Antonio
I can’t keep doing this, fighting with Aleksandra. It’s not good for the twins, and it’s certainly not healthy for my sanity.
And if there’s any chance that she betrayed me, I want her out from under the roof of the complex.
I have a business to run, an enterprise that I need to focus on, and it’s impossible with fleeting thoughts of last night bouncing through my mind.
She needs to go. And while I don’t want her out of my life or my children never to know their father, what other choice do I have? Her poisoning them with ruthless thoughts, believing that I’m holding them captive, will only aid in her anger and relentless pursuit of escape.
What I desire and what I must do aren’t mutually exclusive.
Sitting at my desk, I gesture Ardian into my office.
“You called for me, sir?” He stands with his shoulders back, his posture perfect like he’s in the presence of royalty. And why shouldn’t he? I’m the fucking mafia king of the castle. Even better, he respects my authority.
“Sit,” I command and nod toward the chair opposite my desk.
He closes the door as he enters my office and slinks into the chair. He’s more at ease than most men who work for me.
“Any word on the bratva?” I ask. He’s in charge of surveillance and reconnaissance. I need to know that they won’t be in further danger if I let Aleksandra and the twins leave.
“Mikhail has returned home,” Ardian says. “But you already knew that.”
I let him go. Not because I wanted to, but because it was the only way to ensure stability and peace between the Italians and Russians.
We forged a simple agreement. He and the bratva are to leave the other mafia families alone. Mikhail’s feud is with me. In exchange, he’s given his freedom.
It’s as good a deal as we’d make, and putting the other families first, it’s what a good don does, protects his people. My men realize we’re at war and are prepared to weather the storm when Mikhail comes for retaliation.
And he will. Inevitably, the war isn’t over.
“Any chatter on Aleksandra?” I ask.
I want to know if she is safe leaving the complex or will her brother go after her?
“I’m not sure what you’re hoping to find, sir,” Ardian says. “If you are suggesting that she leave, I suspect that she’ll return home. She has nowhere else to go, and that would be reckless.”
I realize that, and the thought of sending her to a safe house is briefly considered, but I don’t imagine she’ll go there or stay under my protection.
It’s difficult to wipe the grimace from my face at the thought of something dreadful happening to Aleksandra, Liam, or Sophia. Mikhail wouldn’t hurt his family, would he?
I run a hand through my hair, my stomach doing somersaults. Under any other circumstances, I’d hide my distress, but I don’t fear Ardian’s knowledge of my discomfort.
“Might I make a suggestion, sir?”
I nod for him to elaborate on whatever it is that he wishes to disclose.
“We have apartments in the city that can be monitored and are outside of bratva territory. It might be wise to offer her a place to stay and a stipend if you wish her to cut ties with her family.”
I press my lips tight and mull over Ardian’s suggestion.
It’s not the worst idea, and I would know her whereabouts and ensure that she is always protected.
* * *
I knock firmly on Aleksandra’s bedroom door before entering. I don’t wait for her to tell me to enter. She doesn’t get to give me permission. This is my house. She is my guest.
I’m waiting for an outburst, a shout for her to tell me to get the hell out, but instead, she’s nowhere to be seen.
The bathroom door is shut, the shower running.
I poke my head into the twins’ room, and they’re playing on the floor with the new train set that I bought them, among dozens of other toys.
I study Liam and Sophia from the doorjamb. They barely even notice me. At least they don’t pay any heed to the fact that I’m watching them.
They have no idea that I’m their father.
Do I tell them?
That would be breaking one of Aleksandra’s rules.
What has Aleksandra told Liam and Sophia about their father? I imagine she’s given them the same story that she’s fibbed to Mikhail, that he’s away fighting a war, a hero who will one day return.
But she never expected me to return or find out that she was pregnant.
“Antonio.” Her voice is a whisper. It’s soft and sweet as she stands behind me.
I spin around on my heel, glancing at her from head to toe. She’s wearing only a towel, clenching it in her fist against her chest.
Her hair is dripping against the floor, leaving a puddle as she stands waiting for me to answer her.
“I want to have a word with you,” I say and reach behind myself, closing the adjoining door, offering us privacy.
“Can I get dressed first?”
“I’m not stopping you,” I say and can’t seem to hide the smirk on my face.
Aleksandra rolls her eyes and pushes me toward the door, exiting the hallway.
I let her believe she has some aspect of control. If I wanted to overpower her, I could, easily.
Stepping backward, I approach the door, my back to the wood, but I don’t open it or step out into the hallway.
I’m not leaving that easily.
Her voice is terse, along with her gritted teeth. “Go!” she snaps at me.
This side of her is too enjoyable and endearing to walk away from. “I’d rather not,” I say and fold my arms across my chest. “Besides, you have something of mine that I’d like back.”
I don’t honestly give a damn about the dress shirt. There are dozens more in my closet, and one shirt can easily be replaced.
“What?”
“My dress shirt,” I say. The grinning grows even brighter as I stare at her.
She’s flustered and hurries around to the side of the bed, bends down, keeping her towel grasped in her grip. Aleksandra retrieves my dress shirt and tosses it at me. “I don’t know why you care so much about that thing. Plus, it’s missing half its buttons.”
It is missing quite a few buttons in the haste from last night’s festivities.
“Yes, I suppose it is.”
“Are you leaving now?” Aleksandra gestures with her free hand for me to skedaddle out of her bedroom.
Nice try, Tesorina.
“No,” I say and let the white dress shirt fall to the floor at my feet.
Her eyes widen, but I sense it’s more out of frustration and irritation for me than anything else.
The feeling is mutual.
I hope I don’t regret my decision.
Her eyes narrow like she’s about to yell at me or throw something, but the only thing in her grasp is the towel secured around her body. And it’s unlikely she’ll let that drop anytime soon. Her grip is like life or death, and she’s not going to let me see her naked again.
“You’re free to leave.”
“What?” she asks.
My comment catches her off-guard.
“You and the twins are free to leave the complex if that’s what you want.” I won’t hold her captive or against her will. Bringing her here had been for her safety, not that she’d ever see it that way.
“Just like that? No strings attached?”
She doesn’t believe me, and why should she? I’m not the most forthcoming or honest man in New York City.
“I’ll set you up with an apartment in the city, a place of your own. There will be a guard to ensure that your brother and his men don’t cause you or the kids any problems. But I want to know my children,” I say. “However, I won’t keep them here at the expense of my selfishness.”
Her eyes tighten, and her gaze flickers toward the adjoining door. “This isn’t a trick?” she asks as she keeps one hand gripped on the towel and opens the adjoining bedroom door with her other hand.
She glances in on them, satisfied that they’re playing quietly together.
“I can’t promise that we’ll share custody, but if you’d like to visit with them, we can make arrangements,” Aleksandra says.
“I’ll leave you to change and pack your things,” I say, opening the door to the hallway.
“Antonio.” Her voice is soft, pensive.
I glance back over my shoulder at her. “Yes?”
“Thank you.”
I don’t say a word. What can I say? I’m doing this for her, but I’m not entirely selfless. I shut the door and step out into the hallway.
Ardian is waiting for me. His expression is grim. I’m not sure whether he disapproves of my methods or there’s something else he’s keeping from me.
“Is it done?” I ask.
* * *
Aleksandra has no car, no mode of transportation since we abducted her. I hate seeing things from her perspective, realizing that she deems me a monster because I just might be one.
I’m the bad guy—the man of nightmares.
But I wasn’t always this way. Roberto made me what I am, ruthless. I have him to thank for corrupting my childhood, stealing me from my biological parents, and raising me as his own.
My childhood was fucked up.
And I don’t want that to be what Sophia and Liam experience.
Instead, I’ll give them a place of sanctuary, a home of their own, away from the bratva and the mafia. They can have a normal childhood, away from fear, danger, and terror.
“Is that all you're bringing?” I ask, glancing at the twins with the clothes on their back. Aleksandra didn’t bother to pack a suitcase for the twins or herself.
The clothes, the toys, all that I’ve purchased, she’s chosen to abandon.
I don’t know how she plans on stocking the apartment with clothes and toys. The stipend I’ve given her covers food and necessities, but not another wardrobe.
“We don’t need anything else. Thank you,” she says with a tight-lipped smile. It’s an act. She’s keeping it a show for the twins, like they chose to stay here for a while as if this was bed-and-breakfast.
I glance at Ardian.
If she doesn’t take the suitcases, the plan will never work.
There’s a bug and a tracker sewn into the luggage lining, just in case she bails the minute she arrives at the apartment.
“I would like to see you again,” I say, pinning Aleksandra with my stare. This isn’t the end, not by a long shot. Sophia and Liam are mine. Letting them go is the hardest thing I’ve ever done, but it’s not without cause.
“That’s probably not a good idea.” She stares at me, her lips pressed together.
I lean closer, invading her personal space. I wrap my arms around her waist, hugging her goodbye, and let my lips linger beside her ear. “They are my children, Tesorina.”
She pulls back, but I don’t release my grasp from her hips. There’s a flicker of fear behind her gaze. Does she worry that I won’t let her leave with her children?
“We can arrange visits on holidays, birthdays, that sort of thing,” she whispers. It’s as if she’s silently pleading with me to set her free and willing to give me a promise of anything to obtain her freedom.
But I don’t want an empty promise.
“I would like that,” I say, my gaze latched onto hers. “Stay right here.” I untangle from her and withdraw to the living room to retrieve two teddy bears that I gave to the twins and were abandoned by the children amongst the mass of toys and children staying at the complex.
The stuffed bears aren’t just any typical toy. While they look cute and cuddly, the black glassy eyes house a camera and two lenses to provide superior video footage. A microphone is tucked into each bear’s ear and a tracker is nestled deep inside.
I bring the two toys to the twins, handing one to Liam and the other to Sophia.
“How about a stuffed animal to take home?” I say, offering the kids a warm and friendly smile. I’ve barely spent any time with the three of them together. It’s no wonder they look timid in my presence.
Aleksandra opens her mouth but quickly shuts it as I hand the kids the stuffed animals.
“Thank you,” Liam says.
“What do you say, Sophia?” Aleksandra says to her daughter.
“Thanks.” Sophia cuddles the teddy bear, rubbing noses with the dark brown fur, and gives it a tight squeeze.
“You’re welcome,” I say and open the front door, leading them into the garage.
I hand Aleksandra a slip of paper with my cell phone number. “Memorize it in case you need anything,” I say. While I doubt she’ll call me, I want her to know that I’m available anytime.
“Thanks.”
Mario is right on my heel, grabbing the keys and following us to the vehicle. He opens the back door for the twins to climb onto the bench seat. The vehicle is already running, and the garage is open, making it chilly inside, but the car should already be warm and toasty.
“You’re not driving us?” Aleksandra asks as she stares at me, her voice soft, tentative. Is she making sure that no one overhears us?
“Mario will make sure that you get to the apartment safely,” I say. “He has the keys and will make sure it’s safe before you head inside.”
She glances past me into the back seat at the twins. They’re oblivious to the dangers of the world around them. But she can’t be naïve.
“Thank you,” she whispers, staring at me.
“If anything ever changes, you are welcome to stay here, with us, become part of the family.” I’m making her an offer that I don’t make to just anyone.
An invitation to become part of the Moretti family.
I don’t expect her to take me up on the offer.
She lets out a soft breath and leans forward just slightly, closer. Her body language is speaking more than she is, like she wants me but is denying herself the pleasure of her desires.
“I can’t do that,” Aleksandra says.
I pull her tight against me, my fingers at the back of her neck as I crush my lips against hers. I want her to remember the feel of my body pressed against her, the warmth of my lips on hers, the heat shared between us.
The tension in her body dissipates against me as she doesn’t fight the kiss like I first expect. Her arms pull me tighter and closer, deepening the kiss.
There’s a spark, a flicker of fire still burning bright between us.
It will never be extinguished, so long as we’re both alive.
I should break apart the kiss, send her on her way, and vow never to see her again. But I’m not ready for goodbye.
My hand at her lower back glides up beneath her jacket, pressing her against me, wanting her to feel the desire building between us. I drag my tongue against her lips, and she instantly parts her mouth, granting me entrance inside.
It’s not the only thing I want inside of her, but I can’t fuck her in the garage with Mario and our children watching.
But for the briefest of moments, I don’t give a damn about the twins in the car or Mario waiting for orders to return her home.
I want Aleksandra.
The desire to ravish her is insurmountable. Like an avalanche, I can’t stop. The truth is that I don’t want to. I desire to take her, fuck her, break her, and make her mine.
But she’s already broken, and it’s my fault.
Snatching Liam.
Kidnapping the three of them.
It’s any wonder she hasn’t coldcocked me and wished me dead. I don’t blame her for hating me, but perhaps one day, she will find forgiveness inside of her for what I’ve done.
I break the kiss, ending the sizzling heat surfacing between us.
She whimpers, but I barely hear it. “Goodbye, Tesorina,” I say as I gesture for her to climb into the back seat with the twins.
Her lips are ruby red, swollen, and glistening from the heated exchange. She doesn’t say anything. Her gaze moves to the vehicle, and she slips into the back seat wordlessly.
I shut the door and let her leave, granting Aleksandra her freedom.
The pain inside of me burns. I don’t dare admit to anyone what she means. It’s a burden to feel, to love, to know joy because my greatest enemy has the power to take it all away.