Alessio
When I returned to Varazze my brothers car not far behind my own I thought of last night and what Arianna had said, her words haunting me.
I've done the one thing all Mafia wives are warned not too.
I felt horrible thinking about it because I knew what she was thinking, I'd taken too good of care of her in this cruel world and as a result I had gotten her to become more then just mine in the physical sense emotionally she was mine, and I didn't know how I was supposed to deal with that, when every woman who had ever gotten too close to other men of the Familia like me, ended up hurt whether it was by questioning, suicides, or simply marriages that weren't fulfilling for them.
Arianna was a diamond by comparison to all of those who were apart of the Familia we weren't good men, or women, we killed to be initiated, and killed dozens of times after.
I didn't even know if the number I told Aria about how many I'd killed or ordered killed was correct. I knew that it was in the range, I couldn't have an unsure answer move around when I came to places. The fear of death had been enough many times to get my enemies to submit. Even Tommaso had lived in fear of my wrath for what they'd done in the past. I wasn't one to blackmail, I chose logical violence and it had given me my men's respect in turn.
I however was willing to do anything to consolidate my power and I never wished for Aria to learn of the way I gained so much control. There was never going to be a more bloody part of my past. I'd killed the most people then, using riots and protestors to cover my killing of those who opposed me in my own city, then used the fear wave to take other cities repeating the process until I neared Valentino Territory and I wasn't willing to risk a war then not when so many had been killed, and it worked then.
I just found myself now with a war with my fiancés mother's family.
Parking my McLaren I pushed the door open and slid out cursing at the blustery wind that had befallen Liguria.
"Why the fuck must the riviera be so cold," I mutter and Matteo pushes the door to his Lamborghini shut with a soft bang.
"Because we live on the beautiful and spectacular Italy," Matteo smirked at me and I glared at him, all while my brother smiled like the cat that got the cream.
Of course he had some kind of response.
I turned my gaze away from him and walked towards my home. Father had asked for it to be built as a way of hiding a large sum of his money but it didn't matter now since the house was one of the most expensive ever sold in Genoa and I didn't even have the slightest amount of remorse about planning the man's death. Now the building that was meant to be the house of the Familia, that would have fed into my father's furthering cruelty was now the home that my future wife and I would call home for the rest of our lives, even if I had other homes across Europe that we could have used or called home. Aria also seemed to like the property that I knew she hadn't fully explored or she would have known that the property sat in the most geographically safe location and that the far back wing of the house where my extension was being built would likely end up having a longer section of the driveway that would lead to a 'guest' house even if it would just be going and because my property covered approximately ten it was nearly impossible to know every corner of it, even I wouldn't until all of the work I had actively going on was completed.
Climbing the large stone steps I crossed the front porch to the door and pushed the door open before Aria stormed towards me, and though I had gotten used to her meeting me at the door, her demeanor had shifted, her eyebrows were angular and the tight lipped expression on her face, paired with the piercing look in her eyes spoke to her displeasure and I immediately wondered what had annoyed her to the lengths that my typically composed fiancé looked ready to kill.
"Alessio Cassian Salvatorini!" she thundered and a look from Matteo told me that he was thinking the same thing I was.
What had I unknowingly done?
"Arianna Viola Valentino" I say calmly, deciding that me being level headed would help to at least bring Aria's anger down a few notches.
"Did you fucking agree to marry Gabriella to Matteo, and don't even think about lying to me," Aria says her eyes like a lioness's and holding all the fierceness of one. Matteo exchanged a look with me and I could practically read the fuckers mind.
You fucked up.
"Matteo don't think I'm not more pissed off with you, my sister is barely nineteen, and you've just decided that you get to lay claim over her, isn't one Valentino daughter enough?" Aria exasperates a look of vengeful defiance crossing her face and I knew that she wouldn't let this go no matter what I said or did if it wasn't the honest and complete truth.
I need a scotch for this one.
Slipping off my shoes I unbuttoned my jacket before gesturing towards the hall that would lead deeper into the house where I planned to sit and have a drink while explaining to Aria what Matteo and I had discussed on the night of Luca's wedding.
Matteo chose to walk ahead of me whether that was because he wanted to make sure he was comfy before Aria asked any questions or if my future wife scared him I didn't know but I hoped it was the first because nothing had scared my brother ever.
Slipping through the open doors of the cigar lounge I watched Matteo take one of the chairs near the fireplace that always burned brightly no matter what time of day it was. Something I'd always taken full advantage of because no one had ever promised me anything, my future as Boss of the Familia wasn't even certain because of my father having to wait all the years he did to become the Boss over Liguria, I wouldn't take that from him, but it would me the name of my siblings and I that people feared. Though currently it was Aria who was terrifying my family.
"When Matteo and I left Luca's wedding for that half an hour period we talked about how me marrying you leaves the chance that someone would exploit your sister being of marrying age to get close to the Salvatorini Family, it was Matteo's thought that having him marry your sister leaves the ability void since most of my siblings either have someone they are with, or have their eye on," I say all while mixing together a glass of my preferred liquor.
"So you're using my sister as a way of isolating your power?" Aria questions and the fire in her eyes grew while she cast a narrow eyed glower towards my brother and he just smirked back.
Aria was going to kill him if he kept going.
I thought through nearly all of my actions, though I, like Aria was guilty of acting on impulse however mine even if irrational were planned, and organized, Aria acted on impulse and her habit of wanting to stand out of the parameters set for most women. A woman like her would make most made men go mad with anger, and they likely would raise a hand to her. However the fact she was assertive about her opinion and made sure that she was never underestimated for simply being a woman wasn't ever something I'd pass her up on. She was a fast learner and even if she had limitations when we spared, she was decent, and for anyone but the men within the Familia's she would be a challenge.
I also didn't doubt she'd be able to put Matteo in his place.
"Aria, your sister is pretty, and your future husband and I believe that if we can keep it so that the three largest Mafioso families in Italy, remain as one without outside influence the territories, would be impossible for other crime families to challenge," Matteo says omitting that Salvatorini was going to be in control of all of Italy once Aria married me.
"Playing power games with Gabriella will become a problem for you Matteo," Aria warns.
"If Matteo plays games with your sister mon cherié, he knows that I won't stand for it," I say using the chance that Aria had turned to give Matteo a scathing look as a way to wrap my arm around he and I felt her almost immediately clutch my arm.
"Arianna Valentino, future Salvatorini, I won't harm your sister," Matteo says putting his hands together in a praying gesture. Trust my brother to be the one to no matter how serious make a joke about it.
"Good, also Matteo," Aria says as she gave him a smile that was filled with both kindness and injunction. "I suggest on the day that you talk to my sister you make it very clear she isn't a game for you," she adds before she took my scotch and sipped from it, then left the cigar lounge leaving me to stare into my glass with amusement all while Matteo followed her retreat.
"Your fiancé is sexy when mad," Matteo mutters lifting the glass of rye he'd made himself and I turned giving him the coldest look I could muster.
"Say that again, or anything like that and I'll cut your balls off, and feed them to you," I glacially retort watched as my brother retreated partly into himself.
"Don't kill me it was an appreciative comment, besides I know she is yours Alessio. She's going to make every man in the Familia's envious of you," he says lifting his arms in a surrendering gesture in the event I chose killing him as an option.
"They already are, I'm Boss of the most powerful branch of the Mafia, every other Familia bows to us. You and I both know that Matteo," I say lifting my glass to my lips, "you aren't wrong even if I don't want to admit that, any man with functioning eyes can tell that Aria is gorgeous," I remark and Matteo gave me a look that said, 'see'.
"I'm going to go talk to her," I say downing the rest of my drink and setting the empty glass on a side table before making my way to the tall dark doors then stopping to turn back to my brother, "and don't you dare drink all my good liquor".
Leaving the lounge I walked through the halls then upstairs to my bedroom where I found Aria in the middle of the room pulling a sweater over her head.
"If the house is cold you are allowed to touch the thermostat, I don't care," I say and she half jumped as she finished pulling the midnight blue coloured crewneck on.
"You could also hold me," Aria suggested raising her eyebrows, and I didn't resist having the fiery spirited woman in front of me close to me, I never would.
"Do you enjoy my touch?" I ask pulling her to me forcing her to put her hands to my chest as I held her waist.
"Of course I do," she says a coy smile crossing her lips even if I could read all the confidence in it. She was still a shy girl at heart, a girl who had never experienced love outside of her home, or the kindness a man was capable of giving her. The single thing I didn't know if I'd be able to give her. I didn't even know what love was. During the year I'd been with Violetta in secret I thought I loved her, thought that no other girl would ever come close to what she'd made me feel I felt a stronger passion, and blend of those emotions with Aria. I had since day one. I wanted Aria close to me, had wanted her in the only way that I knew of a woman being wanted, but now barely a month and a half later I stared into her eyes as she allowed me to slowly move us closer to the wall near the doorway to the short hallway that led out of the master bedroom, and trap her between the wall and me.
She didn't look scared, or worried, she didn't seem like she was at all affected in any way other then trusting me completely with her. I partially hated the look, that someone as pure and innocent as her could trust me so much, could allow me so close was unthinkable, and yet I was grateful for her parents power plays to have their family and mine meld together, even if I knew Lorenzo Valentino was too weak to stand against me and his overeager wife wouldn't do anything to oppose him.
"Alessio," Aria says staring into my eyes, and I realized that her hand was placed over my heart which I knew was beating slow but strong under her hand. I had a very healthy heart that often beated just under the vibrational frequency that the human palm could detect even if it was strong. It was what would allow me to remain calm, and what made it so that even if I was poisoned I would have the chance to kill the fucker who would dare try.
I wouldn't tell Aria about that though, about the uprising within my own Familia.
"Yes, Arianna," I reply staring into her eyes.
"I want you to kiss me, like you mean it, and nothing else," she requests and even as I lean down I smile softly. I would have to hold myself back from going further, though I wasn't a randy teenager, I was extremely attracted to Aria physically, though the change was a welcome one.
"If that is all you want, I will do that for you," I say and she hums in gratitude as her eyes trailed my lips movement as I neared her own until I pressed them to her and almost immediately felt her ease into my touch more and my lips as I kissed her again and again. I was practically intoxicated at her taste on my mouth. It was the dangerous game I was willing to play with her again and again as we went around in the same circles. I was going to give my all to her, one step at a time even if it took years for me to let her in fully, to trust someone other then my brother like family.
All Made men were told to trust no one, not even family, and to not allow themselves the softest of emotions that would make them the most weak. Love. I didn't believe in it, nor did I think I loved anyone or anything, but Aria's lips against my own made me question how many things I'd grown up learning that I would forsake for her.
This temptress of a woman I held was going to be the death of me one day.
"Alessio, I need to tell you something," Aria says tilting her head down so that I couldn't kiss her lips anymore so that she was able to speak.
"Okay," I say cupping her chin and lifting her head slowly so that I could look into her eyes, in hopes that she would be able to see my purest reaction to whatever it was that she was going to say.
"I-," she begins right before Lino enters the room without knocking and before I was able to snap an angry response he spoke.
"The Vincenzo Familia has assassinated Pietro Fianntino's wife," he says swallowing hard.
"Fuck," I breath, "Lino, get the valet to pull out my GTS," I direct and he nods, disappearing out of the bedroom door before I turned back to Aria.
"I'm sorry mon cherié, you can tell me when I get home," I say and she nods though I could see the sadness in her eyes and vowed I'd return to her as quickly as I could before I took fled from the room to take the long drive to La Spezia.
So what do y'all think Aria was going to say though I think it's a bit obvious, comment, vote, and share. Anyways I'm going to listen to Chase Atlantic and go the hell to sleep.
Peace✌