Giovanni's POV
I was sitting in my office discussing some matters pertaining to the 'family' with Lucas when my phone started ringing. I picked it up looking at the callers ID then smiled.
"Lexi?" Lucas asked raising a brow.
"Si" I replied before picking up the phone.
I heard Lucas scoffed in front of me and I turned my eyes to glare at him when he rolled his eyes.
Lucas was my underboss, my right hand man and even more my friend, probably the only reason I allowed him to get away so often with things like this that I'd considered disrespectful. Lucas just doesn't trust Lexi from we've been talking the day he catch her upstairs back at INFERNO in the out of bounds area for patrons. Lucas just didn't trust anybody that was outside the 'family' even more females in particular, he believed that often times females are the ones our enemies used to get to us. We've had experience with such females before, one particular time he was the target of a female who was working for an enemy of ours. She had started working at his club as one of his dancers for a few months and started taking a special interest in Lucas and tried drugging him one night and so from that Lucas just doesn't trust any female to stick around for more than a night.
Hence his scepticism towards Lexi and I, even more so now that I had taken a special interest in her and we were dating. I remembered him asking me when since I had ever dated or taken a special interest in one specific female. I had told him I don't answer to him or anyone for that matter and he should mind his own business. Lucas had even went as asking me if I was willing to lose or put Lexi at risk if any case our enemies should find out she meant something to me or if I was going to be comfortable with lying to her about who I really was and how long am I going to be able to keep that a secret. I told him that I know what I'm doing and that Lexi was different somehow and I would make sure that no harm comes to her.
Ever since that day when I had received the call saying they've got my 'bitch' I had my guys looking out for Lexi from time to time making sure that she was safe and no harm came to her.
"Ciao cara mia" I smiled into the phone.
"I'm mad at you. Like really mad" Lexi replied.
"Oh no. What have I done now?" I asked feigning innocent even though I think I already have a perfect idea what this was about.
"The store Gio" she fumed. "When I said yes you could hell me, I didn't mean you should just completely finished and stock it for me".
"I thought you appreciate not having all that work load to worry about" I replied sounding confused.
"Gio I really appreciate it, thank you. I don't want to seem ungrateful or anything but I just thought you were gonna refer me to persons or even oversee work with me whenever you aren't busy" she sighed. "At least let me know how much is it that I owe you".
"You don't owe me anything Lexi, its all yours. And I didn't say anything to you about it because I wanted to surprise you. So surprise" I replied.
When she had told me she was thinking of opening the store I thought it was a really great idea and then when she said it would have to wait a while since she was busy with the restaurant I had offered to help her. But when I visited the area and had hired persons to fixed it, I just couldn't resist. I wasn't used to doing only half of work I'm always used to getting things done so I had went ahead and get clothes ordered and shipped in.
"What!? Gio you can't do that, you can't just hand me a complete store. That was my job to do that" I heard her said over the phone.
"Well technically I'm not handing you a store since you already own the store space. I'm just trying to be a supporting boyfriend by trying to get the excess work load you'd have to handle off your back" I replied. "I'm sorry if you feel like I've somehow deprived you of doing the things like ordering and stocking whatever you want".
"No, I'm sorry. I get what you were trying to do, so thank you. I'm just really overreacting here" she sighed.
"Look on the bright side, its now all your job to name your store and hire your employees and decide when you're gonna open officially. So you can't say I'm hand in over a complete store to you" I chuckled.
"So now you've left the hardest parts of the work on me?" She asked letting out a small laugh over the phone.
"Yeah basically" I chuckled. "So am I forgiven?
"Yeah totally" Lexi replied.
"Am I seeing you later as well?" I asked.
"Yeah definitely" she replied causing me to smile.
"What kinda spell does she have on you man?" Lucas asked in disbelief. "She's got you smiling and laughing something I didn't even knew you were capable of".
"Say one more word" I said to him seriously pointing my gun at his head.
It wasn't like I'd shoot him though, if it was one person I was sure of being loyal and having my back, it was Lucas. As annoying as he could be and as much as he tried defying my authority from time to time I would never get rid of him that easy, but I wasn't gonna let him know that.
"Fine" Lucas said holding up his hands in surrender. "So back to business. Would you mind putting that thing away and quit pointing it at my head".
"Alright so about the shipment..." I proceeded back to this discussion of earlier before the phone call as I lowered my gun.
We were minutes into our discussion when I phone rang again.
"What!? This better be good I answered after looking at the callers ID.
"Uh... Gio... We kinda lost her" I heard Josh stuttered.
"What the hell do you mean you lost her!?" I shouted into the phone.
"Well I think she suspected she was being following and she just started speeding and taking some turns and we must have taken the wrong lane because I don't see her. And there was this other car and..." Josh started saying but stop when I heard like he was slapped.
"What other car!?" I growled.
"Its nothing just some other car that was driving behind hers in front of us so we didn't exactly saw which lane she took" Josh replied nervously.
"You listen to me, and listen good. I pay you two to keep an eye in her make sure no one bothers her or no harm comes to her. If anything so much as happened to her I'll have both you and Ron's head on a platter you hear me?" I threatened seriously.
"Y-yeah, got it. We'll find her Gio" Josh said in a frightened voice.
"You'd better and don't call back until you have your eyes on her again you hear me!?" I said hanging up before he could reply.
"Idiots!" I growled slamming down the phone.
"Problem?" Lucas asked seeing my mood.
"Those idiots I told to always keep an eye on Lexi, let her get out of their sight" I told him. "They better pray nothing happens to her".
About a hour or more later my phone started ringing, I hope it was those two calling to let me know that she was fine and that they have eyes on her once again. Looking at the caller's ID I saw Lexi's name and I answered right away.
"Lexi" I sighed with relief.
"Hey" I heard Lexi breathe out.
"I thought something might had happened to you. Are you alright?" I asked concerned.
"Yeah, I'm fine. But why would you think that?" I heard her asked curiously.
"No reason, its just that I'm always worried about you" I sighed.
"Oh, well I'm okay but I'm gonna have to cancel seeing you tonight" she replied.
"Okay, but may I asked why?" I asked curious.
"I uhm... I kinda met into a little accident today" I heard Lexi replied.
"What!? Why didn't you call me sooner? What happened? Are you hurt?" I asked frantically.
"Not really, I've only received a few scratches and dislocated my shoulder. But otherwise I'm fine, however my car isn't" Lexi sighed.
"Lexi, what exactly happened?" I asked seriously.
"I'm not quite sure honestly. I may have been speeding somewhat and then some idiot had me run off the road" she replied.
For some reason I just sensed that Lexi was not telling me the whole story, I don't know if it was just a bad feelings but I was starting to wonder if whatever happened to her was really an accident. Yes, Josh said that she was speeding and that she took another lane that they didn't get to see because another car was behind her's and in front their's. But what if whoever had her ran off the road wasn't just another driver.
"Did you see who it was?" I asked her seriously.
"No I didn't. Why don't I stop over tomorrow evening and we'll talk about that more. I'm kinda drowsy from the painkillers I've gotten" Lexi replied,
"How about I picked you up tomorrow at your house around 12 afternoon and we'll go somewhere?" I asked her.
"Yeah, that sounds alright too" she replied.
"Well great, I'll see you tomorrow then. Get some rest okay" I said to her.
"Yeah I will" I heard her replied. "Bye".
I was going to finished some documents I had sorting out for a business deal with another hotel owner then pick her up tomorrow. I was going to take her to my house, I've taken her to my penthouses suite at the hotel but I think it was time I take her to my my main house here in New York.