Page 21 of Untouchable

I try not to physically react to his comment, but it feels like I have been slapped across the face. How the hell did we get here? I couldn’t even tell you where it went wrong. All I know is that despite my façade, it freaking hurts.

“Where is Drew and Seth? I like them much better.”

“I’m sure you do,” Alessandro scoffs. “They are doing some things for Dom since you all are going on vacation.”

“Too bad,” I mutter, wishing more than anything that either of them were here instead of him.

We spend the rest of the time that I pack in silence. For some reason, Alessandro doesn’t leave my doorway, and I don’t ask him to leave either. He can do what he wants, I could seriously care less.

After a while, Alessandro groans as he pushes off of the wall that he has been leaning against as he takes a few steps towards me.

“Porca puttana! Could you take any longer, Princess? It has been well over half an hour and that is the 4thpair of Louis Vuitton’s that you have packed. You do realize that you are going to the beach, not fashion week, right?”

I try to hide the way his words hurt me as I try to think of something witty to say. Unfortunately, nothing comes to mind though, so I go for rolling my eyes and flipping him off. He makes an almost amused noise before shaking his head and looking up at the ceiling, as ifheis the one irritated with me and searching for patience. As if.

Chapter Ten

Seraphina

As I zip my last suitcase, lights begin to flash in the corners of my room causing me to freeze. Slowly I turn to face Alessandro who is also watching the silent alarm with rapt attention. Since the house is obviously unlocked the only other time that alarm would go off is if someone triggered it as a distress signal.

Alessandro’s eyes drop to mine, no doubt seeing the panic beginning to fill them. I open my mouth to ask him what is going on, but he closes the distance between us in two steps and covers my mouth with his hand. He brings up his other hand to hold a finger above his lips, his eyes demanding me to stay silent. I nod softly as he slowly removes his hand from my mouth and takes a step back.

Carefully, he pulls a gun out of his waistband before peeking out the doorway. I can’t help but follow him as I inch closer to the hall. I squint my eyes to look out the glass side windows of the front door which overlook the driveway. I squeeze my eyes shut before opening them again, trying to make my eyes focus, because I can’t be seeing what I think I am seeing. It looks like something, or several somethings, laying in the middle of the driveway.

I see a few men from downstairs ready to run outside, their weapons drawn. Alessandro looks like he is about to call out to them when the door is busted open and at least 5 men in black masks barge in, guns blazing, taking down almost all of our men in one motion.

I gasp in shock as I watch men that I have known my whole life drop as crimson begins to stain the perfectly polished floor. Alessandro shoves me backwards into my room quickly as he shuts the door as softly as possible, probably hoping not to give away where we are.

I stand in shock as my breathing becomes rapid and short. This can’t be happening. How is this happening? I don’t know what to do. I was never trained like my brother or Alessandro. I have been kept far away from the family business, hell, I had myself half convinced that there was rarely anything dangerous about it all.

Dead. Everyone is dead. And we are next.

“Seraphina!” Alessandro snaps sharply in a rough whisper. “Get your shit together,” he says as he pushes my solid mahogany dresser in front of my bedroom door.

I hear the sound of more gunfire and with each pop of the gun I flinch as my body begins to shake. Alessandro moves from the dresser to me in a lighting fast move as he grabs my wrist and begins dragging me towards my balcony. He opens the french doors and steps in front of me while scanning outside quickly to see that the backyard is empty, for now at least.

I look to the side and see my phone sitting on top of my bed. I reach for it, hands shaking. We need help. I need to call someone, anyone. Alessandro snaps it out of my hand and shoves it into my romper pocket before undoing my shoes quickly, tossing them to the side and leaving me barefoot as he turns to my floor to ceiling bay windows. He makes quick work of ripping my 14ft tall curtains down from the rod.

Quickly, he ties one end of it in a complicated knot around the stone pillars that make up the balcony railing before tossing the remaining fabric over the edge. It doesn’t reach the ground as it comes to what looks like at least 12ft short. Alessandro looks at me, an expecting look in his eyes. I know where he is going with this before he even speaks and just the thought alone has me rushing backwards.

“No, no, no. No way in hell!” I shout, probably a little louder than I should have.

Alessandro chases me down, wrapping his thick arm around my waist before hauling me backwards towards him as he brings us out to the balcony.

“We have to, Seraphina. I know you are scared, but if we don’t then we are as good as dead. I am not about to let that happen,” he says intensely as his eyes flare with promise.

The slight shake that I had earlier has evolved into full blown trembling.

“I can’t,” I whisper urgently as a tear escapes, sliding down my cheek.

He reaches out almost tenderly and brushes the tear away with the pad of his thumb.

“You can,” he says resolutely as he brings me closer to the edge. “I am going to go down first and then you will follow me. I will catch you when the curtain runs out.”

My eyes widen in terror. He can’t be serious? Can he?

Before I can argue, Alessandro hops over the railing, wraps his leg around the curtain and grips it with both hands as he slides down. I lean over despite my better instincts as I watch him just let go when he runs out of fabric and drops into a roll on the ground. He has to be hurt. There is no way someone could just free fall 12ft and be okay.

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