Chapter Fourteen

Mouth opened ajar, eyes wide and her mind was running with various thoughts. She was very sure that her first impression was the worst one that ever happened in the history of employment.

'Great, lost the job already.' She thought. 'And I don't even have a rich sugar daddy on the side.'

"I uh .." She stammered and why won't she? She was on the verge of losing her job and possibly with a badly written character certificate.

She was looking at him and he was smiling at her discomfort.

"Relax," he drawled out, trying to ease her. "I like your dedication to your job and of course your loyalty and those are the two qualities every boss admires."

'Okay. So?' She blinked and waited for him to continue. 

"So..." He answered her thoughts, clearly visible on her face, "let's get to work."

Blowing out a breath of relief, she followed right behind.

****

Keys rattled against the key chain as she was opening the door to her apartment. She dropped the keys and her purse on the table on the side of the wall and closed the door shut. She was dead tired today. People thought secretarial work meant nothing but a few calls and bookings and of course appointments and there but it was nothing like that. The day was complete, the clock struck five and the salary was in her bank account.

But that was a joke life played on you. The work of a secretary meant making the life of the employer easy by making your hell. That's exactly what she did today. All that she needed was a warm bath with some amazing bath salts with a glass of chardonnay. Taking off her coat, she walked into the kitchen and served Diesel his food along with water. The bathroom was now the destination she headed next.

****

"Boss," Silvano called from the door.

"There have been various mutinies. I think it's time we teach them a lesson once and for all." He told his brother looking directly into his eyes. Only Silvano had the guts of looking into his eyes and telling what he thought was right. None of the other siblings or relatives told him what to do. He was too much like his father or as the others said he was way more ruthless than him.

All the capos no matter how aged and experienced bowed down to him, The Don of the Italia Mafisco.

Angelo was in no hurry to reply to his brother's statement. He opened the drawer in his desk and pulled out a cigar from the box and lit it with no concern regarding the world. He exhaled the smoke, breathed it in from his nostrils and relished the flavour of the cigar. He looked at his brother, annoyance being visible on his face for the lack of attention. He waited till the nicotine took its effect, handling the affairs related to the traitorous matters related to the family became a bit easy.

"What do you want to know?" He threw a question at his brother knowing the answer he had would not satisfy him.

"I want to know what are you going to do with these traitors, they have been selling out information for far too long than any boss would allow." Silvano harshly said, tired of the games his brother was playing.

Angelo smiled he liked getting his brother all riled up. "I know who is selling us out and to whom I'm waiting to know why. Prolonging their deaths will inflict fear in them, brother. "

Silvano smiled. He was now content knowing what his brother had planned with the traitors but now was the time he questioned the intentions for the girl he was pursuing.

"You have a girl followed." He said not wanting to raise any unwanted suspicions about his concerns.

Angelo's expressions immediately hardened. He did not like someone else mentioning his woman. He wanted to slap him, yet he knew in the underworld his brother was the only one he could blindly trust.

"I do," His reply was short but to Silvano, his expression gave everything away. He had chosen his woman; the future Donna. She was followed for her protection. 

"Congratulations brother, waiting for your word." He said leaving the room with his words ending in the hallway.

He thought about his words. No one's opinion mattered to him yet he wanted his brother's opinion about Alexis. He took another drag of the cigar and blew the smoke out and inhaled it. He picked up the phone and told him about his plan this knowing that there will be hell to pay if he messed it up.

*****

The following weekend arrived pretty quickly. It was Friday evening and she was leaving her office. The early days are always hard. She had to get everything changed and approved by her new boss. The fact that he was here only for a few hours made it more difficult. However, he promised that she would not be needed Saturdays and Sundays and on days when he didn't have any work for her, she would be informed around seven in the morning. She sighed happily that now it was the time to relax. Putting the keys into the ignition, she headed towards the market to pamper herself after a hectic week.

Closing the door to the apartment, she expected Diesel to bark and compel her to take him for a night walk. "Diesel," she called out placing the shopping bags on the counter of the kitchen. She walked to the living room where he usually threw tantrums for going out. She gasped the sight as soon as she entered, her dog was being held down by a massive wolf in her living room. She ran towards him with a stick hidden behind the door and stopped when the wolf growled at her.

"Behave, let go." In seconds the wolf was off her dog and was sitting by his owner's feet. She looked up to notice that Angelo was sitting there with another man. The hell did he bring a wolf for?

"Um..hi?" her greeting came out as a question since she was not sure about how to respond to them.

The man next to him chuckled looking highly amused. He looked at Angelo as seeking permission to address his women. He wanted to seek it because all men in the family were protective of their wives. Men in the Alessandro family usually took one look at the women and decided if they wanted to be with them or not; if they wanted to marry, marriage happened after a year of courting indicating that the woman now belonged to him and he to her. He could discipline her and mould her according to his wishes.

Angelo gave him a nod of confirmation and Silvano got up to introduce himself.

"Good evening, I am Silvano De'alassandro, younger brother of the man pursuing you." He asked as he shook hands with her.

'Pursuing me? More like screwing with me.'

Nevertheless, she greeted him back and sat where he pointed her to sit in her apartment. Both of them looked at her, Silvano's mind was not settling down without asking her questions. Yet, he kept quiet.

Angelo spoke to cut the tension, "Alexis, why don't you cook dinner for all of us? We have the wine."

And to avoid sitting there, she and her dog ran into the kitchen. Literally.