Noah

I think I stopped breathing because everything went black for minutes. I don’t remember anything she said after those words came from her mouth. The next thing I remember is Alexis holding my hand and calling my name. My eyes focus, and she is still sitting across from me and she is crying harder than she was minutes ago. I snatch my hand away from her and I watch her mouth move, but I don’t hear any words come out.

When I push my chair out to move, Alexis grabs me again and I stare at her, but now I hear her small voice. I shake my head and rub my forehead as I hear her pleading with me to let her explain. I shake her hand off me again and she tilts her head wiping away more pointless tears.

“How did he die?” I ask, and she catches her breath and leans towards me.

“Adele’s husband killed him. He killed Nick while he was protecting Adele.”

“Why wasn’t my family advised, Alexis? If this happened, the cops would have been called and they would have advised my family,” I practically yell at her. Then it hits me, and I start to laugh as I shake my head staring at her.

“The cops wouldn’t have been called because Adele was fucking the damn mob. Of course, this all makes sense, now doesn’t it? Your brothers got rid of Nick’s body and no one would have noticed until we filed the missing person report. I didn’t think anyone was looking for Nick because they weren’t. Alex knew the name of the detective I talked to about the report. So, I was talking to a dirty cop who told me what Alex told him to say.” I pinch the bridge of my nose and push away Alexis’ hand when she tries to touch me.

“Noah,” she entreats.

“How long have you known?”

“I knew Nick was dead. When I realized you were his brother and didn’t know, I started asking questions. I didn’t realize who you were or that you didn’t know about Nick until you made that toast to Nick. When you went back to Boston, I started asking questions,” she whispers, and I take a deep breath and sigh.

“Of course, I knew something changed that night. I begged you to tell me what was going on and you wouldn’t. You protected them.”

“They are my brothers, Noah. They didn’t kill Nick, Garth did.”

“I should believe you now? As far as I know, Alex killed Nick. We will never know since they probably buried him in fucking cement!” I yell and glance around the coffee shop, which thankfully is empty except for a barista who is focused on her cell phone.

I push out my chair ready to be done with this conversation and Alexis. Nick is dead, and she knew about it. She has spent all this time with me knowing and she kept her mouth shut. Did I not mean anything to her? I start to walk away and notice that Alexis moves too.

“Noah,” Alexis says as she stands and grabs my arm. I pull away from her and avoid looking at her.

“You’re about to get what you wanted, Alexis,” I tell her as I continue to avoid looking at her.

“What?” she asks.

“I am going back to Boston. I am done with you.” I close my eyes and walk away from her and I don’t look back. I can feel her eyes on my back as I leave the coffee shop. I don’t stop until I am back in my hotel room, and throwing my things into the suitcase. I stare at the guns laying on the bed and close my eyes realizing that I need to get rid of them since I can’t go through airport security with them. I pick up one of the guns and for a few seconds, I think about going after them. I can easily kill Alex and Frank Deluca and be at the airport before night.

I am so tempted to find a damn alley and shoo Frank Deluca in the fucking head before he walks into the club. I would handle Alex Deluca differently. I wouldn’t want to kill him quick and easy. I would want him to suffer. I would break each one of his fucking fingers and beat the hell out of him.

I make sure both guns are loaded, and I put one in the waistband of my pants and the other in my coat pocket and I head to Deluca’s.

I feel like a fucking stalker waiting in the alley for any signs of the Delucas.

“What the fuck are you doing?” a voice says behind me as I feel something hard and cold hit the side of my face.

“I am waiting for someone,” I whisper and lift my hands as the person shoves me against the building and sticks a hand in my pocket pulling out my pistol. I hear him chuckle as he pats me down. I wonder if I should fight my way out of this

“You’re in the wrong fucking territory, Hudson,” he says and backs away. I turn around to face the guy that Alexis sent to the townhouse to talk to me. I narrow my eyes at him as I watch him tuck away my pistol, but he still points his at me.

“What are you really doing here? You don’t seem like the type to hang around in alleys with pistols. Not to mention that other gun you have tucked away,” he says and lifts an eyebrow to me.

“If you know I have it, why didn’t you take it? I can easily pull it out and kill you.”

“I’m not new to this, Hudson. You would be dead before you reached it. I also don’t think Alexis would fall for a killer.”

“She did fall for one, Nick.” I spit out and close my eyes at the thought of my brother being involved with these fucking killers.

“What exactly are you planning, Hudson? You thought you would sneak up on the Delucas and try to avenge Nick? Let me show you something.” Oliver walks past me and points to a red light that is on the building and walks over to another small red light. He turns back to me with a smirk.

“We have more fucking security in this alley than at the airport. I have been watching you for the last ten minutes wondering what the fuck you were doing. You might want to thank God that it was me and not the Delucas. If it was them, I would probably be wiping your blood out of this damn alley while Thomas was getting rid of your body.”

“Is that what happened with Nick?” I ask, and Oliver closes his eyes and sighs.

“What happened to Nick shouldn’t have happened. If I were you, I would stop asking questions that you don’t want the answers to,” Oliver warns, and I tilt my head looking at him.

“What are you saying?”

“I am saying Nick is dead. You should stick with the story you were told. Otherwise, you may hear things you don’t want to hear. Go back to Boston and run that business of yours,” Oliver tells me and turns to walk away, but I grab his arm and he stares at my hand and looks up at me.

“What are you saying?” I ask, and Oliver pulls his arm away from me.

“I’ll do you a big favor, Hudson and I’ll give you a little tip. You go back to your life, but don’t take your eyes off that little sister-in-law of yours,” he advises. Then he walks back into Deluca’s and the door slams. I decide to follow him, but when I try to open the door, he’s locked it. What the fuck is he talking about and why shouldn’t I take my eyes off Sam?