Vince’s POV
I watch Annette sit comfortably in the restaurant; her face tightens with frustration as she keeps pressing on her phone.
She glues the phone to her ears for a moment before dropping it again with rage. Perhaps she is trying to call Tessa.
That is the only person she can call and rant to. She doesn’t have any friends other than Tessa-except for Ryan, whom I am sure she won’t consider a friend anymore.
Feeling bad for annoying her, I want to step out of the car when my phone begins to ring.
It’s Fernando.
I pick up without hesitation, sitting back behind the wheel, my gaze not leaving her figure.
“Vince?” He calls with urgency, making me take my eyes off Ann. “When is the shipment arriving?”
“Is everything okay?” I ask, but he doesn’t respond. “Saturday.”
“I think the Albanians are in town. They seem to be working with the Silicones now.” He informs, making my gaze narrow with confusion.
“The Albanians? We got rid of them, didn’t we?”
“We thought so. They keep appearing from God knows where. Nadir was seen with Isaac Rossi and I assume they want to get their weapons from him before they attack. Jayden and Hayden were seen with Nadir in two different locations. Dominic is here with me now. We need to act fast, Vince.”
A vein throb in my temple.
“Can we attack tonight?” He demands with humility, and I nod.
“Sure.”
He disconnects the call quickly and I turn back to Ann to find her seated with someone.
A man with his back to me is conversing with her. It makes me wonder if he was the one she was trying to call earlier.
I clench my fist on the wheel, watching her and thinking of how to go about the attack tonight.
Planning an unexpected attack isn’t the problem. The problem is getting enough information to ensure we achieve our goal.
Our spy has been eliminated, leaving us with little or no choice but to act on our instincts. If Nadir is attacked, Isaac might also be caught tonight.
That leaves her mother in danger. If I don’t tell the guys about Ann’s situation and her connection with Carter and her stepfather, her mother might lose her life in his stead.
I am considering letting her be so I can return to the house to finish my work before preparing for tonight.
But I decide to watch her for some more minutes before leaving.
The strange guy rises up, giving me a clear view of Ann’s face and the smile touching her lips. It leaves my heart stuttering in anger.
Did she leave home to come here and get a man’s attention? Does she know I am watching and she is doing this to spite me?
The guy stretches a hand to her, and she takes it. Lowering his head, he pecks the back of her hand before moving away.
Annette looks flustered.
I look away immediately, my eyes flashing with anger. My heart lurches forward just like it did earlier this morning.
Placing a hand on my chest, I gaze down, wondering why I feel this strange jolting and beating of my heart.
Usually, I feel my heart pounding hard whenever I want to hunt. Aside from that, I don’t feel anything.
Do I need to see the doctor?
Realizing I am still here while Ann seems to be enjoying the time of her life away from me, I ignite the car engine and signal to Luca to take over the spot so he can have his eyes on her.
****
Vince’s POV
Kyra glances up, smiling at me as I take a seat on the sofa opposite her.
If there is anything else I hate, this is it. Coming for therapy makes me look weak and pathetic, but I want to believe this isn’t a therapy session but a counselling session.
I vowed never to come here again months ago, but here I am. Tonight is the attack, which is why I had to call Kyra back to reschedule. I need this before the attack.
“Good morning, Mr. Alberto,” she smiles at me, making me feel mocked for coming back. “How are you today?”
“Good.”
“So, is everything okay? How have you been sleeping these past few days?” she asks, going straight to business.
If I weren’t married to Ann, I would have asked Kyra to meet me at home instead so it wouldn’t look like a therapy session.
But I had to come down myself so Ann doesn’t suspect a thing. How was I supposed to tell her I couldn’t sleep because of my nightmares? How do I present myself to her and still have the respect everyone accords me?
“No. I haven’t been sleeping you know,” I reply cautiously. She prescribed some medicines for me the last time I was here after informing me of my insomnia which I didn’t believe.
Now I believe that is it.
I treated that years ago, and it started three years ago. Initially, I concluded it was because of my busy schedule, and then the nightmares started.
Kyra helped, but I stopped coming.
“What other issues do you have? What else do you want to tell me?” She is being careful with her questions. She knows how sensitive I can be when it comes to topics like that.
“The nightmares are back,” I say quietly, leaning backwards and watching her scribble something in her notepad. “I got married.”
My sudden announcement makes her eyes go wide in surprise. “Really? Great news.”
I didn’t intend to say that, but I have to so she can understand me better.
“While waiting for my wife to fall asleep, I slept off too and I woke up to her screaming because I was trembling..”
“I guess she saw you struggling in your sleep, right?” I nod.
“She keeps asking if I am fine but I don’t even know. Also, I feel something strange whenever she does that. Whenever she asks me if I am fine. I don’t know if it’s…” I trail off, unsure of what I want to do.
“How do you feel?”
I place a hand on my chest.
She smiles. “Let’s start with the nightmares. How long has it started?”
“I haven’t slept in a while so I guess two times now,” I answer quickly.
“Can you remember the details of the nightmare?” She demands with an intense look on her face.
“Same nightmare.”
She nods in understanding. “You said you slept off while waiting for your wife to sleep?”
“Yes.”
“Were you two together?” She questions with a serious look on her face.
“Together?” My brow raises in confusion.
“I mean, were you two sleeping on the same bed when that happened? Or were you cuddled up or something?”
“No!” I reply sharply. Kyra is good at what she does. All I just need to do is trust her. “I once did, though.”
“And you slept?”
“Yes, I did.”
“For how long?”
“Two hours. But she wasn’t aware.” The shake of her head has me pausing in both my thoughts and words.
“How long have you been married?”
With a furrowed brow, I utter. “Two months now.”
“Are you scared of going to bed to sleep due to the recurring nightmares just like it happened years back?”
“Honestly, I don’t know if that is it.”
“Good. I will prescribe some medicines for you and I would encourage you to take them and come back in a week’s time.”
“About the heart palpitations, don’t you think it is strange?”
The smile is back on her face, looking more like an amusement. “No, it isn’t.”
“Really? Why do you think so?”
“Because it is normal for a man to feel that way towards his wife. You are not sick or anything. Just ensure you take your medications on time and see the changes.”
She continues to scribble, leaving me in silence.
“Also, I would encourage you to sleep next to her more often. Let’s figure out if that also helps.”
“Ok. Do you think it’s normal to feel the racing, though?”
“Yes,” she doesn’t hesitate to reckon. “When a man is beside a woman he loves and she shows him care just like she did with you, it is definitely normal to feel the racing and loud pounding of your heart.”
“What?!” I exclaim surprisingly. I didn’t realize this was what she was talking about. Nor did I figure out the palpitations were because of Ann’s presence. “Are you saying this is because I am in love with her?”
With a triumphant smile, she agrees loudly. “Yes, of course. You are.”