Page 51 of Undeniable

We get to the Elephant exhibit when Alessandro takes off running in front of us. For the first time today, Gio lets go of my hand and chases after him, two of his men following quickly behind. I begin to jog with them when my phone falls out of my pocket.

I curse under my breath as I bend down to pick it up and shove it into my purse. As soon as it is safely secured, I go to step forward when a hand clamps over my mouth. I instantly scream, but the sound is muffled over the attacker’s hand. A strong arm wraps around my torso as he hauls me backwards into the bushes, just out of sight.

I kick and flail my body around in attempt to get out of my attackers hold, but it is no use. He is incredibly strong, and it feels like he has at least 6 inches on me. Finally, I do the only thing that I can think of, I bite down on the finger closest to me with all of my might.

A sharp inhale is made before I am spun around quickly, staying securely fastened in a pair of familiar arms.

“Fuck Kitty, you almost bit my damn finger off,” my cousin Alec curses as he holds the bleeding finger in his hand.

“Alec?” I question quietly as my gaze begins to dart quickly around us. “How did you find me? How did you grab me? Have you been following me all day?”

He lets out a humorless laugh as he shakes out his finger.

“Try all month. Getting a little cozy with the Mariano’s, I see.”

“What do you want?” I snap, knowing that if he would have confronted me in front of Gio, everything would be ruined.

“You weren’t responding to my text messages.”

“Yeah, well I have been a little busy.”

“So, I see. You know, I never would have thought that you out of everyone would be the one to want kids. Being a mom looks good on you.”

I roll my eyes at his backhanded compliment, knowing that it is all horse shit. He seems to understand that he isn’t going to get a rise out of me, so he quickly drops the issue before his face turns to stone and his body rigid.

“He knows you are here.”

Ice fills my veins as my feet remain frozen in place. I think Alec is still talking to me, but I can’t hear him over the blood thrumming in my ear drums. He knows I am in New York? He found me, already? I haven’t even been here for 6 months this time. Maybe hiding right under his nose wasn’t as clever of a plan as I thought. Shit, shit, shit.

“Kitty,” Alec snaps.

My eyes flick up to his chocolate worry filled ones as he looks down at me.

“You need to go, tonight. I have all of your new documents,” he says as he hands me the usual passport, driver’s license, birth certificate and an envelope filled with at least 20 grand in it. I take it numbly as I glance at the ID’s. Alyssa Jones, 24 years old from Bismark, North Dakota. In the documents, I find a one-way plane ticket to Arizona.Never been there before.

“I have a friend in Phoenix. He will look after you while you get settled, but you need to go now,” he says as he grabs my arm.

I take a few steps with him before I hear Giovanni’s booming voice calling out my name, each time filling with a little more panic than the last. As if calling out to the only shred of happiness I have ever held, I plant my feet into the dirt and skid us to a stop.

Alec looks back at me confused before he turns to fully face me. I lift my chin and shove the papers back into his chest.

“I am not going.”

His brows furrow as he takes a step closer to me.

“Are you fucking stupid? Did you not just hear what I said? He knows you are in New York. It is probably only hours until he finds you. It isn’t just you he will find either. He will find that little kid out there and the Underboss that you have been bedding.”

I wince at the disapproving tone his voice takes on. He has always been like an older brother to me. Victor and him were extremely close growing up and in result, so were we. He has been the one keeping me alive all these years. Always getting me out safe, putting his own life at risk every day just to protect me. I would have been dead a long time ago if it wasn’t for him so it kind of kills me to know that he doesn’t approve of how I am currently living my life.

“I am not going to keep running. Alec, I am so tired of running. I don’t want to just survive anymore. I want to live.”

He curses under his breath as he looks down at the ground before looking up at me.

“I can’t help you, if you don’t help yourself. I promised Vic if anything ever happened to him, that I would protect you with everything that I had. So let me do my damn job.”

“It isn’t your job anymore, Alec.”

He lets out a humorless laugh as he puts his hands onto his hips.

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