Page 63 of Filthy Dirty Dom
“Know nothing of me contacting you or where you are. The only people that know are myself and the people on that island, who are unfailingly loyal to me, Alex.”
“You’re sure?”
“So sure, if I was you, I’d swap places with you in a second. You and your woman are safe there. I promise.”
Alex remembered another promise Luca had given Alex, one cemented with the shaking of their hands, both covered in blood. Luca had kept his promise then, and Alex trusted he’d keep it now.
It didn’t mean the danger to them was over, but Alex felt more strongly that so long as they stayed on this island, Leslie was safe. Maybe, he thought, the best course was to leave her here, under the care of Damien and Luca’s other men.
“I need to rally my men back home,” Alex said even as he hated the idea of leaving Leslie. But neither did he want to just sit here while the Russians were hell bent on finding them. “I need to make sure Pearson and Anderson recall their contract with the Russians.”
“You need to stay exactly where you are,” Luca said. “I'll have a word with my Russian friends, see if I can't dissuade them from their current course. Pearson and Anderson might be paying them, but when it comes to relationship between the families, there’s more than money at play.”
Luca was the head of the mafia in New York, and yet Alex had always respected him. He was loyal to a fault, especially to someone he considered family. And like it or not, Luca considered Alex family. “You’re going to a lot of trouble for me and a woman you don’t know Luca.”
“You were Mia’s. Mia was my cousin. What I do, I’m doing for her just as much as you. No guarantees, Alex. But I’ll try.”
You were Mia’s.
The words echoed in Alex’s head and he remembered how beautiful Mia was, how much he’d cared for her even if he hadn’t love her. And he did while staring at Leslie.
"Are you sure the Bratva don't know about the island?" Alex asked.
"If they did, they'd have tried to infiltrate before. But we aren't taking chances. My people are keeping an eye on them, Alex.”
“Thank you for that. For finding this information. And for the continued use of Caris.”
“You’re welcome. If you can breathe only a little easier now, knowing that our Mia wasn’t the reason Leslie was in danger, it eases my soul. She wouldn’t want you thinking that.”
“No, she wouldn’t,” Alex said. “And I’m glad I no longer do. But if those men had been connected to Mia, we both know it would be me responsible for them coming, not Mia.”
“Perhaps. Regardless, continue to enjoy the island. I’ll report to your man if I find out anything else. Ciao.”
At Renee’s urging, Leslie had donned an apron. The older woman was now demonstrating how to properly knead dough for fresh baked bread, her hands moving expertly over the sticky mound. Leslie tried to imitate the movements, at first awkward, but growing more confident as Renee gently corrected her technique, guiding her hands until she got the right motion, the right pressure.
Slowly, Leslie felt the raw mixture come alive under her hands, turning supple and smooth. She glanced at Alex and saw he was off the phone, staring intently at her. She smiled and he smiled back. It was a restrained smile, but he wasn’t rushing her way, telling her that something urgent had occurred, so she assumed his call to Luke had been uneventful.
When he didn’t come straight to them, she and Renee continued working. Soon, the dough was set aside to rise, but the bread already in the oven smelled delicious. Next, again under Renee’s direction, Leslie whipped eggs before pouring them into a pan over a thick pad of butter as the bacon and sausage sizzled away beside them, creating a harmony of scents that filled the kitchen.
It was almost time to serve breakfast when Alex finally walked up to them.
She eyed him cautiously. “Everything okay?”
He nodded. “Under control. There are things I need to tell you but it can wait."
“Okay. I—"
A blur of movement suddenly caught her eye. A young girl, no more than ten years old with curly brown hair and large hazel eyes, burst into the kitchen. She was flushed from running, her wide eyes sparkling with childlike excitement. Leslie watched with amusement as the girl, in her haste, nearly collided with a stack of pots by the door.
"Maria!" Renee reprimanded, her tone both stern and loving. "How many times have I told you not to run into the kitchen like that, especially when we have guests?"
The young girl paused, her bright eyes flicking between Leslie and Renee. She seemed to be taking in the situation, her expression slowly morphing into a picture of contrition.
"It's okay," Leslie interjected before Renee could continue her reprimand. She looked at the young girl with a warm smile. "She's not bothering me."
Renee looked taken aback for a moment before a reluctant smile tugged at her lips. "Alright then," she conceded, casting an affectionate glance at the wide-eyed girl. "Just don't get in the way, Maria."
Maria bobbed her head in an eager nod before turning her curious gaze on Leslie. Her shyness forgotten, she moved closer, standing on her tiptoes to catch a glimpse of what was cooking on the stove. Leslie turned to smile at Alex, to share her delight at seeing the adorable girl, only he’d retreated several steps and was now leaning against the kitchen wall, his strong arms folded across his chest, his gaze fixed on Maria, seeming more disturbed than delighted.