25

25
Alaric’s POV
I was breathing hard by the time I sped back into my driveway and parked my ride in the middle of it, leaving the door open as I stepped out and stormed towards the house entrance. Allesio came down from the car and hurried after me.
I had only been getting angrier each passing minute because I couldn’t understand why this was happening to me when I was in power. During my father’s reign, shit like this doesn’t happen. But this…this happening during my reign, it was going to put a stain on my record and that vexed me.
“Ric,” Allesio called out, falling into step beside me, but I didn’t answer him. I couldn’t focus on him. All my mind was on how I was going to fix what had happened. This could ruin my empire. All the things I’ve built since I came into power.
“Ric,” Allesio called out again and I turned to him, glaring at him to shut the hell up before focusing on the path to my office. I didn’t have any enemies. All enemity my father had made before his death, I had made sure to fix them. The only exception was the Cruz family. The feud was had been going on long before my father died, and I was never going to end it. Instead, I was the one who would wipe out their whole family from the history of crime organizations.
“Do you think they did it?” I asked through gritted teeth. “Alonso Cruz. Do you think he did it?”
“I can’t tell, Bo-”
“They’re the only one who hates us that much to create such a stunt,” I said.
“They’re not the only ones who hates us, Ric. The Salvatore family are there too,” he reminded me and the bloody fight that happened between us last week flashed in my mind.
“I still think it’s the Cruz family. That attack was planned,” I insisted. “Carefully and articulately planned.”
“Forget about that. You’re overlooking the fact that the shipment arrived earlier than it should have,” he reminded me, stepping into my path and crossing my arms. “What if Guiseppe did this? What if he gave us the wrong information? The shipment was supposed to arrive between 9pm to 10pm. Didn’t you notice that the shipment arrived before 9pm?”
I shook my head. I had seen how Guiseppe looked at his dead men. He wouldn’t sacrifice his men just like that. “I don’t think so,” I answered, shaking my head. “Guiseppe would never.”
“You can never tell, Ric. You should be trusting anyone in this world. You know that,” he reminded me. “And distractions are not allowed.”
I knew exactly what he hinted at and I pressed my lips together. Any other of my men would have never dared to speak to me like this but of course it was Allesio. He was the only one who I trusted to tell me the brutal truth without fearing that I’d put a bullet within his eye. It was why I made him my second the moment I stepped into power.
He was right. I had let myself be distracted by a certain lady with pretty brown eyes. I had let myself be distracted and I didn’t look into the shipment details as much as I should have.
“I don’t know who to trust anymore,” I said lowly. “So we’re going to look into the shipment details again and you’re not going to tell anyone that we’re doing that.”
He nodded once. “Yes boss.” And he stepped out of my way as I continued to my office.
“You will replace those men before the end of the week. Security should be tighter at the port and ” her scent his me before I even noticed her, and I paused, halting as I snapped my head towards the staircase only to find her standing there, staring at Allesio and I. How long has she been standing there? Because with this started loon on her face, it looked very much like she was listening in on us. And she wasn’t even trying to he subtle about it.
She was the reason why I was distracted. She was the reason why my business was going sideways. Resentment started to bubble in my chest.
“Do you want something?” I asked icily.
She opened her mouth, looking like she was contemplating what to tell me, but she just said, “Francesca has been looking for you.”
“I’m busy,” I replied through gritted teeth.
“But-” she began but I cut her off instantly.
“I do not like repeating myself, Emilia,” I snapped, my eyes narrowing at her. She met my fire with ice, glaring right at me.
“Noted,” she replied coldly, shooting me a grim smile before looking at Allesio. Something like confusion swirled in her eyes for a moment before a voice had me snapping my gaze away from her.
“Daddy?” Francesca’s called out, her lip trembling and her eyes filled with tears. She was standing by the turning of the staircase. And with the look of things, she had heard everything.
“Francesca,” I breathed out in shock, but she turned away from me, tears dropping down her cheeks as she run up the stairs, most likely heading back to her room.
“Shit,” Emilia cussed loudly, running after her.
“Francesca! Honey!” She called out, her voice echoing in the empty house as she ran after my daughter.
I ran my hands through my face roughly, frustration and anger bubbling up inside of me. “Ric,” Allesio called quietly but I turned towards the door and punched it as hard as I could.
I ignored the cut it made on my knuckles and it started bleeding. I punched the wall again angrily.
“Ric!” Allesio snapped, holding my hand in his before I could punch the wall.
“I didn’t know she was there,” I told him roughly. “Fuck. What have I done?! She hates me now!”
“No she doesn’t. And what you’re going to do is that you’ll go to her right now and talk to her. Tell her you’re sorry,” he ordered. Now we weren’t Don and lieutenant. We were just cousins who care very much about Francesca.
“She doesn’t want to talk to me. I know it,” I insisted, shaking my head. “She’s going to shut me out. I know it.”
“No you don’t. And she won’t. Go to her. Now.”