Page 6 of A Debt to Pay

I have countless questions to ask Alessandro and my family. How did Alessandro find me? If Nonna was promised to Geno, what kind of family did she come from? Does Mamma know about this? How many secrets does my family have?

I let out another yell as I pick up a pillow and pace around the bedroom, still talking to myself. Words about this contract. Words about the man outside the door. And a few colorful words about Alessandro.

“Incase you weren’t aware, I can hear you,” the man on the other side of the door says.

Since I have no want or need to make any friends here, I ignore him. My adrenaline crashes from today’s events and all I want to do is climb into bed. Grabbing the phone on the nightstand, I discover it’s past 2 a.m. There’s nothing I can achieve tonight and the best thing I can do is to get some rest. Then I can go to Mamma and my grandparents to seek the answers I need. It only leaves the issue of where we will go afterward, at least where I will go. I can’t put my family in danger and I’d be surprised if Alessandro doesn’t know where my family lives. I can go back, demand answers, and then persuade them to come with me. If I can’t do that, I’ll have to leave by myself to protect them.

Now I regret trashing this room. I desperately need to shower, but what’s the point? Regardless of the mess, I shower anyway and wrap up in the comforter.

As I’m trying to get comfortable, I hear a ding from the phone Alessandro gave me. I groan as I reach over, knowing the message is from him even before I read it. His name lights up on the screen with an annoying message to follow.

Alessandro:

Sleep tight, Luci. I’ll be watching you.

Is he serious?

Me:

Screw all the way off, Alessandro. That’s incredibly creepy.

Tossing the phone on the bedside table, I roll over, hiding under the comforter. Tomorrow I’ll demand the answers I deserve. Even if I can’t go back home, at least I’ll be away from stupid Alessandro. With the realization my life will never be the same, I lay sobbing as I drift in and out of consciousness, dreaming that when I wake up, this will be one big nightmare.

Chapter 6

Alessandro

Luci:

Screw all the way off, Alessandro. That’s incredibly creepy.

Ilaugh at Luci’s text, tossing my phone on my bed as I change clothes before grabbing a drink in the kitchen. As I watch the amber liquid pour into the tumbler, I wonder who Luci genuinely is. Is she the good little people pleaser I met at the bar or the woman I met upstairs, fire practically begging to escape from her? To be determined.

I mentally scan through the Rolodex of things I need to accomplish soon—mainly work, Luci, and most importantly, telling Geno that we’ve found the missing Miani debt.

Geno’s papa, my great-grandfather, died when I was ten. I vividly remember them fighting over this regularly. He would scream at Geno, reminding him that he ‘let that Miani girl get away and now he needs to figure out how to get payment.’Since my mamma, Gia, died when I was a newborn, Geno would repeat a version to my papa, Salvatore, until he ran off when I was six. He left me with Geno and I haven’t seen or heard from the man who gave me life since. I have no idea where he went or if he’s even alive. When I turned eighteen, Geno sat me down and showed me the contract, explaining what happened to him and Stella Miani. How her family bet everything they had and lost. Since they had no form of payment, they worked out a plan and gave up their only child, a young virgin daughter, to pay the debt off. Most importantly, how it was now my job to search for Stella and her family. “It is your job, nipote, to find a descendant of Stella Miani and marry her. It’s up to you to collect on this debt.” His words still echo in my head the same way they did a decade ago. Seconds later, Marco walks in with this shit-eating grin on his face as he holds his tablet.

“I heard Luciana has awoken from her slumber.” Marco struts in, practically dancing. If he wasn’t my best friend, I’d be tempted to knock his ass out right here in my kitchen.

Swirling the liquid in the glass, I respond as I focus on the drink’s movement. “She has. She also decided to ruin her bedroom as a form of rebellion.”

Man, I’d love to watch that show. You turned on the cameras in her bedroom, right? We can watch that instant replay.” He waves the tablet and goes to unlock it.

I knock the tablet out of his hands and grab the collar of his shirt. “You watch anything on the cameras in her bedroom I will slit your throat and watch you bleed out while I finish my drink. I will be the only one watching her bedroom cameras.”

He shoves me away, confusion and annoyance marring his face. “Noted. Don’t watch the cameras in Luciana’s bedroom. Seriously though, you need a reality check, dude.” I can only grunt as an answer while he grabs a drink and sits down near me.

We catch up on a few other things, both personal and business, until it all becomes monotonous. Normally, I savor the moments I spend with Marco outside of work, but I can’t keep Luci out of my head. The clock strikes 3 a.m. when we say our goodbyes, heading our respective ways to our bedrooms.

Temptation creeps up when I walk by the stairs that go up to Luci’s bedroom. While playing with Luci both physically and mentally makes my dick hard, I can’t let that happen tonight. That night I fall asleep, knowing I’ll make Geno proud, but also annoyed with how much she’s already gotten into my head.

Chapter 7

Luci

28 Days Until The Wedding

In the morning I walk to the bathroom, still half awake. Instead of the small Jack and Jill bathroom that attaches my bedroom to Mamma’s room, I run into a wall.