There is not a single sound in the space around me, or well I can't hear anything over the pounding of my heart. "Alissandra give me the gun" Alec says softly resting a hand on my shoulder but I forcefully shrug him off.
"Liss what the fuck are you doing" Freddie says from next to me and it's the first time he's spoken since we've been here. There's desperation in his voice and I know it's because he sees this only going one way.
Someone will pull their trigger and all hell will break loose. He thinks it will be me and I really don't know if he's wrong. I don't bother to answer him, I keep my eyes solely locked onto Jason who has kept his gaze on me. His smirk not once faltering even with a gun pointed directly at him.
"Give me the fucking gun" Lorenzo growls at me and I can hear how furious he is with me but I don't care about that right now.
"No" I snap back at him "he's not taking Alec"
Jason flicks his hand in the air to dismiss his men. "Lower your weapons" he says calmly whilst holding my gaze. Not once had his smirk left his face he's finding all of this way to amusing and it unnerved me deeply.
His men do as they were ordered instantly and in response so do our side but I do no such thing I keep the gun in place pointed directly towards Jason. It feels like a lead plate weighing my arm down but I refuse to show any weakness. I'm sick of feeling weak and helpless. I would hold it in place until I know that there was absolutely no chance of Alec coming to any harm.
Of any of them coming to any harm.
"Alissandra" Lorenzo says my name in a warning tone from next to me but I ignore him.
"No leave her she may be desperate but I don't think she's stupid" Jason says with a chuckle as he removes something from his suit looking like he's bored of this whole thing. "You're not stupid are you Alissandra?" he asks tilting his head to one side.
He doesn't even give me chance to respond. "Now darling what would you propose we do here, Alec killed my sister" He says as he starts pacing in small strides placing his hands in his pockets
I follow him with the gun, I know for sure I would never hit him whilst he's moving, I don't even think I'd manage it with him stood in once place. But I keep my aim locked on to him and stand a little straighter trying not to let it show how petrified I am right now. "Firstly don't call me darling and secondly you seem more bothered about Antonio destroying your stock than you do about your bitch of a sister" the malice in my words just slipped out unintentionally I couldn't help the aggravation I felt whenever Jennie was mentioned.
He throws his head back and laughs in response to what I said. "I do like you" he laughs pointing a finger at me. "Okay Alissandra how about we make a little deal then" he gestures between the two of us.
It's like we're the only two here, his whole attention is focused solely on me but I'm in no position to be bartering with this man I'm well out of my depth and I have a feeling he knows that as well.
"I'll help you with your Antonio problem we'll our Antonio problem but in return my girls work in their territory" he said gesturing to the 3 men that were like stone around me.
"That's not- " Lorenzo starts to say but I cut in before he can even attempt to finish.
"Shut up" I snapped at him and the sheer shock I have at myself nearly has me knocked off of my own feet. I have no idea where this is coming from but that fear I feel inside me is nothing compared to the thought of losing Alec. The thought of loosing any of them. "It's a deal" I say directly to Jason.
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.