"I need you to promise me something."
"Bianca-"
"Promise me that you'll keep them safe. You must protect them. Don't let them get involved with the Family. It's not safe for them...."
Alessio closed his eyes shut, heart aching in his chest.
"I promi...
White lies are still lies. Even if it's meant for the other people's own good.
—*—
Alessio has never minded staining his hands with blood. After all, sharks are addicted to the scent of said red liquid, and it sends them into a frenzy, making them perfect soldiers and bodyguards. Some of his consigliere tasks involve getting his hands dirty: defending the Don, dealing with the corpses of victims, and taking part in some interrogations, amongst other things.
This time, though, he decided to sit the bloody part out and leave it all to Jawns and Chazwick. The plan was simple: go into the stable to get the package and deliver it to Flotz's bedroom without anyone knowing. Meanwhile, Alessio would wait outside with the car in case they needed a quick escape—knowing Jawns, a quick getaway wouldn't be necessary, so all he had to do was wait.
Alessio leaned against the side of the car, silently watching the Wrathian villa just beyond the hedge. While not fond of hellhorses, he felt terrible for this one. But, well, business is business.
Alessio closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Wrath's air was so much cleaner and purer than the heavily polluted Greed. If he weren't part of the Mafia, he would have considered moving his family—the real one—to this ring.
With nothing else to do for the time being, Alessio checked his phone. He had a message from Crimson asking for a progress report, some reminders of tasks for the next week, photos of the Family members recovering at the hospital, and other notifications. He noticed one of the messages was from Pietro. He'd sent a photo of a rebuilt Loo Loo Land... in Mammon's terms of 'rebuilt.
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Alessio smiled and typed back.
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The consigliere sighed. His children knew he had to travel to Wrath, but they didn't know the real reason. He'd told them he would run an errand for Crimson at Gustav Brisont's ranch.
Unlike most people, Alessio didn't begin to type a message unless he was sure what he would say. Writing and erasing when talking via phone messages could give the impression that you were trying to make up a lie.
After pondering for a minute, he finally typed.
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He knew Giulia was messaging him when he saw the word 'daddy' on the screen. Sighing sadly, he typed again.
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Rather than respond with words, the kids responded with many happy emojis. Alessio chuckled.
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Alessio sighed. He put the phone back in his jacket with a squirming in his heart.
He hates lying to them, but it's for their own good.
The unmistakable sound of Chaz's panicked voice and Jawns's irritated hiss distracted him from his thoughts. Alessio started the car just as the two climbed over the hedge.
The scream from the main villa building let him know their job had been completed.
