“No one said you couldn’t,Il mio sole,” Ryder says, picking her hand up and kissing the back of it. “It would just make us feel better.”
She shrugs, but I know that’s far from an agreement. Alessa is going to do what she wants when she wanted. No matter what any of us have to say.
“Someone has to be fucking crazy as hell to stalk you, Baby,” I add. “That means they are capable of anything.”
“Exactly,” Ryder says, shocking me by agreeing.
She rolls her eyes. “It’s just some pictures,” she says dismissively.
It would take more than us to convince her she needs someone with her more than ever. I just hope she didn’t get hurt in the process.
We stay out on the patio until it’s almost time for Evander and Mateo to show up. After we moved past the possible stalker situation, it felt nice just to hang out with them. Even Ryder. I know hedidn’t just fully accept me overnight, but I can breathe around him now, at least.
We walk into the house, and it’s the first time I’ve seen kitchen staff bustling around. The whole time I’ve been here, I’ve only seen the cleaning staff. I look at Alessa in question.
She shrugs. “I can’t cook.”
“You could have just ordered something, Baby,” I tell her, kissing her head and wrapping my arm around her.
“Now, what impression would that make?” Gage remarks, throwing his arm around my shoulders. I can’t stop the reaction, my whole body shudders thinking of earlier, and he just grins, walking away.
“Okay,” Alessa says. “I need to be around next time.”
I exhale a breath. “I don’t know if I’ll survive with both of you there.”
“Ohhhhh,” Alessa says, running her hands up my chest. “You don’t want Gage and me touching you at the same time?” she purrs.
“Stop,” I warn.
She laughs. “Why?”
I go to open my mouth to answer, but it’s cut off by someone from her staff.
“Evander and Mateo Perez are here, ma’am.”
“It’s Alessa, Shawna. Thank you.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Shawna replies with a smile and leads my brothers into the living room.
Alessa treats all her staff with the utmost respect, never talking down to them. Hell, she barely keeps staff here except for the guards surrounding the place twenty-four-seven.
“Gentlemen,” Alessa greets politely. “Let’s sit until the food’s ready.”
She leads us into the living room, gesturing to the loveseat in front of the couch for Evander and Mateo. They at least listened to me when I said this is a very casual dinner and are in jeans and t-shirts.. Alessa doesn’t make big deals out of stuff like that, and Gage told me it’s because her dad never did. He said Luca didn’t see thepoint in getting dressed up in your own house for dinner. On the other hand, Frankie made it a formal affair every night.
I sit on the couch, and she surprises me by sitting right beside me, lacing our hands together, and laying them on her lap.
“Thanks for having us, Alessa,” Evander says politely.
Alessa lets out an inelegant snort. “Cut the shit, Evander. I’m not your superior.”
“Ah, but you are,” Evander says with a grin, not bothered by that fact.
She waves her hand. “Schematics of the family lines. I invited you here for two reasons. I want to move further with this alliance, putting us on equal footing.”
“The second reason?” Mateo asks, kicking back in his seat.
“For Leo,” she says softly, looking over at me.
