AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Hadley
The last time I was here, I told my brother I was done with this life. I may not have been the one to pull the trigger when Sebastian died, but I was ready to, and that scared me. When Gerrick told me to go be the mother and wife I was destined to be, I cried. Before the arrival of Sean and our daughter, I never envisioned I’d become a wife or a mother …well, not by choice, anyway.
My father may have been the head of the Alexandria crime family and believed he had the right to marry me off to whomever he pleased, but he was wrong. Yes, I was my father’s consigliere, but my priority was my own self-preservation. Every move I made back then was calculated, and I ensured every angle was scoped so I could get the job done without losing my own life.
I am no different today; my priorities have just changed.
My father’s cruelty toward Gerrick and me shaped who we eventually became, and although that brother of mine is a force to be reckoned with, he is no match for me. Inevitably, my father paid the price for his actions, and I made sure I was the one who enforced the punishment.
Once I knew Sean and the others were in position, I drove toward Antonio’s compound. Aerial surveillance confirmed that only two of his men guarding the gate will make it easy for my husband to overpower them. Still, the multiples walking around the compound grounds concern me. If we didn’t have the assistance of Jackson Cole and his team, I wouldn’t have agreed to any of this.
As I approach the two guards, they step in front of the gates raising their weapons and aiming them directly at me. The only way they will allow me to travel further is on foot, which is exactly what we were hoping for.
“I’m here to see Antonio,” I yell. “I’m Hadley Alexandria; I was sent here by my brother Gerrick,” I confirm.
As much as I hate using my father’s name, it’s the only way I’ll be granted access.
“Follow me,” the bigger of the two grunts.
As he leads me toward the front door, I glance around and observe another six men flanking me, doing their rounds of the grounds.
“Ah, Hadley,” a voice I’d hoped to forget drawls. “It’s so very nice to see you again.”
Coming to a complete stop, the guard turns to retreat, closing the door behind him, leaving me with a man I hate just as much as I did his brother Matias.
“I’d like to say the same, Andres, but we both know I’d be lying.”
Bellowing in laughter, he gestures for me to follow him into the dining room, where Antonio and Emily are both seated.
“Come, Hadley,” Antonio calls without even a glance in my direction. “Myamada, belovedLuciana, and I were sitting down to dine. Would you like to join us?”
“Thank you; I would be honored. May I sit next to Luciana?” I question before moving.
“Of course,” he nods.
“Sofia, please bring another setting for Hadley,” he orders his maid.
Taking my seat next to Emily, it’s not hard to miss the sadness radiating in her eyes when she glances my way.
“So, Hadley,” he begins. “Gerrick tells me you are assisting with the family business once again.”
“Only sporadically,” I acknowledge. “And only to keep my brother happy.”
Laughing, he compliments me on my ability to shift between the two worlds I have created for myself. When I ask what he means, he tells me that he is aware of my marriage to Sean and of our daughter. His knowing all of this should have me fearing for our safety, yet it doesn’t.
“You know, though, Hadley, that I would never bring harm to you or your family.” He then reassures me as though assuming I’d be apprehensive.
“You may not want to, Antonio, but there is someone within your organization who does not feel the same.” I quickly reply.
Nodding, he agrees that Andres does hold much resentment toward me for the loss of his brothers but has been warned that no harm is to come to me. When I ask how he can be assured that Andres will abide, he smiles and tells me that Andres is aware of the consequences.
“I do need to warn you, though, Hadley,” he says, his face becoming stoic. “If you cross me, I will kill you myself.”
“I’ve never been one to play games, Antonio, but I will make you the same promise.” I retaliate. “Cross me, and I will kill both you and Andres.”
The laughter that roars from him is loud and sinister, frightening Emily. Placing my hand on her knee, I attempt to calm her, reassuring her any way I can that I will not allow anything to happen to her.
“I do like you, Hadley,” he laughs. “Always black and white with our dealings, never any greyness in our transactions.”
