Ruthless Empire: A Dark Mafia Collection

“No, I had no interest. If it wasn’t you, I didn’t want it.” He said the words sincerely, like they weren’t going to run me over like a breakaway rail car. “I meant what I said, Willow. I love you. It’s only been you.”

I didn’t know what to say. I honestly hadn’t considered anything past last night. I was so happy to be with Alessandro again that I didn’t even consider the implications of what I was allowing. Our circumstances hadn’t changed, at least not that I was aware of. “Sandro, I—”

His lips were on mine before I could get any additional words out. He took the wind from my sails every time. Against Alessandro Varasso, I was powerless. “Don’t say anything else right now. Please, let me take you to dinner before you leave.”

Part of his phrasing was actually slightly painful to hear—that he knew I was going to leave. That I was questioning it myself was concerning; of course, I was going back to California. My life was there, and I’d already decided there was nothing for me in Philly. I saw the sincerity and pleading in his eyes, and it opened my heart.

“Okay, Sandro.”

His smile grew. “Okay. Well, what about—”

The sound of a ringtone broke the sweet stillness around us. I recognized that it wasn’t mine, and Alessandro was already moving to climb out of the bed. I was getting deja vu again, remembering that night back in the hotel room. We’d woken up together in a very similar fashion, everything was wonderful, and then his phone rang. I tried not to accept the little voice inside me telling me this was the same thing.

He fished his phone out of his suit jacket pocket and looked at it. His eyebrows turned down in confusion. “It says it’s an unknown number?” He clicked to answer it. “Hello?” Suddenly, his eyes went wide like he’d seen a ghost. “You shouldn’t be calling me.” He glanced at me quickly and then away again. “I… I’m with Willow.” He rubbed the back of his head. “Yeah, she’s here for a few days.”

Who was he talking to? It sounded like whoever it was knew me, but who would both know me and shock Alessandro so much?

“Shit, that’s not good. All right, let me get dressed and get a hold of Luca. He should be back by now. Yeah, I will. Bye.”

Alessandro turned around and looked at me, and I could tell in his face that he was about to say exactly what I didn’t want to hear. He knelt on the floor next to the bed, grabbed my hand, and kissed it.

“You have to go?” I asked.

“I’m so sorry, really. It kills me, but that was Marco. He’s in WPP. Apparently, he got a threatening postcard, and no one is even supposed to know where he is, only Ricky.”

I might have expected that Ricky was more mixed up in all of it than he alluded to. Marco was in the Witness Protection Program? Why?

Alessandro kissed my hands several times. “He’s in trouble. I…” He stared up at me sadly, and I could tell he was conflicted.

“Go.” I pulled my hand from his. “I’ve always known your priorities.”

Alessandro looked like the words crushed him. “I’ll call you about dinner, okay?”

I didn’t respond. Alessandro stood up and kissed me on my forehead. “I love you, Willow. I hate that I have to go.”

He collected his clothes and left the room, and I cursed myself for landing in the same terrible position I’d been in all those years ago.

10

Alessandro

I couldn’t shake the feeling that I’d just made the biggest mistake of my life. I saw the way Willow’s heart broke as she realized I had to leave. Last night was one of the best I’d ever had, if not number one. Waking up next to her again was the greatest feeling in the world. If I wasn’t still madly in love with her before, I certainly was now. It was worth waiting to be with her again. I only wished that I hadn’t missed out on those last six years. I allowed my mind to wander to where we might be if I’d chosen her instead. I was already ready to get down on one knee before we broke up, so we’d be married for sure. We’d probably be on baby number two, having made the first halfway by accident after we chose an extended honeymoon.

I walked away from her again. Let her down again. Fuck my family for being so messed up. I believed they’d just cost me everything.

My phone rang, trilling loudly over my car’s bluetooth. I pressed the green answer button, sadly watching the scenery leading to Willow’s family’s home disappear behind me. “Luca.” Even I didn’t recognize the roughness in my voice. It had been softer, more natural since arriving at Willow’s yesterday. The man that I was with her, the man I really was, wasn’t built to survive my family’s busine

ss. “Where are you?”

“I’m at the airport about to get in a car. Where are you?”

“I’m in my car headed back to the house,” I replied.

“You were already gone from the house this early in the morning?” Luca asked.

“I…um. I was with Willow.” Luca let out a little scoff. “What’s so funny?”

“Nothing. I had a strange feeling that would happen. Look, though. This isn’t becoming a thing again, is it?” he asked.