The Mafia King's Thief

Ghost

Alessio's POV

I'm not a thinker. Not one to spend so much time pondering on an issue, but this chocolate skinned woman with braces lining her teeth has changed me almost entirely during the course of three days. Three f*****g days.

When I'm working, her image is all over my head. When I'm having my bath, her face is all I see. When I f*****g urinate, I see her. I'm expecting to see her in my dreams soon.

She's within the walls of my villa, but I don't want to see her. I don't know what to do with her. When she was caught in the room I kept valuables, she was brought to me, and the punishment was for her to marry me. I swear on my life that if it was any other person, I would have tortured him or her, and then forced his agenda out of the mouth.

This woman is something I'm still trying to wrap my head around. I do not have an idea what it is she came to steal, but I'm willing to find out. While she was in my presence, a device fell out of her ear. She'd been communicating with someone the entire time, and sadly, it wasn't possible to get past conversations, but I'll get to the root of this.

I put my phone on silent since I'm sure I will be getting so many calls soon—that is if it hasn't started to happen. It is Thursday today, the day we will be having a meeting, but I'm not quite sure I will be in attendance. The consequences will come, but it's better to have one's head clear than for it to be full of fog.

I hate to say this, but I think I will be needing a break. s**t, I'm already irritated by the sound of those words.

Mustering enough tenacity, I get out of bed. I do not expect what I see once the door is open.

I do away with the look of surprise I have on my face, and replace it with a poker face to show I'm not affected.

"What are you doing here?" I throw the question at her. My oh my, she reeks.

"I'm here to ask you to let me go." She speaks quickly, and that odour from her mouth makes me use my fingers to block my nose from breathing in more of that smell. I should have ordered for her to get new clothes, and toiletries.

I do not respond to her because there is nothing I can say concerning what she said. I'm done dwelling on that issue even though I ask myself so many times why I gave that judgment. My lips are sealed.

I'm in my underwear as I walk to the kitchen. Last night, I told the cooking staff to take the day off. I'll figure it out as time passes, but for now, coffee will do.

Like the annoying brat she is, she follows me to the kitchen.

"I've been here for three days. Come on now, I know you're not like that." She raises her shoulders, and when I do not respond, she drops them in defeat.

"I'm worse than that." I grab my mug, and walk to the coffee machine. I like my coffee black, thank you very much.

"Eww." She says as she frowns her face. I don't care what she's disgusted at. It's not my problem. When she sees that I don't give a f**k, and don't even bother to ask her what the matter is, she decides to speak. "I have never seen why people like coffee."

I say nothing to her. Once my coffee is ready, I put some ice cubes in it, and walk away. She's behind me like a puppy again.

"I never said I needed a pet, you know. I could get one if I was in dire need. I don't see the use, though." I turn around, and say when I can't stand her presence anymore.

"Who brought up the conversation about pets, huh?" She folds her arms across her chest, and I can't help but let my eyes run down her body.

"I could use you as one one if I like." I shrug and walk to my room, slamming the door shut before she has the chance to come in.

I have my coffee with her banging the door.

I go to the bathroom to have my bath, and once I'm out, I figure she's not there any longer. Resilient if you ask me.

❦

"Alessio, I thought you'd completely forgotten about us. Come here, you." Francesca says, pulling me close to her for a hug. They've always felt awkward since childhood.

I have no plans of telling her I decided to come to her house last minute because if I do, chances are, I would not be welcome here anymore. This has always been somewhere I visit when my mind is playing tricks on me.

"How are you?" I manage to say as I walk into her living room.

"I'm doing fine now that I've set eyes on you. Alessio it's been months, and you didn't even call or even leave a message. You had me worried about you. Me coming to visit is out of the options, and you know why."

"It wasn't planned." My response is short, and she doesn't bother me since she knows I don't like to talk too much.

Before I'm told any other thing, I proceed to sit on the arm chair, taking off my jacket and dropping it on the chair next to the one I'm seated on. Francesca takes a seat close to me.

We sit in silence for minutes. I stare at the floor while she stares at my hand. She will be able to tell that all is not well in a matter of minutes if she has not noticed it already.

"Why are you here, and why have you been silent since you came?" My aunt is at it again. Doing what she does best—figuring out whether or not one is in a good mood.

"A thief was caught in my house." I break the news to her. In all honesty, it's still something I'm trying to buttress—even after seeing the naughty little brat at my door this morning, and after the silly conversation we had about pets and coffee.

"Did you kill him?"

"It's her." I let her know.

"A female thief." She crosses her legs, suddenly interested in having this chat.

The actuality that female thieves exist has never been new to me, but what my interest lies in is why she chose to steal from me. I plan on asking her, but that will not be now since it'll scare her from talking. I know how those thieves operate. She's different, though. A puzzle that I can spend my whole life trying to solve.

We'll get married first, then I'll make her get comfortable around me. I'll do the things she wants me to, then I'll make her tell me everything. From there, I'll decide whatever I want to do with her. It's crazy, I know, but everything involves a process. My gut is telling me this is the way.

"Oh, Alessio, you must be so shocked." She snaps me out of my thoughts with those words before proceeding to sit on the arm of the chair I'm seated on, then she hugs me again. I gently push her away this time. A hug wouldn't do the trick, sorry to break it to those people who think a hug is all you need when you're going through s**t. I'm not going through any s**t.

"It's fine, Francesca. Leave it at that okay." I hold my hands up, telling her I want distance. I didn't come here to get hugs.

"It's okay to talk about it. It's okay to feel sad. I'm here."

Okay, I'm getting pissed.

"Can you stop talking, please." She nods.

Francesca is my late mother's younger sister. On Madre's sick bed, she made me swear with my life that I'll keep an eye out for her due to the circumstances that killed her. I promised. I made sure to buy her a house, protect her from the Russians—my reason for buying her a house in Aosta Valley, and not any other city near Sicily. Her house being in Aosta Valley doesn't not stop my enemies from reaching her—I pay two sentinels not a small amount every month to take care of her. My enemies are everywhere.

"What did you do to her?" My very obstinate aunty asks, and I sigh before turning to look at her.

"I shouldn't have told you." I shake my head before taking my shoes off.

"Don't say that. I'm just out here caring for you. It was my sister's wish on her dying bed." There she goes again. I really shouldn't have told her anything.

My cousin, and some other lady choose this as the best time to walk in, the sound of the door very much interspersing our little chat. I do not think I can be any more grateful than I already am. For that, I reward Ilaria with a smile, and she has this confused look on her face. It is because I never smile at her, and she isn't expecting to see me today.

"Ciao Alessio. È molto tempo che non ci si vede." She says, shutting the door before slowly walking in while her friend walks behind her.

Translation - Hello Alessio. Long time no see.

"Ilaria, we've been waiting for you. Alessio is so hungry. Let's all go to the kitchen, and put two things together." Francesca's voice is heard. I cannot remember ever talking about hungry to her.

She jumps from where she's seating, and gently pushed her daughter, and her friend into the kitchen. I sit there for a few seconds before she peeks into the living room, and claps her hands. I look up at her.

"Alessio, dai. Unisciti a noi." I look around as though I'm not the only one bearing Alessio in this living room. I'm about to get into the kitchen to cook with three other women.

Translation - Alessio, come on. Join us

I don't respond, and someone peeks in. This time around, it's Ilaria, telling me to hurry. What can I say? I join them.

❦

During the one hour we spend in the kitchen cooking, I manage to cut my finger so many times. Francesca has no choice, but to send me out, saying I cannot hold a knife to save my life. I don't want to tell her she's wrong. Maybe I cut myself on purpose.

The four of us are seated at the table. Ilaria's friend is doing everything she can to get my attention. I later learn that said friend's name is Anna. Suits her personality.

"If I hadn't sent Alessio out of the kitchen, I'm pretty sure this mushroom risotto would be red, not creamy. All I asked you to do was chop a simple onion, Alessio. An onion. We'd have had your blood for dinner." Francesca tries to make a joke, but the expression on my face says it all.

Ilaria, and her friend laugh at it.

We eat the rest of our food in silence since the first attempt at jokes didn't go on successfully.

The food is nice, may I add.

We're done in no time, and Ilaria, and her friend clean up while I chug down the remaining wine from my glass, and find my way back to the living room. Francesca is comfortable seated on one of the chairs. It seems as though she's been expecting me for a while. I take a seat.

We sit there, and talk about life. She tells me how her business is going. From what she tells me, it's all the words to describe good.

She makes, and sells scented candles. A business idea she brought up sometime last year, and I sponsored the whole thing.

"I'll be leaving now, Francesca." We see Anna walk toward the exit door.

"Oh, today was a pleasant day. Have a nice night." Francesca tells her.

"Bye." She waves at us, and shuts the door. All I do is fold my arms across my chest.

"Alessio." Francesca lightly taps my lap, and I turn to look at her.

"She's a good girl, you know."

"I don't care." She's shocked at my response.

"You've been lonely for too long, get yourself a woman."

"I've he…" Before I'm able to complete that statement, we hear a yelp from the kitchen.

I'm on my feet, running in there while my aunt follows after me.

I'm in a haze for at least five minutes. I stand there looking confused as Francesca is on the floor, her clothes soiled with Ilaria's blood, screaming for her daughter to wake up.