Chapter 33
Alex
My feet pace across my room in Leon’s apartment for what feels like hours. From the moment Leon stomped into the room, asking about Sophie’s dog, I’ve been a nervous wreck. I managed to eavesdrop on just a couple of sentences before Leon left the apartment.
And what I’ve heard made no sense. Sophie running off with a mafia prince because they fell in love? That’s about as believable as Alan, her dog, becoming a professional poker player.
I’ve tried talking to Dom about it, but he acted like I wasn’t there. The man could never stand me, so at last, I retreated to the room.
My lips are fully chewed up when I hear the front door opening. I run out of the room without a second thought.
“Did you find her? Is she okay?” I don’t care about their mafia business, I don’t care about any of it, I just need to know my cousin and my best friend is alive and well.
“Leave,” Leon grunts to Dom, his voice barely audible, and the grumpy man on the couch obeys instantly, getting up and leaving the apartment.
Leon looks up at me, and I barely recognize him.
His hair is a mess, with random wisps sticking out on top.
His face looks as if he hasn’t slept in days.
But the worst part is his eyes. He stares at me with tear-struck eyes, and my breath catches in my throat.
Immediately, I start crying, too. “Did something happen to her? Tell me she’s okay.”
“You really don’t know?” His voice breaks as his head tilts to the side.
“Of course, I don’t know. That’s what I was trying to find out!”
Biting the inside of his lower lip, he bows his head and makes his way to the couch. He drops his head into his hands, looking defeated.
“Tell me!” I scream, dropping to the floor next to him. “Just… please tell me!”
He inhales deeply, not looking up. “As far as I know, she’s fine. But it seems like I’m the last to know shit.”
A knot unravels in my stomach, and I inhale a steadying breath before asking, “And your brother? Is he okay?” I don’t know him, and I’m not particularly fond of the man across from me, but the thought of his brother being hurt pierces my chest.
Leon lets out a half-desperate, half-despondent snort. “Seems like he is. Turns out my brother and your cousin have pulled a Thelma and Louise and run away together.”
Once again, the idea makes absolutely no sense. “Wh-what do you mean?”
“You really know nothing, do you?”
“It seems like I’m not the only one.”
“Isn’t that the truth?” He rubs a hand over his face before lifting his head. “You might want to sit down for this.”
I do as he says, not because he said it, but because I agree. I need to sit down for whatever is coming.
“We found you using your cousin’s phone.”
“I don’t get it. How did you get Sophie’s phone?” I pull the sleeves of my hoodie over my hands.
“She was kidnapped…by us.”
I let out a loud gasp, pressing my hand to my mouth.
“Well…” He continues. “Technically, Luka kidnapped her, but we planned it together.”
“Why the hell would you kidnap Sophie? She wouldn’t hurt a fly.” My bottom lip wobbles, imagining the fear she must have gone through.
“You know what we do, don’t you?” Leon appraises me.
“Not fully, but I have an idea.”
“That kind of thing is typical in our circles. Especially when someone betrays us.”
“Sophie betrayed you? That’s hard to believe.”
“Her father did and, well, we couldn’t locate him.”
My face scrunches. “Sophie hated her father. They haven’t spoken in years.”
Leon’s eyes widen as if what I just shared was news to him. “That explains some things.”
“Can you please tell me where the hell Sophie is now? I need to go to her.”
He scoffs. “I wish I knew. Two months ago, in the place where we were keeping Sophie, I found my uncle dead and Luka and Sophie gone. My guess was that Landers came to rescue her and took my brother as collateral.”
Finally, the fog in my mind lifts. He blamed Sophie for the disappearance of his brother. “And you thought I had something to do with it?”
Sadness pours out of his eyes as his gaze locks onto mine. “You have to know what it looked like. I’m not a person who trusts easily…”
“And you think I am?” My voice rises as my finger pokes into my chest. “You think I go around having sleepovers with anyone who comes along?” I jump to my feet, adrenaline coursing through my body.
He raises his hands in a surrender motion. “I didn’t think…”
“You’re damn right you didn’t think. You apparently think you have a monopoly on trust issues. But believe me, there are plenty of people who’ve been burnt out there, and we don’t go around treating others like shit.”
“I never meant to treat you like shit.”
“Well, you did. You yelled at me like you had any right to, and you discarded me like I was nothing.” I point an angry finger at him.
“You hurt me. After I promised never to get hurt again.” My feet stomp on their way to the front door.
I know I’m safer here, but I can’t force myself to care about that right now.
Just as my hand reaches the doorknob, a thick arm wraps around my waist, pulling me back.
“Let me go!” I scream, holding back tears.
“I can’t,” he responds, his voice dripping with remorse.
“You can, but you won’t.”
“No! I can’t let you go because I can’t risk you getting hurt,” he roars out. “I can’t stand the thought of you getting hurt,” he adds quietly.
“So what? You’ll just keep me here indefinitely?” I huff.
He stares at me for a second before answering. “I will let you go when I know that you’ll be safe.”
“Great. So never.” With another huff, my shoulders drop, and I head toward the room I sleep in. A sob slips out, all the tears I’ve pushed back catching up to me.
As I reach the door, a voice breaks through my sobs. “I really don’t know where they are. But Luka left his whole family for her. He left me.” I pretend I don’t notice the way his voice breaks. “He’ll protect her with his life.”
He finishes the sentence, and I slam the door in his face. I fall onto the bed, desperation wrapping a fist around my heart.
I should be relieved. If Leon is to be trusted, Sophie is okay. But this whole discussion reminded me of just how much he hurt me. It reminded me of being thrown aside like I’m nothing, by the first person I’ve trusted after Robbie. It reminded me of how much he broke my heart.
Because even though I acted like we were just having fun, I was falling for him. Harder and faster than ever before. He made me feel like I mattered. Like I was appreciated. Then he took it all away.