Tear Me Apart (An M/M Dark Romance)

14.Alejandro

“Ibram.”

My voice echoed through the corridor as I climbed the staircase leading out of the underground cells with Leandro as Antonio already excused himself since he has work to do. The air grew warmer the higher I went, but the chill beneath my skin refused to leave.

Something was wrong. The feeling had been gnawing at the back of my mind since the night of the attack, but seeing Nikolai chained in that cell had sharpened it into something dangerous. Footsteps approached from the opposite hallway. Heavy. Controlled. Familiar. Ibram stepped into view.

Massive shoulders and lean body. Eyes sharp and alert as always that resembles his father but has my temperament. He stopped immediately when he saw us. “Zio.” Uncle

“Where were you Nipote?” I asked. Nephew

“Security briefing.”

I nodded once. “Good. Then you can answer a few questions.” Ibram’s gaze darkened slightly.

“About him?”

“No,” I said.

“About that night.”

Silence stretched between the three of us. He understood immediately. Without a word, he reached inside his jacket and pulled out a thin folder. “I was going to bring this to you,” he said. I took it from him. The paper felt heavier than it should.

“Walk with me, Leandro, go and monitor Antonio secretly. I have an inkling that this fratello of ours is a traditore.” I ordered. Brother, traitor

“Si.” Leandro then went out.

Then me and Ibram moved through the corridor toward the main staircase that led to the upper levels of the mansion — the casa itself until we arrived at my office and locked the door. I sat on the leather chair and my thumb flipped open the folder.

Inside were photographs. Security reports. Surveillance logs. And something else. Witness statements. I scanned them quickly as I leaned comfortably on the chair and Ibram took the glass wine and a bourbon from the wine cabinet and gave to me the other glass that he filled with the drink. I then sipped a little. “Convoy left the estate at 20:14,” I read aloud.

“Si.”

“Attack occurred at 20:32.”

“Si.”

“Two vehicles blocked the road.

“Yes.”

Everything matched the version we had been told. But then my eyes caught something. A highlighted line. My breath somehow slowed down in anticipation. “What is this?”

Ibram’s voice lowered. “Something that didn’t make sense.”

The report read:

Passenger change — 20:10

My grip tightened on the folder. “Explain.” Ibram’s jaw flexed. “ La ca–your wife insisted on switching vehicles minutes before departure.” I stared at him and the room felt silent around us.

“She said she felt unsafe in the first car,” he continued. “She asked the driver to move her.”

“And our figlia?” I asked quietly. daughter

“She stayed.” Something cold slid through my chest. I stared at the page again. Passenger change. Why had Camila never mentioned that? It doesn’t make sense? My daughter should have been with her. But she wasn’t.

“Impossibile. We found her bruised and battered in that house? E chi ha approvato il passaggio?” I asked. And who approved the switch

“It was impossibile Zio. But there was something suspicious about her. And no one approved the interruttore,” Ibram said. switch

“She ordered it.”

My pulse slowed. Dangerously slow. “Who else knew?”

“Only the driver.”

“And?”

“E’ morto.” He’s dead.

Of course he was. I closed the folder slowly. Something was wrong. Very wrong. “Where is Camila?” I asked. “In your bedroom Zio.” I turned immediately towards the door but not after ordering Ibram to continue his investigation and if possible spy on Viktor, Nikolai’s right hand man and keep him out of the Casa so as to not find Nikolai.

“Continue the investigation and block Viktor when he attempts to search for Nikolai here. And also try to find more information through him, nipote. I have to talk to Camila first.”

The casa above the underground chambers felt like a completely different world. Warm lights, marble floors and high ceilings. Everything is immaculate. Everything is quiet. Too quiet. Servants moved quickly out of my way as I crossed the hall toward the east wing.

Our bedroom door stood half open. I pushed it gently. Inside, Camila sat by the window. Her back was to me. The moonlight washed over her pale figure. She looked smaller than I remembered. Fragile. “Alejandro,” she said softly without turning.

“I heard you capture Nikolai. Have you killed him yet?.” There was an odd edge to her voice and I took note of it. I didn’t answer immediately. Instead I walked deeper into the room. “You switched cars that night.” Her shoulders stiffened. Slowly, she turned to face me. “I was scared,” she said. “That’s all.” She’s lying because it doesn’t add up how she still end up bruised and battered.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I didn’t think it mattered.” My jaw tightened. “It mattered.”

She looked down at her hands. “You and I were grieving,” she whispered. “I didn’t want to make things worse.” Her answer sounded reasonable. Logical. But something about it felt wrong. It was too careful. Too rehearsed. I studied her face. Looking for cracks. Looking for lies. But Camila only looked tired. Broken. And suddenly I felt something else beneath the suspicion.

Guilt. What kind of man questions his wife after their child dies? I closed the folder. “For now,” I said quietly. “That’s enough.” She nodded weakly. I turned toward the door. But before leaving, I asked one more question. “Have you ever met Nikolai Vassiliou?” Her head snapped up. Too fast. “No.” The answer came instantly. Too instantly. And that was all I needed to know.

By the time I reached the underground corridor again, my mind was burning. The pieces didn’t fit. The convoy attack. The passenger switch. Camila’s reaction. And Nikolai…

Nikolai who had walked into capture like a man arriving exactly where he wanted to be. The cell door creaked open. He looked up immediately. Blood still stained his shirt. Chains still bound his wrists. But his eyes…

Those damned eyes. They lit up the moment he saw me. “Well,” he murmured. “I was wondering when you’d come back.” I stepped inside and shut the door behind me.

“You knew,” I said.

His smile widened slowly.

“I know many things.”

I walked closer. “You knew about the convoy.”

“Oh, so you investigated and to answer that, nai to ixera. Yes I knew.”

“You knew my daughter was in that car.”

“Yes.”

“But you didn’t kill her.” He tilted his head.

“Did I say that?”

Rage flared through me. I grabbed his collar and slammed him against the wall. Chains rattled violently. “Stop playing games.” His breath brushed against my face. Warm. Steady.

“You’re close,” he whispered.

“Closer than you think.”

“Then tell me the truth.” I hissed.

His eyes darkened. “And ruin the fun?” My grip tightened. “You think this is a joke?”

“No,” he said softly. “I think this is the moment you finally start asking the right questions.” My heart pounded harder. “Che domande?”　What questions

He leaned closer. “So tell me, Alejandro…” His voice dropped into a dangerous whisper. “Why did your wife lie to you?”

Something inside me snapped.

My hand slammed against the wall beside his head.

“You’re lying.”

“Am I?”

He smiled again. And suddenly I realized something terrifying. He wasn’t afraid. He was enjoying this. Enjoying me.

“You came back,” he murmured.

“Not for answers.”

“For me.”

The words hit harder than they should have. “You’re delusional.”

“Then why are you breathing like that?”

My chest rose sharply. Damn him. Damn his eyes. Damn the way he looked at me like he could see straight through my skull. “You want to break me,” he whispered.

“And you want me to try.” I grabbed his jaw violently. “You think I won’t?”

“I think,” he said slowly, “you already want to.”

Something inside me broke loose. Before I could stop myself—

I kissed him. Hard. Violent. All teeth and fury. For a moment Nikolai froze in shock. Then he kissed back just as fiercely. The chains clanged loudly as he pulled against them, trying to close the distance between us. My hand gripped the back of his neck. His blood smeared against my skin. The heat between us exploded into something raw and dangerous. I pushed him against the wall harder. Our breathing turned rough. Out of control.

For a split second—

I almost forgot why he was here. Almost forgot the blood. The death. The lies. Almost. I pulled away suddenly. Both of us breathing hard. His lips were bruised. Mine probably were too. Nikolai looked at me with that same maddening expression. Satisfaction.

“Well,” he said quietly. “That escalated.”

I stepped back slowly. My mind racing as my control barely hangs by a thread. “You’re still my prisoner,” I said.

“Of course.”

“And if I want you dead…”

He smiled again. “Then why did you kiss me?”

Silence filled the cell. I turned toward the door. But his voice followed me. It was soft and provoking. “See you tomorrow, Alejandro.”

And the worst part was—

I knew I would come back.