31| Heaven

Chapter 31

Alessio

"Tara!" I yell into my phone, holding my gun high as I shoot one person after another-blood trails down the stairs as I kill the goons with quick precision. I couldn't take the elevator-too many cameras and too big of a risk of someone shooting me dead when the moment the elevator door opened. My legs burn the higher ascend, but I ignore the pain-I need to get to Alice.

A dead body hits my foot as it tumbles down the stairs. Its assault rifle is snug on its back, and I ransack the dead body, taking the assault rifle. I keep my aim up for the next person dumb enough to cross my path.

"Les? Where are you?" She yells. "Don't tell me you're already there? Because if so, you are a real idiot who cannot wait ten goddamn minutes."

Another door opens, and I shoot without a single bit of hesitation. "Patrick has Alice," I shout, going up more stairs, shooting more people. My body aches, sweat beads down my forehead, and my chest burns. I'm halfway up to the top floor. Blood coats my shirt and I'm sure I will collapse if I stop now.

I have to get to Alice, screams through my head. Nothing else matters, my aching bones, my collapsing lungs not, even the foul stench of the dead bodies that waft from below me.

"What? Are you serious? I'm on my way. The rest of the crew can come afterward."

"No!" Another one is dead by my hands. Taking their bullets, "Do not come until I call you," I command Tara. I'm not taking any chances on Alice's life. If he says he will kill Alice if one of my men comes, so be it. If he wants me, then so be it, but I'm not going to go down so easily. There will be bodies piled up in my wake if I have anything to do with it.

Once upon a time, I was once called the best assassin in the world, and there's a reason. Bodies high as a mountain will be shown at Patrick's feet when I meet this elusive bastard who dares to hurt the people I love.

"Alessio-" She says, her voice at a crack.

I suck in my breath. "That's an order, Tara. Do not come! I do not need backup."

Tara sucks in her breath, "You know you're a real idiot-a suicidal idiot that is gonna get himself killed."

"For Alice...it's worth it. Suppose I don't call in you the next ten minutes...goodbye, my friend. Tell everyone it was a pleasure." I say, hanging up the phone. I rush up the stairs. One person dead from my assault rifle, reload, rinse and repeat-person after person falling. My heart thumps against my chest as I run up the stairs.

The number gets higher and higher until I reach floor fifty out of the sixty-five levels. I feel like my heart is about to fall out of my chest. My turtle neck clings to my body from the layer of sweat and blood on my chest. I lean against the cool wall and collect my breaths.

Alice, I'm so fucking sorry.

Once again, your life is being threatened because of me and my choices. I'm so sorry. When this is over, and if I die like I know I am. I hope you meet a man-no.

No! I don't want you to be with anyone else but me. I'm going to get us out of here. I take a step, although my body aches for me to stop. I go up another and then another ignoring the pain.

"You bastard!" One goon shouts. He rushes me with his fist held high. I move slightly before his fist can connect, pushing him over the landing. His body cracks immediately on impact from the fall. I have to go. I have to get you, Alice. I rest my hands on my knees and look up to the top floor.

I can't stop. I will not stop for you, Alice, picking up more ammo from the dead bodies around me. I run up the stairs, arriving at the sixty-fifth floor. There is no way to see inside the hallway. I click my tongue. I've made it this far-hopefully. Lady luck is still on my side.

I look to the door that could very well be my death.

I tilt my head up to the white ceiling and breath in the blood-soaked room. I need to call my daughter and talk to her one last time. I dial her phone, and instantly I'm met with laughter-she's okay.

Aria is fine, and she's happy and laughing-living a life I have wanted for her since the moment we shared a bowl of cereal. "Hey, Les?" She giggles through the phone. "You find Alice?"

I suck in my breath, "yeah. I did. How are you doing?"

"Fine, we were here playing video games for a while, and then Penelope was trying to teach me how to play the piano. But I'm horrible, so we're trying to learn this one dance we saw on TikTok."

I imagine Aria dancing, "and how's that going?" I laugh.

"Fine, Marcy and I are the only ones that seem to have gotten the gist of it. It seems like dancing might be my calling. Oh! When I get to high school, do you think I should join the cheerleading team? Some of the girls were talking about it? Like Marcy been doing it ever since she was five, and I just started dancing, and some of the girls were saying we're already evenly matched."

I chuckle. So carefree, with such big plans for the future. "I think it will be a fine idea. Soccer and cheerleading. You're going to have a lot on your plate."

I hear a door close through the phone, "Aria! Come on! We almost perfected it! We have to start recording."

"Crap, sorry, Les."

This is fine. This is enough. "I love you, Aria."

"Love you too, Les. See you tomorrow."

"Yeah...I'll see you tomorrow Aria." She hangs up the phone, and once again, there is nothing but a door in front of me. I sigh.

If I die, I hope she remembers me. I wish I had helped her enough with our short time together and that I'll live in her heart no matter what path she chooses for herself. I adjust one assault rifle in my hand and check the bullets-full, ready to be placed in the chests of whoever is behind this door.

I kick the door open with my finger on the trigger-five men, all with their guns drawn toward my head. I duck, narrowly avoiding the bullets aimed at my head. Good thinking, go for my head, but it will kill you today. On one leg, I shoot at the five men so quickly that it takes them a moment to realize they are dead.

I let out a deep breath and take off one of the jackets one of the underpaid goons is wearing, using it to tie the door shut. It will be one hell of a time getting here from the stairs. The top floor has rooms down the hall, with the largest at the end.

I knew this from my quick survey of the place on my ride here that Odella gave me. I stalk down the hall and kick open the door with my gun held high.

A bullet grazes my temple, narrowly missing me. I duck behind a couch, "fuck! Alessio! You are one lucky son of a bitch!"

"Where is she?" I yell, raising my gun to shoot back.

Patrick sends the bullet back to me. "I knew there was a slim chance of you making it up here, but I didn't think you'd actually pull it off. Good job."

"I'm not interested in your speech or any bullshit attempt to be witty. If you come out, I will make your death quick and painless when we both know you deserve a world of pain for what you've done." He shoots through the couch. The bullet hits the wall instead of me.

"Really? Alessio. If we're being completely honest. We both know your kill count greatly outweighs mine. And it would be more of a service killing you than me any day. So come out and let me kill you. The sooner you die, the sooner that beautiful wife of yours can go back home. You know she has one hell of an ass on her Alessio. Tell me how long before I can go after a woman whose husband has died."

I'm going to kill this bastard with my bare hands if I have to.

I curled my hands around my assault rifle, letting out a deep breath without looking and keeping my full body behind the couch. I shoot from the side with no aim-only the hope that one bullet will hit him or even give me a moment of time before Patrick won't shoot my head off. I hold onto the trigger, and a barrage of bullets goes his way.

He screams. This is my only chance. I get up from the couch and rush him. He holds his blood-soaked arm with one of my bullets inside him. He raises his gun, and before he can shoot, I kick his arm. His gun falls from his hand, sliding to the other side of the room.

There are a few faces I won't forget, and this is one of them-my last kill.

I curl my hand into a fist and punch him with all my strength.

My first hit breaks his nose.

My second knocks two of his teeth out.

And my third breaks his jaw.

He tries to speak. This pitiful excuse of a man who hurt my family is nothing but a blundering mess, probably trying to beg for his life. He was so confident earlier. Now, look at him-blood-soaked face, unable to speak, and in the chance I let him live, he probably never will again.

I wish I could torture him and break him and make him feel an ounce of the fear I had when I saw Alice be stuffed inside of a van with strange men.

I take the gun that was stuffed into my back pocket, pressing it to his temple. I say, "Goodbye, Patrick," and kill him.

He drops to the ground. I click my phone and call Tara. "Alessio!" She shouts through the phone.

"It's done..." I huff. "All done. Come here and clean this mess up. I'm done." I hang up the phone, "Alice!"

"Alessio!" She yells. "Oh my God! Alessio! I'm in an office!" I run to the door, kicking it open. I see her. I see Alice on the ground, tied up like some piece of meat.

"I'm here. Alice, I'm right here." I rush to her, untieing her arms, and before I can go to her legs, she hugs me.

"Alessio," she croaks.

I hug her back, rubbing her back as she cries. "I'm here. I'm right here, Alice. Everything is over. No one will ever hurt you again."

~

I carried Alice out of the hotel and had a private doctor look over her and my wounds. I got away with only a stitch, and she was perfectly fine.

Alice, stand under the shower. Her hair lays flat on her back as she stares up. "How are you feeling?" I ask as I hold her from the back. "Scared, Traumatized, like everything I ever wanted was almost taken from me in a few moments." I kiss the back of her head.

"I'm sorry."

"Dr.Avery is going to make a fortune after what I tell her about what happened to me today, or at least the most honest version I can tell her. And here I thought I was finally coming to terms with a few of my mental illnesses and boom. I get kidnapped."

"Alice, what happened today will never happen again. I bet my life on it."

She turns towards me, her brown doe eyes look up at me, and I imagine my life without her if I wasn't able to save her. I would be a mess without this woman by my side.

She is my little taste of heaven.

"Is it over? Everything? Truly?" I nod my head. Her tears begin to well up, "are you sure-truly sure?"

"Yes. I am."

Alice sucks in her breath, "Alessio," she leans her head against my chest. "I'm pregnant."

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