Chapter4.
1144 Words
Lily's POV.
The angry man in the driver's seat seems nervous. I keep noticing him glance at Alessio in the rearview mirror. Alessio is quiet and still. He has his face turned away from me and is staring out of the window. I wonder what he's thinking. I wonder why he's so angry. I wonder why this very big man in front of me is so nervous. I wonder what happened tonight that led Alessio to that alley. I wonder if he'd tell me if I asked. Mostly, I wonder what the hell I'm doing here.
Now that the adrenaline is fading and the appeal of excitement washes away, I really don't feel so good. I must be losing my mind. I just watched a man being shot. I just saw this attractive man next to me kill someone else. Sure, he was only defending himself, but still. Instead of calling the police like any sane logical person would have, I stood at the window watching, and then I ran away from the scene of the crime with a guilty man. Now I'm in a car, alone, with two very dangerous-looking men headed to god only knows.
The safety and comfort that I felt a few seconds ago is long gone now. All I feel now is fear. I have no idea where Alessio is taking me and I have no idea what he plans on doing with me as soon as we get there.
I shift uncomfortably in the back seat as I wonder whether I'd survive jumping out of a speeding car. Alessio turns his head to look at me. He smiles at me again. His expression is soft. He doesn't look at me like he wants to hurt me, but for all I know he's a psychopath who's very adept at hiding his true feelings. I smile back at him and I know that my smile looks fake. I can see it in the way he's looking at me. I turn my head away as quickly as I can without making it look weird. I don't want him to see that I'm afraid. I stare out of the window and try to plot my escape. Maybe I can jump out when we stop at the next traffic light. Maybe I can make it to a police station before they catch up with me.
I jump when the large bald man in front suddenly speaks. His voice is low and deep. He has the same accent as Alessio.
"Sei a posto, capo?"
"Tutto bene."
"Mi dispiace non essere stato li." "E un errore di cui mi prendo la piena responsabilita."
"Ne parleremo piu tardi."
I have absolutely no idea what they're saying. I desperately wish that I did. Alessio's answers are short and snippy. The large man sounds apologetic. All I can do is hope that they're not talking about killing me once we get wherever we're headed.
"Certo, capo." "Chi e la ragazza?"
I turn my head just in time to see the large man glancing in my direction. An ice-cold shiver runs down the length of my spine. I gulp loudly. They are talking about me.
Alessio's face hardens. His tone is sharp and cold when he speaks. "Non sono affari tuoi."
The large man stiffens his back and grips the steering wheel so tight that his nuckles turn white. He looks like a child that's just been scolded.
"Si, capo." "Scusa, capo."
Alessio doesn't respond. Instead, he turns to face me and reaches for my hand. I feel like I'm frozen on the spot. I can't move. I can't even pull my hand away from his. All I can do is stare at him with wide eyes.
"Don't worry about a thing, Guerriera." "Everything is going to be fine." His tone is much warmer now.
I manage another fake smile and pull my hand out of his. He regards me for a few seconds before turning his face away from me again. He breathes a heavy sigh. The large man only stares at the road ahead of him. We drive the rest of the way in complete silence.
After driving for almost an hour, we finally arrive at a glorious villa. The large man climbs out first and opens the door for Alessio. I sit and wait nervously while Alessio comes around to open my door for me. He holds out his hand for me again, and I take it because I don't know what else to do. My legs feel like jelly beneath me. I glance around as Alessio leads me up to the front door. I'm distracted from the sheer beauty of the villa by the number of armed men in black suites standing around. One of them opens the door for us as soon as we reach it. I visibly gape as soon as I step inside. It feels like I've stepped into a life-size Renaissance painting. I've never seen anything like it in my entire life.
My attention is drawn to a small plump woman scurrying towards us. She has a warm and motherly face. She smiles brightly up at Alessio. He embraces her and kisses both her cheeks.
"Welcome home." She frowns when she sees his bloody shoulder. "Oh dear. We'll have to take a look at that." She says it like this is an everyday occurrence.
"Later, Nonnetta. First I need to speak to Dante." "Where is he?"
The old lady's expression grows serious. "Of course, Il Custode." "He's waiting for you in the study."
A door to my right bursts open just as she finishes speaking. Another tall, dark, and handsome man steps through it. He bares a slight resemblance to Alessio. He also has thick black hair and the same eyes, but he looks a little younger. He holds his arms wide open in a welcoming gesture. He has a wide grin on his handsome face.
"Ah, finally. Il Custode returns." He sounds chipper and exited, but his face drops when he sees the way Alessio is looking at him.
"Where the hell have you been, Dante?" Alessio barks the question at him.
Dante looks at me, then back at Alessio. His eyes grow wary.
"Come with me, Bambolina. You must be exhausted. I'll show you to your room." The old woman's touch startles me and I jerk my head in her direction. She has a comforting smile on her face. I let her take me by my arm and lead me out of the room. I can't resist the urge to look back over my shoulder.
Alessio storms past Dante. He hangs his head and follows Alessio into the study. The door slams shut behind him and I get the feeling that Dante might be part of the reason that Alessio had to fight for his life in that alley.
- Writer
