Chapter 44 (Aliyana)


    “But he still agreed.” I point out as Gabriel opens the door when the soldiers line up next to the


    entrance.


    “Yes, he did, and thank fuck for that,” Ren’s deep voice is loud as we enter the dark ce.


    “I am calling dibs on the sound,” Gabriel deres as we enter the Azure.


    “As long as I don’t have to listen to that damn ssical shit,” Ren says, putting on the lights. The smell


    of new leather and paint hits my nose as the blue glow brings life to the darkened space.


    “The ss is remote controlled. I need to get the remote, give me a minute. Help yourselves to a drink,”


    Ren states as he disappears to what looks like a big ballroom.


    “I have a little present for you guys. Wait here,” Gabriel deres, and I watch him walk with ease and


    familiarity through the back of the club. His big shoulders and tall body are a wonder to the short kid,


    with keen eyes I met all those years ago. It isn’t the first time I consider how lucky I am to be one of


    them.


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    “What are we drinking?” Mero asks as his big muscr bodyes closer toward me. He is built like a


    linebacker, but he doesn’t just y football like the other guys, he is a professional boxer. His family is


    big on cage fighting and martial arts.


    “I think brandy to begin with,” Ren replies as he walks back into the room with a familiar guy following


    carefully behind. It still surprised me at times, especially ones like these on how in-depth to the inner


    circle of the next generation of Capos I was.


    If my father found how I spent my free time I was not supposed to even have, I don’t think he would


    share in my gratitude that I was, in fact, the only girl amongst four dangerous guys.


    Right now, I wasn’t just alone with them, I was in thepany of my future Capo, the Underboss to the


    Catelli Famiglia, Deno Catelli and it wasn’t the first time.


    “Aliyana. You are always a sight when I see you.” Deno Catelli’s voice is loud as he opens his arms as


    his dramatic entrancees to aplete stop when he gathers me in a big hug.


    I am short, and he is an important, dangerous man, well over 6-ft tall with hard, sinewy arms that have


    brought many men to their deaths, and right now, he is kissing me on the cheeks and holding me


    toward his hard chest.


    Yes, I doubt my father would be pleased by this; then again, the thrill is something I find quite liberating.


    “I am d someone remembers I am ady,” I point out, knowing Mero and Michel can hear. Deno


    winks at Mero as he releases me when Mero groans.


    Mero greets Deno with a hug and kiss before Michel.


    “When Gabriel called me this morning, I was fucking d you misfits were showing up. Until I got a call


    informing me the Russo boys were joining. I suppose you don’t want theming by?” He gives us a


    knowing look that is evil in intent, and I am d he is on our side.


    “Well, considering they are the reason we are here, no.” Gabriel walks in, there is something about his


    voice that is different, but I hear the note of badass he is giving off.


    Behind him walks in a familiar boy, though we never got to see often enough I squeal as I run and


    throw myself in the arms of an old friend, Dexter Kent.


    As I predicted thest time when I saw him, 6 months ago, he was now as tall as Gabriel, if not a bit


    taller. Dexter Kent was hardly a boy any longer, he walked with an air that screamed he came from old


    money and a powerful family.


    “Fuck, Dixie, you''ve grown so tall. You are like Captain America after his transformation,” Mero informs


    our outsider friend as he extracts himself from me, long enough to shake hands with Mero, Ren, and


    Michel.


    Dexter puts his arm over my shoulder, “It has been a while, but considering the call I got from Gabriel, it


    was time we have a little reunion.”


    “Can Ie out now, or have you forgotten about me?” The female voiceing from behind me has


    all of us jumping into action, walking toward the sound, behind the bar.


    I hug her close, and the guys follow.


    “How could we forget a beauty like you,” Deno responds as he epasses her into his side and


    touches her nose lightly with his finger. That is odd.


    “How did you, I thought you were... when did...” My words are alling out half said as I am


    speechless. I thought she was halfway to Europe by now.


    I stare at her, it has been so long, a year almost, and I want to cry, but I don’t. We have kept this secret


    for so long. Her life was counting on it.


    "No, my father changed his mind, I''ll be staying here and finishing school and if I am lucky, maybe


    study English."


    “That is great news, Elisa,” I say with a big smile that I hope tells her exactly how I missed her.


    “It has been a long time. I''m sorry, I couldn’t see you sooner.”


    “No need to be sorry, Eli, Aliyana knows that your cousin is around.”


    Yes, I knew all about Alice. She was around, and where Elisa was a good thing, Alice was terrible. Both


    my father''s daughters. But Alice, there''s no denying the proof, she looked just like him. We lived in a


    world where fools were few and far in-between. Our men were not stupid, and everybody wanted to


    know your weakness, and my father’s bastard Russo daughters wasn’t just a secret but his kryptonite.


    They were proof that my father’s love for my mother wasn’t as real as he led many to believe. It hid


    something else entirely. A secret that both my parents kept and my mother died with.


    It was something a lot of people would want to know because my father, the advisor to the most


    powerful man in the world was/is the 2nd most powerful man in the world and his secrets, his life and


    anything that could be used against him was information no one would pass up.


    And one of those people was the man who helped us when we needed Elisa to remain safe, Deno. But


    Alice, she was a different ball game altogether. She didn''t know that we shared a father.


    So far, the only people who knew the truth were in this room, and the fact that we were all standing


    here told me that this was no casual visit, and knowing Deno Catelli, he was not here to shoot the shit


    with us. This was something serious.


    “Well, now that we got all that out of the way, let’s begin, shall we?” Deno voices this as his eyes stare


    at who I can only imagine is Gabriel.


    “We need to take out Alec,” Gabriel says and we all look at him.


    “And I am going to help you.” Matteo says as he walks into the restaurant.