K. Alicia’s POV“Thank you so much Andy,” I told her in a solemn voice as we walked back to the house. I couldn't deny that I was still shocked at the turn of things, but the fact that I had gotten out thanks to her was the only silver lining.Dante was snoring peacefully in my arms as I carried him while Ashton was in Andy's arms. They were both asleep now, and neither if us were eager to wake the up, especially after the tumultuous day we'd had.Both of them had been under so much stress that they didn't deserve it from the moment I was arrested. They had followed me to the police station and had spent most of the time crying and yelling at the policemen to free me. Despite being so close, they were blocked from seeing me and I could only watch them look at me anxiously and try to appease them. It hurts my heart that I was locked in a cell unable to reach them and give actual comfort.Guilt flooded my chest. I was responsible for this. If I hadn't come back and gone to the funeral
Alicia's POVThe tension in the air was enough to cut through it with a knife. I tried to swallow and found my throat was dry. When Mikael stepped forward, I stepped back. Andy looked between the two men, her gaze unreadable. I had told her the gist of the life I had lived before we met in the underground club as captives, but I didn't tell her everything."Alicia-"I cut Mikael off before he could say anything more. hearing my name come from his lips sparked something inside of me, something that was raw and angry and emotional."It's Alice now. Alice Alcott," I replied to him keeping a smile on my face that was more polite if not a little desperate to hide my true feelings. "It's been a while, Don Serrano, Don Madden."Their faces darkened equally at my words as if I had slapped them or done something otherwise dangerous. Either way it had the same effect, and a part of me felt guilty but then I just remembered the pictures Cross had shown me. Those had not been staged in any way an
Alicia's POV My breath hitched. I had almost forgotten that it was there. So lost in seeing them I nearly forgot her presence. She had heard everything I said, including me pinning my children on her.Guilt welled up in me. K reached out to hold her hand and looked into her eyes “I'm so sorry, for lying and using your name as Dante and Ashton’s mother.” I said.“But this is different. I can't let them know. If they find out…” I shook my head.If they found out, they would never let them go and by extension me as well. I had already done so much with her to get out of that life. To have my boys dragged into it would break my heart.“Please Andy, I'm begging you here, you can't let anyone know that I was lying, especially right now. “Any single mishap and the word could spread like wildfire. Now that Mikael and Acker were on my tail, they would no doubt catch wind of it.My eyes burned with tears. I knew that I was asking her for a lot, but this was what had to happen. Until the ma
Acker's POVThe day before:I let my grip stay on Serrano’s arm even after we had left t apartment with Mikael angry and fuming and cursing in streams of both Italian and English.“Enough of this. Stay calm, Mikael,” i told him, clenching my jaw as I too was reeling from the information that had just been… what to call it- SLAPPED at my damn face.Alicia was alive.And she wanted nothing to do with us.How could that be?“Why do quiet, Madden? You see so fucking calm, cazzo, even after the news. Don’t tell me you knew before this-““Don’t be so stubborn. I had no idea before this and YOU know that to be true. In my mind she was dead just like you thought all these years,” I nearly wanted to yell at him but I kept my cool. We were still i public and I didn’t wish to make a fool of myself.I had just sped to the US leaving everything behind when Javier gave me the strangest news that both filled me with exhilaration and disbelief.“Now is not the time to fight,” I finally said after Mik
Alicia’s POVMikael’s voice made my heart jump and I wiped the tears hurriedly from my eyes and tried to appear as unaffected as possible. Even if it was practically impossible with the state of this place.“What happened?” Mikael demanded as he strode in, from Acker, glaring daggers at him.“I’m certain you’ve already been informed of what happened here,” Acker responded smoothly, and Mikael’s green eyes that reminded me so much of my Dante’s darkened.I had enough of the two men being at odds with each other already, and it had been barely a damn minute. I stepped between the two of them and raised both my hands.“Stop it!“ I yelled at the two of them, my voice shaky and my anger rising. “What the hell is wrong with the two of you?! Fighting now of all times?!”They both turned to gape at me as I, shaking so much, wiped the tears that spilled over again and again.“You both are terrible, SELFISH, and SO DAMN SELF-CENTERED!” I yelled. My voice was hoarse from crying and screaming but
Mikael’s POVMio Dio, seeing her face again, even the disgruntled expression, sent me reeling with emotions I could hardly place a name to, although relief was one of them.I was still angry with her, after the revelation of the children’s existence to me, and the fact that she had LIED to me and to Madden.Still… she was still the woman I did love and I was willing to look past it, even if it would take time for my brain and body to sync up with that decision.“There has been word from Cross,” I finally said and gestured to the study. I wanted to ask her what had caused that look of annoyance on her face as she sighed. I had Cleo briefly come to the house for a debriefing. Not because she was important but because somehow I had gotten myself involved with the assassin again. She was a wily one and I was going to keep her in my sights until I was sure she wasn’t a the great.Had Alicia noticed her presence?I pushed that thought out of my mind and focused on taking her to the study an
Alicia’s POVThe study was silent.I hummed, clasping my fingers together and tried to not fidget at my spot i the couch.I had promised Mikael I would be patient and sit but that alone would not stop me from worrying.They were my children, after all.The memory of Mikael looking dashingly at me replayed in my memory.“Trust me.”Trust.I didn’t know if I could.I let out a heavy breath, my eyes flitting back to the laptop that lay open, the picture of my two boys, my world, with Andy’s torso in the frame.I reached for it and curiously clicked out of the photo to reveal…Nothing.I scowled.Was this a burner laptop?My curiosity began to burn and I wondered what exactly I would find from Mikael’s own laptop. This would be interesting and enough to distract me.I began to move the cursor over the screen and clicked on the files icon.My skills at hacking had helped me numerous times once I actually began to learn. I was a quick student, even now, and it hasn’t been hard to make a nam
Alicia’s POV“What happens next,” Acker spoke while Mikael stared at me and the twins as if we were some interesting creatures. “Is that we find a way to dismiss the charges on you.”“I see,” I hummed, and suddenly felt a tugging at my shirt which made me glance down to see the green eyes of one of my sons.“Mom, what’s going on? When can we go back home?” Dante asked, and Ashford stayed quiet but I could see him nod in agreement with his brother.The two of them were going to be the death of me.I sighed inwardly and leveled them both a calm and gentle look.“We’ll leave soon,” i promised even though deep down I felt like I had no idea where the future would lead. “How about this? You two need a bath and some rest, okay?”“That will not be a problem,” Mikael spoke, stepping forward as he clicked his fingers. A maid suddenly appeared as if out of thin air and he ordered, “Take the children upstairs, and make sure they are taken care of.”“Si.“ the woman bowed and began to lead the chi
Dante’s POV Two years later: Dad Mik always had the best stuff. I heard the signal from his fingers. The click. And Ash and I immediately closed our ears. The sound of a loud boom reverberated in the air and the field suddenly burst into chaos. It was glorious to watch. The bomb decimated everything it had been wrapped about. So cool, I Wanted to scream at the top of my lungs. But Dad Mik had said we should be quiet or else Mom would– “MIKAEL SERRANO‼” I Swallowed. Mom’s screech sounded like trouble. I was glad it wasn’t me and Ash and I exchanged glances to commiserate with each other. Dad Mik looked a little pale but he smirked a little as Mom came barely a second later. She turned round the corner and advanced on us as we stood at the edge of the large field next to the garden. We rushed to stand and dust their hands and clothes, looking innocent as Mom strided as gently as she could with a full and round belly. I really wasn't sure about how pregnancies work, but
Alicia’s POVThe knocking didn’t stop. My head pounded from the force of it. I stumbled to the door, bleary-eyed from lack of sleep. I opened the door to find Andy, her face etched with worry, holding a sleeping Bella. Magda followed close behind, her expression stern."What were you thinking, Alicia?" Andy demanded, her voice low but firm. "Leaving the house again in the middle of the night?"I rubbed my eyes, trying to shake off the sleep. "What are you talking about?"Magda's voice was sharp. "Do you know you nearly caused chaos this morning? Mikael nearly ran mad searching for you. Acker had to calm him down. And they nearly fought."My heart sank. I had no idea Mikael had been searching for me. "I...I just needed some air," I stammered.The guilt pricked at the edges of my consciousness again. This time I had caused more trouble just by leaving. I was foolish. I lowered my gaze in remorse.Andy's expression softened slightly. "Alicia, you can't just disappear in the middle of th
Alicia’s POVI woke up with a start, my heart racing and my sheets drenched in sweat. The maid's gentle voice and concerned expression only added to my distress. But it wasn't just the nightmare that had left me shaken - it was the crushing weight of my own guilt.As I lay there, trying to catch my breath, I couldn't shake the image of Cleo's face, twisted in a cruel grin, and Cross's gleaming green eyes. My nightmares were haunting. They taunted me with the reminders of the mistakes I’d made. My own oversights were massive.But it was my own actions that haunted me. I had tried to kill Acker and Mikael, the two men I loved. The thought sent a wave of self-loathing crashing over me.How could I have been so blind? So wrong? The guilt was suffocating, making it hard to breathe. I felt like I was drowning in my own shame. I thought about all the times I had pushed Acker and Mikael away, all the times I had doubted their love for me. And for what? Because of a misguided desire for reveng
Acker’s POV This was unexpected. I exchanged a glance with Serrano after seeing Cleo Abrams breathe her last breath. The syringe in my hand was empty and I dropped it on the ground where it lay to rest beside the pale corpse of the woman who had sought to use it at her weapon and had inevitably ended up dead by it. "How is she?" The words left my lips without preamble as I gazed at Alicia’s shivering form wrapped in the Italian Don’s arms. A part of me stirred with jealousy at the sight but I let it go. She belonged to him as much as she did to me. "Asleep for now. Or rather unconscious. She’s quite the dramatic one isn’t she? Cried herself to sleep just like that," Serrano tutted as though he was angry with her but in fact I could tell the relief in his face. I felt the same way too. In the end we had somehow neglected her. Of course it was just a stroke of luck that we figured out who it was at the last minute that had caused such troubles on our lives. It started aft
Cleo’s POVI had always been a survivor.From the first time I knew what death was, I had always been a survivor.An orphan girl, with no one to depend on but herself.I knew my skills long before I could understand them; my beauty was a privilege I welcomed.It helped me get away with things when I was younger and I learnt that a smile and little tilt of my head would help whenever one of the other kids accused me of stealing their belongings. None of the stupid nuns cared that I was never doing chores on time because I’d act so innocent and my cherubic expression gave me a fucking sweet pass.The attention always made me feel powerful and the way I got away with so much made the other kids either fear me or want to be my friends so they could benefit from it.As I got older I began to notice how much stares the boys would give me more than the other girls. Even the adult men weren’t far from trying to act like they were vying for my attention. And so I discovered another use for my
Alicia’s POVI stared out the window, my eyes tracing the outline of the trees as they swayed gently in the breeze. It was my birthday, a day that should have been filled with joy and celebration. Instead, I was trapped in this prison, a captive of the two men I had once loved.The sound of the door opening broke the silence, and I turned to see Andy walking in, a bright smile on her face. But it was what she was holding that really caught my attention - baby Bella. I felt a surge of emotion as Andy handed her over to me, and I held her close, feeling a sense of peace wash over me.Bella peered up at me curiously, her big eyes sparkling with innocence. I felt a pang of guilt for putting her in this situation, for bringing her into a world filled with danger and uncertainty. Perhaps I wasn’t the best one to take care of her. Perhaps I should have given her to a loving family."Thank you for taking care of her," I said to Andy, my voice awkward with emotion.Andy's expression softened,
Mikael’s POVShe was different. She looked like a wounded animal. My left grasped Dante’s shoulder gently. It was an assurance that our sons had returned to us. And a promise that this wasn’t for nothing.Madden at the very least was able to contain his emotions unlike myself. His voice came out like a crack of a whip. “Take her to her room. There won’t be any chance of her escaping, do you understand?”“Yes Don.” The men chorused.Yet I didn’t feel sane. I felt like I wanted to kill something. I felt like I wanted answers.…The sound of the clock ticking grounded me from spiraling in the study. I listened while seething with anger as Magda and Javier delivered their report.Bella, the newborn baby that had been caught along with Alicia and our boys, was Cross' and Zendaya's child. And to make matters worse, Alicia had already obtained a birth certificate that stated she had adopted the baby.That baby was currently in the care of a bewildered Andy who was mourning her friend’s acti
Alicia’s POVI crept out of my motel room, my heart racing with every creak of the floor. In a few short hours paranoia had become my constant companion, and I couldn't shake the feeling that I was being watched. I just needed to grab some snacks from the store next door, but even that simple task felt like a risk.As I browsed the aisles, my eyes wandered to the TV playing in the corner of the store. The news anchor's voice was a distant hum until I saw the footage of the warehouse explosion. It was on the news.My breath caught in my throat as I watched Cross Serpenti's face flash across the screen. His death was confirmed and the news anchor continued with stating all the known crimes the Serpenti Mafia had committed. He deserved to die and that was certain.The cashier's muttered comment about "those mob people" and how easy it must be to have their kind of money barely registered. My mind was reeling with the implications of what I'd just seen. Acker and Mikael were still alive.
Acker’s POVToday had not gone as fucking expected.I tried to hold back all the thoughts swirling in my head as we left the police officers and flashing sirens behind.It appeared to be a terrible dream. But it wasn’t over yet.The scent of burning and flames was in the air still. I must have inhaled a lot of smoke in there, I thought with disgruntlement as I gave the orders for us to return. My throat hurt badly enough that speaking was a chore I didn’t feel the need to indulge in. Serrano sat silently beside me and I knew it had to do with none other than her. Our woman. And supposedly the one that betrayed us.His hands gripped the phone that Cross had thrown at us tightly. That the Serpenti Don was dead finally was good. We had watched his… body, for lack of a better word, being carried out. He was charred beyond repair. Not even a lick of unburnt flesh on him and he had died in pieces, the explosion tearing him into chunks that had to be pieced together.It had been by the skin