The Mafia Contract Series

ALESSANDRO

I couldn’t stop now if I tried. Finally, Winter is in my arms where she belongs and despite everything, I believe we were always destined to find our way back to one another. Two years of torment after one night of passion tells me that night meant everything, to me, anyway. As I hold her in my arms, I feel so scared I will break her. I should be treading a careful path, but I can’t resist the magnetic pull she has always held over me.

It’s the sweetest sensation in the world kissing the woman I love and despite her fragility, I want this more than life itself and I always did.

Her soft moan against my lips makes my heart swell and as she holds my face in her gentle hands, I love every single fucking moment of this kiss. It’s as if it’s our first one and all the sweeter for the long wait we’ve suffered to arrive at this point.

There is no need to stop. I could kiss her all night and now we have started, there will be no stopping and as the minutes turn to hours, we just spend them in each other’s arms.

As the night falls into dawn, we have spent every precious minute touching, kissing and smiling into each other’s eyes as we explore what this could be. I don’t press any further because Winter needs to heal, and kissing is a step I never thought we would reach so soon after we came here.

The sun inches its fingers through the drapes and warns us it’s time to rise and I must physically tear myself from my position beside her because we have business to attend to.

“Where are you going?”

She looks anxious and I smile reassuringly. “I should shower and change. Breakfast is at seven and be late at your peril.”

She glances over at the clock by the bed and says with surprise, “We’ve been up all night.”

“So it would seem.” I chuckle and her eyes are wide as she whispers, “I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

‘For keeping you from sleeping. You must be exhausted.”

“Are you?”

She wrinkles up her forehead and I want to kiss every line away. “No. I’m not.”

“Then you have your answer.”

I sigh and say with regret. “You should shower and change, too. Nonna has arranged a change of clothes and after breakfast…”

“What?” She looks anxious and I say gently, “You must spend time with Angelo. He leaves today and will be anxious to check on you.”

“He’s leaving me here?”

“Only if you’re happy about that.”

I am suddenly anxious because what if she wants to leave with them? I never considered that possibility for a second and now I’m not so sure.

“I want to stay with you.” She appears shy as she speaks and the faint blush to her cheeks pulls me by her side in an instant.

Cupping that gorgeous face in my hands, I kiss her long and leisurely and make no secret of my intentions. When I pull back, the spark of desire I see in her eyes mirrors my own and I say roughly, “You are mine, Winter, and you were before you were snatched from my side. Don’t feel guilty about this because you belong here.”

“But how will this work?”

She seems sad all of a sudden, causing me to pull her against me to chase the shadows away.

She whispers, “I can’t be with you, Alessandro.”

“That’s not what I want to hear, baby.”

I growl and try to make light of it, but she pushes me away and says almost bitterly, “The first thing your grandmother told me was that you will inherit the title of Don Majerio.”

“She is right.” I’m a little surprised this is a problem, and Winter sighs and moves across to the window.

“You will need a mafia wife, not a divorced woman like me. Your grandmother told me that and said if I loved you, I would put you first and honor the traditions of a family that abides by them.”

I can’t believe I’m hearing this and say angrily, “Nonna said that.”

“Don’t be angry, Alessandro, she was only speaking fact. Jasmine herself had nothing to say because she ticked all the boxes herself. I am soiled goods; another man’s cast off and I have no right to be your queen. Maybe we should stay as friends for all our sakes because I don’t think I’m strong enough to fight this battle. Not now and it wouldn’t be fair to you either.”

“So, what are you saying?”

I almost can’t speak, and she says firmly, “I just want to be your friend and if you can’t accept that, I will leave with Angelo today. I’m sorry, it’s for the best.”

She turns away and I suppose my pride makes my decision a bad one because, without another word, I storm out of her room and slam the door hard behind me. I will not allow her to make me weak. I will not beg and as for my grandmother, she had better have a very good explanation for this because now I’m pissed, and God help my family if they are backing away from their word now.

I waste no time and head straight for grandfather’s den. I know he will be there. He always checks in with Salvatore before breakfast and I am not disappointed.

As I open the door without the courtesy of a knock, Salvatore steps in front of him and says questioningly, “Alessandro, I was unaware we had a meeting scheduled.”

“Move aside, Salvatore.” I growl and my grandfather’s low laugh dispels the tension, and then his slow husky voice calls off his dog.

“Leave us, Salvatore. Alessandro obviously has something weighing heavily on his mind.”

Salvatore fixes me with a hard look before moving silently away and as soon as the door closes behind him, my grandfather’s eyes sparkle and he says roughly, “Sit, Alessandro, and explain this disrespect.”

I take my usual seat and lean forward, staring him hard in the eye and snarl, “Nonna has overstepped the mark.”

He leans back and shrugs. “In what way?”

“She warned Winter off and told her she had no place here. She was soiled goods and not fit to be a Don’s wife.”

“And you’re surprised at that.”

He shakes his head and smiles slyly. “She speaks the truth, and you know it. She has not overstepped the mark. She has highlighted it.”

“But we had a deal.”

The look in his eye would reduce a killer to train his gun on himself, but I stand my ground and face him off because I will not be treated as a fool.

“Alessandro. The deal we made was to liberate your friend. Job done, request fulfilled and now you must honor the agreement.”

“Bullshit.” I face him down and hiss, “You knew exactly what my interest in Winter was. At no point in the conversation did you inform me you expected me to marry somebody else.”

“Did you ask?” He fires back. “I thought we raised you to understand our ways, Alessandro. A Don’s wife must be a virgin on her wedding night. You would make this respected family a laughingstock and Nonna was right to bring it to your attention. Winter is Massimo Delauren’s wife. That hasn’t changed. The man locked in his own madness, who is a guest here of sorts. Winter Delauren is now her brother’s concern, not yours. Do I make myself clear?”

As the truth hits home, I just stare at the wily old fox and realize I’ve been played. My grandfather agreed to help me to bring me to heel. He’s right, there were no other guarantees than setting Winter free, but he’s forgotten one important thing. I have his blood running through my veins and so I stand and lean over his desk, meeting him face to face and snarl, “Then understand one thing, Grandfather, or should I say Don Majerio.”

He doesn’t even blink and just looks at me with curiosity as I snarl, “If I can’t marry Winter, then I won’t marry. The Majerio bloodline stops with me, and your precious tradition will die with me.” I stand up and throw him a curt nod.

“I’ll see you at breakfast, Don Majerio.”

I turn and walk away with fire in my heart. I have come too far to give Winter up without a fight and knowing my grandfather, this will be the fight of my life.