Chapter 46.

Chapter 46.
Leo's POV.

After making sure that everything was back in order, I flew back to Los Angeles, my heart racing with excitement at the thought of seeing Lexi. In the jet, I called her, urging her to be careful, my protective instincts kicking in, knowing how reckless she can be.

Arriving at the hotel, my preparations for the party was a blur. I walked in, exuding elegance, turning heads despite the bandage on my left eyebrow. The attention felt welcoming, yet all I could think about was finding her. As I scanned the crowd, my eyes landed on Lexi, and I settled at a table a few meters away, hunger in my heart.

But my excitement waned as I saw Lexi—her bright demeanor dulled, her spark flickering with something troubling. I felt an ache in my chest, wondering what could have cast such shadows on her usually vibrant spirit.

Soon, she rose from her seat, her body language stiff as she walked out of the hall. Without hesitation, I fell into step behind her, maintaining a prudent distance. My instincts kicked in when I noticed a man trailing closely—a lurking predator, a would-be assailant.

Moving quietly, I cracked open my criminal instincts, my feet barely making a sound against the ground. Lexi, being the smart person that she is, sensed the danger and turned, confronting the assailant with a gun of her own. 

He tried to hit Lexi but I interrupted him by giving him a tap on his shoulder. He turned to see who it was and I delivered a solid punch to his jaw, sending him crashing to the ground. Lexi’s eyes widened at my intervention.

She looked up at me and I could sense her relief. “Hey, baby,” I said, offering a reassuring smile.

But her expression twisted into horror. “Behind you!” she yelled, urgency threading her voice.

I turned instinctively, firing my gun toward the new threat. The shot echoed, sudden and sharp. 

“No!” Lexi screamed, and I whipped around, bewildered. The assailant I had just punched was scrambling back to his feet, so I fired again, this time aiming for his leg. He collapsed with a grunt, pain etched across his face.

"Leonardo!" Lexi yelled at me.

“Don’t worry; I didn’t kill him,” I assured her.

“But you killed him!” she emphasized, her eyes wide as she gestured to the other guy sprawled in a pool of blood behind me. I shrugged innocently, a hint of nonchalance masking the tension in the air.

I squatted beside the groaning figure, cringing at the sight of blood pooling around his leg. "Who sent you?" I questioned, my tone icy.

“Fuck you, bastard!” he cursed, teeth gritted in pain.

“No, I don’t want to. I’m not gay,” I shot back with a sarcastic grin, and Lexi scoffed beside me.

With a cold, steely gaze, she squatted too, “Why are you after my life?” She questioned him.

“Damn you!” he spat, a mix of defiance and desperation etched on his face. In a sudden, desperate act, he threw something into his mouth.

“Wait—” Before I could move, Lexi lunged to retrieve whatever he had ingested, but he began convulsing violently, blood spilling from his mouth until he slumped back, dead within seconds.

“Wasted,” Lexi sighed, shaking her head in exasperation.

“What a loyal piece of shit he is,” I hissed, disappointment mingling with anger. Now we had no answers, just another dead body to add to the chaos.

With a determined look, Lexi opened her purse and pulled out her phone, dialing God knows who.

“This is Alpha-1,” she began, her tone professional amidst the grim scene. I realized she was reporting to the FBI. “There’s a situation at Distar Hotel, Los Angeles. Two bodies down—self-defense and suicide, criminal identities. Copy.”

She ended the call swiftly, fingers flying across her phone screen before sliding it back into her purse. Standing up, she dusted off her hands. “Shall we?” I asked, motioning to leave. 

“To where?” she replied, showing no intention of moving.

“What do you mean to where? Do you plan on waiting here?” I shot back, 

“Yes,” she said firmly to my surprise. 

"Why? You already called the FBI, so what are you waiting for?" I asked and she ignored me.

Glancing at her, I could see the unwavering determination on her face; she wasn’t leaving this place until she met the FBI. But I had a plan to hold her back, a strategy to ruin her relentless quest. 

“Ah!” I feigned pain, cradling my bandaged eyebrow dramatically.

As soon as she caught sight of me, the steely resolve melted into immediate concern. “Leo, what happened?” she scrutinized, rushing over to my side. "Let’s go check it out."

"Glad to know I'm more important than the FBI," I smiled, my voice laced with teasing undertones, but she pushed me away, giving me a cold stare.

"You’re not," she quickly retorted, her demeanor shifting back to business mode.

"Anyway, let’s move. I don’t want to be the reason for someone’s untimely demise," she added, and I chuckled.

We turned to make our exit when we were halted by the sight of her infuriating colleague, Sam. He approached us, breathing heavily as though he had sprinted a marathon.

“Sam, are you alright?” she called out, concern lingering in her voice as she attempted to go to him, but I held her in place, hesitant to let her get any closer.

“Yeah...I am,” he managed, panting.

"I couldn’t sight you anymore, so I got worried,” he admitted, his eyes darting between us, casting an anxious glance in Lexi's direction.

"So how did you know she was here?" I questioned, narrowing my gaze at him, suspicion bubbling to the surface. It didn't add up—you lose track of someone and yet you know exactly where to find them?

“Or are you the one behind everything?” I pressed, my tone shifting to defensive.

He shot me a glare, his irritation palpable. 

“Leonardo!!” Lexi snapped, a hint of exasperation in her voice.

"What? We can't trust anyone," I shrugged feigning innocence.

"And you're the first person I should be steering away from," she shot back, her frustration evident.

“Are you alright?” he asked her, genuinely concerned and I scoffed.

“I’m good,” Lexi replied, brushing off his worry.

“Thank goodness you’re here. The FBI will be arriving soon, but I can't wait for their arrival. I've got another emergency,” she said, urgency lacing her words.

"Alright, but... can we talk, Lexi?" the bastard asked, his tone laced with a mix of desperation and audacity.

"No," I interjected, barely letting Lexi respond. 

Lexi shot me a side-eye, clearly taken aback, but she turned to him immediately. "You’re going to have to be quick," she said, her voice unwavering despite my growing anxiety. He nodded in affirmation, and she withdrew her hand from my grip, the warmth leaving me like a fading sunset.

As I watched her walk away, a knot formed in my stomach, my blood boiling with impatience and frustration. Each moment stretched into eternity as I suppressed the urge to go pull her back. Finally, after what felt like forever, Lexi emerged from the shadows.

"Let’s go," she said, approaching me with a determined look.

"No, I’m fine. You can go back to your dear Sam," I said, my voice laced with feigned annoyance, masking the swirling emotions beneath.

To my surprise, she simply shrugged in agreement. "Okay," she said nonchalantly, stepping back toward the corner where she had slipped away to speak with him.