Chapter 46

Fingertips made the first contact before his fingers clasped, and his hand held my wrist up for him to inspect. It was the first real acknowledgement he'd given for what he'd left imprinted on my skin. When the pad of his finger ran across the bruises he'd caused, oh so gently, my heart ran against my chest.

It wasn't fair. I was already reeling from the fact he'd denied my proposal to work, along with his broken promise. Even then, his touch held so much power over my body's reaction.

All the raging emotions inside me, and his eyes held none. Not upon seeing the pain he'd caused, or remorse for his lie. Massimo didn't care.

I pulled my hand away, and his eyes challenged.

"Pick a dress," he said darkly.

My body fell back onto the bed in a heap when the door shut, leaving me alone with the urge to forget who I was, where I lived, and who was meant to be mine.

A small whine echoed inside the room, reminding me of the two pups who depended on me. I called them both onto the bed, not caring about letting them over the covers. I used their thick coats to soothe the turmoil of hatred and pain. Because eventually, I had to face yet another day.

As Massimo said, the dresses arrived this morning. There were five in total, but after the third dress, there was no need to continue. Its dark forest-green color and low back weren't the only things I'd fallen in love with. However, the high slit over my thigh made it mine.

I placed the dress back into its garment bag and dressed for a late workout. Wix, Vine, and I headed down the stairs but abruptly stopped at the sight of Nate and Elio talking to each other. Their conversation couldn't have been good, not while Elio's posture was tense and veins popped throughout his neck in anger.

"Is everything okay?" I asked, taking the last step.

Nate's lips pulled into a tight line as Elio curled his mouth in disgust. And where hazel lived in his eyes was replaced by a pristine void of darkness and cruelty.

I should have continued walking, ignore his obviously cruel aura, and forget I'd seen them. But was I really one to forgo a fight? To keep quiet and move on?

No, I wasn't.

"Something bothering you?" I asked Elio, as sweet as poison.

He glanced over my body with eyes that wished for my death.

"Matter of fact, yeah, there is one in particular."

"Elio." Nate closed his eyes.

"Please, don't hold back." I smirked.

"Alessandra," Nate's voice warned. "It's not the right time."

I didn't listen. I never did.

Wix and Vine sensed the tension, and both stood on each side of me.

"I've allowed you to speak freely. Why haven't you?"

Elio's eyes flared with murder because of my tone, and he took one threatening step closer to me.

Wix and Vine snarled, but it didn't stop Elio.

"I heard a silly rumor." He cocked his head. "How you can take care of yourself?" Mad and deranged, he mocked.

With a smirk, I stepped forward. "Would you like to test such a theory?"

Nate moved between us with icy eyes staring directly at me, forewarning me of my words.

"Please," he pleaded.

Staring at Nate's alarm, I debated his warning, but it vanished shortly after Elio spoke up.

"You think you could hold your ground against me, Zanetti?"

My eyes shot to Elio's, holding on to bitterness, while Nate whispered.

"He causes pain for a living," he tried to reason. "He may be the underboss, but he was an enforcer for much longer, the finest this syndicate ever had. Still is." Nate grew desperate as my eyes wouldn't veer away from his brother. "Think of Massimo, how he will react."

React. To whom ? The woman who's supposed to live in this house safely? Or the grown bastard whose hate was filled by his idea of me?

My eyes slid to him, and I tipped my head toward Elio before I spat, "He should have thought of that."

Nate's shoulders tensed, and I dismissed him by shifting my attention to the dark-haired brute.

"I have nothing to prove to you, Elio, but I've been dying to humble you."

"Would you like to try now or?" He trailed off, walking backward with his hands stretched out.

I followed his taunting eyes.

"Massimo is going to kill me," I heard Nate say in the background, and out of the corner of my eye, I caught him pulling out his phone.

It was now or never. As I followed Elio to the one door I hadn't been inside, I shut it behind me, leaving Wix and Vine behind.

The temperature dropped drastically inside the basement. Fluorescent lights shone over the black concrete room filled with equipment, from weights to a variety of weapons. Two rooms lay in the far corner, and the only exit was the door we'd come down from.

As Elio stood on a large, cushioned workout mat, rolling his head, I mentally prepared for the pain I would soon endure.

I was no fool. Elio outweighed me to the point of ridicule. His height was incomparable, and his killer hands matched the bloodthirst in his eyes. My most effective form of attack was speed, the push dagger I had strapped onto my back, and the knife under the stretchy material of my pants by my ankle.

My odds weren't great with two knives, but I was ready to show him how this liability could slither and fight.

I wouldn't back down.

I had to be smart and take the defense, watch his dominant side, and study his movements. The tells of each action he took.

Massimo would be furious.

"Are you going to stand there and look at me, or are you going to follow through, big guy?"

"Would you like a safe word?" His sarcastic and gentle tone antagonized.

I knew better than to attack first.

With a shrug, my feet crossed, taking a step to my right. Elio followed my movement, and we danced, slowly creating a ring around us. Eyes scrutinizing, waiting.

"Do you need one?" I smirked.

My eyes fell as his left foot slid forward, swiftly his right followed, and his steps rapidly closed the gap between us. Immediately, I ducked and twirled out of reach to face his back. Instead, I found him facing me.

Fuck, even with his size, Elio was quick. Too quick.

Elio charged, and I sank, dodging his hands. He didn't like that. As Elio snarled, I steadied my hands to stop his powerful fist from striking me. My side cowered as my arm and elbow received the first block from his fist.

Ah! I clenched my mouth shut.

The dread of his blow has vanished now that I'd tasted the pain of his force. It was aching and left a deep burning, but I welcomed it.

Pain and I were close friends, especially from the hands of a man. It wasn't the first time I was overpowered, but it was the first time I could fight back. The first time I wasn't afraid.

I took another blow with a grunt, knowing I couldn't block many more, but this time, I punched back.

Elio swatted it effortlessly, but he hadn't expected my leg to shoot out to his knee. His leg folded, and I'd found his weakness. Low ground.

His eyes darkened, and we danced with pain as every blow we took, the other blocked, and my kicks no longer connected with his frame. My breathing was shallow, my body ached, and without using my right fist to punch, I'd taken the disadvantage.

Elio was a skillful fighter, one that didn't blink after a strike. The kind whose body caused pain instead of taking it. However, his endurance didn't compare to mine, and his footwork became slow, drawing his movements to my advantage.

I just had to stay low.

I ducked another hook, legs twirling with momentum, swiping his foot off the mat.

Thud.

His large body hit the floor, echoing loudly, and when I glanced down, my eyes widened. Elio had gripped my ankle. Hand clutching and arm pulling, I fell backward.

Get up!

I couldn't. I was trapped between his forceful clutch, but I had a split second before his body could overpower mine from a lock hold.

My left leg curled, my fingers stretched, and my hand clasped around my ankle. My actions were fluid and natural, a compulsion of ease to bear my blade's power.

I fought dirty.

With my knife between my fingers and Elio's body rushing over mine, I jerked to deflect his raging fist to my face and flung the knife off my fingertips without a clear target.

A grunt confirmed I hadn't missed. After spinning my head, I saw blood decorating his collarbone, and my knife clattered on the floor.

I'd nicked him and awakened the hellhound.

In a roar, Elio tore away in the distance, and I stood, rushing to dive from his hands. I failed, and his strike launched me back down.

Panic swarmed, my lungs burned, and air vanished as I hit the floor. I gasped, but nothing filled my caving chest. I stared at Elio's empty eyes with his fist back and ready.

I closed my eyes, ready for the pain to spread.

A gun cocked.

My eyes opened to Elio's smile. His fingers rubbed his own blood lazily withpraise?

"Welcome to the fam, sis."

What?

"Get away from her," a voice came, low and dangerous.

A shiver ran through me from the malice it held.

The gun cocking was Massimo's.

He was home.

MASSIMO

Crimson obscured my vision in rage at Alessandra's gasping and rolling body lying on the floor.

I cocked my gun, and Elio's fist fell apart.

"Get away from her." My voice was low, but I couldn't hold the sharp edge that spoke of murder.

Palms out, Elio smiled at me, but I didn't reciprocate. Blood stained his gray shirt. I quickly searched the room and found her knife on the floor, and I trembled in anger. Raw ire pumped through my body with its sickness. Their feud had driven blood, pain, and me to the brink of losing the balance between my demon and me.

"I was just leaving."

I shook my head while bile rushed within me upon seeing him.

"Get out."

I couldn't deal with Elio now, not when I had a fully loaded gun urging me to unload its weight.

Elio's brow creased, and his eyes squinted.

Was he fucking surprised?

He held my eyes for a moment longer, dipped his chin, and left. I would deal with him later. Right now, I had a vixen to overthrow.

"I told you not to engage with him," I began, walking to her frozen frame.

Alessandra had risen. Her face was unmarked but the way she carried her weight was uneven, and if I lifted her shirt, it would reveal the reason.

"I told you not to come down here," I roared, waving my weapon to the ground.

I saw her hard swallow, and her hands fell down.

Another step.

"But you ignored my orders."

And another.

"You defy me!"

One more.

"Time after time."

Her back hit the wall, trapped and caged by my last footfall.

Alessandra's greens held on to the bit of spirit she possessed. It crashed with a shudder when I stood over her body, and I caught its tremble with a grip on her neck.

I tightened my hold, and her eyes held mine defiantly.

"Always a fucking fight." I clutched my fingertips, and her mouth parted, taking a small breath.

"Put your weapon down," she rasped.

A dark chuckle flew past my lips.