THIN LINE BETWEEN LOVE AND HATE.

BEING ALEX CARTER.

Amelia's P.O.V

I know these old geezers hate doing business with someone so young, and especially a woman.

But I have the money and the influence, so they have to kiss my ass, even if it is just to my face. Everyone thinks I am Alex Carter’s woman, they don’t know that I am him.

Even the bodyguards protecting me have no idea of my true identity. Only two people know and those are my enforcer, Raul, and my strategist, August.

Three years ago, I killed the mob boss of a cartel. For me, it was purely out of revenge, but many people thought I did it for power.

After that, I had to take over, so his people wouldn’t come after me for revenge. I kept the ones willing to change their allegiance to me as for the ones still loyal to him, I sent them to their unsuspecting deaths.

From then on, with Raul and August on my side, we have built the biggest, most feared and quite honestly the richest group.

My phone rings. I hang up. I don’t really care what is going on in the meeting, but I want it done as fast as possible. My phone rings again. This time I excuse myself earning some disapproving looks from them. My bodyguards start following but I stop them.

“August I am in a meeting, this better be important,” he is in Italy procuring a vineyard farm for us. He is good at handling high-class deals.

“It’s Raul,” Raul, on the other hand, is direct and a little rough on the edge, but loyal to a fault. “What about him?” The last time I talked to Raul, I told him to come pick me after this meeting.

“He is dead,” August's voice comes across clearly. But I am still reluctant to admit what I just heard. “What did you just say?” I start walking aimlessly away from the hotel.

“Raul is dead. He was just killed,” he repeats. “Killed by whom?” I can’t think of one person who can easily kill Raul.

I have seen him take out a bunch of mercenaries all by himself.

“Some lawyer, apparently the lawyer, implicated us in court to win his case,” nothing he is saying right now makes any kind of sense to me.

“What case? Which lawyer?” I rub my temple. I am getting a strong headache. “I am not sure of the details yet. All I know is his name. Jace Miller,” I have never heard that name before, but now it is a name I will repeat until I send its owner to his death.

“You need to get back as fast as you can,” I need a strategist on my side. Everything else can wait. “I am on the first flight out. Boss, he won’t get away with it,” he promised.

My mind is all over the place as I start walking back to the hotel. I hadn’t realized just how far away I had wandered.

I don’t see the car that pulls up by my side. Within seconds, the car is opened, and I am thrown inside. There are four guys in the car, guys I have never seen before.

“Who are you and what do you think you are doing?” I am more annoyed than scared. “We are people your boyfriend screwed over.” The last time I checked, I didn’t have a boyfriend.“And who is my boyfriend?” I look at each of them. “Alex Carter, who else?” The main reason I keep my identity hidden was so I could work in the shadows. But also, so I could avoid being targeted by people like them and also by the cops.

“What did he do?” I want to know what I did. “He ran my business in the ground,” the first one says. “He planted drugs on my car, and I was sent to prison because I couldn’t let him use my business as a front for his money laundering,” the second one chimes in.

“He did this to me,” the third one lifts his shirt, revealing a healed stab wound. Honestly, I don’t remember doing any of these things, but I wouldn’t go as far as denying that I did them.

“What about you?” Only the driver has not presented his grievances. “Nothing, I am just a good friend and offered to help get revenge,” he says, looking at me via the rear-view mirror.

What are the chances that people I have allegedly hurt could find each other coincidentally and plan, whatever this is? Someone brought them together, and my money is on the driver.

“What are you planning to do with me?” I ask. “We are going to keep you until your boyfriend comes for you,” the driver answers. That is his intention; he wants to know who Alex Carter is.

“How sure are you that he will come for me?” I look around at the uncertainty in their eyes. “He has to, he loves you,” the one on my right answers, but not too confidently.

I nod, “if that is what you believe.” We run into road blocks. They are usually not there. I see a cop working for me heading the car check.

My people know I am missing. The men in the car with me come to the same conclusion. They begin to panic and that is never good.

“I won’t say anything, I promise,” my words mean nothing to them. The driver makes a U turn. “What are we going to do now?” Because of their anxiety, I can tell this is their first time trying something like this.

Revenge requires ruthlessness that I don’t think any of them possess. But they are also obviously panicked enough to do anything to save their skins.

I don’t see the first stab. Before I can react again, I am stabbed again, in almost the same place. Then again. After that, I am tossed out of the car like rubbish.

The cold night air feels even more crisp than usual. I don’t know what happens, but I feel the warmth and I close my eyes.

When I open them, his thumbs are caressing my cheeks softly. His eyes are kind and easy to read. He saved me; he is a man I would do anything for.

“What is your name?” “Jace Miller,” My heart starts beating faster. It can’t be, he can’t be. My biggest enemy and my savior are the same person.