5 She’s a Fighter

They used the same venue from our wedding reception for the coronation. But as we walked in, there seemed to be so many more people there tonight.

"Stay by me the entire night, okay. If you're not by me, I want you right next to Fausto. Understand?" Vincenzo whispered in my ear.

"I understand," I replied, as I nodded.

"Good girl," he kissed my cheek, as we continued to walk into the building.

He had his arm around my waist in a protective manner, while he introduced me to many people. Some of them I had met at the wedding, but didn't really remember. I just smiled and nodded politely to everyone, just like Natalia taught me.

"Mr. and Mrs. Romano, this is my beautiful wife, Alessandra Bianchi," Vincenzo introduced me to about the millionth couple of the night.

"Oh my. She's simply adorable, Vincenzo." The older woman spoke about me, as if I wasn't there.

"Thank you, Mrs. Romano," he replied, nodding his head.

This went on for at least a couple hours, and I really wished we could sit down. I had never worn 6 inch heels before, and my feet were throbbing.

All around us, people were dancing, or just standing around talking, drinking, and having a wonderful time. I wasn't exactly having a bad time, but it wasn't what I considered fun either.

"You're doing really well, tesoro. I'm really proud of you," Vincenzo leaned down to whisper in my ear again, as he placed a light kiss on the shell of my ear. It sent chills through my body, and caused me to shiver a little.

"I'm glad I have that kind of effect on you," he chuckled.

I just smiled, as I felt my cheeks tinge with pink. He knew how to embarrass me.

A waiter approached us with a tray of tall stemmed crystal glasses. "Would you like some Champagne ma'am?" He asked politely.

"No, thank you," Vincenzo answered for me, as he took a glass for himself. "Would you bring my wife a glass of sparkling apple cider please?"

"Yes sir," the waiter nodded, as he walked off.

"Why can't I have one glass of champagne, Vincenzo?" I asked frustratedly.

"You are under age, and I don't want you to drink," he replied, coldly, not even looking at me.

"But, Vin-." I started to say, but he cut me off.

"Don't argue with me about this, and definitely not here. If you cause a scene here, nothing can save you from my wrath. Do you understand?" He said, lowly, as his eyes narrowed and turned to face me.

"I wasn't gonna cause a scene. I was just curious." I said, with a pout forming on my face.

"Do not pout baby, you're not in any trouble. We will talk about it later, okay. I just can't have you questioning me in front of any of these people," he sighed, as his glare softened.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know I was doing that," I said, confused by what he meant.

"It's okay. You just have a lot to learn, but I'm a good teacher, baby. Just enjoy your apple cider, and don't drink any alcohol tonight, please," he said it so sweetly, I couldn't deny him.

"Apple cider sounds good," I replied with a smile on my face.

A few minutes later, one of Vincenzo's men came over and whispered something in his ear. He just nodded, as they walked away.

"Honey, Fausto is gonna be here in a few minutes. I have to go on stage and do my acceptance speech. Be a good girl, and stay here until Fausto gets here, okay?" He said, as he looked down at me.

"I will," I nodded, as he placed a kiss on my lips. I love it when he does that!

"I'll find you when I'm done." He said, as he turned and walked away.

I just stood there, alone, waiting on Fausto, as I listened to Mr. Tommasso's speech. He was explaining how he was stepping down, and how his son would take over as the new Capo dei Capi. All very boring stuff.

As soon as Vincenzo walked on stage, and the applause sounded, a young man came walking up next to me. He looked to be around my age, maybe a little older. He was a handsome guy, but nothing like Vincenzo. He had charcoal brown eyes, that looked almost evil, and he carried around this aura that just felt wrong. The look he was giving me, made me feel very uncomfortable, so I just looked away from him, to my husband up on stage.

I tried just listening to Vincenzo's speech, but this guy kept inching closer and closer to me. It was making me very uncomfortable, so I moved to my left about a foot, but bad aura guy, seemed to follow me. I wanted to just flat out walk away, but I was supposed to be waiting on Fausto.

"Hey there sweetheart. You wouldn't be trying to get away from me would ya?" He asked in a sleazy tone.

"Uh. No, I'm just waiting here for my bodyguard," I said, as I started looking around for Fausto.

This was unusual, Fausto was usually never more than a few feet away from me. And he was always where he could see me, and I could see him.

"Well, I think you will be waiting a while, Miss. Your bodyguard has been detained," he hissed.

"What do you mean?" I asked, as I turned to face him.

Suddenly he didn't look so handsome at all. When he smiled, his teeth were dark and dingy. And his eyes had this sneaky look in them, like he was up to something. And it wasn't a good something.

"You're gonna come with me, sweetheart. And you're gonna come quietly, or your favorite bodyguard is dead. Do you understand?" He growled in my ear.

I was shaking suddenly, and felt tears about to burst out of my eyes. I looked towards the stage to try and send my husband some sort of distress signal with my eyes, but he wasn't up there anymore. The music was playing and everything was back to normal.

"Come on girl, now. Can't have your stupid husband catching us," he growled, as he grabbed my arm, and started pulling me towards the exit.

I wanted to fight him, and pull away from him, but I was so scared they would hurt Fausto. I just couldn't be responsible for his death. Fausto is my friend, and I'll be damned if I let him die because of me.

We went out the side door, as he drug me along with him through an alleyway. "Come on you little bitch, pick up the pace. Or your precious bodyguard is dead," he growled as he jerked my arm even harder.

"I'm trying dammit! You try running in 6 inch heels, asshole!" I yelled. I was scared out of my mind, but he was pissing me off too.

Suddenly he stopped, reached his hand back and backhanded me so hard, I fell to the ground. Blood was gushing out of my right eye, and I had scrapes all over my hands and knees. Not to mention my dress ripped.

"Don't you ever talk to me like that, you fucking whore," he bellowed, so loud that it echoed throughout the alley we were in. "Now, get your stupid ass up, and come on."

He reached down, and jerked me up so hard by my arm that it felt like he was pulling my arm out of the socket.

I let out a loud shriek, and tears instantly started falling. How can no one know what's going on? Hasn't anyone noticed I'm missing yet?

"You stupid bitch. Shut the fuck up," he yelled, as he back handed me across my mouth this time, and I hit the ground again.

I had to do something, I couldn't just keep letting him do this to me. I had to form some kind of plan, and fight this guy off of me. It was becoming apparent, that no one was coming to save me, so I would have to save myself.

Just as he reached to grab me and pull me up again, I rolled over on my back, and kicked him as hard as I could right in the balls with my heel. Gianni told me that would always do the trick, if I was ever overpowered by a man.

It worked too, he hit the ground like a ton of bricks, and curled up like a baby, holding himself.

I tried to push myself off the ground to run away from him, when I noticed that I couldn't. He had in fact, dislocated my arm when he pulled me up the first time. My arm was just laying there, limply, not able to do anything.

So, I put all my weight on my other arm, and somehow managed to push myself up off the ground. Just as I took off running, he was up and behind me in a flash.

I threw off my heels, and ran as fast as my short little legs would allow me to go. I was running for my life. I knew if this guy caught me, he would beat me to sleep.

Out of no where, I stepped on broken glass, and slowed down just enough for him to jump on me from behind. But just as we were falling to the ground, I heard a gunshot come out of nowhere.

I felt blood splatter all over the back of my head and my back. We both fell to the ground, but he felt like he weighed a thousand pounds. I laid there, trying my best to wiggle out from underneath him, but I was laying on glass, and it hurt too much to move.

I wasn't sure who shot Mr. Bad Aura, but I wasn't really interested in finding out. I needed to get away from here. This had to be the worst day of my life.

It seemed like hours, but I finally felt someone lifting Mr. Bad Aura off me, and I wasn't sure what to do. I was so scared, my heart beat was literally in my ears. I was in so much pain, and I was covered in blood.

"Alessandra, honey, come on baby, let's get you up," I heard Vincenzo say.

"Vincenzo? Where were you?" I cried, shaking like a leaf. I tried to push myself off the ground again with my good arm, but there was a large piece of glass in my arm, and it hurt too much.

"No. Come on baby, let me pick you up. You're too hurt to get up by yourself," he said, gently reaching down to pick me up bridal style.

"Everything hurts," I whined, as tears just flowed down my face.

"I know baby. I'm so sorry. We're going to the hospital, right now. They are gonna help you feel better. No, don't fall asleep honey, try to stay awake," he said, as he carried me down the alleyway.

"Vincenzo, he has Fausto. He said he would kill Fausto if I didn't go with him willingly," I cried, trying so hard to keep my eyes open.

"I'm right here, honey," Fausto's voice came from behind us.

"Fausto? Is that you? Oh my God, are you okay? I thought he was going to kill you," I was crying even harder now.

"I'm fine honey, he just locked me in a closet. I was never in any danger," he replied in a reassuring voice.

"Oh! Thank God," I let out a sigh of relief. "I tried to fight him, I really did. He was just so strong. I kicked him in the balls though, just like Gianni taught me. And I was getting away too, until I stepped in that glass," I mumbled. Doing anything to stay awake.

"You did so good, honey," I heard Vincenzo say, as he sat down in the back of the limo with me in his lap. "I'm so proud of you, babygirl."

"Where were you, Vincenzo? What took you so long?" I questioned why he didn't save me sooner.

"Honey, I'm so sorry. That man had Fausto's phone. I got a text from his phone that said that you weren't feeling well, and he was taking you home. I had no idea that you were even taken, until Fausto managed to kick the closet door down, and then he found me. I'm so so sorry, baby." He said, as he pushed my now nasty hair out of my face.

"Who was he? Why did he want me?" I asked, curiously.

"We don't know yet honey. But we will find out believe me, and whoever was behind this, will pay." He promised me.

"Come on babygirl, we are here. It's gonna hurt when we get out of the car okay? But just bare with me honey."

As he tried to gently slide out of the car, it felt like everything was pulling on my arm, but I couldn't move it.

"Oh my arm!" I groaned, as Vincenzo slid out of the car, slowly.

"I know, baby. We're out now though, it's over okay."

"Okay," I wheezed, as I felt the pain ease up a little.

As soon as we walked into the hospital, they led us back to a room. We didn't have to wait any time at all. I've found out over the years, that when you're in a Mafia family, people just move much faster for you.

Vincenzo laid me down on the bed, and soon after, none other than, Nurse Anna walked in.

"Nurse Anna!" I said excitedly. "I haven't seen you in so long," I smiled brightly at her.

"Alessandra, sweetheart. What happened to you? Oh my God, look at you," she said, fussing, as she hugged me, gently.

Nurse Anna was my nurse when I got thrown off my horse, when I was 14. I was in a coma for 6 weeks, and she took really good care of me.

"Oh. I don't really know how to explain what happened. Just ran into a bad guy," I said, as I looked at Vincenzo for help.

He nodded his head, and winked at me, telling me, that I said enough.

"Okay sweetheart. I'm gonna start an IV and get you some pain meds going, okay? I know you have to be in a lot of pain," she replied, not pushing the issue of what happened anymore.

"Uh huh, can I sleep now? Vincenzo wouldn't let me sleep," I whined, starting to feel really drowsy.

"Sure honey, just lay back and let sleep take over," she smiled.

It probably didn't take more than 5 seconds before I was in dreamland.

Vincenzo's POV

"I want whoever is responsible found, and brought to me now!" I yelled through the phone to one of my men, Santino.

"Sì capo." (Yes boss.) He said, as I hung up the phone.

As soon as I hung up the phone, all 6 of my wife's brothers came walking through the door to her hospital room.

"What the fuck happened to my baby sister?" Gianni growled, as he looked his sister over.

She was laying still in the hospital bed, with cuts all over her body, her arm in a sling, a black eye, and her lip was stitched up, where it had been busted open.

"I'm not sure," I sighed. "She passed out before she was able to tell me the whole story. I know a guy locked Fausto in a closet, took his phone and text me that he was taking her home. Then he attempted to kidnap her. She fought him off as hard as she could, but he obviously beat her up pretty bad." I said, as I looked at my wife with an emotion building up in me that I wasn't sure how to handle.

I was more than just angry, I was livid. Someone had hurt my wife, and she tried her best to defend herself, but he still beat her up. The rush of emotions I was feeling right now, was almost too much to bear. I should have been there with her, I should have protected her from this.

"Do you have any leads? Do we know who he was working for?" Emilio asked, always the calm one. It's taking everything in me to stay calm right now.

"No not yet. I just found her an hour ago. I have my men working on it, though. I won't let it go until I have the people responsible for this, and they suffer brutal consequences," I growled.

"Who was the guy who grabbed her?" Matteo asked, he looked extremely serious, and beyond pissed off.

"His name was Umberto Jilani," Fausto answered for me.

"What do you mean his name was? Did you kill him?" Stefano seethed.

Normally we would try to keep him alive, and torture him for answers, but he was on top of Alessandra with a knife in his hands, and we had no choice but to put a bullet in his head.

"I had to kill him. He was about to slit your sister's throat," I deadpanned.

"Oh. Well good," Gianni answered for all of them.

"Gianni," Alessandra whispered, as her eyes slowly started to flutter.

"Hey piglet. I'm here baby," he said, as he grabbed her hand, while her eyes finally opened.

"I kicked him in the balls, just like you taught me, G. I used my heel too, he was down for a little bit," she said proudly, as she beamed at her favorite brother.

"I'm so proud of you piglet. I heard you put up a really good fight," he said, as he reached up to give her a high five with her good arm.

"How are you feeling babygirl?" Gioffre asked, as he and Gianni helped her sit up in the bed.

"I'm feeling great right now. Honestly, I could go another round with that guy. I think he's dead, though," she whispered the last part, as she looked at me for confirmation.

I just nodded my head, feeling ashamed that I had to kill someone around her. She didn't exactly see it, but she was covered in his blood, and his dead weight fell on top of her tiny body.

"Honey, are you high?" Luca chuckled at her.

"What do you mean? I don't do drugs? I just feel good, that's all. I'm a lot tougher than you look. I mean than she looks. She's a tough chicken. I mean, you're a lot tougher than I look. No, I don't know." she was giggling now.

She is definitely high, they must have given her some good pain medicine.

"Yes you are, honey," Gianni chuckled at his little sister.

She had the goofiest look on her face, and then she told everyone in the room, except me that she loved them.

She looks at me and says, "I love you too, but I'm not supposed to tell you because I don't want you to know yet," and starts laughing so hard, she snorted.

I didn't know exactly how to reply. She obviously didn't want me to know how she felt, if she even really felt that way. So I just nodded my head, and smiled at her. I knew I had strong emotions brewing in me for her, but I wasn't sure I was quite up to feeling love yet.

"Okay good. Let's get some truth outta ya while you're on cloud 9, little girl. Who's your true favorite brother?" Matteo smirked.

"Gianni duh!" She said, almost falling over laughing.

"What's so funny about that?" Matteo playfully growled at her.

"You thought I was gonna say you," she hiccuped from laughing so hard. "Who's your favorite me? I mean who's your bestest sister, no I mean sibling. No I forget what I mean," she sighed, as she laid back down.

"I think you need some sleep, honey," I looked at her eyes closing, but she was fighting it for sure. She looked like a toddler, who didn't want to miss anything, so she's trying to stay awake.

"No, I'm fine really," she yawned, as she closed her eyes and gave it up.

After she fell asleep again, the Nurse Anna, she loves so much came back in and told me, I could take her home.

I told her brothers, I would call them with any news, and they told me they would also do some investigating to find out who Umberto Jilani worked for.

I was carrying, Alessandra to her bedroom when she woke up and gave me a sleepy smile.

"Are my brothers gone?" She said, weakly.

"Yeah baby. We're at home now. How are you feeling?" I asked, as I laid her down in her bed.

"I hurt a lot, Vinny," she whined.

Vinny? Where did that come from? Well, I guess I don't hate it. If that's what she wants to call me, I'll let her. But ONLY she can call me that.

"Pain medicine wore off huh? Well, I sent Fausto to Walgreens to get your prescription filled, but we'll have to wait until he gets back. Do you need my help changing or can you change yourself honey?"

Her dress was barely wrapped around her still, but at least I wouldn't have to take it off with her arm still in the sling.

She had been in so much pain when we got to the hospital that she passed out. Her sleeve was ripped to shreds practically, so I told them to cut it off before they had to relocate her shoulder. Everyone was surprised when she didn't even wake up when they put it back in place. I guess she was already in too much pain to notice some more pain.

"Okay, honey. Let me go get one of my T-shirts, so you can be more comfortable."

"Don't go far, please," she whined, as she grabbed my hand.

"I'll be right back honey. I promise."

I ran into my room, and quickly grabbed one of my t-shirts. Then I came back in her room, and found a pair of her sweats.

Getting the dress off was easy, trying not to look at her body was the hard part. It wasn't in a creepy way, no. She was covered in cuts and bruises, my baby had been through so much tonight. I wish I could bring that man back to life, and kill him again.

I slowly slid the t-shirt over her head, but I cringed when I had to get her hurt arm through the sleeve, and put the sling back on it. She tried to act so tough, but it killed me listening to her whimpering through it.

As soon as I got her pants on her, Fausto finally came through the door with a bottle of cold sprite, because she loves sprite, and her pain meds prescription. So, I gave her one, and then put the bottle on top of her medicine cabinet in the bathroom, where she can't reach it. Not that I don't trust her, but I'm not taking any chances. People become addicts all the time by accident.

"Okay honey, I'm gonna leave our door open, so I can hear you if you call for me okay?" I asked, as I gently tucked the covers around her, and flipped her tv on, because she can't go to sleep unless she watches tv first.

"Vinny. Will you? .. I mean, it's just that... well I'm kinda scared, and I was thinking that you might... well maybe you could sleep in here with me tonight?" She asked me, as she looked away shyly.

"Yeah, honey, sure. Do you want me to sleep on your couch?" I was unsure what she wanted, but if she was scared, I would stay up all night and watch her sleep, if she needed me to.

"N-no. I mean, in the bed with me. Just this once, please," she pleaded.

"Sure honey, let me go change out of this tux, and I'll be right back."

She just nodded her head, so I went to my room and changed into my sweats and a white t-shirt.

When I came back in, I climbed in the other side of the bed. She wiggled her way over to me, grabbed my hand, and put it around her waist, so I could hold her while we slept. I know she must be really scared to want to cuddle up with me. I just pulled her close, and held her tight, trying to give her a sense of security.

I gently kissed the top of her head, as we both drifted off to sleep.