MenaPulling into the neighborhood where Jessica lived, I couldn't ignore how clean everything looked. There were perfect houses with fences, yards, and kids' bikes on green lawns.It was both different and somewhere in between the neighborhood I used to live in and the mansion that I now call my home.“How are we going to do this?” I asked as we slowly drove by, observing the houses. “If we show up at her doorstep like some gang, we might scare her off.”I voiced my thoughts aloud, "Obviously, it would make more sense for a female to go."“I’m not letting you go on your own. I told Alessio I would watch over you,” Gian said. I was surprised but also touched by his concern."You did?""Yes, right before he left.”“That’s really nice of you,” I acknowledged with a pout. “But what other choice do we have?”Both Gian and I turned our gazes towards Pilar, who was munching on her chips. Our options were limited. I could already imagine her going up to Jessica’s door and demanding answers b
MenaSettling onto the sofa in Jessica’s house, I scanned the area with my eyes as she prepared some tea.The house was big and elegantly decorated. She seemed well-off and well put together. The floor was scattered with children's toys, and when I entered the house, I saw several portraits of the little girl I had recognized from the picture.The four-year-old daughter of Levi, or Isaac, or whatever the hell his name was.It struck me as odd and somewhat reckless for someone undercover to share such a big piece of his life. Yet, it made me wonder whether Isaac might’ve shown me because he believed if the truth would ever come out, I would be by his side. I wasn’t sure, but I did know one thing. He played me. All of us.Jessica came back with a cup in her hands, stepping over the mess. “I’m sorry for all of this, I have a four-year-old,” she explained, setting the tea down in front of me.It was nice of her, but there was no way I would be drinking that. For all I knew, Jessica was ju
MenaAt the hotel, Pilar and Gian, who were used to luxury, insisted on the best room. That’s how we ended up in the presidential suite.Despite his protests, I eventually succeeded in convincing Gian to stay in the same suite as us. He wasn’t fully recovered yet, and since he had been doing too much for my liking, I would be the one keeping an eye on him instead. His room was just on the opposite side of the living room, while Pilar and I shared a bed, which we all gathered on, the folder and its contents spread out before us.It was a good thing Gian was there because a lot of the words written in the documents were too advanced for me or Pilar to understand. As he walked us through the files, his expression darkened with each detail he clarified.The anger and frustration on Gian’s face made me a bit doubtful about my decision to involve him. I came to Pilar’s room that night because I wanted to discuss it with her. It just so happened that Gian was there at that moment, and in my
MenaI felt my blood boil. Here I was, trying to have a normal conversation, and all I got in return was an outburst. "Dude, what the fuck?" I questioned his tone. "I'm sorry for calling, and I'm sorry for caring, but someone has to do it. You haven't called or texted.""Because I'm busy!"His response felt like a slap across the face. I was also busy, yet I hadn’t stopped thinking about him for a second. "Are you okay?" I laughed in disbelief, genuinely wondering if he had lost his mind."Am I okay? I’m supposed to be asking you that question,” he breathed. "You’re calling me in the middle of the night and asking me if I’m okay?""So I can’t call you to see how you’re doing without getting yelled at like I’m some dog?" I argued."Who was yelling at you like a dog? I’m just talking.""Well, if this is your way of talking, you definitely need to work on that," I pointed out, disagreeing with his words."You know what, Mena—You’re right," Alessio spoke, defeated, but I could hear the sa
AlessioWith a focused gaze, I watched as the men counted the weapons in the trucks that had arrived. All the families were gathered, each of them being led by their own while one of my uncles led the Fanuccis in my place.Dad stood beside me, silently observing as well. We were in the Midwest, working through our strategy so we would soon be able to hit the Baldini from all angles. Not only the mansion but also the warehouses and their businesses.Based on the information from Mikael, we chose a day when their defenses would be the lowest. There would be a wedding rehearsal, and apparently, Maxine asked Leonardo for a no-weapon policy. It was a golden opportunity.“Everything looks well organized,” Dad had no choice but to acknowledge. I could sense a hint of surprise in his voice.“Because it is,” I replied, relieved everything had been going smoothly. Up to now, Dad respected my leadership and stood back to let me take charge. However, I couldn’t help but wonder how long that would
Alessio"What makes you say that?" I asked, my tone cold as I tried to draw a clear line."The way they're all looking at you, serving you drinks," she replied, her hand on my thigh. With every inch she moved closer, her hand slowly traveled up. "Now, how about I take you to a private room?"Images of Mena filled my mind—and the promise I had made. When it came to relationships, others had low expectations for me. That’s the reason why I had set high expectations for myself. What we had was real, and no amount of pussy was worth risking that. None.With a firm grasp, I wrapped my hand around the stripper's wrist and gently pushed her away. Her mouth was slightly parted, eyes shocked as I denied her advances. "Get lost."She was frozen in her spot and did not move a muscle—so I did. I rose from my seat and walked off, carrying my drink in my hand, instantly feeling dizzy. After a few drinks too many, the alcohol began to hit me. Wanting some air, I fought to make my way through the lou
MenaLying sick in bed, I could only groan in discomfort. Ever since we had gotten back, that’s all I had been doing, and I couldn’t help but think it was some kind of karma for going all detective over the whole Isaac situation.The only thing keeping me together was Naty, and the hilarious voicemail Alessio sent me a few days ago. I had been laughing for days. His drunk confession was embarrassing, cringy, yet undeniably cute.So cute that I texted him back, telling him not to worry about it and that I still loved him.Since then, we had talked every night, carefully avoiding the topics of our fight and his drunken voicemail. We had regular conversations.‘How are you doing?’‘I love you.’‘What did you do today?’‘Get back soon.’Another groan escaped me as I felt a sudden wave of nausea. The worst thing was that I decided to go through this pain all alone. Pilar was with Gian, because I didn’t want to risk getting them sick with whatever I had caught.I was never a big fan of feve
AlessioToday marked the beginning of the end. Not for us, but for the Baldinis, as we were finally ready for their downfall.We had moved quietly into the west, preparing for what was about to come. It was a busy day, and I watched from the sidelines as the families checked their weapons one last time. Same as always, each one of them led by their own, and the Fanuccis by my uncle.Beside me stood Dad, the man who had taught me everything I needed to know about honor, power, and the balance between them.He glanced at me with a chuckle, “I hope you’re sober today, son.”I gave him a chuckle in return. Ever since that night when I’d let alcohol get the best of me, he hadn’t missed a chance to remind me of that reckless moment.After we had returned that night, I made an even bigger fool out of myself by yelling and throwing tantrums like a giant toddler. I refused to go back to the hotel and apparently called out a few individuals for at least one thing I disliked about them.I wasn’t