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“You know what, I’m looking forward to this. We’ll finally get to see who would’ve won if my plan to interrogate you the night of the Halloween party had worked.”
“So, we shall. Ladies first,” Alister says, motioning for me to begin the duel. He’s insane. If we both go full force at one another now, there’ll be nothing left of us by the time we make it to Boston. But I can’t let him best me. It’ll offset the power dynamics between us, and he’ll never see me as an equal. If that isn’t enough of a reason to kick his ass, perhaps this is a test, just like the USB drive. It makes sense. He needs to see my skills for himself before settling for me as his one and only companion to take on Avery Gallagher.
Okay, Alister. You want a fight? I’ll give you one. Just remember what you asked for.
I take on a fighting stance and slowly approach. What happens next is a dance in which both of us avoid each other’s swipes, punches, and kicks. He’s good. I’ve used moves on him that’ve taken down countless men. Yet, he evades them all.
“You’re quicker than I would’ve thought,” I say as thunder rumbles above us. “I thought your muscles would slow you down.”
“You should know better than to underestimate your opponent.”
“You’re one to talk, seeing as you haven’t gotten within twelve inches of me.”
“I’m taking it easy on you,bella. I usually opt for a brutish use of force when facing off with an enemy.”
“A-ha. Well, come on then. Show me what you’ve got,tesoro.”
Alister’s eyes flash with surprise at my use of Italian. He looks almost as surprised as I felt when he called mebella, the Italian word forbeautiful. Though his surprise doesn’t keep him from following up on my request. Alister charges me so quickly I can’t avoid his long-reaching arms. He pulls me toward him, spinning me around so that my back presses into his chest. I’m thankful for the change in strategy. It would’ve hurt had he tackled me straight to the ground. Unfortunately for him, I won’t respond to his gentle fighting style in kind.
As Alister tightens his hold on my chest, I grab his forearm and use it to stabilize myself as I propel my body forward. I swing my legs out and toward the ground, and Alister loses his balance, allowing me to slip between his legs as he tumbles forward. He catches himself against the wooden platform, which keeps him from falling, though not before I pop back up onto my feet and approach him from behind.
When I reach Alister, I kick him in the back of the knee to keep him down. He grunts, falling to his knees. Now I’ve got him right where I want him. I reach around his front, tightening my arm around his neck, much like he attempted to do to me before letting his manners get in the way. I lean forward, whispering in his ear, “When your opponent is bigger and stronger, you must be faster, smarter, and scrappier. I do believe you’ve been bested, Mr. Amato.”
“Perhaps,” he says as I release my hold on him. “But you did make one mistake.”
“What’s that?” I ask as Alister pushes himself up from the ground.
“Thinking a criminal would play by your rules.” Alister turns to me, picks me up, and—
I scream as Alister throws, not pushes,throwsme into the pool. It feels like a hundred pinpricks across my body. Within seconds, I begin to shiver.
“Asshole! You just couldn’t stand to lose!” I yell as the salty water invades my mouth. Alister kneels, a boyish smile stretching his lips.
“It’s not about winning or losing, Ariana. It’s about preparing you for what’s to come.” At that, seriousness steals his smile. He’s quiet for a moment. When his eyes return to me, there’s a hardness in them, which is only amplified by the emptiness of his voice. “When you’re in a fight to the death, you must be willing to kill. If you aren’t willing to take a life to protect your own or the lives of the ones you care about, then you’re as good as dead. It’s a sad truth, but a truth nonetheless. One maybe you’re not ready to hear.”
“Hey! I grew up in a world sketched outside the lines. It’s why, when I became an adult, I chose a path for myself where the lines are clearly drawn. Right and wrong. Good and evil. But that doesn’t mean I don’t know what it’s like on the other side. The rules you and Avery Gallagher play by are different. I know that and I’m ready for it. So, don’t take me out of the game before it even starts.”
“Why?”
“What?”
“Why are you so insistent on coming? Not only is Gallagher a threat, but you barely know me. And what you do know of me is that I’m a dark, depraved monster who leaves a trail of bodies in his wake. You say you don’t trust me, and yet, you’ve placed yourself at my side despite knowing what I’m capable of.”
As Alister’s words leave him, raindrops break free from the clouds above. As they hit my skin, the chill in my bones only intensifies, and yet, I don’t move. His words have me paralyzed. There are many reasons why I want to go with him, most of which I can never say to him. I can never tell him I want to help him through his pain. I can never tell him I care for him and enjoy his company. Most of all, I can never tell him his very presence makes me feel alive in a way I’ve never felt before, so much so I am willing to overlook the utter stupidity of my choice to tether myself to him.
And yet, it isn’t just his question that’s left me speechless. He thinks himself a monster. And perhaps Agent Valentine would agree. As I said, I live in a world with starkly drawn lines, making decisions simple and the bad guys easy to discern. But I see more than a monster when I look at Alister. His very existence shatters my perception of good and evil and obliterates the box I’ve placed myself in for my own protection.
A loud rumble of thunder pulls me from my thoughts, drawing me back to Alister. Knowing I can’t reveal to him my true feelings, not that I even understand them, I give him the only explanation I can. “I just…want to make sure you don’t die before you have a chance to make good on your promise to me.” It’s the truth, just not the full truth. Alister nods and offers me his hand. I take it, though not to escape the water that’s left my lower body numb.
“Ah!” Alister yells as I tug him forward. As he flies, crashing into the freezing cold water, I laugh.
“You forgot to double tap, Mr. Amato. Looks like this girl still has some life in her yet.”
“Oh, you want a double tap? Okay. I can handle that,” Alister says as he rips off his sopping wet tank top.
“No, no.” I giggle as he stalks toward me with glistening chiseled abs and hair the color of midnight. “I submit. I submit,” I squeal as Alister reaches me. But that doesn’t stop him from wrapping his arms around my body and pulling me against his chest. As he holds me, I can feel the hardness of his chest, the strength of his muscles, the beat of his heart. His entire being cradles me, making me feel safe despite my vulnerable position. “I submit,” I whisper once more as his dark eyes stare into mine.
“Smart girl.” Though he’s acknowledged my defeat, he does not let me go. That is, until a rumble of thunder and snap of lightning pulls us both back to reality—the one where I’m the FBI agent who despises the monster within him and he’s the Mafia king who hides his true nature behind expensive suits and legitimate business ventures.
