Babies Of The Don+18

Chapter 9

•|• Alexsander's POV •|•

The second I walked away from them, the cold evening air hit my face like a slap.

I almost stood motionless at the bottom of the steps, after the lie came out of her mouth like she's forcing herself to believe it or believe the fact that-

She had lied to me.

Or at least, that was what every instinct in my body screamed.

“Boss?”

I ignored the driver’s voice and kept my eyes on the house.

Married.

The word replayed in my head with a bitter edge.

Not because it hurt my pride. Men lied to me every day. Women too. It was survival.

But Thessira’s lie had felt… desperate.

Protective.

Like she had something precious hidden behind those walls.

My jaw tightened.

Elijah Arnold had stood beside her like a guard dog, shoulders squared, eyes sharp and challenging. The man had practically vibrated with possessiveness. He wanted me to know exactly where I stood.

Away from her.

I almost laughed at that.

No one had ever been able to keep me away from something once it caught my interest.

And Thessira had done far more than catch my interest.

She had consumed it.

The black SUV waited by the curb, engine running quietly. One of my security men opened the rear door for me immediately.

I slid inside.

The scent of leather, whiskey, and gunpowder greeted me instantly. Familiar. Controlled. Safe.

Unlike the chaos Thessira seemed to stir inside my chest.

The door shut behind me.

“Drive,” I ordered coldly.

The SUV pulled away from the curb smoothly.

Victor De Luca sat in the front passenger seat, already turning halfway toward me. Even seated, the Italian looked sharp as a blade in his charcoal suit. His dark hair was slicked back neatly, his expression unreadable in the dim lighting.

Victor had been my consigliere for nearly nine years.

Which meant he knew me better than almost anyone alive.

Unfortunately.

His eyes studied me carefully.

“You stayed longer than expected.”

I loosened the top button of my shirt slightly. “The conversation became… interesting.”

“That’s one word for it.”

I leaned back against the seat, my fingers tapping once against the leather armrest.

Outside, the city blurred past in streaks of white and gold.

Victor continued carefully, “The woman upset your schedule.”

“She did.”

“That alone is rare.”

I gave him a look. “You sound concerned.”

“I am concerned.”

Of course he was.

Victor worried about anything that could become a weakness.

And women had become weaknesses for powerful men long before empires existed.

But Thessira didn’t feel like weakness.

She felt dangerous.

There was a difference.

Victor crossed one ankle over the other. “Who exactly is she?”

“Employee at Bennett Enterprises.”

“That much I know.” His tone remained calm. “I’m asking why your attention is fixed on her.”

The answer came too quickly.

“Because she doesn’t act like everyone else.”

Victor raised a brow.

I stared out the window again.

“Most people either fear me,” I said quietly, “or want something from me.”

“And she?”

“She looked at me like I was a problem.”

Victor snorted softly.

That earned the faintest smirk from me.

It disappeared just as quickly.

The memory of her eyes returned instantly. Gray-blue and sharp with intelligence. Beautiful enough to ruin a man’s concentration.

Then there was the way she held herself.

Strong.

Guarded.

As if every inch of her had been built carefully to survive something painful.

And despite that strength, I had seen fear tonight.

Not fear for herself.

Fear of me being near that house.

Near whatever—or whoever—was inside.

Victor’s voice interrupted my thoughts.

“You like her.”

The statement lingered in the air.

I hated how easily he had seen through me.

“She interests me,” I corrected.

Victor chuckled under his breath. “You put three men in the hospital last five years because one insulted a her asking about your the night you both spent.”

“That was different.”

“Was it?”

Silence filled the SUV.

I rested my head back against the seat and closed my eyes briefly.

The image of Thessira standing beside Elijah appeared immediately.

The man’s hand near her waist.

The familiarity between them.

The protective tension.

My irritation sharpened.

Victor noticed.

“So,” he said slowly, “what’s the situation with the husband?”

I opened my eyes.

“He’s not her husband.”

“You sound certain.”

“I am.”

“How?”

I looked at him directly.

“Because when she said it, she hesitated for half a second.”

Victor blinked once.

“You noticed that?”

“I notice everything.”

And I had noticed more than hesitation.

I had noticed the flicker in her eyes afterward.

Panic.

Like she needed me to believe the lie.

Needed distance between us immediately.

Why?

That question had been clawing at my mind since I walked away from her.

Victor rubbed his jaw thoughtfully. “You think she’s hiding something.”

“Yes.”

“What?”

“I don’t know yet.”

But I intended to find out.

The SUV slowed briefly at a traffic light. Neon lights flashed across the tinted windows.

Victor remained quiet for a moment before asking carefully, “Do you want someone watching her?”

My answer came instantly.

“No.”

Victor turned slightly more toward me. “Alexsander—”

“I said no.”

My voice hardened enough to silence the vehicle.

Because despite everything in me that wanted answers, something else stopped me.

Her expression earlier.

The way she looked exhausted beneath her composure.

The subtle shadows beneath her eyes.

The tension in her shoulders.

Thessira already lived like someone constantly waiting for disaster.

I wasn’t going to become another monster standing outside her window.

Not now, Not ever.