Chapter 9
Leo
It was late, but I couldn’t go to sleep. My conversation with Marco had been succinct. I’d told him what happened…that none of our previous allies were really are allies anymore and Marco scoffed it off. He told me that he would think of something and in the end, we would come out of it victorious. As much as I wanted to believe him, and as much as I wanted to win; I was realistic. I knew that we didn’t stand a chance if all the families in Naples planned on attacking us. We would all perish in that fire.
There was a knock on my door and picking up my gun, I went to the door as quietly as possible. It was the dead of night, I wasn’t expecting anyone. Through the peephole, I saw Isabella standing outside. I swung the door open and pulled her in by the arm.
“What are you doing here? Did you get here alone?” I asked, running to look through the windows.
“Yeah, I took a taxi,” she said and I whipped around to her.
“Do you know how fucking dangerous that is? Why would you do that?” I rushed to her and grabbed her shoulders. She looked up at me and I realized that she’d been crying.
“What happened?” I asked and she leaned forward, quietly resting her head on my shoulder. I weaved my fingers through her hair and rocked her gently.
“I’ve made my decision. I’m doing whatever you’re doing. Papa has gone crazy,” she said and her voice was muffled by my clothes. I stroked her hair, feeling relieved. That was all I needed to hear.
I drew myself away from her and looked into her eyes.
“Isabella, are you sure? I don’t want to force you into doing something against your wishes,” I said and she nodded her head.
“I’m sure. I don’t trust papa anymore, you’re the only one who can keep me safe, I trust you,” she said and she lifted herself up on her toes and gently pressed her lips to mine.
Having her mouth on mine made me lose every shred of self-control I thought I had. I grabbed her by her waist and kissed her back, parting her lips with my tongue. Isabella moaned in my arms, sinking into me and I lifted her up.
I was carrying her to the kitchen table while we kissed. I put her down on the table and she wrapped her arms around my neck.
“I remember you now, Leo. You were so skinny when we were kids,” she said, drawing her lips away from me. She smiled at me and I smiled too.
“I’ve always remembered you, Isabella. You were the most beautiful creature I had seen, but out of my reach,” I said and slowly, started rolling her blouse up her torso. I threw it to the ground, grabbing her breasts with both hands. Her bra covered her, for now, but I could already see her erect nipples through them.
“Well, I’m not out of your reach now, Leo. I’m yours,” she said and I kissed her again. She gasped as I leaned her head back with the force of my kiss. Her hands were on my clothes, pulling my t-shirt up over my head. I could feel her warm fingers on my torso, feeling the shape of my abs.
“Not so skinny anymore,” she remarked when I drew away from her. I took my pants off, dropping them to my ankles. She spread her legs invitingly and I lunged at her again.
I unhooked her bra, releasing her beautiful bouncing breasts into the open. I looked into her eyes as I lowered myself, opening my mouth wide before I clamped my lips around one swollen pebbled pink nipple.
Isabella gasped and closed her eyes as I started sucking. I could see she was feeling good.
Slowly, she laid herself down on the kitchen table. I cupped her other breast with one hand, squeezing and playing with it while I sucked on her other nipple. She rolled her hips, trying to reach me, but this time, I was going to make her wait.
My cock had other ideas. I could feel it throbbing angrily, growing restless between my legs. I kept sucking on her nipple, making sure that she was fully aroused. She was moaning loudly now, weaving her fingers through my hair while my face remained stuck to her breast.
“Leo…please…” she moaned.
I drew my hungry mouth away from her nipple and looked into her eyes.
“What do you want, princess?” I asked and she looked dazed as she stared up at me. Her long dark hair was spread like a halo around her face.
“I want you inside me. I can’t wait anymore,” she whispered.
I smiled as I started rolling down her jeans. I could feel her hot pussy throbbing already, dripping wet as I peeled off her panties.
Once again, Isabella was completely naked as she remained lying on my kitchen table. I held my cock in my hand and stroked it, I needed a minute to admire how beautiful she was. How lucky I was that she trusted a guy like me. I would do anything to protect her.
“What are you looking at?” she asked, interrupting my thoughts.
“You,” I replied and moved forward to her again.
“You have a job to do, soldier, make me come,” she said and broke into giggles and I smiled. I couldn’t remember the last time I had smiled this much, but around Isabella, it felt like I couldn’t stop them from erupting on my face.
I parted her legs wide, wedging myself between them and then with my forefinger, I stroked her swollen wet clit till she was shuddering. Within a few seconds, Isabella wasn’t laughing anymore. She was begging me to let her come.
***
My fingers slipped in and out of her wet juicy folds and Isabella moaned while she moved her body to my rhythm. I wanted to bring her to the edge, to her tipping point and when I could feel her body tightening, I pulled my finger out of her.
Her eyes were hungry, begging me for more and I grabbed her by her waist and pulled her up. Then I turned her around. She gasped when I put her into position, just the way I wanted to possess her.
On her knees, with her voluptuous sexy ass sticking out invitingly towards me. I slapped her left butt-cheek and she gasped again. Her body shuddered from the sting and in the next instance, she slid herself back towards me again, rubbing my erect throbbing cock with her ass.
I slapped the right one and this time she didn’t move, she just rolled her hips and moaned.
I grabbed her ass, parting it so I could see her pussy from this angle. She was so tight and small, just perfectly shaped for my cock to sink into. Her folds were wet and sticky with her juices and my cock throbbed angrily.
I drew myself closer to her, just grazing my cock to her soft smooth skin. Isabella threw her head back and I grabbed a fistful of her hair. I was going to use it as a lever to pull myself in.
From this angle, she looked just as perfect as she looked from every other. Her shapely curvaceous body was bare, for my taking. She was on her knees on the edge of my kitchen table, with her ass sticking out for me, her legs spread apart so I could see her warm juicy pussy.
I wasn’t thinking about the consequences anymore. I didn’t give a shit how mad Marco got if he found out. I had accepted the fact that Isabella meant more to me now than my life itself. In one day, she had changed my world. The woman I had always fantasized about, since I was a fifteen year old boy, was in my apartment, on my kitchen table like a delicious meal.
I tightened my grip on her hair, gently pulling her head further back as I slid my cock into her pussy. We both groaned together. I had been inside her just the previous night, my mouth was on her pussy this morning…but once again, it felt like this was the first time.
It was like every time I had her, I was discovering her afresh.
My cock fit tightly inside her pussy and Isabella moaned loudly as I thrust in and out of her. The kitchen table shook and rattled while I pounded her from behind and neither of us cared. This felt good. This felt better than anything else in the world and that was all that mattered.
My cock slid in and out of her, plunging deep inside her folds and I could feel her tightening again. She was on the edge of coming. I kept thrusting, over and over again till I knew I was out of breath.
Isabella came, saying my name, her ass tightly pressed up against me while I pumped my cock into her. I let go of her hair, wrapping my arm tightly around her waist, resting my sweat covered face on her back as I released.
I could feel my cum shooting into her. She was milking me of my very last drop of seed. I came till I was exhausted, my body shaking, my skin covered in perspiration.
When it was over, I remained inside her for a few more moments. It was only when she moaned huskily, adoringly, that I finally pulled out.
I stumbled back, still dazed, trying to get a hold of herself and Isabella turned to look at me. She had a wide happy smile on her face, her green eyes were glowing and her long dark hair was messy.
“I’m happy papa assigned you to me,” she said, dangling her legs off the edge of the table. Hearing her talk about Marco made me draw a sharp breath.
“Isabella, you need to go back to the house now. If Marco finds out that you’re missing…that you’re here, he’ll never let you leave again,” I said and started quickly putting on my clothes.
“I thought…I was hoping that I could stay the night here, with you,” she said, looking suddenly unhappy.
I rushed to her, pinched her chin and forced her to look up at me.
“I’m going to figure it out. I’m going to have a plan and then we’ll go,” I told her and then leaned forward to plant a kiss on her lips.
When I drew away from her, she was smiling again.
“I feel like I’m getting addicted to you, Leo,” she said, in a low husky voice.
I smiled, there it was again! I went over to put on the rest of my clothes and started collecting hers. I gave her the clothes, which she reluctantly started slipping on.
“I promise, Isabella, it won’t be long before we don’t have to hide anymore. But for now, you have to pretend like nothing has changed,” I said. She nodded her head.
“You’re right, we shouldn’t spook papa. But do you know how soon they’re going to attack him? Us?” she asked and slid her legs off the table.
“I don’t know. I don’t have that kind of intel, but I’m guessing it’s going to be soon. I’ll think of something by tomorrow night, I promise,” I said and we kissed again.
I drove Isabella back to the house and parked outside the gates so she could walk in through the back door. She blew me a kiss as she was walking away and I smiled again. I hated seeing her go, but we needed to act normal for another day, just so that we didn’t set off any alarm bells.
The one thing I had realized by now was that Marco was not a rational man.
***
I arrived at the house early the next morning. Marco had sent word that he wanted me there the moment I woke up.
When I got to the house, I saw that he had already assembled all the crew. With my brows crossed, I charged down the hallways to his study. This time, it wasn’t just Matteo and Francis who were with him, but three of our other men. I could sense that Marco had something planned.
“Boss, what’s going on? What are all our men doing here?” I asked, walking in. Marco was sitting on his chair, eating his breakfast with a cup of espresso on the side.
“Oh, good, Leo, you’re here. We were waiting for you!” he remarked. I could sense that he was in a much better mood today than I had left him in the previous evening.
“Why have you assembled the troops?” I asked and Marco finished chewing his bread before he replied.
“Because we’re going to attack Gino and we’re going to do it early, finish this fucker off before lunchtime,” Marco said and went back to his food again.
I was confused and a little taken aback. If Marco had been planning an attack on Gino, he should have informed me. I was usually the one who called the men, who gathered the troops.
“Okay, what is the plan?” I asked, glaring at him while he ate.
Marco dabbed at the specks of marmalade on the corners of his mouth, then sipped his espresso. He was behaving like nothing was out of the ordinary, that he wasn’t giving orders to cause havoc and shed blood in Naples today. Both of those things were going to happen, and plenty of it.
“We get him at his house. According to my sources, Gino doesn’t get out of bed before eleven in the morning. Late riser, probably has the piles or something,” Marco said casually.
“So, we’re attacking him at his house?” I clarified.
“Yes, right now. You have your men, now go,” Marco said.
Before I could open my mouth to speak again, a bullet cracked the glass window behind Marco and zoomed right in, grazing my earlobe.
Chaos broke in the room and we all ducked down, shouting. Matteo had thrown himself over Marco, shielding him from any further attacks.
“Fuck!” I shouted, jumping down behind a chair. More shots were fired into the room and the window shattered completely, sending shards of glass everywhere.
I looked over the chair, just peeping an inch so that I could see. I had a clear view of the shooters out in the garden, hiding behind the edges and taking shots at us.
“Those are Cavallini men!” I shouted.
“What the fuck are they doing here? That Gino pussy was supposed to be in bed right now!” Marco shouted back. Matteo had pushed him under the table to shield him from the gunfire.
“Bad sources,” I mumbled to myself. “Get him out! Go!” I ordered the men and they gave Marco cover as he rushed out of the study. “Stay away from the fucking windows!” I shouted.
I waited behind the chair for the shots to die down, before I crawled out of the room myself.
The rest of our men were stationed at the windows around the house, firing back at the Cavallini men outside. I ran around, giving orders to the men and telling them to hold their ground. Marco was nowhere in sight, and more importantly, neither was Isabella.
I was worried for her. If she was anywhere near the window in her room, she might already be injured by now, or worse. I took the stairs, making for her room but Marco was standing at the top of the stairs.
“We need to secure Isabella,” I said to him. He was flanked by Matteo and Francis as usual and they had their guns out, keeping a keen eye on all entry and exit points.
Marco was fuming.
“Yes, I know!” he barked. I tried to push past him but he blocked my path. I looked at him with my brows crossed.
“Somebody needs to check on her!” I exclaimed and Marco took in a deep breath and nodded his head.
“Yes, I know. I will do it. You need to be here, spearheading this operation. I need you here, Leo,” Marco placed a hand on my shoulder and I could see the worry in his eyes. I wondered if now he was realizing the gravity of the situation, if this was going to change his mind about his actions.
“I’ll stay here,” I said and Marco nodded his head, patting my shoulder.
“Good, son, I’ll rely on you to delay these fuckers. Matteo and Francis will help me and Isabella escape,” he continued. I clenched my jaws at the sound of her name, but this was probably the best possible plan right now.
“Where should I meet you?” I asked him.
“The docks, we’ll start loading the boat. It’s our only way out of the city right now,” Marco said and I nodded.
“Okay, go. Get Isabella and get out of here. I’ll meet you there when I’m done,” I said and I turned and ran back down the stairs.
Even though there were shots being fired everywhere, and I could already see a lot of our men injured and fallen to the ground, I was feeling relieved. This had changed everything. This had changed Marco’s mind. Now he knew the degree of danger his decisions had put all of us in. Now finally, we could all leave Naples, take Isabella to safety and build a new life somewhere far away from this place.
“Duck!” I shouted when I saw a Cavallini man taking aim at one of our men. The bullet was faster than my alert, and the man got shot right in the head and he collapsed to the ground in front of me.
I crouched down to the floor. My forehead was covered in a film of sweat. Before I could make my escape, I would have to get out of here alive.
***
I was running, and everything that happened before was a blur. I was the last man standing in the house and I had barely managed to get out of there alive. The Cavallini men had outnumbered us, and the rest of us were like trapped sitting ducks waiting to be shot at. One by one, our men fell around me and I was sure that I was going to die too. The only thing that kept me going was the knowledge that Isabella had got out of there alive, that she was safely at the docks with Marco.
I put up a fight, with a bullet wound in my shoulder, and eventually the shots died down. The Cavallini men were leaving the premises and I ran out of the back and kept running.
I knew I was bleeding badly through the open wound in my shoulder, but I needed to get to the docks. I ran through the city, taking all the back alleys and secret routes I was hoping the Cavallini men wouldn’t think to look for me.
I didn’t know how long I was running for, it could have been hours but finally the docks came into my vision. I was out of breath and exhausted, there was sweat dripping down my face, my clothes were soaking wet and the bloody stain on my shoulder was quickly spreading. I could feel the sharp pain of it all the way down my arm to my fingers.
But the boat was still there. Marco hadn’t left yet. He was standing at the end of the jetty, with Matteo and Francis on either side. They had waited for me!
“They’re dead. All our men are dead!” I shouted, as I ran towards them. I was sure that I couldn’t run anymore but somehow my feet were still carrying me.
Marco didn’t seem to have a reaction to the news. He was standing calmly, with his hands clasped together in front of him.
I stopped in front of him, bending forward to catch my breath.
“Where’s Isabella? How is she?” I asked, looking up at Marco. I had to squint my eyes against the sun, his face looked calm.
“She’s fine. I had to sedate her, but she’s sleeping now,” he replied, in an even voice.
“You sedated her? Why?” I asked, jerking myself straight again. Marco’s eyes roamed over my face, I could see it in his eyes that he knew—he’d guessed that there was something going on between me and his daughter.
“She was being a stubborn brat and refusing to come with me, we had to calm her down,” he replied and a grin spread on his face. I clenched my jaws and tried to take a step past him towards the boat.
Francis blocked my path and I watched him take a gun out. On Marco’s other side, I saw that Matteo was already pointing a gun at me.
“What the fuck is going on, boss?” I hissed and Marco breathed in deeply.
“Son, you shouldn’t have hatched a plan against me. You thought you knew better than me? The man who taught you everything,” Marco was speaking in a slow slithery voice.
I glared at him, feeling the rage pumping in my veins now. What was I thinking? Why had I let Isabella go with them? I shouldn’t have trusted him.
“You were trying to take my daughter away from me. You scum, you gutter child!” Marco barked this time and I looked past him at the boat, hoping that I might get a glimpse of Isabella. But she was nowhere in sight.
“As you might have figured out by now, you’re not coming with us,” Marco growled.
“You knew the Cavillini’s were planning an attack on the house!” I shouted and Marco smiled.
“You did your duty, son. You defended the house. I didn’t think you’d get out of there alive, but I should have known better. You’ve always been a good soldier,” Marco continued. I took a step towards him, and I heard Matteo and Francis’ guns click. I knew they would have taken their shots. They wouldn’t have flinched before shooting me dead.
“I’m going to go now, take my daughter away from you. Nobody touches her, I’ll finish whoever does. You should have known that, son, you know me,” Marco said, and there was a laugh in his voice. He was enjoying watching me burn.
Then he turned, to walk back down the jetty towards the boat. I tried to hurl myself towards him but Matteo and Francis blocked my way. Matteo grabbed me by my shoulders and held me back, while Francis pressed his gun right to my forehead. They were going to shoot me. They were going to let me watch Isabella sail away in that boat and then shoot me to death.
“Boss? What do we do with this mongrel?” Matteo shouted. Marco was already at the steps to the boat and he turned around to look at me.
I had always looked up to him as the father I never had. I didn’t remember my own father, Marco had saved me. And now he was going to kill me. I growled and struggled, trying to get away from these men, but I was wounded already. I was exhausted, I didn’t have my strength.
“Let him live. Let him spend the rest of his life in this city, he’s dead to me already,” Marco said and I watched him walk up the steps and disappear into the boat.
Francis pointed his gun to my thigh and shot me there instead. I collapsed to the ground, screaming in pain and the two of them walked away down the jetty to the boat. I was out of bullets, my gun was empty. I couldn’t shoot them, I couldn’t move.
I had no other choice but to remain there, on the ground, bleeding out and watching the boat sail away.
Isabella was gone.