“Fuck,” I whispered, harshly rubbing my eyes.
“The police report says that Joaquin shot him, but everyone in the families knows the truth. It’s going to make the target on her and Alexis’s back that much bigger. Simon was John’s partner in his effort to take over Victor’s organization, and now, he’s goingto stop at nothing in order to ensure I don’t bring anymore of his men under my fold.”
“I’ll ratchet up security here,” I said, rubbing my chin. “Should we move to another safehouse? Maybe one upstate or in Central Jersey until this dies down?”
“I don’t think so. This is going to accelerate things to a much faster pace, and I’m not sure that’s a bad thing. I’m going to put out the call that Victor’s men have one week to join me or they’ll be put on my hit list. I’m done building bridges and trying to do this without bloodshed. Blood has spilled, and there’s no reason to wait anymore.”
Sighing, I nodded. “I’ll tell Alexis. She’s going to want to see Bianca.”
“Absolutely not,” Michael said, his tone firm. “She’s in even more danger now. Extracting the information in her head was valuable, but killing Rossi’s daughter will send a stark message. Stay in the Massapequa safehouse for now while I accelerate things. If I foresee any danger, I’ll move you. And tell Alexis she can be as pissed at me as she wants, but she’s not to leave the safehouse.”
“She’s more likely to be pissed at me,” I muttered.
“I thought you two were getting along?” Michael asked.
“Actually, we are, but this is going to rattle her, understandably.”
“Then do your best to console her and let her know that her mother’s recovery is my utmost priority. I’ll set up a video chat with Bianca as soon as she’s home and able to do so. That’s the best I can do.”
“Okay. Please tell Bianca I’m thinking about her. She’s tough, Michael. I know she’ll pull through.”
Michael blew out a breath. “I hope so. I’ll call you when I have an update.”
The phone went dead, and my eyes drifted to the ceiling as I wondered how to break the news to Alexis. In my experience, ripping off the band-aid was the best course of action in situations like this, so I figured I’d break the news quickly.
I found her buried in her laptop as usual, sitting on the living room couch. She beamed at me as I approached, and I almost mourned that gorgeous smile, knowing I was going to douse it.
“How was your workout?”
I took the laptop from her and closed it before setting it on the coffee table.
“Um, excuse me? I was working on something—”
“I have news,” I said, hating to bring her even one once of pain.
“Okay.” She shifted and lifted her eyebrows. “Shoot.”
I updated her on the situation, my heart breaking as she began to cry. I slid my arm around her shoulders, hugging her into my side as I gave her the awful news.
“How long is the surgery?” she asked, her lips trembling as tears slid down her cheeks. “When can I see her?”
Sighing, I gently cupped her chin. “You can’t. It’s too dangerous. I’ve talked it over with Michael—”
“Wait, what?” She withdrew from my embrace and stared at me incredulously. “Of course, I’m going to see her. She’s my mother and she’s hurt. She needs me—”
“She needs you to bealive, Alexis,” I said, trying to keep my voice calm in the face of her agitation. “You can video chat with her in a few days when she’s home.”
Her expression crumpled as she buried her face in her hands. “Damnit, this is all my fault. I should’ve never made that stupid flash drive. Now I’m stuck here and I can’t hug her when she’s hurt...oh, God...I’ll neverforgive myself...”
“Hey,” I said, gliding my arm behind her back and drawing her into my body. She pressed her face to my chest, her tears soaking into my black t-shirt as I soothed her. “This isn’t your fault, Alexis. It’s just a shitty situation that no one can control.Shhh...”
She sobbed into my chest as I realized I would do anything to absorb her pain. Somewhere along the way, she’d become a bright spot in my dark world, and I hated the agony in her deep sobs.
“Sweetheart, I need you to stop crying,” I said, smoothing my hand over her soft hair. “Please. You’re breaking my heart. She’s going to be fine, and this won’t help her.”
She sipped in tiny gulps of air before lifting her head. Her cheeks were streaked with tears and her eyes were puffy and red. Lifting my hands to cup her face, I slowly swiped away her tears.
“Good girl,” I whispered, my thumbs moving in a slow caress over her wet skin. “It’s going to be okay, I promise.”
