Chapter 7

Alison

The cold air hit me as the warehouse doors opened, and Alberto's men dragged me inside. My arms ached from being tied behind my back.

They shoved me into a dim room, the door slamming shut behind me.

When I tuned, I saw Alberto standing at the far end, his back to me as he examined a small object in his hand.

He turned slowly when he noticed me, a wicked smile spreading across his face.

“Nice to meet you again,” he said flashing me a sly smile.

I didn’t reply, keeping my eyes fixed on him.

“What’s the matter?” Alberto sneered, taking a step closer. “Why so quiet? You were all chatty the night you and that mutt Damien stole my watch.”

Still, I said nothing. He hated my silence, and I wasn’t about to give him the satisfaction of a reaction.

His grin dropped , and his expression darkened.

He closed the gap between us in two swift steps, grabbing a fistful of my hair and yanking my head back. Pain shot through my scalp, but I didn’t flinch.

“You and Damien Santos are going to regret stealing from me,” he hissed. “I’m going to make both of you pay.”

I glared at him, and that seem to anger him because he yanked my hair once again.

Alberto’s menacing smile returned, and he opened his mouth to speak when one of his men burst into the room.

“Boss, you’ve got a visitor,” the man said.

Alberto scowled, shoving me backward. “I’ll deal with you later,” he growled. He motioned to the guard. “Make sure she doesn’t escape.”

The door slammed shut, leaving me alone with the guard. He stood by the door, watching me like a hawk.

I knew I couldn’t just sit here. I had to find a way out. I didn’t want Damien to save me. It meant I would be indebted to him once again. I didn’t want anything to do with him or any of this gang nonsense.

I had to seize this moment, and escape.

I studied the guard, noticing the impatience in his eyes.

“I need to pee,” I said, breaking the silence.

He frowned, glaring at me. “Do it in the chair,” he snapped.

I shook my head. “I can’t. It’ll stink up the whole place.”

He groaned in frustration, rolling his eyes. “There’s a bucket over there. Use that.”

“I’m tied up, genius,” I said flatly.

He muttered something under his breath and approached me cautiously.

“Don’t try anything funny,” he warned, untying the ropes around my wrists.

I nodded obediently, biding my time as his hands worked the knots. The moment I felt the ropes loosen, I waited for him to turn away. As soon as his back was turned, I bolted for the door.

“Hey!” he shouted, as he turned in my direction. “Get back here!”

I didn’t stop. My bare feet slapped against the cold concrete as I raced through the corridors. The shouts of the guard echoed behind me, soon joined by others.

“The prisoner is escaping!”

“Catch her!”

I rounded a corner, stopping when I saw Alberto standing with another man—a man I knew so well.

“Aiden?” I said, my voice trembling as I moved closer. “What are you doing here?”

His head snapped toward me, his eyes widening. Before he could respond, Alberto’s men grabbed me, dragging me roughly.

Aiden stepped forward, holding up a hand. “Let her go.”

Alberto narrowed his eyes. “I don’t think you should interfere with my business, Aiden.”

“You can’t take her,” Aiden said firmly. “She’s my wife.”

Alberto laughed. “Your wife is a thief. She stole from me and is working with the Santos gang.”

Aiden turned to me. “Is that true?”

I glared at him, memories of the past flooding my mind. His betrayal. His abandonment. The kiss he shared with Mabel at the restaurant.

“I owe you no explanation,” I said sharply.

“You do!” Aiden snapped back. “This path you’re taking is dangerous, and you are going to get yourself killed.”

“Stop acting like you care.” I shot back, my voice rising. “What are you even doing here? How do you know Alberto?”

Alberto stepped between us. “You can continue your little family reunion after I’m done teaching this woman a lesson.” He motioned to his men. “Take her.”

“Don’t!” Aiden said, stepping in front of me. He turned to Alberto, his voice lowering. “I can’t help you get back what she stole, but I can offer you something more valuable in exchange for her.”

Alberto paused, his eyes narrowing as he considered the offer. “More valuable, you say?”

“Yes.” Aiden leaned closer, whispering something I couldn’t hear.

A slow, sinister smile spread across Alberto’s face.

“Deal,” he said, shaking Aiden’s hand. “You know you should have talked about this sooner.”

“My bad!” Aiden said with a soft look.

To my surprise, Alberto’s men released me. I stumbled forward, staring at Aiden in disbelief.

“What did you tell him?” I asked once we were alone.

“Nothing serious and that’s all you need to know.” He said firmly.

“I need answers Aiden.” I said in high-pitched tone. “You can’t keep giving me half replies.”

“I would tell you everything you need to know once we are out of here.”

“Fine.” I spat.

“So, about my answers,” My voice picked up once we got out of the warehouse.

Aiden sighed, running a hand through his hair.

“Are you going speak or not?” I asked staring into his eyes.

“It’s a long story Alison,” he said giving me yet another half-reply. He began walking, motioning for me to follow. “Are you coming or not?”

“I’m not coming until you give me a proper answer like you said you would.”I yelled.

“Let’s at-least get to the car or go home .” He said in a firm voice. “I want us to talk in a serene environment.”

“You’re crazy Aiden.” I said coldly. “I’m not going home or anywhere with you. Have you forget? You threw me out of our home.”

“And I regret it every day,” Aiden admitted. “Because of me, you got tangled up with that bastard Damien.”

“You know him?” I asked, shocked.

Aiden’s eyes darkened. “More than you know.”

“Care to explain how?” I said, hoping this time he wouldn’t beat around the bush.

He could a deep breath before speaking. “I got to know about Damien Santos after discovering he was responsible for my father’s death—and yours too.”