Chapter 55.

Chapter 55.
Lexi's POV.

I heard the door burst open, and instinctively, I pulled away. My heart raced as I turned to see Sam, shock and disappointment etched across his features, his expression stealing the color from my face.

"Lexi, you..." he trailed off, unable to finish his sentence.

"Lexi, don’t tell me you and Leonardo are..." His voice faltered again, hanging in the tense air like an unspoken accusation.

"Yes," Leo began boldly, slipping his arm around my waist, an assertion of his claim. My eyes widened at his audacity. "She and I..." He glanced at me, the unspoken words amplifying the gravity of the moment. "...we are together."

"We aren’t!" I objected firmly, breaking free from Leo's hold, the urgency of the situation pulling me back to reality.

"How? What do you mean you aren’t? You just kissed him!" Sam lashed out, a mix of confusion and anger in his tone.

"Kissing means nothing!" I retorted, my voice sharper than I intended.

"So, it’s just a casual thing for you?” he scoffed, disbelief biting through his words. 

I took a moment to gather my thoughts. "No, that’s not what I meant. I kissed him, yes, but there are no feelings attached. It was just—"

"It’s not just ‘some random thing,’ Lexi! You don’t just kiss anyone, and most importantly, you shouldn’t be kissing a criminal!" His voice grew hot with indignation.

"Okay, that’s it." Leo stepped forward, filled with a brooding intensity. "Either you get the fuck out of here, or I send you straight to hell."

“Just give me one good reason I shouldn’t pull this trigger.” Sam pointed a gun at Leo, his eyes burning like molten steel.

"Because you’ll find yourself on the floor before you can even pull the trigger," Leonardo shot back, a calm deadliness in his posture.

"That’s enough!" I interjected, stepping between them. "I’m not going to have you two fighting over me."

I took a deep breath to steady my racing heart. "So, where’s the criminal?" I asked Sam, our eyes locking.

"Right beside you," he replied tersely, casting a venomous look at Leo, who remained unfazed by his hostility.

"Sam," I inhaled sharply, trying to steady my nerves. "You know who I’m asking about." My mind raced with thoughts of the criminal Leo was desperate to hunt down.

"Oh...that," he exclaimed, realization dawning on his face. Hope flickered in my chest momentarily. "You'll need to catch him yourself, or better yet, inform the FBI. Or even better, just forget about him," he smirked, his tone dripping with condescension.

"Wait..." Confusion clouded my mind as I struggled to process his words. "What do you mean?"

"That I didn't go after anyone," he replied, his words reverberating in my head like a haunting echo.

Leo and I exchanged incredulous scoffs at his audacity, but before I could fully comprehend the situation, Leo lunged forward, grabbing Sam by the throat with an unrestrained fury.

I gasped, instinctively stepping in to defuse the brewing storm, sensing the danger in the air. Leo’s rage was palpable, his hazel eyes ablaze with the fires of Hell.

"Leo," I called out, desperation threading through my voice as I attempted to pry his hand from Sam's neck. Yet his grip was unyielding, fueled by anger and anxiety. Annoyingly, the Sam I was trying to save seemed more amused than alarmed—he was busy smirking.

"That bullshit you just said, say it again," Leo growled, his voice low, menacing.

"That I didn't go after anyone," Sam laughed, the sound both mocking and self-assured.

Leo’s hold tightened, choking the laughter from Sam's throat as he coughed with increasing desperation. 

"Leonardo!!" I shouted, my urgency breaking through the tension in the room. He finally turned to me, his grip still clamped down on Sam as if he were a lifeline.

"Let go; you’ll kill him," I implored softly, casting a worried glance at Sam, whose face was fast losing its color.

"That's exactly what I should do—kill this bastard," Leo replied, irritation and fury mixing in his tone as he turned back to Sam.

"Please," I pleaded softly, the urgency in my voice barely masking the desperation I felt.

Just as Sam’s face turned pale, Leo finally released him. I drew a shaky breath of relief, but my moment of peace shattered when Leo delivered a powerful punch straight to Sam's jaw.

"Leo!" I yelled, my heart racing. He merely shrugged, an indifferent look on his face.

I turned to Sam, who was now clutching his neck and trying to catch his breath, the color slowly returning to his face.

"I'm really disappointed in you, Sam," I said, shaking my head in disbelief. He met my gaze for a fleeting moment before his eyes fell to the floor, the weight of my words clearly hitting him.

"And let me tell you something..." I continued, finding a sense of strength amidst the chaos, "...how I live my life and what I do is no one's business. I answer to no one... I owe no one any explanations." My voice held a firm resolve, echoing throughout the tension-laden room.

"I'm afraid you'll have to provide an explanation when the rest of the CIA discovers this," Sam replied. My heart sank as horror washed over me.

"So start preparing the explanation you'll need when the time comes," he added.

My insides trembled at his words, and I fidgeted nervously, the potential fallout swirling like a storm cloud in my mind. The CIA discovering my association with Leo would lead to catastrophic misunderstandings, branding me as a criminal in collusion.

"The CIA..." Leo began, his voice soothing as he placed a gentle hand on my shoulder. "...let them find out. They’ll do nothing to her because I’ll be by her side." He took my hand, his grip grounding me. "...and no one can harm whoever is with me, not under my watch." His gaze bore into mine, fierce and unwavering.

I could feel the weight of his words settling over me, a mixture of dread and an unexpected surge of reassurance. Leo’s intensity had a way of grounding me, even when the world felt like it was spiraling out of control. Yet, beneath that comfort, panic bubbled within me. The CIA discovering this, in every sense, a ticking time bomb, and there was no avoiding the fallout.

Sam ignored Leo, giving me one last look before turning and leaving the room. 

"You too, Leo," I said, my voice strained as I tried to mask the turmoil brewing inside me. "I need… some time alone."

"Please," I added, my whisper barely audible, a sense of vulnerability washing over me.

He approached the door, and instead of heading out, he turned the lock with a resolute click. My heart raced as he walked back toward me, his gaze steady and intent. "I'll just sit quietly on the bed. I’ll give you the space you need. But don’t let that bastard’s words haunt you. Everything's going to be alright," he cooed softly, a hint of reassurance threading through his voice. He walked to the bed and settled onto the edge of it.

I dragged my feet slowly to the bed, each step feeling interminable as if the weight of my emotions was dragging me down. I lay back and turned away from Leo, staring at the wall. My thoughts spiraled. I was very sure and convinced that I feel nothing for Leo but...why can't I resist him no matter how hard I try? 

I shut my eyes tightly, attempting to block out the world and the chaos swirling within me. I needed to escape, if only momentarily, to find refuge in sleep, even if it was just a fleeting reprieve from the storm raging in my heart.