(Theme Song of the Chapter: Unforgettable - French Montana ft. Swae Lee)

Aiden◆Accardi

THE NIGHT WAS corrupted with illegal players tonight. The occasional flash of the limo's head lights acted in their own form of code as the vehicle idled on the empty street.

I sat in the limo, scanning our surroundings through the tinted windows. Next to me, Enzo fidgeted with a cigarette with an unusual amount of restlessness. Matteo, ever the silent observer, leaned back in his seat with his gaze fixed on me as he grants me a nod, awaiting instructions.

The sound of a car approaching broke the silence. The headlights of the approaching vehicle protruded through the darkness, illuminating the interior of the limo for a brief moment.

"They're here," Enzo muttered, his voice low and gravelly. "You sure about her? She's supposedly a member of your staff, and it sounds to me that she's beginning to know too much."

My eyes snapped to him, and I could see the fire in his body language tone down a bit.

"I know what I'm doing." My voice clipped.

The car came to a halt beside the limo, and my men swiftly got out, opening the rear door to reveal a struggling Sophie. Her eyes were wide with fear, her movements frantic as she tried to break free from their grip.

Matteo opened the limo door, and the men pushed Sophie inside. She stumbled, catching herself on the plush leather seat opposite me. She looked up, meeting my gaze and for a moment the car was silent except for the sound of her heavy breathing.

"Sophie..." Her name came out of my lips smoothly. "We're glad you could make it."

Her light brown eyes widened and she looked to me incredulously before her eyes flickered to my brother and Matteo.

"You know this is kidnapping, right?" She questioned her voice shaky, clearly still trying to process what was happening. "First, you get your guards to watch over me like I'm a child, and now you are forcing me to attend wherever the hell we're going with no care about my own will?"

Matteo let out a breath before turning to me. "I like her."

I furrowed my brows at him, then turned back to Sophie, who was watching me intently, her gaze steady and serious as she held her breath. My eyes shifted to the reflection in the limo's front mirror, catching sight of our backup arriving at last. I signaled the driver, and with a nod, the vehicle began to move.

"I let you roam free, don't I?" I asked, my attention fixed back on her.

"You're full of it, Aiden," she seethed.

"Sophie..." I tsked, my tone low. "I let you do whatever the hell you want, just under my watch. And you can't spare a few hours to help me with what I need?" A smirk tugged at my lips.

I leaned my head back studying the girl from where I sat, and I could see her sink further in her seat.

"Who knew Sophie the sweetheart could be so selfish? But you are a mouse after all."

From the corner of my eye, I caught Enzo glancing back and forth between me and Sophie, intrigue obvious in his glare, before he clicked his tongue.

"Dovremmo ucciderla se non collabora." Enzo said tightly. (Italian| We should kill her if she is uncooperative.)

I whipped my head toward him, jaw tightening at his words. Enzo's impatience was clear, but I wasn't about to go to extremes. This was happening on my command, and we'd do things my way.

"Don't be stupid," I responded back to him.

Sophie eyes were wide as she looked at the three of us skeptically. I could see her shiver slightly clenching at the fabric of her dress.

"The pretty ones are always the hardest to break." Matteo commented winking at Sophie. "She'll come through eventually. Right, Sophie?"

She glanced towards Matteo and shook her head. "No."

"Will it make you feel better if we stop by and pick up sunglasses, purple haired freak, and skinny dude in the really tight pants?" I asked dryly.

She scrunched her face up at me, her mouth parting. "You jerk! Are you talking about my friends?"

"Enough of this," Enzo said, his voice rising with annoyance. "Perché stai cercando di scendere a compromessi con lei? Mettila a tacere."  (Italian| Why are you trying to compromise with her? Silence her.)

"Lascia che me ne occupi io," I spat. (Italian| Let me handle this.)

The drinks Enzo had consumed earlier had clearly taken their toll. He pulled out the pistol from his trousers, his movements unsteady, and aimed it directly at Sophie.

Sophie's eyes went wide with fear, a piercing scream escaping her. Without a second thought, I grabbed Enzo's gun, swiftly yanking it from his grip—driven by the need to get control back. I pointed the pistol at Enzo.

Enzo chuckled, tilting his head back keeping his eyes locked with mine. "Tutto questo per lei?" He questioned. (Italian| All this for her?)

My jaw clenched harder, the grip on the gun steady as I continued to aim it at him.

"Non è nessuno di speciale." (Italian|She's no one special.)

His statement sounded more like a question. His eyes searched mine trying to read my reaction to his words.

I put the gun down and handed it to him "You pull that trigger, I blow your head off." I told him as I watched his hands take the weapon and slide it back in his pocket carefully.

Maybe I was going quite far to protect a woman who was nothing merely than someone who worked for me, but there was a principle at stake. It was about maintaining control. My actions here were as much about reinforcing the boundaries of power as they were about protecting her.

The question still stood on its own.

Why did I protect her?

And the way Enzo stared at Sophie, full of curiosity and wonder, I could tell he wanted to know too.

◆◆◆

With the Accardi name came the relentless gaze of the paparazzi. The media's fascination with our family was a constant, intrusive presence that never truly faded. Wherever we went, the chance that the flash of cameras and the cluster of reporters would follow was persistent seemingly driven by an insatiable hunger for scandal.

I helped Sophie out of the Limo and took her presence in. She wore a tight fitted short red dress and red heels that made her short stature taller than usual. Her chestnut brown hair was in a ponytail and her full lips were painted red.

The curves of her body were out in the open and her full bust was accentuated by the fabric of the dress. She could easily be the most gorgeous woman of the night even with the obvious frown on her face, and her little pout as I pressed my hand against the small of her back.

I could feel her tense against the onslaught of flashing cameras.

Matteo and Enzo circled around to where we were, and we entered Midnight Oasis, skipping the line, the bouncer instantly letting us pass and another escorting us into VIP while Matteo and Enzo slipped away. As we walked towards the VIP section, capturing the stares of many, I lowered my head down to Sophie's ear.

"Remember what I explained to you." I ordered her.

After the dramatics in the car has cooled down, I had finally explained to Sophie what I needed her to fulfill—telling her exactly what she needed to know to pick out Elio Conti from the crowd. The man was a short blonde who had lost his eye testing the bluff of the wrong enemy.

But tonight, if things went to plan, he would lose more than an eye.

"Use that charm you used on Earl, and get the guy in the eyepatch alone." I whispered.

"Yeah, the same charm that caused Earl to follow me into the middle nowhere." She retorted, she looked up at me with narrowed eyes. "Why would Earl try to hurt me?"

Her question carried an innocence that momentarily disarmed me, a hint of vulnerability in her voice that cut through the hardened surface I usually maintained.

I took a deep breath, the weight of the situation pressing down on me. "It's not about what Earl tried to do or why he did it. It's about what needs to be done now. I need you to focus on the task at hand and get that man alone. This is crucial."

We had arrived into our private section of the club, and Sophie and I sat down in one of the booths. Matteo and Enzo were already in their positions and some of our men entered the club as back up with some waiting outside.

"How the hell did you find me that night?" She pressed.

Her questions just kept coming.

"Let it go, Sophie." I growled.

"Let it go?" she questioned. "You're a murderer." She whispered, her eyes wide.

I grabbed her jaw and tilted her head back and she let out a whimper.

"You want those fucking answers so bad, huh?" I barked. "Earl knew it was you who told me of his plans to go to Calabria. That's how I found out what a greedy fool he was. Son of a bitch double crossed me. He knew it was over for him and so he decided to get his revenge—with you."

I moved her head lower and leaned my head forward. "And how the hell did I get there in time to save your ungrateful ass? That's easy. I've been tracking your phone since I left for Italy."

I could feel her body stiffen at my words and her eyes glossed over. I released my hand from her jaw and her breaths quickened.

"Aiden Accardi," She said, her voice was heavy. "You are sick."

Sick.

Implying that I wasn't wired normally. That I was somehow twisted, devoid of the empathy that others took for granted. It was a label often thrown my way, whispered behind closed doors or spat out in anger.

But in this world, normalcy was a weakness, and my sickness was my strength. I could make the hard decisions, act without hesitation, and ensure that the family business thrived.

I watched her for a moment as her terrified eyes looked to me with angst, before my lips curled into a lopsided smile. I flashed my teeth at her. I leaned even closer to her, our foreheads almost touching.

"Say it again." I told her, encouraged her even.

Her anger flared, but before she could respond to me, she got up walking out of the private section. Where the hell was she going?

I followed her out onto the dance floor, my eyes locked onto her every movement. She threw her head back, her long brown locks whipping through the air as she moved her hips and swayed her waist to the rhythm of the music. She danced with an abandon that was both mesmerizing and filled with obvious defiance.

I could see the eyes of other man glue to her body enamored by her dancing. I felt the heat of my body rise in temperature and my jaw ticked.

As I approached, our eyes met for a brief moment, and the look she flashed me was a volatile mix of mischief and anger. It was a look that spoke volumes, a challenge and a warning all at once.

Her attitude was both aggravating and sexy.

I snaked my arm around her tiny waist, pulling her close to me, her back pressed firmly against my front. Our bodies meshed together, moving in sync with the pulsating beat. Her breath hitched slightly, and I could feel the heat of her skin through the thin fabric of her dress.

"Did I ever tell you I love this color on you?" I told her. "Red. My little red."

I could hear her suck in a breath.

"Since I quit, there is no need for me to live at your estate." She said suddenly. "I'm moving back into my apartment. I won't talk—You made it very clear there is no point. The Accardi men run this city. So tell your men they can leave me alone."

Smart girl. Trying to win over a compromise with flattery—but that doesn't go very far with me.

"You know I can't do that..." I whispered against her neck.

"You said I was free to do as I please." She said.

"Under my watch," I growled into her ear.

"Let go of me," Her body tensed and she fidgeted trying to pull away.

"Not until you understand something," I replied, my lips brushing against her ear. "You're in my world now, and you play by my rules."

Just as the tension between us reached a boiling point, my phone buzzed.  I took it out of my back pocket keeping Sophie in my grasp. It was a text from Matteo.

Capo, start back up plan. No trace of Elio Conti and Enzo's gone rogue. He found some of Conti's people in the middle of playing a poker match. Dozen bodies.

Fuck.

I slid through all the contacts on my phone and began to call the man who cleans for a living.

"There's a situation," I said into the phone the moment Walter picked up. "Start plan B2,"

"On it, Mr. Accardi." He said.

I quickly hung up the phone turning my focus back to Sophie.

"We need to go," I said abruptly, pulling her towards the exit.

Sophie wrenched her arm free, her eyes blazing with anger. "I'm not going anywhere with you until you tell me what's going on!"

My jaw clenched, eyes locking onto hers. For a moment, I considered explaining, but then I turned away, signaling to my men who stood at outskirts on the dance floor watching everything attentively.

Her frustration boiled over, Sophie grabbed a glass from a nearby table and hurled it against the wall. The shattering sound drew everyone's attention.

I spun back around, feeling both a mix of anger and surprise. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"Getting your attention," she snapped. "You think you can control everything and everyone, but you can't control me, Aiden. I won't be your pawn...not anymore."

My eyes narrowed, temper barely in check. "You just made a big mistake, Sophie."

Before she could respond, the club's security arrived. Fucking great. My men quickly stepped in, creating a tense standoff. I could feel the eyes of the entire club on us, the music still pounding in the background like a rapid heartbeat. I took a deep breath, trying to rein in my anger.

"Sophie, you have no idea what you're getting yourself into," I said, my voice low.

That familiar defiance didn't falter and she crossed her arms. "Then enlighten me cause you're the one who brought me here."

I glanced at the security guards, then back at her. I couldn't afford a scene, not here. Not now. I signaled to my men to stand down. "Fine. You want answers? You'll get them. But not here."

I grabbed her arm and led her towards the back exit where I had stationed some of my men with a getaway car. She resisted at first but eventually followed, the fervent fire in her eyes still widely untamed, still challenging me. Tonight, this girl had been nothing but complete trouble.

I normally never put up with this kind of shit. That attitude of hers was something that needed to be dealt with, and the urge to fuck it out of her was tempting.

My mind continued to race, trying to find the right words to keep her in line without revealing too much. The situation was spiraling.

You need to regain control.

As we stepped outside into the cool night air, I paused, looking her directly in the eyes.  "There are things in motion you don't understand so I advise you stop testing me for your own good."

She shook her head, still defiant. "You don't get to decide what's good for me, Aiden."

I tightened my grip around her arm slightly, enough to show I meant business, but not enough to hurt her. "Maybe not. But I'm the only one who can keep you alive right now. So, unless you want to end up as collateral damage, you'll listen to me."

Her eyes searched mine as if looking for any sign of deception. Finally, she nodded, the fight momentarily leaving her, but of course her stubborn ass had to mutter, "This isn't over."

"Not by a long shot," I replied, leading her towards the waiting car.

I got her inside the car and closed the door before signaling to the driver. I watched as the car drove away.

I turned towards the club, and as if on cue, an orchestra of screams can be heard from inside.

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