I woke up with a pounding headache in an unfamiliar room and clothes that definitely weren't mine. The only thing I vaguely recognized was the scent I was engulfed in.

Alessandro's cologne to be specific.

It didn't take me long to figure out how I ended up in his clothes. Surprisingly I didn't feel panicked. Either he was going to accept me or kill me.

Sitting up I cradled my head in my hands.
Guilt ate me up as I recalled my behavior towards Ivan. He didn't deserve to be treated like this. Since he saved me I've shut him out.
For years he's been trying to understand, help me cope and I refused to cooperate.

I was under the illusion that if I pretended to be okay long enough that I'd eventually become okay.

Boy was I wrong.

Alessandro literally and figuratively flipped my world upside down. Sure I had made enemies, but my face wasn't plastered on a target.

From what Ivan gathered I was on the radar of 2 out of the 4 families.

Out of Donatello, Accardi, Bonardi, and De Benedetti, I was in the radar of Donatello, and De Benedetti.

A sudden question rose in my subconscious and I padded out of the room to find the one man who could answer it for me.

I walked into the kitchen to see Alessandro clasping a cup of coffee in his hand with a grave look on his face. He seemed beyond irritated and furiously barked orders into the phone. I leaned against the wall in his loose shirt and long sweats waiting for him to finish.

He screamed 'cazzo' and a string of other frustrated words before his eyes met mine and softened ever so slightly. He spat a few orders and hung up with so much of a goodbye.

"I hope you're not upset I changed your clothes. You passed out in my arms..." his eyes looked concerned as he passed me a cup of black coffee. I took a sip of the scalding liquid and let it run down my throat, leaving a hot trail in its wake.

"How much did you see?" I questioned him.
"I went as fast as I-"
"Alessandro " I said evenly "how much of the damage did you see" the look on his face gave away it all.

"All of it" he sighed taking a step closer. "I honestly tried to -"

"But it was so gruesome to keep your eyes away wasn't it " I scoffed.

Within a heartbeat my head was cradled in his large hands, forcing me to make eye contact with him. "You are beautiful " his voice was soft and delicate- something I never expected. "So fucking beautiful "

"So very strong " he said kissing my forehead.

I bit the inside of my cheek. This insecurity was my problem, I had to heal myself.

My chest felt a little warm for his concern and I gave him a small smile.

"Alessandro?" I said as he helped me onto the counter. I sat facing him with the warm coffee in my hands.

"Yes mi amor?" His eyes looked concerned but my question was far from it.

"Raimondo isn't one of the five families and why is Donatello under your reign?"

His brows went up in surprise. "I guess someone did their research "

I shrugged "had to see what I was getting into"

He took a sip from his coffee , a small smirk dancing on his lips as began to explain.

He wasn't actually a Mafia heir. Turns out Stefano De Benedetti's only child was a girl- who Alessandro was meant to marry, therefore rightfully taking the place of De Benedetti's boss.

"So your arranged marriage was constructed to give the De Benedetti a Boss?" I asked in confirmation.

Alessandro hesitated for a moment before answering me.

"Stefano Armando De Benedetti was an incredible leader. He took the reigns of his family when he was only 18 years of age. People had serious doubts and the Donatello boss at the time- Giuseppe's father who was much older than Stefano didn't like the idea of such a young inexperienced man running one of the families" he began explaining.

"But why did Stefano take over so young?" I questioned drinking the last of my coffee.

"You see arranged marriages are a bit of tradition. Stefano's sister- Federica- fell in love with an Accardi- but she was meant to marry a Bonardi to increase business transactions. Before she could cause a scene and ruin her father's reputation, he hired men to have her killed. "

My eyebrows nearly flew of of my face and I blinked to make sure I was fully conscious.

"What kind of father would do that ?" I gasped

"One that valued his word more than his daughter. Stefano loved his one and only sister- she was a year older than him, they were extremely close. For his sister he set fire to his father's estate- where he had not so secret affairs"

That did not seem like much -

"While his father was in it. With 2 women, neither of them his mother, or Federica's"

Damn. I took a sharp breath.

"Stefano was cunning, intelligent and was able to read people better than a priest was able to read the Bible. He figured out Donatello's intentions and played along. Just as Stefano anticipated, the plan backfired. Donatello was stripped of money, men, and loyalty. The other families weren't nearly as resourceful as Stefano- so he had to go take the Donatello family under his wing and filter out all the traitors. He expanded the De Benedetti business in Italy and stationed the Donatello's there"

"Wow" I breathed out. Stefano De Benedetti was an enigma. He had my utmost respect and I had the urge to meet him.

Alessandro brushed a stray hair behind my ear before continuing.

"My father, Rocco Raimondo was the son of a drunkard who migrated from Italy. My father barely spoke a word of English but he managed to get attached to my mother - who was from a insanely religious family. She figured out my grandfather was trying to sell off my father to an old woman- for god knows what and he knew her parents would never accept them so they ran. My mother was only 15- she couldn't exactly do much and my father was 22, didn't know anyone, didn't speak English. One day he and my mother had hit an all time low. She was furiously crying and he held her in his arms fervently speaking Italian, trying to calm her down"

Unconsciously his arms moved around my waist and he stood between my legs.

"Stefano, all dressed in his Armani suit and top hat overheard them and of course understood every word my father spoke. He offered Rocco a chance and slowly with trust my father became Stefano's second. Stefano didn't trust the Donatello's in Italy alone so he stationed my father up in Sicily. I was born there and raised by the De Benedetti's "
Alessandro stopped and ran a hand through my hair.

"When I turned seven, Adreanna Federica Maria De Benedetti was born"

My heart stopped beating right there.

"Stefano was a closed off man. Only Maria was able to make him open his heart. After he married her there was no other woman for him."

I pulled away slightly to look at Alessandro.
"What happened to her?"

"She was killed by the Colombian Gangsters before Adreanna's birth was even registered "

Alessandro looked pissed off.

My blood began to boil.

Everything always went back to the Colombian Gangsters.

"What happened after that?" I asked trying to figure out Alessandro's involvement.

He sighed before resting his head on top of mine.

"Stefano had no desire to have more kids and being that him and my father were the closest of friends, they decided Adreanna would be wed to me. Therefore she would remain in the safety of the Benedetti household and the business would be remain in our trusty hands. Since then my training began. I was exposed to things no child should ever be exposed to."

My throat dried up.
"A-are you involved in human trafficking?" I asked in alarm.

Alessandro all but screamed no.

He furiously shook his head. "Absolutely not. We do deal with some drugs- that's mostly linked with the Bonardi's but absolutely no human trafficking. The Accardi's are neck deep in that shit but we don't interact with them. Accardi has progressively made more enemies than allies. He will be the first to be taken down comes the chance."

He didn't go into what the De Benedetti's actually dealt with but that was a story for another time.

"My 10th birthday present was an Uzi" he chuckled.
I pressed my head to his chest, listening to his systematic heartbeat. I don't know what I was expecting to hear.
Machine guns.

"I began going to meetings and interactions with Rocco and Stefano. I was indestructible. Giuseppe was always angry for that. He wanted to be the one with the support of near legends such as Stefano and Rocco."

"I was at arms trafficking, I began networking at 15, right after I proved myself interrogating a traitor for the first time."

He left out a key detail.

"How old were you when you killed someone" I asked

"Twelve" he said playing with the ends of my hair.

"How old were you?" He asked catching me off guard.

"Nineteen" I answered truthfully.

"Is that the only reason Giuseppe hates you?" Why would you piss someone you fear off?

Alessandro laughed darkly. The kind of laugh that made the hairs on your neck stand up.

"He doesn't hate me. He fears me " I pulled away from him staring at his face. Gone was the soft Alessandro.

This was a glimpse of the real Alessandro Raimondo.

The dark and dangerous man. Marvelous from birth.

"Then why does he keep attacking you?" I asked.

"I have a strong business of my own. The De Benedetti corps are under my control as well. Legally I'm untouchable"

The De Benedetti corps were ridiculous. Even Ivan couldn't get his hands onto them.

"I have many connections mi amor, Giuseppe wants me to lash out on him and make me look inferior so he can step in as the 'experienced ' one and take over " Alessandro mused.

"But he's acting like a child... that just makes him look immature, unprofessional and irresponsible " I thought out loud.

"Sì. He thinks his age over me is equivalent to experience." Alessandro said shaking his head.

There was still something a complete mystery to me.

"How exactly did Adreanna vanish?" I asked carefully.

Alessandro's full attention was on me and the grave look was back.

"We don't know."

********
My god 82 days till graduation. This year flew by wayyy to quickly.

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