Alessia
The bag I’m holding slips from my fingers, hitting the floor with a dull thud. Antonio’s sitting in my living room, his deep blue eyes locked on mine. The hum in my throat dies instantly, replaced by a sickening twist in my stomach.
How did he find me?
The fear beneath my fury makes it hard to think. He’s a part of the life I worked so hard to escape. Seeing him here, in my space, shatters that illusion.
“,” he says, standing slowly, his movements calculated. “We need to talk.”
“Talk?” I snap, my voice braver than I feel. “You break into my apartment to talk? Get out, Antonio. Now.”
He doesn’t flinch. His calm is unnerving, too steady for someone who just barged into my life. Dressed in dark jeans and a grey Henley that clings to his body, he looks out of place here, yet disturbingly at ease. “When I leave, you’ll be coming with me.”
My pulse races, and I step back instinctively. “I’m not going anywhere.”
His gaze hardens, a silent threat lurking in those dark eyes. “You don’t have a choice.”
“The hell I don’t.” My hands tremble, but I ball them into fists, willing myself to stay calm. “You think you can just waltz in here and order me around? That’s not how it works anymore.”
"I can and I did." Antonio moves closer, closing the distance until I’m backed against the door. His hands come up, bracing on either side of my head, caging me in. "This isn’t about what you want, . Hell, it’s not even about what I want." His voice is low and controlled yet edged with an unspoken threat that makes my skin prickle.
I shove at his arms, but he doesn’t budge. “You can’t just drag me back like I’m some possession. I’m not yours to control.”
“You’re not a possession,” he says, but there’s no warmth in his words, no reassurance.
“No,” I say, my voice trembling. “I have a new life here. You can’t take that from me.”
“This isn’t up for discussion.” His words are final, an iron door slamming shut between me and freedom. “Go pack your things.”
A bitter laugh escapes. “And what am I supposed to tell my boss and the people I’ve come to know here?”
His jaw tightens. “You’ll figure it out.”
I want to scream, to claw at him. Anything that will make him understand that I’ve built a life here, one without him or the twisted world I escaped. But his eyes bore into mine, unyielding. I step away, trying to put some distance between us. “No,” I whisper. “I’m not going back. I won’t.”
“I’m not asking,” he says, reaching into his pocket. “I don’t want to hurt you, but you’re leaving me with no choice.”
Before I can react, his arm flashes forward. The sting in my neck is quick, sharp.
“What... what did you...” I stumble back, my hand flying to the spot where he jabbed me. A slow, sinking feeling overtakes me as my vision begins to blur. “Antonio?—”
He catches me as my legs give out, lowering me gently to the sofa. The last thing I see is the regret clouding his eyes.
“I’m sorry, ,” he whispers as the darkness swallows me whole.
* * *
When I come to, my head is heavy, and my mouth is dry. I’m in a car, the low vibration of the engine thrumming beneath me. I blink, trying to focus, but the world tilts around me.
“Finally awake?” Antonio’s voice cuts through the fog.
I try to sit up, but my body feels like lead, and when I turn my head, I realize I’m in the back seat of an SUV. Dante’s driving, his expression as cold and unreadable as ever. Antonio sits beside me, watching, waiting.
“What did you do?” My voice is hoarse, barely more than a rasp.
Antonio holds out a bottle of water, unscrewing the cap before handing it to me. “Drink slow,” he says, his tone softer now but still firm. “I couldn’t let you stay, . Not with everything happening.”
I hesitate, but my throat is too dry to resist. The cool liquid grounds me as I bring it to my lips. The water is a small relief. I want to scream, to hit him, but my limbs won’t cooperate.
“I hate you,” I whisper, the words tasting bitter on my tongue.
“I know,” he says quietly, his gaze fixed on the road ahead. “But you’re safe with me.”
Safe. The word twists like a knife in my chest. Safe isn’t what I want. What I want is my freedom, the life I built. But with every mile we drive it slips further and further away.
Silent tears blur the world outside, and I know that, like my life here in Alabama, it’s fading away.