Chapter 39 (Aliyana)


    “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 re.


    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 heughs actually fuckingughs.


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    “This is not funny.”


    “It is quite hrious actually. I knew you were a little firecracker, 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 ce?”


    “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 wee 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 rtionship with Aleksie would eventually be 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.”


    Xanderughs and I don’t find it funny at all.


    “I was looking for my other sister, Azure,” 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,st year Cami 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?”


    “Cami was getting the information from me.” Salvatore walks into view, my closet now three times


    smaller. Both men.


    Xander turns to re 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 Aleksei far from here.”


    “She’s pregnant,” Salvatore rifies and as much as I WANT to p 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.