Chapter 17

Alison

I stood at the back of the mansion, my phone trembling in my hand. It was midnight, and I had woken up to see that Aiden had returned my call from earlier, and now I couldn’t bring myself to call him back because of my fucking guilt.

Aiden’s words from our last conversation haunted me: “Did Damien ever touch you?”

I closed my eyes. Shame rushed over me as I remembered my encounter with Damien. How had I allowed that to happen? If Hugh hadn’t showed up I would have let Damien go farther.

Suddenly, Damien’s voice echoed in my head, “You’re doing things to me that I don’t fucking understand.”

Was it just lust for him too, or something else entirely? I shook my head. Why did I care? Damien was a killer.

It was sad that no matter how many times I say this. It still didn’t change anything.

I couldn’t stay in this limbo. I needed to leave. My fingers hesitated over my phone screen, but finally, I called Aiden.

“Alison,” Aiden answered quickly. “What’s going on? I have been calling you.”

I exhaled shakily. “I was sleeping. I’m so sorry.”

“It’s fine.” Aiden grunted.

“So why did you call earlier?” His voice was stern, and his concerned tone had disappeared. “I hope you have some tangible information.”

“I do.” I replied sharply. “I know what Damien is planning. He’s targeting the Pérez family, and he’s also working towards turning the gangs against each other without them having the slightest clue that he was behind it.”

Aiden grew silent, and for seconds, I didn’t hear him say a single word.

“Did you hear what I said?” I asked, glancing behind me. The sound of rustling tress, made me fear that someone might be near, but I was wrong. It was just the wind.

“We need to turn his plans against him. I’ll figure something out. Don’t worry.” I heard Aiden say.

“How?” I pressed. “How are you going to contact all those mafia men without Alberto? Damien has wiped him out.”

Aiden was quiet for a moment before he replied, “I have my ways. Just focus on your part, Alison. You need to figure out more details of his plans and get evidence—recordings, documents, anything. We can’t act without solid proof.”

I bit my lip. “Aiden, I don’t know if I can stay here much longer. This place… Damien… he’s—”

Aiden’s voice softened as he cut me off. “I know it’s hard, but you have to stay strong. You’re doing this for your father, remember?”

I wanted to tell him how close I was to losing myself, how close I was to letting Damien pull me into his darkness. How close I was to letting my guard and letting him fuck me. How close I was to cheating on him.

‘You don’t need to worry.’ My mind bellowed. ‘Aiden cheated to. He kissed Mabel.’

That was different. I hurt him. This was…

My thoughts trailed off when I heard footsteps approaching.

“I have to go,” I whispered urgently, ending the call.

***

The next morning, I found Damien already awake, sitting in the study with a cup of coffee in hand. He was staring at a document and was unaware of my presence.

I hesitated at the door before stepping in.

“Good morning,” I said cautiously.

Damien looked up. He flashed me a sharp gaze, and I saw a hint of irritation in his eyes.

“Who told you to come in here?” He quizzed.

“I just wanted to check on you,” I said. “You were pretty drunk last night,.”

“Well, you’ve checked on me,” he said flatly, gesturing toward the door. “Now you can leave.”

His bipolar side was reactivated, and today he decided to show me his cold side.

I turned to go but stopped myself, gathering my courage. “Damien, about last night… you mentioned your plans to bring down the Pérez family. I was thinking, maybe there’s something I can do to help?”

Damien’s eyes narrowed. “You’ve done enough,” he said coldly.

“Are you still angry about the whole shooting stuff?” I asked, my voice softer now. “I promise to do my best next time.”

Damien stood abruptly, towering over me. “I don’t have time for this, Alison. I have important things to do. If I need you, I’ll let you know. Now leave.”

I swallowed hard, fighting back the sting of his words. Why was he acting so cold? Like he didn’t want to have anything to do with me. I hope that wasn’t the case because if it was. It would be game over for Aiden and I.

I stared back at Damien. I felt the urge to speak, but before I could say anything else, one of Damien’s men appeared at the door.

“Sir, you have a visitor,” the man said.

Damien nodded. “Let her in.”

‘Her?’ I repeated inwardly in a shocked tone.

A moment later, a striking blonde with dark blue eyes stepped into the room. She was wearing a leather pant that highlighted her curves perfectly. She glanced at me briefly before walking past me into the study.

Damien gestured toward the door with a warm look on his face. “Shut it,”

  

I stood there, watching as the door clicked shut behind her. Something about the way Damien’s demeanor shifted with her presence left a bitter taste in my mouth.

I tried to walk away, to mind my own business, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that lingered within me.

I stopped mid-step, turned back, and opened the door in a slow manner. I silently hoped for the door to not give me away. I didn’t want Damien to know I was eavesdropping.

I could see Damien lean back in his chair, watching the lady walk towards him. He had a sly smile on his face that made it seem like a way satisfied to see her.

No! It couldn’t be, maybe. I was misinterpreting the whole situation. I looked back at him and the look on his face grew.

The lady was close to his desk, and I watched as she leaned against it.

My chest tightened. I didn’t know why I felt so unsettled by the scene before me, and I couldn’t ignore the pang of jealousy twisting in my gut.

Allowing my emotions to take over, I opened the door wide, stepping into the study.