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“You fucked up big time,” Noah chastised Drake.
Drake turned the cool beer bottle over in his hand and began peeling the label. “I don’t have the faintest idea what you mean.”
“Don’t do this to Alessandra. She’s a great girl with a giant heart despite all the shit she’s experienced.”
“Don’t you think I know that?” Drake was irritated at being needled yet again.
“Yet you keep her at arm’s length,” Jerry added.
“I love her. I’m doing what I must to protect her.” Why didn’t they understand that?
It was a busy Wednesday evening at Hoolihan’s pub, where the three men met regularly for a kink-free drink night. They occupied one of the wooden-backed booths against the wall. Numerous high tables and stools dotted the floor between their seats and the walnut bar.
Wednesday was dart league night, chosen purposefully for the noise pollution. It allowed them to converse with a low risk of being overheard by the buzzy crowd.
“Protection is great. Smart, even,” Jerry began. “But I share things with my spouse to protect him. Hiding things or lying drives a wedge in your relationship that is hard to come back from.”
“You’re on the other side of things. In this world, we protect what’s ours. I failed her once, and that shit won’t ever happen again.” Drake slammed his bottle on the table with enough force that it began foaming.
“Are you willing to risk losing your wife in the process? Because that’s what’s going to happen.” Jerry stared daggers at Drake. “You forget I come from a less-than-stellar background. You don’t own the cornerstone on witnessing shit and changing your life.”
“She heard you at the safe house,” Noah said. “She knows you’re connected. What if she thinks you’re actually an associate of her father? Do you really want her to think you’re one of the bad guys?
“She’s done being kept in the dark, Drake. You know as well as we do how determined she is to sniff out the truth. What if she turns to Luca? She’s immersing herself in a dangerous game. Your pride is clouding your judgment, and she could get hurt.”
Drake growled, “Don’t you bring up his fucking name. Not after the shit he did to you and her.”
“Are you threatened by him? Do you think she still has feelings for him, Drake?”
In the far recesses of his mind, he was terrified that Alessandra still had feelings for the man. It was Drake’s fault Alessandra had endured years of abuse at her father’s hand. Instead of making his claim and guarding her, he was fuck-knows-where, likely at the bottom of a bottle with a nameless mouth wrapped around his cock.
Confession was allegedly good for the soul. Drake hated kneeling before a priest and begging to be absolved for sins he was never sorry for committing in the first place. But what if confessing something he couldn’t tell his wife eased some of the guilt in his gut? What if he figured out a way to move forward?
“Grant’s source in the Russo family informed him of the wedding day bait and switch. Riley and I ended our engagement before the wedding, but knowing Alessandra would be the bride, I decided not to cancel the wedding.”
“Why the fuck would you do that to her?” Noah asked, shocked.
“Alessandra Russo was always supposed to be mine. There are some things you can fight, and then fate likes to fuck you in the ass.”
Drake took a swig of his beer, eager to climb off the hot seat, but Noah’s anger didn’t dissipate.
“You’re an egocentric fucking bastard, Drake! You can’t justify your selfishness with some bullshit line about protection. You tortured the poor girl and made her miserable for months.”
“I know,” Drake said, admonished.
“You better figure out how you’re going to make things right. Because at this point, we’re done safeguarding your secrets. Alessandra deserves real love. Not some impudent fool who will only end up hurting her again.”
“And who’s going to take care of her? You?” Drake snorted.
“Yes!” Noah retorted angrily.
Drake was taken aback by Noah’s brazen outburst. It was so out of character for the even-tempered man. He sat like a white knight with his glass of lemon water. Drake studied him for a moment and wondered if it was possible his feelings for Alessandra ran deeper than he admitted. Or if he was lashing out because of the trauma he suffered at Luca’s hands.
Jerry put his hand on his husband’s arm. “It’s okay, Noah. We all love Alessandra and want what’s best for her.”
An awkward silence fell upon the table like a heavy shroud. The men focused on their drinks in an attempt to gather their thoughts and find a more productive route of conversation.
“I have a plan,” Drake admitted. “Alessandra will be free from Tony and Luca if everything works out. Our mission will be complete, and we can all move forward with our lives.”
