Chapter 6

Alec

I don't know what came over me, but when I heard Nate ask her out I just exploded. I know how Nate is. He's fucked every one of these whores in here. I look at Nate with rage and I pulled her into the same room I teased her before. She's fighting me, but in the end, we'll know who will have her.

Me.

Crashing my lips to hers, I forcefully kiss her. She melts right in my kiss, not fighting me this time. I make sure to wrap her legs around my waist that way she can't kick me in the balls like she did the last two times. I have her at my mercy this time.

There's no way out this time, Courtney.

We pull away and for a second I thought she wasn't going to fight me. I was dead wrong on that. She rubs one side of my cheek and while I'm distracted she punches me right in my nose. She fucking punches me! She unwraps her legs from me and walks away.

Before she leaves the room she looks over her shoulder seductively. “I hope you take care of your little problem. I know I'm not touching that thing."

What just happened?

I thought I finally had the power over me, but again I was wrong. Shit! I've got to get myself together. How dare she walk away from Alec Vitale! Nobody walks away from me. They beg me to take them.

I walk up to the bar and order a bottle of whiskey and some shot glasses. Glaring at Nate I rip the bottle and glasses from his grip. "You're not to fucking touch her!"

"She doesn't belong to anybody, especially not you." He bites back.

I'm quick to grab him by the collar and threaten him, "I said you’re not to touch her. She's mine!" Lucien and Caterina run over to stop me from killing the bastard. Lucien pulls me away and laughs at me.

"Man, what's the deal? I thought you liked Nate."

My fists ball up from anger and my blood boils in my veins. "He was asking her out."

This makes him laugh even harder and my anger has skyrocketed by now. Raising his hands in surrender, he takes a step back. "I was just messing with you, man. Why do you care anyway? I thought you hated her."

Did I hate her?

I'm fighting an eternal battle with myself when I hear the devil on my shoulder saying because you want her for yourself. I can't lie to him. "I don't hate her. I just...! I don't know what I feel, but I don't want anybody else touching her."

We go back to our table and he looks back to the bar. "Just get to know her and try not to be a dick." I nod as I look over to the bar I see Nate whispering in her ear. She's laughing at something he said. I'm about to get up, but

Lucien stops me from walking over there and knocking him out. "Don't cause a scene brother."

How am I supposed to just sit back and watch her flirt with everyone here?

I snap back to him. "When are you gonna make a move on Caterina, huh?!"

He always denies the fact that he's in love with her.

He knocks back a shot and hisses. "I'm not in love with her."

Patting him on the back, I comment, "Whatever you say, brother, but don't come crying to me when someone claims her."

I need to get him fired up, but not too much. "Look she's talking to Nate maybe he's gonna take her home tonight."

I regret saying that as soon as the words left my mouth because he punched me in the fucking nose. The same place Courtney got me. Now I got blood oozing out my nose and it's getting everywhere. Damn you, Lucien. I'm holding my nose when Caterina walks up and gasps. "Oh my god, Alec you're bleeding!"

Thank you, Caterina, like I didn't know. I got to get to Giovanni's office to get myself cleaned up.

I walk in his office and Giovanni looks up at me, "What happened to you?"

Taking a rag, I clean up my nose and throw it in the trash. "Courtney and Lucien happened. I kissed her and then I told Lucien how he's in love with your daughter, so he punched me."

He drops his pen and stops what he's doing when he asked me, "Is he in love with her?"

I nod my head and tell him, "Yes, has been for a while. You're not gonna kill him are you?"

He blinks twice and finally reveals. "I'm not gonna kill him. He's perfect for her and when the times right he's gonna get married to her bringing our families as one. Just don't tell them anything. The last thing I need is a pissed off, Caterina, right now."

Looking back at him, I grin. "Don't worry I won't say. I do have to say this is gonna be fun to watch their reactions when they find out."

I'm almost back to the table when I'm cornered by that damn whore that I took back home with me. "Hey, how bout we go in the back and finish what we started that night?"

The thought of anyone besides Courtney touching me makes me sick.

"No thanks, you weren't that good anyway. Go find someone else." Truth be told, she was good, but she wasn't Courtney. I've spent so many sleepless nights tossing and turning because I can't seem to get that blonde out of my mind every time I close my eyes. I walk away and sit at the table Lucien is sitting at, "Look I'm sorry Lucien, I didn't mean it."

He smiles at me letting me know it's okay. He can never stay mad at me long. That's one of the things I like about him. The night seems to drag on and I want to go talk to her, perhaps I could apologize to her. I'm about to go to her and I don't see her around. Come to think of it I don't see Nate around either. She must be on her break. I'm about to go look for her when I see that guy that's been sniffing around here asking about her.

He holds up the picture and asks me, "Are you sure you haven't seen her around?"

I look at the picture and lie, "Never seen her."

Then I walk away panicking. I have to find her. She's in danger and she doesn't even know it. I see her walking down the hall past Giovanni's office when I grab her by the arm. Pulling her in the storage room, I cover her mouth with my hand. "Don't scream. There's a guy who is out there looking for you. I need to know who is he and what did he do to you?"

Her body instantly starts shaking and whimpering, "He... he beat me and raped me every day of my life. He would lock me in a room chaining me up to make sure I would never escape. then, one day I guess he forgot and I finally escaped from that monster and that's the night Nate found me.”

This girl is just as broken as I am. I think back at when I forced myself at her. It all makes sense now. She thought I was gonna rape her. I panic and bring her in my arms letting her sob, "Listen I never apologize, but I'm going to now. I'm sorry for acting the way I did earlier. I would never do anything like that. We've got to tell Giovanni he's in the club though."

Her body is still shaking and she looks up to me. Taking my phone out of my pocket I ring Lucien first letting him know what's going on. He tells me he doesn't see him anymore, but Nate is nowhere to be found. Something doesn't feel right. I'm willing to bet that Nate is associated with that fucker. Maybe he brought him here, or maybe he works for him. I know since I first met Nate there was just something I didn't like. I never trusted him. We walk to Giovanni's office and when we go inside. As soon as we enter Courtney collapses in my arms passing out. Obviously, she's in shock. Everyone's eyes go to me and I get glares from them. "I swear I didn't do anything to her this time. You gotta believe me."

I place her gently on the couch careful not to hurt her. Everyone starts giving me strange looks because they have never seen me be this gentle to a woman. I glare at them in response. "What are we gonna do? This guy disappeared the same time we noticed Nate missing."

Gio looks up at us and runs his hand over his face, "I suspected something fishy about Nate, but tonight confirmed what I suspected. I looked him up and there is no record of Nate Matthews. So, I think he brought this guy here. When he does come back, we act normal like we don't even suspect. Alec, I'm putting you in charge of guarding her. You don't leave her side. She's gonna be at the estate while we take care of this."

Caterina leaves and takes over for Courtney while Lucien keeps his eyes open for anyone suspicious. I stay in the office with Gio waiting on Courtney to wake up. She looks so beautiful and peaceful while she sleeps. Just like an angel. I brush her soft curls away from her face and kiss her forehead. Giovanni clears his throat and says. “Alec I never seen you act like this ever. What is it about her that draws her to you?”

What does draw me to her? It's like there's a force pulling me in. "I...I guess she reminds me of myself. I don't really know. She gets under my skin. I hate it and I love it at the same time."

He nods and goes back to his paperwork then stops and warns me, "Please don't hurt her. She's been through a lot. I look at her like I look at Caterina, like a daughter." I gulp and look back to her sleeping form then back to him.

"I don't want to hurt her. never meant to before, just new to feeling all these emotions. they just get me so tense."

He stands up and claps me on the shoulder, "I know son. I know."

He leaves me alone with her. I really look at her and I notice her shirt has raised up a bit revealing a scar on her side. My fingers brush the scar and it makes me angry. I want to kill the mother fucker for touching her. First, I'll make him suffer. Then, I watch him beg me to end him but I won't. I'll make him suffer like he made her suffer. The realization hits me, I'm so shocked I never noticed before. She is me and I am her.

We're the same.

Exactly the same.

Both of us have suffered by the hands of a monster.

Both of us have been rescued by the mafia.

The same mafia that we call our family. She starts to stir fluttering her eyes open, "Alec? What happened?"

She sits up and I rush to her side. "You passed out because you were in shock. Are you okay?" She looks up to me and she does something that shocks me. She fucking kisses me. Our lips mold perfectly together and she tastes of whiskey and smells like flower-scented perfume.

Has she stopped fighting me?

I sure hope so.

She's giving me a run for my money. A voice makes us break away and she's blushing while I'm completely flustered. "Finally Alec. I thought we were gonna have to give you a push."