I'd understood what it meant to be close to the Don of a powerful Familia. I hadn't expected the difference between how when my father said he'd be home late, that meant midnight at the latest; and so my mom would just stay up with tea and greet him at the door when he walked through the door. Alessio was as I should have predicted, different.
It had been almost five hours since he disappeared into the night and as I'd seen so many times before I made myself a cup of tea, found a blanket, and a book to curl up with in the living room. The large black and gold clock above the fireplace proclaiming each passing second with an almost inaudible tick. The small hand resting at the two and the large just past the second thick notch in the top right corner.
Then as I flipped my page and set down what must have been my sixth cup of tea I heard the sound of an engine and spotted the black Mercedes Coupe that Alessio had taken where I could see Alessio his dark suit darker in places along with his hair being messy and falling over his face with the splatter of something over his hands and face.
What happened?
Then Lino walked through the front door, a few specks of a dark crimson liquid on his face but no where near the amount as there was on Alessio.
"Lino, what happened to him?" I ask and the blonde haired man glanced at me before sighing.
"Your fiancés work is something to discuss with him, he's okay though nothing happened to him," Lino replies before walking away towards one of the halls leading away from the entryway.
When I turned back around there stood Alessio covered in blood with bruised hands and looking like he'd walked through a civil war in hell.
He actually looked like he'd personally killed an army.
"Alessio, whose blood are you covered in?" I ask my voice surprisingly stable though I knew it couldn't be his, he hadn't once been caught by any of the other Familias he'd stood against and he was known for not ever being gotten the better of. If this was his blood. He'd done for worse to whoever it was on the other end.
"A small pocket of mafioso's were caught rigging a bomb to an Underbosses car, which is a sign of war," Alessio says darkly, "I'm covered in the blood of those who tried to break the code. Which results in death here in my territory".
The longer he stood here the more I'd caught the smell of iron, the smell of blood. The smell of death.
This must have been how he earned his nickname.
"Arianna, I need you to say something," he says trying to soften his tone and only partially succeeding or just succeeding to where his voice would allow him.
"How, how many people did you kill?" I ask feeling my gut twist but I wanted to know, I needed to know. Most fiancés or wives of Mafia members didn't ask, it wasn't their place but I was going to marry the Boss of the largest family in Italy and the one who was the boss of all other Familias.
"Twenty...seven," Alessio says looking straight at me before moving past me and putting the key away into it's correct spot.
"And how many have you killed Alessio?" I ask at least knowing that if I could accept the fact the man I was going to marry was exactly who he said he was I'd know I'd have an honest marriage.
"twenty-five thousand, likely more. Like I've told you I am not a good man Arianna, and I won't pretend to be. I just won't be a cruel man towards you ever," he adds with a level of conviction that I wasn't prepared for at any degree, and it seemed to travel through me, because I'd heard enough stories to know that he did all those things for his Familia, and he wasn't blinded by tradition he was adaptable, and I wondered if he just hid the kinder part of himself because of his past. The one I didn't know anything about, other then he and his siblings, and mother were abused by his father.
"I know you won't be cruel to me Alessio, I just want to understand you, you also need a shower," I say and he looked down at his blood covered clothing.
"Yes I do, I'll go do that and get these washed, I don't like the smell or staining of blood," he mutters before walking past me and upstairs towards his room.
Why would he have mentioned that.
What had led Alessio to dislike the smell or staining of blood when he had practically been molded by it his whole life. Though Alessio had also long removed himself from the actual grunt work of being accepted into the life.
I also had my own thoughts of how Alessio presented himself in his six piece bespoke suits, and impeccably shiny cars, and the grandiose estate with all of the bronze accents, and expensive art. Like he was using all of it to try and hide his own sins, whatever they were.
That was the biggest things about him I couldn't sit down and ask him about his past, he wouldn't admit to anything, he'd just close off the conversation and likely walk away. However I did wonder if I persisted with small questions long enough if I'd learn more about what actually made him boss so young, and led him to expanding his reach across Western Europe.
Walking upstairs I began walking through the hallway of the house towards Alessio's room which when I opened the door I realized instead of washing his face and hands along with changing clothes he had simply undressed and got into the shower.
The room was also what I'd expected dark hardwood covered the floors dark grey painted walls, and bronze accents on all of the doors his closet also seemed to take up an entire separate room along with his own laundry room and sitting room off of his bedrooms main area. Everything seemed elegant and expensive and considering most of the house was slightly lighter tones then his bedroom it gave this space a more private feel.
Then I noticed that Alessio's bathroom was open and the shower was entirely glass where he stood surrounded by steam up to his waist while he was staring directly at me.
"Arianna what are you doing in my bedroom?" he asks the bathroom helping to magnify his voice.
I couldn't remember, I had wanted to ask a question but I had a problem with him staring at me I was constantly transfixed by him gazing at me without ever objectifying me, and I got distracted easily by that simply gesture alone.
"I don't remember," I reply.
"You don't remember," he whims while raising his eyebrows in a way that told me he didn't believe me even a little bit, and honestly I could understand why, I hadn't exactly looked away, even if I was blushing.
"I find that incredibly hard to believe," he adds shutting off the water and taking one of the towels that hung on the outside of shower. Alessio then wrapped it around his waist and stepped out of the shower.
He had rid himself of blood and somehow looked both dark but placid at the same time. Like he was waiting for me to say something.
"I'll ask again, why are you in my room Aria?" he asks moving across the room towards me until he stopped, and stood directly in front of me still dripping from the water left to run down his body to be soaked up by the towel.
"I came to ask you a question but I don't remember the question," I say truthfully and he narrowed his eyes slightly.
"You know I've had plenty of people enter my room, and none of them left alive. Besides tradition alone states you and I shouldn't even be in the same room when one of us is indecent," Alessio hisses in such a nonthreatening way I felt like Eve in the garden of Eden being tempted by the serpent to be compelled by him, by whatever he said or asked, and I was reminded of what Matteo had warned me of 'he will possess you in ways you never thought possible in life'. Yet here I was falling into exactly what I was warned of and it hadn't even been a week.
"Alessio, you and I both know that you break rules all the time just because they convenience you," I point out and he chuckles.
"You know the reason for that as well as I do," he says pulling me towards him gently while looking me up and down but pausing to stare into my eyes before letting go, allowing me the chance to move away but I didn't, I wouldn't.
"You might have to remind me," I shoot back and a shadowy look crosses his features.
"Because no matter what, you and I end up going in the same circle, like we have for the past four days, you are like a siren to me tempting me to do all the things that my patience allows me to not give into. I won't dishonour you or your family Arianna".
"Is it dishonoring if I say yes," I counter, before adding. "theoretically".
"Based on the rules of the Familia's yes it is, you and I aren't married yet, that is when you and I are allowed to have one another," he says before reaching up and cupping the side of my face. "That doesn't mean I don't want too, but I am a patient man, I'm able to wait seventeen weeks".
"You're counting weeks?" I ask in shock that he was doing so.
"Of course I am, any man, Familia or not would be lucky to have you as their future wife. It just happens that you're promised to the worst man your parents could have chosen for you," and with that he slips past me and disappears across the room into his closet where I followed and found him pull a plain long sleeved shirt and pants on before he smoothed out his clothing.
"Why do you consider yourself the worst option, I can think of worst options. I'm likely safest with you out of any other boss of a family," I say leaning in the doorframe with my arms crossed as he let out a sigh and turned to face me.
"Because I have a red door of the worst possible things a person could do that shouldn't be opened ever. Sure I can provide you safety, and the status your parents want for you, but I cannot provide you infinite affection or adoration. I've never done well with either especially in the environment that molded me. There is likely a better man out there somewhere, it just happens that you're tied to me even if no vows have been said," Alessio explains.
"Is that why you always ensure your suits are immaculate, and your clothing never smell or be stained by blood, because of what you lock behind your red door?". His eyes flashed with a torrent of emotions that I wasn't able to actually pick out but the end one was a stony expression likely to hide anything too sensitive.
"Yes, trust me, if you saw the things I've done, knew of the kinds of pain I've inflicted, you would have begged your parents to not leave you here with me," Alessio muses with a heavy exhale. "I am the monster children are told only exist in stories, there's enough stories about me that tell what is needed to be known about the name Salvatorini".
"You can't hide behind a mask of civility, and cruelty forever Alessio, and we all have things that haunt us. But I will help you through yours when you decide it's the right time to let me in," I say before turning and beginning to walk towards the doors of his bedroom.
"Before you leave, answer me this, why did you wait for me to come home?" he inquires and I stop to look back at him.
"Because it's what I believe a wife should do when her husband leaves to do something, be waiting for him when he gets home," I reply before leaving the room without another word from either of us.
So a little chapter of Aria digging a little more into Alessio and his actions. Yes I'm going to be working on this book for a little just for a small change. Comment, vote, and share, Anyways
Peace✌