CHAPTER 10
Alex's POV
My hands clenched around the steering wheel as I drove away from Madam Gray's villa, Alice's face lingering in my mind—the way she'd looked at me tonight, searching for answers I couldn't give her. The memory of her warm gaze and the quiet hurt in her eyes twisted something deep inside me, a reminder of all the reasons I'd sworn to never let anyone close.
But then, Alice happened. She walked into my life, turning everything upside down, forcing me to question the walls I'd carefully built around myself.
The envelope lay beside me on the passenger seat, its contents burning into my mind. I'd found it in my car this morning, and from the first glimpse of those photos—dozens of pictures of Alice, taken from a distance, in moments she'd never even noticed—I knew who was behind it. The words scrawled on the note felt like a punch to the gut: "Found your Achilles' heel."
The message was clear. Marcus had found her.
The man who raised me, the most feared mafia boss in all of Italy, had finally turned his sights on Alice. I knew Marcus wouldn't just let this go. He was relentless, ruthless, and once he set his mind on something, he wouldn't stop until he'd squeezed every ounce of fear and control out of the situation. For years, he'd held my life in his hands, watching me grow up in his underground world, molding me into his weapon.
I parked in the shadows outside the bar where Michael was waiting for me. He knew my past, the truth about Marcus and the life I'd left behind. He was the only one who knew.
"Alex." Michael's voice was a steady anchor, calm but sharp with understanding as I stepped inside. He could see the tension in my eyes immediately. "I take it you've seen the envelope."
I nodded, taking a seat across from him, running a hand through my hair. "I knew he'd come after her. But this soon… I thought I'd have more time."
Michael sighed, leaning back. "This is Marcus we're talking about. He's not one to wait patiently in the shadows." His gaze met mine, steady and unflinching. "You know what has to be done."
"I know," I said quietly, though the words tasted like ash. "You think confronting him will solve this? You know as well as I do that Marcus doesn't back down. He's never backed down."
Michael's jaw tightened. "He's threatened the one person who could make you vulnerable, and he knows it. He's playing his hand, Alex, pushing you to see how far you're willing to go to protect her."
A wave of memories flashed through my mind, dragging me back into the shadows of my past. I'd been just a boy when Marcus had taken me in, a lost kid with no direction, caught up in a life I never chose. Growing up with him meant seeing the darkest sides of humanity, living through things no child should ever witness. He'd trained me to be ruthless, molding me in his own image, making sure that I understood loyalty—his version of it.
But I'd had enough of the shadows. Eventually, I left, turned my back on his world, and returned to my real parents. Only, Marcus wasn't the kind of man who accepted betrayal, even from the person he'd once called his son. In his rage, he'd ordered my father's death, thinking that would be enough to make me come crawling back. It wasn't.
"Marcus never forgave me for leaving," I muttered, my voice barely above a whisper. "But he couldn't kill me, either. Not yet. So, he's decided to kill anyone I care about instead."
"Which is why you kept yourself from caring about anyone," Michael said, the understanding in his voice striking deeper than I cared to admit.
I nodded, bitterness creeping into my words. "It was easier that way. I kept my distance from everyone—especially women. I couldn't risk anyone becoming part of this nightmare. But fate doesn't play by the rules, does it?" My voice softened, and I felt a pang deep inside. "Now, because of me, Alice's life is at risk. And she has no idea."
Michael leaned forward, his gaze fierce. "Then you need to go to Marcus. Face him directly. Make him understand that he won't get what he wants this time."
I shook my head, a grim smile tugging at the corner of my mouth. "Marcus isn't the kind of man who listens to reason. He's never known defeat, and he's made it clear that he's willing to destroy anyone in his path to get what he wants. But I don't have a choice, do I? I'll confront him, whatever it takes. I'll find a way to protect her… even if it means going back into the darkness."
The weight of what I was about to do hung heavily between us. I'd left Marcus's world for a reason. After years of obeying his every command, being molded into a weapon for his twisted ambitions, I'd finally broken free. But as much as I tried to leave that life behind, it felt like a chain, constantly pulling me back.
"You know what this means, Alex," Michael said, his tone somber. "Once you step back into his world, there's no guarantee you'll make it out unscathed. And neither will Alice."
My hands tightened into fists. I didn't need him to remind me of the risks. I was well aware. But the thought of Marcus laying a hand on Alice, of him tearing her away from me… it was enough to shatter every wall I'd ever built around my heart.
"If it comes down to it," I said, my voice steely, "I'll give him what he wants. I'll go back to him if it keeps her safe. But one way or another, I'm going to end this."
Michael nodded, his expression hard. "I'll be by your side, no matter what it takes."
We sat there in silence, two men with shadows hanging over us, bound by loyalty and a shared understanding of the risks ahead. Michael was more than an ally; he was my brother in every sense that mattered. Together, we'd face whatever lay ahead. I owed him that much, and I owed Alice my protection—whether she knew it or not.
Leaving the bar, I felt the weight of the envelope still in my pocket, the photos like ghosts haunting me with every step. I'd spent so long pushing people away, keeping my distance, hiding from the man I'd once been. But Alice had made me see a future I hadn't dared dream of before.
Now, she was the reason I'd fight. The reason I'd return to the man I thought I'd buried for good.
And I'd do whatever it took to keep her safe—even if it meant facing Marcus head-on and going back into the hell I thought I'd escaped.