#31 - Crossfire

#31 - Crossfire
Vincenzo Leone

I barely slept after what happened in Caterina’s room. The scenes kept replaying in a ridiculous loop, and I could hardly recognize myself, going over them again and again like some lovesick fool.

The word itself still made no sense. It hadn't made sense for years, and now I wondered if I'd lost my mind or if it was all just an illusion of my own making.

When morning came, I got a call from Luca, confirming a last-minute event that required a meeting between the families' representatives. Everything was already settled behind the scenes: a private gathering, but with all the key figures who were still active.

Now and then, the council liked to test our loyalty, and our wallets, with these little "family" events. It was their way of reminding us they were watching, keeping us on invisible leashes they believed they held with an iron fist.

But there were always soldiers acting on their own.

I realized that when I saw Caterina Bellini's name among the confirmed guests. I immediately thought of the call she'd gotten the night before, the one she hadn't told me about. She'd chosen to act alone, and I'd known this moment would come. Caterina was not the kind of woman to submit to anyone. That much had been clear the day I agreed to help her.

I had my own interests when I accepted that partnership, but now my feelings had taken the lead, and that infuriated me. When I got dressed, I didn’t knock on her door. I let her go on her own, the same way she'd chosen to be when she accepted the deal.

I decided to stay neutral, distant, and professional, as I should be.

But when I saw her coming down the stairs in that dress, my entire body went up in flames. Every part of me responded to those curves, that scent. The face of an angel that awakened the demon sleeping inside me.

Caterina made me sick with desire: a feverish, consuming lust unlike anything I'd ever known.

But I repressed it all. I locked that wild, roaring lion in an imaginary cage, keeping her safe from every depraved thought that crossed my mind since the first time I touched her.

When I suggested we go separately, I saw disappointment flicker across her face. It confused me. Caterina was an enigma.

Still, we went our separate ways. Luca wouldn’t stop talking about which names we should approach during the meeting. And all I could think about was how easily that dress would tear.

When we arrived at the party, we split up again. I tried to stay focused. I didn’t touch a single drop of alcohol. I wanted control over my thoughts, my body, my impulses, so I wouldn't do something reckless.

But I could see how they looked at her. Envy and lust dripped from every stare that followed her across the room. It drove me insane.

Luca was the only thing keeping me grounded; otherwise, I would’ve gladly killed every man who dared desire her in front of me.

“Things are getting intense between you and Caterina?” he murmured, as I clenched my fists behind my back, watching her.

“I’m tasting my own poison, Benedetti,” I said through my teeth. “It’s like I could lose control at any moment.”

Luca chuckled. He knew better than to mock me, but I could tell he enjoyed realizing I wasn’t as untouchable as he thought. I was well aware of my weaknesses, but I just never allowed myself to be a victim of them.

“As my grandfather used to say,” he smirked, “every man’s a rock until he loves a woman.”

Just another foolish saying, I thought.

But when I saw her hand almost brush another man’s, every ounce of control I’d built over the years shattered. I didn’t think. I didn't care that we were in public. I grabbed her and pulled her out of there.

I let my impulsive side take over, cornering Caterina in the hallway. I could feel her breath against my skin, her body trembling with heat as we stood alone in that narrow space.

“You test me,” I muttered.

“What are you talking about?” she asked, genuinely confused.

“You test me all the time, Caterina. You’re trying to drive me insane.” I let my fingers slide along the silky fabric of her dress. “No, I’m sure of it. You wore this dress to make me lose my mind, and now you’re flirting with other men just to see how far I’ll go.”

Caterina gasped, startled at first, but then a soft smile tugged at the corner of her lips.

“Are you enjoying this, Donna Bellini?” I asked.

“I think you’re the one who’s confused, Don Vincenzo Leone.” The way she said my name did something to me, something dangerous.

I pressed her harder against the wall. I didn't care who might see us. All I wanted was her, here and now.

“There isn’t a single part of me that’s confused, Caterina,” I breathed. “I know exactly what I want.”

I didn’t wait for an answer. My hand tangled in her long hair, pulling her closer. She didn’t resist, not for a second. I held her by the waist, and she melted against me.

I crushed my lips against hers, tasting her with hunger and intensity. The sweet taste of wine lingered on her mouth, blending with the fire between us. Our kiss was a battle: desire and aggression in perfect balance.

She gripped my jacket and pulled me closer, pressing her body to mine. The thin fabric of her dress made it too easy to imagine her skin beneath it, and as our tongues tangled, the control I’d clung to began to slip away. When she let out a soft moan, I nearly lost it. I wanted to take her right there.

We would’ve set the whole place on fire within minutes, if not for the gunshots that suddenly echoed from the ballroom.

Screams followed, shattering the paradise we’d just built into chaos.

We froze, breathless, adrenaline replacing desire in an instant.

We ran together, and I kept her behind me, shielding her.

“Lara’s still in there!” I shouted until I saw her with Luca Benedetti. Relief flooded my chest.

Luca was armed, as was I, and we moved toward a safer corner behind a thick wall. Caterina, to my surprise, didn’t falter. While we covered the area, she went back to pull two terrified women out of the room, against my orders.

That woman... brave, reckless, impossible. I couldn’t let her stay there.

“Go with Luca and Lara,” I told her sharply. “I can’t let you stay.”

“No! I’m not leaving!” she protested, as I knew she would.

“I’m not asking, Caterina!” I barked, signaling Luca, who nodded in return.

He grabbed her arm and led both women toward the side exit. I stayed behind, holding the line.

I thought they were safe until I heard a scream.

“Caterina!”

I turned just in time to see the blood spreading across her dress, and my world collapsed around me.