparmi? (So is she genuine or shall I not bother?)" I asked him. He shuffled around and placed his feet onto my lap. I tried to shrug them off but couldn't.
"Sto solo scopando con lei (I'm just fucking with her)" He said, as he ran his eyes over Diané's body. "Are you sure? I like her. Look at her, she's pretty." My lips held a small smile. "You would make good babies." I grinned looking between them.
Dainé didn't know where to look and Mariano stared daggers at me. I held a hand to my mouth to cover a yawn. "Are you sure it was that man? I feel like it wasn't. The one that wanted to kill Ace." I blinked a few times. He furrowed his brows and thought. "I'm sure." I hummed at his response and closed my eyes.
"If your water breaks here I swear I'm going to kill you." Mariano took his feet off my lap. I opened my eyes and looked at him. "What?" He asked. I cherished the fact that he treated me the same. "I'm just terrified but excited at the same time." I sighed. He sighed, reaching forward, he rubbed my arm. "Shit, I'm fucking terrified myself. I'm glad I'm not Ace. Having to deal with your emotional ass, I'd probably have jumped out of a window by now." He chuckled. Oh what lovely words.
"And here was me thinking you would say something nice." I chuckled, trying and failing to elbow him. "And I would push you out of the window. Wouldn't you?" I asked Diané. She furrowed her neat brows and opened her mouth before closing it. "Let's say hypothetically, if you wanted.. no, had to kill someone. How would you do it?" I asked her.
"Maybe shoot them?" She said, more as a question than anything. The poor girl was stuck with me. "Fuck, so you're that kind of person." I shook my head. She won't do. Fucking stab or slice was the way to go.
"All right. I'm off now. You may resume your activity." I smirked as I stood up. I partly did need to use the bathroom and because I wanted to sleep. "Have fun fratello (brother). Only a nine." I winked at him.
I walked downstairs, with a smile on my face. It was good to see him. It took my mind of things. I was still shaken about Monica's death and I couldn't even drink my pain away. I needed to arrange her funeral because I was the daughter she never had. It would be hard because now I had lost another mother.
I soon arrived back home and checked the meeting room. It was long over and Ace wasn't there. Where the fuck was that man now? He could be so infuriating at times. I just wanted to sleep beside him.
I sat at the kitchen island drinking a few sips of diluted coffee. It was better than nothing. I noticed a package on the counter. A thin, neatly wrapped box. I removed the red bow, tearing the colorful paper off and saw a box of chocolates inside. I almost began salivating at the look of them. I pulled the lid open, seeing the little chocolate truffles.
I picked up one of the shiny dark chocolate pieces and before I could take a bite, I tossed it across the room. "What the fuck!?" I growled and snatched the gift note off the box. The bitch. How she underestimates me time and time again.
"Alessia." I heard Ace call out, announcing his presence. "Come here." I said and heard his footsteps approach the kitchen. When he came before me, I noticed his suit was clean, not a speck of blood anywhere. He ruffled his hair, blinking his eyes. There have been countless times I've imagined our baby, but if it were a boy, he would always look like Ace. Tall, dark, with that dangerous smile. And a girl, with flowing dark hair and tan skin.
"How was the meeting?" I asked him, his gaze being on the chocolate I had tossed at the wall. "It was fine. No one lost their life if that's what you're asking." He smirked, now looking at me. "Shame." I frowned. "Take a look at this." I pointed at the chocolates. He came to stand beside me, looking down at the box. He plucked out a truffle and turned it over in his hand.
"Smell it." I instructed and he did so. "Cyanide." He stated as he dropped the chocolate into the box. I was impressed that he too smelt the faint bitter almond aroma. "Who?" He asked, his eyes darkening a little at the realisation that I could have eaten them. At best I would have been sick for a few days, at worst, depending on the amount, I could have died.
I didn't answer his question. I gulped feeling dread overwhelm me. "You don't know." He surmised, his hands being braced on the countertop. "I do." I looked down at my hands. Fuck, I wanted that bitch dead but right now, telling Ace was not what I wanted to do. I felt guilty, but I knew it wasn't my fault. The marriage was arranged in the first place. When I saw his hands grip the counter tighter, the muscles in his arms becoming more prominent. I had to say it. "Your mother." I said and handed him the gift tag. His eyes scanned the tag, which was addressed to me, to only me signed with her name.
"Fucking hell." He growled. He pulled out his phone quicker than I could blink. "Father, where the fuck is mother?...Perhaps she would like to enlighten me as to why she tried to fucking poison Alessia...yes she fucking did! I have the evidence in my hands....I don't particularly care what you do about her..she fucking tried to poison Alessia, you know it would kill the baby too...fucking hell...she's dead to me." He growled into the phone while pacing.
"Mother...fucking hell. Why!?...Fuck off, I don't care...so it was you who paid those men, trying to start a war between Cain and I. Are you fucking crazy...who were you working with!?" He continued still pacing. His shoulders were tense, his face angry. Fuck. So she was trying to start a war. A war that would probably kill her own son. And then she tried to poison me. She ordered those men to kidnap Ace, they had Ramsay. She knew all along.
I heard a loud slap through the phone. "Liam!? You were working with that pathetic little piece of shit. I should have known. Goodbye mother." He threw his phone across the room where it smashed when it hit the tiled floor. "Liam is fucking dead." He growled, his voice and eyes cold as ice.
"Ace." I said quietly. He was raging, he rolled his neck as he placed his hands onto the counter. I stood up and gently rubbed his tense back. "Don't kill her. She is your mother after all." I spoke softly. I didn't mean no malice in those words for I had lost a mother today. "You of all people wanted her dead, so why not?" He asked me, his breathing a little jagged. I traced the contours of his muscles slowly. "She's you mother. You can't replace her no matter how hard you try...but at least now we know." I said.
We stood in silence for a while, me rubbing his back and him thinking. He knew what Monica meant to me and maybe it made me a little soft. Because maybe, if she were alive and well, I'd have picked up my knife and gone to gouge out Grace's eyes myself.
"I don't know why she would want you dead. She loved our child as if it were already here." He spoke as his eyes remained downcast. He was torn. "That bitch changes moods as fast as I can kill a man." I chuckled in attempts to lighten the mood.
He turned to face me, making me take a step back. He reached out for my hand and I gave it to him. He kissed the back of it and held it to his chest, atop his heart. "It's only you Alessia. Over anyone." He whispered, a gulp running down his throat. "I am sorry, truly." My lips quivered slightly. That bitch went ahead and ruined everything herself. Did she really think she could do it?
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I researched what cyanide smells like 🤣
Please FBI agents or whoever watching my searches I am not crazy I repeat I am a literal angel
One final picture of Mariano at the top 😉
Oh wicked witch Grace, did you really think you could kill Alessia?
Shits about to go down.
Shit sorry for the long ass chapter.