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“Riker’s Island.”
She narrowed her eyes, trying to pinpoint whether I was telling a lie. “Because of something Tristen said or did.”
“He pointed fingers. Given you are a thorough woman, I’m certain you’re going to ask how I’m so positive he’s to blame. The answer is simple. My family owns several members of law enforcement in New York and New Jersey, just like we own over a dozen politicians, corporate leaders, and other professionals.”
“You own people,” she repeated.
“Yes. It’s the way of our world.”
“Your world sounds not only dangerous but very depressing. I’m not going to say I’m sorry you were in prison. There is such a thing as right and wrong, good versus evil in this world. You had a choice like anyone else and you chose one of chaos and murder instead of humanitarianism and love. You’re a self-appointed ruthless man who makes no bones about enjoying your life as it is. I don’t have any sympathy for you and what you might or might not have gone through. Sending you to prison sounds justified.”
Her words enflamed the beast inside of me, but I couldn’t blame her for attempting to place a great divide in the different aspects of our life. “Do you still believe Tristen was any better than the bastard standing in front of you?”
Her jaw clenched, her mouth twisting. “I would never have allowed him into my life had I known what he was a part of.”
“What Tristen was a part of was a powerful organization that continues to hold the reins of an entire city. Don’t think that he was an innocent player either. He was required to use whatever means necessary in order to perform his job. I don’t think you understand the ramifications of becoming involved in what you obviously consider a disgusting world.”
“No, and I don’t want to.”
“What do you want?”
She laughed, the sound as bitter as mine had been. “To go back five years ago.”
“What would that accomplish?”
“Maybe I’d ask the questions that had been on my mind since two months into our relationship. Maybe I would have pressed him about why he wouldn’t talk about his work or allow me to see his phone. Maybe I wouldn’t have been stupid enough to think any man could fall in love with me.”
“I’m also not the kind of man who has a place for sympathy in my life, but if what you tell me is the truth, it was Tristen’s loss, not yours. You’re a beautiful, vivacious, amazing woman who deserves to have everything you want in life.”
Sierra brushed her hand through her hair before shaking her head. “Your compliments don’t mean very much to me at this point. I’m certain when you determine I’m not useful to you, then you’re going to kill me.”
“As I already told you, if that was the case, you wouldn’t be here with me.”
“Then what do you want, Alessandro? I can’t offer you anything. He didn’t bring work home. He didn’t tell me a damn thing about what he was working on other than he had several international clients, which was the reason for his constant travel. I was never invited to Atlanta, let alone his office. We hadn’t decided on a wedding date, and he certainly hadn’t agreed to move his operations to Raleigh, of all godforsaken places as he told me more than once. I was a fool to believe we had a future together. I kept lying to myself, hoping that every stopover he made at my house we would have a frank, adult conversation, but he died before that could happen.”
It was my turn to laugh. I tossed back my drink, immediately reaching for the bottle. “He’s not dead, Sierra.”
“You said that before. Now, I need to know what in God’s name makes you think that?”
“What was the date he died?”
“Is it after midnight?”
“Yes.”
“Then four years ago yesterday,” she stated flatly.
I waited until I poured another glass, surprised she allowed me to fill hers. “I’d ordered a hit on Tristen the day before he died. He was going to be the prosecution’s star witness in the case against me, which was something I couldn’t allow to happen. Before my soldiers had a chance to handle the order, he suddenly died.”
“You are a bastard.”
“It’s my way of handling business. Kill or be killed. I choose to enjoy life.”
She looked away, taking several shallow breaths. “If you’re trying to convince me that your… soldiers didn’t succeed, don’t fool yourself. I don’t believe it for a second.”
“I assure you, Sierra, that I would have preferred to handle the situation myself, but I couldn’t afford to have a possible murder charge added onto the list of crimes against me.”
“If it’s such a long list, why are you a free man?”
