Chapter 2

Alec

I groaned in pain and open my eyes to see a very angry Caterina and a glaring Lucien and Giovanni.

What the hell is their problem with me?

Giovanni yanks me up by the collar and growls out in rage. “What were you thinking, huh? You attacked my waitress!”

What the hell is he going on about?

I never did that.

Did I?

I can't remember a thing about last night past seeing her in that damned uniform that kept my dick hard as a rock the entire night. I wound up taking one of the women and made her suck my cock. I thought of Courtney the entire time. The more I drank, the more I hated her. She flirted with men the entire night.

Caterina shoves me to the wall, punching me in the jaw. “You put bruises on Courtney last night. I don't know what your problem is with her but you better stop it!”

Giovanni and Caterina leave me with Lucien.

“What the hell was that about last night?” Lucien asked.

“I don't know what you mean. Honestly, I don't remember a damn thing after I saw her flirting with men left and right. I don't know why she gets under my skin, but she does.”

“You like her.” He points out.

I suck a breath through my teeth and hiss out. “I most certainly do not.”

He just laughs at me mocking me. “Whatever you say, brother. Listen, I want you to do some research on this girl. Her name is Courtney Rosetti. Something just doesn't feel right.”

I nod and assure him. “Don't worry. If she's hiding something, I'll find out.”

What are you hiding, Courtney?

She appeared out of nowhere and boom, she's suddenly friends with Caterina and working for Giovanni. Something isn't right.

I open up my laptop and pull up my software typing in her name. I hit search and wait impatiently for the results.

Just a few more seconds.

What. The. Hell.

There's no record of her.

I dialed Lucien, “There's no record of a Courtney Rosetti.”

He hangs up and is storming in the room in anger. “What do you mean there's no record of her?”

I sucked in a breath. “Just what I said.”

He looks around and looks me right eye. “I want you to follow her. See where she goes, who she talks to, what her routine is. I want to know everything about her.”

“Do we tell anyone, Giovanni, Caterina?”

“No! This is just between us.”

It's been a week since I've been following her and still nothing suspicious so far. Maybe we were wrong about her. I just don't know. She goes to work then back home. It's her everyday routine. She doesn't make any phone calls or talk to anyone but Caterina, Giovanni, and Nate. It just doesn't add up unless she's hiding from someone. She did appear out of nowhere. I clenched the steering wheel when a tapping sound at the window alerts me. It's Courtney and she's pissed. Oh man, is she pissed.

“Why are you stalking me?” She hissed.

I grinned.

“I said why the hell are you following me and watching me?”

“Sorry to break it to you, love, but I'm not watching nor stalking you. You’re not my type anyway.” I lie.

She raises her middle finger and walks away. Truth be told, she's sexy as hell and that's why I'm wound uptight. I'm not about to tell anyone that though. Back to my theory on her, I think she's hiding a big secret. She seems like the runner type and that night I kissed her, she proved just that. She ran like her life depended on it. I did notice some scars on her. They were barely there, but I did see them.

I take my phone out and dialed Lucien. “Hey, it’s me. She caught me watching her, but she just thinks I'm stalking her.”

He just laughs into the phone. “So she doesn't know I put you up to it? Keep doing what you're doing, just try to be careful.”

I chuckle at him in amusement. “But you know I like a rise out of a feisty woman.”

I end the call and my mind wanders back to that night at the club. I can remember bits and pieces.

How I watched her flirt with Lucien and every other male in that club.

How I followed her outside and pinned her body to the wall.

The only thing I didn't remember is everything after that.

I need to talk to that friend of hers.

Nate has to know something about her. I drove away from her house and go to the club. I spotted Nate at the bar and approach him. “I need to ask you something. How did you find Courtney that night?”

He wipes down the counter and shakes his head. “I don't know. I mean I was driving home from work and boom, there she is. She appeared out of nowhere. I hit her with my car, but the look on her face. She was running from something. Something spooked her. Maybe I was just imagining it.”

He poured me a shot and I downed it. “Okay man, thanks. Let me know if you find anything out.”

My suspicions are right. She was running from something and hiding a big secret. I'll find out what it is you’re hiding, Courtney. I just need to figure out what.

A finger traces down my bicep and it's the blonde whore I usually use. “You seem tense. You need to work some of that out, Alec?”

I shoved her hand off me. “Sorry sweetheart, I'm working right now.”

She pouted as she placed her hand on my cock. “I can give you a quick blowjob. You haven't used me for days, you get a girlfriend or something?”

I looked her in the eyes and pushed her hand away. “No, just not feeling it. I'm working. See ya later, maybe.”

Don't get me wrong she's hot, but she's just the wrong blonde. I better get out of here before I see her.

I arrived at Lucien's and walk in the dining room for dinner and I freeze. Her. She's here and everyone's glaring at me except for Lucien.

“What?” I asked.

Giovanni’s glaring at me, letting me know he's still angry with me for what I did last night. I need to get out of here and quick but my boss stops me from leaving. “Sit Alec. I want you to apologize to Courtney.”

Shit.

I should’ve known this was coming.

I sat down and raise my glass of wine. “I'm sorry for my behavior, Courtney.”

There.

I said it.

They should be happy now but Caterina is still glaring at me. “I have to go take a shower and then I'm going to bed. Goodnight everyone.”

I strip down and start the shower stepping under the hot water.

Fuck!

Why did she have to show up here?

At least nobody will bother me now. My mind wanders back to the day Lucien and Caterina's father took me in. How Luca rescued me and Giovanni took me in. The day he took me from my hell. The beatings from my uncle. Those are my demons I've been fighting every day and night. Even though it's been years, I can still remember like it was yesterday.

I whimpered as my uncle punched me in the ribs for the millionth time.

“Stop. Please. I'll be good.”

I can hear him taking his belt off and ripping my shirt off. No. Not again. I'm shoved down on the concrete floor belly first.

Crack!

“I’m sorry!”

I'm waiting for the next one and it never comes. I hear a crash and cocking of a gun.

Oh, god he's going to kill me.

I look back and a man is pointing the gun at my uncle. “Touch the boy again and I'll put a bullet between your eyes. Now, do you have Giovanni’s money?”

The man still has the gun pointed at him. “I take that as a no.”

He doesn't hesitate and shot him in the shoulder, then the leg, then the forehead. I am cowered down in the corner when he kneels eye level with me. “I'm not going to hurt you, not as he did. Would you like to come with me? I have a son your age. I think you would like him. I can take you away from this hell. My name is Luca.”

I hold my hand out to him and try to get up but am too weak and fall back down and pass out from the blood loss.

The next time I wake up, I’m in a luxurious room dressed in clean clothes and a boy my age sitting in a chair, “Hi I'm Lucien.”

The memories never stop torturing me.

The cold water brings me out of my thoughts. Turning the water off, I step out wrapping a towel around my waist. I step out of the shower and open the door to see her sitting on my bed. That’s when the dirty thoughts come to mind. All I want to do is bend her over and fuck the shit out of her.

“What do you want?” I ask.

Courtney stands up, her face blushing, “I'm sorry. Lucien told me you wanted to talk to me.”

Goddamn you, Lucien.

I walked up to her and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear, making her freeze. “Do I make you nervous?”

She stumbles back, falling onto the bed. “N-no.”

I lean down brushing my lips to her ear. “Are you sure, sweetheart? I can feel you shaking.”

She tastes sweet. Intoxicating. Addictive. No matter how much I try to hate her… I can’t. My goddamn heart won’t let me. And I hate that.

She shoves me back and runs out of the room and Lucien comes in after she runs out smirking. “You’re welcome. You might want to take care of that before you come back downstairs.”

“Yeah, yeah. I'm calling it a night.” I muttered.

That night sleep was hard to come by all because of her. I could still smell the coconut coming off of her when I was so close to her. I finally did sleep but my nightmares never came that night. All I dreamed about was a certain feisty and sexy blonde that has consumed my thoughts ever since I met her.

Why do I feel so drawn to her?

I wake up the next morning and sat down to breakfast to a pissed off Caterina. I sighed. “What now?”

She shoved her finger in my chest. “What did you do to her last night!? She ran out of here like a bat out of hell!”

I knew this was coming so I calmly replied. “She freaked out because I was coming out of the shower and it was Lucien that told her I wanted to talk to her.”

Serves him right.

He's glaring at me while she was waiting on his answer. “Look, I figured he was already out of the shower and dressed. I just want them to get along since she's your best friend and Alec is mine.”

Well played, Lucien.

Well played.

She gives him a tight-lipped smile and shifts her eyes over to me. That morning was probably the most awkward breakfast we have ever had together. We ate our food in complete silence. I leave my plate and follow him out of the house. As he pulls in the parking lot, he studies my face. I know he’s itching to know what went down between me and Courtney. Just before I walk through the door, he stops me from going any further.

“What happened?” Lucien asks.

“Nothing. She freaked out that I was in a towel and ran out of there.” I lie.

He pauses for a minute. “We got to stick around here tonight. Giovanni informed me there's been a new guy hanging out here, and he seems like he's looking for someone.”

We walk into the club, and he nods to a man with dark hair covered in tattoos. His hair is slicked back, and wearing a black three-piece suit. There’s something about him that just doesn’t sit right. He seems sketchy. And he’s definitely not Italian.

“That's him. Keep an eye on him.” Lucien tells me.

I walk up to the bar and ask for a whiskey when suddenly a picture of a Courtney in nothing but a bra and panties is thrust in my face. My blood boils, but I keep my cool. I can’t let him know that I suspect anything. “Have you seen her? Little whore ran out on me.”

What the hell?

That's Courtney in that picture all right. So I play it off. “No, never seen her.”

He gets up and heads back to where the strippers are dancing. I sighed as I swiveled my stool and whispered to Nate. “Is Courtney working tonight?”

He shakes his head as he pours someone else a shot. “No, she took the week off for some personal shit.”

I look him right in the eye and warn him. If this guy does find her, I know Caterina would blame it on me. I’m going to get some answers from this woman. “If anyone comes in here looking for her you never saw her.”

He scoffed. “Why are you all of a sudden concerned about her? Because if I remember correctly, you forced yourself on her that night you were in here drunk.”

I grabbed his collar and twisted it in my fist. “Don't concern with caution, I'm just looking out for Caterina.”

I've got to find her and find out what's going on. He may already know where she is whoever this guy is.