La Cosa Nostra

Chapter 16

Anger. No scratch that. Fury. That's what's pulsing through my veins right now as I slam the car door shut. It's almost midnight and I just got back to Luciano's place. I'm injured and exhausted but too riled up to sleep. Walking into the house, I'm a little surprised to find Luciano, Angelo and Emilia sitting at the kitchen counter. They're in the middle of a conversation, a bottle of whiskey on the counter when I enter. Their gazes snap to me and widen at my disheveled appearance. I looked like shit and I knew it but I was too out of it to care right now. I hadn't slept in almost two days giving me an almost zombie like look, my all black outfit was torn in a few areas and stained with blood while my hair was falling out of its messy ponytail. They seem to be in shock, unable to say a word but I don't mind the silence. I wasn't in the mood for chit chat. I gulp down the cold water I grabbed from the fridge  in seconds when my phone rings. Looking at the caller ID, my eyes flash with rage and I unconsciously crush the empty bottle. Sliding to answer, I put the phone to my ear and gingerly sit down on a stool, wincing at the pain in my ribs. I don't even care that I'm sitting beside Luciano. I had bigger problems to deal with.

"What?" I answer harshly, my voice low and deadly. There was no mistaking the pure rage in it.
"I'm sorry, Alessa. We didn't know it was a CIA black site." Thomas's voice comes through the line, sounding apologetic. But I was good and I knew him well. Right now, that remorse and guilt sounded fake as hell.

"Do not play me for a fool,Thomas." I warn him and he knows that I've seen through his facade.

"It's not what you think it is."
"And what am I thinking?"
His voice turns frustrated and slightly annoyed.
"What exactly are you insinuating here?"
"Nothing. I just think it's funny how you of all people gave me the wrong intel. It's never happened before."
"I am human Alessa. I do make mistakes."
"Not mistakes that can cost your agent's life."

I can almost hear him roll his eyes at me.
"When did you become such a drama queen? You got out of there alive didn't you?"
His indifference is what drives the final nail into the coffin.
"What did you just say?" I'm shaking with rage now and my voice is deathly low. He pauses, knowing that he screwed up.
"Fuck, I didn't mean it like that. You know I would never-"
"You sent me into a CIA black site completely blind. Your intel was that our agent was locked up in a warehouse with 4 guards who were gang members. I walked into a fucking death trap with 10 highly trained CIA agents shooting at me. Let's not forget that I had to basically carry a heavily wounded, barely unconscious agent out of there. You're lucky you're not burying two dead agents right now because let me tell you, for a minute there I thought I was done for and you know how confident I am."

Thomas is silent on the other line for a few long seconds before he clears his throat.
"I know and I'm sorry but this isn't my fault. I had no idea it was a CIA black site."
I scoff, letting out a humourless laugh.
"Spare me the bullshit Thomas. I'm coming in to see you tomorrow morning and I pray that you've come up with an explanation by then." I don't wait for a reply and hang up on him, slamming the phone on the counter and letting out a string of curses. Closing my eyes briefly to calm myself down, I open them to meet three wide and shocked gazes. Shit, I had forgotten about them being in the room.
"Hey."
Emilia is the first one to respond.
"Hey? That's all you have to say? Hey? What the fuck happened to you?"
"It's a long story."
I feel Luciano get up from beside me but I don't turn and look. Instead, I pour myself some whisky, wincing when I lean forward because of my bruised shoulder and ribs. I needed to pop some painkillers before I go to sleep.

"CCC gave you the wrong intel?" Angelo asks, his voice worried and confused.
I just nod, closing my eyes and trying not to think of the pain.
"Has this happened before?" Emilia asks and I shake my head, sighing frustratedly.
"No."
Luciano sits back down beside me, a first aid kit with him.
"May I?" He asks pointing to my jacket.
A part of me didn't want him anywhere near me but I was injured and too tired to care right now. I just nod silently, slowly shrugging off my jacket.
I hear gasps from Emilia and Angelo and Luciano inhales sharply. My bullet wound had reopened and was bleeding through my makeshift bandage.
"You need to go to a hospital, Alessa." Emilia says worriedly.
"I'm fine. It was a clean shot."
Luciano gently removes my bandage and stitches the wound up. It hurts like a bitch but I'm falling in and out of consciousness at this point. I startle awake when I feel something soft touch the side of my face. I flinch back, my hands moving up to a defensive stance. Luciano jerks back in shock, his hand holding the disinfectant that he was using to clean my wounds lifting up in surrender. Looking down, I see that he had finished stitching my bullet wound and had moved to clean the cuts and bruises on my face.
"I got it." I say, moving to stand up.
"Alessandra, your ribs are -"
" I got it, Don. Thank you." I don't look him in the eye, just nodding to Angel and Emilia before heading up to my room.