RIO'S POV
I'm breathing hard like I just ran a marathon. I watch the car ,I'm sure Elena is in it—speed off. I don't follow. The gun in my hand is pressed so hard against my palm it physically hurts.
My dad was right. She is with the brother. Hunter. Today was the first time I've seen her in days. Well, not really seen… just a few strands of her hair. And what keeps running through my mind is how good it felt with my fingers wrapped around them.
"Boss…" Marco's voice snaps me out of my thoughts. I flick the cigarette and throw it on the pavement stepping on it , blowing the smoke in the air. I turn around to find Marco dragging Sam out—Elena's best friend.
"Let go of me, you asshole…" Sam snaps, wiggling away from Marco, but he doesn't let up.
I've been gentle with her, but she seems to be the only link to Elena I have.
I step forward. Her big eyes look scared, but she still holds her head high. Spitty, just like her friend.
"What was she doing here, and where is she headed?" I ask, tone neutral, voice deep and raspy.
"I'm not telling you shit…" Sam spits on my face and stomps on Marco's foot.
I don't flinch. I grab a tissue and wipe my face.
Marco grabs his gun and presses it to her temple.
"You wouldn't dare… she'll fucking kill you…" she laughs in my face.
I smile, stepping forward.
"No, Sam. I'm not going to kill you… I'll use you as bait for her to come to me…" I whisper in her ear.
"You're sick…" she hisses as Marco drags her to the car.
"I know where she is…" a familiar woman's voice calls from behind me. I turn to see Aunt Lilly.
I cock my head, studying her. She's calm, but stressed, evident from the eye bags under her eyes.
I walk past her.
"I don't need your help…" I bark, speed-walking to my convoy.
"I'm the only one who knows Hunter's every move… I think you do need my help, Rio…" she says. I stop.
I turn around slowly. She walks toward me.
"I don't trust you…" I say simply, clearly. She's Elena's aunt; she obviously knows what I did. That explains her surprise when she saw me with Elena in Texas. Question is… why didn't she tell her? What didn't she tell us about Hunter's existence?
Her heels click as she walks closer, taking off her sunglasses.
"I don't trust you either, Rio… you killed my brother-in-law…" she shrugs.
I shut my eyes, swallowing hard. I hate how terrible that sounds.
"But we both have a mutual enemy. Hunter." she says.
"Why?" I ask, stepping back.
"Because he will poison Elena with lies, and I don't want that…" she shakes her head.
I bite my tongue, contemplating whether to team up with her or not.
"Why didn't you tell us about Hunter's existence?" I ask.
"Because he was irrelevant," she shrugs, flicking her nails.
I pinch my nose, sighing out loud.
"Fine. Where is she?" I ask, moving to my car with her behind me.
"She's headed to her old apartment… probably already there. We should hurry…" she says, speed-walking to keep up with my pace.
I stop abruptly and turn around, lighting another cigarette.
"Fine. Take the other car. I want to be alone." I nod toward one of my bodyguards to take her in another car.
Moments later, we pull up at the parking lot and step out. Me, Aunt Lilly, two of my men, and Marco. We decide not to bring Sam; she stays in the car with one of my men .
We head up using the stairs. From a distance, you can see her door slightly ajar, with sounds and movement inside.
I raise my gun and take the lead, stopping for a second at the door to listen.
"Found it…" I hear Elena's voice. It makes my heart skip. I swallow.
"Grab anything else you need and let's go… Theo just told me Rio and company are coming up…" another voice says , probably Hunter's.
I finally step inside, my gun raised, as does everyone else's.
My eyes land on her first, of course. God… she looks badass and sexy as fuck.
Everyone freezes. For a moment, we just stare. Everyone else is just background noise. Her blue eyes pierce mine. I can literally feel her pulse from here. She looks away, grabbing her own gun. She points it at me.
And God… call me unhinged, but my dick twitches at the sight of her pointing a gun at me like that. I point mine at her too.
Hunter points his at me as well. Another guy points at Aunt Lilly(Maddox). The girl with Elena( Zoe)points hers at one of my men. And the other guy on my side points his gun at Hunter.
Now, it's a standoff. No one moves.
"Look at that… both my parents' murderers teamed up… how cute…" Elena finally breaks the silence.
My hand flexes, and my head shoots to Aunt Lilly. I don't know what Elena is talking about.
Elena steps forward, and her perfume hits me like a truck, making my senses spiral. I thought the only killer here was me.
"What?… my dear aunty here didn't tell you she was the reason my mother died?" Elena asks. God, I hate how cold her voice sounds.
"I didn't know…" I whisper, hand shaking slightly. She snaps her gaze at me.
"Of course you didn't…" she scoffs, rolling her eyes.
"Tell your men to stand down… we don't have to make a mess…" Hunter's voice booms.
"Not until I talk to her… alone," I snap back. Now that I finally see him face to face, I notice the resemblance between him and Elena.
"That's not happening…" he shoots back.
"Well, we're not moving…" I say, cocking my gun, still aimed at Elena with zero intention of shooting her. I just don't know where to point it.
Elena sighs, dropping her aim.
"Fine… talk… and drop your fucking gun. We all know you're not going to shoot me…" she snaps. I immediately lower my weapon.
The control this woman has on me is insane.
"Alone?" I ask, and she shakes her head.
"No… here," she says, stepping back and leaning on the wall.
"I wanted to tell you everything, I swear… I…" I start, but she cuts me off.
"But you didn't… I trusted you with everything, my body, my heart, my past… and you couldn't find it in you to tell me?" she asks, voice breaking. Her eyes water, but she blinks the tears back.
I swallow, feeling my throat tighten, my heart pounding so hard it hurts.
"I didn't know how to approach it, Elena… fuck… how was I supposed to tell you I killed your fucking dad?" I raise my voice, breaking. I run my hands through my hair.
"With your fucking mouth, maybe?" Hunter scoffs, and I snap my gaze at him before bringing it back to Elena.
I step forward, but she raises her hand, stopping me, and I freeze at the sight.
She raises her head from the floor, eyes glossy, hands shaky.
"I trusted you… you broke me, Rio… I'll never forgive you for that…" she whispers, and I literally step back—the force of her words punches me in the chest.
"Elena…" Aunt Lilly's voice comes, and Elena snaps her gaze to her.
"Why?" Elena asks, tears falling. Feeling betrayed by the people she trusted most feels like daggers straight to her chest you can see the hurt in her eyes.
"I… it was… I…" Aunt Lilly stammers, avoiding her gaze.
"My mother trusted you…" she whispers, stepping closer.
"Look at me…" Elena's voice turns venomous, cold.
"LOOK ME IN THE FUCKING EYE!" she screams, more tears falling.
Aunt Lilly hesitates, but meets Elena's eyes. Silence falls.
Lilly sighs, stepping back.
"Enzo and I had an affair…" she whispers, and Elena's eyes narrow. God, I want to hold her, but I can't.
"He promised to marry me if… if I told him where your mom was…" she says, sniffling, guilt and regret in her eyes.
Elena scoffs, looking away for a second.
"But when you ran to my house that night… the same night I found out Enzo was marrying another woman and that he was only using me to get the key …" she sniffles.
I watch the whole thing. This goes way deeper than I thought.
"So I cut ties with him, took you, and kept you safe… regretting what I did… but I swear, Elena, I…" she says, but Elena cuts her off.
"You are the reason she's dead… I don't give a shit what you felt after that…" Elena says.
She turns to face me briefly. My heart skips again—I can't stand her looking at me like that.
"I'm gonna walk out… but I'll be back for both of you…" she smirks, grabbing a small bag and slinging it over her shoulder.
She looks at me one last time.
"Let Sam go… she has nothing to do with this…" she snaps, and walks out.
I watch her leave. I watch as her and her team empty the room. Hunter stops and looks at me.
"Stay the fuck away from her," he hisses and walks out.