Chapter 116

[MIA]

Alex seemed angry. Even shielded behind his back, I sensed his rage as his eyes flickered from the unexpected guest to Dominic.

"I don't mean any harm," Xander mused, throwing up his hands defensively.

"I doubt you can harm me," Alex said, sounding bored and disinterested.

"The gun you're reaching for might suggest otherwise."

My breath hitched as I realized Alex's hand was on the gun in its holster, a belt I hadn't known he was wearing.

"It's a precaution," Alex said, ignoring Xander. "You're uninvited."

"We're both in the Bratva's inner circle. I merely came for somebonding time." The lie slipped out with a saccharine smile.

"What did you want to do? Paint nails and braid hair?"

"No. I was thinking of something else." Xander's head tilted sharply until his eyes found mine. "I didn't know prostitutes were your style."

I stiffened. Alex didn't move a muscle. "You don't know me enough to know my style."

My heart lurched. He didn't deny the accusation, but I kept my head down, clinging to my faith in him.

"Something we should rectify, don't you think?" Xander sounded excited. I shifted further behind Alex, out of his gaze. "She's pretty. You open to sharing?"

"I don't share." My heart leaped at his single, defiant sentence. I needed to stop being so hopelessly attracted to Alex in these dangerous times. His world was dangerous. He was dangerous. And so was Xander.

"Possessive for a prostitute, Alex?"

"What I am and am not is none of your business."

"Yeah, yeah. I know." Xander mused, "I just didn't think you were the mistress type. You're the Pakhan's weapon, after all—always 'Alex-this' and 'Alex-that.' I thought fucking women, wasting timethat was my thing. I didn't know you did anything except plot."

"Xander, you have ten seconds to tell me why you're here. After that, you're out. Alive or dead."

"Tch. Tch." Xander clicked his tongue. "Does Hannah know about yourhabits?"

Alex's fist clenched.

Hannah.

That's what the man had called me during an attack a few weeks ago. He'd said he didn't know who I was, but presumed I was Hannah.

And then there was that article I'd glimpsed on Sofia's phone, linking Alex and Hannah.

Who was she? More importantly, who was she to Alex?

"This is your last chance to leave alive," Alex's voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

Xander whistled carelessly.

"And your last warning. I will open fire if you show up unannounced again."

Xander raised his hands again defensively, then stepped back until he could see me.

"Hannah's prettier, doll." He winked at me. Alex drew his gun, and a shot rang out before I could blink.

I yelped, but Xander ducked and ran off.

I took a moment to recover, my breathing uneven before stepping out from behind Alex.

"That fucker," Alex gritted, turning to Dominic, who had watched the entire scene. "How the fuck did he get in?"

"I told you. The man's unhinged. I tried calling you, but you wereoccupied." Dominic's eyes met mine disapprovingly. I squirmed.

"Fire all the guards who couldn't stop him. I want them replaced by tomorrow with ones who will open fire if he ever tries this again." Alex seethed. "And I want men trailing him. I need dirt on Xander, and I need it now."

Alex's voice boomed, making me flinch. This was the first time I'd heard him raise his voice. He was always so dangerously calm and collected. "No fucker comes to my house, does this, and gets out alive."

Dominic nodded. "On it." Then he left.

Alex breathed, pinching his forehead before turning to me, his gaze softening. "Do you want to resume—"

I cut him off. "Who's Hannah?"

His eyebrows shot up. "Nobody you need to concern yourself with, cupcake."

I gulped, my heart sinking. His response wasn't that she was a deceased ex. "Who's Hannah?"

Alex stared at me. "She's a business deal."

"What kind of business deal, Alex?"

"A business deal," he repeated, his eerie calm returning, his eyes dark and calculating. He took a step closer, his knuckles caressing my cheek. "You make me forego the world, darling."

His touch burned, his words felt like a bandage on a bullet wound. "Who's Hannah, Alex?" I asked again. "What kind of business deal?"

He removed his hand. "An engagement of convenience."

My jaw dropped. "An engagement? You're engaged?"

Alex blinked.

I gasped, panic seizing me.

"It's not like that, Mia," He took a step closer, and I stepped back.

"No! No. Stay away." I focused on my breathing. I shouldn't care, every part of me told me so. But I did. I still stupidly cared. "Did you make her wear your ring, Alex?"

He pressed his tongue against his cheek, visible irritation gnawing at him. "Listen to me…"

"Was she wearing your ring while you were fucking me?!"

"It wasn't important." He raised his voice. "She is nothing."

"Not important?!" I screamed. "Do you hear yourself? You made all those promises about me being the only woman who could touch you—you were getting engaged?"

"Mia," he took a careful step closer. "I didn't make those promises in vain. You are the only woman who—"

I cut him off. "Don't lie, Alex!" Tears filled my eyes, the pain in my chest intensifying. "Don't lie to me!"

"I'm not lying." He softened his tone.

"You're a liar," I repeated, sniffing, tears threatening to fall. "All you do is lie."

"Fuck." He gritted. "I'm going to kill Xander. I'm going to murder that fucker with my bare hands."

"Why? Because he told me the truth you were hiding?" The tears fell. My facade crumbled. "How long were you planning to keep it hidden? Or were you planning to marry her and then dispose of me?"

"Mia. Shut up." He took a step closer, and I reflexively stepped back. "You're not disposable. And I was never going to marry her. I'm still not."

"You were fucking me while you were engaged." My voice broke. "You took me on a date—that was some other woman's right. I am a mistress."

"You're not a fucking mistress." He grabbed me before I could move further away. "Breathe. Breathe for me."

Then I noticed how uneven my breathing was, and it still didn't feel enough.

I was shocked that someone like Alex could have morals—that he could mean it when he said he belonged to me as much as I belonged to him.

I tried to wiggle out of his grip, which only tightened. "This was all a play, wasn't it?" I whispered. "To get me to confess about why I was recording you. You were making me fall for you to get the truth. You were playing me all along."

New tears welled up, and Alex looked furious, like he wanted to punch something but remained calm and collected for my sake.

"Mia," he said firmly. "Listen to me. Hannah is a business deal. I will cut all ties with her, and I am not going to marry her. I didn't know that before you, but I knew it the first time I fucked you, and every moment since. Nothing I told you was a lie."

"More lies." I shook my head. "You wanted the truth, right? You want to know why I recorded you and Bakshi that day, right?"

Something changed in his eyes, an unreadable emotion surfacing.

"I will tell you everything tomorrow, and then you can decide what to do with me." I wriggled free—he let me go, not because I overpowered him. "Just let me go to my room for the night, because I can't even look at you right now."

And with that, I fled, in case he tried to hold me again or tie me to a chair.

He didn't. He let me walk away, and I did.