Chapter 19

Alec

I should have stayed back to protect Courtney and let Nikolai go with Lucien, but they said it would be okay. I wanted to stay with her to protect her. The way she looked at the man tied up in the basement was full of hatred, not fear. She was ready to stand up for herself and fight.
She was taunting him and had him by the balls.
She wasn’t afraid anymore and that made me love her even more. I should have run away from her when my feelings got too attached, but I didn’t. I wanted to try for her and fight for her.
I wasn’t entirely sure if I fully trusted Nikolai, but I did partly trust him. He stayed true to his word and protected her while we were out searched the streets for Sergei. We found nothing. He told us if it weren’t for Courtney sneaking down with a gun and shooting that prick then he didn’t know what would’ve happened.
She was a strong woman and had been through so much for being so young.
Nikolai said Sergei liked to hang out in his club, but after what he did to that poor woman I’m not so sure. I think we should check out our club again. The bad guys are always hiding right under your nose in plain sight. He may even be closer than we think.
“You really think he’d be stupid enough to go to our club after what he did at Nikolai’s club?” Lucien asked me as he was typing away on his phone.
“Yes. It’s worth a shot.” I glance at the picture of Courtney on my phone I took while she was sleeping. She was so damn beautiful, especially when she’s naked and wrapped up in my sheets. I didn’t know that someone like me could ever be capable of loving someone until I met her. I admit that I was a rude jerk to her at first, but now things were different. I felt something for her. I didn’t like how she made me feel things for the first time in my life. I never did that before I met her.
“Okay. We can check out the club, but if anything looks sketchy we’re calling Nikolai.” He said as he looked at the picture of Caterina on his desk.
“When are you going to tell her?” His face twisted up in a scowl and rolled his eyes.
“I told you it’s going to take some time. I’ll go for it when you admit you’re in love with Courtney.” He said smirking. I knew he would say something like that.
“That’s not fair and you know it.” Looking at my phone once again. I know I do love her, but I’m afraid if I say it then I’ll lose her forever.
“I-I think I do love her, but what if I say it and she doesn’t feel the same way or what if I lose her?” I tell him truthfully.
“Look, she does love you. I can see it in her eyes. She’s put up with your bullshit and yet she’s still here. Tell her how you feel and then go from there.”
Tonight I’m going to tell her and I just hope she doesn’t run the other way. Please, baby, don’t run away from me. You’re changing me for the better.
“I’m still not making a move on Caterina. I just wanted to know if you had feelings for her.” He states.
My mouth hangs open in shock. He set me up for that and now that he knows he’s going to tease me. I didn’t even see that one coming.
Courtney stands at the kitchen counter cutting some fruit completely unaware I’m watching her from the distance. I want to wrap my arms around her, but I don’t want to scare her. She might slip and cut herself. I don’t ever want her hurt again.
Giovanni stands next to me bumping me on the shoulder with a knowing look. He knows.
“It’s okay to feel, Alec. Go to her and tell her how you feel.” He whispered to me.
She takes the apple slice and slides them past her lips making me wish I was the fruit. She looks up and we make eye contact. Now’s the time Alec. You can do this. I tell myself trying to psych myself up. I slide my hands around her waist and whisper in her ear making her shiver. “I want to tell you something.”
Her face scrunches up in confusion then worry. I knew she would worry when I told her that. Turning her around so she was facing me, I pull her closer to me so only she can hear. “I love you. I know I’ve hurt you in the past, but you’re doing things to me. I love you Courtney Rosetti and always have the minute we met. I’m sorry I was a jerk and if you…”
She cuts me off kissing my lips to keep me from rambling like a fool.
“I love you Alec Vitale and yes you were a jerk, but everything is different now.” She says with tears running down her face. She’s not crying because she’s scared or hurt. She’s happy.
“Take me to your room.” She purrs as she runs her hand down my chest, brushing her lips across mine. I pick her up wrapping her legs around my waist kissing down her neck. This time I’m not going to fuck her. I’m going to make love to her. The whole way to my room our lips never leave each other. She tastes so sweet just like that apple slice she ate.
I don’t pay attention to the looks I’m getting from Gio and Luca. I don’t even see or hear them as I made my way to my room. In my world, it’s just me and her. Nobody else.
We crash our bodies together on the bed and my hand roams to her ass as she grinds on top of me. I need her so badly it hurts.
“Alec. Make love to me.” She moans in my mouth.
She pulls my shirt up over my head and I do the same to her. Her fingers start to work on my belt and unzip my pants pulling them down and I rip her skirt off her to find out she didn’t have any panties on.
“Are you trying to kill me, baby?” I moan with my strained voice.
She takes my hard cock in her hands and slams herself on it sliding down all the way.
“Courtney, you feel so good, baby.” I groan as she works her hips and slides up and down on it.
She arches her back as she rolls her hips into me. I feel her walls tighten around me making my balls start to tighten up and she starts to grind even harder and faster.
"Yes!” She screams out her orgasm, making me start to cum inside of her.
“Courtney, mmm. Yeah, just like that!” As we ride out our orgasm the thrust gets sloppier and her body collapses on top of me.
“I love you, baby,” I say pressing our foreheads together.
“I love you too. That was amazing.” She says kissing me and then closing her eyes. I must have really worked her over good. Lifting her up off of me, I lay her on the bed and slide behind her wrapping my arm around her stomach.
A hand shaking me awake makes me open my eyes. Lucien stands there with a smug grin on her face. “It’s time to pay our intruder a visit.” He says walking away closing the door.
I didn’t want to leave her, but I had to. I did leave her a note telling her how much I love her and for her to rest.
“So?” I look to him confused. “How did it turn out?”
I glare at him not wanting to give him any details of what happened between me and Courtney. “All I’m going to tell you is it went fine.”
He raised his hands up in surrender.
The man raises his head as we make our way into the room and smirks at me. “I was wondering when you’d be back.” He’s just trying to provoke me into doing something stupid like punching him. He knows we need him alive to get information out of him.
“Now, are you going to tell us where we can find Sergei?” I spit out dragging the blade across his thigh. He doesn’t even scream out in pain or flinch when I cut through his skin.
“Hmmm. I could tell you, but where’s the fun in that?” He just trying to get under my skin and it’s working. Don’t lose it, Alec. Keep everything under control.
“Tell us or we’ll have to go to much more drastic measures and trust me you don’t want that,” I reply to him as I’m pointing the knife to his finger.
No response?
Okay then.
“Hold him still Lucien and gag him.” Lucien takes the tape and slaps it on his mouth and holds his hand still.
“Mph! Mph!” He tried to scream but I can’t understand a word he’s saying.
Angling the knife over his pinkie, I start to apply pressure cutting into his skin down to the bone.
Crack!
I can hear the bone break as I add more pressure. His finger falls to the floor while blood drips down and all that can be heard is his muffled screams. I rip the tape off his mouth and he begins to beg for his life. “I’ll tell you what I know if you let me go.”
This is progress. Oh, we’ll let you go alright. “Talk.”
“He’s been hiding in an old warehouse at the edge of town in the woods. Now can you let me go?”
I’ve got you right where I want you. “We’ll let you go right after you take us to him. We’ll go tomorrow.”
Lucien smirks to the man and I know one thing. When we get what we want from him, we’ll kill him and the bastard, Sergei, too. A man like that doesn't deserve to live. He’ll never touch the woman I love ever again.
I always wondered what it would be like to have a feeling for someone and now I know. You'll make sure the person you love stays protected no matter what happens to you. You'll make sure she's safe no matter what the cost is, even if it's your own life.
For the first time in my life, I'm not doing something selfish. I'm doing something selfless and I'm doing it all for you Courtney Rosetti.
I'm not quite sure if I'm going to make it out alive, but I'll damn sure try to. Hopefully, by this time tomorrow, we'll all be celebrating the death of Sergei Ibrahimov together as a family. A family I vowed to protect at all costs.
Protect the family.
That's what he taught me.
We are a family.
Always and Forever.
Till death.
So many secrets.
Secrets that I will take to my grave.