Their principessa

19 ~ Alex

Isabella's POV ~

"Who's Alex?"

I froze on the spot. No one had asked me about Alex in months. Not even me and Noah talk about him. No one spoke about him at school, knowing what mine and Noah's reaction would be.

I hadn't noticed I had started to cry until someone lightly shook my shoulders and I felt a liquid run down my cheek. I look up and see Ricco looking down at me with a concerned face.

"Ho-how do do yo-you know who Alex is?" I ask letting out a shaky breath.

"You've mentioned him in your sleep before and you sometimes call out for him in your nightmares." Alfonso says slowly.

"Who's Alex bambina?" Matteo asks softly.

"He w-was my b-best friend." I say quietly, barely above a whisper.

"What do you mean was?" Adriano asks.

"Um, he di-died two yea-years ago." I managed to stutter out.

I feel arms wrap around me as I let out a sob, followed by more tears cascading down my face. 

"How did he die?" Vince asked, "It's okay if you don't want to."

"N-no it's ok-okay. You dese-deserve to know." I respond and with a shaky breath, I tell them about Alex.

Flashback ~

I was chained up to the wall of my basement. It felt like I had been here for years, with only the small basement window allowing me a slight sense of time. 

My wrists were bleeding from the chains binding my wrists to the wall and the skin at my ankles began to break from the chains that held them.

The door of the basement slowly began to and I heard small footsteps coming down the steps. 

I turn my head in the direction of the door, only to be met by a concerned looking Alex. 

He rushed towards me with a set of keys as he releases my wrists and ankles from the chains that had been keeping me prisoner for the last week. 

I fall into Alex's arms as he whispers comforting words to me. 

I felt safe in his arms. I felt happy.

Suddenly, an ear piercing bang sounded throughout the basement and I felt a liquid fill my hands.

I looked up at Alex only to find him bleeding out next to me, a bullet in his abdomen. 

"Alex, Alex oh my god. It-it's okay. You're going t-to be ok-okay." I say as I frantically try to stop the bleeding.

He gives me a small smile as he lifts a hand to my cheek.

"You know it's my time to go farfalla." He says caressing my cheek with his hand, "I'll always love you. Blood or not, your grande Fratello will always love you.". (Butterfly) (Big brother)

I watch as his eyelids close and the life drains out of him.

"Please! No! Alex please don't leave me! Don't leave me and Noah please!" I plead as I shake his body, trying to find some life.

Next thing I know his body is dragged out of the basement and I look up to see the person who shot him. 

Alessia Moratti.

"He was always nosy. Oh well. Collateral damage I guess." She smirks as she calls some of her friends in. 

Here we go again. I thought as the men all stalked over to me. 

I blanked out, all my focus on my best friend, my big brother, who was now gone. Forever.

Flashback over ~

I felt a hand brush away my tears as I finished the story.

"I'm so sorry that you had to go through that." Darien said looking down at me with a sad gaze. 

Looking around, I see that most of my brothers are either crying or have tears welling in their eyes. 

"Just get some sleep, bambina, today has been a long day." Ricco whispers as I feel my eyelids start to get heavy and before I know it, I'm out like a light.

A/N ~ This is only a short chapter kind of for a back story of Alex since I haven't mentioned him yet but he will become more important later. It's also nearly 2 am here in the UK so I only did a short chapter. Stay safe <3