28. Alex
TWENTY-EIGHT
Alex
The alleyway is dimly lit, shadows stretching like claws across the cracked pavement. I'm about to be surrounded. They think they can intimidate me but they’ve got seconds left to live.
I noticed them following my car about ten minutes back. Of course it was a trap. The hotel manager gave me a location to find Bella’s father but he’s working with Russo. Should have guessed. Four men tailing me. I’m not supposed to survive.
The dumb fucks think they’re tailing me unnoticed. I left the car a few feet away and came down here on foot.
Halfway down the alley, I stop just as two appear in front and two behind. My phone buzzes as a message comes through. It can wait.
"You really think you can get out of this, Pierce?" one of them sneers, his gun trained on me. The others laugh, a low, ominous sound that echoes off the brick walls.
“Thought you were good at this. Looks like you walked into our little fucking trap. Now where is it? Tell us and we might let you live.”
I smirk, shifting my weight slightly, readying myself. "You guys really should have brought more men."
“You think four’s not enough to kill you? You’re not invincible.”
I move like a coiled spring, my fist connecting with the nearest man's jaw with a satisfying crunch. He crumples, and I twist, dodging a shot from the second attacker. My elbow slams into his ribs, and he doubles over, gasping, the gun falling from his hand.
The other two have caught up from behind. I duck under a wild swing, using the momentum to drive my knee into the third man's gut.
He falls, and I grab his weapon, disarming him before he can react. The next guy comes at me with a knife, but I sidestep, grabbing his wrist and twisting until the blade clatters to the ground.
My phone buzzes in my pocket, but I ignore it, focused on the fight. I deliver a roundhouse kick to the first attacker as he staggers upright, sending him slamming into the wall.
Blood spatters the ground, mingling with the sweat and grime.
Someone’s calling me.
The second man lunges at me, and I spin, using his own momentum against him. He hits the ground hard, and I follow up with a swift punch that leaves him unconscious next to his colleague.
The phone continues ringing. I grab the gun off the floor. Something poetic in using their own weapons against them. I fire four times. Four dead.
I pull out my phone as I walk out of the alley. Never run. Makes you look guilty. Always walk away from a crime scene. I answer the call as I walk back to my car. "Bella?"
"Alex! Did you get my message?" Her voice is laced with worry, and my heart clenches at the sound.
"Not read it yet," I say, trying to keep my voice calm. "Just had a little business to settle first."
"Business?" she echoes, incredulous. "What happened?"
"I'll explain later," I promise, glancing over my shoulder. The hotel manager is in their car. He wanted to see me die. He sits a few yards away, his face pale and eyes wide with terror as I walk toward him.
"Hold on," I tell Bella, my eyes still on the manager.
"Okay," she says, though I can hear the unspoken questions in her voice as I mute the call.
I pull open the car door, leaning in toward the manager. His hands are trembling, his eyes darting between the fallen men and me.
"You got one chance to live," I say, my voice low and dangerous. "You know something about her dad. Tell me."
The manager swallows hard, his fear palpable. "I only have a phone number. I was supposed to ring him when you were dead, make sure he tells Russo where it is."
He hands me a slip of paper, and I take it, my eyes narrowing. "This better be real."
I dial the number, but the line is disconnected. Frustration bubbles up, but I keep my expression neutral as I break his nose with a single punch. "Don’t move."
The manager starts to moan as I step away from the car.
I unmute my phone. “What’s up?”
"My dad called," Bella says, her voice urgent. "He gave me a location. I sent it to you."
"Good job, Bella. Thank you for trusting me with this."
"He said you'd leave me once you have what you’re looking for... or kill me."
"I'll never hurt you," I say firmly, my eyes locking onto the manager, who is trying to pull out a gun. "Hold on one sec."
In a swift, fluid motion, I disarm the manager and shoot him in the face, his body crumpling to the ground. "I'll be back soon," I tell Bella, my voice softening. “We’ll talk soon.”
I hang up and turn back to the scene in the alley. The bodies of Vince Russo’s men lie scattered around, a grim reminder of the world I live in.
I’ve been walking this tightrope for years, balancing my own survival with the missions I’m given. But Bella... she changes everything.
I check the manager’s body, looking through his pockets for any additional information. Nothing useful. Just a wallet and some loose change. I stand up, feeling the weight of the situation pressing down on me.
My phone buzzes with a message from Ricardo. I open it, reading the terse words: “Update?”
I type back quickly, “Following a lead. Will keep you posted.”
I can’t let Ricardo know how deeply I’ve become involved with Bella. If he finds out, it could put both of us in even more danger. I need to keep my emotions in check, stay focused on the task at hand.
I reach the car and slide behind the wheel as sirens approach, my mind racing. The address Bella gave me could be the key to finding her father and ending this nightmare. I start the engine, determined to get to the bottom of this.
I could go get it and put all this behind me, forget all the bullshit about connecting with her. Or I could go back to the hotel, fuck the girl I’m falling for, and open up a world of trouble.
As I drive, I think about Bella, her trust in me, her bravery. She deserves a life free from fear, free from the shadow of men like Vince Russo and me. And I’m going to make sure she gets that life.
No matter what it takes.