Chapter 22 Chapter 22
Damien’s POV
One million dollars in crisp bills, neatly stacked and bundled.
I leaned back in my leather chair, phone pressed to my ear, my voice calm and businesslike. “It’s been a pleasure doing business with you. I trust this arrangement will continue to be mutually beneficial.”
“Absolutely, Mr. Alejandro,” the voice on the other end replied smoothly. “You can count on us.”
“Good,” I said, and ended the call.
For a moment, I just sat there, staring at the money. Deals like this used to give me a sense of satisfaction, of power. But tonight, my mind was elsewhere.
On Hailey
Had she even turned on the phone I asked Lai to give her ? Had she seen my calls?
Before I could second-guess myself, I dialed her number.
It rang once. Twice.
Then she cut the call.
My jaw tightened, frustration flickering through me. I called again.
Cut off again.
A third time.
This time, she answered, but her voice was sharp, panicked. “Stop calling me. I’m at the station.”
“What?” The word came out harsher than I intended. “What station? Hailey….”
But she’d already hung up.
I stared at the phone, my chest tightening with something unfamiliar. Worry, sharp and insistent.
Why was she at a police station? What had happened?
I tried calling back immediately, but it went straight to voicemail.
“Dammit,” I muttered, shoving back from the desk and grabbing my jacket.
Kai appeared in the doorway almost instantly, as if he’d sensed something was wrong. “Boss?”
“Get the car,” I ordered, already moving toward the door. “Now.”
He didn’t ask questions. He just nodded and disappeared.
Five minutes later, I was in the back of the Bentley, my knee bouncing with restless energy as the city blurred past the tinted windows.
“Which station, boss?” Kai asked from the driver’s seat.
“The main precinct downtown,” I said, pulling up the location on my phone. “And drive faster.”
The moment we pulled up outside the station, I was out of the car before Kai could even open the door.
The building was bright and institutional, fluorescent lights buzzing overhead as officers moved through the lobby. The moment I walked in, conversations stopped.
Eyes turned toward me, widening with recognition and something close to fear.
I could feel the tension ripple through the room like a wave. Officers exchanged nervous glances, hands instinctively moving closer to their weapons even though they knew better than to draw them.
Everyone in this city knew who I was.
Damien Alejandro. The Kingpin. Leader of the most powerful Mafia family in the city.
And they also knew they had no evidence to arrest me. I’d made sure of that.
I scanned the room, my gaze sharp and searching, until I spotted her.
Hailey.
She was sitting on a bench near the far wall, looking small and exhausted, her arms wrapped around herself protectively. The moment she saw me, her eyes went wide with something between shock and anger.
I crossed the room in long strides, ignoring the stares burning into my back.
“What are you doing here?” she hissed the moment I reached her, jumping to her feet. “Why did you show up?”
“You said you were at the station,” I replied, my voice low. “What else was I supposed to do?”
“Nothing!” she whispered harshly, glancing around nervously at the officers watching us. “You were supposed to do nothing. You were supposed to leave me alone.”
“What happened?” I demanded, searching her face for answers. “Why are you here?”
She hesitated, her eyes darting away from mine. Her hands twisted together anxiously, and I could see the fear barely contained beneath her anger.
“Hailey,” I said more gently. “Tell me.”
“Someone broke into my dorm,” she finally admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.
Everything inside me went cold and sharp.
“What?” The word came out dangerously quiet.
“I came home and the door was open. The lock was broken. There were footprints leading to the window,” she continued, her voice shaking slightly. “Someone was in my room.”
Rage, white-hot and consuming, surged through me. “Did they hurt you?”
“No, I wasn’t there when it happened,” she said quickly. “I was out getting dinner.”
“Did they take anything?”
“I don’t know. I didn’t go inside. I came straight here.”
My hands curled into fists at my sides, my jaw clenched so tight it ached. Someone had broken into her home. Someone had violated her space, her safety.
And I was going to find out who.
“Is there a problem here?”
I turned to see Detective Sarah walking toward us, her expression professional but guarded. Her eyes flicked between Hailey and me, assessing.
“No problem,” I said smoothly, forcing my expression into something neutral.
“Mr. Alejandro,” she said, recognition flickering in her eyes. “I didn’t expect to see you here.”
“I’m here for Miss Hailey,” I said simply.
Detective Morrison’s gaze sharpened slightly. “And how do you know Miss Hailey?”
“We’re acquainted,” I replied, keeping my tone even.
Before she could press further, Hailey stepped forward. “Actually, I’d like to go home now. I’ve given my statement, and I’m exhausted.”
“We might have follow-up questions….” Detective Morrison started.
“Then you can call me,” Hailey interrupted, her voice firm despite the tremor in it. “But right now, I just want to go home. Alone.”
That last word was pointed, directed at me.
Detective Morrison studied her for a moment, then nodded. “Alright. But be careful.”
“I will,” Hailey said.
She turned and walked toward the exit without looking at me, her shoulders rigid with tension.
I followed, ignoring the detective’s watchful gaze burning into my back.
“Hailey,” I called as she pushed through the doors into the cool night air.
“Don’t,” she said sharply, not turning around. “Just don’t.”