“I’ll see you out.” I swipe past Alessa, my fingers brushing against her hip as I go.
Finnegan frowns, clearly wanting to say more bullshit. But then he turns and walks out with me.
Once the door closes behind us, he smirks.
“Your sister is one hot piece of ass.”
I turn, and before I even know what I’m doing, I have my hands around his throat.
He grunts and spins, then darts out of my reach. “You mad, Torino? Upset I’m going to be creaming in your sister?”
Rage roils my blood, speeds my heart, and puts ice in my veins. “Shut your fucking mouth.”
He laughs. “Whoa, are we in Alabama now? You want to fuck your sister?”
“I said shut your mouth.” I advance on him.
“Okay, okay.” He nods. “I get it. But don’t worry. I’ll treat her right. Give her my dick until she chokes on it, then blow my load in her cunt.”
I let out an inhuman yell as I surge forward. He’s quick, but not quick enough to avoid my right fist. It slams into his nose with a deeply satisfying crunch.
His yowl follows, and he staggers back.
I don’t stop. It’s like my brain doesn’t control my actions anymore, only my anger does. “You aren’t going to touch her.” I jab him with my left, then come across his jaw with a haymaker.
He can’t keep his feet. With a groan, he falls to his ass.
“Torino!” my father yells behind me as Allegra dashes past and kneels beside Finnegan.
“Get up, pussy. Get up so I can show you some manners.” I move forward.
“Torino, don’t you fucking dare!” My father is behind me now, and I feel when he grips my suit coat and tries to yank me back.
I don’t move. I hold Finnegan’s gaze.
“Oh, no.” Allegra shakes her head. “I think it’s broken.”
“Good.” I want to kill him. It would be so easy.
“What the fuck is wrong with you?” Finnegan cries, his voice nasal. Playing victim. I can make him a real one.
“Torino. Inside. Now.” My father’s tone brooks no argument.
But still, I hesitate. My instincts tell me to finish Finnegan, to end the threat to my woman.
“Torino!” my father bellows.
I finally turn and follow him into the house as Allegra babies Finnegan. He whimpers like a little bitch as she tends to him.
“You broke his nose.” My father crosses his arms as he whirls on me in the foyer.
“He should thank me for improving his look.” I don’t see Alessa, but I’m certain she’s listening to every word.
“This is serious, Torino. Your temper is going to be your downfall.”
“That wasn’t my temper. That was doing what I should’ve done a long time ago.” I beat my chest with my fist in one hard strike. “I’ll defend this family until I die. That includes Alessa.”
“Son, that is her husband. You can’t get between a husband and wife. Ever.”
“They aren’t husband and wife.” I grit my teeth.
He sighs, and for the first time, I see the age in him, the tiredness in his face. “You have to be more mindful, son. You have to think before you act. The truce with the Perths is already tenuous at best. This wedding is the way for us all to have peace. So I can retire and you can take over during a time of relative quiet.”
“Maybe I don’t want it quiet.” I flex my fists. If I have to go to war to keep Alessa, I will. It’s foolish and rash and will probably get me killed, but I don’t give a shit. She’s the future of this family. The both of us together.
“I’ve learned a lot over the years. A lot.” His dark eyes hold my gaze. “And the one thing I know for certain is that if you go looking for a fight, sooner or later one will find you.”
“I’m not afraid of a fight.”
“I know, and that’s what scares me, Torino.” He looks up as Allegra returns. “Is he all right?”
“It’s broken, but the Perth doctor can set it. He’s driving back home now. I offered our physician, but he wanted to use theirs.”
“It’s probably for the best. We wouldn’t want any more accidents.” My father sends me a pointed look.
His phone vibrates, and he pulls it out. “Shit.”
“Perths?” Allegra asks.
He gives a curt nod, then turns and strides away as he answers. “Gene, yes. . . Just a little misunderstanding. You know how these young men can be. Always trying to prove themselves to each other. . . Of course the wedding is still on. Just a hiccup …” His voice fades.
Allegra comes to stand in front of me, her eyes so much like Alessa’s. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
“He disrespected Alessa.” I shrug.
“Is that what happened? Or is it that you wanted to flex your muscle for the Perths?” She arches a brow.
That’s what she thinks? That I give two shits what Finnegan Fucking Perth thinks about me? My reputation is solid. Everyone knows I’m more than willing to put down anyone who comes for my family or me. I don’t need to flex.
“This isn’t about me, Allegra.”
“Oh no?” she shoots back. “Then why is your father on the phone with Eugene Perth talking about the damage you’ve done instead of the upcoming wedding between our families?”
“You’re giving away your only daughter to a pack of hyenas, and you expect me to stay silent about it?”
“That’s exactly what I expect.” She glares up at me. “Loyalty to the Rossi name. Loyalty to Alessa. This is her future. She needs to marry well and secure her spot in our world. This is her chance, and you’re trying to ruin it. You need to fall in line, Torino. This wedding is going to happen, and now that you’ve gone and done this, we’re going to need to move it up as a show of good faith.”
“Good faith?” I bark a laugh. “The Perths have none. They’re probably planning their backstab as we speak.”
“Better from the outside than from within, Torino. We need you to remember your oath to this family.” She gives me one more sharp look, then storms away toward my father’s office.
I stand there thinking about her words, her accusations. Am I making this about me? Am I hurting Alessa’s chances at a good future?
My eyes travel up to the second floor, to her room. I know she’s there with the door cracked, her ears catching every word that passes between Allegra and me. Does she think I’m ruining her life?
Maybe I am. Maybe I’m a selfish asshole. Even as I think it, I start walking to the stairs, then climb them quickly.
Because even if all that’s true, Alessa still belongs to me. That girl was mine from the moment I saw her. She’s had my heart in her hands for years.
So yeah, I’m a self-centered dick for refusing to let her fall through my fingers. Because she’s mine, goddammit. And I’ll ruin her for any other man.
I loosen my tie as I reach the second floor.
If I have to fuck a baby into her virgin cunt right now, I will. That’ll bind her to me forever. She’s never going to marry that piece of shit Finnegan. Not when I can change everything by finally giving in to what I’ve wanted for so, so long. Claiming Alessa. Body and soul.