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“Do you want me to come with you?”
“No. No, I’ll be back in a minute. Get us some more drinks, yeah?” I smiled at her before I squeezed myself through the throngs of people, all congratulating me as I went. Just as I reached the exit of the room that was guarded by three Buccini soldiers, they stopped me from leaving. I sighed with frustration.
“I need the bathroom,” I hissed as they looked at each other with uncertainty.
“You are instructed to stay inside the room at all times unless escorted,” one of the men said and I rolled my eyes.
“Carlo, it’s fine. I’ll take her.”
I glanced up to see Finn coming towards us from the lobby. I smiled with relief. Even though we still hadn’t spoken since our argument earlier, just seeing his face always relaxed me.
“My hero!” I joked. The men let me pass as I stepped out into the lobby and Finn reached for my hand as soon as we were out of sight. He lifted it to his lips and kissed the back of it as I smiled.
“I’m sorry for losing it earlier,” he apologised as I leaned into his shoulder. We slowed down as we approached the women’s toilets.
“Me too. I’m glad you came,” I replied, but he kept his gaze forward until we reached the door.
“Elle, you know I love you. You are my best friend and you mean the world to me. I just want you to remember that,” he said seriously as he turned to peer into my eyes. I smiled, tilting my head to the side as I reached up and stroked his cheek.
“You big softy! I know you do, why do I need to remember that?” I laughed as I pushed open the bathroom door. The moment I walked inside, I felt it. His presence. It was intoxicating and suffocating at the same time. The scent of his vanilla and smoky aftershave hit me like a tidal wave, bringing with it unwanted feelings of desire and memories. My heels came to an immediate stop when I locked eyes with those dazzling blue gems again.
“Because you may not believe it after this,” Finn said from behind me. I turned around to stare at my best friend with wide eyes. “Just hear him out, Elle. Please. He won’t hurt you.”
He closed the door just as I stormed forward to try and grab the handle before it closed completely.
“Elle.”
Alessio’s deep, haunted voice stopped me in my tracks. I briefly closed my eyes, deeply distressed by the way he said my name because I loved it and loathed it in equal measures. I heard his footsteps coming closer, but stopping before he reached me. He was still too close. Without him even touching me, I could feel him and my body was slowly awakening from the numbing coma it had been in for the past few days.
“Elle, look at me. Please.”
I slowly turned, my eyes moving over the dark clothes he was wearing and up to his face. It was him outside. I knew it had been. How did he get in? How did he get past security without being seen? Why had Finn locked me in here with him?
“What are you doing here, Alessio?” I managed to find my voice, though it shook with emotion as my eyes found his. Those eyes. They completely stripped me of all my defences. Of everything I tried so hard to block out. All the feelings.
“I need to tell you the truth. You deserve to know the whole truth, Elle. About everything.”
“I already know the truth,” I folded my arms over my chest as he took one step closer, causing me to crane my neck to hold his gaze.
“You don’t. You only know Isabelle’s twisted version. It doesn’t absolve me from anything because I still let you down. I promised to keep you safe and that you could trust me. And I failed you Elle, but not in the way you think.”
“So, you weren’t planning to give me to Galiz and kill Gio to take the North?” I raised one eyebrow as I glared up at him. I had to be strong. I had to hold my own and not crumble in his dominating presence. No matter what my body was begging for, I had to be stronger.
“No. Fuck no, Elle. Look into my eyes and tell me you really believe that I would do that. That I could give you to anyone, let alone Galiz!” he growled, his turquoise eyes dancing with emotion as I swallowed down my own.
“I used to believe that you could never do that. Now, I don’t have a clue who you are, Alessio. So yes. Yes, I believe you could do that,” I snapped back. He suddenly stepped right into me, his hips forcing my back against the door as he rested his hands either side of my head against it. My body sparked with arousal, but I fought my hardest to ignore it. I couldn’t want anything from this man anymore.
“You know me, Elle. Deep down, you know Isabelle lied to you. If you still don't believe me, I have proof. You know I would never do anything to put your life in danger and I would never let you be with another man. You are mine, Princess,” My lungs seized as he leaned in, brushing his nose up against mine.
I shoved his chest hard, causing him to step back and give us some much needed distance so I could think clearly. This is what he does. Seduces me until I am in a haze of lust and under his control. No more.
“I am not yours! I never was! How could I have been when you were fucking your own sister the whole time?” I roared. I raised my face, my eyes stung as I fought back the tears, but I wouldn’t cry. Not in front of him. I was too fucking strong for that. He knew I knew. His silence was a sign of guilt. But I wouldn’t let him just stand there. I needed more. He used me and played with my heart. And I needed to know why.
“So you’re not going to deny it? You’re not going to try and feed me some sick lies to try and pretend you aren’t some twisted, incestuous asshole?”
“No. I’m going to tell you the truth. I’m never going to lie to you again, Elle. Telling you this is a huge risk. But you deserve to know,” he said softly. I folded my arms across my chest and waited as he turned and ran his hand over his head, staring at his reflection in the bathroom mirror before turning back to me.
“My birth mamma was never Diego’s mistress. I was born in a crack house. I don’t know who my father is and my mamma sold me to Diego when I was a toddler for a bag of cocaine. He raised me as his as he couldn’t have an heir of his own. No one knew the truth about me, except Elio and Isabelle. I was a vulnerable, traumatised boy with a fucked up background and Diego took advantage of that. He gave me a better life, but also a pretty brutal one. One where I had to fight every day to prove my worth in his family. I had to fight for my position. All my life, I was told if I didn’t live up to his expectations, it would all be taken away from me. One mistake and I was gone.”
