Page 124 of Filthy Dirty Dom

Alex nodded. About five minutes later, they heard the wail of sirens in the distance.

Livia stirred. She blinked her eyes open, groaned in pain, and looked up at Alex.

He stared down at her then said, “Something tells me Luca won’t have a woman to bring him back from the edge when he finds out what you did. You’ll be dead before you ever reach trial anyway, Livia. But it won’t be by my hand. You have Leslie to thank for that. Or should I say, I do.”

As soon as the ambulance took Father Alessio’s body away and the police left with Livia, Alex took her trembling hands in his, their warmth a striking contrast against her icy skin.

"Leslie.” His voice broke through her shock, his thumb tracing soothing circles over her knuckles, the rhythmic motion almost hypnotic. He pulled her closer, his arms wrapping around her in a tight embrace. She leaned into him, her body instinctively seeking the comfort and security he provided.

He stroked her hair, his fingers gently untangling the knots. It was a simple, intimate gesture, but to Leslie, it felt like an anchor in the storm. He pressed his lips to the crown of her head.

"Thank you, Leslie," he whispered, his warm breath ghosting over her skin. "Thank you for stopping me."

Leslie clung to him and she found herself matching her breathing to his. Inhale. Exhale. With every breath, the horrific memory of being held at knifepoint and then fearing that Alex was going to kill Livia receded, pushed back by the calming cadence of Alex's voice and the comforting thud of his heartbeat.

With time, her shaking subsided, replaced with an exhausted calm. She remained nestled within Alex's arms, her body tucked safely against his. His heart continued its soothing rhythm, a silent reassurance that despite the horror they'd faced, they were still alive, and they still had each other.

Gently guiding Leslie back to their room, Alex spotted the monk who’d given him the phone when Luca called. The look of shock and devastation on the man's face struck a painful chord in his chest. It spoke to the hole that Father’s death would bring, not just to Alex’s life but to so any others.

Once they were safely tucked away in their new room, Alex gently maneuvered Leslie onto the bed and under the covers. He slipped in beside her, wrapping her in his arms and pressing a soft kiss to her forehead.

But even as he offered her comfort, his mind was in turmoil. He knew that they were standing at the edge of a precipice. The events of the night had opened a door that he couldn't close, one in which Leslie had calmed the monster within him. Saving him.

Yet his past was still stained with blood, his hands not fit to hold someone as pure and good as Leslie. He was a man born in darkness, his life defined by violence and deception. He might not have killed Livia, but he would have if Leslie hadn’t stopped him. He couldn't change who he was. And he couldn't drag Leslie into the darkness with him.

He tightened his hold around her, the fear of losing her, of causing her any more pain, clawing at him. But he knew what he had to do.

The monastery's walls were silent, a stark contrast to the chaos that had unfolded within them earlier. The only sound was the soft hush of Leslie's breath, as if the night had washed away the terror of the events.

"When we get back to New York," she began, her voice a low whisper in the quiet room, "it won't be like this. We can actually be together without all the danger."

Alex felt his heart breaking. He knew he had to tell her, knew the words that had to pass his lips, yet they felt like the bitterest betrayal. His heart was heavy, not just the pain he was going to cause her, but the suspense of his own destruction.

"I can't be with you, Leslie," he finally said, his voice barely more than a whisper, the words echoing like a death knell in the silent room. He felt her stiffen against him as the words hung between them, tangible and terrible. "I’m not safe for you. I will always have enemies. Livia is proof of that."

She pulled away, looking up at him with a fierce glare. "But you saved me, Alex. You saved me again and again.”

“Sunshine, you saved yourself by disarming Livia.”

“Only because you taught me how to do it. Without you even touching Livia, you saved me. You always will.”

The sight of her so earnest and trusting, believing in him despite all the odds, tore at him, making him feel like he was crumbling from the inside. "Until I don't save you. Or worse, until I’m the cause of your pain, just as I almost was tonight. I can’t be the cause, Leslie. I’m nothing but trouble."

"Alex, you're not—"

He interrupted her, his voice firmer, leaving no room for argument. "Mia's sister came after you, Leslie," he said. "Because of me. It was a reminder for us both – as much as I’ll always cherish our time together, there can’t be anything permanent between us.”

“Except our friendship, you mean,” she said bitterly.

When he didn’t answer, her eyes widened and she viciously pulled away from him and stood.

“We can’t even be friends anymore? You’re really going to do it? Leave New York?”

“Tonight showed me how I’ll always endanger anyone around me. That includes you, but it also includes your family. Even mine. Lee has Natalie to think of now.”

She was quiet for a moment, the silence stretching between them, a chasm that threatened to swallow them whole. He wanted to pull her back to him, but he knew he couldn't. Not this time. He had to do the right thing for her, even if it tore him apart.

He needed to push her away, for her own safety, for her own happiness.

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