CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
ALEXANDRA JONES
HE ENTERS THE CARPARK, HIS CAR EFFORTLESSLEY parking withing the marked bays. “Are we going to talk about what happened? In the market?” He just stares ahead of him, and I could tell it was something about our past. The way he acted in the market, it were as if he had lost me before. The fear in his eyes were indescribable, and it isn’t something I ever want to see again. “Ares?”
“Alexandra, please, I don’t want to speak about it.”
“Why not?”
“Because I said so.”
I slowly take his hands in mine, interlocking our fingers. “Does it have something to do about what happened?”
I should probably let it go, but there’s a relentless curiosity burning within me. Especially after discovering my memory loss, being kept in the dark for so long. I refuse to be in the dark again. I want him to open up, to share his thoughts and emotions with me. Men don’t always understand how much women tend to overthink, how we analyse every detail until it drives us crazy.
Ares exhales heavily, his shoulders slumping as he finally turns to face me, shaking his head slightly. He clearly doesn’t want to talk about it, but I can’t let it go that easily.
But I will for him.
“I actually took something from your draw in the house…” His brows furrow in confusion, and I slowly slide out the black box from my bag. I flick it open, the wedding ring tucked into the small cushion. “I know I will never be able to remember what happened between us in the past, I know that you have more memories of you and I than I do. But you stuck with me…you didn’t give up on me when you could have and you accepted me for me, and for who I am now and not then. I love you. And only you…I mean, I fell in love with you twice.”
He grabs the back of my head, pulling me closer.
His lips brush against mine lightly, and I find myself comparing the feel and fragrance of cologne on his skin. His kiss is far superior. His lips are a little cold, but he makes up for it with the warm caress of his tongue against mine. I close the box, accidentally dropping it as he undoes my seatbelt, and adjusts his seat backwards. He pulls me on top of him, straddling his lips as his lips find their way down to the crook of my neck. I release soft gasps, my fingers glide down to his belt buckle, fidgeting with it until it loosens up. He raises his hips slightly, causing me to bump my head against the sunroof.
“Ow…” I chuckle out, his lips kissing between my laughs.
My hands make contact with the button on his jeans faster than our mouths, he runs his hands beneath my shirt and begins unclasping my bra until I feel it loosen.
Once my bra is tackled down, he removes my shirt and slides his fingers under the lining of my bra, he drags them down my arms before throwing it in the back of the car. My breasts touch the fabric of his shirt, and I waste no time in removing it. My hands dig into his boxers, sliding his dick out. His arousal presses against me, hot and urgent, fuelling my own desire. His fingers raises my skirt against my thighs, and I raise my body enough for him to press his cock against my entrance. I shift my hair to the side before slowly descending down, I moan, my hands pressing against his broad shoulders.
“Fuuuuuck….” He groans out, his teeth capturing my bottom lip, tugging onto it.
“Ares…I can’t, you’re bigger…”
“You will.” He responds, before shoving me down fully onto him, I gasp, my fingernails digging into his bicep as he begins to move my hips for me. His hands roam over my curves, igniting sparks of pleasure wherever they touch. With each caress, each kiss, the intensity between us grows. I can feel the heat pooling between my thighs, aching for him, for the release only he can provide.
My fingers dig into his hair, pulling him down to my chest as his mouth captures my nipple. I arch my back, offering myself to him completely, his tongue flicks and teases. I feel my head falling backwards with a tug of his hand wrapped around my hair. He fucks me. He watches me. He hears me. “Ahhh, Ares…” I moan out.
My ass bouncing on his thighs, his dick thrusting in and out of me.
He releases my hair, and my head falls into the crooks of his neck.
My teeth digs into his skin, my hands wrap around half of his bicep as I feel tears of pleasure falling. I’m hurting him. But it is as if he likes being hurt...he likes the pain.
It gives him pleasure.
“Bite me...bite me harder Angel.” He groans into my ears, controlling my every hip move.
I bite onto him hard enough for my mark to stay there and bruise his shoulders, my fingers tighten around his biceps, and butterflies are swarming all over my stomach. Sweat glistens onto my collarbone, his fingers pushing their way into my mouth, trailing down my chin.
“Ares…fuck…”
“If you ever look at a man the same way you look at me, I’ll kill him and fuck you with his blood around my hand.”
The automatic doors open as I walk through, my bag in one hand and the other fixing my hair before Maxine realises that I’m late for a not so good enough reason. Maxine glances up from her desk, a bright smile spread across her face as she shoves her books into her bag. “Maxine.”
“Alexandra, thank god you’re here. Can you close tonight?”
“Yeah, is everything alright?”
“Yes, my son took his first steps and I want to go see him.”
“Of course, Maxine. Congratulations! That’s a huge moment,” I reply with genuine happiness for her.
Maxine’s eyes lit up even more at my words. “Thank you, Alexandra! I’ve been waiting for this moment for what feels like forever.”
I nodded understandingly.
“I can imagine. Well, you go enjoy every moment of it. I’ll take care of closing up tonight.”
“Thank you, thank you!” Maxine exclaimed, already halfway out the door. “You’re a lifesaver, Alexandra!”
As Maxine rushes off, I couldn’t help but smile. I go around the reception desk, shuffling my things just beneath it as I pick up where Maxine left off-stamping the front covers of the book. The automatic doors slide open, the ‘whooshing’ sound alerts me as I look up to see a man I’ve never seen here before. I know everyone that comes in this library, I have worked here for two years straight. But this man, no, never met him and I don’t know him.
A new face.
His baby blue eyes catch mine.
“Can I help you?” I ask, offering a friendly smile.
“Sure, I’m looking for a book called ‘How to Get Away with Murder?’” He says, and I chuckle.
“Doing something you shouldn’t?” I tease, grabbing my badge from the desk.
“Never,” he replies with a grin.
“Follow me,” I say, leading him down the non-fiction aisle. I reach the section and guide him inside. “Check out this aisle. If you need anything else, let me know.”
“I sure will, the names Luca,” he says, extending his hand for a shake. I shake his hand firmly.
“Alexandra,” I introduce myself.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Alexandra,”
“Are you new to this library?”
“I am, indeed, new to the area, just moved a couple days ago.” He slides a book out, and my eyes travel down to see a cross necklace wrapped around his neck.
“Welcome to Cane Town then, if you need anything let me know.”
“I will indeed.”
I walk away, glancing back at him as he watches me tread. Something didn’t feel right about that man. He is very off. And weird. I shrug of the feeling, my finger trailing down the shelves before I reach a certain book. Death Do. Oh yes, he will love this one. I look around the library to see him in his corner of the library, still finishing of the book I gave him before. I walk back to the counter, before a slamming book catches my attention.
How on earth did he get here? He was just in the corner a moment ago.
“If you ever give me a sad book again, I will kill you!” I glance at the cover and shake the smile away from my face. “This is not a smiling matter; she was a good person!”
“I told you you’d like it.”
“Mhm, and as always I will never admit you are right.” I let out a soft snicker, stacking the rest of the library books on top of one another before shifting them onto the trolley. I peep at the time; we’re closing in ten minutes. “Also, did Ares tell you that I’m making dinner next week. Come over.”
“He must have forgotten; I’d love to Joey.” He smiles.
“Joey Nicolaides! I am going to kill you!” Both our head snap to the door to see his wife storming in, Joey whistles and salutes me goodbye. I wave at him before his wife grabs onto his ears and pulls him to the exit. “You left the cleaning to me! To read-” Their voices die down as they exit.
My body falls onto the leather chair, my fingers rush through the locks of my hair. I have yet submit my final project, and mostly it is because I don’t want to. I do not want to go to Seattle and leave Ares. Leave everything behind, I do not want to do that. I’ve just started gathering my life together, and I have been so much happier-so much better. Ares and I, we’re in a good position- one I do not want to ruin any time soon because of this stupid submission. There are universities here, I’ll just go to one of those.
My watch beeps, and I realise it is closing time.
The library begins to empty as the readers take their leave, I gather my things together and pull on my coat. I reach the front of the library doors, switching off the lights before locking up. Ares should be here already, and I am right. A familiar car is parked just further into the car park, I walk towards it-throwing my hood over my head.
The closer I get, the more my heart sinks.
This isn’t Ares’ car.
This is Maxines car.
As I drew closer, the sickening truth unfolded before me like a nightmare come to life. A figure lay crumpled on the ground beside the driver’s door, a dark pool of blood spreading outwards like a sinister omen.
There she rests.
On the ground.
Bleeding out.
“No,” I whisper, the word catching in my throat as I stumble forward, my bag slipping from nerveless fingers to thud against the pavement unable to tear my eyes away from the gruesome scene. “Maxine!” I pull myself together, rushing towards her as my mind reeled with disbelief. I fell to my knees beside her, the cold asphalt biting into my skin through the fabric of my pants.
With trembling hands, I reach out, fingers brushing against her skin, still warm but growing colder by the second.
“Maxine, wake up…” I choke out, the name a desperate plea on my lips as I search her face for any sign of life.
But there is none to be found, only the vacant stare of her unseeing eyes, fixed on some distant point beyond the veil of consciousness. Terror coursed through my veins. This couldn’t be happening.
Not to Maxine.
She just wanted to see her son walk…
“A very good book, had to test it out—what do you think?” A voice speaks, my head raises and my eyes locks with his. Luca. He stood in front of me with a bright smile, as if he did something he should be proud of. “Lost for words, Alexandra?”
My voice trembles as I respond, “who-what have you done?”
He smirks, his expression chilling. “Isn’t it obvious? I wanted to see how it feels, how it looks in reality. This book really delivers, you know.” He turns it around, “ten dollars. Good price.”
My body begins to shake from fear, and I slowly rest Maxines head back down onto the ground.
I stand up.
I take a step back, trying to distance myself from him.
“It also says to never leave a witness behind, run Alexandra.” He whispers. “Run before I catch you.”
My heart pounds in my chest, each beat echoing loudly in my ears as I sprint with all my might. It feels like the road has turned into quicksand, pulling me down with every step I take. The tears stream down my face, blurring my vision, but I push through, fuelled by the sheer will to survive. I reach for the keys in my pocket, my trembling fingers fumbling to find the right one.
Panic courses through me as I struggle to locate the key for the library’s front door. “Please, please,” I mutter under my breath, desperate for a stroke of luck. I look behind me and see Luca casually strolling in my direction, a chilling smile on his face, and a gun glinting in his hand. Fear surges through me, and I force myself to focus on the keys.
I frantically flip through them.
Come on, come on!
My breaths come out in shallow gasps as I find the right key. With trembling hands, I insert it into the lock and twist, the door opens, and I rush inside, slamming it shut behind me. My back pressed against the door, I struggle to catch my breath, trying to make sense of the nightmare I’ve found myself in.
I hide underneath the desk, and I dial Ares’ number.
I pray he picks up, and relief washes over me when he answers.
“Sorry, I’m a bit late, had to drop Atlas-” he begins.
“Help me!” I whisper into the phone urgently.
“Alexandra, what’s going on?” His voice is filled with concern.
“There’s a man trying to kill me, Ares, help me, please…”
“Where are you?” I hear him fidgeting, probably rushing to get to me.
“The library... he-he’s holding a gun...”
“I’m on my way, alright, I’m coming right now.”
“He killed Maxine…” I cry out, covering my mouth as the tears fall down my eyes. I lift myself up and peer over the counter, my heart racing as I see him standing outside the glass door. His face twisted with malice; he taps the door with the barrel of his gun.
Thuck.
Thuck.
Thuck.
I quickly duck back down, hoping he didn’t see me.
My heart races in my chest as I hear the deafening boom of the gun firing, and the glass shatters all around me. I let out a terrified cry, my breaths coming out in rapid bursts.
The phone call with Ares has disconnected.
I try to steady my trembling hands as I crawl out from under the table, my mind racing with fear and uncertainty. I look towards the entrance, seeing the shattered glass scattered across the floor. Did Luca leave, or is he still lurking somewhere in the dark corners of the library? I grab a lamp from the counter, my knuckles turning white as I grip it tightly.
Each step I take feels like an eternity, my eyes darting around, scanning every shadow, and hiding spot between the bookshelves. I wipe the dry tears from my cheeks, trying to regain some sense of composure. The library feels eerily silent, broken only by the faint sound of my own shaky breaths. Every creak of the floorboards beneath my feet startles me. I feel like a hunted animal, trying to navigate a maze of uncertainty and fear.
I take slow, cautious steps, peering between each bookshelf, hoping to catch a glimpse of Luca before he catches me. My body is tense with anticipation, and every sound sends a jolt of adrenaline through me. I keep moving, driven by a desperate need to survive.
“I can’t believe Ares never told you about me…” the intercom of the library is filled with his voice. Meaning he’s at the counter. “We were best friends you know, until he killed my little brother.”
I hold onto my mouth.
“I wanted revenge and went after the one thing he loves the most…you! And god did it work. Because you forgot all about him, didn’t you Angel…” tears fall from my eyes, but I had to stay on guard. “And then…whilst I was away in prison-he shot my other brother-Elmer…so now it’s time for you to die. Chapter thirty-five, page two hundred and seventy-five. Never leave a trace.”
Suddenly, I feel a warm hand press against my mouth causing a muffled scream to be let out. I turn my head and my eyes are locked with his green ones, and now-everything inside of me is calm. He gives me a small nod of reassurance, takes the lamp from my hand, and gently rests it onto one of the shelves. I didn’t take a chance before tucking my head into his chest, his huge arms wrap around me.
He killed Maxine.
Unable to hide my emotions, Ares raises my face.
The scent of him surrounds me, a familiar and comforting smell that instantly starts to calm my frayed nerves. In his arms, I feel a sense of protection and security that I hadn’t realised how desperately I needed.
Until now.
“I knew you’d show up.” Ares pushes me behind him.
“If you touch a strand on her hair, I’ll make sure you join your fucking brothers.”
Luca smirks, leaning against the bookshelves.
“I’ll join them right after I kill her, Diávolos.” He wipes his nose, “why are you hiding Angelos, come out…I must have scared her.”
“I’m going to fucking kill you Luca.”
“Not before I kill her.”
Luca relentlessly pushes the bookshelf, the creaking sound echoes into the library. Panic courses through me as I realise the impending danger, I look up just in time to witness the bookshelf tipping in our direction. But before disaster strikes, Ares reacts with incredible speed. He grabs my arms and pulls me towards him, his strong and protective presence shielding me from the collision. We tumble backward against the bookcase behind us, and I brace myself for the impact of falling books.
But to my surprise, the books seem to fall beside us, avoiding my head and body.
I let out a strained cough, and slowly open my eyes to notice Ares towered over me. The entire bookshelves crushing onto his back, my eyes widen as I slip my hand out from the tight space and try to push onto the bookshelf.
I glance up, and our eyes meet, our noses brushing against each other in the confined space. “Ares,” I whisper, my voice filled with worry. “Ares, hey, are you okay?” I speak, he grunts and nods his head.
“I’ve got you now, you’re okay, you know who I am?” He asks me instantly, and my heart breaks, his voice steady despite the weight on his back. I nod my head in response, and he releases a breath of relief. I try to move, to help him somehow, but he holds me tightly against him. “Stay still,” he insists, his voice firm but gentle.
With determination etched on his face, Ares continues to push up against the heavy bookcase, the strain evident in his efforts. I want to help him, to ease the burden he’s carrying, but he keeps me tightly pressed against him, shielding me from any potential harm.
His muscles flex as he struggles to find something to support the bookcase’s weight. I watch in awe as he reaches out and grabs onto a nearby shelf, using it as leverage to help lift the bookcase off his back.
The pressure eases slightly.
“Almost there,” he grunts through the effort, his focus unwavering. Slowly but surely, the bookcase rises, allowing him to manoeuvre his body out from underneath it.
Once he’s free, he breathes heavily, taking a moment to regain his strength and helps me onto my feet, examining my face. “Are you okay?” He asks me.
“Are you okay?” I whisper, my hand trembling as I reach out to touch his face gently.
He turns to me with a reassuring smile, though exhaustion shadowed his eyes. “I’m okay, Alex. Don’t worry about me.”
“But you-” I began to protest, but he silences me with a soft kiss planted gently on my forehead.
“I’ll be fine,” he assures me, his words a soothing balm against my rising fears.
I wanted to believe him.
I wanted to believe that we had survived it all, that we were stronger together. But as he turns away, my heart lurches in my chest, and my eyes fell upon the gruesome sight of his back.
His shirt was torn apart, revealing gaping wounds that marred his skin. Blood seeped slowly from the injuries, staining his clothes, and dribbling down in rivulets of crimson.
I stifled a gasp, a hand flying to cover my mouth in horror.
“Ares, your back.”
He turns around to face me, and I can see he’s struggling to remain standing. “I’m fine, Alexandra,” he forces out, but I can see the effort it takes for him to stay upright. He stumbles slightly on his foot, and my heart clenches with worry.
“Ares, you’re not fine,” I hurry closer to him, placing my hands on his arms to support him. “You need help, let’s get you to a hospital.”
Suddenly, his weight leans onto me, and I struggle to lift him back onto his feet.
Instead, I sink down onto the floor, with his huge body resting against me. Panic surges through me as I realise the severity of his injuries. “Ares, please wake up!” I plead, gently slapping his cheek, but there’s no response. Tears fill my eyes as I frantically try to slide out from beneath him, but his weight is too much for me to bear.
He is too heavy for me.
With all the strength I can muster, I manage to shift Ares enough to free my legs from underneath him. I use the support of my arms and legs to lift him up, leaning his body against mine.
I felt my bones wanting to crack, but I had to get him help.
He needs help.
My phone was nowhere to be reached or seen. I try my hardest to drag Ares, but his body was fully limp. “Ares! Wake up!” I cry out in desperation, but there is no response from him.
Suddenly, the temperature began to rise in the library.
I look towards the corner and my eyes widen as I see the fire, the orange and red flames moving forward, rapidly engulfing the books. Fear grips my heart as I realise the dire situation, we were in. The fire is spreading fast, and time is running out and Ares is unconscious.
“Ares! Wake up!” I beg him, hoping that he would be able to hear me. I trip over something, and he slid out of my arms, falling to the ground. All that work just to get him to move a little is now all gone!
I never worked well under pressure.
And now the pressure being Ares makes it so much worse.
Tears stream down my face as I try to lift him once more, but the smoke and heat were overwhelming. The fire is moving faster than I could handle, and the thought of leaving him behind to save myself flashed through my mind.
But I couldn’t bear the idea of abandoning him.
I love him too much to let him die alone.
Determination surged through me as I made a split-second decision. With the last ounce of strength left in me, I crawl back to Ares and pull him close, shielding him as best as I could. Sweat is dripping from my forehead, and we were still so far from the door.
The door felt like it was miles away, an insurmountable distance separating us from safety.
“Need some help, angel?” Luca’s voice sliced through the tension, his grin sending shivers down my spine.
“Fuck you!” I spat at him, my grip on Ares tightening with every passing second.
“That’s not very angelic of you,” Luca taunted, his words dripping with malice. “But if you insist, I can make it easier for you to leave.” My heart staggers as he slides out a gun, aiming it squarely at Ares. Panic surged through me, a primal instinct to protect the man I love at all costs.
“Don’t! Stop it!” I scream, desperation lacing my voice as I shield Ares with my body, refusing to let him come to harm. “You’re fucking crazy!”
“Now, I’m going to make it harder for you.”
The echo of the gunshot reverberated through the room, a deafening cacophony that drowned out all other sound. I brace myself for the impact, but when it came, it is not Ares who bore the brunt of the bullet—it was me.
Pain explodes through my thigh like a searing inferno, stealing the breath from my lungs and leaving me gasping for air. I bit back a scream, but it escapes in a guttural cry of agony that fills the air with its intensity. Blood wells from the wound, staining the fabric of my clothes and pooling beneath me in a macabre tableau. I clutch at the wound, trying to stem the flow, but it was no use—the pain was overwhelming, consuming me from within.
Through tear-blurred vision, I see Luca’s smirk, his eyes gleaming with triumph as he revelled in my suffering. He had wanted to hurt me, to break me, and in that moment, he had succeeded.
And he leaves.
But even as darkness threatened to engulf me, I refuse to surrender.
I wanted to give up, but I knew I couldn’t.
With every ounce of determination left in me, I stood up, the pain shooting through, the blood pouring out. I wrap my arms around his shoulders, mustering all the strength I had before dragging him across the floor. With one leg holding his weight. The fire is getting closer, and I couldn’t stop coughing. It felt as if my skin is burning, and the crawling sensation of heat reached my body’s limit.
But I couldn’t let go; I had to get Ares to safety.
“Ares, please wake up!” I beg him.
I continue to drag him, my muscles screaming in protest, but I ignored the pain. I had to keep moving.
Suddenly, I felt my shoulder burning, and I looked back to see the ceiling crawling with fire. Panic surges through me, but I push it aside. There is no time to waste.
Not time at all.
I press forward, my breaths becoming shallower as the smoke fills the air. My vision blurs, but I kept my eyes focused on the door, praying that we could make it in time. The flames dances around us, the heat becoming unbearable.
Don’t give up…don’t…give up…
My leg…I couldn’t feel my leg.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, we reach the smashed door. I muster the last of my strength, dragging Ares through the threshold. Fresh air rushes in, and I took in deep breaths, trying to clear my lungs.
Gasping for air, I collapse onto the ground, my body trembling with exhaustion. Coughing and wheezing, I struggle to catch my breath, but the smoke had taken its toll on my lungs. My eyes burn, and I couldn’t seem to open them no matter how hard I tried.
The world around me felt hazy, and I clung to consciousness with every ounce of strength I had left. I could hear distant shouts and sirens approaching, but they sounded muffled and far away.
“Ares...” I manage to whisper; my voice barely audible.
Panic filled me as I realised, I couldn’t see him.
I use my hand, spreading it across the concrete ground until I felt his body, I crawl towards him. Slowly resting my head against his chest….my body is tired. My eyes are finally open and able to see slightly, but what I see above me is Luca. His fingers tighten around my neck, cutting off my breath as he lifts my weakened body, rendering me powerless to resist.
“Now... choose... you or him?” Luca’s voice was chilling, his eyes cold and devoid of mercy as he forces me to look at Ares, lying helpless on the ground.
“Why are you doing this?” I choke out, my voice barely a whisper against the weight of his grip.
“Because it’s fun,” Luca sneered, his lips twisting into a cruel smile. “It makes me happy...finally getting the revenge I deserve. Now…you or him?” He slides out his knife,
I glance at Ares and in that moment, I knew what I had to do. Because he wouldn’t have hesitated before choosing me over himself. He has always put me first, I can tell…and so with a trembling voice and a heart heavy with sorrow, I whisper my choice.
“Me.”