Chapter 4 Eli
Chapter four
Eli
Sweat trickles down my temple, my muscles ache, and my chest burns from exertion. But no matter how long I spend sparring in the ring with Mauro, I can’t shake the unease surging aggressively through my veins.
Mauro catches me off guard, landing a hook to my left side that sends me tumbling back against the ropes. I shake off the pain and step toward the center, where he waits, bouncing on the balls of his feet, anticipating my next move.
He tilts his head to the side, his eyes observing me as he relaxes on his feet and raises a hand to signal for a break.
Fucking finally.
A harsh breath escapes my lips as I look up at the ceiling, my taped-up fingers kneading the back of my shoulder.
Mauro grabs our water bottles and hands me mine.
“Thanks,” I say, guzzling down a few sips before soaking my face with the cool liquid.
He grabs his phone and then turns it toward me.
What’s wrong?
I arch a brow. “What makes you think something’s wrong?”
He quickly types on his phone before showing me the screen.
Because your head’s not in it. You’re distracted, thinking about something else.
A sudden silence fills the training center, and I turn to see Leo and Vin heading our way. All the men in the facility nod in greeting as they pass, showing their respect.
Vin approaches, rolling up his shirt sleeves. He wraps his fingers around one of the ropes and leans forward. “You ready for the big move?”
And there it is—the reason I can’t focus. The reason I can’t sleep, eat, or even fucking breathe. In just a few hours, I’m expected to move in with Madeleine and act like her personal bodyguard. Nothing more.
I’m supposed to pretend like I don’t know every square foot of her home. That I didn’t fuck her in almost every room or fall asleep in her bed with her soundly wrapped up in my arms.
That’s what’s bloody wrong.
I feel like I’ve been dropped in an alternate universe where the past never happened, and I’m supposed to be fucking okay with it when I’m not.
I shrug, feigning indifference as I squeeze the back of my neck. “Ready as I’ll ever be.”
Vin removes his tie and tosses it over his shoulder. “We need to talk to you.”
I reach for my towel and drag it across my face. “What’s going on?”
Leo jumps into the ring and leans against the corner pole. “We’re not letting Madeleine and Alastor’s wedding happen,” he tells me.
Relief washes over me.
I mean, I wasn’t going to let this fucking wedding happen either, but hearing that we’re on the same page feels reassuring.
“And how do you plan on doing that?” I ask.
“With your assistance,” Vin answers. He pushes himself away from the ropes, crossing his arms over his chest. “Madeleine hasn’t been herself this past year. And I think there’s only one person to blame for my sister’s unhappiness.”
A muscle tics in my jaw. “Alastor,” I grind out. That fucking twat leaves a bitter taste on my tongue every time I have to say his damn name.
“That’s why we came to talk to you.” Leo nods, shoving his hands into his pockets.
“As far as we can tell, Alastor and Madeleine barely communicate. Barely see each other, for that matter.” He shrugs.
“I don’t consider myself an expert on love, but this seems more like an arrangement than two people madly in love like she’s trying to make us all believe. ”
Arrangement?
“But why would she agree…” My words die off as I look between them. “You think he’s blackmailing her?” It would make sense, but she’s a fucking Alarie. What could he have on her that she can’t come to her brothers about?
Or even me, for that matter?
“Most likely.” Vin nods, deep in thought.
Mauro grunts in agreement, crossing his arms over his chest.
“Can’t we just ask her?”
Vin laughs. “She’s stubborn—maybe even more so than I am.
Asking her if she’s being blackmailed will only make her retreat further into herself, and I won’t risk pushing her away.
” He rakes a hand through his hair. “Her house is her sanctuary. I won’t break her trust by spying on her with cameras, but having you move into her house will give us a chance to observe her without intruding. ”
I nod, understanding more than most how much she loves her home and why. “So, you don’t just want me to be her bodyguard but a spy as well?”
“Yes,” Vin answers as if it should have been obvious.
I take another gulp of water as I mull over his request. “I’ll do what I can.”
“Good.” He scratches at his facial hair. “I’ve arranged a meeting for you and Leo with Alastor’s stepbrother, Enzio, at his club in the city tonight.”
My brows cinch in confusion. “And why would we meet with an enemy in his territory?”
“Because Enzio has been cast aside by Alastor and their father, Adolfo. He was always set to become the CEO of Manacorda Enterprises, but after Alastor announced his engagement to Madeleine, there were some changes in the family business structure.”
“You think Alastor’s using her as a pawn in his family’s schemes?”
“Possibly. But I think you’ll gain better insight after speaking with Enzio. Face to face.”
“And you trust him?”
“We are not privileged to trust others in our world, but he wants what we want. To bring his stepbrother down.”
I toss my water to the side and then lean against a pole, stretching my arms across the top of the rope.
“I might be stating the obvious here, but instead of wasting time uncovering everything, can’t we just make him disappear?
” That’s how we usually resolve issues with this family.
Why should this matter be any different?
“If only it were that simple,” Leo answers, giving Vin a pointed glare.
Vin rolls his eyes. “If we kill him, we risk going to war with the Russians. The Vasiliev family, to be more precise. And seeing that we recently killed the head of their family and have a…future arrangement with them to uphold…” He tugs on his collar.
“We need to try to stay level-headed in this situation. Or at least for as long as possible until we’re left with no choice but to kill him.
If it comes to that, I will take full responsibility for it. But it needs to be our last resort.”
“Not that any of the Vasiliev sons seemed too upset about the loss of dear old daddy Igor,” Leo remarks. “Although, as far as I’m aware, they’re still under the impression that his death was caused by the explosion and not by me.”
“Wait…” I process Vin’s words. “Future arrangement?”
“You don’t want to know.” Leo shakes his head. “Let’s just say when we needed a favor from our cousins, the Marchettis, well—”
“I’d prefer not to discuss that right now. My sister’s safety is more important than any favor owed,” Vin states firmly.
“Okay…” I glance between them. “But how are the Manacorda and Vasiliev families connected? What am I missing?”
Vin lets out a heavy sigh. “Not only are the Manacorda and Vasiliev families related by blood, but they are also business partners. They have worked closely together for years, dealing in oil in the Middle East, specifically in Iraq.” The mention of that country churns my stomach.
A cold sweat breaks out on the back of my neck, and I clench my teeth as I fight back the nausea, swallowing the lump in my throat.
“It’s common knowledge in our world that because of their connections and land ownership in Iraq, the Vasiliev family has enabled the Manacorda family to transport oil directly from the country without going through the proper channels.
In return, the Vasilievs receive a significant profit for each barrel sold.
The more oil that is transported, the wealthier both families become,” Vin explains.
“Basically, they scratch each other’s backs, and if we decide to kill Alastor for no good reason except that he’s engaged to our sister… ”
“Then you risk creating an enemy of the Alarie family,” I respond, understanding the implications. “A rather powerful one.”
“Exactly.” Vin nods. “We must start taking extra precautions whenever necessary, which is something we should have been doing from the beginning. The women in this family are our top priority, and we need to do everything possible to ensure their safety. So, yes, your primary job is to keep Madeleine safe, but we also need you to be our eyes and ears in the hopes of finding out what’s really going on between these two. ”
“Of course.”
“Madeleine is used to doing whatever she pleases,” Leo adds. “She hasn’t had a bodyguard in years—not since our father’s death—so having someone around her all the time will be difficult for her.”
“I can handle her.”
He nods. “We’ll need this problem resolved before the wedding day.”
My stomach plummets. The wedding day. Fuck, I don’t like hearing that. “Is there a date yet?”
Leo sighs, looking at Vin. “New Year’s Eve.”
My heart thuds heavily beneath my rib cage as every muscle in my body tenses. She chose a date. A date that is just over a month away.
I stretch my neck to the side. “How often do they see each other?”
“As far as we can tell, not often. He’s been to the estate only a handful of times. His primary residence is in Italy, where he spends most of his time, only visiting the States when required for business. When he does, he stays in his penthouse in the city,” Leo answers.
Good. The fewer times I have to deal with Alastor, the better. The thought of seeing them together sends a burning rage through me. It was hard enough to restrain myself at their engagement party, where I nearly threw her over my shoulder and took her away from all this bullshit like some caveman.
Vin’s eyes narrow in on me. “We consider you a part of this family, Eli, which is not something that should be taken lightly. But I’ll ask you what I asked Madeleine.
” He pauses before saying, “Did something happen between the two of you that should be brought to my attention before proceeding with this arrangement?”
I’ve never been more grateful for my military training than I am at this moment.
“No.” Confidence echoes in my words as I hold Vin’s gaze. One blink, and he’ll know I’m lying. “Nothing happened between us.”
Leo runs his fingers through his hair. “Then why the hell does she hate you so much?”
“Your guess is as good as mine.”
I wish I knew.
Maybe then I could fix everything between us.
But from the moment I landed back on U.S. soil, she’s despised me, wanting nothing to do with me.
And if I’m being honest, it fucking hurts.
Absent-mindedly, I rub a hand over my sternum. I’ve spent so much time trying to figure out what could have happened between the last time I saw her and my return, but nothing makes any goddamn sense to me.
“Promise me one thing, Eli.” Madeleine’s soft lips press against mine, her fingers tangling in my hair, pulling me closer toward her.
“Anything, Princess.”
“Promise me you won’t hurt me.” Her eyes soften as her body relaxes against mine. “When I love, I love with everything in me, and I don’t know if I could survive a broken heart.” She rests her head on my shoulder. “Don’t make me regret this.”
My arms tighten around her. “I’ll never hurt you, Madeleine, I promise. This is it. It’s you and me.” I brush my lips lightly over the top of her head. “But now I want you to promise me something in return.”
“What?”
“Promise you’ll wait for me.” Her eyes look up into mine. “I don’t know how long I’ll be gone or where my next mission will take me. But if I know you’re here for me, it’ll keep me going. It’ll help push me through each day, knowing I’m that much closer to being with you.”
Tears blur her eyes, but a small smile tugs at her lips. “There’s no one else for me but you, Eli.” She kisses me one last time before saying, “I promise I’ll wait for you.”
Vin’s authoritative voice interrupts my memory.
“Don’t make me regret this, Eli.” He scrapes a hand over his jaw, glancing at the ceiling before returning his gaze to me.
“She’s everything to us, and I can’t risk her safety.
Figure out what the fuck is going on with Alastor and keep our sister safe. That’s all I’m asking.”
“I won’t let you down.”
He glances at his watch. “I have to go. I have a meeting with the Hajdari family soon, but keep me informed on your meeting with Enzio.” He turns, making his way for the door.
Leo slips out of the ring and looks over his shoulder as he says, “I’ll see you tonight.”
Mauro holds his phone before me.
Let’s call it.
I grasp his shoulder and grin. “About fucking time.”
An hour later, I shower and pack the rest of my belongings from my cottage. I don’t have much, so it doesn’t take long. Just as I zip up my bag, I feel an inexplicable pull toward the nightstand. I glance at the drawer, my heart racing.
With cautious steps, I approach. An invisible tether pulls at my chest, growing tighter with each movement.
Carefully, I reach inside and wrap my fingers around the small black box, holding it before me.
As I open it for the first time in months, I’m hit with the familiar ache in my chest that accompanies every glimpse of its contents.
The pear-shaped diamond stands securely between six prongs, with a thin platinum band running beneath it and smaller diamonds spaced evenly around it.
It’s nothing extravagant—nothing that demands attention.
“Timeless” is the word the jeweler used to describe it.
Yet, it’s the simple, elegant design that reminds me of Madeleine, which is why I purchased it on the damn spot when I saw it.
I bought it for her right before I left for my last deployment, planning on giving it to her after seeking approval from her mother and brothers, of course.
But when I returned, reality hit me like a sledgehammer.
And everything I dreamed of and longed for came crashing down around me.
I should return it, maybe even toss it into the bloody ocean.
But every time I try to rid myself of its presence, I cave and hide it beneath my things, keeping it close. Never too far out of reach.
It’s a weakness brought on by the most dangerous thing a man can store inside his heart.
Hope.
My phone vibrates in my pocket, and when I pull it out and see the name flashing across the screen, I immediately tuck the ring in my bag, keeping it safe. Keeping it hidden.
Answering the call, I’m instantly greeted by a familiar, sweet voice.
“Eli?”
“Hey, Angel. I’m here.”