Isabella.
Whatever Alex has going on in his mind, I'm not getting involved with it. Even though he does look tempting with his tattoos on display.
Oh my gosh, get it together Isa.
"Alex?" I called.
"What's wrong?"
"Are we moving to fast ?" I asked, looking him in the eye.
We both need to know where this is going to lead us.
Alex matched my gaze unfailingly. "That depends on what you want, little one."
Goddamn him and this dumb nickname.
I sighed against his chest. "I need to know where we stand Alex. All of this, is it real?"
"Everything with you is real." He said . I closed my eyes in frustration.
"Stop. You can't just say things like that whenever you want." I said.
"You-"
A scream interrupted us.
"Alex!" A feminine voice yelled from downstairs.
"Fucking Ivy." Alex murmured.
I crossed my arms and stood up. "She sounds pissed." I noted with a sly smile.
"You're enjoying this aren't you?" He asked.
I shrugged. "Can't miss a good show." I said and walked out, feigning concern as I walked down the stairs.
"What's going on?" I asked.
Ivy turned to me with an angry look, charging towards me. "You little bitch, how-"
I cut her short. "I'd choose my next words carefully if I were you." I warned
Ivy scoffed. "Or what you're gonna ask Alex to kill me, well then go ahead. I've got nothing to lose." She said.
Liam got in between us. "Ivy stop. Calm down." He said
Why the fuck is he begging her?
Ivy swatted his hand away. "Calm down? She fucking stole Alex from me and tied him down with marriage!" She screamed.
"Now let's be clear, I didn't steal anything from you. Alex came to me and asked for my hand in marriage. You could ask him." I shrugged.
"You fucking liar!" Ivy cried, trying to reach for me but Liam pulled her back.
"Enough!" Alex's voice resounded in the room.
Here we go.
"Ivy stop." He said and I rolled my eyes, crossing my arms over my chest.
Her green eyes immediately turned glassy as she took Alex's hand in hers. "Alex, did you really ask for her hand in marriage?" She asked.
I glared hard at Ivy. "I did." He said and I swear I almost fucking smiled when Sofia nudges me out of my thoughts.
"I also don't like her,you know." She said.
I shrugged. "Why are you telling me this?" I asked.
Sofia smirked. "I'm trying to make you feel better." She said just as Grayson walked in and their grief glance didn't go unnoticed.
That was weird.
"But I don't care." I said, still glaring at Ivy and partly at Alex.
"You do actually. In fact, more than you'd ever want to admit." She said quietly.
What the hell?
"You don't know what you're saying." I said, a strange feeling swarming in my chest
"You're jealous. So jealous you want to hurt her don't you?" She asked.
I shrugged internally. I mean little red won't hurt.
"And then there's Alex, keep staring at him like that and he'll make a meal out of you." She warned tauntingly.
Fucking hell.
I stared stunned at Sofia., ignoring Ivy's screams. She's....right and I fucking hate it.
Fuck this.
"Could you shut the hell up and forget all of this" I snapped.
"Divorce her Alex." She said. I looked at Alex, my chest suddenly becoming heavy
Wh-what?
"Get out." He said, angry all of a sudden, shocking both Ivy and I.
"Alex I -i love you. She's not meant for you!" Ivy tried to explain desperately.
"Out." He said more calmly, which didn't help matters at all.
"We should be married and happy but you fucking replaced me with a second grade?" She spat.
I reached Ivy before Alex could and slapped her across the face. She gasped, clutching her red cheek, hatred dancing boldly in her eyes.
"Just because I've been quiet doesn't mean I'm a fool now get out ." I said, cradling my broken arm.
"How dare you touch me you-" She tried to lunge for me.
"You heard my wife. Out." Alex cut in next to me.
"But Alex I love you!" She cried desperately.
"Grayson, please escort Ivy out of our premises and ensure.she doesn't return." I smirked.
Grayson gripped her arm. "You'll regret this" She threatened on her way out.
My smile widened into a full grin. "I'll be waiting happily for you." I said just as the door closed shut, leaving us in silence.
My smile disappeared immediately as I locked eyes with Alex. If there's one thing he's good at, it's making chaos and wrecking havoc.
"I should go." Liam said awkwardly and walked out of the room, Sofia following also without a word.
I looked away from his face. "I need to check on Rena." I said and I nearly slapped myself in the face. Really, using a child as an escape route from someone?
I need to do better than that.
"Rena's fine. I checked on her while I was coming here." He said in that deep raspy voice that always found a way to affect me.
"Ah well I didn't -"
The room suddenly became smaller when he closed the distance between us. "Baby monitor? Don't worry, I handled it." He said.
Goddamn it. I thought I could escape from him but then I remember he's been raising Rena all by himself for the past four years.
I sighed and closed my eyes. "I don't want to talk about it." I admitted, playing with my wedding rings absentmindedly.
"I've hurt you a number of times now." He started.
"No shit." I murmured through my teeth, though I'm sure he heard me.
"You don't have to worry about Ivy, I'll take care of her." He said as an effort to comfort me but that didn't help.
I tilted my head to the side. "I'm not worried about Ivy and please tell me you're not talking about killing her." I said.
Alex's face wrinkled as he scowled. "Isn't that what you wanted?" He asked.
"No. I don't want her dead." I said.
"But you thought of it." He said calmly.
I scoffed. "We're done here." I said, trying to hide my anger. Of course I wanted to see her bleed, she touched what's mine!
What the fuck?
Mine? I'm literally going crazy now. Something's wrong with me.
I turned and walked out, heading back to my room. Well technically, I stormed off and I still don't know why.
Ficking Alex messing with my mind.
How dare sher even call me a second grade!
"Are you ready to talk?" Alex asked dryly, leaning against the door.
I waved him off. "I'm not talking to you." I said, cradling my arm while pacing up and down the room trying to calm the fuck down. There's no way I'm jealous of ivy right now.
"What's wrong?" Alex asked, abandoning the wall and walking towards me.
I laughed bitterly. "Second grade. A damn second grade." I snapped.
"Is that what I mean to you. A second grade?" I asked, looking him right in the eye.
Alex's darkened dangerously. "Ask me that one more time and I'll let you know." He said in a low voice.
"I'm not in for your games Alex. First there was Andrea and then Arianna and now this Ivy." I said.
"They're all my past and I was never involved with Ivy in anyway." He said.
"Right, that's why I'm a fucking second grade to you. Why is it so hard for you to let go of your past, you're hurting others!" I said. Alex grabbed both my arms and shook me gently, forcing my chin up so I could look directly at him.
You're not a fucking second grade so shut that little mouth of yours right now. Even Rena wouldn't think of you like that so don't talk like you know what I think of you." He said.
I blinked. Hard and twice. "What do you think of me?" I whispered. Alex's forehead dropped to mine, holding me in an embrace so sweet, my anger was fading away fast.
"Alex -"
"I don't know. I don't fucking know." He sighed.
I was about to say something when he continued. "You know why?" He asked. I shook my head, swallowing hard.
"Because you're stuck in here." He said, pointing to his head.
"I see you every fucking time and I swear not even Arianna has ever made me feel crazy like you have. You're living rent free in my damn mind." He said with a humorless chuckle.
"I'm messed up little one. More than you'd ever know but you make me feel a little sane than I should." He said.
I looked through his eyes. There were true and genuine and also broken.
I realized that it wasn't the cold Alex that stormed into my life weeks ago but a vulnerable Alex and for him to show me this side of himself....
He trusts me.
I grabbed the back of his neck and pulled him downwards as I kissed him, sighing contently against his mouth when he kissed me back with mutual fierceness, his strong grip holding my waist as he devoured my mouth.
It's hard trying to keep up with him.
I hit the back of the wall, our mouths still entangled in a bliss. That's until his phone buzzed between us.
"Goddamn." He muttered and I laughed.
"Don't ignore it, might be important." I warned.
Alex hesitated before muttering a curse again and answered the call.
"Talk to me." He demanded, going from the soft Alex I just met to a cold, ruthless mob boss.
"I'm on my way." He said and hung up.
"Stay with Rena tonight. I'm not coming home until tomorrow." He said and pecked my lips before going to the closet, the sound of several guns clicking.
"I should check on Rena." I said from outside and slipped out the room, heading to Rena's stealthily. Rena doesn't sleep deeply and one tiny slip up, it'll be hard to put her back to sleep.
I slipped in next to her, hugging her close amongst all her stuffed toys and I swear I heard Rena mumbling. The door crept open, causing me to tense but I relaxed immediately once I heard giant footsteps.
Apparently, he doesn't know how to be quiet.
"She could wake up you know?" I whispered. Alex kissed Rena's forehead and leaned in towards me.
"We both know who she loves the most so she can't wake up." He said cockily.
I smiled. "You're right. She does love me the most." I said and then a shiny object caught my eye.
I glared up at Alex. "Is that a gun over our daughter's head!" I whispered yelled.
Mortification slammed into him and fast. "Fuck." He said and pushed the gun away from Rena's head. He's lucky she didn't even move.
"You should go." I said.
Alex grabbed my chin and forced a kiss against my lips. "We're not done yet." He said and I felt my cheeks grow warm. I'm really grateful for the darkness.
"Be safe." I muttered as he turned to leave but of course he heard. My breath got stuck in my throat as his lips hovered my ear.
"Darling even the devil is sacred of me. There's nothing safe about that." He chuckled and disappeared.
I bit my lip in an attempt to hide my smile as I laid down and closed my eyes.
I opened my eyes and jerked up from my sleep, sweat rolling off my head heavily after the same nightmare.
Even after all these years.
I sighed tiredly and got out of bed so I could get a glass of water and probably shower when a dark shadow crossed my eye.
"I must say you're happier these days." A deep familiar voice said from the corner of the room.
I jumped on instinct and tried to reach for Rena.
"Wake her up and she dies." He said, the man's voice so empty, it scared me.
"P-pleaese, don't hurt her. "I stuttered with teary eyes when a red dot like appeared on Rena's body.
I'm sensible enough to know what that does.
Another shadow crossed my eye and before I knew it, a strong grip wrapped around my neck and pinned me against the wall.
"You let him touch you, even after I said you were mine. You betrayed me." He said.
Tiny dots danced in my eyes as I gasped for air.
"P-pl-please." I choked l, trying to get his hand off my neck.
"This is what you get for letting another man touch you. You're mine, don't forget that." The man snarled.
How did he find me?
"And one more thing." He said, pulling me off my feet by my neck and it was suddenly getting harder to breathe.
"You're going on your honeymoon isn't that right?" He asked and I managed a nod.
Pure black orbs stared back at me. "If he fucks you during that time. Then I'll really hurt some one you love." He said and dropped me to the ground.
The lights came on and he was gone