Her words hang heavily in the air.
“How could anyone hurt her like that?” I rasp, almost choking over the lump clogging my throat. Tears prick the backs of my eyes. “How long was she subjected to that?” Leaning my head back, I close my eyes momentarily as a fresh wave of anger burns through my veins.
I jerk upright at the sound of approaching footsteps, shoving my emotions back inside. Serena needs me to be strong, and I won’t fail her. Sierra emerges, holding her trembling sister under one arm. Nat takes the two bags from Sierra’s free hand, her features softening as she glances at Serena. Rena’s head is down, her hair curtaining her face.
“Let’s get out of here,” I say, deliberately gentling my tone.
We say quick goodbyes with the boutique owner, and I make a mental note to get Ben to have a word with her about her security. It’s really not adequate and requires upgrading.
Oursoldatiremain alert as I escort everyone outside. I stride to the limo, opening the door for the ladies. Serena doesn’t look up as she scrambles into the back, pressing her body in close to the side of the car, as if she wishes she could disappear inside it. She wraps her arms around her torso and looks down at her lap, letting her hair shield her again. Sierra looks at me with the saddest expression as she climbs in beside her. Nat and I sit on the opposite seat, and one of the soldiers gets in with us while the second one takes shotgun up front.
The atmosphere is thick with tension as we drive toward Ben’s apartment building, and no one speaks.
Serena avoids eye contact with all of us as we ride the elevator, and I can almost see Sierra’s heart breaking on the inside. She looks as helpless as I feel. Sierra glances anxiously at her sister as Serena stares at her feet. “Do you want to come up to the penthouse?” she softly asks.
We had previously agreed that Serena and her kids would sleep in the guest room in my apartment, one level below Ben’s penthouse. He only has three bedrooms, and they are all occupied. I even had bunk beds delivered this week in anticipation of Elisa’s and Romeo’s arrival as the double bed in the guest room would not have been big enough for all three of them. I was looking forward to spending some time together this weekend, and I don’t want Serena to hide away in the penthouse.
But if that’s what she needs, I won’t protest.
This isn’t about me. It’s about her.
Serena shakes her head, and relief washes over me.
“Do you want me to come to Alesso’s apartment with you?” Sierra inquires, sharing a strained look with Natalia.
Serena shakes her head again, and Sierra eyeballs me with evident concern. We exchange a silent communication where I reassure her I will take care of her sister. The elevator pings when it reaches our level. “We’re here,” I say because Rena still has her head down. Without speaking, she shuffles past me, out into the hallway.
“I don’t much feel like going out now,” Sierra says as I wedge my body in between the elevator doors to stop it from closing.
“Serena would hate it if she ruined your night.” I take the bag with Serena’s dress from Nat. “You should still go out. I will try talking to her, and I will stay with her if she would rather stay in.”
Sierra nods, reaching out for my arm as I move to step into the hallway. “Be very careful with her, Alesso. She’s extra fragile right now.”
I pierce Sierra with a solemn expression. “I am always careful with her, and I won’t do anything to make it worse. I promise.”
“Text me,” Sierra hollers as I exit the elevator and the doors start to close. I nod and turn around, striding down the corridor toward my broken angel.
15
ALESSO
Serena is standing outside my door, hugging herself like that’s the only thing keeping herself together. I open the door and step aside to let her in. Nario gets up from his position on the couch, his brow creasing as Serena rushes past him toward the bathroom. He pins me with an inquisitive look. One I ignore.
“We need a bit of alone time.” I jerk my head toward the door. “I will call you when you are needed.” The agreement was Nario would babysit Serena’s kids while Ciro will watch over Rowan at the penthouse. Nario cracks his knuckles and bobs his head while hurrying past me. When the door closes behind him, I head to my kitchen and grab a couple of cookies and make a cup of hot, sweet tea for Serena.
She is just coming out of the bathroom when I appear in the narrow hallway, which houses the bedrooms and main bathroom, carrying a plate and a steaming mug. “Do you want to use my bedroom, or would you like to come into the living room?” I ask, knowing she won’t want to disturb her kids while they are sleeping.
She stares at me with the most heartrending expression, and I would happily chop off a limb if it would remove the misery and shame from her face. “The living room,” she croaks, and I press my back against the wall to let her walk past me without touching.
I follow her over to the couch, placing the cookies and hot drink down in front of her. “I made you some tea, and you should eat something.” Grabbing the plaid blanket off the back of my couch, I hand it to her. “Put that on until the room warms up.” Using the remote, I switch on my electric fire, cranking it to the max, because she’s still shaking, and I know she must be feeling cold. Silently, she drapes the blanket around her shoulders, diverting her gaze again. A little bit of the tightness eases in my chest when she grabs the mug, wrapping both hands around it and taking a small sip.
I lower myself into my recliner chair, hating the strained silence that engulfs us. I am not sure how to handle this, but if she is embarrassed by what we saw, she needs to know I don’t pity her. I never could. Not when she’s one of the strongest women I have ever known. She shouldn’t be ashamed, and I’m guessing she must be because she had kept this a secret from her sister and her best friend. I wish she could see herself how we see her. To know that none of us judge her for the things she was forced to endure.
“I know you probably don’t want to talk about it,” I say, wetting my lips. “And that is totally fine. I would never force you to discuss anything you didn’t want to, but I need to get this off my chest.”
She lifts her head and looks at me.
“If you think I think differently about you after seeing your back, know that I don’t. I have always believed you to be one of the bravest women, and now I know it is undoubtedly true. You’re a fighter, Serena. A survivor. And I fucking admire you so much.”
