Xander’s eyes were fixed on it, directed to it and he wasn’t moving.
A minute passed. Two… three… four…
It disappeared.
It disappeared and my knees gave, legs caved at the same time as my heart.
Xander rushed over to me in blind panic and took me into his arms.
“Jia,” he breathed. “I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry.”
I still couldn’t talk. I couldn’t do it, what was I supposed to say to him?
It wasn’t his fault. This was Pa again.
Now I knew what he was up to. Now I knew what it was he did, and why Xander was here.
Blue prints… I didn’t think I needed to know what it was for. Clearly it wasn’t for a shopping mall. Had to be something big. Enough was said.
Xander scooped me up, took my hand and to my surprise, led me away.
He wasn’t talking. Hadn’t given more than the apology, but he moved like he’d come up with some kind of plan.
When he put me in the car, I wished like hell he would drive away with me, far, far away. We’d run away together and leave everything behind. Just like he said yesterday.
That was what I wished we would do. What I wished he was doing.
My heart sank when we turned out of the neighborhood and it looked like we were heading toward The Grand Marchesi.
My heart sank further down into the chasm of despair when I saw that was exactly where we were heading.
“Xander what are you doing?” I gasped.
“It’s the only way,” he replied.
“Going to the casino?”
He didn’t answer.
We parked up and he jumped out of the car. He opened my side and practically lifted me out. Taking my hand, he guided me inside the casino.
We went to the elevator and he selected the presidential floor. That would take us up to Pa’s office.
“Xander, what are you doing?”
He still didn’t answer.
When we got to the floor and the doors pinged open, we got out but I stopped and planted my feet in the carpet, pulling against his grasp.
“Stop it, why are you taking me to him?” I cried. “Why would you do that?”
Things got worse. The door to Pa’s office swung open and Pa barged out with that oafish look on his face.
“What the fuck is going on here and why the hell do you have your hands on my daughter?” Pa griped.
It was only then that Xander let go of me, but only to pull a gun on Pa.
I wondered if this was the moment when I’d see him do what he had to do in killing Pa.
“No…” I said breathlessly.
Xander looked to me and pain filled his eyes.
Pa didn’t look fazed but I knew him, he was scared. He was scared because he didn’t fully know Xander’s abilities.
Xander focused his gaze back to Pa. “You, greedy son of a bitch. You asshole. When I took this job the first thing you said to me was your daughter was the most important thing to you. I never knew at the time that you said that because of the shit you’d gotten yourself into and needed people to protect her.”
“How dare you?” Pa spat.
“I absolutely fucking do dare! I would kill you right here for the evil bastard you are, but I wouldn’t do it in front of her.”
“What the fuck do you want?” Pa growled.
“Get your men together, every last one of them and protect her. That is what I want. Get them together Giovanni and you be a father and protect her. No money on earth is worth putting your family in danger. It’s not worth it. Protect her, make sure she gets on that plane with Armand and make sure he keeps her safe.”
My heart… it wasn’t beating anymore. It wasn’t.
Pa’s face actually softened. “That is what you want? Why?”
“Because if you let The Ra get to her, you will never see her again.”
Ra?
That was what he said. That was what he said. I’d never heard the name drop before. Who were the Ra? Balthazar Kane never mentioned them, but damn did Pa ever looked freaked out with terror spreading over his face.
I’d experienced many firsts today. This was another.
Pa looking freaked out.
“How do you know about them?” he asked Xander.
“The leader of the Spades was in her house not an hour ago. You like cards right? You’re the king, your men the knights. They’re Spades.” Xander lowered his gun. Looked to me and backed away.
This was it.
His eyes were on me, holding me in place. He was leaving. This was the last time I was going to see him. He’d do whatever it was he was supposed to, steal the blueprints, and then I wouldn’t see him ever again.
I rushed up to him and grabbed onto his shirt.
“Xander no, there has to be something we can all do.” I nodded vigorously.
“No, you have to do what your father says. Jia please.” He took my hands but I wouldn’t let go.
“How can you just leave me?” I cried.
“Jia, that man was death. He is death. This is best.”
“Why?” I couldn’t see how it was best.
“Because I love you,” he blurted and my lips parted. A tear ran down his cheek and he shook his head. “I love you and as you saw, I couldn’t protect you. I couldn’t do anything to stop him from threatening you and I couldn’t kill the fucker because he would have killed you first. Yesterday I told you I had someone I was going to marry. He killed her. Right in front of me, he killed her. I can’t let that happen to you.”
Shock flew through me.
Pure shock.
My head was already spinning from hearing him tell me he loved me, but hearing that too was unreal. It filled the gaps of what Balthazar had said earlier. I understood now what he meant.
Xander reached out and touched my face.
“I’m so sorry,” I told him. “But, I love you too, and I can’t just sit back and do nothing.”
“Jia, you have to. This is best. You were the innocent, never supposed to be caught in the tangled mess. Never. You need to get out of it. I love you, so I have to let you go.”
“No… I love you too.” The tears came again. The other day I cursed myself for always crying. I couldn’t control them today.
“Then let me go... Let me go, Jia.”
My hands were on his shirt. He meant for me to let go physically, and emotionally.
Let him go.
“Please… bellezza,” He whispered. It was the first time he’d ever called me that.
My shoulders shook and something inside me shattered.
My fingers loosened, coming free of his shirt and …I let him go.
I let him go and it felt like he slipped from my grasp.
He turned away from me and went back into the elevator.
He pressed the button and the doors closed shut.
Sealing him in, sealing him away from me.
Gone…
He was gone.
Just like he never existed.
Chapter Forty
Xander
Five years ago…
“We go in and out. Like we were never there,” Claire ordered pointing to the map of the factory like facility on the mountainous range.
She’d placed it up against the stone wall of the bomb shelter we were hiding out in.