Alicia’s POV“Thanks, bye,” I waved at the manager as I closed for the day. It was my first day at work. I had finally caved and gotten a job closer to my college. It was a part time job, but still quite nice to have something else to do other than study and lounge around in the apartment all day.My phone sat in the pocket of my leather jacket as I refrained from calling Dominic or any of the other men to pick me up. I had shown up to the small cafe without my car, not wanting to make a bad first impression.Lingering on the side of the pavement for a second, I pondered on what I should take: taxi or bus?I still had my bus pass from the times I used it religiously to get to my former job so I quickly made the decision and began to walk down to where I remembered the nearest bus stop to be.“Oh, Alicia, is that you?” I heard a familiar voice that stopped me in my tracks a couple of meters from the bus stop.I turned around, my lips parting as I saw my best friend… or rather, my forme
Acker’s POV“Javier, report,” my voice was akin to steel as I talked with my one and only friend.“Relax, Acker,” Javier sounded calm and I could hear the sounds of cars passing by his location as he replied to me. “I have been keeping an eye on her since I arrived. And none of the men have seen or heard from Cross either.”I grit my teeth, squaring my jaw.That wasn’t enough.It was only last night that I got the word that Cross Serpenti was back in the US. He had hidden away and scurried from the States after his manipulative tactic to hit back at Serrano and myself using Castro. When that hadn’t worked, clearly he was back for more.The flight attendant placed the glass of wine on the table in front of me and I stared at the red fragrant liquid, decidedly angered that I had made the wrong decision.I had not even contacted Alicia after I had left, thinking it would be a distraction to me.My fingers tapped on the armrest of my chair and I turned to glance at the clouds. This high u
Alicia’s POV The professor droned on like a robot programmed to make everyone fall asleep.Looking around me I could see he had been successful.I however was paying rap attention, although I didn’t speak. I was more of a non-participant in this lecture which was on an elective I chose to take.“This fucking blows,” one student next to me whispered in the loudest voice I could adequately call a whisper. “When’s this class ends again? Has he taken attendance?”“Dunno.” The guy’s friend shrugged.I ignored the noise about me and focused on taking the meager notes that I was capable of at that moment.For most of them, being in college was a no-brainer, yet I hadn’t a chance of getting admission if I didn’t have the help of Acker and Mikael. So I wasn’t planning on slacking in any way. It was my way of proving that o belonged here no matter what anyone thought or said.Daya’s sneering face flashed in my head, and I exhaled sharply. I hadn’t been able to stop thinking about the horrible
Alicia’s POV Only after I was placed in the backseat of the getaway car watching the building of my college growing in the distance did I realize that I had been abducted again. Again.Dammit I thought. Whas my life just full of twists and turns designed to drive me mad?I couldn’t imagine that I would end up being placed in such a situation again. Except this time it was because of Acker. Acker Madden.I let out a sigh, turning to gaze at the city’s scenery as the car passed by through the window. My life has become nothing but a pawn to use at any given opportunity by enemies and friends like this was a game. How would I get out of this now of this?Would anyone come tos ave me?Acker was in Germany, last I heard, I was reminded by the memory of speaki mg with Mikael, and that led to disturbing thoughts.I was alone.Cross was right, that time he met me when I was only outo exercise.As much as I wanted to ignore the idea of being in danger or being important enough to require 24
Acker’s POVI stepped in before Mikael could pull the trigger - a task I knew for sure he would be up to. He was very much not pleased, just like I was.“Mikael.” The warning lay in my firm tone. Not commanding, but firm regardless. “Don’t kill her.”He turned to me in surprise, clearly taken aback by my words.“Oh?” He then scoffed and tilted his head in an almost mocking sort of confusion. “Don’t tell me you’re getting soft, Madden.”I cocked a brow at him and replied in the same tone as before. “Not one bit. I need her alive, Serrano. And that’s all you need to know.”He looked put out and liwlered the gun. I knew it grates in his nerves the way I had all but ordered him to drop the gun.Then I turned to the other man, blonde and looking like the picture of a disheveled mess. “But you…” I spoke again, trailing off.“Please,” the man’s voice was shaky now, chock full of nervousness. “Don’t kill me. I… I had no choice.”Choice?I wanted to laugh, but I was not in the mood for silly
Alicia’s POVNeither men answered my question as I had somehow expected. They were both similar and it made me pour at how they ignored me and ushered me into the car. Mikael went ahead and opened the car door for me and Acker was sat right beside me, while Mikael’s took a seat at my other side.As the car began to move I knew that I couldn’t stay in the oppressive silence any more“So… how was Germany?” I turned to Acker, ignoring Mikael. I still felt embarrassed at how our last phone call had gone and just because he had been a part of my rescuing didn’t change a damn thing.Acker raised a brow, looking surprised.I quickly asserted, “Mikael told me about it.”“Did he now?” His voice was just as deep and shiver inducing as usual and I flushed when I felt eyes biting into the back of my skull.“Wonderful Tesoro,” Mikael’s scolding was light and his voice still contained a humorous tinge to it. “Selling me out to Madden of all people?““Well. Uh…” i trailed off, spluttering and lost f
Mikael’s POV I stepped into the room, opening it as soon as I heard Alicia ask that question.I had only come upon her waking up by chance but I wasn’t going to lose the opportunity to have some time alone with her. Acker was hogging her all to himself, the bastard.“You’re in my home, Alicia,” I said as she looked at me in shock. She was half-dressed, as I had the one of the maids change her into a comfortable silk gown. Some hours ago Acker had taken one look at the gown and asked me how the hell I had a gown just sitting in my home.The memory made my lips quirk up into a smile and I stared unabashedly at the straps of the blue satin gown that fell over her shoulders, and exposed more of her cleavage.She hadn’t realized yet.“M-Mikael-“ She finally got her voice to work but before she could continue I raised my hand and she stopped immediately. I turned to Anton, the son of my former butler and gave him a meaningful look of dismissal. He got the gist immediately and bowed to me,
Acker’s POVI finished the call and returned to the Serrano’s house, and just as I walked into the foyer, his young butler, Anton, came in through the other entrance and he bowed to me.Hearing that Mikael had asked me to take charge of Alicia was a surprise; the blonde man always showed signs of jealousy and while it irked me, it was predictable. This wasn’t.I brushed aside the questions arising ib my mind and quoted for Alicia to arrive. And so, she did, and when I saw her downcast expression in her pretty face, I knew something was up.“Darling,” I stood eyeing her from top to bottom. She was still wearing that gown that Mikael had the maid dress ber up in and I had to admit, it looked fetching on her. She wore a coat over it as well, and the butler carried a small bag of what I assumed to be her clothes. “Are you alright?” I asked her, trying to gauge how clouded her mind might be.To my surprise she reached for me and put her arms around my torso, pressing her face into my chest