Page 30 of Taking Adalisa (Montgomery Syndicate #2)

ADALISA

“ A re you sure this is okay?” I ask Margery as we walk around the compound.

My brother is still out there, and he obviously wants to come after me.

Why else would he have been in the middle of a grocery store, staring at me?

He wants to finish what he started all those years ago.

I can feel it in my gut… it might also be indigestion, but I think he is here to finish what he started.

“I do this every single day, and nothing has ever happened. It’s going to be perfectly fine.”Margery waves her hand in the air. “And besides, there are guards watching to make sure everything is okay. We are completely safe.”

But I can’t help but have this feeling in my stomach, telling me everything isn’t going to be okay.

“Why didn’t you ever tell me about your brother? You told me you were an only child.” Margery looks at me.

I sigh. “I wanted to, but I was trying to forget about him. It isn’t easy remembering everything he did to me,” I mumble. “I wanted to, but there would have been a lot of questions, and I wasn’t ready to talk about it.”

“That’s why you never came over to the house for a meal,” she realizes.

I nod. “Exactly. I didn’t want to say I couldn’t eat it because I bet you cook wonderfully. I didn’t want to have to explain, and you look at me like I’m crazy.”

“I would have never.” Margery stops walking to look at me.

I raise an eyebrow. “Are you sure about that?”

She takes several seconds to think about it. If Margery told me she couldn’t eat food she didn’t prepare, I would think she was crazy. I thought she was crazy for thinking she saw Ethan.

“Okay, I would have totally thought you were crazy,” she giggles.

We continue to walk, taking in the fresh air surrounding us. There aren’t many places in New York City that have land around the property, but I’m grateful for this space. We can hear people walking and talking on the other side of the wall, but besides that, it’s peaceful.

“If I could live here, I would,” I tell Margery. “So quiet, yet you can hear the hustle of the city.”

“That’s what I told Ethan when he first showed me this place. This wasn’t where we were supposed to live, but he saw how much I loved it and decided this was ours.” Margery looks around.

We walk in silence for several minutes, just enjoying each other’s company while being outside. Soon, I’m going to have to go back to work and won’t be able to do this as much. Maybe I can convince my boss to get another manager so I can work fewer hours. That is, if Matthias is okay with that.

“I’m so glad you’re safe,” I tell Margery. “I’m sorry I didn’t believe you at the beginning.”

“It’s okay, I didn’t believe myself either. Not until he showed up and took me,” she chuckles. “I wouldn’t have believed myself if I were you, so don’t feel bad at all. I understand completely and don’t blame you for anything.”

I take a deep breath and let it out. I didn’t think I would be able to apologize properly, but I’m glad she is okay.

“Is he the same as you remember him?” I ask. “Everything you talked about with him, seeing him for the first time, I didn’t think that was him.”

“He’s a little different, but he’s the same man I fell in love with.

He’s the same man I love with all my heart,” she replies, clasping her hands together.

“It was rough with how he came back into my life, but I’m glad he did.

I knew I would never be able to find love like I had with him again.

I’m glad I don’t have to settle or be single for the rest of my life. ”

“I’m glad. You look really happy.”

To our right, I see a guard looking around the compound, and I feel myself relax a little more. I am safe here. No one can get to me or take me away.

“Want to head back? I’m starving.” Margery pats her stomach.

“When are you not?” I laugh. “But yeah, let's go back.”

It doesn’t take us long to get back to the house. Margery walks toward the kitchen, a smile on her face.

“Nala!” Margery yells.

I rush after Margery only to find my brother in the kitchen. Nala is in his grip with a knife pointing to her neck.

“You don’t need to do this,” I tell him, terror rushing through me as I stare at them. “Let Nala go, and I’ll come with you.”

I don’t know Nala that well, but she has been nothing but kind to me. She has let me and Matthias cook in her kitchen. She doesn’t let anyone else cook in. She has a special place in my heart, and if anything happens to her, I don’t know what I’m going to do with myself.

“Ava,” he says, keeping hold of Nala. “Or would you like me to call you Adalisa instead?”

I suck in a breath. Out of the corner of my eye, I spot Margery look at me.

“I haven’t gone by Ava since you were sent to prison,” I tell him. “Ava is dead to me. I’m Adalisa and have been for years.”

Even though I was young, I begged for my name to be changed. Was it a hard process to finally convince them? Absolutely, but I needed it. I needed to feel like I was starting over, especially after everything.

“Let Nala go, and I’ll come with you. You can do anything to me as long as you let her go and you don’t come back here.” I take a step closer.

How did he get past all the guards and over the fence? Where are Matthias and Ethan?

“I think I might stay here.” He twirls the knife in the air.

I breathe easier knowing it isn’t as close to Nala’s neck.

“You don’t need to. There is nothing here for you. It’s all cheap and won’t sell for much. I don’t own this house,” I tell him and briefly look at Nala.

Her eyes are on me, and she shakes her head. Does she know that I will do anything to get her away from him, even if it means dying? Nala looks over at Margery, but I don’t follow her gaze. I can’t take my eyes off him for too long, not when he could do anything with the knife.

“Who does it belong to?” he asks.

“Ethan Montgomery,” I honestly say. “He owns this house.”

My brother scoffs and shakes his head. “Liar! You just don’t want me to have the house. You aren’t going to get your wish. I’m taking this house now, and you are going to stay here and do what I say. I’m going to watch the life drain from you slowly as I finish what I started.”

My heart rate speeds up, and my palms are getting sweaty. None of that is going to happen. Matthias is going to find me before Gerard can make me eat anything. I have to believe he will come after me. But he doesn’t even know anything is wrong. I’m in the house like he told me to be.

“It’s true. Ethan is my husband,” Margery speaks up. “If you let us all go right now, nothing will happen to you. You can get away before anything happens.”

My brother places the knife back to Nala’s neck, and I leap forward.

“Not another step!” he yells. “You stay right where you are. If any of you move, your friend is dead.”

I hold my hands in the air, letting him know I’m not going to do anything. Calm. Everyone needs to be calm.

“Matthias isn’t going to be happy when he finds out you’re being held captive,” Margery says.

“Matthias?” My brother’s interest is piqued. “Matthias, as in the one who works for Ethan?”

I nod. “Yes, he’s my husband.”

Margery’s head turns to me, shock written all over her face. Right. I forgot to tell her we are married.

“No, there is no way you are married to the Matthias. There is no way he lives here with Ethan.” My brother shakes his head. “You are just trying to distract me so I don’t do anything to you.”

I shake my head. “I’m really not. Matthias is my husband, and if he finds out you are holding a gun against Nala and threatening me again, he isn’t going to be happy.”

I don’t know where the confidence came from to say that. Maybe it’s knowing Matthias is going to take care of everything. He has to. He promised.

“Let me take her place. You can have the knife pointed at my neck, so let Nala go,” I try to reason with him.

“Adalisa,” Margery hisses, and I hold my hand up, silencing her.

“Come on, take me instead,” I urge him. “You won’t get any satisfaction in killing her. You want me. She’ll just be a waste. Take me instead.”

My brother eyes me for several seconds, and I take a step forward. He doesn’t say anything, and I take that as a sign to take another.

“You can have me. You can have the knife to my neck until Matthias and Ethan arrive. Or you can have it at my neck and take me away,” I tell him, giving him some options.

I take one more step, getting within reaching range.

Before I can do anything, he lets go of Nala and grabs my arm, yanking me closer to him and jabbing the knife against my neck.

I take a shaky breath in. This is what I wanted.

I wanted Nala out of harm’s way, but I thought Matthias would be here by now.

Save everything before the knife was touching my neck.

“Let her go, and Matthias won’t do anything,” Margery suggests. “We can say it was all a misunderstanding, that you thought it was someone else. We can come up with an excuse he’ll believe. But you need to let her go now.”

“No!” he yells. “Shut the fuck up!”

“Who are you telling to shut the fuck up? It better not be my wife,” Matthias booms.