Page 65 of Doll's Eye

“Is it so wrong that I want you safe?”

I let out a bitter chuckle. “Look around you! You act as if I went out there looking for a fight! The fight was brought to me simply because of my last name. I’m in the mob. I’ll neverbe safe.”

The lines on his forehead deepen. Suddenly, the background noise comes rushing in, and I know that my brothers need to see that I’m alright.

I go to step around Massimo as I mutter something about needing to go, and he blocks me. “Massimo. I’m not up for games right now.”

“We’re not done talking.”

“Well, I am. Now, move your big ass out of my way.”

“Not until we’re done talking.”

I try shoving by him and he makes the mistake of trying to detain me. I’m still in fighting mode. I scream through my teeth and start swinging at him while he tries to catch my fists and dodge them at the same time.

“The fuck is going on here?!” Tullio says, rushing in. Massimo and I both pause as we seethe at one another. Then Massimo’s eyes dart to my uncovered chest the same time I remember it, and he turns his back to block me as I try to cover myself back up.

“Nothing,” I snap, glaring up at the back of Massimo’s head. “This male chauvinist is being astronzoright now.”

Tullio steps around Massimo and turns me to him to begin inspecting me, panting in rage. The more he sees, the more he fumes. He swears under his breath in Italian as his hands shake against me.

“I’m okay, Tullio.” His wild eyes snap up to mine, and then he’s crushing me against his body for an embrace.

The rest of my brothers begin trickling in, and they all do the same. Hugging me, examining me, cursing the dead Russians. But not one of them gives me shit about what I did today.

I can hear the voices of Mamma and Gemma, and I the shame burns my cheeks. “I didn’t want them to see this,” I murmur quietly to Santino, but it’s too late.

They come running into the room both in tears and engulf me. Ignoring the cuts and bruises on my face, my mother squeezes it as she peppers my face with kisses, and Gemma sobs. “I’m okay, I’m okay, Mamma. I swear.”

She hugs me again and then suddenly freezes in my arms and gasps. “Mio Dio.”My God. She slowly pulls back, staring away in horror, and I can’t look her in the eye, nor Gemma. What they must be seeing. How they must see me now.

Crazy Alessia. Little Psycho. They’re no longer just names my brothers tease me with.

Gentle hands cup my face and make me look at Mamma in the face. “Gemma told me how brave you were,piccolina,” she says, looking at me like she always has. “Babbowould be so proud.”

“My defender,” Gemma adds in a shaky voice as she laces her fingers with mine, giving me a watery smile. I smile back, thinking about how she was like a precious stone locked away safely inside a vault, and I was the one guarding it.

After tossing my ripped and blood-soaked dress and grabbing some of Gemma’s clean clothes, I rinse off quickly in the shower and then let the doctor patch me up. Luckily, my nose isn’tbroken, and with some painkillers and some ice, I’ll be good as new in a couple of weeks.

Massimo and I keep our distance from one another, and every time we make eye contact, he scowls and quickly averts his gaze. I don’t have the energy to deal with his little tirade, so I don’t. It infuriates me how badly I let it hurt me.

I had already planned to stay the night here, but it’s necessary for more reasons than one. Gemma and Mamma need me, and Massimo can go home to sulk alone.

I survived today and protected my sister. I knowBabbowould be proud. At least, I hope he would be.

Hours later, I have Mamma and Gemma tucked into bed in my old bedroom. Both of them were so emotionally exhausted that they passed out soon after their heads hit the pillow.

So, I finally make my way down to the office. It’s still too hard to refer to it as Tullio’s office now, hence why it’s nowtheoffice.

I enter the room, and everyone glances at me. “Hey, there’s Jane the cock ripper,” Armando makes a jab, and it makes me bite back a bashful smile as everyone else laughs and takes their stabs at me. Everyone but Massimo, Tullio, and Santino. None of them are at all amused.

Because I’m a glutton for punishment, I say, “I should totally get it tatted.” I plop down onto the loveseat, trying to act as casually as possible.

The room quickly grows dead silent, and I soak it all in. The looks on their faces become grim and stricken as if suddenly remembering how I’ve earned yet another nickname, and it makes me snicker some. Something I tend to do when I’m slightly uncomfortable…or I should say when I’m makingothersuncomfortable.

Tullio clears his throat, and I’ve felt Massimo’s eyes practically singing my skin since I walked in.

“I need to speak with Alessia,” Tullio says, breaking the tension. “In private.” No one questions him as everyone files out quietly except for Massimo, who stands there still looking at me. “I’m sorry, Massimo. I won’t be long.”

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