Page 127 of Wicked

44

ELLA

As the jet flies us away from danger, I lie on the bed and stare at the ceiling. I could have died or worse, all because I ran away from my problems, but what Alex told me on his jet was impossible to shake from my mind.

Your father was his employee. The man who ordered the hit on him was Remy Morrone.

I swallow hard, knowing that while I have ignored much of what he does, I can’t ignore that if it’s true. I must confront him. The question is, will he even remember?

There are a few bedrooms in the jet. The injured guys are being tended to in one of the others, and the nurse gave me an ice pack for my ankle.

The door slides open. Remy’s huge form takes up the entire doorway as he enters. “How are you feeling?”

I sit up and look at him. “Like an idiot. One of your men died because of me.” I swallow hard, unable to overcome the guilt, but in the back of my mind, I’m trying to work out how to bring up my dad. It feels like the photo Alex gave me is burning a hole in my pocket.

He shakes his head. “Running away may have made it easier for Alex, but he would have struck at some point, no matter what.”

I clench my jaw and nod. “Alex told me something. Something I hope isn’t true.”

Remy tilts his head. “What is it?”

I draw in a deep breath and pull out the photos. “Alex said you employed my dad and ordered the hit on him.”

Remy takes the photos and looks over them, his expression not revealing the truth. “I didn’t kill this man.”

Relief coils through me; I know he could have easily ordered Dad’s murder. I hate to think how many men Remy is responsible for killing or ordering their demise. “You promise?” I ask, knowing it would kill me if he lied.

There’s no hesitation as he nods. “I promise. He was a contact for the Navarro cartel in Mexico. I met with him about a drug deal.” His jaw clenches. “It didn’t go too well, and we didn’t agree to a deal, but I didn’t order a hit on him.” He runs a hand across the back of his neck. “I’m not stupid enough to cross Ileana Navarro.”

My brow furrows. “Who is she?”

“A ruthless woman. One I’m thankful I’ve never met in person.”

I nod, and a resigned silence falls between us. Remy sits at the end of the bed and stares at me, eyes full of an undetectable emotion. “I’ve never been so scared as when I realized you were gone the morning after our argument.”

“Scared?” I ask, wondering why. “Surely you knew I was angry and took off.”

He nods. “Yes, but look what happened to your mother—”

“Alex admitted he killed her,” I say, a sob breaking out. “He was the monster all along.”

He clenches his jaw. “I know. We found out a while back that Vishekov was behind her death.”

I sit up straighter. “And you didn’t think to tell me about it? At least then, I would have known I wasn’t safe when I bumped into him at the airport.”

Remy’s eyes flash. “I didn’t know I needed to warn you, as I didn’t expect you to take off in the middle of the night after one little argument.”

My shoulders slump. “I’ve never been good with confrontation.”

Remy clears his throat. “Do you know why I was so scared, angel?”

I look him in the eye and shake my head.

“Because despite insisting I don’t believe in love, the truth is I’ve fallen in love with you.”

My breath hitches, and I feel my chest soar. Is it possible? Could the man I’ve fallen for really love me?

“Are you just saying that?”

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