Crossfire Queen

15.

Myself and Mary continued to work in silence. I'd managed to stitch all five dresses into the correct silhouette, adding zips to them all. All that was left was hand stitching the lace panels. A job that would take the most of my time, but would also make the dress go from average to awesome.

As I began stitching the appliqué onto the first dress, the doorbell sounded. Glancing up at the door, Mary slid off her chair to answer it. She would normally let me answer it, so the fact she'd done it either meant she was grovelling or she knew who was the other side of the door. I didn't know what situation would be worse.
"She home" I heard Lucas voice as i inwardly groaned, there goes my lack of distractions today. Mary nodded simply and moved to the side, allowing luca full access to my home. "Sofia" he smiled as he walked through the door, a huge bouquet of flowers in his hand. I gulped slightly at the sight of him carrying the largest bouquet I had ever seen. I naively hoped they weren't for me. But he was in my house, looking directly at me. "Mary, have you had a lunch break yet" he asked her as she shook her head. "Good, Lenny is outside. Maybe you could go eat with him" he said almost authoritatively as I bit my lip to stop myself from saying something stupid. But how dare he dismiss my staff, how dare she obey. Sure he was some head honcho in the family, but here was work. I was head honcho here.
As she scurried out I turned my attention back to him. "You know, you're in my house here. That means I'm the boss not you, I get to say when my staff get breaks" I said simply as he chuckled. "Cute" he smirked as he sat down opposite. "But you know she'll always have her loyalty to me right" he chuckled as I rolled my eyes. Letting silence do my talking.
"You seem off" he said with a tilt of his head. "I do? Funny that" I chuckled sarcastically as he frowned. "Talk to me, maybe I can help" he suggested honestly as I scoffed slightly. "You think you can just walk in here luca? Hand me some flowers and hope I roll onto my back and let you walk all over me. I know what you're doing and it won't work" I said humoured as he looked at me taken back. "What am I doing. I bought you these to be nice" he said softly. "No, you bought me those to win me over. You wanted to kiss me last night to get me to stay. You did it all to get me to stay with you. With your family. You definitely didn't do it for me" I said seriously as he gulped slightly.
"You really think that if I wanted to get you to stay in the family I'd go to this extent Sofia" he said nodding his head to the flowers. "You know full well that if I wanted, I could have men stationed on your door and not allow you to leave. If we wanted you so desperately in the family we would have you there. That's how families work. We do what's needed, not what is wanted" he said firmly as I gulped.
"I bought you these, because I wanted. Not because I needed to" he said as he put the flowers down on the table and walked over to me. "I wanted to kiss you last night. Wanted to. Not needed too" he said firmly. "I came over here today, because I wanted to, not needed too." He said as he stopped in front of me. "You came here because you're a fool then. I told you last night, I won't put you in the impossible position your family so desperately wants to put me in" I said firmly as he scoffed slightly. "We want to protect you Sofia. Love you, care for you. Is that such a hard pill to swallow." He said firmly. "It is when you want me to cut off a part of myself to achieve it." I hissed back. "I didn't ask you to cut Alessia off did I" he spat. "Your punishing me for everyone else's actions" he retorted. "You are your family. Don't pretend your dad didn't see us last night. Don't pretend he didn't send you here to woo me. Don't fucking lie to me Luca." I said as I stood up in-front of him prodding his chest with my finger. "I'm not lying to you, I want to be here. Sure dad also asked me to be here, but I would've with or without his blessing Sofia." He urged as I shook my head. "Unbelievable" I muttered disapprovingly. "Not really. What is unbelievable is the fact I'm stood here, telling you that I'm quite happy to piss off a few family members to be with you, allow you to be fully protected by us, and you act like a petulant child" he said bitterly. "It doesn't matter though does it luca. Because your dad told you to be here. He wants you to woo me, win me over. Accept the family and be loyal to you all. So it doesn't matter if your sister doesn't want you here. Because your dad gets final say. I thought you were bigger than a petty pawn in a game luca." I said sadly as I turned away from him. "I'm not a pawn Sofia. I want to be here, want to spend time with you. It just so happens that's also what dad wants" he explained as I nodded. "And what happens if we both fall madly in love and then daddy tells you to marry someone else. Then what. Do you do what dad wants then" I said almost bitterly. "He's my father Sofia, he's also the head of the family you are currently protected by. Please don't disrespect him" he sighed firmly. "But it's ok for me to be disrespected. You don't care that I'd be stripped of all my rights by being in your family" I scoffed. "I didn't say that, did I" he said seriously. "I'd protect you Sofia. If you'd let me" he sighed. "But it only goes so far. You can protect me from everyone but your dad" I said notedly as he stood quietly. "He didn't like how I spoke to him last night. He didn't like having me there luca. He didn't want me there. He needed me there to assure him my loyalty and my silence. And I will not give it to either family. No matter how hard you try to woo me" I said with finality as he looked at me softly. "This is why, this is why I'm here" he said with warmth. "Because I love your defiance Sofia. I love your strength" he said in a hushed whisper. "I need someone, want someone. Who will have my back. Stand up for me. Take a bullet for me" he continued as he stepped closer to me, our bodies inches away. "I want to be here with you Sofia. I always want to be with you. Forget everyone else, just look at me" he said softly. "Can't you see that now" he continued. "That I'm here for you. Not for anyone else" he urged as I found my tongue sliding across my lip trying to wet my dried mouth. "I know you don't want to cut Alessia off, but that doesn't mean you have to cut me out too" he urged as he caressed my cheek softly. "I want you" he said as his lips brushed against mine softly.

It didn't feel like it had with Marco. It was far less intense, yet the way he held me like I was fragile, like I'd break only made me mould tighter against him. I was putty in his hands. "You're so beautiful Sofia" he rasped against my lips before reconnecting them slowly. Our lips moved in sync as I felt myself falling into a Luca induced trance.

As we pulled away he looked into my eyes warmly. I felt fuzzy, light and warm. Yet something wasn't quite right and I couldn't put my finger on it. "Do you see now, that I want to be here." He said softly as he held my cheek. "You need to do more than kiss me to win me over Luca. You have to understand that I won't enter into anything with you until I'm sure. I can't risk anything" I said honestly as he looked at me sadly. "Why isn't me wanting to be here enough" he sighed. "Because Alessia means more to me than any man ever would" I said simply. "I won't cut her out. She's family luca" I said sadly. "You want me to woo you, win you over. Make you see that I'm worth more to you than Alessia." He chuckled. "It's not a game luca. I'm not a game. I'm simply saying I wouldn't sacrifice her for anyone. Not unless they were everything to me" I said as he nodded. "I can be everything. I can show you" he said as he placed another kiss on my lips. "I can give you so much more Sofia" he said as he walked us back a few steps so that I was against the wall. "Alessia doesn't make you feel the way I do" he continued as he trailed kisses along my jaw, his hands on my hip holding me warmly. "She never will" he urged. "She'll be a di Rossi, Sofia, she's walking into the family that shot you. That's how much you mean to her" he purred in my ear as I gulped. "She's marrying someone who was happy to have you dead, just to get revenge. She's marrying into a family that don't care about you" he continued. "She's sleeping with a man who ordered the attack on your life. She's spreading her legs for him" he said as he nibbled on my jaw. "And yet you're stood here, not budging. Showing your loyalty to her." He chuckled. "It humours me Sofia. How loyal you are to her. When she is so disrespectful to you." He said as I gulped. "She's a Di Rossi whore Sofia" he continued as I stilled. His hands creeping down to my legs and under the hem of my dress. Sure me and Alessia weren't quite on the same page currently, but she was practically family. "She gave you up the minute she met him Sofia. You don't think she wasn't given a similar ultimatum. You haven't noticed how distant she's been recently. Since they got engaged. She chose them Sofia. She will always choose them" he said as I found my hand slapping harshly against his face as his finger attempted to dip into my pant line.

Clutching his face, he stood back, looking a mixture of furious and hurt. "Get out" I stammered as I heard the door shut causing me to look over. The woman of the moment stood in the doorway. "You heard her" Alessia said firmly to him as he looked at me angrily. "Think about it. You'll see I'm right" he spat at me before storming out, barging past Alessia with enough force to cause her to wobble.

"You ok" she asked as I stood motionless. I felt numb. I didn't know what or who to believe. I didn't know how to reply. Before I could think of anything Mary walked back in with disappointment on her face. "Your walking a very fine line Sofia." She scolded before grabbing her bag and walking out. "Can you lock the door" I stammered to Alessia who nodded and followed my instruction. My hands were trembling.

I'd just hit the son of a mafia boss. Allegedly the mafia boss that I was tied to. I'd just been told that my only friend, when given the same ultimatum had not chosen me. I felt numb to it all. Numb and alone. "I think you need to sit down Sof" Alessia said cautiously as she appeared at my side. "Was he right" I gulped. I had to know. Looking at her she sighed slightly. "Not really, they just told me I had to be careful what I told you. I found it hard to not tell you everything though, which is why recently I've been more distant. I didn't want to bring you into this mess, I knew I couldn't because of what would happen" she sighed sadly as I nodded. Deep down she'd tried to protect me. Sure, she'd not done it in the best of ways but I knew her intention. That's all that mattered to me.