Fractured (The Russo Family #2)

Chapter 1 ~ Alexander

The ride in the elevator is tension-filled as my father keeps giving side glances my way and slightly turning his head to look at Carlos, who has stuffed himself in the corner staring at the floor. My father readjusts his shoulders and folds his hands in front of him, staring at the door.

I clear my throat, adjusting my tie once again, dropping my hand by my side, giving it a shake, and trying to relieve the tension in it.

“You need to keep better control of your tell’s son.” In his mocking tone.

Carlos lets out a chuckle, lifting his head slightly to look at me under his eyebrows.

The elevator finally dings, and I rush out, barely giving Carlos time to click the locks open on the car. I open the passenger door, take my bags out, and close it. As I pass by, staring at him, Carlos presses the fob on the door, locking it with a smug grin on his face.

My father’s driver, James, is already at the back of the town car, trunk open, heading towards me, grabbing my duffle bag and putting it in the car. I glare over at Carlos silently saying, ‘This is what a driver is supposed to do.’

“Thanks, man,” I say as I walk around the trunk and get into the backseat with my father. Carlos gets into the front passenger seat. I unbutton my suit jacket, adjust my pants, and settle into my seat, getting comfortable.

My father watches me with a critical eye, pressing the button to raise the divider separating us from the front of the car.

Fuck.

“Your affairs are your affairs, Alexander. But for the duration of this trip, they have now become mine. Why is Carlos angry with you and why is Isabella crying? Again.” He pinches his lip as he looks out the window.

I breathed deeply out of my nose, “She is under my care and, for now, she’s remaining in the house till our wedding. I’ve called Mom. She’s already agreed to help Isabella with all the upcoming appointments.”

My father lifts one eyebrow waiting for more information. He knows am sidestepping the truth.

I clear my throat, “Isabella acted foolishly and to protect her, she needs to remain in my house till this meeting is finished.”

“I see. How foolish?” His hand drops from his lip, but he still hasn’t looked at me.

“She ran away. There was a misunderstanding. I found her last night and brought her home.”

I could actually hear his breathing stop and then speed up. If I wasn’t sitting right beside him, I would never have caught the change. He doesn’t flinch or move a muscle; his face remains passive as he continues to look out the window.

“I warned you about your temper, Alexander. Control it.” He looks at me now and my insides drop. “Now.”

He turns back to the window and says, “Your mother has already informed me about her plans while I’m away. I, however, will not inform her of Isabella’s... confinement. But make no mistake, I am watching.”

“Understood.” Jesus, I seem to be saying that a lot to him lately.

I turn to the window once again. At this point, I’d prefer the silence to his subdued judgment. He might change his viewpoint once he reads the file Sebastian and I put together. But I can’t help feeling that if he were in my shoes, he would do the same thing.

There is no room for mistakes in our way of life. And Isabella needs to grow up quickly if she plans to survive in our world.

I take out my phone, intending to check the security feed to her room, but there is a text from Danny.

Panic jolts through my chest, and I dial him.

“What’s wrong?” I bark.

“There is this little blond pixie chick freaking out at the front gate. She tried to climb over it three times already. HEY!” He screams so loud and I hold the phone away from my ear, drawing my father’s attention.

“GET DOWN RIGHT NOW! YOU CRAZY...” The phone goes silent as if he’s pressing it against his chest. In my head, I snicker a little. I don’t think I’ve ever heard Danny so animated; he barely speaks.

He’s growling on the phone now.

“For fuck's sake, boss, she’s screaming at the top of her lungs, calling you an asshole and a dick. She claims you kidnapped her girlfriend, and she wants to see her.” His voice echoes as he holds the phone away from his mouth.

Danny screams, “GET THE FUCK OFF THE GATE!” Then he whispers low into the phone, “I can take care of her if you know what I mean. Please say yes.”

I hear a shuffle, the sound of the metal gate rattling, the phone garbles with shouts and then I hear slapping noises.

“Get your hands off me, you crazy Pixie!” Danny barks.

I hear the sound of flesh slapping, an echo in the background of a high-pitched yelp, then Anna’s angry whine, “Ouch! That hurt you dick!”

Danny growls back, “GOOD!”

For fuck sakes, really, Anna. I tap my father on his leg and point to the divider, then the floor. He presses the button, and the divider drops.

Danny whispers, “Boss? Let me open the gate and let her in. I can have this solved in two seconds.”

I yell, “NO! For fuck's sakes, just keep her at the gate. I’ll call you right back.” Hanging up I bring up the security feed; I click on the front gate feed, turning up the volume.

Danny and another guard are at the gate, and she’s pointing at their faces.

“You hairy assed, motherfucker! You let me in. I need to see her.” She has both of her tiny fists wrapped around the metal bars, shaking the gates.

Carlos’ head whips around at hearing her voice, his face turning white.

She stomps over to the camera, putting her face right up close. “If you hurt her again, I’ll make it my life’s long mission to find you and cut your balls off and stuff them down your throat.”

My father looks at me, his face pinched in anger. “Hurt her... Again?”

Her voice goes soft, “Hey Carlos, if you’re in there?” She backs up and waves, “I’d still be interested in that ride on your shoulders.” Her cheeks turn pink.

Danny rolls his eyes and glares at her. “Really? Flirting with Carlos?” Anna holds her hand out to him, giving him the finger.

My father and I look at Carlos. His face is beat red, and he hunches his shoulders up. She walks up to the camera, putting her one eye right into the lens.

That one icy blue eye blinking, “You arrogant, narcissistic, selfish prick! Let me in!” She backs up and slaps the camera and it shakes like an earthquake.

I look at Carlos. “Do you have Mighty Mouse’s number?” His face turns another shade of red as he nods.

“Call her now and get her off my gate.” He nods and starts calling her number. I watch as her phone rings and she opens her car door to pick it up. A huge smile breaks out on her face as she swipes it.

My father raises the divider again, and I die slowly, watching it close.

He takes my phone out of my hand and turns the volume down as he watches the shit show unfolding in my driveway.

Could this situation get any worse?

“I like her.” He points at the phone. “Will she be at the wedding? She reminds me of your mother when we first got married.”

“Excuse me?” I ask, shaking my head.

My mother would never act with such disrespect. She’s a gentle soul, a loving wife and mother. Not some crazy ass pixie on a death wish.

I look at my phone and Anna is sitting in her car, the door wide open, her legs stretched up and over the steering wheel, her tiny feet tapping on the windshield as her shoelaces dangle down. She’s flicking them back and forth as she talks to Carlos.

My father smiles reflectively and says, “I told you, it wasn’t easy when I married your mother.” His face darkens, and he looks at me. “But Isabella is different.”

Right now, I can not handle this. I rest my head on the back of the seat, rubbing my hands over my face. I’m so tired. Before Isabella, my life was simple. Now everyone is acting like unsupervised toddlers in a kindergarten class. Fuck my life.

My father hands me back my phone. “She’s leaving.”

I look down and watch as Anna closes her car door and backs away, spinning her tires, and spitting gravel at Danny as he shields his eyes. He gives her the finger and turns to walk back up the driveway.

I text Carlos: “Thanks, man.”

He replies: “No problem. But we need to talk once we get to the hotel.”

The pit in my stomach grows a little larger. We haven’t even left the ground and already this trip is so fucked up.

The rest of the ride is quiet until we arrive at the gate and pull up alongside the jet. My father and I start up the stairs as James and Carlos get out and start hauling the luggage onto the plane. Janice, our long-time flight attendant, greets us and we proceed to the seats in the cabin's main.

Six cream leather seats are in the first section. The middle section is more like a living room, with a couch and loveseat, a large screen TV, and a small glass and chrome coffee table in the center. The back half of the plane is a small, well-equipped bedroom with a full bathroom.

My father takes the leather seat across from me, putting his briefcase on the empty seat beside him. Carlos and James enter the plane and Carlos walks past us to the loveseat. He’s on his phone, scrolling. My eyes are burning and my head is throbbing from lack of sleep.

I don’t even recognize myself anymore, let alone the absurdity of my life in the last week. My God, it’s only been what, three days since she came into my life. I cringe and rub my tired eyes with my hand.

How am I going to survive a lifetime with this woman? Before her, my days had structure. I fucked, I ran my club. Now I’m chasing a woman all over the place, trying to make it through a meal at the same table. I haven’t fucked anyone in a week and my dick constantly reminds me of the fact.

Anna’s lost her mind completely over Isabella, and I keep thinking about what she said at the lab.

"If Isabella goes home, she’ll never come back". Anna said it wasn't Isabella's father’s house, and it is definitely not mine. If it were, I wouldn’t have to lock Isabella in her room. So where is this home she is drivelling on about?