Chapter 2

Xavier

The ride back to the estate was excruciatingly painful with that little bitch kicking and screaming like a toddler.

Enzo kept giving her death glares but she didn't seem to get the memo. We pulled up in front of the mansion and the cars filed up in order.

I turned back to catch her staring daggers at me. No one looked me in the eyes, absolutely no one. But this girl, there was something about how she looked at me.

“Stop it!” Enzo ordered.

She ignored him completely. Her audacity was unmatched. She obviously didn't know who she was messing with. I didn't blame her.

“You look fascinated,” Lorenzo said as I made my way out of the car.

“Wipe that smile of your fucking face you bastard!” He was right, but he didn't have to know that.

I turned my attention to Mateo who was walking towards me, ”Sir, she's being difficult.“

“You're telling me that you can't handle a little girl” I barked out in irritation.

Lorenzo's eyes moved to my hand. I followed it and found his eyes resting on the bruise that mystery girl gave me.

“I will fucking blow your brains out if you play with me!” She bit me, and couldn't fucking react. Have I gone soft? She was lucky I didn't hit women.

“Come on boss, why are you being like this? I was just--”

Before he could finish his sentence, a loud sound filled the air. My eyes fell on the ground meeting hers. Her eyes blazed with tears, chest heaving uncontrollably. Something inside me snapped.

I strode towards Beto, the man who had dared to lay his hand on my guest.

“Did you slap her?” was the only question I asked.

His lips quivered, ”Beto, you know I hate to repeat myself!“

His eyes fell to the ground.

“Look at me!” I demanded.

I crotched down to examine the mark on her face. Her cheek was throbbing. And I'd expect that. Beto was over six foot with the body of a sumo wrestler.

“Kneel!” I barked out and he did just that. “When did we start hitting women Beto?”

He stayed quiet.

The more I stared at her, the worse my anger got. I took off my leather gloves, handing them to Lorenzo. I took a swing and my hand connected with Beto's jaw.

“I think this equivalent to what you did to the girl. Is it?” He nodded and remained on his knees. There was no way he'd stand up without my order.

I walked over to the nameless girl who laid helplessly on the ground. I loosen the rope and duck tape, then pull her by the hand into the mansion.

She still struggled a bit before eventually calming down. I push her into one of the guest rooms.

“Let me go!” she said through gritted teeth. She was getting on my last nerve but I seemed to be unusually patient with her.

I grabbed her by the shoulders, my grip tightening by the second, ”Hey! Look me in the eye when I talk to you. Those men out there will not hesitate to make you worm food. So, when I talk to you, show me some damn respect!’’ With that, she stopped struggling.

“What is your name?”

She swallowed hard, fear evident in her eyes, “Aria, Ariana Marcella Morales.“

Before I could react, I heard Lorenzo calling from the other side of the house. He was the only one who could refer to me by my name, anyone else would get the death penalty.

I was about to walk out of the room when I felt her delicate hand grab onto my forearm. Her hands were so soft that I had goosebumps. My eyes traveled to meet her's. She looked so attractive that I have to snap myself back to the fucking present.

There was nothing stopping me from making her touch her toes, right here, right now! She was in my house anyway, but I couldn't touch a woman without her permission.

“How about you?” she asked.

“What?”

“How about you? What's your name?”

“My name,” I paused. Never in my life have I ever had to introduce myself. “My name is Xavier Lucky Castello and I'm your savoir. Don't ever forget it!”

“Nice to meet you Lucky. Thank you for helping me.”

This was the second time in one day someone was calling me that. It didn't sound half bad coming from those plump lips of hers.

As I'm about to speak, Lorenzo's voice became louder. “Boss, boss,” he pushed the door open, ”Arturo's men just raided one of our casino's. They too ever time and killed all our staff. The FBI is asking for our books.’’

The blood visibly drained out of Aria's face. She seemed sincerely shocked by what she heard. It was obvious that Benicio never introduced her to his line of business. This life seemed foreign to the little girl. Maybe I was wrong about her. She was just a scared kid. But she still seemed so fascinating.

“We're not finished!” I said to her, then followed Lorenzo out, brushing a frustrated hand through my hair.

“Have someone watch that girl. I don't trust her one bit.” I said to Mateo before getting into my car. My men followed behind me.

Lopez was getting on my last nerve. He thinks he can mess with my business and get away with it? My head hurt from all thinking.

My mind couldn't help but wander back to her. She said her name was Aria Morales. Was she his niece? There was no way she was Benicio's daughter. From what I know he only has one kid. Or in this case, had. I blew his brains out myself.

I pushed the thought away and focused on the task at hand. Why am I so bothered by her?

We arrived at the casino. It was just as Enzo had said. The whole place was covered in blood. It was a good thing law enforcement was on our payroll, if not, this would have ended badly.

“Have someone clean this up, and take care of that FBI thing--”

“Williams is not picking up sir.”

“What do you mean he's not picking up?” Williams was the police chief. He took care of covering up crimes so they were never reported. No matter how much investigation was done about me, it always ended with be being escorted out of the station a free man.

I've paid a lot of money over the years. The whole police force was literally financed by me.

“I think Arturo got to him.” Damn bastard! After all the money I've put into this, he dares betray me! I'm going to show him that's it's impossible to switch sides.

“Then I think we need to get to him. You know, pay him a little visit.” A smirk appeared on Lorenzo's face. I think he likes the idea.

I grind my teeth and head to the car. The frustration was evident in my expression. Everything seemed to go going fucking wrong!

The house was surrounded by some of Arturo's men.

Lorenzo scoffs, ”So he put his life at risk, for how much?’’ He seems more frustrated than me.

Lorenzo Lombardi had been my best friend since the day he too a bullet for me. He's the only person I trust with my life.

“What do we do boss?” His blood seemed to be boiling over.

“Let's go!”

In a moment, Arturo's men were down. The only thing I could hear was sound of bullets finding their way into the enemy's body. I would expect nothing less, after personally training the best gun men in the city. My men began cleaning up while I and Lorenzo made our way upstairs.

Williams and I had been doing business for a long time, so I know my way around his house. The room door was locked but he knew a little door wasn't going to stop me.

Lorenzo broke down the door. When we got in, Williams was clutching a gun in his hand. I could see his daughter under the bed holding her hands over her ear. She's twelve years. Smartest middle school kid I ever met.

My eyes leave her and land on her father. I drag him out of the room without remorse. There's no need to traumatize his little girl.

“Please Don Castello! I was threatened!”

I attach my silencer. Before he can finish explaining himself, my gun is in his mouth. The lifeless look in his eyes as I pull the trigger gets my blood rushing. It was fucking exhilarating.

“He'll need a proper burial. Maybe burn his body and give his daughter the ash.” Lorenzo nodded.

“Boss about the girl you took, what are you going to about her? I can think about a number of things!” Lorenzo's eyes were filled with pure lust.

“Don't even think about it Enzo, she's mine!” I don't know when those words escape my lips but I know I mean them with the whole of my being.