A N D R E A

I'd taken a shower, re-worn the hoodie he'd given me before he bolted, put the twins to sleep, and still, there was no sign of him. Lorenzo was gone with the wind, and I didn't even know when he would come back with his chilly breeze that'd make me shiver but want him close just the same. I sighed before closing the app I was scrolling through and left the room to get some tea for myself.

I'd only stepped inside the living room when I saw Alessandro fixing something for him in the kitchen, and not wanting to disturb him; I turned around to leave.

"Andrea, wait."

I looked at him over my shoulder before turning to face him completely.

"Yeah?"

"Can we talk?" I swallowed and nodded before taking a seat across the counter. "Oh, no, you don't have to be nervous. I'm not my brother."

Considering that he was willingly talking to me, he clearly was not. So I offered him a small smile and pulled the sleeves of the hoodie to cover my hands.

"Look, if this is about what happened today—"

"Wait," Alessandro set up a kettle and started making the tea before turning to me again, "I just wanted to say that if you feel suffocated, you should tell Renzo. But... uh... don't go out like this risking your life."

"I wasn't—" I exhaled, calming myself down, "I was with Alex."

"True, but you don't have the same training she does. She took a year off before college to learn, Alex is capable of getting herself out of sticky situations, but you are not. And frankly, Renzo was close to losing it today, and it is not how he normally behaves."

My heart was stupid and petty because the tiny knowledge that he'd felt something for me other than disdain was way more than anything I'd hoped for.

"I just wanted to breathe," I shrugged, hoping he wouldn't join his brother's crusade in making me miserable.

"I get that, but you being unharmed whenever Carlo is around raises questions and suspicions that my brother can't always save you from."

"Are you insinuating something?"

Alessandro chuckled before shaking his head, "No. I trust Renzo to tell us if you would have done something. I'm simply telling you this, so you don't unintentionally back Renzo against a corner."

"Noted." I hadn't intended for the bite to slip into my tone, but I couldn't help but feel like Alessandro was trying to warn me at best and threaten me at worst, and I didn't like feeling that way.

Alessandro raised his hands in surrender, "I'm not trying to antagonize you. I'm trying to be a friend to you. Renzo can silence his men but can't fight against our father if he starts to suspect you."

I narrowed my eyes as I brought the cup to my lips before taking a small sip from the tea Alessandro had just placed in front of me.

"Does he?" I swallowed, forcing the words to leave my mouth, "does your father think I'm the rat?"

Alessandro chuckled into his mug before placing it on the table and looking at my perplexed expression, "Sorry, it's cute how you think you know enough to be a rat. He just suspects Renzo isn't being honest, and dad doesn't like feeling that way."

"Oh..." I relented, knowing that he hadn't said anything. Perhaps it was my own guilt making me suspicious of everyone's intentions, even if they were pure.

Alessandro had offered me a drink halfway through the cup of tea, and with all that had been going on lately, I couldn't say no to alcohol. Since then, we'd moved our party to the couches, and I sat on the couch with my feet tucked beneath me, a glass of red wine clutched between my fingers. Alessandro sat across from me; his head leaned against the back of the couch as he nursed his own drink, laughing as he recounted one of their childhood stories.

Alessandro was carefree in a way I could never imagine Lorenzo to be. His smiles were easily earned, and his laughter filled the room every so often, unlike his brother, whose smiles were a battle on their own.

"Renzo has always been the silent one. He would always choose covert forms of chaos and then watch his handiwork from afar where it would never touch him." Alessandro finished drinking the last of the amber liquid from his Tumblr.

"So his aloofness is his natural disposition," I was pretty sure I was drunk right now, and I needed to stop before I blabbed everything that Lorenzo was hiding from his usual secret keepers.

Alessandro chuckled softly, "you could say,"

I eyed the time on my phone, eyes widening when I realized it was two in the morning and there was no sign of Lorenzo.

"Where do you think he went?"

"Who? Renzo?" I nodded, "where he always goes, go blow off steam."

"And that is?"

"Swimming."

"He's at the pool?" I tried getting up and stumbled but steadied myself and was about to walk when Alessandro got up and placed his hands on both my shoulders.

"You can't go to him."

"Why not?"

"He's not in the building; he goes out into the ocean to swim, and if he doesn't want anyone around, it's best to leave him alone."

"But I wanttobewithhim," my words turned ineligible as the room started swaying,

"Shit," I could barely make out Alessandro whispering before he helped me sit on the couch, "I didn't know you were a light-weight,"

"Sorry, I don'tdrinkalcohollikewater."

"Clearly," he snickered, pushing a glass of water in my face just as the room started coming back into focus. "You need to go to your room and sleep it off,"

My lower lip jutted out in a pout as I brushed Alessandro's arms off and reached for more alcohol, but he was stronger and stopped my advances almost immediately, "No more alcohol for you. Go to sleep."

"You're no fun," I nudged his shoulder before stumbling away from him and up the stairs into the bedroom.

Too tired to bother with changing my clothes or doing my night-time routine, I just slipped into the bed and laid down, my eyes closed before I'd even had the chance to pull the blanket on myself.

*

I turned on my side, stiffening, when I saw a shadowy figure sitting on the armchair.

"Lorenzo...?"

By the time he hummed in response, my eyes had already adjusted to the darkness of the room, and I could make out his general figure, though his face was still guarded by the darkness of the room.

"When did you get back?" I straightened in bed, leaning against the headboard.

"A while ago."

I hadn't wanted to let go of my anger so easily, but after talking to Alessandro, I could understand where Lorenzo was coming from. And it wasn't like I hadn't been reckless today, but I still needed to ask him why he wouldn't just tell me the entire truth at once. Pushing the sheets off me, I got up and padded across the room toward him. He tilted his head when I stood between his legs. I couldn't make out his facial expressions in the darkness of the room, but I knew it would be nothing short of inquisitive.

"Why didn't you tell me your father suspects me?"

Lorenzo scoffed, bringing what appeared to be a tumbler of whiskey to his lips, "He suspects everyone." He leaned forward, placing the glass on the coffee table with a soft thud. "And he isn't the only one who finds it curious that Carlo seemingly hasn't touched you."

"Do you?" I whispered just as my heart started ramming against my ribcage, almost like it wanted to be let out.

"Do I what?"

"Find it curious."

"I'd be stupid if I didn't."

"I–"

"You don't need to plead your case with me, Andrea. Just stop making it impossible for me to keep you safe."

I hadn't realized when my hands had moved from my sides and were now cupping his face. It was only when his beard tickled my palms that I finally noticed where my hands were, but despite knowing that he would reject me, I couldn't pull away.

Wasn't that the curse of falling alone?

I would keep burning, trying to ignite something within him, and he would always remain just one step too far away.

"I'm sorry," The words that had left my lips weren't just for giving Milan the slip; they were for so many other things I hadn't wanted to voice out, but somehow he understood and wanted me to say it out loud for him.

"For what?"

"You know what."

Lorenzo shook his head, but before he could brush me off, I mustered up the courage to ask him what I'd meant to ask him for days. "I want to be able to fight."

"And?"

"I want you to train me."

Lorenzo chuckled dryly before his hands closed around my wrists, "I shouldn't." his hold tightened on me, but he didn't force my touch away, "It would just mean that the next time you try something, you'll really kill me."

I flinched at softly delivered violence. It was almost like I'd felt my heart stop inside my chest at his words, and if it hadn't been for his hands holding my wrist, I would have pulled away.

"I wouldn't–" My voice choked up as words eluded me while I was trying my best to make him believe me without having to confess why I really couldn't harm him. I shouldn't have shown him my heart, but if I was going to put my heart on my sleeve just so he could throw it away, it was better done in the darkness of the room. "You mean everything to me, Lorenzo. I–"

I swallowed, trying to force the words out, but they wouldn't leave my lips, "I–it was accidental the last time, and you know it,"

"You picking up that gun wasn't accidental,"

"I swear it wasn't so I could shoot you. I just– I don't know what I was thinking." I exhaled, moving closer to him so that my knees brushed against the chair's edge, "I just don't want to feel helpless if he comes for me again, he keeps threatening our children, and I don't want to sit here waiting for when he will inevitably try again."

Lorenzo clenched his jaw before easing up, "I'll train you." He stood up, holding me so I wouldn't stumble from the force, "now go to sleep. You can join me in the morning,"

"What about Riccardo and Tori?"

"Alessandro and Milan can watch them, and then we can find a babysitter for them." Lorenzo leaned down, bringing his mouth awfully close to my lips, except it was only close enough to feel the high and far enough not to get intoxicated. "Now sleep."

He turned around to walk towards the restroom, but I held onto his wrist, stopping him, "Would you have told me about Carlo?"

"Yes, Andrea, I would have." He paused, almost like he was debating telling me something, but then he spoke again, "the only reason I didn't tell you was because of the way that motherfuckers still has a hold on you."

And with that, he walked inside the restroom, closing the door behind him and leaving me alone with my chaotic thoughts that I couldn't even begin to make sense of.

***

So what do you think?

I have to say that the last scene is one of my favorites in this book!

Theories? (Though I would suggest not getting your hopes up)

Thank you so much for reading! Please don't forget to vote and comment!

As for the second author I love a lot on Wattpad, it is Queen_Of_Desires she's truly awesome; all of her books are out of this world, plus her writing is impeccable! I don't think I've ever felt so much involved with a character as I do with Liam and Alexa! Trust me reading her books will be one of the best decisions you'd make. Plus, she's such an amazing soul, she's truly a gem, and you're missing out if you don't know her yet!!

Follow her on Instagram, too, as long as you can handle the teasers! @/queen_of_desires_

Here's a little snippet from Redemption, the very book that started it all! Also, Lindsey, if I don't find a Liam, I'll hold you responsible!!😳😂