ALESSANDRO: Book 3 of The De Luca Brothers Series [COMPLETED]

1:

The cigarette between my lips does little to calm the nerves that seem to zip around my stomach like a working ping pong machine in the middle of an intense game. I close my eyes and lean against the brick wall behind me as I suck the nicotine into my lungs before exhaling it, allowing the impact to try and make my stiff muscles relax; easier said than done. I look left and right, a strand of purple hair falling from its messy bun into my blue eyes as I check for prying public or police. It's not that I want to do this, but life handed me a rough hand of cards and this is the best way I can possibly play.

I look down at my worn leather boots that tuck into a pair of harem black trousers that meet my crop top. Over the top I wear my oversized green jacket with a multitude of packets, patches and badges that each lend itself to my personality- well apart from the pockets. The pockets, or rather what are in the pockets are the reason I'm stood in this shady alleyway, waiting for the next druggy to walk by so I can add to their pitiful addiction. Beggars can't be choosers, even though I'm practically going against my moral code, it's the survival of the fittest at this end of the city.

I flick the cig down to the ground and crush it under my boot, promptly putting it out with a sad wisp of smoke escaping to add to the already polluted atmosphere. I huff and tuck the lose strand of hair behind my ear before pulling out my disposable cheap phone and checking the anonymous text messages asking for the next fix. My regular client Charlie told me he'd be here by now and usually isn't a minute late for his fix-up of some death. What's the hold up?

I begin to text him on my this brick asking him where the hell he is and how long he'll be. It takes him a couple of minutes but he eventually replies.

CHARLIE: Close. Got held up by some thugs.

ANGEL: You give them the slip? I don't need the trouble, make sure nobody is following you or you don't get your drugs.

Charlie doesn't reply back, leaving me waiting patiently. Just for good measures I pull out a small butterfly knife; the first rule on these streets is to trust nobody, or else you're good for gone. They'll sabotage you, find your weaknesses before destroying you, leaving you either dead and wanting to be dead. I frown as I hear footsteps, pushing off the wall as I notice a limping Charlie with a forming black eye and a swollen nose.

"Drugs?" He croaks, opening his wallet with shaky hands to find it empty. He lets out a groan before looking me in the eye, "You've gotta give me my fix Angel, I-I can't function without the shit."

"If you don't have the money, you don't get the—"

"For fucks sake!" He roars, swinging. I duck, missing his bruised fist as I watch it saw and hit the brick wall. He cries out and stares at his broken hand in agony, his eyes tearing up in both frustration and pain. The human side of me wants to go and help him, but the business side is screaming no.

I watch him.

"Please- I got robbed by that gang... the one whose always been here and got kicked out by that other one- fucking hell it hurts- what is it? The Roses?"

"Thorns," I whisper brokenly before taking a step back. Five months ago the Thorns put out an order to stop all drug dealers on the streets that don't belong to their gang; I suppose it's for the rumours of a gang war, but hey, what do I know? I'm only one of the surviving few of the dealers left on these streets and I'm sure as hell not stopping today. "Charlie? What happened to your phone?"

He looks up confusedly, his face contorting in an animalistic expression as he pats his pockets before shrugging, "Must have fell out... can I have my fix now? Hey! Where the fuck do you think you're going?!"

I was already sprinting the opposite from the opposite direction that Charlie came from, into Main Street looking left and right. Everyone to me seems like a potential enemy as a man in business-wear collides into me. I gasp and flash my blade causing him to stumble backwards in surprise, eyes wide. He puts his hands up surrender carrying his briefcase with shaking fear.

"I'm sorry," I whisper before darting off into the street, narrowly missing oncoming traffic as the daunting horror of what could happen to me hits me with brute force. I stumble to the other side of the street and rush towards a slip between a Chinese and a basic restaurant, using my hands to propel me over a bin. I land before launching into a full run, running from a potential threat.

A gunshot fires from further away as I hear Charlie's final cry. My heart pounds against my chest as I grip the knife with such strength that my palms begin to sweat. I sidestep into a turn before beginning to climb up a ladder, placing the knife handle between my teeth. As I reach for the rooftop ledge, a hand clamps down on my ankle before pulling with an almighty force. I lose my grip and fall backwards, my breath catching in my throat.

I pummel to the ground a cry escaping my lips as my limbs flail before I hit the concrete. My back screams in pain as my sight goes blurred and my mind screams. Dazed, I lean to my side to release my back, only my entire balance and equilibrium has been knocked off guard. I let out a nauseating moan, placing a shaky hand on my temple after a couple of attempts.

I blink slowly, the blurriness clearing by the second as I squint at the figure descending from the ladder. The person is tall with a feminine figure and an oppressing demeanour, causing me to flinch away. Sense starts to settle in, I scamper backwards away from the lady. Where the fuck is my knife?!

"We've been looking for you for quite a while now," Says the woman, crouching down by my feet and peering at me with an amused expression. "You give quite the chase, I'll give you that much Angel."

"What can I say?" I ignore the wince in my voice. "I like to impress."

"Sure. Only you've annoyed my boss. He's really pissed off by you and you're going to wish you never joined this business."

"Not all of us has a choice," I hiss.

"Everybody has a choice. It's just whether you bother to look at the choices," she sighs in a mocking manor. "I'm going to take you in now. You give me any shit and I won't hesitate to slit your throat."

Noticing the shimmer of metal at the corner of my right eye, I inhale an encouraging breath before landing a kick square in her chest taking her off guard. I roll and pick up the knife on the floor, only for her to launch herself at me.

She lets out an animalistic scream, I attempt to catch her thigh, only she blocks it and straddles me by the hips, pinning down my dagger wielding hand before sending a sharp jab to my throat. I choke and instinctively shielding my throat, only for her to draw her hand back and catch me in the jaw. I see stars. Only the stars disperse and I'm left looking at a furious face. She grins manically and I mimic her, only for her to furrow her brows in confusion.

I snap my hand up with an open palm catching her nose; it crunches. The woman lets out a howl of pain as she nurses her nose, I take the opportunity to stab her thigh which only causes her to scream louder before taking to the ladder again.

As I near the top, a gun fires and the concrete slab to my left explodes on impact. I gasp and scramble clumsily the rest of the way off just as another bullet skims my side just as I pull myself over the short wall and fall on my back. Knowing I don't have enough time, I bite my tongue as the tender flesh wound stretches with movement, before rolling once and getting up, stumbling and running once again.

With a hand holding onto my side despite the pain, I manage to leap off the edge of the building before landing on the next one on wobbly knees. Falling to the ground, I slam my free hand down and force myself to keep on running; for the sake of survival and potentially my life. Multiple gunshots follow as I jump to the next building, I feel the scattering of granite from around my ankle as I land on the other side.

I risk a glance and notice he's back at the ladder, gun wavering. One last hopeless bullet and he's out of ammunition. I carry on running until I know I'm safe. What the fuck.