Chapter 20
Alexsey
Fucking reporters.
They’d driven me crazy over the last two days hounding me for an interview.
Even though I’d made a formal statement to the police, I’d had two additional calls regarding the ongoing investigation.
And as expected, the two men who’d died at the scene had no criminal affiliation to the Papadakis family, although both had criminal records a mile long including assault with firearms and attempted murder.
They’d simply been recruited to carry out a single mission.
Assassination.
As far as the two who’d gotten away, they were in the wind. Also as expected while being annoying as fuck. I hadn’t gotten a good look at them and the chatter on the streets had yet to provide any concrete information.
While the warehouse fire had gotten some attention, it would seem the discovery of millions of dollars’ worth of illegal drugs took a back seat to someone of my notoriety almost being killed.
Fucking reporters.
What else had I been doing for two days? Worrying about Halle and Emily. It was nuts that I couldn’t get that woman off my mind. She’d been so distraught. So closed off. Could I blame her after knowing what I did about Liam? Fuck, no.
I buttoned my jacket and headed for the entrance to the resort, cursing under my breath. If I had to be truthful with myself, I’d say the real reason I’d been in a shitty mood for a couple of days had everything to do with Halle.
Women.
I obviously sucked at trying to figure out how to handle them with any finesse. I threw open the front doors of Dreamscape with so much ferocity I was surprised they didn’t shatter. The last two days had been a pain in my ass.
Between being forced to find a new food distributor to make up for the forty percent of what Performance Foods had serviced, reporters hounding my ass, the insurance company trying and failing to give me the runaround, and being followed around by two lapdogs, I was in a nasty mood.
At least Emily had been released from the hospital. The doctor I’d insisted handle her case had told me just enough not to break his oath to make me feel comfortable. I’d paid the bill, which I knew I’d hear about again, and authorized as many new specialty inhalers as the little girl needed.
I’d hear about that too. I could just see Halle’s face, eyes filled with venom. I’d half expected her to storm into my office at some point or even track me down on the street.
Maybe that’s what I’d wanted to happen because I missed her. Yes, I did.
Way too much.
I stormed right by my cousin, catching sight of Sasha lifting his eyebrows as I passed. As expected, he trailed behind me into the elevator. I had the new distribution contract with me for his records and I had a feeling he wouldn’t be too happy with the extra costs.
Neither was I. In fact, I was furious.
Even with the fuckup in business operations, what continued to drive me to the point of madness was remembering not only Halle’s words, but the way she’d looked at me as if I was out of my mind for trying to help her daughter.
Why bother?
“You’re in a particularly shitty mood,” Sasha said as he joined me in the elevator.
“I have my reasons.”
“Let me guess. It wouldn’t happen to be about a feisty brunette you’ve been seeing. Would it?”
I slammed my hand on the button to the top floor where the executive offices were located. “Not in the least.”
“Uh-huh. Now I know you have damn good reason to be pissed off at the world, but I’ve never seen you this way. Not over a single incident with business partners, clients, or anyone else. Except a woman. What happened?”
I leaned against the elevator wall, folding my arms. My sister would chide me, saying I was attempting to close myself off from the world. Maybe she was right.
For whatever reason, I banged my head against the cold steel. Somehow, I knew nothing was going to make me feel any better. Why? Because I felt totally inadequate around her. As if I had my hands tied behind my back, a rag stuffed in my mouth.
She made me feel alive yet totally befuddled.
“She has a kid,” I told him.
He snickered. “So you told me. I take it you like this kid. Does this kid have a name?”
“Emily. She’s like this little bright star that you see in the sky. I mean her smile could light up a room and when she calls me Mr. Boyfriend, I swear to God I want to wrap her up in my arms. To keep her safe. You know what I mean.”
The elevator doors opened and I huffed noticing the look on my cousin’s face. “Not once in my life have I seen you this… tormented over a woman. I dare say you’re falling for this girl and her little family.”
“Not a chance in hell.” I took long strides down the hallway toward the set of offices. Meanwhile, Sasha continued chuckling.
“Right. That’s why you’re so tongue tied. So what happened to make you so frustrated?”
I almost tore the hinges off the door in trying to get inside, immediately heading to Sasha’s office. He closed the door behind us and I could see by the reflection in the window he still wore a huge smile. Why did I feel like I wanted to punch something?
Or someone?
Slapping my hands on my hips, I paced the floor. “Her daughter had as asthma attack and I took them to the children’s hospital where Nina was born. You would have thought I crucified her child in front of her.”
“Okay. How so?”
“What I gathered was that with her insurance, the hospital wasn’t approved on the list for her carrier.”
“And the children’s hospital is terribly expensive otherwise.”
“Yeah, well, I made arrangements to have the best pulmonologist flown in from his vacation and paid for everything. No matter the cost. Yet she acted like I’d run over her left foot.” When he didn’t say anything, I finally turned to face him. “What? I was trying to do the right thing.”
“Did you ask her if she wanted your involvement first? Did you mention something like don’t worry about the cost, I would like to take care of it for you. Anything? Or did you just bulldoze your way into making decisions for her?”
I rubbed my hand through my hair, grabbing the back of my head. “Ah, fuck. I just assumed it would be okay. That she’d be happy and relieved.”
“You can’t assume that about a woman, cuz. Send her flowers. Or better yet. Apologize in person.”
“Do you honestly think she wants to see me again? Hell, no.”
“Then give her some space. Try not to be the pushy guy I know and love. She’s going through some serious personal crap from what you told me. She’s trying to handle being a single parent by herself. I was lucky in that I had a huge family to help and money. She has neither.”
“Yeah, I know. Get this. On top of the fact she’s working two jobs, living in a shitty place and her daughter isn’t healthy, her brother-in-law used the insurance money owed to her after her husband’s death.”
“What a shithead.”
“Oh, it gets worse. There was a lawsuit filed by her husband’s family, wrongful death based on faulty equipment. The company settled for two million.” I’d had the corporate attorney track down the lawsuit in question. He’d gotten back to me that morning.
He narrowed his eyes. “Whoa. Halle doesn’t know about this?”
“No.”
“You’re certain?”
When I bristled, he threw his hands up. “Did you have Alessandro check her bank accounts just to be sure?”
“She doesn’t have shit in them.”
“What about an offshore?”
“What the fuck? That’s not who she is,” I snarked, certain she had no clue.
That piece of information had permanently driven my mood into the gutter.
I saw spots of blood in my vision, my rage was so significant. If I could put my hands around Liam’s neck, it would only take a matter of seconds before he’d leave this earth going straight to hell.
That’s what I was most angry about. No, I was livid and wanted to tell her how shitty Liam was as a person, but I also knew that could push her further away. I’d also thought about killing the man, but what good would that serve?
“Okay, I get it,” Sasha chortled.
“From what I can tell, Liam is so far into bed with Papadakis that I’d be surprised if the Greek wasn’t using him as muscle against us.”
“Wow,” Sasha mused. “Have you told her?”
“Ha! Now you tell me how I could say that to her without sounding… Oh, hell. I don’t know how it could sound other than me trying to alienate her from her family. This is just a nightmare. But I have a terrible feeling a target has been placed on her back.”
“Why do you say that? Because of what happened the other night?”
“Yes. Haven’t you seen the pictures of the two of us circulating all over the internet?” Plus, what she’d said about the text pissed me off. And the reporters. And some fucking heavy breather.
He grinned. “They were pretty good. And very telling. You think Papadakis will go after her.”
“What better way to retaliate? That’s why I allowed some distance between us so maybe he’d think otherwise, but it’s too quiet.
He hasn’t retaliated or even sent a threatening message.
That’s not like him. Plus, as of the night her daughter was taken to the hospital, she’d already been hassled by reporters and maybe by Papadakis. ”
“From what you’ve told me she’s a smart girl.”
I glanced at him, knowing my cousin’s accusatory tone. “What are you getting at?”
“There is no way she doesn’t have a clue about Liam and the O’Leary family. You’ve heard the rumors. Do you honestly think being married to one of them shielded her from the truth?”
Now I wanted to punch him for questioning her motives. But I had to give his suggestion a thought. “You’re still saying she could be playing me.”
“Well, maybe not at first, but after she found out who you were and you insisted on dinner. Maybe she hired the photographer. Maybe she tipped off the assailants about where you’d be.
I know you don’t want to believe it. Hell, neither do I since you’re obviously falling for her, but don’t allow your dick to cloud your judgment. ”