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Dragna and Lev left an hour ago for their business meeting leaving Alina and I sitting in the living room watching the camera feeds, skipping between all 10 cameras without speaking a word to each other. I know she’s feeling just as anxious as I am being here just the two of us now we’re alone.
“I feel like our safe place has been tainted, and not just here but the bookstore too. What the fuck are we going to do.” Her question brings me away from staring at my phone screen and I look at how defeated she looks.
“I don’t know Ali. I don’t want this weirdo to scare me into not going to work and not leaving the house, but now that Dragna is gone and I’m watching the cameras, I’m scared. I feel like it’s just all hit me and I don’t know what to think or do now.” I go back to watching the feed that’s pointed out to the road, watching every car that passes wondering if it’s my stalker.
“Do you want to just stay in tonight then, we don’t have to go to the club. I know you probably just said yes in the moment,not wanting to be defeated, but it’s okay to be shaken up.” Ali replies, taking my hand in hers.
“You can still go, don’t let me stop you from having a good night with Lev. I can call the girls and see if they want to come over.” I reply feeling guilty that I have dragged her into this mess.
“Willow shut up, as if I’m going to let you stay here on your own with a fucking stalker!” She turns and looks at me and I absolutely detest the look on her face, one that looks like I’m a kid she needs to look after and feels sorry for.
“Ali, please, go out and have fun. Look at all the cameras installed. I’m going to just go to bed anyway in a while so there’s no point in you staying here to babysit me. Honestly, I’ll be annoyed with you if you stay here with me. I’ll call the girls over for some food while you get ready and then I’ll go to bed early. I will be absolutely fine, plus if I do get freaked out I’ll call you or Dragna, I promise.” She looks at me and narrows her eyes. I know she doesn’t want me to think she’s ditching me for a guy, but I would never think that. I want her to go and have fun and not be held back by the sudden craziness in my life.
“I’m not leaving you Willow. Call the girls and we can all have a girly night together, I can’t leave you.” She protests back but the guilt will eat me alive if she stays here.
“Please go out and have fun girl. I know from chatting with Ella that she is definitely free tonight so you know she’ll happily come round. I’ll be annoyed with you if you stay and I’ll feel like I’ve ruined your night.” I tell her honestly. She looks at me for a few seconds, knowing me just as well as she knows herself and knowing I’ll feel like a burden to her if she stays.
“Fine, but I swear to god Willow, if you are worried or scared or if that bastard is seen on any of the feeds you call me straight away okay? And I’m calling Ella to tell her to come over because knowing you, you’ll just get into bed and lock yourselfaway from everyone.” She holds her pinky out for me to take with my own.
“I promise. I also hate that you know me so well.” I say as I link my pinky with hers because she’s right, I would have just got into bed and cried myself to sleep alone without asking Ella to come over.
“So yes, call Ella please. Now go get ready.” I say with a weak smile knowing she can see right through it anyway.
Chapter Nineteen
Dragna
“Don.” I say as I nod my head to him.
“Welcome. I have everything drawn out and ready to sign.”
“Ahh Dragna,qual è la fretta?” He replies all too nicely for my liking while Matteo stands behind him not looking me in the eyes.
I don’t want them here for too long and I’m pissed off that I even have to be here myself for this rather than being with Willow. She text earlier to say she changed her mind and wouldn’t be coming tonight and instead was having her friends over to hers.
I’ve checked the camera feeds every five minutes since leaving her place, so this meeting is also irritating me because I won’t be able to watch the feeds myself and make sure she’s okay even though I have one of my men watching them for me.
The only good thing about tonight is that Matteo didn’t bring Nero with him. He probably knew he’d be in for another beating if he showed his face again so soon.
“English Marco.” I grit out as I gesture for him to enter our lounge.
My men are sitting round the poker table while a few line the walls ready for anything to potentially go wrong and I stationed three men at Willows apartment too despite the cameras because you can never be too safe.
Marco rolls his eyes at me as he enters.
“You’re too serious at your young age Dragna. We’re about to make an alliance, no need for all the formalities.” He says ashe takes a cigar out of his pocket. He rolls it between his fingers before one of his men hands him a cutter and another appears with a box of matches. Fucking hell the theatrics of it all, the Italians really do treat their ‘men’ as slaves.
Marco cuts the tip of the cigar and brings it to his mouth as his second slave with the matches lights one and brings it to the cigar for him to light. The arrogance is astounding and aggravates me beyond rationale.
“All you need to do is sign the contract Don, there may be a small alliance of business, but I want to make it very clear that we do not condone your other trades. We are not friends, we are not going to come running to your aid should you need it. This is business and business only, do you understand? If you’re looking for new friends, you can forget this deal all together.” I say while walking towards our table with the contract laid out and I know Marco is following behind me because I can smell the cigar smoke surrounding him, it penetrates my nose and I hate it.
My father smoked cigars, and the scent just reminds me of the man I would rather forget.
“Tell me Dragna, who do you think you are to speak like this to me? Just because I knew your father well, God rest his soul, does not warrant the hostility. What our unaffiliated family do, does not tie into our business, I can assure you.” He replies with a tick to his eye. I raise a brow at him because I don’t believe his words at all.
The don has always denied having involvement in what happened all those years ago between our families once my father was killed, but I have never once fallen for his lies.
