DANGEROUS ALLIANCES

CHAPTER FOUR: AN EDGE OF A BLADE

~ALEX~

Marco’s phone buzzed on the table, the vibration cutting through the steady rhythm of my thoughts. He glanced at me before answering, his voice low and sharp.

“What is it?”

I watched him carefully, noting the slight tightening of his jaw as he listened to the voice on the other end. When he hung up, his eyes met mine, a flicker of unease buried beneath his usual composure.

“It’s Paolo,” he said, referring to the man I’d sent to shadow Lexi. She slipped out of his grasp. Left him bleeding in an alley.

A slow smile spread across my face, though my anger simmered just beneath the surface. “She fought him off?”

Marco nodded. “He says she’s trained. Not just self-defense—something more.”

“Interesting.”

Lexi Carter was proving to be more than just a thorn in my side. She was becoming a challenge, and I hadn’t decided yet if that excited or irritated me.

“Find her,” I ordered, my tone leaving no room for argument. Bring her to me. Unharmed.”

Marco hesitated, his brow furrowing. “You’re sure about that? She’s dangerous.”

“That’s exactly why I want her alive,” I said, leaning back in my chair. “If she’s working for someone, I need to know who. And if she’s acting alone…” I let the words hang in the air, the implication clear.

Marco nodded and left without another word.

As the door closed behind him, I turned my gaze to the city skyline. The game had shifted, and Lexi had made her move. Now, it was my turn.

~LEXI~

The adrenaline was wearing off by the time I reached the safe house. My hands were trembling, though whether from exhaustion or fear, I wasn’t sure.

I locked the door behind me, bolting it twice before sliding down to the floor. My mind raced, replaying the encounter in the alley. Alessandro’s man had been good, but not good enough.

What scared me wasn’t that he’d found me—it was how quickly Alessandro had acted.

I couldn’t stay here anymore. The safe house was compromised, and Alessandro was closing in.

Pulling out my burner phone, I called Jack again. He answered almost immediately.

“What now?” he asked, his tone laced with frustration.

“They sent someone after me,” I said, keeping my voice low. “Alessandro knows I’m lying, and he’s not backing off.”

“Then get out, Lexi. This isn’t a debate.”

“I can’t,” I snapped. “If I leave now, he’ll know I’m running, and everything we’ve worked for will fall apart. I need more time.”

Jack let out a long sigh. “You’re putting yourself in a no-win situation. If they catch you—”

“They won’t,” I interrupted, though the words felt hollow even to me. “I’ll figure it out.”

“Fine,” he said, though his tone made it clear he didn’t agree. “But if you’re not out in 48 hours, I’m pulling the plug. Got it?”

“Got it,” I muttered before hanging up.

Two days. That was all the time I had to gather the last pieces of evidence and disappear before Alessandro caught up to me.

But disappearing wasn’t an option anymore.

If Alessandro wanted me, he’d have to come and get me himself.

~ALEX~

The night stretched on as I waited in the penthouse, the silence heavy and oppressive. Marco hadn’t called yet, but I knew it was only a matter of time.

Lexi Carter had made a mistake. She’d shown me her strength, her training. And in doing so, she’d revealed her weakness.

She wasn’t working alone.

A knock at the door broke my thoughts.

“Come in,” I called, not bothering to turn around.

Marco entered, his expression unreadable. “We couldn’t find her,” he admitted, though there was a tightness in his voice that hinted at his frustration.

I exhaled slowly, my patience wearing thin. “Then look harder.”

“She’s smart,” he continued. “She’s covering her tracks. But we did find something — she works for FBI, she’s an FBI agent. And she has a safe house she’s been using. It’s empty now, but she left in a hurry.”

That explains why she could take on Paolo.

“Good,” I said, standing and straightening my jacket. “Keep the men on her. She’ll slip again.

“And when she does?” Marco asked.

I smiled, cold and sharp. “She won’t be running anymore.”

~LEXI~

The streets were quiet as I moved through the city, my bag slung over my shoulder. I didn’t know where I was going yet, only that I couldn’t stay still.

Alessandro was hunting me, and I had to stay one step ahead.

But as I turned a corner, I froze.

A figure stood at the end of the street, his silhouette unmistakable. Alessandro.

He was alone, his hands in his pockets, his stance casual. But there was nothing casual about the way his eyes locked onto mine.

“Lexi,” he called, his voice carrying easily across the distance.

My heart pounded, but I didn’t move.

“I told you, didn’t I?” he continued, taking a slow step forward. “You don’t know who you’re dealing with.”

He was closer now, his gaze sharp and calculating. “But I know you. Alexandra Carter. And I’m tired of playing games.”

Every instinct screamed at me to run, but I forced myself to stay rooted.

“You don’t scare me,” I said, though my voice wavered.

His lips curved into a slow, dangerous smile. “You should be scared. Because now, you’re mine.”

And just like that, the trap snapped shut.

It felt like hours before I woke up. The room felt like it was closing in on me, the darkness pressing closer with every second that ticked by. I had been left here for hours, alone with nothing but the cold, sterile walls and the heavy weight of silence to keep me company. I shifted against the ropes binding my wrists to the chair, the rough fibers digging into my skin as I tried to ease the ache that had settled deep in my bones.

Alex Esposito—the man who thought he could use me as a pawn—was about to learn the hard way that I wasn’t the type to be easily manipulated.

The door creaked open, and I turned my head just as Alex strode in, his every movement radiating the kind of detached confidence that only someone like him could pull off. He barely spared me a glance, his eyes sweeping the room like he was appraising a piece of his personal collection. Immaculate suit. Ice-cold demeanor. He looked every bit the ruthless heir to the Esposito empire—and he knew it.

“Comfortable?” he asked, his lips twisting into a mocking smile that didn’t reach his cold eyes.

I snorted, rolling my eyes despite the ache in my wrists. “Could use a drink. Mind untying me?”

Alex didn’t answer. He just leaned against the wall, crossing his arms like he had all the time in the world. The quiet in the room was thick, pressing in on me. The only sound was the soft creak of the wall behind him. The smell of old leather mixed with a faint trace of cigar smoke hung in the air, making the space feel even heavier

His silence dragged on, each second more unnerving than the last, but I refused to give him the satisfaction of looking away. The tension between us was palpable, thick enough to choke on. Then, finally, he spoke, his voice smooth, calm—too calm

“You want to play this game, Lexi?” He let the name roll off his tongue like a dare. “Or should I call you… Agent Thompson?”

My pulse skipped a beat, and for a moment, the sound of my heart pounding in my ears nearly drowned out his words. So, he knew. My cover was blown, the lie I’d been holding onto shattered in an instant. The weight of it hit me, cold as the air surrounding us. A bitter taste filled my mouth, but I fought to keep my composure.