Chapter 3
ALESSIO
“Hello,” I said, coming into the room where our best-kept secret was.
Fox—Evan— looked at me with a grimace from his bed.
I’d brought him to the safe space beneath Matteo’s home after I’d dragged him from the underground weeks ago. As far as the world knew, Fox Evans was dead and had died in an unfortunate fire while attending a party. He left behind his best friends and the love of his life.
But he was really down here in the secret rooms beneath Matteo’s estate, healing. He was reborn into Evan Beyers now.
Only Matteo and I knew that, though. Sylar told Matteo that Klaus couldn’t know just yet, and Matteo agreed to keep it from him. A rarity since we didn’t keep secrets from one another, but I went along with it because I trusted Matteo.
“Any word on Rosalie?” Evan asked, his voice raspy from lack of use.
“Alessandro says she is better after her last…episode.”
Evan winced. “I-I want to see her. She needs me—”
“She needs her freedom more,” I said, settling into a chair next to his bed.
He wasn’t walking very well yet. His feet were still tender and healing from the burns, and he’d had a fractured leg and broken arm.
He was a mess, and I honestly didn’t think he was going to make it.
Dosing him with the drugs to put him into suspended life had been a gamble.
But Evan Beyers was strong. A fighter. I liked that.
“How much longer?” he asked. “Until I can leave? Until I can go to her?”
“You are not well enough,” I said. “You know that. Even here.” I tapped my head. “You’re unwell.”
He was quiet for a moment before he spoke. “I’m getting better. I-I only woke twice last night from the nightmares.”
“Progress for sure.” I stared at him. He was a broken man without his woman. I could empathize with that. I had lost the love of my life once upon a time, and could no longer find joy in much. Vincenzo brought me happiness, or at least he had until we had to go into the darkness.
Now, I assumed he wanted me dead since we kept his girl from him.
“Alessio, please. Let me see Anson—”
“Evan, I come here to spend time with you. I understand how boring it must be,” I gestured around to the lavish underground room that had everything he needed, right down to a TV and gaming consoles.
Matteo wanted to set it up nicely since he would be spending a lot of time down here.
There was even a room for him to exercise in, but he hadn’t done much of that, despite his love of working out.
Matteo had doctors in and out working with him, including therapists, but the man was still clawing his skin off to get out.
That was real love.
Another admirable thing.
“Alessandro is busy, and it is not yet time. Please. Be patient. When it is time, Matteo will fulfill his promise to you.”
Evan sighed, his Adam’s apple bobbing. “I’m worried about Rosalie. She’s too fragile. I made a mistake wanting to go.”
“You took the coin. It was inevitable at that point. You were always going to die, Constantino.”
He wiped at his eyes and nodded. “I know. For her, I’d do it all over again if it meant she was safe and happy.”
“And she is. She is working on her happiness. Alessandro has not made her his. She is still free.”
“He was supposed to,” Evan mumbled. “Now she’s alone.”
“Yes, well, the horsemen hurt her. She needs this time to find herself. Let her. Matteo says she will come back stronger than ever, and you want that for her. Right?”
“I do.” Evan nodded and looked at the piece of string from his blanket, which he was messing with. “I can be patient. I can do this.”
“Good.” I stood. “Do you want to try to walk on the treadmill today? Maybe lift some weights?”
“My arm is still bothering me,” he said softly, gesturing to the arm that had been broken. “Shoulder is acting up.”
“I think you can get that shoulder back into shape. I know football meant a lot to you.” It wasn’t like he’d ever be able to return to it since he was technically dead now.
He shrugged and didn’t say anything.
“Is there anything I can bring you to make this easier? Aside from Rosalie and Alessandro?”
He was quiet for a moment. “I’d like a laptop. Or notebook and pencils. I want to write again. Can I have those things? Or some books? I want to read too.”
“Yes. I will ensure you have those things the next time I visit. Or when Matteo visits.”
“Thanks,” he said, settling back against his pillows. He winced.
I grabbed the pain medication from his table and offered him a pill. He stared at it for a moment before taking it and dropping it into his mouth. I handed him a bottle of water to wash it down with.
“Do you want anything else? I can bring you some takeout. You’re barely eating.” I stared at him.
He looked away from me, shielding me from seeing the bad eye he knew he had. He was very sensitive about that side of his face. Scarred. Still healing. His eye was a milky white now instead of the brilliant blue it had once been.
“I’m OK,” he murmured, closing his eyes.
I knew the pill would put him out. I took note of the tear trickling down his cheek.
“Can you bring me some sunglasses?” he whispered. “So I-I can feel better? I can’t stand you seeing me like this. Or anyone.”
“Yes,” I replied gently. “I will bring you some.”
I got to my feet and went to the door.
“Alessio?”
“Yes?” I turned back to him.
He licked his lips, his jaw trembling. “Can you take the mirrors with you? Please? I don’t want to see myself.”
I paused for a moment before nodding. “Of course.”
I went into his bathroom and removed the small mirror over the sink, then grabbed the decorative one on the wall in his living room. I went to leave again, the mirrors tucked under my arm.
“Thank you,” Evan said groggily, his words beginning to slur from the potency of the pill.
“You’re welcome,” I replied softly before opening the door and leaving him behind.
This was a whole other mess I didn’t like to think about. It was Matteo’s mess, and I was just along for the ride.
I drank deeply as I sat in our VIP booth at Blades. It was a night off, but it really wasn’t.
“Yes or no?” I asked, nodding to the female who kept eyeing Matteo.
“No,” he said before taking a drink from his glass.
“Klaus?” I asked.
He looked in her direction, and that was all it took. She sauntered over to us, a coy smile on her face. We were used to this type of woman. They only wanted one thing: a free ride. But that had many meanings. Dick, money, a way out, or even a way in.
“Hi,” she said in a breathy voice.
I glanced at my brothers and raised an eyebrow. For some reason, women were always drawn to Klaus. It had to be his pretty blue eyes and his supermodel hair. At least, that’s what Teo and I teased him about.
Matteo looked away, uninterested.
“I’m Kayla,” she continued. “Are you… Matteo De Santis?”
“Why are you here?” Matteo demanded, looking at her.
Her dark eyes widened. “I’m a huge fan.”
“He’s not a rock star, love,” I said, smirking at Matteo.
“Oh. I know,” she rushed on. “It’s just, my boyfriend was Jimmy Mahoney.”
Klaus raised his brows at that, and I looked at Matteo expectantly. Jimmy Mahoney worked for Ivanov, and we’d caught him when he tried to steal from us. Matteo had taken great care to make him pay for the shit he’d done.
I knew it was mainly about the way he spoke of Delilah. Ivanov must have told him that if caught, to use Del against Teo. They knew it would get him killed and keep any secrets he had safe.
But Matteo was Matteo and had let him live with the disfigurement. No cock anymore for Jimmy Mahoney.
It had been a long night.
“I-I just wanted to thank you. All three of you,” she continued. “He wasn’t good to me. He… hurt me.”
None of us said a word as she stared back at us. She reminded me of an innocent doe. Big eyes. Sweet. Prey.
“What do you say, Teo? Perhaps let the girl show her appreciation,” I said.
Matteo was quiet for a moment.
“How would you show your appreciation?” Matteo asked.
“I… whatever you want. I’ll do it. Right here. Um, on the table even.”
Klaus let out a soft huff. I smirked at him and shot him a wink.
“You want to be the whore we fuck for the evening?” Matteo asked.
She visibly swallowed before nodding her head. “I will be whatever you want me to be.”
Matteo glanced at me. I gave him a slight nod. She was pretty. Sweet. She’d be fun to play with.
He looked to Klaus next. He gave a slight shake of his head.
“Tell you what,” Matteo said, looking back at her. “Convince Klaus you’re worth it, and we’ll all fuck you.”
She looked back at Klaus, who scowled. I chuckled at that. He was always so irritated with everyone and everything.
Nervously, she approached him.
“Um, hi,” she said.
He said nothing and drank more.
I looked at Matteo to see the amusement on his face.
Even if nothing happened here with her tonight, it was worth it to watch her struggle with Klaus.
I could drink to that.