Running down the hall, I stop when I hear her again, then aim a kick at the door where the sound is coming from.
“—off me!” She’s fighting Finnegan, who’s wrestled her onto the bed.
“Get off her!” I roar and lunge for him, yanking him up by his jacket. I wrap my forearm around his throat and squeeze as he struggles and slams me back against the wall, shaking some art onto the ground. Glass shatters, and all I can see is the fear in Alessa’s eyes, the way her hands shake as she sits up.
“Don’t you ever. Fucking. Touch. Her.” I punctuate each word with an even harder squeeze on his throat.
“Torino.” She wipes away a tear and stands.
His struggling lessens, and I walk him forward, keeping my arm barred at his throat. He’s getting woozy, no oxygen making it to his big dumb brain as I cut off his air.
“Torino.” Alessa walks toward me.
“Stay back.” I don’t trust him not to reach for her, to try and hurt her again.
She nods and looks at him, then away. “I think you’re k-killing him.” Her voice is a whisper.
“It’s what he deserves. I’ll kill anyone who hurts you, Alessa.”
He drops, his full weight hanging on me as he passes out. Still, I keep squeezing, and I hold her gaze. “I’ll never let something like that go unpunished.”
Pounding footsteps echo along the hall behind me.
“You have to let him go. They’ll kill you.” She holds up a hand. “Please, Torino.”
I want to do what she says. I really do. But I can’t. Not when I think about what this motherfucker was trying to do, trying to take from her when she was clearly unwilling. No, I’m not letting him go.
“Put him down!” someone behind me yells.
“It’s Torino. Shit,” another one says.
I don’t let go. Not even when I feel the touch of cold, hard steel to the back of my neck.
“I said put him down.”
Alessa’s eyes water and overflow, and she shakes her head at me. “Please, Torino. Let him go.”
“I can’t. Not when he’ll just hurt you again.”
“No, don’t!” Her eyes dart to something behind me, and then I hear a crack, feel a burst of pain at the back of my head, and my vision goes dark.
“—could be admitted, but I know that’s not what you want.”
“If he needs to go to the hospital.”
“Alessa.” I force her name out as I try to open my eyes.
“Jesus, Torino.” My father’s voice, tense and hard. “What the fuck were you thinking?”
“Where is she?”
“She’s in her room with her mother, though it took a lot of convincing to get her to leave your side. She’s a good sister.”
I open my eyes. “Stepsister.”
He stares at me, his gaze inscrutable.
“Now that he’s awake, I think it’s safe to say he’s out of the woods. I’ll leave some hydros for—”
“Get that shit out of here. We deal in hard drugs, but not that garbage,” my father barks.
“Noted.” Our family doctor backs out of the room and closes the door.
My father’s gaze returns to me. This time I can see disappointment in it. “You acted rashly. You almost killed Finnegan. Goddammit, son! That’s not something you have the luxury of doing when you’re in charge of a family like ours.”
“I’d do it again.” I sit up despite the ringing in my ears and the vicious ache coming from the back of my head. “He was trying to rape her.”
He rubs his temples. “It’s not that cut and dried. They’re engaged, Torino. He was drunk and just trying to get her to warm up to him.”
“You really believe that?” I reach up and find a bandage wrapped around my head.
He sighs. “It doesn’t matter what I believe. This wedding is going to happen. It has to. I don’t want a war looming over our future. Over your future. Something like that—it could end the Rossi line. Don’t you understand that? You’re the last heir. The only one who can continue our legacy, and if you take an assassin’s bullet because of some goddamn feud between our family and the Perths, that’s it. I can’t let that happen to you, son. Don’t you see that? This marriage will protect you.”
I try to see it from his point of view. He’s worried about me. I get that. I really do, but it doesn’t make a difference. I’ll do whatever it takes to keep Alessa by my side. I should tell him. But I need to speak to Alessa first, make sure she’s ready to take the next steps.
“I know you think I’m young and rash. I’m not. I’m a man who knows exactly what he wants.” I grunt and swing my legs over the side of the bed.
“Maybe you know what you want, but I’m the one who can see what you need. Lie down. Rest. I have to meet Finnegan and Gene to discuss what happened and repair the damage you’ve done.”
“Take Lou and Anthony.” The room swims in my vision.
“Rest.” He stands, his knees popping as he backs away. “Listen.” He pauses for a long time. “I’m glad you stood up for Alessa. I’m proud of you. Always will be. But I need you to understand that every action you take, it has consequences. Sometimes, those consequences can be unbearable.”
“I’ll take whatever those Perth cunts throw at me.” My eyes go heavy and close on their own.
His voice comes from far away. “I hope that’s true, son. I really do.”
14
Alessa
I stare out the window, thinking about everything that happened, trying to be strong. All I want to do is cry, but tears don’t solve anything. I don’t have to look to know my mom is watching my every move. She hasn’t really said much except to reassure me Torino is going to be okay. I try to erase the images of him crumpling to the floor after one of the Perth soldiers knocked him unconscious.
As scared as I was, I somehow knew he would be okay. That there was no way Torino was going to leave me so that Finnegan could have me. He made a vow to me, and I know he’ll never break it. He proved he’ll protect me with his own life. I’m pretty sure death wouldn’t even stop him.
God knows my mom isn’t going to save me. I’m barely able to look at her right now. I’m not sure if I am going to scream or burst into tears. My emotions are all over the place. My heart is being pulled in different directions. It’s only a matter of time before it shatters.
“Alessa.” Mom says my name softly. I spin around to face her. “The doctor said he’s going to be fine. He needs to rest for now.”
“And then what?”
“Honey.” Her face softens, and she takes a step toward me. I retreat.
“Don’t honey me.” I shake my head and turn back around before I say something I might regret one day.
“Alessa.” She tries again.
“Am I still getting married?” I ask, cutting her off. The silence in the room grows. “There is nothing else to be said at this point.”
“What’s changed?” she asks. “You were okay with marrying Finnegan and now you’re not.”