Mob Princess

Chapter Five

Luca

“This best be important” I didn’t even look back as I strode out of the door. Already my phone was in my hands. “I want eyes on her at all times if I’m not with her have you got it?” I huffed out a breath as I listened. “Just make sure it’s done” I hung up without saying goodbye. They wouldn’t be offended they knew not to argue with an order.

“Luca what the f**k has gotten into you”

Stefanos words made me stop.

“Since when do you act like this over a piece of ass”

My hand curled around his throat instinctively and I slammed his body roughly against the nearest wall.  “Do not talk about her like that” I said it through gritted teeth.

“Then explain” His eyes were unwavering.  He was used to my anger. He didn’t flinch.

“There’s nothing to explain”

“Bull s**t Luca, what is going on”

“I’ll explain, just not now. Now telling me why you dragged me out of there”

He sighed heavily. “its... well its Franco”

I rolled my eye. Of course, it was. Good old cousin Franco couldn’t even tie his own laces without f*****g up in some way. It was one of the reasons I was here, keeping an eye on things whilst his father was in New York. Though why he had been left in charge to begin with was beyond me.

“What has he done this time?”

Stefano shrugged in his own special way, it was code for just wait and see and I felt my heart plummet. I had been hoping to get back to Alice before some other guy caught her attention. She was more interesting than I had thought she would be. And that cute little accent sure did things to my libido.

It was soon apparent though that I wouldn’t be getting back to her tonight as my eyes swept the office my uncle usually worked out of.

Shit.

I let the door slam shut behind me, and turned to lock it, we would need privacy for this.  And it was going to be a ball ache to fix quietly.

“Franco did this” I had crossed the room in two strides and bent to survey the damage my wayward cousin had done to the girl, who was sitting huddled in the oversized black office chair. Her face hidden in her knees. It wasn’t a question. I already knew he had.

She took one look at the suit and sunk back into herself.

So, she knew who and what I was. And she was terrified.

“Hey, no need to be afraid” I crouched down, purposely keeping my voice soft as I reached for her chin. I couldn’t hide the wince as I gazed at her injuries. Someone had beaten her pretty bad. One eye was swollen closed, a purple blue bruise already forming. One side of her face hung loosely and there was a trickle of blood from her nose.  I had given enough beat downs in my time to recognize a broken jaw. But I had never beat on a woman.

My mother had raised me better than that.

“Do you know who I am?”

She nodded.

“Ok well Stefano is going to take you to the hospital ok, don’t worry about the bills we will cover it” I flicked my eyes up to my right-hand man and he nodded. He knew the drill. Pay her bills and give her enough money to keep this quiet.  It was the usual drill when it came to my cousin and I was sick to the back teeth with bailing him out.  “Let me walk you out” I slipped the jacket off and settled it around her shoulders, covering the blood splattered white mini dress as I led her out of the office with my arms around her shoulders.

I let her lean heavily as we walked the corridor towards the elevators that would take them to the underground parking garage.  I needed to find Franco and give him a beat down of his own.

Giggling cut through my dark thoughts, girly and breathy and I stopped short, spotting her just as she turned, her blue eyes wide, the laughter faltered on her face as she took in my arm around the girls shoulders and then died totally as she caught sight of the girls injuries.

I cursed in Italian. I knew how this looked.

I watched her eyes dart to the holster under my arm and her mouth opened in a shocked little O. Then she seemed to shake herself, smiled politely and jabbed her finger against the button again as if that would make it reach our floor quicker. Her friends had fallen into silence, each one of them closing ranks around her,

Well s**t.

“Stefano” I didn’t need to ask, he already knew I what I needed.

“Come on, let’s get you out of here” His beefy arm flung around her waist she made a grateful sound as he walked her past the group of girls.

“Hey” I stepped up behind Alice, her hair was in unruly waves, and I could see beads of sweat on her shoulder. She had obviously carried on dancing in my absence.  “Oh hey” She threw a half smile over her shoulder, as if she had just seen me. The smile didn’t reach her eyes.

“You heading up already?”

She nodded once and turned her back again.

Well s**t.

Was she really giving me the cold shoulder? Because she saw me with my arm around another girl? Hell, we hadn’t even kissed yet.

“Couldn’t tempt you with a nightcap?” I brushed my fingers against her hip and finally she turned. Her eyes kept straying to the gun and I cursed again. I should have put the jacket over it, it was obviously freaking her out.

“Thanks, but no I’m so tired I just want to crawl into my bed and get some sleep” another flash of a smile as she stepped into the elevator. “Thanks, though Luca”

And the doors closed in my face.