Page 123 of Filthy Dirty Dom

From Leslie's perspective, the world was a precarious balancing act on the edge of a knife, quite literally. The blade pressed against her skin was uncomfortably cold, and she felt her pulse throbbing against the sharp edge, each beat a stinging reminder of her fragility.

The fear was there, a white-hot presence coiling in her stomach. She saw the reflection of it in Alex's eyes. It was a strange sort of comfort to know they were in this together.

As Alex continued to talk to Livia, Leslie found herself focusing on his voice.

"Why would you put your daughters in danger, Livia?" Alex asked, his voice carefully controlled. "They're innocent in all this."

Livia scoffed, a harsh sound that echoed through the silent room. "There are always casualties in war, Alex. Bella and Maria... they're too soft. Just like Mia was. They wouldn't last a day in our world."

The cold detachment in Livia's voice sent a shiver down Leslie's spine. To think of her own children as collateral damage... it was unthinkable. Yet, Livia spoke of it as if it was a mere fact of life.

As Livia continued to justify her actions, Leslie tried to focus on survival.

From the moment that cold blade pressed against Leslie's throat, her mind had cycled through the teachings Alex had instilled in her during their self-defense lessons. She was vividly aware of every time Livia shifted, every time her grip loosened slightly or her attention wavered.

Alex's voice continued, a steady rhythm of calm and controlled questions. It was during a moment when Livia's gaze flicked to Alex that Leslie made her move.

She remembered Alex's instructions about leverage and the frailty of the human wrist. Her hands, previously limp, sprang to life. One hand snapped up to grasp Livia's wrist while her other hand seized the base of the blade. With a swift, twisting motion, she was able to yank the knife away and bend Livia’s wrist back until she dropped the knife.

But there was no time to dwell on the triumph. Livia's shock quickly gave way to rage, and she lunged at Leslie. Leslie dove to the side, feeling the air whoosh past her as Livia's fingers barely missed her.

Alex surged forward, his years of training evident in the grace and precision of his movements. His arms closed around Livia, his hands forcing hers to open and release the knife that she'd managed to swipe from the floor. The knife clattered to the ground, landing near Leslie's feet. Alex turned and shoved Livia against the wall, his hand clasped around her throat, causing Livia to instantly gasp for breath.

"Hand me the knife," Alex commanded, his voice cold, detached.

Slowly, she picked up the knife. It felt heavy and foreign in her grip. She saw the determination in Alex’s eyes, the resolution that lay within him.

"You know what I'm about to do," he said softly, almost regretfully. "What I have to do. It would have been done long ago, if I hadn't been so blind."

“Alex,” she whispered.

“She killed Father Alessio, Leslie.”

Leslie gasped, her gaze shooting to Livia, who was frantically clawing at Alex’s fingers in her attempt to get him to release her throat.

Father’s gentle face flashed in her mind, as did the realization that once again, Alex had lost someone important to him.

She pictured it then: handing him the knife. The blade flashing once. A gurgling noise filling the air, followed by the sickening sound of liquid hitting the floor as Livia's eyes widened before she crumpled to the ground.

Livia probably deserved such a gruesome death, but Alex?

He already felt like a monster; killing this woman would solidify that thought in his mind, form it into something that could never be broken down.

She threw the knife across the room.

“No, Alex. That’s not you. Let the police handle her.”

For a moment, Alex just stared at Leslie, his eyes blazing with frustration. But slowly, that frustration slowly melted away, as did the look in his eyes that demanded vengeance. Blood. His grip on Livia didn’t loosen, but Leslie saw it, how quickly he regained his humanity. Suddenly, he was staring at Leslie with nothing but awe and adoration.

Slowly, he allowed Livia to take a breath of air.

Almost immediately, Livia started laughing. “Weak. Just like Mia. You know how to pick them, Alex.”

Alex turned his head to look at her, then in a blur of movement, chopped his hand against her neck. Livia’s eyes rolled back in her head and she collapsed to the ground.

“I just knocked her out,” he said. “Grab the phone I put down and call the police.”

Leslie nodded, grabbing the phone. When she just stared at it, Alex instructed her how to call the equivalent of 911. Thankfully, the person who answered spoke English. “They’re on their way,” Leslie said.

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