Chapter 55
55
A lex was stunned by Luca’s assurance that it was safe for he and Leslie to return to New York. Could it really be over, just like that? It all seemed too surreal.
"Are you sure we’re safe? You trust the Russians?" he finally managed to ask. Leslie, now dressed, rushed to his side.
"In this, yes, I trust them.”
He nodded at Leslie and relief swept over her features. He reached out and took her hand.
"Thank you, Luca," Alex murmured. “For everything. I’m sorry. About Nico. If it wasn’t for me—”
“Don’t go down that road again, Alex. It’s an insult to Nico, just as it was to Mia. They both cared for you. Mia loved you, even if you didn’t love her.”
Alex jerked back. How the hell had he known that?
“You treated Mia the way a husband should treat his wife, Alex. She was happy for the short time she had you. But I always knew she wasn’t the one for you. This Leslie, it seems she might be.”
“She is,” he said firmly.
“But…”
“What are you asking?”
“You’re not going to let yourself have her, are you?”
Alex looked at Leslie, who was smiling. He smiled back.
“I have to go, Luca.”
“Of course, Alex. Just remember what I said. Mia loved you. She wouldn’t want you to live your life alone because of the guilt you feel for what happened to her. Mia was of the life. She knew it was a risk, forsaking the family, even if none of us could have predicted how far it would go.”
With that, Luca hung up.
Alex stared at the phone before setting it down.
“Luca’s got things under control again. He made a deal with the Russians. We can go home.” It was a bittersweet announcement. They had found something special here, but it was time to return to their lives, their reality.
Leaning in, he kissed her, slow and soft. "Start packing what you want," he instructed, "I'm going to go talk to Father Alessio. Let him know."
Before he left, he told Leslie to lock the door behind him. She’d already started throwing her stuff into a bag but nodded. He left and shut the door behind him.
The monastery was quiet as Alex walked in the direction of Father Alessio’s room. His footsteps echoed around him as he made his way down the stone corridor, each footfall seeming to reverberate throughout the building.
Then he heard it—a low, guttural sound that seemed to come from nowhere and everywhere all at once. It took him a moment to place it, the strange gurgling noise, like water pouring slowly from a bottle.
He quickened his pace, rounding a corner, and stopped short.
Father Alessio lay on the floor in a pool of dark, spreading liquid. He had been stabbed, a blade protruding grotesquely from his chest. Another wound, deeper, and more fatal, was visible at his throat. His eyes were wide open, staring vacantly at the ceiling, and his lips moved weakly as if he was trying to say something, but only weak, choked sounds were coming out.
"No," Alex whispered, the word a soft gasp of horror. He rushed to Father Alessio's side, his knees hitting the cold stone floor with a thud. "No, no, no," he repeated.
But even as he watched, Father Alessio's eyes glazed over, the light fading from them. His lips stopped moving, and the gurgling sound ceased, replaced by a heavy, dreadful silence.
The realization hit Alex like a punch to the gut, leaving him breathless and reeling. Father Alessio was dead.
The man who had dedicated his life to helping others, who had offered them refuge and solace when they had needed it the most, was gone.
The sight of Alessio's lifeless form, the blood still seeping from his wounds and pooling beneath him, sent a sickening sense of déjà vu through Alex.
Father Alessio. Stabbed.
Nico. Stabbed.
Mia. Stabbed.
He remembered Mia’s laughter, her voice, her touch—the essence of her that still lingered in the corners of his mind. Yet the strongest memory of her was the most painful one.
He had found Mia, her body sprawled across the polished hardwood floor. Her usual vibrance was replaced by a ghastly pallor, her eyes, once full of warmth and love, stared blankly at the ceiling. She was beautiful, even in death, but the sight of her lifeless body had felt like a knife twisting in his heart.
She lay in a pool of her own blood, a gruesome contrast to her snow-white dress. Her chestnut curls fanned out around her, soaked in scarlet, her lips parted in a silent plea. The images were etched deep in his memory. He hadn’t been there when she'd been attacked, hadn't been there to protect her, and the guilt had weighed him down ever since.
Then there was Nico. Loyal, courageous Nico, who'd been stabbed but dragged himself to Alex to warn him. His lifeless eyes had stared up at the night sky, blood seeping from the corner of his mouth and staining his shirt.
Now, he was staring at Alessio's lifeless body. His past was repeating itself and the fear was paralyzing, but he couldn't afford to freeze.
Leslie!
Please, let me not be too late again.
"Leslie!" he shouted, fear for her safety spurring him into action. He turned and sprinted back down the corridor, his heart pounding, his mind spinning with thoughts of what he would do if he were too late.
The door to their bedroom was open, and the sight made ice run through his veins. He’d told her to lock the door…
He made it to the open doorway. There, in the center of the room, stood a woman holding a knife to Leslie's throat. The blood drained from his face as recognition hit him.
The woman wasn't a stranger.
It was Livia, Mia's sister.
Her eyes met his, cold and devoid of emotion. "Hello, Alex," she said, her voice so sickeningly sweet it made his stomach churn.
Instantly, a cascade of realizations crashed over him like a tidal wave.
Livia was the traitor. The one who had sold them out years ago, leading to her own sister's death. She had been the serpent hiding in the shadows, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
His mind raced, struggling to comprehend the depth of her betrayal.
Livia must have been the one who revealed their location on Caris after Nico had innocently let it slip to her, not knowing the danger he was putting them in.
He saw the twisted satisfaction in her eyes as she guessed what he was thinking. He swallowed hard, trying to keep his composure. He needed to stay calm, for Leslie's sake. He couldn't let Livia see the storm of emotions raging within him.
In that moment, he promised himself he wouldn't let Livia hurt Leslie. He would do whatever it took to protect the woman he loved, even if it meant his own death. Livia had taken so much from him, but she wouldn't take Leslie. Not while he was still breathing.
"Why, Livia?" he asked, forcing his voice to remain steady despite the raging tempest inside him. "Why betray your own family?"
Livia smirked. She seemed to relish the opportunity to explain her actions. "I always felt like those in charge were too lenient, too weak. My family was soft, always putting their emotions before the needs of the business. I wanted power. Power I would have already had if I wasn’t a woman."
The way she spoke about it so casually, so matter-of-factly, was horrifying. She knew her actions had led to the death of Mia and Nico, and she didn't seem to care.
"Did you ever care about Mia and Nico?”
"The Family always comes first, and I mean the Big Family, not my direct one." Livia responded, her voice icy. "Mia and Nico were weak and needed to be rooted out.”
“Why were they weak? Because Mia wanted to be with me? To leave a life of crime behind so she could raise our child? And Nico….what did he do?”
“He sided with you! The man who killed our own.”
“Your own, your brothers, killed Mia.”
“Yes. But they were following orders. Mine. And I would have finally been given an important position, stood side by side by the men, if you and Luca hadn’t done what you did.”
“You mean avenge your sister?”
This was the woman who had caused so much pain, so much suffering, all because of her twisted notion of strength and weakness. She was truly a monster, capable of tearing her own family apart without a shred of remorse.
But he couldn't let his emotions get the best of him. He had to stay focused. He needed to buy more time, to figure out a way to get to Leslie before Livia could hurt her. And so, he kept Livia talking, hoping against hope that he could find a way to end this nightmare.