“And if he doesn’t want to stay?” Of course, Cole would want to stay. I’d been planning on spending the night at his flat tonight before all hell broke loose. His mission was to keep me safe, and apparently, to make me fall in love with him all over again. Not that I’d ever stopped.
But now more than ever, I had to find a way to atone for my sins before I’d allow myself a second chance with Cole.
“He’ll want to stay,” Holly said softly as Sebastian opened the door.
Cole had a bag by his feet. They’d already discussed and planned this, hadn’t they? They’d assumed I’d shoot down Sebastian’s offer to move back in with me.
“We were just talking about you.” Sebastian moved aside to allow Cole entrance.
I took a small step back, almost bumping into the coffee table at the sight before me.
Cole shouldn’t look so sexy in only a pair of faded blue jeans, a navy button-up dress shirt, and dark brown oxford shoes, but he did. And he shouldn’t have stolen my breath the moment his eyes landed on mine, but . . . yup, that happened, too.
My hand went to my heart, a familiar position whenever this man was around.
“We can’t access the security footage,” Cole announced, and I hid my sigh of relief at his words.
So, that’s where he’d been.
Sebastian let the door slam shut. “Are you feckin’ kidding me?”
“There were two locations with cameras on the street near the incident, and all footage from the evening was erased from both.” Cole’s gaze swept my way, an apology in his eyes as if this was all his fault.
Turning my way, Sebastian scoffed. “Muggers don’t go out of their way to destroy security tapes. Most don’t have a bloody idea how.”
“You think this was a targeted hit?” Holly asked, her eyes widening. “Someone trying to hurt you by going after your sister?”
“Yes.” My brother’s declaration had my spine bowing. “But we’ve been careful. No one outside our circle knows Alessia is my sister.”
“And no one knows we’re, uh, friends,” Cole said, tripping over the word friends.
“Someone may have seen you all together. At the club, maybe. They might believe Alessia is more than a business partner,” Holly explained. “But that’d mean they know about The League and have no respect for your authority.”
“I doubt The Alliance is behind this, considering they want peace between the organizations, but we’ll check.” Sebastian stroked his beard. “Or it’s the most obvious person. The so-called muggers took your necklace. What if they were after that all along? Luca knew the significance of it. It may have been his way of letting us know he can get to us even from behind bars.”
My heart took a momentary pause at the mention of Luca’s name.
Cole’s mouth tensed. His jaw tightened beneath the sexy beard he was growing.
“No, they only took it because they knew I wanted it more than anything,” I was quick to say.
“It’s possible he set up a contingency plan in case anything ever happened to him, and that plan might include you,” Sebastian said, ignoring my rational explanation for the necklace, his mind already made up about Luca.
“We should talk to him. Can Emilia’s fixer provide his location?” Cole faced Sebastian, clearly on the same page as him. “I know that’s against League rules, but I’m sure she’ll make an exception.”
The idea of Cole and Sebastian going to talk to him . . . shit, no. What would Luca tell them? What if he told them the truth? I couldn’t risk it.
“Can you give me a minute, please?” I rushed into my bedroom, shut the door behind me, and hurried for my phone.
Once in my en suite, I phoned Emilia. “Hey, it’s me.” I dropped my palm to the vanity counter and closed my eyes. “I’m so sorry, but I need another favor.”
Chapter Fifteen
Alessia
“You really don’t need to stay here.” The stubborn look on Cole’s face said I was wasting my breath. How this man managed to make stubborn appear sexy as hell was a mystery. He remained quiet, scrutinizing me as I slowly eased onto the couch, trying to conceal the pain. I was able to walk around now but getting punched a few times a mere four hours ago had left me damn sore.
“This is about your protection. I don’t know why we’re still discussing it.” Sebastian cursed in French, and even though I didn’t understand him, I knew whatever he was saying wasn’t good. “I’ve gotta find Emilia,” he said after releasing a deep breath. “She’s not answering her phone.”
“Are you sure you need to see him?” Holly asked. I wondered if she was worried Sebastian would kill Luca. Her attention slowly swept my way from where she sat across from me in the yellow wingback chair. “I don’t know if bringing skeletons out of the closet like this is what’s best for Alessia.”
Holly and I were on the same page, but I wasn’t sure she’d succeed in convincing my brother to even be in the same book.
Sebastian cocked a brow in surprise, his eyes moving to his wife. “This is about keeping her safe. If Luca had anything to do with what happened, we have to put an end to his game.”
“And how will you handle him? How will you stop whatever sick plan he may have put into action?” Holly rose and made her way to stand before him, probably the only person in the world who could get my brother to back down from a fight.
The unmistakable clench of his jaw was visible beneath his two-week-old beard. Sebastian muttered more French and dipped his hands to her hips, taking hold and pulling her closer. They were in some sort of staring contest, so I turned my focus to Cole.
He’d moved to the window, palm to the glass, eyes on the sleeping city. His body was rigid. Muscles tight. Anger spiraled through him, the same as my brother.
I needed to figure a way out of this mess before anyone I cared about got hurt.
“Luca’s in prison,” I broke the silence. “How could he have ordered three men to come after me?”
Sebastian released his hold of Holly, and Cole turned around at my words. My gaze swung back and forth between both of them. Questions looming in the air.
Shit. My hands went to my forehead as a headache stirred. “Two men,” I corrected, forgetting the story I’d told them. “I meant two.” My hand plopped onto my lap, and I took in a few shallow breaths.
“Are you sure you’re not keeping something from us?” Sebastian came over to the couch and sat next to me. “You can tell us.”
And how would that conversation go? No, I didn’t think either Sebastian or Cole could handle what I’d have to say.
“I’m just tired. It was a rough night.” And it had been. No lie there.
“Luca could’ve easily been behind this. And no, it’s not impossible he’d have a contingency plan to set in motion if anything ever happened to him. He’s always thinking ahead.” Sebastian looked at Cole. “I need to find Emilia. Don’t leave Alessia’s side.”
He didn’t need to issue an order to Cole. The man was as crazy protective as my brother when it came to my safety. “Of course,” Cole responded, his focus shifting from me to Sebastian. “Call me the second you know something.”
“And if you’re allowed to visit Luca, who will stay with me?” I snatched a yellow throw pillow and brought it to my chest. “Emilia would have to take you there, so that leaves her out as my babysitter.” I glanced at Holly. “And what if Holly is the next target? If he’s after you, he won’t stop with me.”
Sebastian gripped the bridge of his nose with his free hand, working through the problem. “I’ll think of something.”
Holly shot me an apologetic look, and I forced a small smile to let her know I was okay, even if it was a pretend smile, I didn’t want her unnecessarily worrying about me.
Cole locked up after they left and slowly turned toward the room, but his eyes weren’t on me. They were on the closed box of letters on the hall table. He had to be wondering what else I’d written. What other bombs I’d drop on him.
>
My virginity lie.
The sex club photos.
The incident that happened in prison I refused to talk about was now coming back to haunt me.
He pressed the back of his head to the door, leaning against it as if he needed it for support. “I’ll do anything to keep you safe. You know that, right?”
I could barely look him in the eyes. I was harboring secrets. Creating lies to adjust the narrative and hide the truth.
The last thing I needed was more guilt, but I didn’t want to drag him into this.
Hopefully, Emilia would keep her word. Woman to woman.
I set the pillow aside and stood, fighting the urge to clutch the side that hurt.
When Cole’s eyes journeyed to me, starting at my bare feet and moving up, my heart clamored inside my chest as if excited over the attention.
The memory of his kiss, of his hand down my pants, momentarily snagged my thoughts and forced away the residual pain of being used as a punching bag earlier.
“How are you feeling?” He shoved off the door and closed in on me. “You should be in bed resting.”
“I’ll be fine. Maybe all that training last week toughened me up a bit.”
“You will be fine, but how are you now?” His tone dropped lower, concern moving through his words to reach me. I could feel his tenderness right in my chest.
“Just sore.” I turned toward my room, contemplating what to do next. “But I guess I should sleep.”
“Take a bath first. It’ll help relax your muscles.” He came up behind me and shifted my hair over my shoulder.
“That almost sounded like an order,” I said softly as his thumb eased down the back of my neck, his mouth close to the shell of my ear. “Always were so bossy.” I swallowed. “And so brotherly.”
“There’s one thing I can promise you, Alessia.” The roughness of his tone had my fingertips curling into my palms on the counter. “I’ve never once thought of you as a sister.”
* * *
I was fighting. Struggling.
I punched.
Scratched.
Clawed at whatever came at me.
“No!” I screamed. “Please, no!”
Something heavy was pinning me down. Holding me still.
“It’s okay. I’m here. You don’t need to fight me.”
Cole’s voice was soothing. Calming.
But was it really Cole? What if I was still in Russia? I didn’t want to wake and find out I’d never left the prison.
No, I couldn’t take the chance.
My chest heaved as I panted, struggling under the weight of whoever was holding me down.
Arms over my head.
My wrists braced firmly.
“Alessia, baby, it’s me. Please.”
Baby? I blinked and lifted my lids to find a pair of stunning and very concerned eyes staring down at me.
“Where am I?” I cried, relieved it was Cole on top of me. And yet, terrified that it was Cole on top of me. I wasn’t ready for him to learn the truth, not yet, not after what happened last night.
Damn it. I’d had another nightmare.
My cheeks were wet. Tears?
“If I release you, will you promise not to fight me again?”
I was fighting him?
He kept his hands clutching my wrists above my head, and I looked left and right to discover we were on the floor next to the bed.
The lights were on. I hated the dark more than I hated mirrors, and I never slept without at least one lamp on.
My eyes widened at the sight of a scratch on his cheek. “You’re bleeding.”
“It’s nothing.” He hadn’t released me yet, so clearly, he was worried I’d scratch him again like a maniac.
I winced at the knowledge I’d hurt him. Surely, he didn’t like that kind of pain. “I’m so sorry.” Once I’d forced away the angry remnants of my dream and my body relaxed, he unhanded me.
He sat upright onto his knees but appeared hesitant to completely move off me. His powerful thighs held my body in place.
My gaze moved from his naked chest down to his black boxer briefs. Was that all he slept in?
“I woke up and rushed in here when I heard you shouting. I’m sorry.” He cleared his throat and shifted off me to stand, then extended a hand to help me to my feet.
The hard muscles of his chest were right in my face. Bronzed. Carved. Perfect.
I gripped the back of my neck beneath my high ponytail and squeezed. “Bad dream.” I brushed past him, grabbed a face cloth, and wet it. “Here. For the scratch.” I pressed it to his cheek, and he lifted his hand and secured a palm around my wrist as I held the cloth to his skin.
He was so close. And his mouth was right there. He was within reach. I could kiss him so easily, finish what we started the other night. The bruises on my body weren’t painful enough to hold me back.
I lowered the cloth and took a step back. He was breathing hard, probably in part from trying to restrain me, and partly because he wanted me. There was no hiding his arousal in those black briefs.
I dipped my attention to my own body, ensuring my pajamas covered the scars Emilia had witnessed earlier.
Pale blue silk pajama pants and a white ribbed tank top.
My scars were hidden. Good.
When I looked up, his eyes had homed in on my breasts.
“Sorry again.” I turned, not sure what else to do, and at the feel of his hands bracing my arms, I stiffened. “The nightmare. It may happen again.” I didn’t want to talk about it, but I also didn’t want this to become a recurring thing. Him running in to save me from myself. “When it happens again, you don’t have to come in here.”
I took a breath and slowly faced him, expecting he’d want more information.
“You know I can’t ignore a cry for help. Not from you.”
The scratch on his face had me tightening my grip of the face cloth, angry I’d hurt him. And chances were, I’d punched him, too. He’d never admit it. Never let me feel guilty.
Too. Good.
Too. Amazing.
Too everything I’d ever wanted.
I let go of the cloth, and my fingers skirted the center of his abdomen. Autopilot, I swear.
He gently held on to my wrist, my arm trapped between the wall of his muscles and my body. “Can you stay with me until I fall back asleep?”
“I should, um, sit in the chair by the bed, though.” His eyes went to my breasts, my nipples poking through the shirt. “After what happened to you, I’d feel like a shite human being for wanting to touch you, and if I’m in the same bed as you, I’ll want to really fecking bad.”
“And if I want you to touch me? Take me in your arms and make all the darkness go away?”
I wanted him to. Desperately. To hell with the pain in my side. The bruises on my eye and arm.
Did that make me all kinds of messed up that I wanted him after being recently attacked? It wasn’t the right time for us to be together, not yet, but that didn’t weaken my need for him.
“You’ve been through too much tonight.” He released his hold of my wrist and looked to the floor as if unable to make eye contact after saying the words. His jaw locked tight beneath the newly trimmed beard he was sporting. “But I won’t leave your side until you fall asleep. I promise.”
Chapter Sixteen
Cole
I hadn’t been able to fall back asleep after I’d left Alessia’s room. I was going stir crazy waiting to hear from Sebastian about whether we’d be visiting Luca, and so help me, if that man was responsible for what those animals did to Alessia last night, I wasn’t sure I’d be able to keep myself from killing him.
After pacing, checking my messages to the point where I officially had no unopened emails for the first time in my life, I was about to hop in the shower when I heard Alessia crying again.
Damn it. I hated this. Hated she was in pain and having nightmares, and I couldn’t do anything to fix it.
I snatched a
towel, wrapped it around my naked lower half, and hurried to her room.
She was squirming on her bed, arms extended as if trying to fight off an enemy.
What in the hell happened to her in that prison?
My heart broke as I watched her, but I didn’t want to wake her again. I leaned forward, about to try and lower her arms when I froze.
I fecking froze in place.
Her tank top had shoved up from all the moving around on her bed.
I took a step back, unable to comprehend the sight.
Scars . . .
A thin scar trailed down her side and disappeared under the waistband of her pajama pants. The tissue was light pink, faded with age, and I wondered how long ago it had happened. A matching scar on the other side of her body appeared newer, still red, the tissue thicker.
Knife wounds? Had someone slashed her with a goddamn blade? Luca?
I blinked a few times, attempting to wrap my head around what I was looking at and wondered if there were more marks branding her soft skin.
She hissed. Then cried. Grinded her teeth. Tears crept out of the corners of her eyes.
I pulled my shite together and carefully pulled her shirt back down so she wouldn’t know I’d seen the scars. I could never “unsee” them, though. Never.
I went around to the other side of the bed, tightened the towel around my hips, and slipped in next to her. I gently pulled her back against my chest and slipped an arm beneath her to pin her arms down and hug her.
She struggled a few more seconds, but eventually, Alessia relaxed against me.
I held on to her, clutching her tight to my chest.
“You’re safe,” I whispered into her ear even though she wasn’t awake to hear me. “I’ll never let anyone hurt you again.”
A million possibilities of what caused these injuries raced through my head. But they all came back to Luca. He was responsible for her scars, even if he hadn’t been the one to inflict the wounds. Alessia hadn’t wanted me to know about them. Or maybe she wasn’t ready to talk about how she’d gotten them. One way or another, I’d make sure the world Alessia lived in was absent of Luca Moreau.
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