Giovanni Vitale

CHAPTER 22 - BAD HABITS

Gio pov (his bedroom^)

"So we were right." Luca said. "I really wish we hadn't been."

"We need to fucking ambush them already." Sky grumbled.

"We will, next week. Adrien found one of their safehouses. Apparently, Dominic's cousin is staying there with his wife and a few other men. Word is that they're having a gangbang." Max shuddered.

"Nasty, but at least they'll be distracted." Noah mentioned.

Ever since Spain, she's been mad at me. What did I do?

After we got home, we agreed to rest for a day, the cuts weren't too bad but they still stung a little.

We were currently in Max's office, planning our next move. We basically had to start from scratch.

We had determined the terms in which we were raiding them. We were bringing 30 men, we kill everyone in sight except for Dominic's cousin. We doubt any children will be there, because of one particular reason. Gangbang.

We may be vicious killers, but we don't kill kids. We don't take them in either because if they're old enough, they may still hold a grudge. My mafia owns a foster care system, so that's usually where they go. We always make sure the parents are acceptable. We make sure they don't have dirty records (unless I know them personally), we check in on them to make sure they aren't mistreated, we never separate siblings or people with sibling-like relationships, and we supply money to give to them once they're 18.

---

I spent the afternoon doing more paperwork at our base. I always found it to help distract me. Despite it giving me a headache, it gives me something to focus on.

The door to my office opened and Vicky walked in without knocking. "Hi bae!" She squealed.

I cringed at her high pitched voice. "What are you doing here?" I asked.

"Aw what's wrong honeybunch? You seem tense." She had a pout on her face. She then leaned forward on my desk, revealing her cleavage. "I can help you out."

"Oh good, you're leaving." I said sarcastically.

She leaned up straight and frowned again. "You've been distant. Is this because of the new girl hanging around you all the time. From what I've heard, she's a whore." She snarled while crossing her arms.

"Call her a whore again. I dare you." I hissed at her. She doesn't get to speak about Noah like that, no one does.

"Sorry" She said sarcastically.

"Leave Vicky." I told her while looking back down at the papers in my hand.

She just stomped her foot and whimpered before turning away. I slid my hands through my hair and let out an annoyed sigh.

I thought paperwork would help me get settled, but my mind doesn't seem to want to stop thinking about a specific 5'9 brunette who is currently mad at me, no clue why.

I'll ask her about it tomorrow, I'm going to bed.

I got up, left my office and drove home. I was about to head up the stairs when Sky came up to me. "Hey Sky. What's up?" I gave her a lazy smile.

"Hey Gio, um it's Noah." My senses immediately came aware. Any sign of being tired, gone.

"What is it?"

"She does this thing when she's bothered by something. She works herself to the maximum, she doesn't eat, she doesn't take breaks and she won't talk to anyone. It's happening again, she's currently destroying the punching bags and she won't communicate with anyone. I'm worried about her, her hands are bloody and bruised and she isn't doing well."

That was all I needed to storm off in the direction of the gym. When we walked in, I saw Noah. On  the floor, unconscious, hands bloody, skin clamy. fuck.

I ran up to her and picked her up in my arms. I bought her up to my room and laid her on the bed. I bandaged her hands up.

She was very warm and her skin was completely red. I walked into the bathroom and wet a washcloth with cold water. I gently laid the cold rag on her forehead and went downstairs to grab a water bottle and protein bar, along with an ice pack for her hands

Sky said that this is a thing she does. It's happened more than once?

"How many times has this happened?" I asked Sky who had been following me silently.

"About once or twice per month. She over exhausts herself, no one can talk any sense into her." She looked down.

I slid my hand down my face so it rested on my chin. "Well I'll make sure it won't happen again."

She nods and I leave to go check up on Noah. I got upstairs and saw that she was sitting up against the headboard. "Hey. How are you feeling?" I asked.

"Like shit." She said in a raspy voice. I sat next to her on the side of the bed.

"Understandable" I shook my head. "Here take these." I handed her the bar and water. Then I placed the ice pack on her hands. She flinched a little because of the cold but eventually relaxed a little. "Why did you do that to yourself?" I asked while cleaning her cuts.

"It's nothing." She mumbled.

"Would this 'nothing' have anything to do with why you've been avoiding me?" She turned her head down and looked at her hands. I used my index finger to tilt her chin up. "What is it?"

"Why did you do that? Why did you jump in front of me when the building blew up?" She said with a little bit of anger laced in her voice.

"Is that what this is about?! You're upset about that?" I asked in disbelief.

"You could've gotten yourself killed. It was stupid."

"I'm alive aren't I?"  I said while waving my hands up and down my body.

"Still stupid." She uttered.

I threw my head back in dry laughter. "Amore, if it saved you any pain, then I'd do it again in a heartbeat." I saw her blush a beautiful shade of pink. "Now. Eat, then you're sleeping." I said in a voice that made sure she knew she couldn't argue.

She just rolled her eyes and drank some water. She eventually finished eating and I could see her getting tired. "Alright, you're tired."

"Yeah, I'll go back to my room." She started to get up but I held her wrist.

"Stay. I want to make sure you sleep." I said gently.

"You're not letting me go no matter what I say, are you?" She asked.

"Nope, in more ways than one." She looked confused at my response but just let it go and crawled under the sheets.

I meant it, I wasn't letting her go. Not to her room tonight, not away from me. I'll do whatever I damn have to, just to make sure she's safe, happy and with me.

I crawled under the sheets as well and pulled her back to my chest. "What are y-" She started but I cut her off.

"Shhh, just sleep you dimwit." I hushed her. She groaned and eventually gave in.

A few moments later, her breath was even and shallow. She's asleep. Darkness followed me not long after.