I can’t speak. It’s like there’s a rock stuck inside my throat, and I can neither swallow nor breathe. I bet they hurt my uncle. I bet they pushed him down the steps.
“Say something,” Alessio orders softly.
I inhale a troubled breath. On the exhale, I ask, “Does my aunt know?”
“From what I understand, they’re divorced.”
“Yes, but they remained close. What about my brother?”
“He was at your aunt’s already. It seems there’s a court arrangement where she has him on the weekdays during his school.”
“How do you know all this?”
“You’re a part of my household, and I inquired about your family and their whereabouts, routines, etcetera.”
Is he saying he’s following my family? To have heard about my uncle falling down the steps, he must have a person who delivered this information. I should be asking about my uncle’s well-being, but I can’t summon the courage to speak with Alessio at all because I don’t know how much he already knows and how much he’ll uncover since the perps are also following my family.
Alessio tilts his head. “I hope shock is the reason you didn’t ask about your uncle but instead asked about my information network.”
I’m shocked and terrified. That’s why I dare not ask. “You told me he’s in the hospital and that he’s okay after the fall.” If Alessio follows my family, then he’ll realize the perp who pushed him down the steps is the same man who was in the back of the cab. I’m pretty sure of it. Then this entire situation will unravel, putting my little brother even more at risk. The criminals could think I told Alessio about them.
“Please stay away from my family,” I say, my voice surprisingly steady. I mean it. My brother is everything to me. “It’s creepy that you’re having them followed.”
Alessio shows me his teeth, but before he says anything, he closes Leo’s partition. Sitting back down, Alessio hisses, “You’re the one who showed up in my house. Since I was clear that night in the hotel about how I want to fuck you, which is every which way I damn well please, I’m now having to live with this want in my pants each and every hour of my day.
“Excuse the fuck out of me if I’ve taken an interest in your family, who I’ve never met. Believe me, my interest in you is as much of an inconvenience for me as it is for you. But you’ll deal it as I’m dealing with it. One day at a time, until we fuck again. And we will fuck again, I have no doubt. And we will like it, no doubt.
“By the end of this week, I will know everything there is to know about you and yours. They live ordinary lives, so I’m thinking the reason you’re so freaked out over my acquiring information about your family is your ex.” Alessio loosens his tie and licks his lips. He appears excited now, and I don’t know why. “When my people delivered your passport and the new phone, your ex called. I answered and pressed him to tell me why he called.”
I’m getting a headache. “Why did he call?”
“He called to inform you about your uncle. Apparently, one of his buddies works in the hospital where your uncle was admitted.”
“Karen. It’s Karen who works there.”
“Karen told him, then. Which violates patient privacy, but that’s neither here nor there.”
I rub my temples and look out the window. “Thank you. I guess.”
“He asked who I was, and I told him I was your new boyfriend. I hope you don’t mind. He then proceeded to call me names and threaten me, which I ignored because if I ever meet him, he’ll piss in his dirty jeans. One thing did bother me. He claimed you’re still his.”
“We broke up.”
“He hasn’t moved on,” Alessio says.
“I know.” I check the time. It’s early morning in the US. “I’d love to call my uncle when we land.”
“Unfortunately, due to the concussion, he’s unconscious.”
“Oh no.”
“I spoke with his physician, and he’ll text you with progress updates every morning starting today.”
“This is all a little too much.”
Alessio offers me his hand. I know what he’ll do if I take it. He’ll pull me onto his lap.
I take his hand, and Alessio sets me on his lap, then arranges my blanket over me. When I hug him, I tuck my nose into the crook of his neck and inhale the smell of him. His arms hold me tightly, and with the blanket over me, I’m in the safest place on earth.
