Mena
The rest of the day seemed to go just as I had expected. I spent most of it with Pilar, trying to get my mind off everything. Alessio was stuck in his office, most likely driving himself crazy with thoughts about where Anson might be hiding.
In the late evening, I decided to bring him a cup of tea for some comfort. As I approached his office, I noticed he was on the phone. Not wanting to intrude, I waited outside but close enough to hear the conversation.
“No one rests before we find him, and when you do-bring him to me,” I heard him say before ending the call.
I understood it was a serious situation, but denying people their sleep was a bit too much. When Alessio noticed me standing there, he greeted me with a faint smile and gestured for me to come in.
With the cup in my hands, I stepped inside and closed the door behind me. “I brought you tea,” I said, placing it down on his desk.
“Thanks,” Alessio forced a smile, but I could tell he was too distracted, and lost in his own thoughts. Just the sight of him made me feel sorry.
I wrapped my arms around his shoulders from behind and gently turned his chair to face me. “I missed you today. We barely spoke,” I told him, hoping to catch a glimpse of the man I knew before he called himself a failure.
“I’m sorry, I just got a lot going on,” he said with a sympathetic look in his eyes.
Wanting to ease his burden, even if it was just for a moment, I took his hands and guided them to my waist, leaning closer. “If you want, I can help you relax,” I suggested as I had done before, but unlike the other times, he didn’t respond to my advances.
He grabbed my wrist and gently pushed me away. I stepped back, not making a big deal out of it. He wasn’t in the right headspace, but it was worth the try.
“No?”
“Shit, no-it’s just, I can’t think right now,” Alessio rushed to explain.
I laughed, “I know I’m hot so yes, you’re clearly not thinking straight.”
A chuckle escaped from Alessio as I took a seat on the other side of the desk. He reached for my hand across the table, shooting me an appreciative smile.
“I need you to stay inside no matter what,” he told me with a piercing gaze. “Because I won’t forgive myself if something happens to you.”
“I know.”
“I can’t believe I failed. I had one fucking job, and I failed,” he spoke, frustrated. “Not that you care much. You didn’t want him dead in the first place, so all of this must work out perfectly fine for you.”
“Wow, that was unprovoked,” I spoke in a whisper, feeling my heart sink. I pulled my hand back.
His words stung, especially since I hadn’t brought it up this time. Whatever opinion I had regarding the situation, I kept it to myself to avoid any arguments.
“Ales, come on-I thought we weren’t going to do this anymore,” I said, trying to fix whatever was left to fix.
“I’m not doing anything, I’m just saying,” he replied defensively.
“Well, don’t say anything,” I countered, earning a sigh. “You’re right-I don’t want him dead, that doesn’t mean I don’t want him to get caught.”
“You know what,” Alessio dropped his hand to the desk. “I shouldn’t have brought it up, it was unnecessary. I’m sorry.”
He attempted to grab my hand again, but failed as I pulled away and stood up. There was an awkward silence as he gave me a flustered look. “I’m just standing here, not believing you’d think I’d be happy that the man who tormented me for years is out free, probably trying to get to me,” I expressed myself.
I bottled everything up for his sake, but this was my limit.
“Mena, I said I’m sorry. I know I shouldn’t have said that,” Alessio spoke with hurt in his eyes. He knew he shouldn’t have said that, but he meant every word of it. It was always like that:
“Look, I don’t want to fight and I’m not angry,” I made it clear, hoping he would understand. “I’m just tired…I should go to bed.”
Alessio responded with a nod, trying not to escalate the situation. “You should also come to bed soon. You won’t find him now anyway,” I encouraged him to get some rest himself. At this point, any little thing triggered him and he needed to relax.
I left the office, not waiting for his response as I knew it would only bother me more. Knowing him, he would not close an eye before he found Anson.
I went to bed on my own, and it didn’t feel any different from the time he wasn’t here. I had looked forward to the night I could fall asleep in his arms again, but for now, that seemed impossible.
~
A loud buzz on my phone woke me up, and I instantly glanced beside me to find the bed empty. Alessio had never shown, and I couldn’t say I was surprised.
With a heavy sigh, I reached for my phone on the nightstand. It was 4 AM. Had he really been awake this entire time?
My eyes widened as I noticed a text from a number I didn’t recognize.
‘Your old apartment, come alone or the old lady is finished.’
My heart raced when I saw the attached photo of Mrs. Rodriguez, tied up with tape over her mouth. Fear and anger overtook me, and another text followed.
‘It’s me babe, I’ll be waiting for you and Naty.’
For some reason, Anson felt the need to state the obvious. Who else could it have been if it wasn’t him?
My stomach twisted in knots, and I cursed under my breath as I jumped out of bed. My mind raced as I paced back and forth, biting my fingernails while trying to figure out what to do next.
Taking Naty with me was out of the question; I wasn’t stupid. I had to save Mrs. Rodriguez.
It was all because of me that she was in danger in the first place.
I rubbed my temples, trying hard to come up with a plan.
Then I rushed to the jewelry armoire and yanked open the drawer, filled with rings and necklaces. Alessio had put the ring with the tracker in there after we argued. If I took it with me, he would at least know where to find me.
I believed Alessio would come for me and save me, but for now I just wanted Mrs. Rodriguez to be safe. Telling him right now was not an option. I knew if it came down to it, Alessio would go after Anson, even if it meant putting Mrs. Rodriguez in danger.
He didn’t know her, he didn’t care for her-because that’s how he was raised.
After a while of searching, I finally found the ring. I quickly changed into some clothes and slipped the ring into my jean pocket. I reached for my coat, then paused. Wearing it might make it look like I was leaving, and I didn’t want anyone to notice-that would mean no coat for me.
Walking would be my only option because a car would be too loud and draw attention. It was going to be a long walk, but saving Mrs. Rodriguez was worth every step.
Taking my phone with me would only make it more difficult. I had no idea what Anson was planning, but he would take it from me anyway and god knows who he would provoke with it.
I put my phone back on the nightstand before leaving the room and tiptoed through the halls, desperate not to make any sound. For a moment, I thought about kissing Naty goodbye, but even that was too risky.
The mansion was quiet, and all of the lights were dimmed except for one-the light in the office. Alessio was still up, and I needed to avoid him at all costs.
I took a detour and made my way outside. From a distance, I could see that the gates were heavily guarded, and there was no way I could pass. That’s when I decided to head to the back, where it was less likely for anyone to see me.
Not wanting to lose any more time, I moved a trash container close to the wall, and used it to climb over the gate. It was reckless and dangerous, especially with me being pregnant and it being so dark-but I managed to do it without any trouble.
Even as I was on the other side, I did not doubt my decision. Saving Mrs. Rodriguez was only the right thing to do.