4: Damsel In Distress

Rylan's POV

"Don't cry, Alessia!"

The lady's father groaned, his action causing the knife to slightly cut deep into his flesh as his thick blood streaked down the metal.

"Pl-ease. I beg you." She shuddered, turning white like paper.

"Don."

Thane's voice called out.

My eyes pressed shut for a moment and my grip on her father's throat loosened.

"Fuck you."

I pushed him forward, and he knocked his daughter, causing her to crash against him.

The door burst open. Thane stormed in alongside other guards of Eduardo.

He was quick to pull out his gun and point it at the guards, counting them from the first to the last.

"Watch your back, Eduardo. Next time, you won't be this lucky, I promise you."

Spinning my chair around, I headed for the door with the thousand-and-one guns of the guards aimed at me and Thane.

"Let's go."

Thane swallowed his protest and led me to the car and we headed home, mission abolished... For now.

"I had no idea there he had a liability, boss."

Thane apologized.

I tapped on the arm of my chair and looked outside the window. My jaws were tight and the anger remained rooted in my guts. I needed to get it off my mind with a good fuck and alcohol.

Screw the first option.

Reaching for the crate of hard liquor, I rooted out a bottle and gulped immediately, letting the acrid taste burn my throat.

**

"Don, the lady from the other night is in the casino."

A guard bluffed behind me.

The muscles of my back stiffened in a way I couldn't fathom.

A million and one questions pulsed through my mind, causing me to panic.

First, why were they telling me? Was she in some sort of trouble?!

"She's been taking way too many shots, and she's refused to leave."

The guard spoke, sensing my uneasiness.

Fuck!

What was it with her and getting into trouble?!

"My phone."

I demanded with an outstretched hand.

Before now, the guard from the casino that I spoke to briefly about the stranger, has been trying to reach me, but I put my phone away, not needing any business drama. I bet he snitched the words to this fellow.

All days, I've remained indoors and sulked, and not even Thane could snap me out of my mood.

Once he passed me my phone, he nodded and walked away.

"Don?"

"Give the phone to her."

He mumbled a yes and there was a moment of brief silence.

"Hey Mr. Mafia"

Her warm, velvety voice beamed through the speaker.

Yesterday, she saved her father. It wasn't because she alarmed the guards, but because I felt like a monster, just watching her melt in terror. For the first time in my life, I had to pause a mission. Well, her father was safe, for now.

"You should leave." I groaned.

"Come make me."

She chuckled, her laugh breathless.

"This is not funny, lady." I reprimanded her.

"I thought you love to dare..."

"Everything changed."

That agonizing pain I felt when my father announced my predicament in the hospital bed, returned.

"For your own good, you shouldn't mess with me."

"Stop... Go away..."

I paused.

It didn't take long to know that she was directing those words to someone else.

"Alessia."

I called out, a gripping sensation tugging at my chest.

It wasn't hard knowing the name of the mystery daughter Eduardo hid for years.

"Hey,"

She returned back to me.

"Stay there. Alessia. Don't freaking move."

As if I was a clown, she chuckled.

Goddamn it!

Not bothering to end the call, I reversed my wheelchair and headed towards the door.

Taking the elevator, I didn't need the help of anyone. At least, it made me feel capable.

"Rylan?"

Thane drove in and pulled over once he met me.

Thank goodness.

"I need to be at the casino."

"Is there..."

"Now."

He nodded and got down to help me, relieving the driver of his duty.

"Are you going to talk about it?"

He asked once we were alone and driving towards the casino.

I noticed my phone bleep, putting the call to an end.

Damn it! The freaking place is almost an hour away!

"Just take me to the casino, I'll explain later."

A sucker for gossip, he stepped on the pedal and drove us at an insane speed. Acquainted with the road officers, he managed to save his ass from getting smashed with a red card.

"Thanks, man."

I barely murmured and wheeled myself into the casino.

Bubbly as ever, it reeked of smoke and expensive shits.

There she was, leaning on the bar like her life depended on it.

Alessia.

"Mr. Russo."

A regular client called and I ignored him. Thankfully, Thane was there to my rescue.

Dressed in a blue dress that matched her pupils, with her hair packed in a neat ponytail, she always left an impression.

"Mr. Mafia,"

"Stop calling me that."

"You came." She chuckled.

"And you're wasted, lady." I sighed, reaching for her arm.

She tilted towards me, slipping into my lap like a toddler.

I adjusted the knob on my chair, allowing her to settle fully in my bosom and body.

"You look sexy, Mr. Mafia."

She cupped my cheeks and wriggled it like a baby.

"Keep your hands down."

"No."

She pouted, reeking of liquor.

I blame the bartender for letting her get this drunk. Struggling to see, with her rubbing her hands all over my face and throwing herself on me, I managed to wheel us back in the car.

"Will you fuck me, Mr. Mafia?" Her sultry voice beckoned. "In the car, like the last time..."

"Alessia."

I groaned, exuding the last self-control in me.

"Touch my pussy, make me cum."

My bulge swelled harder, pressing further into her ass.

"God, Lessi." I cried. "You don't want us to get an accident, do you?"

For her cruel father, I would love to see him watch his child suffer like myself, but watching her collapse on me, exhausted, was the last thing on my mind.

In silence, Thane drove us home.

"You should go to the warehouses and ensure things are in order."

I told him upon our arrival.

"Just so you know, this gist isn't over until I say so, Rylan." He grumbled before vanishing.

A small smile creased my lips.

Alone with Alessia, my eyes remained fixated on her pretty face as she slept innocently, gently tucked in bed.

Thirty minutes... An hour... Or even more...

I watched her like a hawk and when she showed the slightest sign of being awake, I wheeled myself to the window, watching the bubbly city I missed.

"I didn't touch you, not like you didn't want me."

My back was still to her, but the soft sound of sheet ruffling told me she was looking down to see if I shifted her pants.

"Was I that silly?"

"I'd say stupid." My words were blunt.

"Damn it." She collapsed back in bed.

Neither of us said anything.

"My father. Did he do that to you?"

I didn't respond to her. Instead, I relived the gruesome incident.

"I'm sorry."

"What do you want?"

Hating to hear these petty pity words, I pushed the button.

"Marry me. I want you to marry me, Rylan."

She knew my name. I guess enemies keep tabs on themselves. Somehow, I loved it when she called me Mr. Mafia.

Wait... What?!

Still trying to register the words she said, she crawled out of bed and rushed in front of me. She held the arms of my chair and pulled away when I flashed her an angry gaze.

"Sorry."

Oh, god.

I threw my face aside. She wouldn't get it, not now... Maybe not ever.

"I want us to get..."

"I heard you, lady." I stopped her from ranting on. "It's time to leave."

"Please." She whimpered, not budging.

"What makes you think I'd want to marry you?"

"Not like anyone will marry you."

Fuck! My heart was ripped in shreds.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean it that way."

She attempted to touch me, but I raised a hand to stop her.

"If this is a way to not get your father killed, you're wrong."

"Even though I'd hate for him to be killed, I'm not here for him."

I scoffed.

"Really. He doesn't even know I'm here."

"Alessia, if I find out you're involved in this, I'd not hesitate to kill you too."

A gloomy expression swept her off her composure.

"Why would you say that?" Her tone was flat and hurt.

"Your last words about me rotting in hell... Nice game with your father."

She sighed. "I was only an angry bird, I didn't mean any of that, maybe not this way."

Not responding to her, we remained silent for a few minutes.

"Why are you doing this? To save your father?"

Surprisingly, she shook her head. "To spite him, and not marry that arrogant ass."

Hmm. I pressed my lips to suppress a peal of laughter, even though her facial expression was making it a hell of a hard decision.

"Say I marry you and spare your father, what would it benefit me?"

She shrugged.

"Your kingdom." She was so certain.

"It will only be a matter of time, your empire will come against you, questioning your competence."

What the fuck?!

The gritty sensation her blunt words evoked, made me pause my breath. She gave this vibe of a seer... with freaking bad prophecies.