Page 113 of Broken Pieces
Yeah, I’ve heard enough.
Considering this isn’t part of the plan, this will probably go south very quickly. Bottom line is that Alex can kill me if he really wants to. He has the means, that’s for sure.But for Damian? I’ll go to the ends of the earth for that man—including risking my life. I quickly slide my hand along my upper thigh, locating the small concealed knife, and press its tip against his neck. I don't give him a chance to react as I swiftly raise my knee and strike his groin.
Thank fuck for those self-defense classes I took when I moved to Chicago.
“What the fuck, Ari!?” he shouts.
“You better listen to me real good. I recorded every word you spat out of your miserable mouth, so your moronic plan is done for.” I can tell he's still dealing with that groin pain, so I decide to hit him again, harder, just to be safe. I press the tip of the knife a bit more, and a tiny drop of blood appears.
“You’re lucky I don’t fucking kill you right now,” I snarl.
Matteo and Lorenzo burst the door open, entering the apartment, quickly striding toward us and forcing me away from Alex.
Matteo whistles. “You wentwayoff script, Red.”
Alex attempts to rise, but Lorenzo seizes him by the neck and pushes him down to the floor. “If you think I'm going to let you make one single move, you're dead wrong,” he snarls.
“I’m going to fucking kill all of you. I have connections. You don’t know who you’re messing with.”
Lorenzo’s eyes flash with amusement. “Believe me, you've got no clue who you're messing with,” Hetightens the grip on Alex’s neck, cutting off his air. “I'll kill you.Don't push me.”
Lorenzo’s whiskey eyes become icy with intensity, making me gulp. There’s more to him than I know, and I don’t think I want to find out.
Alex grips his hand, struggling to breathe. “P-please.”
Matteo strides next to them. “Enzo, man. Let go of him. You’re going to kill him.”
Lorenzo’s gaze snaps to Matteo. “You think I fucking care? I’ll end this motherfucker right here and bury him six feet under.”
“Yeah? And what do you think it’s gonna happen when we go to the FBI with all the evidence and Alex is suddenly nowhere to be found? You really want to take that chance? Let him go. We have everything we need. Damian’s safe now,” Matteo urges.
The silence in the apartment is deafening, except for Alex’s struggle to get out of Lorenzo’s grip. His shoulders relax as he lets go of Alex’s neck and gets up, brushing his suit like nothing happened.
Matteo points a finger at Alex. “Needless to say, I’m tailing you. If you make one single wrong move or try to flee the country, I will let Enzo get away with anything he wants. And if he fails, I will hunt you until the ends of the earth and kill you myself. And trust me, I won’t fail.”
Matteo’s icy blue eyes become almost gray as he threatens Alex. This is the side of him I knew deep down he had.A scary, menacing one. I’m sure managing a successful cybersecurity business comes with its fair share of horror. If those eyes could talk, it wouldn’t be pretty.
He looks over his shoulder and flips his menacing swift, going back to his sunshine personality. “Let’s go save your man, Red.”
I let out a sigh of relief as my shoulders loose, giving a subtle nod. All I want is to leave this place.
Before going after them, I hunker down to Alex, meeting eye to eye, and I grin. “I hope you rot in hell.”
Rising to my feet, my heart beats fast as I eagerly walk out, feeling more alive than ever before.
Days blend into one another. It's just me and my newfound buddy—the booze. It’s the only company I've got since I've shut everyone else out. What’s the point of talking to anyone? None of them are Aria.
I fucked up, that much is obvious. I should've been honest with her. Over the past year, she's been my rock, helping me transform into a man I can genuinely be proud of. I envisioned a future where I'd stand by her side for the rest of our lives. But now? It's like all those hopes and dreams don't mean a damn thing.
My life’s ruined. The woman I love slipped through my fingers. I’m about to plead guilty for something I didn’t do for her sake. I don’t even care about the money, the fame, or my reputation. I just wish I had one more day with her.If I had known that the last time I kissed her would be the final one, I would have savored it more. I would've expressed everything in my heart, held her close, and gazed at her until every detail was etched in my memory—every feature, freckle, laugh.Everything.
My lawyer called me into his office to talk one more time and go over the plan for tomorrow’s indictment. Considering my name and status and the fact this is my first crime, I may be looking at serving about eight years, even less if I stay in line. I have a pounding headache from my hangover, but I need to get this taken care of. Last thing I want is anyone barging into my fucking house. I almost fired my concierge for letting people in. Luck was on his side, though, because every name was on the visitor’s approved list. I wonder how Alex got his name in there, but again, this man has done more than enough. That was probably nothing for him.
I head into Liam's office and drop into one of the chairs. “Let's get this over with.”
Liam presses his lips together, crossing his legs, and fixates his eyes on me.
“What?” I snap.
