Chapter 28

"Are you sure you can't come? it will be nice to see you before the baby is born." Guilia whines as I open the door of my house. "I can't Guilia, I have finals. I promised my friend I would stay with her for the long weekend," The lie comes naturally as I take the stairs to my bedroom. "I never see you anymore," Sitting on my bed reading my new book, ‘Archangel's Prophecy' is Xander. "Can we talk about this later? I have to go." "I guess, I love you." She says as I end the call and pull off my pumps, flinging them both at him. He whacks the one with my book across the room and the other grabs with his free hand. "What the hell are you doing in my room?" Gosh, he is annoying. His dark brown hair is cropped shorter than I am used to. I haven't seen him for 2 days. "Waiting for you." His deep gaze, lighter than my own twinkles as he gives me one of his mischievous smiles. "And you couldn't wait in your own room? Or some other part of the house?" "No, I got you a little present." He gets off my white covered bed. He's in jeans and a blue tee that does wonders for his body. I will never tell him that though. Wouldn't want him to get a big head. That's why he makes you flush, Aliyana, because he is arrogant, or is it something more? I stretch my hand out, but he doesn't put anything inside it. He stands behind me. His body heat close, to mine. He slides my hair to the side as I remain stiff, waiting. His breath catches my naked ear, "You know, Aliyana, beauty lies within the flesh, bone deep, where only the curious can see, and the brave will conquer. I have tried to decide which one describes you, curious, or brave." "Have you figured it out?" He puts his hands over my head and reveals a chain with a pendant. I don't get to examine it as he fastens the link, sealing it on my neck. "I think a bit of both." He spins me around slowly, and I stand there, looking at him, in the middle of my bedroom. Will he kiss me, will he too leave me for an Italian woman? What will happen after we kiss? Does he like me? What is he thinking? Should I make the first move? No, that didn't end well with Marco. Maybe he just wants me to stare at him like this. His face transforms into a smile, as he kisses my forehead. "I wanted to be the first to give you your gift, it matches the dress you wearing tomorrow." "Thank you, It's beautiful." "But you haven't seen it, how would you know it is beautiful?" My cheeks heat up as he laughs and holds me by the shoulders taking me to the long oval mirror on the right side of my bedroom. My eyes stare at him in the mirror. He is very attractive, and his Accent that once annoyed me, is missed in this lonely house when he is running errands for me which has become a frequent thing. "Look at your necklace." My eyes drop to my neck, and my breath catches a bit, it is beautiful, the Pendant is shaped like an eye, with diamonds as the outline and a black diamond in the centre. Is it odd that Marco's Catelli's black eyes pop into my head, ruining this moment, but also claiming it at the same time? My phone rings, as the door bells goes off. "I should go get that! Marcus is sending Sabastian to stay tonight with Salvatore and you. We have some business. Leonardo and Killer are going to New York. Try to get some sleep, you have a big day tomorrow." Our moment is gone, faded away. We have had a few of them, but with an enemy who becomes your body guard, and later someone you possibly fall in love with, you can never know if it means something. Plus, I have been wrong before. I sigh, as I look at my neck, such a beautiful gift from an evil person. I wonder the extent of his crimes just as I wonder of the taste of his lips. I hear the door close as a text comes to my phone. What ya up to biatch that you ain't answering my call? Taking that hottie Sal for a ride? Or Xander? .KB I laugh shaking my head and dial Kylie. "Knew that shit will get your attention," She says in greeting. One thing I know about Kylie is her tendency to avoid goodbyes, hellos and new meetings. She prefers everything to start from the middle. "It will get anyone's attention coming from you. What's the plans?" "Was thinking since I needa chat with Mr Crime Boss for a bit we go to Azure, have lunch, and then you and Deno can do your thing? Also, tonight's the Fraternity Partay, if you can get Xander to take a hike for the night and get Mister ‘Hot Salvatore' to skedaddle your sexy behind to that said Partay I would be ever grateful, got my chick B with me, I wanna introduce your ass." I smile because by the sounds of it, Kylie wants to introduce me to Amariya and that says something. "Xander isn't around tonight, I will skedaddle my behind and meet you ladies there, you are aware we could have just said all of this later when we having lunch, right." Kylie laughs, "I ain't talking smack today, I actually have stories that need to be spilled tonight involving a very sexy male specimen, that is going to take all our talk time." I laugh and don't stop laughing even after Kylie cuts the call and I rush last minute to change my clothes. My phone rings and this time I frown at the number, "Hello?" "We need to talk." That voice has me closing my eyes and my vibrant mood shifting. My brother Aleksie. He called me months ago with news I wasn't yet ready to share. "I am all outa words." I clip the call short and take a long breath remembering I am supposed to be upstairs changing. Xander is sitting on the edge of my bed again. "I thought you are leaving?" I say as I walk past him and head into my closet. I look at the stacks of denim pants and grab a black pair and then turn to my t-shirts. I slip off the band around my wrist and begin gathering my hair into a high pony tail. "Alice hasn't answered her phone since yesterday, she was last seen with Camilla Moretti." "And I am supposed to care why?" He grips my arm and turns me to face him when I don't. "I know okay." He says it like I am supposed to know what he is talking about. "About what Xander?" My sarcasm is laced with irritation. "Your late nights with Salvatore Moretti for starters." I smile at this, and shake my head. "I have no idea what you are on about. Jealousy doesn't suit you." He is starting to get angry, a normal occurrence with Xander recently. "You think I was hounding you a year ago for nothing? I am trying to protect you Ali. You think I am the only one who knows of where you go? Why? Salvatore doesn't give a fuck about you, I do." My heart rate spikes but I give nothing away, that was a lesson I had to learn the hard way. Give them nothing. "You only give a fuck about yourself." "Keep believing what you want Ali Cat. Now isn't the time to play dumb, my sister could be in real danger and I am asking you to help me, please." "What danger could she be in? You are insinuating and not for the first time that Camilla is some dangerous vindictive bitch, when she is not. We have been over this Xander, she is your cousin. If Marco knew your little crazy fest against his beloved it will not end well for you." I happen to like having you around Xander. "Alice starts hanging out with her and all of a sudden she is missing? I always wondered what the twins were talking about that day at Azure, we would never know now would we?" I grip his wrist and stare at him in his eyes, as I pull his hold on me, and turn back to the stack of t-shirts. Spotting the white cotton tee with the words country ‘hot' girl painted across. His phone beeps and I leave him to it hoping it's urgent and he needs to leave. "Aleksie, Aliyana?." His words, those words. I grab my tee and keep calm as my heart rate spikes. Then I act. I spin around and kick him in his left leg. He blocks it acting fast and grabs me around my waist as I go for his throat. He grabs my wrist in an unyielding grip. This happens as I find my body suspended off the ground, my back hitting the shelves, my clothes I took out on the floor, while Xander Moretti's entire body is pinning me. I glare. He smiles like this is amusing, "That look Ali Cat." I struggle but stop when I feel something very hard, something that should not be hard. My eyes bug out and he laughs, actually fucking laughs. "This is not funny." "It is quite hilarious actually. I knew you were a little fire cracker, controlling all those boys, wrapping them around that pinkie of yours, but love, you have surpassed my expectation, I am impressed." "Can you let me go." "I happen to like you like this, now let's try this again, why are you talking to Aleksie and why is Alice seen with him and you at a fucking restaurant in Bratva territory? Scratch that, why are you and my sister talking to a fucking Russian in the first place?" "I will help you find Alice, but don't ask me that question." My voice is soft, I knew this would happen. Someone was bound to find out eventually. He lets me go, and my feet hit the ground, but Xander crowds me in, keeping me trapped as his eyes look at me, like he doesn't know me. He is right to look at me like this. How can he know me, when I don't even know myself. "An enemy is an enemy to the Famiglia and Aleksie happens to be one of them. An enemy I like to keep alive." "I understand your need to sneak off and spend time with Mero, he is after all like a brother. It must be hurtful knowing your father loved your mother but still decided to fuck around and have Alice. But if your father knew his bastard daughter lived right under his nose, he won't be as forgiving as I am, to either of you. He loves you, but he loves that power just as much and Alice is a secret he wouldn't want to get out. So naturally I figured this out, which wasn't difficult. You weren't exactly the most discreet about this. Which is why I cut it down. Protecting you. You are welcome by the way, though it still remains a mystery why Aleksie has any contact with you?" I shouldn't answer, I know I shouldn't. I close my eyes as the pain hits me, for months I have kept this secret, for months. I knew my relationship with Aleksie would eventually become a problem. But not like this. "He's my brother. And I don't see why I should answer to you." He frowns, "Your mother was quite the busy woman, yes, but why are you in contact with him." I inhale deeply, "My mother, is dead and I am his only sister he actually still talks to." Xander laughs and I don't find it funny at all. "I was looking for my other sister, Azurella." I say picking up my clothes off the floor. "And Aleksie one day showed up in Seattle, telling me to stop looking for my sister. I knew the moment I met him, he was good, I didn't know he was after Stephan DeMarco until Alice and I started meeting in the evenings. He showed up." Xander stares at me, filled with questions. "What does this have to do with Alice?" "Alice and Aleksie liked each other, last year Camilla started asking questions about me again, but she must not be very liked because Aleksie found out and let's just say Alice and him weren't thrilled with the idea of her snooping. So, Alice started hanging out with her to see what her deal was and who was feeding her information about me." "What did she find out?" "Camilla was getting the information from me." Salvatore walks into view, my closet now three times smaller. Both men. Xander turns to glare at the guy. His like for him non-existent. "Salvatore was giving her false information. I trust him." "And now Alice is missing?" Xander queries. "No, she isn't missing, she's with Aleksie far from here." "She's pregnant," Salvatore clarifies and as much as I WANT to slap him, I don't. Xander looks at us, both of us and says nothing. His eyes working as we all stay in this closet space staring. Yes, I am very guilty, but I am also just a person trying to protect the ones I love. "You should get ready." He says as Salvatore walks away. Xander stands there as I move past him. I head into the bathroom attached to my bedroom and look at myself in the mirror. My emerald eyes darker, my face showing the secrets I keep hidden. The lies I have told in the past and the extent of my crimes. Everybody looks at me, pale skin, long blonde hair. I look untouched by the harshness of the world I am born into but I am anything but, my soul was tainted right along with the rest of them. I slip off my dress and start changing my clothes. My bathroom is small and was an added attachment my father put in when I begged for the walk-in closet. It is a charcoal bath with a matching toilet and silver powder colored tiles. It was the only thing my father ever picked in the house. The thought makes me smile as I get dressed. Xander was right about a lot of things today, but his opinion about my brother was not. For his own safety I hope he keeps the story to himself. I take my time hoping that Xander isn't outside this bathroom. He is a dangerous person and one day he will be powerful, but right now he is a 24-year-old man with knowledge that can get him killed very quickly. He is gone by the time I am ready to leave and I waste no time getting into the Bentley and going to see my friend Kylie.