AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Nat quickly pulls out her phone and shows him a photo of her and Alexis. In the image, Alexis stands tall, her slender frame belying the strength in her posture as she firmly grips the gun Nat is teaching her to fire. Her brow is furrowed in concentration, her hazel eyes alight with a fierce determination that makes my heart swell with pride.
For the briefest of moments, I swear I see Bobby’s features soften as he gazes at the photo. But then it’s gone, his face once again a mask of stone.
“How and why was Alexis Hartley taken?”
I straighten my shoulders, slipping back into the calculated, authoritative persona of a seasoned Mob Boss. “Alexis was targeted by The Brotherhood. They discovered she had escaped her foster family and boyfriend, who had sold her to them in the first place.”
His brow furrows slightly, but he remains silent, gesturing for me to continue.
“My men and I have been sheltering her for months, ever since we found her being held at gunpoint by one of your soldiers.” I pause, gauging his reaction. The tightening of his eyes tells me he doesn’t appreciate that particular detail.
“When her abusive ex-boyfriend, Mark, tried to drag her back to the Carter house, Alexis was forced to kill him in self-defense.” I meet Bobby’s gaze steadily, refusing to show any sign of weakness.
“The Brotherhood has had a soldier stationed outside the Carter house—in your territory—for months now, hoping for any sign of Alexis.” It takes everything in me to not ask Bobby how the fuck his men managed to miss a rival gang member in their territory, but I resist the urge.
This is for Alexis.
“And then,” I continue, “my fucking traitorous uncle Vinny must have recognized Alexis when he came into my home unauthorized. He tipped off Scarlett, which is why they lured me and Nat to Basil and Olive—so Scarlett could storm my home, slaughter my men, and take Alexis.”
Bobby’s jaw clenches, a muscle twitching in his cheek. For a long, tense moment, he is silent. Then, finally, he speaks.
“Done,” he says, his tone clipped. “Invicta will help.”
I can’t help but be taken aback at his ready agreement, given the longstanding animosity between our families. Edo voices the question on all our minds. “Why are you helping us? What’s in it for you?”
The Don’s expression hardens, his jaw clenching. “That’s my business.” He stands, his hulking frame casting an imposing shadow over us. “But know this—when I see Scarlett Rafa and Vincente Iacopelli next, I’m going to fucking kill them.”
With a final nod, he turns and strides away, his lieutenants falling in behind him. “I’ll be in touch.”
As we withdraw, I can’t ignore the sinking feeling in my gut. I’ve just made a deal with the devil, and I pray I won’t live to regret it.
Edo and Nat remain silent, their expressions grim. We all know the risk we’re taking, aligning ourselves with our sworn enemies. But for Alexis, we have no other choice.
Whatever the cost, we have to find her, no matter what it takes.
31
ALEXIS
I’m disoriented and confused as I slowly blink my eyes open, unsure of my surroundings. Gone are the familiar comforts of Damian’s home. Instead, I find myself in a stark, windowless room, the only light filtering in from the hallway.
As my gaze sweeps the space, a sinking feeling settles in my stomach. The other women in the room are all dressed in skimpy, provocative attire, heavy makeup caked on their faces, likely to conceal any bruises or marks.
And to my horror, I realize that some of them appear to be barely more than children. One girl in particular looks no older than sixteen, while another is so small, she could be mistaken for an elementary school student.
Glancing down, I see that I’m also dressed in a short, red dress that barely covers my ass.
And then it hits me—the attack at the mansion, Scarlett finding me and tying me to a chair in another unknown location, Vincente coming into the room and bragging that he killed my mother and is the reason Damian’s parents and sister are dead.
My stomach churns, nausea threatening to overtake me.
A gentle touch on my arm makes me jump, and I turn to see a young woman with red hair crouched beside me, her expression full of concern.
“Hey, you’re awake,” the woman whispers. “I was worried you might not come around. They just dumped you in here unconscious.”
My brow furrows at the woman’s words. “Where am I? What’s going on?”
The woman glances around nervously. “We’re in a hotel, I think. There are about a dozen of us here, all being held until…” She pauses, swallowing hard. “Until they sell us to the highest bidder.”
