Caught In The Crossfires - Spinoff

29

Chapter 29

Alessandro

After Cristiano blew up at me last night, I spent the better part of the evening contemplating how to terminate the pest that was sleeping in my home. I realized he was far more intrigued by the thorn in our side than he'd initially let on. That was the very reason I pushed him, and his response absolutely sparked my curiosity.

What was it about this little brat that had my brother so ostensibly fascinated? Yeah, she was a fine piece of ass, but she was irritating as all fuck, and the way she always had to be right—it was beyond infuriating. Not to mention she's a Mariano.

The fact that I didn't snap her tiny little neck when I found her in my house was a fucking miracle yesterday. I, for sure, assumed that her brothers had finally let her in on the family business, and she was here to collect intel. But she wasn't. No.

My nimble deduction, however, was entirely off. Instead, I found that her irritating little ass was here hanging out with my sister—getting stoned and eating all of our groceries. Go figure.

I'd prayed the raven-haired pain would've been gone before I woke up this morning but no such luck. I sighed frustratedly, running a hand over my face when I heard the pair talking in the kitchen before seeing them.

Her melodic laugh carried through the quiet house, bouncing off the walls around me and my jaw went taut. I wasn't sure what irritated me more... That my older uptight brother was the one who said something to elicit such a transfixing noise from someone I despised or because I found myself slightly enjoying the sound of it, and I wanted him to say whatever he had spoken to make her do it again.

No, the fuck, you don't. I mentally chastised myself for even letting me think that way. I needed to be smarter than that—than him. She was the fucking enemy for chrissake and unlike my brother. I wasn't so easily charmed by her good looks and sassy attitude. And yet, part of me wished to knock her down a few pegs by putting her in her place—a part of me that will never act on a single urge. I knew better—so did he, and yet here she was. But maybe...

No. It would be meaningless because although the thought had crossed my mind since the day she hit my fucking car, I could admit it was rather ridiculous to think about having that girl under my thumb—let alone tied to my bed. I bet she'd love it too.

The closer I got to the kitchen, the clearer their discussion became, and I couldn't help myself from stopping short of the kitchen and listening in. "This is way too much," Lola told my brother, her voice making this maddening whiny sound that had my traitorous cock twitching inside my slacks. I growled under my breath, willing my rogue soldier to fall in line.

"Eat what you can, Lorella. You had a long night and morning." I groaned inwardly so as not to alert them I was eavesdropping. Of course, he slept with her. Gesù Cristo, what the fuck are you doing, brother? I'll tell you. Being an idiota over a stupid girl who was going to be the end of us. I had to get rid of her—and quickly.

"Well, aren't you hungry?" she asked.

"No. I already ate," my brother told Lola with a hint of amusement draping over his usual stoic tone, and for some reason, but I can even begin to fathom, a sudden bitterness filled my chest, and I felt a twinge of resentment pinging at how at ease they sounded with one another. I couldn't remember the last time I heard him speak so lightheartedly.

Jesus. Didn't Cristo understand how dangerous this game was that he was playing with her? Or did he not care at all? Either way, that was over now.

Entering the kitchen, my jaw ticked seeing them sitting at the island—well, Lola was sitting; my brother wasn't too far from her side, though. I watched as he leaned towards her, his elbows on the countertop. Bringing a hand up, he brushed away from her face with an unusually mischievous smile splayed across his lips. Fuck me. It was worse than I thought. Please don't misunderstand me. I was used to seeing him with women. I, however, was not used to seeing him like this with anyone—ever.

Lola's presence so enthralled Cristo that he hadn't even realized I was standing here. Laughing, he whispered something into her ear that visibly made her shudder, and I wanted to know what he'd said. No, I didn't. It didn't matter. She didn't matter.

I didn't understand it. Yes, the girl was far from homely, but that wasn't enough to make me lose sight of what was important. Family—and she would destroy ours.

Clearing my throat and cutting the playful moment between my brother and his current plaything, I stood in the kitchen threshold with my arms crossed over my chest. Lola immediately jerked away from Cristiano at the sound of my voice, almost as though she was caught doing something she wasn't supposed to. Looking over at me, the initial pinkness of her cheeks soon morphed into a hot deep crimson red color when she realized it was me talking. Her nostrils flared, and her icy blue eyes bore into my face, and I couldn't help but snort. Man, if looks could kill.

"Oh goodie, the headache is still here. So now we can finally talk, yeah?" I said, trying to will my pestilent mind from thinking about how good she looked this morning. Even covered up in a white button-down and long black dress pants. She was giving off some serious secretary vibes, and I loved a good power dynamic trope. Shaking my head, I cursed myself for even picturing the things I was imagining myself doing to her at the moment. Hypocrite.

Get it together, Alexandro, I told myself, needing to stay on subject. I hadn't the slightest idea where to begin, but I knew how it needed to end—with her gone and out of our lives for good by any means necessary, whether Cristiano liked it or not. This was for his own good.

A Mariano had no place in our world, least of all that Mariano.

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