Chapter 18

Alina

Everything muted around me and the only words that kept ringing through my ears were, Alfredo killed Alex's mother. My father had killed Alex's pregnant mother.It felt as if I had sunk deep underwater, and I suffocated as I tried desperately to take air into my lungs, but they burned with the pressure.

Placing my trembling hands over my thighs, I squeezed them hard, forcing myself to stay still and listen to the rest.

"She was five months pregnant. Lyov and Maria were so happy. They were having a girl. But everything ended that night. And poor Alex," Lena continued with a hoarse voice, her words breaking my heart. "Alex saw everything. He was hiding under the bed. Poor boy, he was only seven and saw his mother being murdered before his eyes. Nothing was the same afterwards. Darkness filled the house. Maria, our light, she was gone. She was our queen. It broke everyone's hearts. Eventually we all learned how to move on again. But Lyov and Alex were never the same again."

My cheeks were wet with my silent tears. My heart constricted in pain and my chest swelled with the grief that consumed me.

How could my father be so heartless?

My mind fogged up and I felt my lips quivering as I tried not to cry out loud. It was too much. Too much pain filled my chest.

I was truly the enemy.

I will never survive if they find out the truth.

"Alex didn't talk for three years," Lena said. "Didn't show any emotions, and Lyov, he totally shut down. When Alex finally spoke again, his first words were, 'I will avenge my mother.' Since then, that has been his goal. He vowed to kill every Abandonato. To make them all pay." She choked through the tears and buried her face in her hands, her chest heaving almost painfully with the force of her cries. "Maddie, your father died then, too. He died while trying to protect Maria. I didn't just lose my best friend, I also lost my husband that day."

The kitchen was silent for a few minutes, only our sniffles and cries filling the room. I closed my eyes and brought a hand to my mouth as I wept, my body trembling. Goosebumps rose on my skin and my breath hitched.

"I hope Alex makes them all pay," Lena said, bringing her head up as she wiped at her tears. "They all deserve to die, every last one of them."

Her words were a slap to my face, and I froze for a moment, holding my breath. I let it out in a whoosh and stood from the stool. I brought my hand to my stomach, rubbing it gently, trying to get rid of the sick feeling. Lena and Maddie watched me, probably thinking I was crazy.

I felt crazy, and I'd begun to lose my mind.

Breathe, Alina, breathe.

My chest felt tight, painfully tight. Clenching my fists tight, I gasped for air as I entered a full-blown panic attack.

My eyes were wide in terror as I stumbled back a few steps.

"Alina?" Lena asked, her voice filled with concern as she stood up. My body felt cold.

Outside. Air. Breathe. Now.I pressed my hand hard against my burning chest and quickly swiveled around, running out of the kitchen. But before I could make my escape, I hit a rock hard chest.Bouncing back, I stumbled as a strong hand grasped my arm, pulling me straight up again. My vision blurred with dizziness and I felt my head rolling back slightly.

My head snapped up, and I met cold bluish-steel eyes. Only one person had these beautiful captivating eyes. Alex.

As I stared into his eyes, Lena's words rang in my ears, causing me to whimper in fear and pain.He vowed to kill every Abandonato.And I was an Abandonato.

Alex

Viktor walked beside me as we headed for my office.

"Are we still on for the clubs' check-up tonight?" he asked.

I half-grunted in reply, nodding my head.

When we arrived, Artur, Phoenix, and Nikolay were already waiting. They stood up at the sight of me and nodded in greeting. They waited for me to sit down first and then took their respective seats.

"Alberto sent us another warning," I announced. "He's going after another club, and he doesn't care who he kills along the way. He wants the whorehouse as his. I want at least a dozen men there, protecting the place."

They said nothing, focused on me as I spoke, my voice ringing with authority.

Nikolay nodded. "I'll take care of it."

"The fucking Italians are not backing down. I think we have stayed silent for too long," Phoenix added through gritted teeth, his eyes crackling with anger.

I sat back in my chair and crossed my right ankle over my left knee. Leveling Phoenix with a glare, I spoke smoothly. My voice was slow and quiet, edged with threat. "The Italians can try as much as they want, but they aren't going to bring my empire down." I let out a harsh laugh. "They have been trying for years with no success."

Phoenix sighed and leaned back, raising his hands to his head in a gesture of surrender.

I shook my head. Funny prick, he was. All of us were silent for a moment.

"What's happening with the prostitution rings?" I asked Artur. Alberto had been running such establishments, which were different from mine in that he had a heartless approach to his commodities. "I will not have women being abused in those brothels," I added. "They are there because they have chosen to make a living that way, but I will not stand aside and watch them being abused."

"There's no way we can control that," Artur said. "We don't even own the brothels."

"Do I look like I give a fuck if I own them or not? I don't care how you do it, but it needs to be stopped. Understood?"

He immediately backed down. "Okay. I'll take care of it."

"Anything else?" I asked.

"We're good, Alex," Viktor said. "We need to get this shit moving. Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on everyone and make sure nothing gets out of control. I've got your back."

Viktor was a man of few words, but his silence was not a weakness. When he said he had my back, I knew I could trust him.If anyone could be more ruthless than me, it was Viktor. All my men were vicious—the five of us against the rest of the world.

"We're done then," I said, pushing my chair away and standing up. I fixed my suit and moved toward the doors, but Artur's voice stopped me in my tracks.

"Boss, there's something I don't understand. Why did you let Alina go? We have no proof she isn't the spy."

"Shut up, Artur," Nikolay warned, but it was too late. I swiveled around and lunged for Artur, clutching at his throat and pushing him hard against the wall.

"You fucking dare question my decision?" I roared, squeezing on his windpipe until his face began to turn purple. His eyes rolled back in his head but I didn't let go. Viktor pulled me off before I could kill him.

However, that hadn't been my intention. Not yet. I wanted to warn him—for now.

Phoenix helped Artur stand, and the poor bastard was struggling to breathe, his gasps filling the room.

"S…S…Sorry…" Artur said, his hand clutching his throat.

"Alina is no longer a suspect," I said, my fists tightening. Actually, she still was, but they didn't need to know that.

Torturing her wasn't the best way to get the truth out. There were other ways to find the truth, but I would explore that alone.I gave them a final glare and left my office, shutting the door loudly.I tried to calm my breathing. Artur had gotten me riled up, but his question wasn't the only source of my anger.

I was trying not to think about Alina. But then he went and said her name. Fuck. I was losing it again. A fucking woman was making me lose my shit.

What was it about her?

When I let her go the night before, I couldn't stop thinking about her. Blond shiny hair. Green eyes glistening with tears as she screamed her innocence. Oh, how badly I wanted to believe her.She had me tied in knots and I fucking hated it.My mind went back to the scene in her bedroom. She had been shocked at my change of character. Hell, I was shocked too.

Her vulnerability called to me, and surprisingly I had a desire to protect her. When I saw her in pain, my chest ached.

Lost in thought, I walked past the kitchen, but Lena's voice snapped me back the present and I stopped.

"I hope he makes them all pay. They deserve to die, every last one of them."

My eyebrows furrowed in confusion and I stepped closer, standing right outside the entrance of the kitchen. Alina was there, sitting beside Lena at the bar.I was about to take a step forward but stopped when she quickly jumped off the stool. Her tiny body shook violently and her face was red and puffy from crying.She swiveled around and tried to run out of the kitchen, but I was in the way. She hit my chest and bounced back, then stumbled over her feet and I quickly reached out to catch her.She was gasping for breath, her chest heaving.

Alina trembled in my arms and brought her head up, her eyes meeting mine. Her breath hitched in surprise. She went still in my arms, and if I wasn't mistaken, she held her breath.

As I stared into her eyes, I could tell she was petrified. My hands tightened on her arms and she gasped, cowering in fear.

"I…" She sucked in a deep breath, but started coughing. Her hands went up to her neck and she rubbed furiously. "I…I can't…breathe…" She was having a panic attack, and struggled out of my arms. I let her go. She stumbled back and then ran past me.