CHAPTER 71

CHAPTER 71
With a pounding heart, I lay on the bed, holding on to the novel I’d found in the drawer. I couldn’t tell you what it was about if you asked. I was frozen on the bed, facing the other side.

My heart was pounding because I could hear Alec move around the room. He just had his bath. I was wearing shorts and a shirt I’d found in the closet, which was obviously his. My whole body was weirdly warm, sizzling in a way, and not only because of the chaos, but because of the proximity.

I held on to the book tighter when I felt him get on the bed.

“Are you okay?” He asked, and I nodded, not glancing at him.

“Look at me.” He rasped, and heat flushed through me because I felt the vibrations, right between my legs.

Slowly, I glanced at him, my gaze connecting with his bare chest. He was shirtless, wearing only a low-hanging grey sweatpants. Fuck.

“The book is upside down, Carla.” He pointed out lazily, and my eyes widened. I glanced at the book and realised it was upside down. I’d been caught red-handed. There was nothing for me to say. I turned it around and started reading it.

“Look, I can sleep in the –” He began, but was caught off guard by his phone ringing.

I glanced at it, my heart skipping a beat. He picked up the call and placed it on the loudspeaker. My heart jumped when I heard Bertram’s voice.

“Any update?” Bert asked, and Alec snapped, “I should be asking you that. We got to the safehouse. We are fine. What’s going on at home? Why haven’t I heard from Luca? Viola? Chad? Tell me something, Bert.”

Bert was silent for a second before saying, “Luca was hit. He is currently in the hospital. The bullet went through his thigh, but he’ll be fine. Viola is with him. Chad has a concussion. You … We lost about six of our men, about four are in the hospital.”

“Oh God!” I gasped in horror, my heart sinking.

“And the attackers? Have they been identified?” Alec demanded, jaws clenched, brows furrowed in rage.

“No, not quite. Luca was successful in handling the shootout. Most of the men are dead, and the ones alive have been taken to your dungeon where your brother is handling the interrogation.” Bert explained, and I frowned, “Gabriel?”

Alec seemed as confounded as I was. “Gabriel is handling the interrogation? The fuck? Gabriel doesn’t know much about this life, he is … what the fuck?”

“As much as I want to be there, I can’t. I have a more important mission. I can’t leave the children behind. He’ll handle it for the main time, but I doubt he's going to crack them. I need to be there.” Bert sighed.

We were stuck. He needed to be there to interrogate the shooters, but he couldn’t leave my children behind, because there was a great chance of the house being attacked.

“You have to stay at home, Bert. Micah knows where we live, and he knows about my children. We can’t take the risk. I’d rather come home than leave my children alone.” I blurted, sitting up. The novel was long discarded.

“No. We can’t go home.” Alec declared authoritatively, and I glared at him, “Excuse me? I’m not going to stay here while there is a gun to my children’s heads, and you can’t tell me what to do.”

“He is right, Carla. You can’t come home, not yet, not now. If there is someone out there gunning for you, then we have to be careful and ready. We need to unravel this whole thing. We need to make sure we find who is behind these shooters. The shooters seem like mercenaries to me; they were bought and sent to you. Their mission failed, which means someone will be looking for you. This is unfinished business, and we need to conclude it before you return home, lest it all be for nothing.” Bert articulated, enunciating every word. I knew he was right, but that didn’t mean I had to be on board with it.

“How long do I have to be here?” I asked him, ignoring Alec. He must have confused me with one of his staff. I didn’t work for him.

“A week.” Bert said cautiously, and my eyes widened, “A week? A WEEK? Without my children? What the fuck.”

Heat flushed through me, and I staggered off the bed. Alec was on his feet and tried to steady me, but his hand only set me on fire, so I pushed him away. I needed air. I needed to be there with my children.

“I can’t – One week is too much, Bertram. That is fucking torture. My children need me. Alex needs me. He’ll wake up crying at midnight, he’ll wake up hungry, and won’t eat from someone else. Rosa needs me; I alone understand her when she doesn’t speak. I can’t – I can’t do this.” The words spilt out of me painfully, dragging against the shards in my lungs.

My knees were weak, and I wanted to fall to the ground and cry. I couldn’t do this. I was in over my head. We had to leave this fucking country, we had to go to the States. I couldn’t be here anymore. I couldn’t do this.

Alec wrapped his arm around me and led me back to the bed, where I sat and stared at the phone with glossy eyes. Vivian’s voice pulled me out of my thoughts.

“Carla, listen to me.” She ordered, and I nodded, listening.

“We’ll take care of your children. You take care of yourself. Consider this a vacation. Alex and Rosa are my Godchildren. Bert is as protective as you are, probably worse. You know we will protect them with our lives, but it won’t even come to that. You need to be safe. You can’t be with them if you are dead, remember? So, stay put wherever you are, hell! Try and have fun while you're at it. You haven't taken a break in years! You are trying to take back an Empire, remember? You need your head in the right space and this opportunity is perfect for that okay?”

“Sometimes I wonder if it's even worth it,” I groaned, rethinking my life choices.
“Even if it's not, which I can promise you it is, what other choice do you have?”

I exhaled shakily and wiped the tears from my eyes.

“You're right Vivi, you're always right,” I shook my head of all the emotions, “I just can't wrap my head around all these people losing their lives because of me.”
“Being in the mafia is a death sentence. It's something they've all made peace with and you'll have to do so someday. But they chose to protect you with their lives, you owe it to them to make sure it doesn't go to waste.”

Those were the exact words I needed to get my head right.
My uncle would regret every attack he'd sent my way, and I'll fucking enjoy making him bleed.