The Phone on the table lit up. My phone . New photo.
It was my bedroom . My apartment. Torn apart . On my pillow , a Moretti tattoo knife stabbed through the photo of me .
My knees nearly gave out.
" When did they–"
" Hour ago. Before we grabbed you ." Alessio saw my face. " Yes. I grabbed you first. You can hate me for that later . Right now just say yes ."
" To what ?"
" To living" He said infront of me again . Too close. " 'Say I do , Alessio '.That's it. Only three words . They my men die for you instead of them killing you . "
" This isn't a marriage!"
" No. It's a merger. A hostile one. " His jaw ticked. That other thing . Not anger.
" But you'll have my name . My house. My gun and anyone who dares to even touch you , dies . "
" And what do you get ? "
" I get what I'm owed." His eyes dropped to my mouth , then back up . "And I get to watch Morettis choke on it ."
More Gunfire. The door rattled.
" Boss! "Vito again ." They are in the lobby . "
Alessio didn't moved. Just waited on me.
Looking at me like a vulture.
I looked at the phone. At the knife in my photo . At the blood on my wrists. At him .
Monster or Monsters , those were my options.
" I do" I whispered .
" Louder!"
" I do. Alessio. " The name tasted like a poison and oxygen at the same time.
He nodded once. Like a deal is closed.
" Vito! Get in here!"
The door burst open. Vito . Another suit , and a fat man in a priest's collar . The priest was crying.
"Do it!" Alessio said.
" W-What ? Now? There's–"
" Now." Alessio grabbed my hand. His palm swallowed mine. " Words . Fast ."
The priest stammered. " D-Do you , Alessio Conti , take this women– "
"Yes"
" To be your–"
"Yes"
" lawfully wedded–"
Alessio looked at me. " Your turn. "
The door splintered . A bullet hit the wall above us.
" Do you" The priest sobbed. " Take this man–"
A moretti man appeared in the doorway.
Gun up.
Alessio moved faster than I could see.
He shoved me behind him and fired twice.
The man dropped.
" To be your lawfully wedded husband???"
The priest finished on a scream.
I stared at Alessio's back. Wide . Solid .
Between me and death .
" I do" , I said.
Alessio turned his head just enough for me to see his profile . " Again "
"I do! "
He looked at the priest. " Finish it "
" – I pronounce you –"
The lights cut out . Emergency red flooded the room.
Alessio's hand found mine in the dark .
Didn't asked why . Just took. " Till death , principessa" He said against my hairs .
" Now run "
I didn't . I couldn't . My heels were sinking into something warm and wet on the marble.
He didn't wait . His fingers locked around my wrist . Hard enough to bruise it .
The world became strobes of red and Gunfire.
" Alessio–"
" Save your breath for running , moglie ."
His voice was commanding and gravel .
" Unless you want to die in thar dress."
He kicked out the panel behind the alter .
Not wood but –steel. A tunnel . Of course the bustard had an escape route in a church.
My church. The one my family paid for .
Gunshots chased us down the steps .
I stumbled. He picked me up with his one arm . Other hand still had a gun .
My palms hit solid muscle through his shirt .
He was hot . Burning up , or maybe that was me .
" You planned this ? " I gasped against his jacket . Smoke and something dark, expensive snell lingered around. Like him .
" The attack ...The– "
" I planned everything " His mouth brushing against my ear . His breath was harsh .
" Including you living through the night. Now move ."
The tunnel reeked of concrete and old blood . It ended at a metal door . Keypad .
He didn't type . He simply pulled out his knife from the jacket and sliced his palm without flinching , and pressed it to scanner .
The lock clicked . His blood opened it .
He shoved us through . Throughout the darkness , Stairs and Narrow . His hand stayed on my lower back , guiding . Possessive even when we were running for our lives .
I almost clinged myself to him because of the darkness.
Three stories up . My thighs screamed . We hit another door.
We spilled out into a room. Not outside , but a bedroom .
Silk black sheets . One walk was glass ,
overlooking the city . The other wall was full of weapons . Knifes , guns and many things that I was even seeing for the first time .
His bedroom.
He locked the door behind us.
One bolt . Two. Three . Each one was a death sentence for whoever was on the other side.
Then he turned .
His white shirt was soaked through on the left side . Red from blood .
It stuck to him , outlining every ridge of his stomach , his chest . The wound was high , near his ribs .
" You're hit! " I said. My sound didn't sound like mine .
" You are quite observant. " He tosses the gun on the nightstand . The sound was obscene in the quiet. Then he grabbed his shirt and ripped it off.
Buttons hit the floor like bullets .
He wasn't supposed to look like that .
Men who killed people for living shouldn't have bodies sculpted like a sin . Blood slid down his side , over the cuts of his obliques ,
disappearing into the waistband of his pant .
" Come here " not a request.
" To do what ?" I hated that I was being so vulnerable looking at him like that . My thoughts also weren't straight at all.
His eyes dragged down my wedding dress. Slow . Assessing . Claiming . " You said ' I do ' twice , principessa. That makes you mine ."
He stepped closer . " Now you get to keep me alive so that I can collect you ."
He sank onto the edge of the bed . Deliberately , spreading his legs for me to sit .
" Knife's in the top drawer " He said , nodding to the nightstand. His hands braced on the mattress , fingers digging into the silk.
" Dig it out or watch me bleed out on our wedding night . Your choice . "
A pounding started on the metal door . Distant but slowly closer .
His gaze never left mine. Dark . Hungry , despite the blood .
" Better choose faster , wife . Three minutes until they breach. " A beat . " And if I die , They will take you , and not even ask you to say ' I do ' even once ."
He leaned back on his hands , the movement pulling the skin of his stomach taut . The wound wept . His jaw ticked.
"Scared of a little blood , moglie?" His voice dropped. A dare . " Or scared of what happens after you touch me ?"
His smirk on his face told that he was enjoying it .