*Leo*
From the mont I saw Bianca, I was srized by her beauty. She was lovely, from her pretty blonde tresses to her small feet. She was a vision, and I knew having her in my ho was going to be trouble from the start.
Even knowing that, I could not say no to her when she needed to be there for her. I could not help taking her into my arms as she shivered in fear about her ex.
Holding Bianca in my arms felt way too right for comfort. In those monts before she pulled away from , my body hardened, and I knew I was in big trouble indeed.
I wanted her, there was no denying it.
Looking into her eyes before she pulled away, I wanted to pull her even closer and kiss her lovely full, pink lips. I knew better, though. She was young, lovely, and not only afraid of her ex, but was still trying to get over whatever it was he had done to her. That was no ti to start a new relationship, and I had to respect that.
I did not want to be a rebound for her, either. I knew that probably would not be a good thing for her any more than it would be for .
I allowed Bianca to pull away from . I believed that we both needed the space before one or both of us made a mistake we couldn’t take back.
I waited a mont, rembering there was more to worry about than Bianca. Franky had hit with so bad news earlier in the day. I had to take care of that too, but I figured dealing with this for now was the better deal. I could probably handle comforting Bianca a lot faster than dealing with Franky’s earlier bombshell.
I handed Bianca a tissue and gave her a few minutes to compose herself before we spoke next.
“What’s going on?” I asked her.
“Matteo called ,” she said. “I hung up as soon as I knew it was him, but I hadn’t given him my new number, so I don’t know how he found it, or . I didn’t even tell him I was coming back to the US,” she said, wringing her hands.
I had a lot on my plate. I didn’t know much about Matteo, but I already wanted to punch a hole through his face at the way he’d terrified Bianca. I had only heard the bare minimum from Al. He’d only told that Bianca had a little trouble in Italy with so guy she’d been dating. At the ti, I barely listened to what he said.
So far, I knew he was a pain in the ass for everybody. I rembered that Al had the n have a conversation with the guy. In mafia speak, that’s slang for ass whipping. Usually, the Italian branch is pretty convincing, and by the ti they were finished with the ‘conversation,’ the guy would move away and never want to be seen in the sa country again.
But apparently, it hadn’t worked with this guy. I wished they’d taken it a little farther. I didn’t care if they beat the guy half to death. He wasn’t going to keep harassing soone in my care.
I looked at Bianca. “Will you tell what you know about him?”
“I have already told you about Matteo,” she said looking away from .
“Bianca, look at ,” I said.
In the ti we’d known one another, which wasn’t very long, she rarely looked away from . She never avoided eye contact or seed nervous. Now, she was restless and showing signs of anxiety.
Did she think I’d be mad at her for what soone was doing to her? I certainly hoped not. I hoped she knew she could co to with anything she needed while in my care.
It took a few monts before she would look at . I could see the sha and self-defeat in her eyes. It was as if the woman I had co to know as sweet and lively was buried under the fear, hopelessness, and sha of this woman I had not known was a part of who Bianca was. Sure, I had not known her long, but I knew this was the aberration and not the norm for her.
I felt desperate to help her, and I put the thing with Franky out of my head for the mont.
“I want to help you,” I told her. “I want to protect you, but I can’t do that without all the information I need about this jerk.”
She looked at from under her lashes, and nodded once as if she had co to a decision. She took a long breath before she started speaking.
“Matteo and I were together for a year,” she began, and while she spoke, she wandered around the room, straightening the corner of the duvet, lifting a bottle from the dresser and putting it in another spot, pushing a brush back into place, or simply standing to stare at one of the paintings on the wall. I watched everything she did, hoping it was helping her feel more secure.
“When I started to show interest in coming to the US to attend university, Matteo was really against it. ‘You will not go,’ he shouted in my face. More than once. He threatened . He said that if I tried to co to Arica, he would stop from leaving Italy.”
She paused, picking up a trinket on the dresser before she continued. “Matteo has never really been all that nice to . He yelled and scread at most of the ti. He was never supportive of my wants or needs. It was always about him. He was controlling, always telling what to do, and treating like I was too stupid to live. I do not know why I put up with it for so long.” She gave a long sigh. “I do not know. Maybe I was,” she said.
“You are not stupid,” I insisted.
She didn’t answer.
“But you’re here now,” I said, hoping she would hear the question in my statent.
“Yes,” she said with a smile in my direction. “I left him to co to Arica for my education. When I went back to visit, he was even more furious than before. Al helped get on a plane and leave so I could co to finish my studies. I thought he had taken care of Matteo, but still, he calls . Still, he stalks .”
“What else can you tell about him that you think I might need to know,” I asked.
“I know that he is dangerous,” she said, shaking. “He was always dangerous. He fights and carries guns. He is not a nice man, and I should never have gotten involved with him.”
Al had told so of the shit Matteo had pulled, but I wanted to hear it from Bianca. I could tell she was terrified of this guy, and I knew she hadn’t told half of what the bastard had done to her in Italy.
“Don’t worry about this anymore. I’ll take care of it,” I said, hoping to reassure her.
“Leo, you do not–” She looked a little confused for a mont and shook her head. “How do you say, capire?”
“What don’t I understand?” I asked, smiling at her loss of the language. I knew she must have been pretty anxious to forget such a simple word. I knew enough Italian to know that one.
“Auh, yes. You do not understand. You are just a real estate guy. You are a good man. Never would you do what he does.
“And what does he do?” I asked, knowing very well that I had probably done far worse than this Matteo ever had.
“Matteo runs with so of the most vicious gangs in Italy.”
I knew what she was referring to, but Matteo had never risen as high up in the gangs as I was in the mafia.
“Don’t worry,” I said, with a chuckle, standing. I couldn’t resist one last touch of my knuckles to the softness of her cheek. “I’ll be all right,” I murmured before leaving her alone to go take care of the pesky problem of Matteo.
I took my phone out as soon as I left her room. I clicked on Franky’s number and waited for him to answer.
“What’s up, Leo?” he asked when I called him.
“No. Hello, how are you, boss?” I corrected him, knowing Franky was going to curse out.
“Fuck you, boss,” Franky hissed, and it made chuckle.
“Yeah, I thought that was what you would say.”
“You call to make jokes?” he asked.
I laughed again and sobered as I thought of the fear in Bianca’s eyes. “I’ve got a quick check I need you to make for .”
“What’s going on?” he asked, going on alert when he heard the change in my tone.
“The asshole Bianca was hooked up with in Italy is fucking with her.”
“You got a na?”
I gave Franky the asshole’s na, though I couldn’t stand saying it.
“All right, I got it. I’ll get back to you as soon as sothing pops.”
When I hung up, knowing we were doing all we could stateside, I decided to call Al to see if he could find the little shit over in Italy.
“What?” Al answered.
“Al, how you doing?” I asked. It was customary to ask about the other’s well-being before getting into business.
“I am well, Leo. And how are you?”
“I’m well.”
“Why did you call , kid?” Al asked.
I smiled at his endearnt. It felt good to be a part of a family and be respected and loved by all.
“Bianca received a call from Matteo and I was wondering if you could have another little talk with him, as the first one did not seem to take.”
“Ah, well, that’s disturbing,” he said. “I’ll find this fucking asshole. I thought the first conversation we had with him would have been taken better. I guess he needs a little more convincing this ti. If he’s still here in Italy, consider his ass kicked. But I’ll need to check with my people to find him. If we can’t find him, I’ll let you know right away.”
“Thanks, Al,” I said.
I had a feeling Al and his crew weren’t going to find Matteo in Italy this ti. I had a bad feeling that he had followed Bianca to the States.
It was not a problem for . I would take pleasure in taking care of the sonofabitch for her. It just pissed off she was being scared while under my protection.
If that little weasel had followed Bianca to the US, he was going to regret it.
I would make sure of it.
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