He nods, making eye-contact in the mirror. “I gouged his eyes and then shot him.”
“You… you…”
Did he kill Marco only because he walked in on us?
I still feel on the verge of passing out, but the rage growing inside of me is helping me stay conscious. Did he really kill Marco impulsively? Are we in danger now? There are processes to this sort of thing; you can’t just kill the boss of the family and take over.
My hands are shaking as I continue clutching the towel to my chest. I glance up to see Alessandro looking at me while wiping his hands with a towel, a questioning look on his face.
“You’re angry,” he says.
My chest heaves, and I can’t find any words to say.
He crouches down so that we’re eye-level.
“I can’t believe you did that.”
He looks uncomfortable, eyes darting towards the ground. “I’ve had to do much worse.”
“Iknow,but are we… are we in danger? You can’t just impulsively kill the leader of a crime family without any repercussions.”
“It wasn’t impulsive.” He brushes my hair back, rubbing his thumb against my cheek. I can still faintly smell the coppery odor, but this gesture is comforting enough to cancel that out. “I’ve had plans to take over in the works ever since Vincenzo ended up in a coma. He was Marco’s named successor. Now I’m working with others to secure my position as boss.”
“Oh.”
All of that tension that was building up inside of me relaxes and now I feel so relieved I could almost cry. Ever since the night Marco caught me and Alessandro eating dinner outside, I’ve been hoping I’d never have to see him again. And I guess now my wish came true.
Alessandro stands up, smirking. “The eyes might have been overly-dramatic but you did break a rule.”
I point to my chest. “Me? How is this my fault?”
He chuckles, then his expression becomes more serious. “Honestly, are you okay after all of that?”
“Yeah.” I nod. “I’m a bit shaken up but… I’m alright. You?”
He seems taken aback that I’m returning the question, and I can’t tell if it’s because he’s surprised that I’m checking in on him or if he’s happy that Marco is dead. “I’m fine. Relieved after all of that.” He smiles, helping me out of the tub. “Now, I have a lot of things that need to get done. I need you to pack up your suitcase. Okay?”
“Where are we going?”
“Marco’s wing.”
Alessandro leads me out of the apartment that smells nauseatingly like cleaning products. I wonder where Marco died on the floor, eyes pushed in to the point they burst. I bite the inside of my cheeks to force those thoughts away.
Elena and a few guards wait outside the door. She offers me a faint smile that I return as Alessandro rolls my bag at one of his soldiers. Her eyes are bloodshot, like she’s been crying. A million questions run through my mind, and I wonder if she’s mourning Marco’s death while Alessandro celebrates. That has to be difficult to navigate.
He rests his hand on the small of my back as we walk through the castle. It comforts me although I’m feeling insanely confused about our relationship. I genuinely like him. I can’t continue to lie to myself, but I’m still aching to go home.
I wonder if he’s going to continue taking advantage of my family like Marco. Or will things be more normal between us?
He has so much going on, trying to stay alive and in power, that I decide now is not the time to bring this up.
We walk into an area I’ve never been in before, although I’ve barely been anywhere besides Alessandro’s home. This area looks more opulent than where Alessandro and Elena live. While their wing seems modern, Marco’s seems like it hasn’t been touched in hundreds of years. The bright-red carpet looks new, but the various statues, paintings on the walls, chandeliers, and wallpaper make me feel like I’m in a tourist attraction more than a place someone actually lives.
Eight guards stand outside a large wooden door.
“Home, sweet, home,” Elena murmurs as we walk past them.
A massive room presents itself before us; the ceiling must be two or three stories high. It looks more like a display than an actually lived-in room. The furniture is ornate yet scratchy-looking. No modern conveniences or any electronics were to be found anywhere. Just a bunch of art and taxidermy. Lions, a polar bear pelt on the floor, a wolf baring its teeth.
