Page 54 of His Cruel Exception

By the time familiar streets begin appearing outside the window, my leg is bouncing uncontrollably. I lean forward in my seat and when our house finally comes into view, Davide hasn’t even finished parking in front of it before I’m out of the car and running toward the front door, my feet hitting the ground hard as I race across the distance between the car and the house with only one thought left in my head.

I need to get to Mom.

I knock so hard that my knuckles sting, but the second the door opens, Jude Murphy’s face fills the doorway with a gun pointed straight at me. His eyes are bloodshot and unfocused, his shirt rumpled, and he reeks of alcohol. The gun wavers in his hand, and I freeze, every part of me going cold as I stare at the barrel. Only a moment later, Antonio pushes past me, grabs the gun from Jude’s hand, and tosses it to Davide before fisting the front of his shirt and driving him into the wall roughly, making the entire frame beside them rattle.

I hurry inside, my heart still beating so violently that it hurts, and the moment I see Mom sitting on the couch, looking smaller than I have ever seen her, something in my chest caves in. I cross the room quickly and drop to my knees in front of her, reaching for her hands while my eyes move over her face, her arms, and every part of her I can see.

“Mom, are you okay?”

She nods, but there’s still fear in her eyes. “I’m fine.”

I’m still checking her over when a gunshot cracks through the back of the house. Mom and I both jump. Her eyes widen, and we’re on our feet almost at the same time, hurrying outside where we find Jude bent over and clutching his bleeding hand while Antonio stands a few feet away with the gun still lowered at his side.

“If you come near Alexander and Martha again, the bullet goes in your head,” Antonio is saying.

Every ounce of Jude’s confidence on the phone is gone. He whimpers while Davide grabs hold of him and drags him away. I expect Mom to look horrified. Instead, her expression is somewhere between shock, relief, and something close to awe. We walk back to the front of the house, and I see Davide forcing Jude into a brown Corolla.

“Where is he taking him?” Mom asks Antonio.

“Rehab on paper,” he answers. “But it’s more of a prison where we put nuisances.” He turns to face her, his expression completely calm. “If you prefer to have him killed, that can be arranged.”

Mom shakes her head. “Let him rot there. Thanks, Antonio.”

“We’ll stay until the morning, so you’re not alone.”

Mom looks at me then, and I know I have a lot of explaining to do, but I don’t care. She is standing in front of me alive and unharmed, and whatever awkward conversation waits for me in the morning feels insignificant compared to what I thought I might find when we arrived.

She goes into her room after asking what we want for breakfast in the morning, and once her bedroom door closes behind her, I lead Antonio to my room.

Chapter

Twenty-Seven

ALEX

I’m pulling away from the curb when my phone starts ringing. Antonio’s name flashes across the screen, and I press the button on the steering wheel to answer his call through the speakers.

“Where are you?”

A smile tugs at my lips. “Hello to you too, Mr. Scalera. How can I help you?”

“Quit it,” he says, but there’s a hint of laughter in his voice.

“I’m just leaving home.”

He probably already knows, considering his habit of having me followed whenever he feels the need to keep an eye on me. For all I know, one of his men is parked somewhere nearby, watching me and reporting back to him. Then again, I can hardly complain. It was how Antonio managed to rescue me both times I needed him, and I don't like thinking about what might have happened if he hadn't found me.

I glance at the rearview mirror out of habit, checking the cars behind me before returning my attention to the road. I don't spot anyone suspicious, but that doesn't mean much. His men are good at what they do.

“Okay. I have a meeting with dad and the clan. I’ll see you later.”

“See you.”

The call ends, and his name disappears from the screen. I smile to myself as I continue driving, thinking about how much things have changed between Antonio and me. He's so gentle with me now, sometimes to the point that I wonder if this is the same man who used to scare the hell out of me.

Ever since the incident with my dad three weeks ago, he's become even more protective, which is saying something considering how he was before. He still has my dad locked away, and although I know he would never let him hurt me again, Antonio doesn't seem willing to take any chances when it comes to my safety. He even talks to me about the plans they're putting in place for the Falcos as they’re expecting them to strike any day now.

And cousins have taken me in as one of their own. When we visited Mom last weekend, they all came with us, filling her house with so much noise and laughter that you would think they'd known her for years. Mom was delighted to have them around, which was more than I could say for myself when they descended on the cookies she'd baked, leaving nothing for me and my friends.