chiara
After flashing Alice a million-dollar smile, he held out his hand for her to shake like he was the politest guy in the whole damn world.
“Alessandro.”
Alice blushed and shook his hand. “Alice.”
I rolled my eyes and nearly smacked her hand away. “Leave us, stronzo.”
He brought his drink to his lips. “So very rude, reginetta.”
“Listen,” I said, glancing back at Tommy, who was lingering by the whore’s table, “I don’t have time for your shit right now.”
He smirked and slid onto the stool next to me. “It seems like you do. You sure did this morning, following me home and all.”
“What is your problem?”
I literally didn’t understand this man. He had told me the wrong address so he wouldn’t have to deal with me, and now, he wouldn’t leave me alone after I asked oh-so kindly. Bipolar much?
Alice gazed between us. “I’ll leave you two.”
“No.”
“Nice meeting you, Alice.”
Alice walked to her table, leaving me alone with the moron.
He hopped off his stool. “Well, I should be getting around. Too many pretty ladies here for Tony to keep all to himself.”
See? Bipolar.
I snatched his arm. “No, you’re not going anywhere. You’re going to sit right there. You want to talk? We need to talk.”
“Chiara.”
I pulled my hand away from Alessandro’s.
Tommy’s arm wrapped around my waist from behind, gripping me tightly. “Who’s this?”
Alessandro gazed between us for a moment more, and then I saw that stupid glint in his eye that told me he was about to screw me over. “Reginetta, you haven’t told him about me?”
Tommy’s fingers dug into my side. “Reginetta?”
I glared at Alessandro. “This is Alessandro.”
Tommy eyed him for a few moments, probably trying to figure out if he could trust him or not. I guessed he chose not because he pulled me closer to his chest.
“Well, Alessandro, Chiara and I will be off.”
He pulled me roughly off of the chair, his hand tightening around my upper arm.
This damn stronzo.
Alessandro smirked at me.
That damn stronzo.
“How do you know him?” Tommy sneered into my ear, still dragging me away from the bar.
“Daddy introduced me to him yesterday.”
“And that’s why he’s calling you reginetta?” Tommy stopped and glared down at me. “You’re lying.”
My eyes widened. “No, I’m not!”
“How do you know him?” he asked again, jaw clenched.
I lowered my voice. “I told you, stronzo!”
“Stronzo? So, now, you’re calling me names? Getting defensive over it?”
He grabbed my jaw roughly, but I pushed him away.
“Don’t feel so special. He’s a bigger stronzo than you are.” I took a deep breath. Don’t blow your cover. “Listen.” I placed my hand softly on his cheek. “I’m sorry. He’s just been getting on my nerves. He won’t leave me alone.”
Tommy clenched his jaw. “He’s about to.”
When Tommy stormed away from me and to the bar where Alessandro was flirting with Giorgia—who had walked in, like, half a second ago—I rolled my eyes.
Men. They had no sense sometimes. All you had to do was try to take what was theirs, and they flipped.
Tommy grabbed Alessandro by the collar and pressed him against the bar. Giorgia gasped loudly, nearly spilling her drink on herself. Don’t ask me why I almost laughed.
Alessandro had a damn smirk on his face the whole time Tommy was threatening him.
After Alessandro said a few words, Tommy slammed him into the bar and stormed out of the room. I rolled my eyes. I wasn’t going to go find him. Fuck that guy. He could cool off with the whore in the restroom and get caught by Daddy for all I cared.
Alessandro gazed over at me and winked, then turned back to Giorgia.
I walked to Alice’s table and collapsed next to her, resting my head on her shoulder. “I need a girls’ trip away from all this shit.”
“You mean Tommy?”
“Yes.”
She smiled at me and stared back over at Alessandro. “Okay, so are you going to tell me who that is and why you seem to be so damn close with him? What am I missing? I’ve never seen him at any family parties before.”
“Don’t ask me. I have no idea why he’s here, but I wish I had never met him,” I said.
“Oh, come on.” She pushed my shoulder. “You don’t wish someone like him—look at him”—she glanced over at him and sighed deeply—“would sweep you off your feet and take you away from Tommy boy?”
“I don’t care how attractive he is. He’s an asshole. Daddy gave me one shot last night, and Alessandro screwed it up for me.”
I explained everything that had happened since the last time I had seen her, which was over two weeks ago. From Tommy to Alessandro to the whore.
Unlike Giorgia, Alice knew about the way Tommy really treated me. She knew how screwed up he was, and now, she knew that he was a big fat cheater. I looked across the room as the whore walked in, displaying her chest to whoever wanted to see it.
“She’s over there.”
Alice, again, raised a brow and grabbed her purse. “You want me to take care of her? Because I got my gun in my purse, loaded and ready for a good time.”
I nearly laughed and pulled her purse away from her. “I don’t need Tommy to be suspicious. I’m working on revenge.”
She relaxed a little. “So, you’re going to let him get away with it?”
I smirked. “For now.”
After a few moments, Tommy walked back into the room, looking oddly calmer than when he had stormed out. Instead of walking back to me, he sat with Daddy and talked to him a bit. He and Alessandro were both at his table, talking about something I didn’t care about.
All I needed was for them not to kill each other. They could fight all they wanted, but no bullets in the head or the heart. I needed Tommy alive to get my sweet revenge and Alessandro alive to get another chance at the business.
As the night wound down, I found myself outside on the patio with my only friend at the moment—a glass of Afterglow champagne. Alice had had some of her own business to do, so she had left me alone with Giorgia. Then, Giorgia had ended up leaving with Cousin Tony. Not my first choice in a guy, but she had to do whatever she had to do.
I glanced at the whore through the glass door. Tommy had approached her table and started chatting innocently with her and her friend. He had no damn respect. None. Absolutely none.
“Reginetta,” Alessandro said, way too close. He placed a forearm on the railing next to me.
“Why can’t you leave me alone?”
“I’m just admiring your beautiful city.”
He leaned over the railing, gazing at Lower Manhattan. I had the urge to push him off the edge. Admiring the city, my ass.
“Your daddy told you that you couldn’t work anymore? That’s a shame. You shouldn’t have let him down.”
“You shouldn’t have been let out of prison,” I said.
He clenched his jaw.
“Oh, did I hit a nerve? My apologies.” I gave him the fakest smile I could muster.
“How do you know about that?”
I shrugged my shoulders, staring at his clenched jaw. “I know a lot about you.”
He stared at me for a few moments, then laughed. “You know nothing about me.” He tilted his head and stepped closer to me. He glared at me with those dangerous eyes. “But you’re right; I shouldn’t have ever left prison. That way, I wouldn’t have ever met you, reginetta. Out of all the whores here, you’re the saddest one to deal with.”
And before I could stop myself, I threw the glass of champagne in his face.