Page 111 of Brandishing Balance
Alessia shook her head. “No one did. I fought back while he stripped me, but he didn’t get a chance to get his clothes off.” Tears well in her eyes as she spoke softly.
“Brave girl,” Phoenix said. “Anything hurt?”
“My ribs are sore, I’m sure I’ll have bruises everywhere.” She sighed. “I’m OK to move.”
Phoenix nodded and stood up slowly. Looking at me, he nodded toward the door. I followed him away while Blaze picked up her clothes from the floor. “Here, get dressed, we won’t look.”
We turned our backs to her as Blaze walked over to join us. “We’ve got to move out.”
“She’s adamant that she doesn’t go back to her brother,” Phoenix said.
“It’s not our call to make. Seratelli wants his sister. We can’t interfere.” I rubbed hand over my scruffy jaw. “I’m gonna call Marcos and give him the update. We’ll let him and Seratelli decide what to do.”
“Don’t tell my brother you found me.” Alessia spoke from right behind me, her voice a demand.
I looked over my shoulder at her. She was fully dressed in a pair of blue jeans and a t-shirt, though I could tell they were some high-end brands and not your typical Walmart shit. “Not my call to make, Firecracker. I have orders to follow.”
“You’re not my brother’s soldier, use your own damn brain. I don’t want to be locked up in my father’s mansion. Or worse, my mother’s.” Her voice grew more demanding and assertive as she.
“Again, not my call to make. If you’re dressed, we’re going to move out.” I didn’t give her a chance to respond as I walked off, leading the way out of the fucking basement of Hillcrest’s sex dungeon.
I pulled out my phone and called Marcos immediately, letting him know what was going on. Him and Leonardo were outsidethe city in Cicero, but there were several Seratelli brothers here with us.
I heard her mumble under her breath and Phoenix laughed. Irritation rolled down my spine. Leave it to some prissy mafia princess to be all pissy about going home to her don of a brother. I need to call Marcos and Leo to get here faster. The faster they got here, the faster we would unload her to Leo, then help shut down this fucking trafficking ring.
We trudged up the stairs and out of the main warehouse, ignoring all the bodies on the ground. I glanced back, stopping briefly, wondering if we should shield Alessia from it—too late. She was already looking around in wide-eyed horror. As if having a dude’s head explode in front of her wasn’t bad enough, now she had to see the floor littered with bodies.
She crashed into my back as she took in the carnage. Startled, she looked up at me with wide doe eyes. Her crystalline blue eyes were so breathtaking, paired with her high cheekbones and full lips that were currently wobbling.
“Hey.” I dropped my voice low and bent down slightly. At six-five, I towered over her barely five-foot frame. I cupped the side of her face, my hand so large compared to how tiny she was. I rubbed my thumb over her cheekbone. “Hey, it’s going to be OK. Just look at me, OK?”
Alessia nodded, but her lower lip wobbled again.
Using her face, I pulled her into my chest, wrapping my arms around her. “Shh.”
“ALESSIA!” a deep voice rang out across the warehouse.
Alessia startled, then started sobbing in my arms. “I don’t want to go with him. Please don’t make me go with him. Please, Axel, please.” She clung to shirt, her fingers wrapping around the fabric and holding on so tight. She looked up at me with those crystalline doe eyes leaking tears and my gut clenched.
Mine.
I growled the word in my mind. My breath caught in my throat at the conviction of my thoughts. I nodded once at her. “Alright, Firecracker. We’ll keep you safe.”
I heard Blaze’s and Phoenix’s sharp intake of breath behind me, before Seratelli stormed over to us, his blue eyes wild. His black hair was in disarray, like he’d been running his fingers through the perfect coif.
“Alessia!” the man barked her name as he walked up to us.
Alessia clung to me and I hugged her tightly.
“Who the hell are you?” I demanded, not recognizing the man as a Seratelli brother.
“Fredrico Accardi. Who the hell are you?” He spat, moving closer.
Alessia clung to me tighter, telling me everything I needed to know.
“The Psycho that’s going to kick your ass if you don’t back the fuck up.” I growled, baring my teeth.
It made him pause. He looked us over, Blaze and Phoenix flanking me, Alessia’s face buried in my chest as she clung to me. He gritted his teeth. “Alessia, come.” He barked the words like she was a dog.
