I let out a soft sigh of relief. That could've gone worse.
“Sure, boss.” Snark nods, then looks at the rest of us. “Viking's room's the biggest.”
“Prez,” yells Alpha, a rangy guy with a buzz cut and a bushy beard who joined the club only a couple of months ago, as he bursts in through the front door. “A whole shitload of black SUVs just pulled up in front of the gate. There's a skinny guy demanding that we hand over Alessa, whoever the fuck that is.”
Well, fuck, that was fast.
16
ALESSA
The moment the biker at the door describes Dario, my knees start shaking. Even inside the compound, surrounded by bikers, there's a fear in the lizard part of my brain that's convinced he's just going to waltz right in, find me and Izzy and drag us with him to the middle of nowhere, and… and then do something horrible, whatever it is.
I'm safe here, I chant to myself while the guys rush to the door.
Bear faces me before going out. “Stay in here, and you'll be safe. We'll make sure no one gets in. No one's going to fucking hurt you.”
I nod, hating being useless, but he's right. Even Dario wouldn't risk attacking the compound. He's crazy, but he's not stupid. If he was, that would make all this easier.
Right. Deep breath. Chill. Don't let him mess with my head. I'm safe here. As safe as you can be as a Mafia girl surrounded by an army of bikers.
“Hey.” Even though the woman's voice is gentle, it's right behind me and I jump, then whirl, clutching Izzy tight.
Nerves on edge? Me? Never.
“Sorry, sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. You just look like you could use a little support right now. Come on, the couch is comfy. The guys will sort it out. They always do.”
She’s the one that was sitting with the three guys. For some reason, I could swear I’ve seen her before, but I can’t imagine where. Maybe she was at the party? They've gone outside, but Eagle-eye's dog is still following her closely, leaning against her leg.
Well, I'm not going to help anything standing here. “Yeah. Sure.”
As soon as we sit, the dog jumps up and settles into her lap. “Geez, Jupiter. You're getting too big to be a lapdog,” she chides him playfully, but she doesn't move to push him off. Big or not, he seems perfectly happy where he is, resting his head on her thigh and thumping his tail. She looks at me and holds her hands about a foot apart. “Would you believe he was only this big a few months ago?”
“Listen, there's a crazy guy out there looking for me and my baby, so I'm not sure I care about dog size right now,” I snap. She raises her eyebrow at me until I sigh. “Sorry. Just a little on edge. He's a really cute dog.”
“Jupiter. He belongs to Eagle-eye, but he's as slutty as any of the girls around here. He'll roll over for just about anyone.” She grins and scratches Jupiter behind the ear. His leg pats the couch in excitement.
“You're one of the… the sluts?” Even here in the club, it feels weird to ask someone that.
“No, not me. Never was. The way I got here was… complicated, but I'm an old lady now.” She holds out a hand. “Emily Hawthorne.”
I take it, suddenly realizing why she seemed so familiar. It's been a bunch of years. “Hawthorne? Like the old mayor? Didn't you go to Holy Cross?”
Her eyes widen. “He's my dad. That's also complicated. How did you know about Holy Cross?”
“I know the feeling. Alessa Giordano. I was a year ahead of you.”
“Giordano? Oh my God, I remember you, kinda.”
“Yeah. I played field hockey, but you did softball, right? Our paths didn't really cross, but Dad pointed out your dad a couple of times.”
She laughs. “I was a bench warmer, but you'd be surprised when skill with a softball bat comes in handy. Small world.”
“Yes and no.” I shrug. “There are only so many private schools fancy enough for our families to consider I guess.”
“Good point.” She laughs and gives Jupiter scritches. “How did you even—no, maybe I shouldn't even ask. Your situation sounds even more complicated than mine.” She glances towards the open front door, where angry yelling is carrying from outside. Pretty sure that's Viking. Maybe she sees me tense, since she adds with a smile, “Don't worry. They've got this. This is a fortress. We fought off Dad's police force here, so we can definitely handle a few Mafiosos.”
“Fabbris anyway,” I mutter. I'm not sure how to unpack my feelings, so I change the subject. “Whose old lady are you? One of the guys who sat with you?”
She laughs and rubs her baby bump. She seems a lot more thrilled about hers than I was about mine. Easier when you know you're not going to be alone. “All three of them, if you'd believe it. Like I said, complicated.”