Chapter 26
CHAPTER
TWENTY-SIX
LEO
Aly looks pale as a sheet as we say a final goodbye to Genevieve, the only crew member present to see us off.
After shit went bad with Jack, I met with Captain Hansen and told him about the attack.
I also let him know that we would not be getting the authorities involved. We would handle it all on our end.
Being a smart man, the captain understood not to ask too many questions. I’ve let it be known that the crew will be taken care of and paid handsomely for their silence.
One hand resting on Aly’s lower back, I lead her off the yacht towards Mlini’s harbor, scanning for any sign of danger.
It’s quiet here, just a few fishing boats bobbing in the water and locals going about their daily business.
Her body is rigid as we approach a sleek black luxury sedan parked a few feet from the main road.
I’d like to tell her that it will be okay, that there’s no need to worry, but we both know I can’t promise that.
I input the code Andrei provided into the car door’s keypad. After the doors unlock, I assist Aly into the passenger seat and then slide into the driver’s seat. Swiping my finger across the dashboard, the GPS system awakens, already programmed for our destination.
“Where are we going?”
“A safe house. I’m going to take you there, and Kira will stay with you.” I place my pistol in the cupholder between us. Aly eyes it warily, and I hate that she has to see this side of me. The cold, calculating mobster, born of the underworld.
“And what about you?” she asks, her voice quiet with worry. “What will you do?”
I merge into traffic, glancing in the rearview mirror, searching for tails.
“I’m going to find out what the fuck is going on once and for all. I promise, baby, I will hunt down and destroy whoever is after you. I will tear them apart with my bare hands, fucking bury them alive if I have to. You don’t deserve this.”
“Yeah, well …” Her laugh is tense. “Deserved or not, it’s happening.”
An awkward tension fills the car, thick with all the things left unsaid.
Even if she won’t admit it, I know that Alyona and I are meant to be.
She is my destiny. Wholly mine. And I’ll bare my soul, confess every sin until she understands, without a doubt, that there will be no one else in her future—or mine.
We are the beginning, middle, and end of each other’s stories.
But now isn’t the time to say all this. Not when she sits next to me, hands nervously twisting in her lap, face etched with worry.
So I force the words back, and focus on the road ahead.
The navigation system guides us to a nondescript two-story house tucked away in a quiet neighborhood.
From the outside, it appears ordinary—weathered stucco walls, a tile roof that has known better days.
But as we pull up to the property, I see all the details that make it secure.
Thick steel doors, biometric scanners, reinforced windows fitted with metal shutters.
Inside, the safe house is simply furnished but comfortable. The ground floor consists of a living room with a suede sofa, coffee table, and TV. The kitchen is basic with a small stove, refrigerator, and dining table for four.
“I know it looks basic,” I say, “but that’s the point. To fit in, be unassuming. It has everything we need to keep you safe.” I point to motion sensors mounted on the ceiling and the small camera in the corner.
“Are you leaving now?” Aly asks, her mouth pressing into a grim line.
I close the distance between us, taking her in my arms. “Kira will be here soon. She’s armed and trained, you’re in good hands.
But, butterfly, you need to listen to her.
Avoid windows, avoid going outside. Stay safe.
I can’t do my job if I’m worried about you.
” I let out a ragged breath, grabbing her chin between my thumb and forefinger.
“And for the love of god, don’t forget to turn on the alarm system like you always do at home. ”
As soon as the words are out of my mouth, I realize my error. She tilts her head, parting her lips as she processes my words. There’s a palpable silence, the wheels of her mind turning.
“How do you know how often I forget to turn on my alarm system?”
I could lie, it’s what I’ve been doing for years. Or I could bring the truth to light once and for all. “Because I’m the one who had it installed. I bought the building, made sure no one else moved in or got too close.”
She freezes to stone in my arms, blinking up at me. “What are you talking about? Yulian had the alarm installed, and Yulian bought the—”
I shake my head, cutting off her words. “It wasn’t Yulian. It’s been me this entire time.”
She blanches, her eyes growing wide. "What!? Why would you do that?" she snaps, her voice trembling. She backs up until she is flush against the wall.
Fuck it. There couldn’t be a worse time to have this talk, but she deserves the truth.
She deserves to know how deeply embedded she is in my soul.
In my very being. “I never stopped loving you. Not for one fucking minute did I feel like a whole person without you by my side. Maybe what I did was wrong, but I couldn’t bear the thought of someone else having you.
I needed to know you were safe and that no unworthy fucker was going to get close to you. Not when you were mine.”
“What are you saying? You scared away the men I dated? Is that why— Holy shit.” Her palm connects hard with my cheek, but I don’t flinch.
I don’t react. I deserve it. “How dare you? You’re the one who threw me aside.
You rejected me, remember? You chose the brotherhood over me!
” A sob rips from her throat, raw and pained, and it nearly fucking brings me to my knees.
Because she’s right. I did this. I am the source of her hurt and suffering, when all I wanted to do was protect her.
I bow my head, pain slicing through my chest, straight down through the center of my soul. “It’s the last thing I ever wanted to do. I love you, I never stopped loving you, not for one damn second.”
“I heard you, you know. On the phone with Kira on the yacht.” She paces, her voice has an edge of hysteria as all the puzzle pieces fall into place. “Why don’t you man up and tell me the truth, explain why you walked away. Why you had no other choice.”
This is what I’ve spent years running from. My weakness, my vulnerability, my deepest shame. “The truth is ugly,” I tell her. “It’s ugly and twisted, and it will change things forever.” I bow my head, gather my courage. “But I will tell you. I’ll do anything for you.”
A chime rings out and the front door lock disengages. “It’s me,” Kira calls, entering the house. Her footsteps are light as she enters the kitchen, grocery bags in hand. She takes one look at us and freezes. “Am I interrupting something?”
Frustration nearly bursts like a dam inside of me. I love Kira, but she has some shitty-ass timing.
Aly swipes away a hot tear that rolls down her cheek. “It’s fine,” she says, even though it’s not.
Kira drops the groceries, her wide eyes drinking us in. “I’m sorry to do this, but you need to leave now, Leo. We have Horvat, but time is running out. The city is swarming with his men, and they’re out for blood.”
Leaving Aly is the last thing I want to do, but she makes the decision for me. “Go,” she says, giving me her back. “I can’t stand to look at you right now.”
Her words pierce through me, my heart splinters into a million fragments. But if there is one thing I know for sure, it’s this. “We’re not done, Aly. Not even close. You and I—we will never be done.”