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Xavier starts the car and drives away from the secure premises, turning on the radio it blasts 'WAP' by Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion. I can't help myself at the small laugh that bubbles up my throat, especially by the sight of his eyes widening from the lyrics. Our life is fucking chaos and we literally can't catch a break, this honestly just humored me a little.
"What is this shit?" Xavier speaks in disgust, his words making him sound like an old man.
"You surely must've heard about this song before," I tell him with a laugh.
He looks at me with a soft stare, my heart pounds and a smile tugs at the corner of his lips, "I like your laugh."
I'm caught off guard when my eyes widen, "Grazie, Xavier."
"Now," He shuts off the radio again. "How have you heard about such a song?"
"Santi," I nod with a smile.
"Santi hears this nasty shit?" He falters in shock, seemingly quite scarred. "I'll have a conversation with him about it then."
"He's almost ten," I laugh, not able to control myself at the sight of a traumatized Xavier. "Let the kid have some fun."
He smirks at me and shakes his head, such a beautiful man, "Yeah, that's a hard no."
His phone rings and he answers it with a cold stare on his face, placing the device against his ear, "Romano."
I can't hear the person on the other end of the line, but I think it's Marc.
"Yeah, we're driving to The Dungeon now," Xavier speaks, his muscles flex when he adjusts his grip on the phone and I can't help but stare. "I need men around the area ready to come in case anything happens, handle it."
Marc answers something and Xavier hangs up on the phone.
"Everything okay?" I ask.
He smiles and nods, easily placing his rough hand on top of my thigh, the action stirring heat in the lower part of my belly. Such an innocent action and yet here I am; turning into a puddle under his touch.
We drive into the city with his hand confidently placed on my thigh, no words are spoken, but my heart is pounding in my chest. Xavier parks right in front of The Dungeon, I'm out of the car before him and hurry inside the bar.
Everything is absolutely trashed; furniture scattered everywhere, glass broken on the floor, tables have been turned. In the midst of all chaos is Rocco, it's the first time I've seen him in a while and only now do I realise how relieved I am at seeing his annoying face again.
"You never listen to me," He tuts at me with a smile and inches closer. "I told you not to come."
"And I don't fucking care, Rocco. Are you good?"
He nods, "I'm fine. Although the place is ruined."
I'm about to say something else when Rocco's eyes cut to someone behind me, he frowns in confusion and looks at me in question. Clearly he doesn't understand why I brought Xavier along for the journey.
"I took my precautions in case they do return at the sight of us," Shrugging my shoulders, Xavier stands next to me with his broad frame. My body is too aware of his, a certain ease washes over my frame by standing so close to him.
Xavier's eyes scan the place before he looks at Rocco, "I'll replace everything in here. No need for your business to go down because of something my father did."
"You don't need to do that," Rocco shakes his head frantically.
"I will," He states with finality and walks away from the conversation, looking at all the damage done. Which is a lot, they truly wrecked the place. "Did they say anything to you?"
"Yeah," Rocco answers and I'm instantly curious as well. "They are aware that I know Eloisa. Apparently, they hacked the surveillance at the hospital and saw me enter her room, but it still doesn't make any sense to me. They haven't truly sought her out for weeks, and now it seems they're growing desperate and aggressive."
"Is there a deadline for my death that I'm unaware of?" I ask him with humor and Rocco looks at me in shock.
"She's cracking jokes, is she?" He laughs and I push him away roughly, not wanting him to confront the change in my personality over these past few months.
I meet Xavier's dark eyes and his lips are turned upwards in a subtle smile at us, he hides it again when he sees how I'm noticing it. I caught it though, he isn't as emotionless as people like to think.
"On a serious note though," I start and look around the destroyed room, my heart feeling bad for Rocco and his place. "I really don't think you should open the bar to the public again, it will be too dangerous for you."
He shrugs his shoulders with a saddened smile, "I can't close the bar, Martinelli. It will be bad for my economy and my ratings will drop, the city will lose interest in The Dungeon. I have to fix it and open as fast as possible."
Xavier joins in again in an unfamiliarly cold and dark tone, "I'll recruit some members out here, they'll ensure you and your employees' safety. There should be a bank transfer going through as we speak, fix the bar with the money and tell Eloisa when you're opening again. I'll have the members ready by then."
"Listen," Rocco answers in a somewhat scared voice, raising his hands in surrender. "I know you and Eloisa have grown closer, but you're still the mafia leader and Xavier Romano to me. What do I owe you when you help me like this?"
Xavier shrugs his shoulders, being honest, "Nothing."
I truly do believe him as well. He's simply being a good person here, because it's his father who is behind this attack on The Dungeon. It's fair that Rocco protects himself and sets the line, but Xavier honestly doesn't mean anything bad with helping him like this. Recruiting a few men out here every night and transferring some money, none of that will ruin anything for the mafia.
"I have a hard time accepting your offer, even though I appreciate it," He answers, his voice growing even more frightened by declining.
Xavier's black eyes cut to me in frustration, clearly he wants me to do something about this.
"Rocco," I say and he turns to me, his eyes are slightly widened. "Get your shit together. The transfer is going through right now, you need the help and Xavier just said you owe him nothing. This is a great opportunity for you, so fuck off with the scared act you have going for you there."
"Yeah, yeah, you're right," He nods his head after a small pause, before turning to Xavier. "Thank you for helping me out then. I'll let Eloisa know when we open up again."
Xavier is about to respond when deafening gunshots ring through the air, I instantly throw myself on top of Rocco and hide him behind a flipped desk. Grabbing the gun from my thigh holster, I load it and prepare myself for the upcoming attack. Gunshots keep firing through the air and the sounds cut through my ear painfully, my hand roughly pushes Rocco onto the floor when he tries to stand up.
"Stay the fuck down or I'll murder you myself," I spit at him and he nods his head against the floor.
My eyes cut to Xavier who's standing behind a wall, loading his own gun and he winks at me when he sees me staring. Bullets are flying through the air between us, but he still manages to be so annoyingly and attractively nonchalant about it.
Aiming my gun on top of the flipped table, I shoot the first man I spot and he drops to the floor on impact. Two follow him and I get them as well, their dead bodies falling onto the ground. I already knew it was a trap, lucky for me I have Xavier here and he has his members ready to pounce.
These people are absolute idiots for attacking us in this manner.