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“Right,” I scoffed, rolling my eyes. “He’s an adult. He’s responsible for his temper. And he chose to treat me like shit. Listen to yourself, man.”
He sighed. “He has his reasons.”
“Enlighten me, then,” I snorted. “Do these reasons have to do with him being a monumental asshole with no manners whatsoever?”
“Ever since Gabe left, becoming head of the Falcone family has been Alex’s purpose. His entire identity was wrapped up in earning the respect of his father.” Matteo’s face was grave, shadows carving lines around his mouth. “That was everything for him, and he dedicated his whole adult life to it. And now, he’s having an identity crisis. He’s hurting and lashing out at those close to him.”
His gaze rested on me, dark and knowing. “He did not mean to hurt you.”
I looked away, a familiar ache blooming in my chest. I knew how it felt to grapple for purpose and belonging. To feel adrift and alone. Damn, Matteo, for making me understand.
But also—I wasn’t a punching bag for Italian mobsters in need of some serious therapy to learn how to check their bruised ego.
“Boo-fucking-hoo,” I muttered though there wasn’t any oomph behind it. Part of me couldn’t help but feel a twinge of compassion. I understood what it felt like to be an outsider, to not belong—not even in your own family.
“Alex needs us, Fiona,” Matteo pressed gently. “We’re all he has.”
I shook my head. Seriously. Did he not just listen to what he said?
“He needs you,” Matteo said softly. “You ground him. He was like a robot when he arrived. But ever since you came into his life, he’s shown more emotion, more life, more joy than I’ve ever thought possible. Without you, he will continue down this path of self-destruction, pissing off everyone until he’s really alone.”
I sighed, raking a hand through my hair. My feelings for Alex were a tangled mess, and I could see where Matt was going with this.
Alex lashing out…pushing everyone away.
It felt familiar. But as much as I wanted to believe in Alex’s good side, I knew that his charming qualities would always be overshadowed by the emotional harshness he’d shown me several times.
I shook my head again. It didn’t matter. There was no future for us, so why dwell on his personality traits?
Especially when I had bigger problems to face, like my father’s threat to marry me off to some Russian mobster asshole as if I was his property and not his daughter.
“There’s no future for us.” The words tasted bitter on my tongue. “And I refuse to be his punching bag. Best to make a clean break now before things get even messier.”
Matteo studied me, his expression unreadable. Finally, he nodded. “Fair.”
We finished the walk to my room in silence. At my door, Matteo bowed. “Good night, Fee.”
“Good night.” I slipped inside and leaned against the door, shutting it with a soft click behind me.
My heart was aching.
Alex Falcone had somehow wormed himself under my skin. Exorcising him would take some conscious effort.
I took a deep breath and straightened. The lingering scent of fresh flowers and crisp linen filled the air, but it did little to ease the knot of anxiety in my stomach. I knew I had to face the future head-on, starting with booking a flight home.
Right now.
My phone lay on the nightstand—still plugged in—its screen dark and unassuming, but I was almost scared to touch it.
I braced myself. “Alright, Fee,” I muttered to myself and picked up the phone. “Time to be an adult and leave this fucking mess behind.”
I unlocked the screen, and immediately noticed the notifications—one missed call and a voicemail from Frank.
At least there were some good men with stable personalities left in this world.
I hit play, and Frank’s agitated voice filled my ears. “Fee, it’s me. I’m in trouble, and I need your help. I need you to go with me to Sanctum, one of the sex clubs we talked about. Tomorrow. Please call me back as soon as you hear this.”
The message ended abruptly.
