Chapter Fourteen — Fire Beneath Calm
916 Words
Massimo’s POV
The morning sun hit the curtains, throwing long shadows across the floor. Massimo sat on the edge of the bed, fully dressed. His shirt was still open, tie forgotten on the chair. His mind was already awake, racing, even though the world around him felt quiet.
Alessia was still sleeping.
She looked so peaceful when she slept, like the chaos of the world couldn’t touch her. But it could. It already had.
Massimo ran a hand through his hair and exhaled sharply. He had to make a move before Dante did. His enemy never struck loud—he waited, smiled, and then cut deep. And this time, Alessia would be his target.
The thought made Massimo's chest tighten.
This woman had broken something open in him. It wasn’t just desire anymore. It wasn’t even about control. It was the way she looked at him like she saw more than the violence, more than the suit and the title. Like she saw the boy he once was, before power took everything.
He stood and walked to the window, hands in his pockets, watching the city below.
A knock came at the door.
He turned, eyes immediately on Alessia. She stirred a little but didn’t wake. Quietly, he left the bedroom and shut the door behind him.
Franco stood there, his right-hand man, dressed in black as usual. His face said it all—trouble.
“Talk,” Massimo said.
Franco nodded. “One of our safe houses was hit last night. East end. Silent, clean job. Four of our men are missing.”
Massimo’s jaw tightened. “Dante.”
“We’re sure of it,” Franco replied. “No one else would dare. He’s testing you.”
Massimo closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them slowly. The fire was building in his blood. This was exactly what he feared.
“He’s not after the business,” Massimo said darkly. “He’s after me.”
Franco hesitated. “And the girl?”
Massimo’s face hardened.
“He saw her,” Franco continued. “He’s watching her now. Maybe testing her too.”
Massimo's fist clenched. “If he touches her, I will destroy everything he owns. Brick by brick.”
Franco lowered his voice. “Then maybe it’s time you tell her who you really are.”
Massimo didn’t reply. The truth was ugly. The kind of ugly that didn’t fade. Would she still look at him the same way after that?
He walked past Franco. “Double the guards. Keep two men on her at all times—but don’t let her see them.”
“Yes, sir.”
As Franco left, Massimo leaned against the hallway wall. For a man who’d built an empire on secrets, telling the truth felt like the most dangerous thing.
---
Later that afternoon, Alessia came into his office with coffee and a soft smile. “You didn’t sleep,” she said, placing the cup down.
“I rarely do.”
She sat on the couch across from his desk and watched him for a moment. “Is this how it always is? You, living with a storm inside?”
Massimo met her eyes. “Yes. And you walked right into it.”
She shrugged, brushing her hair back. “Maybe I like storms.”
That made him smile, even if it hurt. He didn’t want her to pretend this was okay. He didn’t want her to be brave just for him.
“I need to tell you something,” he said.
She straightened up. “Okay.”
“My real story,” he began. “You think you know it. You’ve heard things, I’m sure. Rumors. Headlines. But the truth... the truth is worse.”
Alessia didn’t interrupt. She waited.
“When I was seventeen, my father was murdered in front of me. Shot by men who were supposed to be his friends. Men from Dante’s family.”
She inhaled quietly, her eyes wide.
“My brother and I were supposed to take over the business together. He was the planner. The calm one. I was the one with fists and fire. We were going to change things. Clean things up. Then Dante had him killed too.”
Alessia reached across the desk, her hand resting on his.
“I became what I hated,” Massimo said softly. “Cold. Violent. Powerful. I built walls so high that no one could reach me. Until you.”
A long silence followed.
Alessia's voice was soft when she finally spoke. “I knew there was pain in you. I just didn’t know how deep it ran.”
Massimo swallowed. “And I don’t want you pulled into it. I can’t protect you if you’re too close.”
She stood up and came around the desk, sliding into his lap without hesitation. Her arms wrapped around his neck.
“I’m not scared of you, Massimo,” she whispered. “And I’m not going anywhere.”
He looked up at her, heart thudding hard. She meant it. She wasn’t here for the thrill. She wasn’t pretending to be brave. She was choosing him. All of him.
He kissed her deeply, slowly, like he wanted to remember her taste if the world burned down tomorrow. Her fingers tangled in his hair, holding him close, and for a moment, the storm inside him quieted.
But just for a moment.
Because outside that office, danger was waiting.
And Dante was just getting started.
- Writer
