Page 42 of A Treasure To Keep (Leone Legacy #2)
Marco
T wo weeks ago, El and Andrea got engaged. Since then, I haven’t spoken to or seen either of them.
Alessandro has put me in charge of collecting debts while he spends the rest of Luci’s pregnancy at home.
I’ve let every small piece of anger out on anyone who’s late, regardless of whether they can pay.
Normally, we stop by for a visit, giving them the last chance to pay on their own.
If they can’t, we'll drag them to our basement. I’ve stopped giving a fuck about the first step.
The man who’s currently in front of me only owes a thousand dollars that he racked up in our gambling room.
Considering he’s gambled with us before, I know he easily has the money to pay for it.
Instead, he’s sitting in front of me, a bloody mess, practically unconscious.
The crack of my fist connecting with his face causes blood and a rogue tooth to spurt from his mouth.
At that moment, Domenico walks in, pausing in the doorway.
“Alessandro says you can’t keep doing this.”
“Why the fuck not?” My bloody knuckles crack when I ball up my fists. The man behind me whimpers in pain, coming back from almost passing out.
“Because I’m in charge of collecting. You’re exclusively doing security for now.
Don’t kill the messenger; it’s Alessandro’s order.
We’ve had too many bodies to get rid of, and you’re taking things too far for small debts.
” Domenico and a small team of men he leads normally take charge of disposing of bodies or dumping people who are still alive in a safe place.
He’s put in plenty of grunt work over the years, now volunteering for non-physical jobs.
Mainly leading teams of Alessandro’s men or working the gate.
He told me once it’s because he’s getting too old.
That’s a joke if I’ve ever heard one. He’s barely forty.
I give this man one more slug, knocking him out before bursting out of the basement and rushing to Alessandro’s office.
“What the fuck, Alessandro? You put Domenico in charge of my job?” Alessandro turns to me, stopping what he was doing on his computer, and rubs his temples.
“Yes, I did. You’ve taken everything Geno and I have built and fucked with things.
That man currently in our basement owed practically nothing, and you’ve knocked him out.
Domenico is waiting until he wakes up, getting his bank information, and taking him home after a visit from Dr. Rossi.
You’re staying here and focusing on security until you can get your shit together.
” I burst out of the office, heading to the gym.
I play my usual gym playlist, peeling my shirt off before punching the bag.
If I can’t knock out assholes, I’ll work it out here.
My tattooed knuckles are already split and bloody when I spread my blood all over the punching bag.
Fuck gloves. Fuck tape. I need to feel the physical pain that’s in my heart.
I never expected any of this to happen. This was supposed to be one night.
Then another to get this out of our system.
The longer this went on, the harder it was to stop.
Andrea and El are going forward with their lives. The last thing they need is me.
I punch the bag until my knees give out, falling to the ground as I yell, letting out every piece of anger I’ve felt over the last few weeks.
Someone’s arm loops beneath mine, helping me off the floor and into my bedroom. He drops me onto my bed before finally speaking. “I don’t know what’s going on, but I’m here to listen when you’re ready to talk. Always. Get some rest.”
Alessandro, my best friend and practically my brother, walks out of my bedroom, a gentle click of the door announcing his departure. Then, and only then, do I let go of every emotion I’ve held back for weeks.