Holding Her Prisoner By Her Word.

LEONARDO

Fuck.

This couldn't be true.

I was barely processing the news I had received from Alessandra when my eyes caught a movement approaching me from behind. Without a second thought, I turned around and emptied a few bullets on my assailant's body.

When Enzo's body hit the floor, all the women in the room started screaming like they were reaching the climax of a fucking song. I glanced at Alessandra's stiff figure, her eyes wide as she stared at her uncle's figure.

What a fucking joke. She was actually crying for Enzo, a man who used to hit her when we were little kids whenever her father was not around.

If she was going to behave like this now, then how was she going to react when she discovered that the shipments were taken by me? A surge of anger coursed through me when I thought about everything I had gone through to return to her. I had spent three months crafting this little scheme to rescue her but it seemed like she didn't need me anymore.

One promise. All she had to do was wait for me until I came back for her but she married my brother instead. No, there was no way she would have done this.

I cocked my gun before I pointed the revolver to her father's head. A low snarl tore through me as I spoke to him, “You gave away my woman to another man?”

“Vaffanculo, figlio di puttana!” the man growled at me, his eyes blazing with hatred and disgust. “I will never give any of my daughters to a mistress's son. You are not worthy!”

Ok, that's it. He was going to die too.

“No!” Alessandra screamed in panic as my finger nearly pulled back the trigger. I had no idea when she flew across the room and grabbed my other arm. “You can take me instead. I will go with you, just leave my family alone, please!”

Her touch felt like the light in my darkness, anchoring me to reality. I felt my vision clear a bit when her voice entered my ears, bringing me out of the madness that almost devoured me. My eyes moved from her fingers to her face, taking in her sleek black bun, mesmerizing black eyes, and scattered freckles across her rosy cheeks.

Heavens, she was fucking gorgeous.

“That means you will be mine,” I warned her. “And I'm never letting you go again, Lexi.”

“I know.”

I dragged her out of the house immediately she said those words, barking some commands to my Capo before we went straight for my car. I made sure to buckle her seat belt before I went around to the other side of the car.

The car engine roared to life as we left the compound. Her silence enveloped the entire car ride, and I hated it. I had imagined this moment for eight fucking years but this was completely different. Alessandra wasn't looking at me like her knight in shining armor, someone who had come to save her from her terrible family.

Simply put, she was refusing to even look at me.

“How did it happen?” I needed her eyes on me like I needed air, so I asked her impatiently, “How long did you marry my brother?”

“That's none of your business, Leo.”

My jaw clenched hard. I tightened my grip on the wheel, a dark feeling rising to my chest as I growled, “You are MY business, Lexi. If you refute my claim one more time, I am going to empty my bullets in your father's head, capito?”

Alessandra opened her mouth to say something, but her words were lost when her eyes wandered to the side. At the same time, she screamed with terror, “Leo, watch out!”

When I turned back to look at the road, I immediately slammed the brakes to stop the car but it was too late. Another car that had suddenly appeared in our lane collided with our car as soon as I reached for Alessandra, trying to shield her from the inevitable. The impact jolted us forward as pieces of glass flew in the air.

I immediately drew out my gun as soon as I released her. A simple glance told me that she had fallen unconscious so I came down from the car. The other driver was also unconscious so I guess he was harmless and lucky this time. I whipped out my phone to call Romeo for help.

After a few minutes, we ended up in my penthouse where the doctor came out of my bedroom. He hung his stethoscope on his neck as he spoke to me, “No major injuries except some cuts and scratches. But I will need to check her for any concussion when she wakes up. You sure you don't want to get some treatment for that head?”

I shook my head to prove my point. The bruise on my head felt like a fucking truck had crashed into me but it wasn't anything a bottle of whiskey and some drugs couldn't fix. I told him, “Please make sure she is okay, Keith. I need her to be perfect for our wedding in two weeks.”

“Two weeks?” Keith's eyes widened, “Christ, you really want this girl bad, don't you?”

I opened my mouth to respond when I saw Alessandra looking at me with a panicked expression. My fists clenched after seeing her reaction because I knew she wasn't pleased about the idea of marrying me.

Great.

After an awkward silence hung in the air for several tense minutes, Keith finally broke the stillness. He reached for his bag and made his way to the door, the soft shuffling of his footsteps echoing in the quiet room. “Well, I will take my leave now,” he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper. “Let’s talk later.”

“Alright.”

When the door finally closed, Alessandra retreated some steps back when I started walking towards her. She shook her head firmly while keeping her eyes on me, “No... there's no way I'm marrying you.”

“Yes, you are,” I snarled, grabbing her arms roughly so she could stop moving. “You are mine and you will remain that way forever.”

“P-Please don't make me do this, Leo.” she pleaded.

I reached for a strand of her hair but stilled my movement when I saw her flinch. My heart went cold at her reaction because I knew I would never lay a finger on her. She was mine to protect, mine to love.

Mine.

“Even death can't separate us, Lexi.” I reached for her hair again and pushed it behind her shoulders. My hands framed her face, my fingers memorizing every single detail of her face. I told her, “If one of us dies, I will make sure the other one follows no matter what. Because you promised you would never abandon me, right?”