Chapter 5

“Kiss me, Alissa; I want you to do things to me with your tongue." Russo groaned, and Alissa kissed the corners of his mouth with a grin. Her favorite mob lord was tied up, and at her mercy, she was free to do whatever she liked with him.

“Oh Russo, you have no idea what you are asking for,” she replied with a smirk before leaning even closer and

Alissa awoke with a start, the blaring of her alarm clock jolting her from a restless slumber. She had always been a morning person, but lately, her whole life has been hanging on the dark side of life. Her nights had become restless, plagued by thoughts of Russo, the mystery she wanted to unravel, and the tension that simmered between them. One thing she wasn’t sure of was if he was feeling the same way she felt. She was slowly fitting into this world, and for the first time, she was scared of not being able to walk away when all of this was over.

Not like she had gotten much sleep the night before, if you exclude the weird dream she was having, the new job Russo was pulling her on had been on her mind. The worst part is being kept in the dark, and now she can’t even guess what she was going to do. She only hoped it wasn’t going to get her killed and that Russo knew what he was doing.

Throwing back the covers, she swung her legs over the side of the bed and rubbed her tired eyes. Her first thought was of Russo. He always sent for her when he arrived at the office, and it had become a routine she was starting to get used to, but today was different.

Since he showed her her office on another floor in this mansion, she now has access to work there. Doing paper work and keeping records was a skill that Alissa didn’t know would come in handy, and now she was glad she knew how to do that too. Now taking down Russo wouldn’t be the only part. Russo seemed impressed when she told him she could do that too.

She wouldn’t forget his strict instructions about her not getting to the office before him, and he told her to treat this like a legal job. He even made a joke about how he was sure she had never been able to keep a legal job and she better keep this one. He hasn’t made mention of the new job he was pulling her into again, and the curiosity was killing her more than she cared to admit.

Hurriedly dressing in an outfit that struck the balance between professional and enticing, Alissa's thoughts raced. If there’s anything Alissa enjoyed here, it was her wardrobe. Russo spared no expense in making her dress.

Normally, Russo would have summoned her by now, but this morning was an exception. Perhaps he was dealing with a matter too delicate to involve her in, she speculated, trying to quell the flutter of anticipation that stirred within her. Maybe they were already making plans for the dangerous job.

Romero, Russo's loyal right-hand man, was just leaving the office when she arrived. His grim expression didn't escape her notice. She wondered what had changed ever since she got here, and she wondered if that was how he usually acts because

"Romero, has the boss been looking for me?" Alissa asked, her voice laced with concern. She didn’t have enough time to worry about his stoic attitude towards her; she had crazier things to worry about, like if she was late to work and her boss had already gotten mad.

Romero turned to face her, his usually stoic demeanor betraying a hint of uncertainty. "No, he came in earlier than usual and left almost immediately. He said he had important business to attend to."

She nodded to Romero and quickly made her way to her desk. There, she found a pile of paperwork waiting for her, a clear indication that Russo had indeed planned for her to be productive in his absence. With a sigh, she settled into her work, determined to make him proud. The files were detailed, and she knew what to do with them.

Hours passed in a blur as Alissa immersed herself in the intricacies of the tasks Russo had assigned her. She barely noticed the lunch hour come and go, her mind consumed by the work at hand. It was only when her phone pinged with a message that she realized how late it had become.

“Don’t skip lunch on my account; leave the work and get something to eat.” It was from Russo, and as she looked around the office, that meant he had been watching her do her work the whole time. A mixture of relief and disappointment washed over her. At least he had contacted her, but she thought they were over the avoidance part. She couldn't shake the feeling that something was amiss.

Alissa finally allowed herself a short break to grab a quick lunch from the kitchen. The elevator ride down to the kitchen floor was uneventful as she made her way to the kitchen. After eating, she made her way to her room for a quick nap. She had no idea how tired she was until now.

She set her alarm for fifteen minutes, and she closed her eyes. When she woke up, she realized she had been sleeping longer than she had intended. She hurriedly got up and made her way back to the office space. She waited for the elevator to get to her; she still didn’t have enough strength to take the stairs, and when the elevator's door opened,she was shocked to find Russo coming out of it. She didn’t know he was back.

Alissa's breath caught in her throat as she gazed up at him, surprised by his sudden presence. "You're back early," she stammered, desperately hoping he didn’t know she had been sleeping instead of working.

Russo's expression remained stern, but his dark eyes bore into her with an intensity that sent shivers down her spine. It was almost as if he could read her thoughts.

"I'm in a rush; I have something urgent to attend to," he replied curtly, his voice low and gravelly, the very sound of it igniting the smoldering tension between them. She was more worried about whoever would be on the receiving end of his anger; her thoughts and prayers are with them.

"Should I accompany you?" she found herself asking before she could stop herself. She reminded herself that she was just doing her job and following orders. Her mission was to keep him as close as possible.

Russo shook his head, his gaze unwavering. "No, you need to focus on the work I've assigned you," he stated, his words tinged with a hint of irritation, and with that, he strode past her, leaving her downcast.

As Russo disappeared down the hallway, Alissa's emotions churned within her. Had she done something wrong? Was he pulling her away from the secret mission he spoke of? The unspoken tension between them weighed heavily on her mind, and she hated herself even more for desperately wanting to throw herself at him under the guise of doing her job when it was obvious her emotions were starting to get in the way.

Returning to her desk, she buried herself in her work, trying to suppress the maelstrom of emotions that threatened to consume her. Hours passed, and the dim office grew darker as evening descended. She was acutely aware of the unresolved tension between her and Russo, an electric current that had yet to be unleashed.

Finally completing her tasks, Alissa locked up the office with a heavy heart. She knew she needed rest, but the torment of their unfulfilled desires haunted her. As she went through her nightly routine, Russo's distant demeanor played on a loop in her mind.

Just as she was about to surrender to sleep, a thirst overcame her, and she remembered the need to refill her water jug. She descended the staircase to the living quarters, her footsteps echoing in the dimly lit hallway. It was there that she overheard Russo's voice, laced with anger, berating Romero for a failed operation.

She froze, her heart pounding as she strained to listen. The air was thick with tension, and Russo's words were laced with fury. "I trusted you, Romero! If you ever make me rethink my decision to make you my right-hand man, I swear I'll blow your brains out."

Alissa's breath caught in her throat, her eyes wide with shock. She had never heard Russo so incensed before. As she attempted to retreat into the shadows, her eyes met Russo's, and she felt as if he had seen into the depths of her soul.

Without a word, she turned and fled to her room, her pulse racing. She wondered what would happen next.