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Chapter Sixteen

Aiden

T he sight of my brother chills me to my core. It’s something I never thought would happen with Finn. He was always the one I felt the most safe with. The most ‘me’ with.

But now, he’s my own enemy.

I try to slam the door shut but he only shoves the door open, pushing me back a step.

“Hi, Aiden.” His eyes flick behind me to Elena. “I see you’ve been busy.”

“Finn, don’t do this,” I warn.

Elena whirls around to face Jameson. “You called him, didn’t you?”

The doctor’s guilty expression tells me that’s exactly what he did. “I just wanted to get paid and Aiden said that his brother took his money, so I figured Finn could pay for the expense.”

“I’d be happy to pay,” Finn says, “if you give me the girl.”

I step in front of Elena. “I will not.”’

“Shame. Why are you doing this, brother? I’ve heard of the things you’ve been getting up to. Rumor has it you killed Patrick Sullivan. And then you killed his heir, Connor.”

“I killed Connor,” Elena says with her chin held high. I’m impressed. Instead of showing fear, she’s showing courage.

Finn’s eyebrows raise high into his hairline. “You? Never would have had that on my bingo card.”

“You underestimate me.”

“I guess so. But you’re still just a girl. One I want to kill. So, you’ll be coming with me.” He takes a step towards her but I shove Finn back.

“You’re not getting your hands on her,” I growl.

“You’re really going to fight me? Over a girl ? What has gotten into you, Aiden? I barely recognize my own brother.” His eyes flick down to my hand. “What happened?”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“It’s the reason I’m here. So what happened?”

“Cut my thumb,” I say. “The good doctor here stitched me up. Nothing else to it. I can still use my gun, if you’re wondering.”

“I wasn’t but now I am. Why would you say that? You wouldn’t use your gun against me.”

“I don’t want to.” My heart fucking aches at the thought of hurting my own brother. “But if you try to hurt Elena, I…”

Finn huffs, taking a step towards me. “You’ll what? You can’t even say it. If you can’t even say it, then you can’t even do it. You won’t hurt me, Aiden. We’re brothers. We’re bonded for life. After all the shit we’ve been through, we could never hurt each other. So don’t pretend. Just give me the girl and we don’t have to do this.”

“Erik and Dante are out looking for you,” Elena says. “They want to kill you.”

“Oh, I know. But I’ve also heard they want Aiden dead too. For stealing you away.” He points at Elena. “For some strange reason, you have a hold on my brother and I don’t understand it. Before, I wanted you dead as punishment for your father’s actions. But now it’s even more personal. You’ve changed my brother.” His eyes narrow and his voice deepens. “And I don’t like that.”

“Elena hasn’t done anything,” I snap, forcing Finn to look at me.

“Then why are you acting like this? The brother I remember was numb. Barely showed any emotion. He sure didn’t care about some girl.”

“Elena isn’t just some girl.”

Finn rocks back on his heels as he takes in the room. Elena standing tall with courage. Jameson hovering in the corner, looking like he’s going to bolt any second.

“What is going on here?” Finn asks. “You can’t seriously be choosing some girl over me?”

“I told you, Finn. Elena isn’t just some girl.”

He stares at me with an unreadable expression before scoffing. “You can’t be serious. She’s not your girl, Aiden! Last I heard, she was engaged to that stuffy Bratva guy. You know the one. He never smiles. Never has a sense of humor. What’s up with that anyway?”

“I don’t want to marry him,” Elena says.

“I’m not sure that matters. Not in this world.” Finn looks between me and Elena, his eyes saying so much and yet nothing at all. “I am going to kill her, Aiden. So you can be free of her.”

I scoff. “You’re not doing this to save me.”

“I am. If she’s dead, then Erik and Dante and Viktor won’t be coming after you. They only want you dead because you kidnapped the girl.”

“And if you kill her, all of them won’t hesitate to kill us both. You’re not saving me by killing Elena. You’re just using that as an excuse to get what you want.”

Finn shrugs like the situation is completely nonchalant. “Does it matter? Either way, you’ll be much happier when you’re not dragging the girl behind you. Aren’t you tired of looking over your shoulder? If you’re free of her, you can go back to doing what we’ve always done. Do our jobs. Make our money. Have our own freedom in this fucked up world.”

“No. I will not let you kill Elena. I will not.”

“Why do you care? You’ve never cared about a girl like this before. Not enough to risk your life for.”

“You’re risking your life too. If you just stopped, then Erik and Dante wouldn’t want you dead. If you stopped, I could safely return Elena home and I’d be safe too. This is on you, Finn. I am doing all of this because of you .”

He narrows his eyes. “Don’t blame your own actions on me.”

“I will because I’m right. This is your fault. And I will not let you drag me down with you. I will not kill Elena and I will not let you kill her.”

“Or what?”

For the first time that day, I hesitate.

“Or you’ll kill me?” Finn asks. “Is that what you were going to say? Because I’m not sure you’ll be able to kill me, Aiden. We’re brothers.”

“If that’s what it takes.” I honestly can’t believe I just said it. Even Elena gasps. This is me drawing a line – one I cannot come back from.

Finn jerks his head back like I slapped him. “You would honestly kill me over this girl?”

“I am doing this to help save your life, Finn. That’s why I didn’t bring Elena back home. Because I was keeping her safe from you. If you couldn’t kill her, then you wouldn’t have to be killed. But by showing up here…” It’s fully dawning on me. I might actually have to kill my brother. I love him for all the shit we’ve been through together.

But if it means Elena dies if I don’t kill Finn, I’m not sure I could live with myself.

“You can’t even keep her,” Finn snarls. “If you kill me and save her, you’ll have to let her go. So why choose her? If we kill her, we can still be together, like the old days. Just you and me, killing people, doing what we want. It’s perfect.”

Another thought hits me. It’s one I hate but I know it’s the truth. “I would rather give Elena up and see her alive, then see her die just because I can’t have her.”

“Aiden,” she gasps.

I keep my eyes locked on Finn. One moment of weakness and he’ll exploit it.

“So, this is what it’s going to be?” he asks.

“There’s another choice. You can walk away. Right now. Just leave. End this. Promise me you won’t hurt Elena. And we can leave together. Elena will go back home where she’ll be safe. We can avoid Erik and Dante for the rest of our lives. Eventually, they’ll stop coming after us. That’s the best option.”

But it’s the option that doesn’t give me Elena. Yet, if this is what I have to do to save her, I’m willing. And if it saves Finn too, even better.

Finn wavers. “You would do this?”

“If it means saving everyone, then yes.”

“You never used to care about saving anyone.”

I shrug. “Guess I’ve changed.”

“I never thought that would be possible.”

“People can surprise you, Finn. Even your own brother.”

His eyes turn downward as he nods. “You’re right. And the truth is, Aiden. I don’t even recognize you right now.” He whips out a knife from his pocket and presses it to my throat before I can even react. “If I have to kill you to get my revenge on the girl, I will. If it comes to that. But I don’t want it to come to that.”

“Don’t,” Elena says.

“Stay out of this,” I tell her. “Go out the back door. Get away.”

“I’m not leaving you.”

“Elena,” I snap. “Run. Please. I can’t see you get killed.”

“Aiden,” she whispers.

“Please. Just run.” I never take my eyes off my brother as I speak.

After a tense moment, Elena finally takes off running towards the back of the house.

“If you want to go after her,” I say to Finn, “then you’re going to have to kill me.”

“What about my money?” Jameson asks. Shit. I forgot he was still here.

“Fuck your money,” Finn snarls before he shoves me back. “Fine. You want to fight, Aiden? Then let’s fight.”

He swipes the knife towards my face but I jerk back and hit his arm, which makes his wrist bend back. I manage to grab the knife from him but that doesn’t stop Finn from barreling right into me and tackling me to the ground.

He lands a punch to my cheek but I land a kick to his balls. Finn gasps and backs off me. It’s a low blow to go for the balls but it’s effective.

While Finn stumbles back, I kick him in the face, sending him sprawling to the floor. I get on top of him and punch him over and over again.

“Why couldn’t you just stop?” I ask.

Finn still has some fight left in him as he grabs my fist and wrenches my wrist, almost breaking the damn thing. I scramble off him and we both get up, standing in a fighting stance.

We each land hits and kicks to the other one but neither of us goes down. We’re too evenly matched. We know each other’s skills too well.

“Just give up,” Finn snarls, landing a kick to my stomach and knocking the wind out of me.

“I’m not going to let you have her.” I punch Finn in the throat. He gasps and stumbles back. That gives me an advantage.

I grab my gun and point it at him.

Finn stands there, breathing heavy, his face covered in blood and sweat and bruises. “Go on. Kill me. Kill me for some girl. Ruin everything we’ve built together. Forget that we’re brothers.”

“I can never forget that.” Which is why I can’t kill him.

I use the butt of my gun and hit him in the head, knocking him straight to the ground. He’s unconscious but not dead.

“Am I still going to get paid?” Jameson asks.

“Fuck your money,” I growl. “Just be happy you’re making it out of this with your life intact.”

“But-,”

“Doc, go.”

He looks between me and Finn before running upstairs. Fucking coward.

I stare down at my unconscious brother. What to do with him? If I leave him here, he’ll probably be fine. Jameson won’t tell anyone because he won’t want to risk his own life or career.

Or I could somehow take Finn with me. Convince him to give up this revenge streak. Have him see how much Elena means to me.

But I know my brother well enough to know that Finn will never care about my feelings for Elena. He’ll only ever see it as a weakness.

My best bet is following after Elena and seeing that she’s safe.

Even if I can’t have her, I will still try to save her.

So, I leave my brother lying on the ground and go after my girl.

Elena

I run through the tree-lined street. Finn is going to kill me. Finn is going to kill me. I keep repeating it like a mantra to force myself to run faster.

I just hope that Aiden doesn’t get killed in the process. From my understanding, the two brothers love each other, so I doubt Finn will want to kill Aiden. But if Finn was backed into a corner, he might just do anything to survive.

With nowhere to go, I keep running until my lungs and legs can’t handle anymore. I find myself in a place I don’t know. My parents didn’t want me wandering the city so I’m unfamiliar with a lot of it.

A restaurant closest to me looks like a nice enough place to ask for directions – though directions to where, I’m not sure. Going home isn’t an option. The last thing I want to deal with is my mother. But where else can I go? Inessa? That would only put her in danger with Finn.

I’m technically homeless.

I still go into the restaurant anyway because being on the street where anyone could grab me is making me too scared.

It’s an Italian restaurant. How ironic.

“Table for one?” the hostess asks me.

“Uh. Actually, I’m in some trouble. Is it ok if I just hang out here?” I motion to the front entrance. “I won’t get in the way. I just need a moment to catch my breath.”

“Do you need me to call someone for you? The police?”

“No,” I say quickly. Getting the police involved in mafia business is never a smart idea. “I just need a moment.”

“Ok then. If you need anything, let me know.”

I take a seat on a bench in the entrance and stare out the window, searching for a glimpse of Aiden. Just knowing he’s ok would make me feel instantly happier, even if we don’t have a future together.

People come and go, all of them ignoring me. That’s one good thing about myself – I’ve always been good blending in. My mother hated that fact about me. She wanted a daughter who could stand out in a crowd but instead, she got a shy daughter who everyone forgot about.

I don’t stop looking for Aiden but then my eyes land on someone else. Oh no. I scramble to my feet.

Dante bursts into the restaurant; his eyes are fully on me.

“Mr. Moretti,” the hostess asks. “We didn’t know you were coming in.”

“I’m not staying but thank you.”

I sigh. “You own this restaurant, don’t you?”

“I do.” He gazes around the room, before turning back to me. “Are you here by yourself?”

“Yes.” No use in lying.

“Good. I’m taking you home.” He tries to grab my arm but I step away. “Elena. You need to go home. Erik and Viktor will have my head if I let you go again. The only way I can prevent a war from happening is if I bring you home.”

“But what about Aiden and Finn?”

He sighs. “Erik is still out looking for them and if he finds either of them, he will kill them. Listen, Elena. Let me take you home. I will keep you safe. Erik will keep you safe. Finn will not get to you. Aiden was wrong to take you all this time. Don’t you want to prevent a war?”

I hesitate. He has me there. The thought of anyone else getting hurt over me makes me want to break down and cry.

“But Aiden-,”

“Isn’t here. Where is he?”

“He was fighting with Finn,” I admit.

“And he hasn’t come for you?”

“He doesn’t know where I am.”

Dante reaches for me again and this time, I don’t back up. “He isn’t here right now. This is your chance to return home. I can make a case for Aiden. Said he let you go and that we don’t need to kill him. How does that sound?”

“Do you mean it? Would you really spare his life?”

“He’s my friend, so yes. I’ll convince Erik and Viktor to not go after him.”

“And Finn? If you go after him, you’ll be putting Aiden at risk too.”

He sighs. “I can’t protect Finn. Not after he killed Ivan. Erik wants justice for it. Matteo still hasn’t paid for Sergei Belov’s death so Erik won’t stand for Ivan’s death going without justice. If Finn is found, he will pay the price.”

“Good. I want him too. I just don’t want Aiden to get hurt in the process.”

“I’ll try to spare him but I can’t make any promises. Not if he teams up with Finn again. But if he hasn’t, then he’s free to go. I’ll make sure of it.”

“Dante, I…”

“You know this is the best course of action. You know it, Elena. You’re a smart girl. Don’t act stupid right now. I get that you might care for Aiden but it’s time to go back home.”

I flinch. Dante isn’t wrong. I can’t avoid my mother forever. And if this is the way I can keep Aiden safe, then I have to take it.

“Ok,” I whisper.

“Good.” Dante’s relief is visible. “Let’s get you home.”

My family’s brownstone is large and imposing. I hate the sight of it but this is my future. I’ve always known, deep down, that I would have to return to it.

Dante walks me to the door – probably to make sure I actually get inside and don’t run again.

My mother answers. “Elena?” Before I can react, she throws her arms around me and sobs into my shoulder. “I thought you were dead. I thought I would never see you again.”

Tentatively, I hug her back. “I’m not dead.”

“I brought her home,” Dante says. “I’ll tell Erik and Viktor. Make sure if they ask that I was the one to bring Elena back.”

She nods dismissively. “I know, I know. But that doesn’t mean I like you, Italian. You still threatened to kill my Ivan a year ago.”

“And I didn’t kill him and now I’m the one who saved your daughter. Show a little fucking gratitude,” he snaps, making my mother flinch.

Dante leaves without another word, and before I know it, my mother is dragging me inside and pestering me with questions.

“Where have you been? What happened? What did that man do to you?”

“What man?” I ask.

“The one who kidnapped you? Did he…” Her eyes rake over my body. “Did he defile you? Because you need to be a virgin on your wedding night, remember? Otherwise, Viktor won’t want to marry you.”

Viktor. I haven’t forgotten about him but I did push him to the back of my mind. He’s not a bad choice for a husband. Rich, handsome, in his thirties. It could be worse.

But he’s not Aiden.

Aiden is the one who lights my body on fire. Who’s touched me in a way no one else ever has. Who makes me feel truly seen.

How can I marry Viktor when all I can think about is Aiden?

“We’ll have to call him,” Mother says. “Viktor will want to see that you’re ok. He’ll want to marry you right away to avoid any rumors, even if you’re not a virgin any longer.”

“I am a virgin,” I say on autopilot.

The way my mother sags in relief would be comical if I wasn’t so sad right now. “Thank god. I don’t know what I would have told him otherwise. So that man never…”

“No. I wasn’t raped.” I don’t bother telling my mom that Aiden was the one to save me from Finn and that Aiden was the one who I’ve been with for the past week.

“I can’t wait for Erik to find that man and kill him. And his brother too. They both deserve to die for what they did to my Ivan.”

“Aiden didn’t kill Father,” I snap.

She looks at me like I just grew a second head. “Why does it sound like you’re defending that man?”

“Aiden was only protecting me from Finn.”

“You’re speaking nonsense. And look at the way you’re dressed! Jeans and a shirt? Ugly. Come along. Let’s get you dressed in something nicer.”

“Why does it matter? I just got back home.”

“It matters because it won’t take long for Erik and Viktor to find out you’re here and then they’ll come over and I want you to be your most presentable. Is that so wrong?”

It would be so easy to argue with her but what would be the point?

So, I follow my mother to my room where she picks out a pretty summer dress for me to wear. Then she styles my hair, commenting the entire time about how frizzy and unruly my hair is, and finally does my makeup for me, where she criticizes my skin for not being glowy enough.

“I was on the run for my life,” I remind her.

“That’s no excuse. There. You look presentable at least.”

“Mom, is all of this really necessary?”

“Yes, Elena,” she says in a flat voice. “It is. Now stop complaining and be grateful.”

“I was kidnapped, you know? I was on the run for a week, trying to keep myself alive. I had to kill three men to survive.”

She gasps. “Don’t say such things. It’s not ladylike.” She fixes her own hair in the mirror. “Besides, no one will believe you did those things. Don’t be making up lies, Elena.”

“I killed three men, Mom. Why would I make that up?”

She drops her hands and scoffs, turning away from me. “You always wanted everything to be about you. Well newsflash, Elena. Not everything is. I’ve been hurting all week. I just lost your father and then I lost you.”

“I thought you’d be glad. You blamed me for Dad’s death. I figured you didn’t want me anymore.”

“How can you say those awful mean things to me? You’re still my daughter. Now, cheer up.”

My mom doesn’t see me as an actual person, just an extension of herself. She sees me as someone she can poke and prod at until I become the perfect little doll she can control.

The doorbell rings, drawing her downstairs and away from me, which is for the best. I’m not sure what I would have said to her otherwise.

I hear two male voices enter the house. Erik and Viktor.

Slowly, I head downstairs.

“Elena,” Erik says with relief when he sees me. “Anya and Nadia will be so happy to know that you’re ok.”

I force a smile onto my face. I always got along with Anya and Nadia so knowing that they’re happy makes me happy. But it doesn’t take away my pain of losing Aiden. Does he even know what happened to me?

Does he even care? Or did he run off with Finn to start killing people again for the fun of it?

“I’m ok,” I lie.

“Dante told me he found you and took you home.” Erik crosses his arms. “I admit, I was surprised. I’m glad he did.”

“He’s trying to prevent a war,” I say. “He doesn’t want Nadia to get hurt.”

Viktor’s eyes darken at my words. “Of course he wouldn’t. She’s his wife after all.” A sore subject for him then, given that Dante stole Nadia away from Viktor.

And now Aiden has stolen my heart away too.

“I’m glad you’re home,” Erik says. “We’ll keep you safe from Finn and Aiden. I promise you that.”

The urge to defend Aiden is on my lips but I tamp it down. Now is not the time.

“I brought Viktor with me because we need to move up the wedding. For your own safety. The plan was to marry you two this weekend.”

This weekend? That’s in two days.

As much as I felt free with Aiden, now I feel the vise around my neck tightening its grip.

I’m losing any sense of freedom I had.