Chapter 7 7

Alessa POV

The heavy oak doors swung open, admitting two men who represented the opposing pillars of our world: blind tradition and lethal efficiency.

Underboss Marco entered first. He was a man carved from granite, his expression perpetually set in a mask of professional indifference. As the Don's right hand, Marco was the silent executioner to Alfonzo's judge-a man who moved with the quiet, predatory grace of a panther. He offered a sharp, respectful nod to the Don, his dark eyes flickering briefly to me with unreadable calculation.

Trailing behind him was Capo Vario, who looked like a vulture sensing a carcass. His gaze darted between me and the Don, clearly hoping that my earlier summoning had been a prelude to my execution.

"Don Alfonzo," Vario began, his voice trembling with self-righteous indignation. "I trust you have disciplined the girl. The Shields family is still demanding answers for what happened at the lake three years ago. If we do not show them that we respect the peace treaty-"

"Peace is a luxury, Vario, not a law," Alfonzo interrupted, his voice smooth like velvet wrapped around a razor blade. He leaned back in his throne, steepling his fingers. "However, you are right. We must appear... magnanimous."

Alfonzo turned his gaze to me. "Alessa. Capo Vario believes you owe the Shields girl an apology. Perhaps a gift to smooth over the... misunderstanding."

I swirled the amber liquid in my glass, leaning against the edge of the Don's desk with deliberate insolence. I could feel Vario's blood pressure rising from across the room.

"Of course, Don," I said, my voice dripping with faux sweetness. "I admit, my judgment was clouded. I didn't realize Elizbeth was so buoyant. Next time, I'll be sure to send her a life jacket before she goes for a swim. Or perhaps some water wings? They would match her personality-inflated and hollow."

Vario sputtered, his face turning a mottled shade of purple. "This is an outrage! She mocks the alliance! She mocks *you*, Don Alfonzo!"

"She mocks *you*, Vario," Alfonzo corrected, his tone dropping to a terrifying chill. The amusement vanished from his eyes. "And you are boring me. The girl has agreed to send a gift. The matter is settled. Do not bring the name Shields into my study again unless you are bringing me their heads."

Vario opened his mouth, then snapped it shut as he looked into the abyss of the Don's eyes. He realized, finally, that there was no justice here-only the Don's will.

"As you wish, Don," Vario choked out, bowing stiffly.

"Leave us," Alfonzo commanded. "Marco, ensure Vario finds his way out before he bursts a blood vessel."

Marco nodded, his expression unchanged, though I could have sworn I saw the ghost of a smirk tug at the corner of his mouth. He ushered the defeated Capo out, and the heavy doors clicked shut once more, sealing the sanctuary.

The moment the latch clicked, the air in the room shifted. The cold, political theater dissolved, replaced by a warmth that was no less intense but far more possessive.

"You indulge her too much, Alfonzo," my grandfather, Consigliere Felton, grumbled. He walked over and snatched the whiskey glass from my hand, placing it on the desk before cupping my face in his rough palms. "Look at her. She's too thin. Those nuns in Sicily probably fed her nothing but bread and guilt. *Povera bambina*." (Poor child.)

"Don't start with me, old man," Alfonzo rumbled, standing up from his chair to loom over us. "I didn't send her away to get fat. I sent her away to sharpen her claws. And look at the result. She walked in here and gelded Vario without lifting a finger."

"She is my granddaughter," Felton argued, his eyes fierce with protective love. "I raised her when her parents died. I wiped her tears."

"And I gave her the power to ensure she never has to cry again," Alfonzo countered, stepping closer, his hand resting heavily on my shoulder, staking his claim. "You want to wrap her in cotton wool, Felton. I forged her in fire. She is a Moreno lioness because of *me*."

I looked between the two most powerful men in Chicago, bickering over me like two wolves fighting over a prize kill. It was a twisted, suffocating kind of love, but it was the only kind I knew.

"Gentlemen, please," I interjected, stepping back and taking a hand from each of them. I squeezed Felton's calloused fingers and patted Alfonzo's arm. "There is enough of me to go around. I am Felton's blood and Alfonzo's creation. Now, stop acting like jealous lovers."

Alfonzo let out a bark of laughter, the tension breaking. "She has your tongue, Felton. Sharp enough to draw blood."

"She has my heart," Felton corrected softly, kissing my forehead. "Go. Gia has been pacing the East Wing for an hour waiting for you. If I don't send you to her, she'll come down here and shoot Alfonzo herself."

"A terrifying thought," Alfonzo mused, though his eyes softened at the mention of his wife. "Go to Gia, Alessa. We will finish our... discussion later."

I gave them both a final nod and slipped out of the study. The hallway was cool and silent compared to the inferno of the Don's office. I took a deep breath, adjusting my coat. I had survived the Don's judgment and the family reunion. Now, I just needed a moment of peace with the woman who had been more of a mother to me than anyone else.

I turned toward the East Wing, my boots clicking rhythmically on the marble floor. I didn't know it yet, but the peace I sought was about to be shattered by a voice I hadn't heard in years-and an insult that would demand blood.