TRIGGER WARNINGS:
EXPLICIT LANGUAGE
SWEARING
VIOLENCE/GUN VIOLENCE
ALCOHOL/SMOKING
It's been a week now and my poor little Enzo was now much better. His bruises have almost all fully healed. His busted lip was also better which meant I could kiss him. And not softly. His arm, the one that had a deep cut, although he thought it wasn't that bad, was also now much better. I was glad. I was so worried when I saw him. He looked so tired and beaten. I could only imagine how much blood there was. He told me everything about what had happened and I wished he let me go with him. Maybe I could have helped. But it was his favor that Fabi called in. I knew that nothing would happen to him. I wasn't scared. He's amazing. No wonder why Admir likes him.
Raphael was also now much better, the poor thing. He was also painted in black and blue bruises. His face was now much nicer to look at. If I think about it, they're both handsome men. But I've always found Enzo attractive. I've only had eyes for him. Raphael was just like a brother to me. He was less serious than Admir for sure. Admir had too much on his shoulders at such a young age and on top of that, he had to raise me and I was an utter bitch.
I stood outside, the beautiful warm air surrounded me. I loved it here in Italy. It was so peaceful and it just felt like a holiday. A never ending one. I had my white tank top tucked into my jeans, a belt across my waist. I pulled my hair back into a ponytail, leaving a couple of hairs loose to frame my face. I pulled out my phone from my pocket and texted 'bello'. Not a second later my phone rang. "Yes bello. I'm going out with your parents. Just racing. What are you doing? Okay bye." I smiled. The idiot makes me smile all too easily.
"You ready?" Alessia asked me. She strutted towards me, her enviable figure dressed in a T-shirt with balmain written across it in some sort of fancy font. Her dark jeans were ripped at the knees and her honey highlighted brunette hair was loose in waves. Enzo's mother was more of a mother to me than my own was. My mother cared about me, she did. But not enough to stay, not enough to fight for Admir and me. Alessia would fight to the ends of the earth for Enzo. He's so lucky. I'm so lucky that I get to be a part of his family.
I smiled and nodded. I slipped my phone back into my pocket, it barely going in all the way because of the stupid way women's jeans were made. "What are we waiting for?" I asked her. She chuckled and folded her arms. "Since we're going out racing, Ace is choosing the car. You know he loves his cars. And me, well I'm known for wrecking them. Don't tell him this, but sometimes I do it on purpose just to piss him off." She shrugged her shoulders.
"We could use one of Enzo's cars." I smiled, hearing the roar of an engine making it way over to us. A very powerful engine. "No no it's fine. You know it's just so weird seeing Ace and Vicenzo. They're similar in some ways. I like having you here Lira. Our house needs some more girls because otherwise it would just be me with all these idiots." She replied.
She liked me. She liked having me here. I felt so at home.
Ace pulled up with a car and I heard Alessia gasp. "What the fucking fuck. You're going to let her drive this?! No offence Lira. But you never let me drive this." Alessia grumbled looking down at the matte back bodied car. Ace stepped out, in a casual black T-shirt with dark jeans. He tried to hold back a smile but failed miserably upon seeing his wife glaring at him.
He tossed the car keys at me. The keys to one of only six Lykan HyperSport cars in the world. I stared wide eyed looking down at the keys in my hands. I've always wanted to drive this car, but I couldn't ever get my hands on one. The car was a beauty. I didn't care if I was giggling like a girl staring at it. I ran my hand over it's sleek body, over its diamond encrusted headlights. Fuck.
"Why Ace? Why can't I? Why are you doing this to me? Don't you love me?" Alessia whined. Ace only looked at her amused. "Because my love, you'll crash it. She won't." He shrugged his broad shoulders and smiled at me. I was still admiring the beautiful wheels.
"Who wants to sit with me?" I asked as I opened the door to the car. I was beyond excited to drive it. Just to feel the purr of its engine. I skirted my fingers along the leather interior of the car. "How fast does it run?" I asked, not expecting an answer. But Ace came up beside me, explaining all about the car. He seemed to have enough information, it's as if he's swallowed an instruction manual. Without even knowing it we had both entered the car and drove off.
"You just fucking left me." Alessia stared at Ace who was looking at her with both hands in his pockets. We were at the racetrack now and fuck, we did leave her behind. Shit. "I was getting to know our daughter in law better. Come on I'll make it up to you." Ace smiled, walking over to her. He already thinks of me as his daughter in law. Oh fuck. I stood speechless. Ace kissed Alessia and made her chuckle somehow.
"I'm sorry Alessia. Just got too excited." I smiled apologising to her. She shook her head. "No it's fine. Go on Ace. You go ahead." She smiled looking around the very noisy racetrack. The track was wild and big, with tight corners. People were around, especially a lot of women in bikinis and shorts. It was a warm day. The men eagerly stood by their cars, showing it off to anyone who showed a glimmer of interest. A lot of people came to see Ace's car. Women began to pour all around him but he never showed them a single ounce of attention.
He drove the car down to the track and sat it at the starting line. Alessia and I found a table and chairs to sit at. We were served drinks and fuck it, I already lost the drinking bet. I sipped on a fruity mix while watching a girl step onto the track. She wore short shorts and a bikini top, her mouth chewing gum. Ace revved the engine of his car. He was facing another man, a grey car lined with blue stripes. When the girl set the flag down, a bullet rang out and the cars sped off.
"I know you liked painting. You don't anymore?" Alessia asked. I sighed, looking down. "I did. I just don't paint anymore. I don't know. Before it just felt normal. It made me feel normal. Like I had somewhere to escape too. When everything went down with my parents, my mom leaving, my dad being thrown out. My paintings became darker and Admir needed my help. So I stopped. I guess I never tried again." I sipped my drink.
"Why not?" She asked, looking at me while stirring the black straw in her drink around. "Because I'm afraid if I do, the paintings would show me things I don't want to see. Monsters I want to keep buried." I gulped. Painting was a way for me to express myself. But now I was scared that I might paint my demons. My father, my mother. What I felt. Loneliness and despair. It would be like I was painting my weaknesses.
"Oh. I understand. You know with my father, I could never smile or laugh when he was around. But then when I met Ace, I realised I could because I was so much stronger than my father. You should never let your past define your future." She smiled softly. She understood. She was perhaps the one person who understood me the most.
I hummed, a smile on my face. "You're right. I shouldn't give up on it. I think I just need to find some inspiration. But what if I try and I can't do anything." I looked down at the track, seeing Ace ahead. He took each bend with ease. "You tried that's the main thing. Mariano hangs up paintings of lines and paint strokes. Why don't you try that first. You know what would be funny? If you sold it to him pretending it's worth millions. The bitch would actually fall for it." She laughed throwing her head back.
I chuckled, letting a wide grin sit on my face. Maybe I should try painting again. I was about to have everything I've always wanted. Maybe the paintings would be happy. "I used to paint scenery and objects. And people. I loved painting people. Just capturing their expressions and their emotions." I smiled. I wonder if one day I could paint Enzo. He was beautiful. His face, his bone structure, God I would love to paint that. And then those mischievous eyes of his and that cocky smirk. I could have a whole book just filled with drawings of his lips.
After a while of talking and laughing with Alessia, Ace came back and handed me the car keys. Alessia came with me, not to drive but to sit in the passenger seat. As we made our way down into the track, men leered at us. It's sad to know how normal this was for both Alessia and I. Women in general were seen as nothing and women in the mafia were seen as less than nothing.
I saw my opponent, a muscled man but more on the lean side with long dirty blonde hair which was pulled back into a short ponytail. He smelt of bad body odour and smoke. I looked at his car, a pathetic mustang. It was bright green with speckled purple dots. Easy. I smirked at the man who winked at me and blew me a kiss. Disgusting.
I sat into Ace's car, feeling the leather of the seat contort to my body. My hands ran over the leather steering wheel, of which felt like snakeskin. Alessia sat beside me and even though she wanted to drive, she was still happy. I fixed up the car, pulling the seat forward slightly and adjusting the mirrors. Game on. Let's race.
When the scantily clad woman waved the flag and the gunshot echoed, I pushed my foot down onto the gas. The car roared to life, going from zero to sixty two in less than three seconds. Shit! Fuck this is crazy. I was already in the lead so I took each turn with care and ease. This was so fucking fun. Alessia was laughing alongside me when we passed a green car.
I ran all the laps and stopped at the end. I'm sure my hands were shaking from the adrenaline rush but what did I care. I stepped out of the car, my sneakers landing on the tarmac track. "Do you smell that Alessia?" I asked sniffing the air with a grin playing on my lips. Alessia came beside me and looked at me with amusement. I looked at the man who emerged from his car. He scowled at me. "Smells like loser." I chuckled at my stupid joke.
We drove off, parking the car away from the track. And then we headed back to Ace. "Smells like loser?" Alessia teased as she walked with me. "What else what I supposed to say?" I scoffed, shaking my head. "I would have insulted his sweaty ass or his tiny dick or his hair, don't get me started on his hair. It looks like he hasn't washed it for weeks." She chuckled making me laugh.
As we approached Ace, who was leaning back casually on his chair, I saw two other very familiar men sitting with him. "What are you both laughing about?" Ace asked, his brow raised. He looked at his wife who walked around and took a seat beside him. "That racer and his lack of hygiene." She grinned making Ace look confused.
I headed to the bar to order a few more drinks. While I was lost with ordering, I felt a slap on my ass. Turning, it wasn't Enzo who did it. Fuck. I let my guard down. The man grinning at me was older and reeked of cologne. Before I could slap the shit out of him, his face was met with a fist. Oh fuck. The man stumbled over his footing and fell to the ground. Enzo stared down at him, his body radiating anger. The man scampered off quickly, before Enzo could do anymore damage.
Everyone around us went back to talking, ignoring what just happened. Scraps were normal. "I could have done that. You didn't need to." I looked at Enzo. Fuck. His shirt was rolled up at his sleeves and two buttons were undone, exposing some of his chest. His eyes were wild but calm at the same time, like a dying tornado. His lips twitched slightly before he sighed. "I know I didn't need to. I know you can handle yourself but he pissed me off. Because you're mine Lira. You're my love, my life, my everything. And I want to take care of you. Nobody should ever touch you without your permission." He said effortlessly.
I stared at him, unable to talk or even breathe. He loves me so very much and I can see it, I know it. "I love you Enzo. So very much." I smiled before leaning in to kiss him. When we pulled apart, I grinned. "I'm going to use what you said in my vows because it was good. Heartfelt and beautiful." I looked at him rubbing his jaw. "Lira." He muttered. "Here carry these." I pointed at the drinks the bar tender had poured out.
We went back to everyone, handing the drinks out, with Raphael whining about not having an umbrella in his drink. This is what a family felt like. This is what love felt like. I smiled looking across at everyone.
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So cuteeeee I wanna pass out
I don't know about you but Alessia whining to Ace about the car was the best shit I've ever written because it is so her
Damn Enzo, you're gonna make me really dig deep to write some fake vows for you to say to Lira
Fun fact: No piece of square paper can be folded more than 7 times in half no matter the size of the paper