Chapter 7 —The Last Hurrah

Allegra

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I sat on Chiara's bed as I watched her get ready. I hadn't told her about my interaction with the underboss at my engagement, she will try to gauge every single detail about it. knowing that Chiara would relentlessly pry for every minor detail. Our exchange was unremarkable; we merely conversed, and he offered me a cigarette—nope we shared a cigarette.

"Look, Allegra, all I am saying is Aldo is probably a really good match, I mean they are financially way more stable than you guys—"

I groaned, "Money is not a problem, Chiara, we do just fine, Grandpa earns more than enough but we do charity a lot, there's a difference. I'm not looking for a wealthy partner to take care of my financial needs."

She faced me, putting on a lacey red, push-up bra, "Then what are you looking for?"

I pulled my knees to my chest and wrapped my arms around them, "I'm not even looking for anything, I just don't want to get married to anyone."

"But you are getting married in a week," she said, staring at me apologetically.

"I know..." my voice was barely above a whisper.

She jumped on her bed, right beside me, and wrapped her arms around my frame, shaking me side to side violently, "Come with me!" she squealed.

I don't know how to feel about her sometimes. One moment she can be so savage, but then she turns around and shows me so much love. It's like, girl, make up your mind! But I guess that's just the kind of relationship we have. We've been through so much together, so I'm willing to forgive her when she's acting up. I mean, we've made so many amazing memories that it would be a shame to throw it all away over a couple of rough patches.

"Where are you even going?" I asked

She grinned evilly, "Benedetto was talking about it and I heard, there's a Cosa Nostra party at Terra Incognita and we are going to crash it. And guess who's the host?"

Judging by her face, there was only one answer and that was her lost time crush—the underboss.

Our last encounter a week ago at my engagement party crossed my mind and I cringed, "The underboss?"

"Hell yeah!" she said enthusiastically.

I shrugged, "I think I should just go home, you know parties like that aren't really my scene—"

She cut me off mid-sentence, "For once, can you please go somewhere for me? I always attend all of your church parties, don't I?" she questioned as she got off the bed and placed her hands on her waist, her lips pursed.

It was true, Chiara always attended every church party. Even when I was a choir girl, she'd attend church every Sunday just for me.

"Plus once you get married to someone like Aldo, I'm not sure if you'll be “allowed” to have fun," she used air quotations, "Please, Allegra, loosen up for a night. I can't even think of attending this party without my best friend by my side. So what do you say, are you ready to let your hair down and join me for some wild partying?"

"Fine!" I said and she jumped up with excitement.

And then suddenly it dawned on me that since the morning she had been calling and texting me relentlessly telling me to come over so we could hang out, oh my god, this evil little witch. I squinted my eyes, "Is that why you were calling me over?" I asked, crossing my arms over my chest.

She bit her bottom lip and then grinned sweetly at me, "Maybe..."

I gasped.

"But I also wanted you to have a little fun before you tie yourself to the big old ball and chain," she explained as if she was doing me a favor.

I sighed, I guess it won't hurt to have a little fun before my wedding. Growing up, I was taught that being a good girl would attract a good life partner. I took this to heart and remained loyal to my values, never going astray. Avoiding boyfriends, drugs, and alcohol became a part of my daily routine. The only time I had alcohol was at family events, and I always kept it to a minimum.

I never indulged in flings, nor did I allow any man to touch me. The thought of showing off my skin was unfathomable, and dancing with guys was out of the question. I can't say the same for my fiancé.

After everything, is that what I get? I had been a good girl, loyal and faithful, but what do I get in return? A man who couldn't even promise to remain faithful himself. How could I trust him with my heart when he had a history of multiple romantic partners? And to make things worse, he was twice my age and had a controlling and emotionally abusive personality. As if that wasn't enough, he denied me the basic right to education, as if I was nothing more than an object for his pleasure and breeding.

Is that what I get in the end? After all those years of being a good little girl, keeping my head down, and staying out of trouble, is that really what I get?

"So, what do you say?" Chiara asked, looking at me with hopeful eyes.

I smiled at her, "I don't think the dress I am wearing will go with the party."

She smiled cheekily, "Actually I took care of it in case you said yes. I've got just the perfect dress for you."

She grabbed my hand and ran to her closet where she pulled out a cute Anglaise Embroidered Long Sleeve Turtleneck Dress White, it was like something I have never worn before.

I swallowed, it was beautiful but I don't think I'll be comfortable in it, "Don't you think it's too short for my taste?"

She blew out a breath, "Allegra, please, just for one night then you would never have to wear anything like this ever again. Aldo probably won't allow you anyway."

Just listening to Aldo's name stirred up a fire from inside of me, I gritted my teeth and took the dress from her, I'll probably regret wearing it later but right now it was like my weird way of saying “Fudge you” to this marriage.

I took off my dress, and Chiara laughed at my choice of underwear. I was wearing simple white cotton underwear and a bra. I put on the dress over it, it's not like I'll be flashing my unsexy underwear to anyone.

The dress clung to me like a second skin, mama has never allowed me to wear tight clothes, so I didn't know what to think of it but I kinda liked it on me. It wasn't really revealing except for my legs. They were more on display because of my height, the dress ended just between my thighs.

"I've bought heels for you too!" she handed them to me, smiling widely as she put on a very revealing cut-out bodycon red dress, it looked good on her. She always looks beautiful in every kind of clothing that she wore, I'm pretty sure she could pull off a trash bag too.

She handed me a gorgeous pair of white three-inch heels, and I decided to wear them. To my surprise, these heels were not only stunning but also super comfortable. As I looked at myself in the mirror, I realized that this outfit was unlike anything I have worn before. It made me feel confident and elegant.

I opted for a sleek high ponytail which complemented my dress quite well. Meanwhile, Chiara took her time and curled her hair to perfection. Not just that, she also did my makeup in a light and nude style, which was exactly what I wanted.

When we both were ready and it was time to step out of her room, I froze in my spot. Chiara stopped too as she realized that I wasn't following behind her and turned to look at me.

"Oh uh, what's wrong?" I asked.

I tugged at my dress, anxiety hitting me with full force "I don't think I should go outside wearing this. I mean, what if Aldo is at the party too?"

"Also isn't going to be there because as the head of Capo's security, he must be with him and according to my sources—which is my brother, Benedetto—Capo is out of the country and so is Aldo," she said confidently, and I suddenly remembered that grandpa was talking about it a few days ago to mama when they were discussing the wedding.

"Yeah, right..." I nodded, again pulling my dress down.

"Allegra, this is your chance to live. One last hurrah before your wedding, consider it your bachelorette party."

Smiling hesitantly, I nodded as we both stepped out of her room, into the elevator, and down to her car. She parked in the overcrowded parking lot of Terra Incognita, the blasting music from the inside could be heard from here.

We made our way to the entrance, Chiara had bought Benedetto's card along with her, telling the bouncers that she was his guest. The Gambino family was well-known in our circle so they let her inside without a question.

Inside was a big fat mess. Women, barely clothes danced with men who in return were dancing less and grinding themselves on their butts more.

Alcohol was everywhere. Men with dark eyes and an even darker aura filled the spacious club. They all belonged to the Cosa Nostra, none of them were to be messed with.

The inside of the house was crowded with people and the irresistible throb of the music. I caught sight of several familiar faces of boys from my high school and church. The party was filled with men who were clearly part of the Made men community, while the majority of the women there, though not affiliated with Cosa Nostra, I have never seen any of them before.

"You want anything to drink?" Chiara asked as we headed for the bar.

I nodded, "Sure."

She ordered a drink for herself and one for me too. I silently thanked her as we took our drinks and Chiara started to look everywhere for the underboss.

We pushed through the crowd, and she clicked her lips disappointingly, "Where the hell is he?"

I shrugged, "How'd I know?"

Halfway through the search, Chiara found someone else to flirt with and told me to go have some fun by myself.

I tugged at her hand as the man scowled at me, "How am I supposed to do that?"

She grabbed me by my shoulders, "Allegra, sweetie, find a guy, fool around with him, no one will know. Forget about who you are for the night, let go of the uptightness and have fun," saying that, she intertwined her arm with the stranger as he took her to another corner away from me.

I wasn't a wuss, who'd get scared just because her friend ditched her, I may have not attended this type of party before but I know I can handle myself. I couldn't find a peaceful corner on the floor so, I stepped up the staircase and went upstairs to get some fresh air. I'd wait until Chiara is done having her fun.

This area was way less crowded than downstairs, I roamed around sipping on my drink as I watched people kissing away like there was no tomorrow. The men up here looked more polished and high-ranking.

And then I found the person, Chiara had been looking for.

He was smothered by, not one, not two, but three women at the same time.

One was kissing his neck while the other two stroked his uhm... that aggressively over his jeans all the while he was using a cell phone in one hand and had a drink in the other. He wasn't even remotely interested in the girls all over him. I cringed as the girl kissed him from over his pants.

I couldn't help but shake my head as I scanned the room. The hypnotic beat of the music pulsated through the floorboards.

I wanted to pee, so I looked for the toilets but instead found a line of VIP rooms I opened a VIP room door and paused with my hand on the knob, checking to see if someone was inside. Luckily, it was empty and I maneuvered straight to the bathroom.

I did my business and the second I stepped out of the door, a scared little “eek” left my lips as I saw the underboss, leaning against the bedroom door–the door I just came in from.

As his eyes scanned me from top to bottom, I felt uneasy and self-conscious. His gaze fixated on my legs for a bit too long, making me feel exposed. It was unusual for someone to look at me that way, as I was never considered conventionally attractive. I tried to ignore his lingering gaze, but it only made me more anxious. I wasn't used to this kind of attention, and I couldn't wait for it to be over.

We locked eyes, and a dense, almost choking atmosphere engulfed us. It was just seven days back when we were out on the balcony, but now, in this confined room, with a shut door, a low ceiling, and four walls enclosing us, it seemed as though there wasn't sufficient air for the two of us.

"Does Father Linus know that you're here wearing that?" his tone insinuated as if he was disgusted by my choice of clothing.

I frowned, "What is it to you?"

A faint sarcastic smile appeared on his face, "Maybe I should just call him and ask him myself."

Panic rose to choke me, I took a few steps in his direction, my eyes darting from his phone to his face, "Don't..."

He raised an eyebrow, dark amusement lingered on his feature, the son of a biscuit was enjoying this, "Don't what?"

I shook my head, "Don't call him, he doesn't know..."

His eyes filled with an intense darkness, a sudden jolt of unease spread through my stomach like a heavy lump of lead. My chest began to quiver with anticipation, unsure of what was to come. The tension between us grew thicker.

"Then what are you doing here, Allegra?" he asked once more.

Not knowing what to say, I shrugged, I still remembered the conversation we had on that balcony, and his words clung to me as nothing has ever had.

"Maybe, I just took your advice."

A crinkle appeared between his brows, "What?"

"You told me that I should do what makes me happy. So I am here for my one last hurrah before the wedding," I repeated Chiara's words, it took me a minute to realize how that must have sounded to a man like him. He must be thinking that I was here to fornicate.

He tilted his head to the side and crossed his long leg over the other, shoving hands in his pockets, his back still glued to my escape route, "I don't think this is what I meant..." and then his face morphed with a cruel and malicious smile, "But I'll take it," saying that he took small and malicious steps my way until he was too close to comfort.

My voice seemed to have disappeared as my heart pounded so loud that I could barely hear the sound of his breath. Being so close to him made me feel trapped and helpless, with no escape route in sight. The mere thought of his touch caused goosebumps to erupt on my skin, sending a shiver down my spine that I couldn't control.

"Mmm... I must confess, there's something about church girls that drives me wild," he whispered, a mischievous glint in his eye. "Especially when they get a little frisky," I could smell the alcohol on his breath, he was drunk or else I don't think he'd talk to me like this.

I felt a lump form in my throat as his eyes met mine, and then his gaze slowly travelled downwards to my lips. My heart skipped a beat, unsure of what to expect next. I couldn't help but notice a mischievous glint in his eyes, as if he was contemplating something devilish. My mind went into overdrive, imagining all the sinful things that could happen between us, "Have you ever been kissed, Allegra?"

My eyes widened. He didn’t move. His dark eyes met mine, and I couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to feel his lips on mine. Even though I knew I should feel embarrassed or anxious, I found myself thinking about forbidden pleasures. The girls in my class talked about how they had already kissed many boys, but I had never experienced that feeling yet. As a good girl, I knew I shouldn't do anything that was deemed inappropriate, but the thought of kissing someone forbidden made me feel excited and curious at the same time.

He leaned in and I didn't stop him, he cupped my face from one side and before I knew it his lips were on mine. Shock and something unknown erupted in my chest.

My body stood there frozen, overwhelmed by his touch, too nervous to respond. His lips pressed against mine, igniting a spark within me. He kissed me with a passion that made me feel like I belonged to him.

But deep down, I knew I didn't.

I belonged to another man I just gave my first kiss away to a man my best friend had a crush on. The man who probably kissed an army of girls tonight and just made me another one those women—the ones who were stroking him over his clothes.

A wave of disgust washed over me, not knowing what to do, I pushed him back and slapped him across the face.

Hard.