Alexis

I expected to have the perfect day and an even more perfect night with Noah. We couldn’t keep our hands off each other the entire time. When he made the toast to us, I knew I had met the man for me. I would have gone home to pack up and move to Boston if he had asked.

Noah made his next toast to his brother whose name is Nick. I think I stopped breathing for a few minutes. His brother Nick had gone missing the same time my Nick went killed. I stared into Noah’s eyes during the toast realizing that I was staring into Nick’s eyes. I knew I felt a connection to Noah but is Nick the reason why?

I kept spinning all the ways why Noah can’t be Nick’s brother. Noah’s brother is alive, when I know Nick is dead. Noah’s brother traveled back and forth to Boston, my Nick traveled to New York. Noah’s brother is married to someone named Sam but my Nick would have never been married while sleeping with me. I don’t believe in coincidences and this would be one hell of one if Noah’s Nick is the same as mine.

After a few hours of sleep, I quietly watched Noah sleep. I softly ran my hand across his stubble and leaned over to give him a gentle kiss. I then quietly got dressed and ran.

After calling in sick at the store, I head to Deluca’s. The club isn’t open, but I know Frank is always in first thing in the morning doing whatever the hell he does with the books. I pull into the alley and see not only is Frank, here but Alex, Thomas, and Oliver’s cars are parked too. The door is locked, but luckily, I have a key and I let myself in.

“I need to talk to Frank alone,” I say as Alex glances at me and Frank while Oliver and Thomas both keep their eyes on me. Alex stands and walks towards me with narrowed eyes.

“Is everything okay, Alexis? Why do you need to talk to Frank alone? You know we’re all family here, so you can talk to anyone of us.”

I take a deep breath and look at each one of them while they all stare at me. I look back to Alex and turn back to Frank. “I need to talk about Nick,” I advise, and Alex turns to Frank and runs his hand through his hair.

“If you want to talk about Nick, no one needs to leave Alexis,” Alex advises, and I nod.

“Did Nick have a brother?” I blurt out and I hear Thomas chuckling.

“You’re asking us that? Weren’t you banging him?” Thomas asks, and I hear Frank inhaling like the thought makes him sick. I turn towards Thomas and glare at him before turning my attention back to my brothers.

“Why are you asking this?” Alex questions and I turn my attention to him.

“I think Nick has a brother who was here in Chicago looking for him. I don’t understand how he could be since Nick is dead and you both told me that his family blamed us for his death. Does Nick have a brother?” I watch as Frank looks past me towards the others and when I turn to look at them, I notice that Alex has a strange look on his face.

“Frank! Just tell me what’s going on. I won’t let it rest, you know I won’t,” I remind him, and Alex starts to pace. Frank takes a deep breath and again looks toward the others.

“Nick did have a brother, Alexis. He filed a missing person report a month after Nick was killed,” Frank tells me, and I close my eyes letting his words sink in. Why would he fill out a missing person report?

“Why would Noah fill out a missing person report for his dead brother?” I want to know, and Frank looks to Alex who takes a deep breath and moves to stand in front of me.

“ Adele was running from Garth and she suspected that he killed Nick. The cops would have investigated her before we even knew where Garth was,” Alex tells me and still, none of this makes any sense.

“Alexis… I think what Frank and Alex are failing to tell you is that we don’t involve the cops in anything. We handle our own business and take care of our own shit. Adele had been with Nick for days; her fingerprints were all over the place. She would have been the only suspect and a fucking sitting target for Garth. I cleaned up everything and got rid of Nick and made it look like he left on his own,” I gasp when Thomas tells me he got rid of Nick.

“Wh…What are you talking about? You handle your own business? Nick’s family has no idea he’s dead? YOU cleaned up everything and got rid of Nick’s body?” I whisper, shocked. I can’t fight back the tears as they start to pour down my face. I look up into Thomas’ intense eyes and move away from him as I look at the men standing here in the office. They all stare back at me prepared to move if I try to bolt. “You all are in the fucking mob,” I whisper, and I hear Frank sigh.

They expected me to run and I didn’t disappoint them. Alex beat me to the door and wouldn’t let me leave. I screamed at him at the top of my lungs to let me out of the office. I am their sister and I know they wouldn’t hurt me. It would be hard for them to make me disappear. Ma would notice.

“Alexis…calm the fuck down. Everyone in the club is in this damn room. Stop screaming!” Alex orders me as he grabs me by the shoulder.

“I can’t believe this. You’re the fucking mob? What will Ma say when I tell her?”

“Ma knows, Alexis,” Alex says as I turn back to glance at Frank who doesn’t deny Alex’s claim.

“I don’t know what to say?” I whisper as I stand shocked and silent while they all watch me.

“Alexis, I know this is a shock. I had a hard time dealing with it too,” Frank admits, and I narrow my eyes at him. They’ve all been lying to me.

“Was Nick in the mob?” I ask, and Frank looks to the others before he responds. “Have a seat, Alexis and I’ll tell you what you need to know.” The minutes felt like hours as everyone in this room suddenly become strangers.

+++++

I don’t want to be around anyone. Who the hell can I trust at this point?

I spent the next couple of days in bed. I ignored every phone call, most of which were from Frank and Alex. I knew they would eventually show up. How does anyone deal with the fact that their father and brothers are in the mob? My family is a group of killers.

The knock at the door startles me out of my angry thoughts. When I look out the peephole I see that it’s Lola and she is holding a bag in her hand.

“Shouldn’t you be at the store?” I ask as she bumps into me walking past into my condo.

“Adele is there. I brought you lunch. I thought we could eat together while we talk,” she says as she walks into my kitchen. I roll my eyes as I follow her not wanting to discuss anything with anyone right now.

“I am really not in the mood,” I tell her as she pulls plates out of my cabinet and heads to the refrigerator and grabs us each a bottled water.

“I know that you don’t. I’ll do the talking,” Lola advises, and I drop into the chair and stare at the food that is now on my plate.

“I know everything, Alexis. I know about Frank running the mob. I know about the other guys involved. I have known the entire time because I was sent to Chicago to get information to have Frank killed,” Lola spits out and I stare at her in complete shock.

I am sitting across from Lola and she is telling me this shit like this is all normal family behavior.

“I need for you to go,” I tell Lola when she is finished speaking and she nods. When she is at the door she turns to give me a hug and tells that she loves me. I don’t feel loved, I feel betrayed and the only person I want is the one person that I can’t have… Noah.