Diavolo (Devil’s Playground #1)

26. Chapter 26

26

Elyse forced herself to stay calm. "What do you mean— you were wrong about us?"

Alessandro's expression darkened slightly. "I may be your burden to carry, after all."

"No, no, baby," She protested as her eyes stung with regret. "I was being an asshole when I said that to you. You aren't a burden . Not at all. Not to me."

Alessandro murmured, "Then what am I to you?"

"You're—"

Elyse hesitated as she searched for the right words that could express the complexities of her feelings for this beautifully flawed and dangerous man. With an intent expression, Alessandro waited for Elyse to gather her thoughts.

"A part of me now," Elyse realized with a sudden sense of wonderment, "as much as I'm a part of you."

This coaxed a small smile from him. "That is how I view you as well."

"I shouldn't have taken out my frustrations on you. When I hurt you, it hurt me, too."

He kissed her gently. "I would rather that you wound me with truth than hide yourself from me with lies."

"I feel the same way," Elyse breathed softly as she kissed him back. "Before, you didn't feel entirely real. You were too perfect and polished. But now I'm beginning to see you more clearly. I see the good, the bad, I see my Alessio as well as Alessandro Vitale, and I'm in awe of you. I want you more than ever."

Alessandro released a groan of delight." Dio mi aiuti, Elyse, I..."

Whatever Alessandro was about to say became lost in the moment as he kissed her again and again, deeply, deeper, mindlessly, desperately, until she felt as though her heart might burst with a most frightening emotion. Te amo, te amo, te amo. I love you, I love you, I love you. The words thudded in time with her heartbeat, and the power they held flooded Elyse with a startling strength alongside a crippling fear. A strength to stand by her man. To love him. Passionately, wholly, and selflessly. And a fear of what might happen to them if her strength faltered. Of what might change between them if she ever revealed the obsessively endless depth of her feelings. So, as their lips parted from each other, Elyse simply said, "I'm yours, Alessio."

Alessandro smiled as though he simply couldn't help himself. His eyes grew soft and bright. "To call you mine is all I ever wanted."

She stared at him intently. "Now that we belong to each other, stop throwing yourself in harm's way. I'll never forgive you if you die on me."

"If the devil ever takes me," he murmured, "I will crawl out of hell and find my way back to you."

"Please don't tease me. I'm being serious. I can't shake the feeling that something bad will happen. Even if you and I somehow survive the next few years, we may still end up in hell. In this fucked up life of ours, to stay alive, it seems even good people are forced to make evil choices."

"You are not wrong to be afraid, but the world is infinite in color. Nothing is black and white. Good men can go hell, and evil men can go to heaven. When nothing is set in stone, there can be honor in the gray as well."

"I suppose that's all we can do," Elyse mused, "to strive for goodness in the face of evil. Especially when assholes try to kill us."

"And those fucking assholes will never stop trying." A grimace fell upon Alessandro's face as his eyes lingered on her scarred shoulder. "I meant what I said earlier. I have been more upset with myself than you. Maybe that is why your criticism struck me so hard. You ripped away the facade I created in my mind. I wanted to be invincible for you. But ego blinded my judgment. And my wife paid the price for my oversight."

She tried to comfort him, "Don't blame yourself. Cara is at fault, and Domenico was the one who put her up to it."

" No ," he argued, "I must blame myself. My father always warned me. A capo is only as strong as his followers' perception of him. Everyone feared and respected Vincenzo Vitale. That is why Domenico never rebelled against him. That is why the Beltrán cartel and the Stidda never tried to cross him. I am not my father. Undoubtedly, they regard me as inferior."

Elyse eyed him with a knowing expression. "Is that what your little mantrum has been about?"

He frowned. "My little… mantrum?"

"You refused to speak to me all week."

"I just needed some time to process," grumbled Alessandro, "all the excitement."

Right. More like he was processing daddy issues . Elyse knew all about them. She gave him a trite smile and remarked, "For years, my father's mistakes have followed me like a curse. It seems your father's legacy is fucking with you in a similar way."

"His legacy can go to hell," he grunted.

Elyse observed her husband through thoughtful eyes. "The past will always define us, but a wise person once told me— what matters is how we intend to move forward ."

Alessandro shot her a pointed look. "You have been talking to Malina again."

She bit her lower lip. Sheepishly. "You caught me."

He chuckled. "Did you know? You are the first woman in my life Malina has ever taken a liking to."

"That's an honor." Elyse meant it, too. In a way, Malina was slowly becoming the maternal figure she had never known. The older woman's advice was always steady and sound. There was a kindness in Malina that had, somehow, miraculously, survived decades of employment under the mafia.

Alessandro agreed with a lopsided grin, "You are right. It is an honor. Malina is a very difficult woman to impress."

Elyse mused aloud, "I wonder what she saw in me?"

"The same perfection I see, I imagine."

She blushed a little. "How long have you known her?"

"Since I was a boy. At times, Malina feels more like family than my own flesh and blood."

His admission struck a chord in her. Malina sounded like a second mother to Alessandro. This thought led to a question. For the first time ever, Elyse wondered what might have happened to her husband's biological mother? Had Alessandro inherited his specks of goodness from her? Or had his father worn them all down with a life of crime and violence?

She gazed at him intently. "I know, for a fact, that Malina is proud of the man you have become."

Alessandro sighed. "If only my father shared her sentiments."

Elyse suddenly felt an urge to comfort Alessandro. Even though Vincenzo Vitale cast a large shadow, her husband's shine was brighter.

"You're not your father," she told him firmly. "You're a far better man, and you have the potential to become an even greater one."

Her statement seemed to catch him off guard. A faint blush rose on his cheeks. "How can you claim that I am the better man? You have never met my father."

"I'll never forget what he made you do to Mauricio when you were only eighteen," Elyse countered in steady tones, "and I remember you told me that, if I ever became pregnant, you'd send me away, so that our children wouldn't have to grow up the way you did. This alone tells me everything I need to know about the content of your character."

His grin broadened. "Fuck, your praise makes me feel invincible. You may have married a devil, wife, but hell will become your playground. I vow to you. The blood of our enemies will drown the flames. And stars will be wrenched from the heavens. To illuminate the darkness. Just wait and see . I will give you a life that even angels envy."

Dios , this beautiful bastard was spouting utter nonsense. But she fucking loved it. Elyse murmured wryly, "Seems excessive, don't you think? And bloodstains are impossible to remove."

"Nothing can ever be too much," he argued, "when it comes to pleasing you."

"Murder is wrong."

"Is it?"

"I think so."

"Depends on who you are killing."

Maybe he wasn't wrong. They possessed many enemies who wanted them dead. She cleared her throat. "I suppose you have a point. Tell me what I must do to help defend against Domenico."

Alessandro glanced at her shoulder and frowned. "I would prefer to keep you as far away from him as possible."

"I can't hide behind you forever. I need to learn how to be your wife at some point."

"There is no rush," he said quietly, "I will bring you in. Slowly. Little by little."

Elyse decided not to press him. For now. She would revisit this issue with him at another time. Most likely, after they met with her grandfather. But Elyse never wanted to be caught in another situation like the one Cara had sprung on her at Mariposa's party, so she requested, "Then, at least, teach me how to use a gun. I don't intend to kill anyone, but I should know how to handle a weapon properly."

Reluctantly, her husband relented, "I suppose it would not hurt. If you knew how to handle a gun. Safely. And effectively."

"Should I ask Monte or Luca to help—"

"I will teach you," Alessandro offered swiftly.

"Thank you."

"Of course."

"I don't want to be a liability."

Ever.

To her husband.

Or their clan.

He laughed and kissed her. "Do not worry. You are an asset in every way."

She offered a small smile. "Let's hope."

After their talk just now, Elyse felt as though a deeper level of understanding had been established between them. Their hearts and minds seemed to be aligned. Elyse was ready to go to war for Alessandro now that she felt more certain in their ability to survive this marriage. Elyse wished to believe in the goodness of her husband. Not the worst in him. Elyse was finally ready to admit to herself that she loved Alessandro. But she wasn't going to be stupid about it.

My allegiance always lies first with the cosca. Not a woman.

Because the mafia was still the mafia. Elyse was determined not to end up like Carmen or Cara. She intended to accumulate her own power. Slowly but surely. If ever Alessandro was forced to choose between wife or cosca , in all honesty, Elyse wasn't confident that he'd pick her. To avoid this heartbreaking fate, she intended to move on the chessboard in such a way that Alessandro would never be have to sacrifice her to win the game.

The next morning, Alessandro commanded Nils to drive them to an outdoor shooting range in the outskirts of Palermo. Backed by mountains lining the shore and not much else, the vastness felt like a breath of fresh air compared to the claustrophobic hum of the city center.

Yet, Elyse wasn't at ease. The Glock felt foreign in her hands. It was in direct contrast to the surgical instruments and medical machinery she'd used for years. Noble causes were no longer her life's purpose. She'd set down her scalpel and picked up a fucking gun. Her hold tightened around the grip. Dios, how the mighty had fallen. These small yet pivotal moments kept catching her off guard. Elyse missed the self-righteous simplicity of being Dr. Romero. Before, the question that kept her up at night was— how many lives had she failed to save? Now, she was haunted by an entirely different demon— how many lives would she be willing destroy to save her own?

Alessandro stood behind her. "Hold the gun in your dominant hand."

Elyse wrapped her right hand around the handle of the pistol.

"Use your other hand as support."

She placed the cradle of her left palm on the exposed portion of her grip. Her husband reached over Elyse's shoulder to readjust her grip. It felt unnatural and even more uncomfortable. He instructed, "Stand with your knees slightly bent. Feet planted shoulder-width apart. Square your shoulders and lean forward."

Elyse shuffled into position. Her head swiveled around to face her husband. Uncertainty glimmered from her eyes. "Like this?"

Alessandro placed his hands on her hips to shift her stance. "This is better."

"Got it."

"Extend your arms out."

She faced forward again and aimed at her target, which was a large black circle printed on canvas paper with scoring rings located about six feet away. "Okay."

Alessandro moved behind Elyse, pressing his chest against her back, as he guided her aim slightly to the left. "Pull the trigger when you are ready."

For a flickering moment, Cara's face flew before Elyse's eyes. She was suddenly transported to the night of Mariposa's party. The night she almost died . Elyse blinked away the memory. She squeezed one eye shut to check her aim before firing off a round of ammunition. Only two of her shots managed to graze the outer rings of the black circle. Elyse released a disgruntled noise. She didn't like to fail. Alessandro smiled as though he'd read her thoughts. "This is only your first time. You will improve with practice."

They stayed a while longer at the shooting range. By the time they left, Elyse could hit some part of the black circle on a fairly consistent basis at about ten feet away.

"You are a quick study," Alessandro praised.

"I had a good teacher," she replied sweetly.

He chuckled and kissed her. "My wife is a natural. In time, the gun will feel like an extension of you."

Elyse was surprised that she understood exactly what he was talking about. Whenever she'd entered the operating room, her clamps and forceps were, indeed, as familiar to her as her own hands and fingers.

"I'll keep working at it," she murmured.

He smirked and lightly slapped her ass. "Good girl."

Elyse cast him a droll smile. " Behave ."

In response, Alessandro's hands snaked around Elyse, sliding down the flare of her waist to catch both rounded cheeks in his palms, giving them a firm, appreciative squeeze. He taunted under his breath, "What if I refuse?"

"Fuck with me," she returned in even softer tones, "and you'll regret it."

Smirking, Alessandro drew Elyse to him and bent his head to capture her mouth with his lips. His kiss was gentle and teasing and, when he drew away, the sweetness of it left her wanting more. Alessandro removed the Glock from her hands, and let the barrel trail down her curves and dips before lodging it firmly between her thighs.

Elyse gasped when the hard metal hit her clit, pleasure pulsed at her core, "What are you doing?"

" Fucking with you , of course," he taunted.

Green eyes gleamed wickedly as she teased her ass against Alessandro's hardening cock. Immediately distracted, he released a soft groan. Her fingers closed around the gun and removed it from his grasp. "Careful. I'm not afraid to play dirty."

"Just so you know. You do not need a weapon," Alessandro murmured against the crook of her neck, nipping her skin, "to bring this man to his knees."

Her clit throbbed again.

"Let's go home, baby," she pleaded.

A pulse of heat shot through her as his brown and blue-gray eyes darkened in agreement. Once Elyse and Alessandro returned to the car, Nils took one look at them and clicked the button for the privacy barrier. But the soundproof, black-tinted plane of glass failed to rise. Their driver coughed and pressed for it again. Nothing happened.

"I am sorry, Signor and Signora Vitale ," Nils mumbled, "but the barrier appears to be… unresponsive. I will have it fixed as soon as possible."

Elyse cursed silently while her husband swore aloud, " Cazzo ."

As they started driving back to the palazzo , anticipation thickened the air, thrumming with desire, as they held themselves in check. To distract herself from the awkwardness of the situation, Elyse cleared her throat and turned to Alessandro. "When is our meeting with my grandfather?"

There was a noticeable tent near his crotch when he grumbled, "In two days."

"Where?"

" Sverso ."

Elyse shot him a blank look as date palms and dense Mediterranean vegetation zipped by the car window. It was hard to concentrate on business when pleasure still ruled her mind.

" Sverso is a nightclub I own," Alessandro explained, "in Libertà ."

"Ah."

"Do you think he'll help us with Domenico?"

His hand trailed down her thigh. "If I offer the right incentives."

She pretended not to notice even while her senses pulsed with anticipation. "What are you planning to give them?"

"The Beltrán cartel."

Her eyes popped. "What?"

"Well," Alessandro explained, "a percentage of the profits from our latest shipment. Approximately €5 million. With the promise of more to come."

Elyse's expression tightened keenly. "What do you expect from him in return?"

His wandering hand found hers, clasping it tight in his grasp. "I want him to help me siphon away the Berlusconis' lifeblood."

Her fingers started toying with the winged sword on his wrist. Tracing the blade. Caressing each intricate feather. Skin kissed skin. Again and again. A restless tension continued to rise between them. "Which is?"

Their vehicle was now approaching the city center. Lively, colorful open-air markets sitting amid ancient Norman and Arab-influenced palaces and cathedrals soon came into view.

"Domenico owns a chain of bars and restaurants in Messina and Siracusa."

A click of comprehension went off in Elyse's mind. "You want to claim his businesses before he goes after yours..."

"But of course."

Elyse grimaced. "He'll probably put up one hell of a fight."

Alessandro gritted his jaw. "We are already at war. Bloodshed will be inevitable. Some of Domenico's men will die. Some of mine may die as well."

Like Monte? Or Luca? Dios , she hoped not. Some women were probably going to die as well. Distress sank into her bones. "What are you planning to do about Carmen?"

"I intend to let my stepmother dig her own grave."

Suddenly, Mariposa's cryptic comment from the other night surged in Elyse's mind. She knows your mother-in-law is a dead woman walking.

"Are you going to kill her?"

Alessandro turned to Elyse with cold eyes. "She will no longer be under my protection. If that is what you wish to know."

Did her husband intend to throw Carmen to the wolves? She inquired, "What about Valentina?"

Alessandro coughed. "If she chooses to stand with her mother, then..."

Elyse caught his drift. If Valentina chose mother over cosca , then the blue-eyed blonde would go to the wolves as well.

"I see."

Alessandro eyed Elyse with a steady look. "What do you think of me now? Knowing what I intend to do?"

Her husband needed to act before his foes gathered too much momentum against him. Villains like Domenico and Carmen had no problem with sacrificing innocent lives. It was entirely possible they were the ones who orchestrated the hit on Alessandro when he first came to her apartment in Queens.

Elyse met Alessandro's gaze with a heavy heart. "I wish we were not in this position, but I understand what must be done."

If her husband didn't strike first, he might die by Domenico's hand. Or someone else's. They wouldn't be safe until Alessandro's hold on his father's crown was secure.

A grimace stretched across her husband's face. "I did not want you to see this side of me."

She grimaced, too. "I just don't want to see you hurt again."

"I will be careful," Alessandro replied, "if not for my sake, then, for yours."

Elyse's frown furrowed deeper. Her husband could never be careful enough for her liking. He'd vowed to grow old together. A sweet, empty promise. Yet, Elyse hoped to see him hold true to his word. She wondered how long Carmen and Domenico's plans against Alessandro had been brewing. "Do you know who shot you?"

He smirked. "I have been targeted many times. Which incident are you referring to?"

Elyse wasn't able to smile back. Her stomach felt sick at the thought of him in constant danger. "The one you came to me in Queens."

He paused before admitting, "I know who did it."

Her green eyes flickered with concern. "Who?"

"A hitman named Tommy Wilkes."

Elyse's eyebrows lifted. "Who was Tommy working for?"

"I have to confirm my sources," Alessandro responded, "but I suspect that Valentina hired him. At the time, she knew I was looking for you, Benedetto's missing granddaughter."

"What did she want with me?"

"She was aware that my marriage to a Graviano would only serve to weaken her authority in our clan."

Had Valentina been looking for her— to kill her? Or was Alessandro wrong about his stepsister? Elyse inquired, "Is there anyone else, other than Valentina, who might have sent Tommy your way?"

Alessandro sighed. "It is hard to say."

A shiver passed through Elyse. Her husband had suggested nothing and everything in the span of those five words. There were probably too many people who wanted him dead. Domenico and Carmen and Valentina were simply the impatient ones who slithered out early and revealed their hands.

It took ten more minutes before they arrived home. The passion that husband and wife been suppressing flared back with a vengeance. Once they got to their bedroom, Alessandro threw her on the mattress and sank to his knees. Elyse spread her legs. Their gazes stayed locked on each other as her skirt lifted, panties were shoved aside, and his tongue found her clit. Sucking and flicking and swirling relentlessly. Feeling breathless, Elyse closed her eyes and let the tide of sensations take over.

Once she grew slick and wanting, two fingers disappeared into her cunt. Then three. The strain felt sinfully divine. He hand began to move. Alessandro fucked her with his lips still wrapped around her clit. Pleasure rolled up and down her spine, gathering momentum and driving her to the fucking edge. Alessandro didn't stop until she shuddered and cried out her release. Then, pulled off his pants. His cock sprang out, and he started fucking her all over again, thrusting steadily and slowly at first, followed by faster, harder, desperate strokes. Her pussy clenched around him, feeling stretched and filled and utterly euphoric. He was pushing her past the breaking point. With loud gasps and whimpering moans, she came again soon after him. It took a while to recover after the second time.

When her eyes finally fluttered open, he gave a knowing smirk. "You are welcome."

Elyse pinkened slightly. "You look way too pleased with yourself."

He drawled, "I just made my wife come her brains out. Twice . How else should a man look?"

Her blush deepened.

However, even within the security of their well-guarded residence, the dangers awaiting Alessandro outside these sturdy walls kept clawing at Elyse. She wanted to find a better way to keep her man safe. Well, safer. On the surface, Elyse maintained her cool as she went to her vanity to remove her jewelry. On the inside, though, her mind was scheming at Machiavellian speeds. "Alessio?"

Alessandro rolled over and wrapped his arms around her. "What is it, cuore mio?"

"I've been thinking..."

He kissed her neck. "Go on."

She chewed on her lower lip. "Maybe it's time to change our strategy."

Alessandro glanced down at her. Intrigue was written all over his face. Elyse tilted her face toward him and went on to explain, "You mentioned that your father's allies and enemies don't take you seriously."

Good-natured indignation flashed across her husband's handsome features. "You are correct. They think I am a hopeless cause."

"We should use their bias to our advantage."

"What do you mean?"

She gave a pensive pause before pressing on, "If you and I were to, say, put on a little performance. A public show of weakness . Just for a couple of weeks. Wouldn't it prompt a few more of your rivals to come crawling out of the woodworks?"

He frowned. " Sì , I suppose it might."

Elyse continued, "What if you were to let them duke it out while we waited on the sidelines? Let them all believe that they have a chance to steal your crown while you're fucking around. Then, set a trap for Domenico and Carmen and the others to tear each other apart so that we don't have to get our hands dirty. Once the dust settles, you can claim the spoils of their war."

Alessandro was gazing down at her with a look of wonder and shock. "Cuore mio!"

"Sorry," she mumbled, "it's too risky, right? Forget I ever said anything."

" No, no, no ," her husband exclaimed as he showered her face in kisses, "you may be a surgeon by profession, but you think like a general at war. I am in awe of your mind."

Elyse tried to keep a straight face in between Alessandro's playful onslaught. "You think it might work?"

"I think it is a risk worth taking."

"Are you sure?"

He nodded with pride. "You would put Machiavelli to shame."

Eyeing her husband warily, she felt the need to reign in his optimism. Just a little . Her idea felt too premature at this stage to serve any effective purpose.

"Your enthusiasm is appreciated," Elyse observed, "but we shouldn't get ahead of ourselves. My suggestion remains abstract. I have no concrete strategy on how to make it happen."

"We will have a concrete strategy soon. There is one forming in my mind as we speak."

She eyed him nervously. "Really?"

Brown and blue-gray eyes gleamed with cunning and conviction. At first, her husband said nothing. His silence left a restless hum in Elyse's chest. She could sense the devilish gears turning in his mind. Suspense was killing her.

"Tell me, Alessio," Elyse requested with wide, worried eyes.

Her husband smiled. Deviously. "This is what I believe we should do..."