Chapter 21 #2
I bit the inside of my cheek lest I burst out laughing at Alex’s non-reaction. They were two opposite sides of the spectrum—Andrei was losing his shit, and Alex was the epitome of confident and collected. But Andrei’s next words wiped the smile right off my face.
"Three more were set on fire last night. Is that a total of four?"
I gasped, twisting around on the couch. Alex was calm, leaning against the kitchen island now. So nonchalant! But damn…he wasn’t losing any time.
"Has Jade sucked all the logic out of your brain through your dick?!"
I heard the question, noticing Alex’s face contort in anger, but…I was going to get this one. "I haven't even had a chance to suck his dick yet because you keep interrupting us!"
Andrei snapped his red face to me, visibly burning in embarrassment. Good. Maybe he should stop being such a cock-block. Alex smiled wider, a silent laugh overtaking him, but I had a question for him, too. “Have you, though? Been setting fire to his dealerships?"
He sighed loudly, glancing my way before hesitantly confirming. "Not personally. But yes."
Wow.
Of course Alex didn’t like Xavier, but I hadn’t realized it was that much. And it felt fucking phenomenal. Alex was retaliating on my behalf, not in the least bit feeling guilty for it.
"Stop. Stop doing that. Let’s fix our shit first.” Andrei’s voice sounded again and I’d forgotten he was even there.
“Do whatever you want after. Blow all his shit up, I don't care, but not right now.
" Andrei read out his mini-lecture and then pointed to a box on the coffee table, which I hadn't noticed until now.
"Olga asked me to drop off dessert from last night, she said you guys forgot it, so…
enjoy. I'll go now,” he spoke sheepishly, “and stop interrupting you,” he added right before running out the door.
"I swear, since you showed up, he went from just anxious to overly paranoid.
" Alex chuckled, hastily averting his eyes.
"Shh...shh, we're not going to talk about that now.
I'm going to shower!" he declared, quickly escaping into the bathroom to avoid my inevitable interrogation of why the hell he didn't tell me he was slowly destroying Xavier's business.
I sat for a minute longer, absorbing the news. With an unexplainable pep in my step, I started on breakfast, guessing that Alex would be taking the longest shower in the world to avoid the conversation.
But just as I opened the fridge, another loud knock sounded on the front door. Andrei was too much.
I swung the door open, expecting to see his flustered face again, but instead, there stood a beautiful and tall woman, smiling in a most sinister and sarcastic way.
"Hello." She tilted her head, looking me up and down. "May I come in?" But she stepped in before she even finished the sentence, grazing my shoulder with hers. A little stunned, I watched the way she strutted further in—like she owned the place.
Her long black hair fell past her shoulders and her heels clicked on the tile floor as she glanced around, her confidence astonishing. Who the hell was this? Clearly, she got the wrong house!
"Is Alex here?"
Oh, maybe not. Maybe she got the right house.
"I'm sorry, who are you?" I found some semblance of control after this unexpected entrance.
"I'm Gianna. His girlfriend. Who the hell are you?”
Oh, shit. This wasn’t good.
So this was Gianna. I stared at her, knowing that I shouldn’t get involved, but then again, the word she used didn’t sit well with me. Really didn’t.
“Mmm. Judging by the fact that he’s in my shower right now, you’re not his girlfriend.”
I heard it—the venom in my voice, but I didn’t fucking care. Alex was mine, and clearly, that hit her hard because her pale face turned tomato red in a second.
“You. Fucking. Whore,” she whispered, which made it worse than if she screamed. “You’re the one he’s been fucking?” She breathed fast, but then she shouted, "I knew he was a fucking cheating scumbag!"
Gianna marched into the living room, suddenly lunging for the closest thing to attack—an armchair. The piece of furniture tumbled to the ground, and she twisted around, looking for her next target.
Her eyes landed on me, and Alex’s words rushed back to me—unhinged ex.
She stepped closer, but I stepped back, slowly shuffling toward the kitchen. Surely, she wasn’t going to physically attack me, was she?
“You think you’ve won?” Gianna smiled, still taking short steps toward me.
“Won?” I spoke calmly, knowing I had to shut the fuck up. This wasn’t my fight; this wasn’t for me. But fuck her. “I wasn’t in any competition with you.”
The words echoed between us, Gianna looking both lost and on fire, but then she did something I didn’t expect. She laughed. Easily, joyfully, like we were old friends.
“You’re such a delusional bitch.” She shook her head at me, fake sympathy reflecting in her eyes.
“You think he chose you? You’re just a plaything.
” She nodded, her words cutting me deep for no reason.
“He does that.” She shrugged, as if uninterested.
“Fucks around. You think you’re the first one he’s cheated on me with? ”
It was a second, but it was powerful and doubt crept in.
She’d known him longer than I had, and I had been lied to many times, and now…this felt like one of them. What if I was just a plaything? Just someone to shack up with? Someone to use, to lie to? Someone to keep him entertained…while he waited for my father to shut it all down?
“You think you’re the first one I found in some hidden-away house?”
It was so heavy, I was sure I would throw up. Throw up nothing but pain and shame. Gianna stepped closer, but I didn’t react, physically stunned. Her face was right at my eyes now, the smell of her perfume sticking to me.
“And you know what? I told him…that I would fucking murder whoever his next whore was. I told him.”
Before I could process those vile words, she lunged toward me, clasping her fingers around my throat.
“You…fucking…cunt,” Gianna whispered, her eyes devoid of life. “Alex will always be mine, you bitch!”
I opened my mouth, desperately gasping for air, but there was none! Panic swirled in my chest as I clawed at her wrists, my actions futile. Her skin collected under my nails and a thousand thoughts ran through me at that moment.
But one thought blazed bright red. Why was she touching me?!
There was no thought process after that—I simply did the first thing that seemed possible. With all my strength, I jerked forward and smashed my forehead into her mouth.
Fuck that hurt! I clasped my hand over my head, everything zinging in pain, but I didn’t miss the red liquid dripping from her bottom lip.
I did that! We stood in front of each other, both staring at the blood on her fingers. Gianna whimpered, I panted, and the world was closing in on us.
What was happening? Was I in a real fight? But then I saw it in her eyes—the moment that it all broke inside her. Before I could blink, I was already on the floor, her fingers dragging on my scalp right before she pulled.
“Fuck! You!” Gianna screamed and so did I.
The pain was drowning me. I clawed at her long and bare legs, but it was futile. She turned into The Hulk, pushing and pulling my hair every which way. "How long has he been fucking you?!"
I dug my nails into her thighs harder, knowing that I’d be damned if I let her win. But just as images of me pummeling the life out of her swam into my head, a deep and panicked voice sounded somewhere close by.
"Gianna!"
Relief flooded me as soon as the pain ceased and Gianna let go. On my knees, I watched the way Alex pulled her away, his thick bicep wrapping around her waist.
"What the actual fuck’s going on? How—how are you here?"
“You asshole!” Gianna shouted in his face, such unadulterated heartbreak in her voice. “There’s no other woman?! There’s no one else?”
Alex rushed toward me, crouching right in front, the towel wrapped around his hips, holding on with inhumane strength. The concern and worry in his eyes made Gianna’s previous words weightless. “Are you okay?”
I nodded quickly, noticing the way Gianna watched us. Alex swiped his thumb across my forehead and pulled me up, right before turning toward Gianna.
“How did you find me?” he asked, and I shuddered—that didn't sound like his voice. He stalked toward her, and she shuffled back slightly, tears glistening in her eyes.
"I knew you were fucking lying to me,” she stammered between her tears.
“I knew you’ve been hiding out here.” Gianna held onto her busted lip, looking up at Alex, who towered over her.
“Ever since I last saw you, I knew. You left…but then you came back, so I waited. And waited. And here you are…naked. In her shower.”
She gestured toward me, never looking away from Alex. Large, silent tears slid down her perfect cheeks, and something ached inside me. I felt so incredibly sorry for her. She was so madly in love with him, she didn’t even know what she was doing.
"You need to leave. For the last time. You need to leave.” Alex blocked her from my view and pointed toward the door, but Gianna sidestepped him to get another look at me. Alex pushed her back, but she resisted, staring right into my soul.
“You look familiar.” Her voice suddenly turned chirpy. She struggled against Alex’s arms but didn’t look away. “I’ve seen you somewhere before.” That was highly doubtful; I only came to Miami to visit. "At some party, with someone else. Another man."
“Get out.” Alex almost dragged her toward the front door, and she stumbled in his arms, still keeping her eyes on me.
Just before she disappeared out of view, though, she added her last words, "I'll figure it out."