“Looks like only one vehicle so Teo and I will take the front, Xander and Alonso will take the back and the rest of you guys hang back in case we need backup. Ser, you have the car running so we can get out of here.” Enzo fell into the role of commanding officer without much push, not realising he wasn’t the man in charge anymore. From beside him Xander smirked lightly and nodded, “You have your orders men, move out.” “Typical, make the girl the getaway driver.” Serenity rolled her eyes when everyone dispersed and got ready to breach the barn. “Oh honey, we’re just worried about what you might do to those guys if we set you free in there.” Xander teased and dropped a kiss on her nose before walking away laughing. “Yeah yeah, make all the fun you want, I’ll be here when you get out.” She rolled her eyes and hopped into the driver seat. From her vantage point she could see where all three teams set up ready to breach the house and it was quite the spectacle, somehow the sound o
“Where’s my daughter, I want to see her right this instant!” Joseph Ledger came bursting through the doors of the Moretti residence escorted by a resigned night guard who watched the man with annoyance. “Thank you, Gerald, you may return to your post.” Alexander placed the mug of steaming coffee he never got to sip on the table and stood up to greet the man. “Joseph Ledger, I presume?” Xander asked cooly, giving the man a bland look. “Alexander Moretti, I presume?” The league leader responded with a sneer. “In the flesh.” Xander smirked, finding sudden amusement in the way he got under the man’s skin. “I’ll ask this once. What is my daughter doing in the home of a mob leader?” Joseph Ledger was clearly not a patient man, nor did he seem to have a single grateful bone in his body, but Xander brushed him off easily. “Contrary to what you may believe, Ledger, I am not your enemy, and your daughter is not my prisoner.” Xander leisurely retook his seat, bringing his feet up on t
“Are you suggesting I don’t care what happens to dad or Darrio?” Matteo sneered, taking a threatening step forward. “I’m suggesting that you stay the hell out of my way when I take Joseph Ledger down.” Xander narrowed his eyes on his friend. “Stop. I agree with what Xander did. Ledger didn’t waste a second in holding father’s life over Darrio when they helped him out of the warehouse, so why should this be any different. The whole point of getting close to Ledger was to find a way in to exploit his weakness enough to gain the upper hand, that plan hasn’t changed.” Enzo reaffirmed, taking Xander’s side effortlessly. “I won’t use Ivy to get to Ledger. She’s innocent, she doesn’t deserve this.” Matteo tried, but resignation overtook his features quickly. “Too late.” Xander shrugged and with one last scalding look, Matteo stormed out of the house. A few minutes later the screeching of tires on the asphalt could be heard as he sped off. “Do you think I was too harsh?” Xander looke
“You guys don’t give up do you?” Darrio leaned against the bike with an amused smirk tugged on his lips. The dark parking garage was silent at that time of night apart from a singular vehicle belonging to the Don, but what surprised the youngest Lombardi was the presence of his brother beside Alexander. “Darrio.” Enzo breathed, looking his brother up and down with a look of bewilderment in his eyes. It was the first time he laid eyes on his brother after mourning his death and finding out he was in fact very much alive. “I heard through the grapevine that you two kidnapped Joseph Ledger’s daughter and staged a rescue to gain his favour. What new law has this attempt to free me come to?” Darrio held back a chuckle, the men he was associated with through the league were all too happy to share with him the lowly actions of his Mafia ties. “Staged a rescue.” Xander scoffed, “Ledger is a slimy bastard if I ever met one.” He shook his head in disappointment. “So, what really happen
Joseph Ledger marched to his office with frustration rolling off him in waves, the new DA was sniffing around his affairs and now his position in his own company was being questioned. “Sir, there’s-” Before Mindy could get the words out, Joseph thrust his door open to reveal the back of the bulky man. “What is the meaning of this?” Joseph hissed to his assistant. “I- I’m sorry sir, he just walked right in and when I threatened to call security he said if I did he would have me fired. I- I didn’t know what to do.” The tiny woman stuttered, clearly unnerved by the man sitting leisurely in the visitors chair. Ledger held back a sneer, “It’s fine, Mindy, I’ll take care of it.” he nodded and shut the door in her worried face. “Don Moretti.” Joseph Ledger greeted bitterly, making his way around his desk without stopping to shake the man’s hand. “Ledger.” Xander smirked, hardly bothered by the man’s hostility, “This is a nice office you have here.” Xander’s eyes wandered from the har
“Oh my God.” Caterina gaped, watching her son like he was a ghost standing before her. “Darrio, is- is that really you?” Giovanni shook his head in disbelief, before him stood the son he thought to be dead. “It’s really me, Dad.” Darrio’s face scrunched up. “You were dead, they told me you were dead.” Giovanni looked at Enzo and Matteo accusingly. “It’s not their fault, Mom, Dad. It was all me.” Darrio sighed and dropped his gaze to the floor, “I faked my death.” “Why?” Caterina gasped and Darrio’s eyes shot to her. “It’s a long story, Mom, but I’m home now.” Darrio looked at his siblings and best friend, “Thanks to them, I’m home.” He smiled happily. Matteo was the first to approach him. In two long strides his brother stood before him and for a moment they stared at each other, “I missed you.” Matteo gathered his younger brother in his arms and patted his back. “Not as much as I missed you.” Darrio grinned and they both laughed. “Hey, quit hogging, I want a hug too.”
“Hey…” Darrio greeted as he took a seat beside Serenity on the bench. Without saying anything in return, Serenity shuffled closer to him and wrapped her arm around his bicep and cuddled into his shoulder. “I missed you too.” Darrio chuckled and dropped a kiss on the top of her head. “Have you seen Xander?” She grumbled. “Enzo tracked his Jeep to the gym downtown.” Darrio bit his cheek when Serenity's warmth suddenly disappeared. “He’s boxing again?” She blinked. Darrio shrugged, “He got back into it after you were taken, but I don’t think he's been back there since he moved to Italy. He probably just needed to blow off some steam.” Darrio wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her towards him, but despite the comforting action, it did little to ease her mind. “I hate that he put you in that position, Darrio.” She frowned and once again moved away from his hold, this time to look at him, “I hate that we spent months thinking you were dead.” Darrio sighed heavily, ru
Xander returned home to a cold and quiet house. After Serenity stormed out of the gym he couldn’t get the look on her face out of his mind, it reminded him of the night she forced him to quit boxing years ago. Everytime he stepped foot into the gym after that night he remembered the words she said, but it hadn’t been till today that he understood what she meant. Xnader entered the kitchen, it seemed to have been cleaned up from his earlier cooking expedition, but when he pulled open the fridge, the large casseroles filled to the brim with food caused a ball of regret to form in his stomach. With every call going to voicemail and every text left unanswered. That night, for the first time since he and Serenity decided to go steady, he climbed into an empty bed and tried to fall asleep without her by his side, and it was hell. *** “Why do you look like that?” Those were the words of greeting Enzo offered Xander when they met the following morning. “Didn’t get much sleep.” Xander