Page 62 of Filthy Dirty Dom
Leslie smiled at the mention of Nico. "And your daughters?"
"Well, one of them is... not around anymore."
"I'm sorry," Leslie said again, a different kind of regret coloring her voice this time.
"It's life, Leslie.” The silence that followed was interrupted by Renee's soft laughter. "Well, this seems like a one-sided conversation, doesn't it? Tell me, Leslie, how long have you known Alex?"
"Since he met my brother in college.”
"And how's the relationship?" Renee asked, raising an eyebrow in a knowing manner.
Leslie felt herself blush. "We're... we're just friends."
The knowing smile didn't waver from Renee's face. "Just friends," she repeated. "Alright."
And with that, they continued their cooking in companionable silence, the word “friends” hanging heavy in the air.
26
As Alex kept an eye on Leslie and Renee, he hung up with Luke, waited, and then dialed another number.
After he’d told Luke they’d arrived, Luke’s update had been this: a man named Luca called and told me you should call him at this number. He said it was urgent. “Is there something I should know, Alex?” Luke had asked.
“There’s plenty, but I can’t get into it now, Luke. I’ll be in touch again in two days.”
“Got it. Take care of yourself, Alex. And Leslie.”
As Alex listened to the phone ring, he reflected on the similarity between Luke and Luca’s names, but how the men were nothing alike.
Except for their ability to kill a man if needed.
“Alex,” Luca suddenly said over the phone. “My men have told me you and your woman have settled in well.”
“We have,” Alex said. “What have you found out?”
“No small talk. I understand. The names Stephen Anderson and Ed Pearson. You’re familiar with them?”
The names hit Alex like dual punches to the face.
“Very,” he bit out. Ed Pearson was Lucy’s stepfather, the federal judge who’d raped her. The same one Alex had rescued her from. Stephen Anderson was the Brooklyn Borough President, recently discovered to have been involved in sex crimes against young girls along with Pearson.
“They were in jail when I left New York,” Alex said.
“They hired the Russians.”
It shouldn’t have surprised him so much, but it did. Bastards! Why?” he breathed. “Why come after Leslie?”
But he already knew. To get back at Alex. To fuck with Branden. Leslie was important to them both—two men, along with Logan Fredricks, who had helped take Pearson and Anderson down. Shit. He needed to tell Luke. Inform Branden and Logan.
Even as his mind whirled with extra security measures that could be put in place, Alex allowed himself to feel a modicum of relief. The danger wasn’t over, not to Leslie and not to her family, but this connection of the Bratva to Pearson and Anderson meant the attack at Leslie’s place hadn’t been mixed up with Alex’s past.
At least, not the part of his past he’d thought had been responsible, in any rate. No matter though. The fact was those two scumbags had sent the Bratva after Leslie in part because of Alex rescuing Lucy.
“As I told you before, Alex, word has gotten around about you—the man who killed the son of one of the Bratva’s top men. Names have been mentioned. Identities bantered around. If my own men haven’t made the connection yet, they will.”
Alex understood. Whether or not his connection with Luca or his cousin Mia had caused the attack on Leslie, the fact that it had happened had cast a spotlight on Alex. That light would call to other enemies, maybe even enemies that hid in Luca’s very own army.
“Your men—" Alex began.