His Delicate Flame

chapter 9~ your fault

Alessio stared at the visitor his guards had called him for. His delicate angel was gone in her place an avenging flame of death.

"I should just shoot you right now." Julie said with a gun aimed at his head. She had been standing behind his door and had her gun to his head the second he walked in.

She looked dead serious and angry as hell. For a minute Alessio was taken aback, although this was the second time she had aimed a gun at him this time she looked like she might pull the trigger.

"You can't,if you really were angry enough to kill me you would have done so as soon as I walked in. But you won't, would  you cara ? I don't even know what I did this time."

Alessio moved closer to her and looked into her eyes. For the first time since Tony got kidnapped she dropped her guard and Alessio saw defeat in her. She looked away not wanting him to see too much.

"Cara, what happened?"

Julie sighed then moved away to give her space. She walked to his mini bar and poured a shot of whisky then downed it in one go. When she went to pour another a hand stopped her.

Alessio turned her to him, eyebrows furrowed in a frown. He cupped her face with both his hands so that she could not avoid looking at him. For the briefest moment her eyes watered then they hardened again.

"It's your fault. I told you even a minute in your presence would bring danger to us. The Russians think I'm am your woman and since you have never associated with anyone outside the mafia they concluded I was special and could be a potential weakness." Julie gritted out trying to keep her temper and emotions in check.

"I know." He replied softly and she snapped.

"You know? You bloody know? That's all you have to fucking say?My brother could be dead because you just wanted to thank me." She screamed pushing him away from her.

"I will bring him back to you." Alessio tried to appease her but she shook her head and started pacing.

"I can't trust you right now. You are the last person I  should even  be talking to right now. You are the root of all this and the worst part is the fucking mole that is this fucking mafia."

"That is stupid the mafia lives for loyalty and they are loyal to me. No one would dare betray me."

Julie turned to him."Really?"

"Si."

Julie's anger came back full force and she start"Have you asked yourself how the Russians knew about me when we only met twice. Once in my home and for a few minutes at the pit."

"They might have been following me already."

"Please you are not that stupid you would spot them in a minute. You would have known if you had a tail in a second and dealt with it.One of your people is talking and selling you out."

"Ok. Ok let's assume you are correct how do you know of this?"

"I have my ways of getting around."

"If you have your own sources why are you here? Did you come to warn me about the mole?"

"Get over yourself. I'm here because they are after you and are using Tony to get to me then eventually get to you."

"And?"

"I was thinking of making it easy for them swap you for my brother."

Alessio stared at her before he burst out laughing. It wasn't a soft chuckle but a loud belly clenching laugh. It made her feel as if he thought her too stupid and inferior to make her plan work.

"Though your plan sounds good in your head you forget this is the mafia world. That means no lose ends."

"Fine then since this is your fault and you know more about this world then you owe me. We should work together to get my brother back."

"What use are you to me? You are just another delicate flower waiting to be crushed in this world."

"I know more about the Russians than any of your sources do."

"Really. Enlighten me as to how you know more about my enemies than me."

"I have my sources too."

"Cara lying does not become you."

"I doesn't matter how I know just that I'm useful."

"Oh but it matters, I don't like being kept in the dark by partners. That is what we are going to be right Julie."

"I don't want a partnership just a bit of help getting Tony back."

"I should just help out of the goodness of my heart."

"Highly unlikely you having a heart but you are indebted to me for saving you and putting me in this shit. You have been dying to thank me. Help me save Tony and we are even."

"I agree with you on all that but my point is I cannot associate with an unknown ally. You have too big a secret to trust."

"What secret?"

"You know what I'm talking about Juliana Romnov."