"Okay, you've got wine, music is on quietly, candles, anything else you want before I get in?" I shook my head. "Are you sure?"
"Alex, get in the fucking bath." I chuckled, sipping from the glass he'd handed me. We hadn't left this room all day, just trying to calm my nervous system. Cuddling and napping and binge watching his sitcoms. But not talking. We needed to. I know we did but we were both avoiding it out of fear of setting me on a crappy path. He slipped in, water splashing around him as he did, rising over the edge of the tub and leaving rose petals laying on the marble side.
"Happy?"
"I am now." He nodded, laying a kiss on my lips, and sitting back with a sigh. His hands rubbed at my legs as I sunk a little deeper into the water.
"We really should talk about it Pops." I sighed. "We can do it now, or when we get out but we have to."
"I know." I gave him a soft smile, gently setting my wine glass onto the side. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you who he was before. You had the right to know what you were getting yourself into before it was too late. You'd have had the chance to walk awa-"
"I wouldn't have if I knew Poppy. I'd have probably been a hell of a lot more demanding if I'm being honest."
"Still."
"Still nothing. You told me he was dangerous. Sure, I wasn't thinking major crime family boss. I was thinking drug dealer or something."
"I mean you were kind of right." He chuckled.
"I wouldn't have been anxious or scared about him if I knew who he was Poppy. But whilst we're on the topic, there's something I need to ask." I nodded. "Why did you leave him?" I sighed.
"We'd been together 2 years. We were supposed to get married like 4 months after I left. Around September time, someone had broken into the house and put simply I didn't wake up for a few days and I was tied to a chair in my nightie in some gross basement. They were going on about Jaxson and him owing them something and to tell them where he was. They broke a few bones over the week I was there until Cam eventually found me. Not Jaxson. Cam. He took me to the doctor and everything and got me home a few hours later and Jaxson acted like he cared, said he'd find them and whatever, that he had everyone looking for me everywhere, that he hadn't slept or eaten. He said he'd make sure it never happened again, that I was his top priority, nothing mattered more than me. But the night of my birthday 6 months later, I heard him talking to some of his friends when I went to get a drink at like 3am. He told them that if it came down to it, I'd be last on his list of things to save. That he had more important things to be worried about if that was happening. That when I'd been taken, I probably deserved the beatings I got and Cam should have just left me there and saved himself the trouble." Alex's hands stopped moving on my skin, moving into the middle of the bath, and pulling me into him. "So, I packed a bag with the things I wanted most, my laptop, phone and charger. Stupid stuff. Left the engagement ring on my dresser and climbed out the bedroom window, got in my car and left. I called him from like 20 miles away in the middle of a country road. Told him what I'd heard that I didn't feel like I was safe with him, that I was going and that he wouldn't find me so not to try. Hung up and threw the phone into a field before driving off as fast as I could. I spent a few nights in Edinburgh under Emily's Alias. Pawned the laptop, sold the car. Got all my money out the bank, dyed and cut my hair and then went to Manchester, different alias, bought a car. Went to London, set up a new bank account and started to work out what else I could do. Then about 5 months after that, I got a job at the office, got the flat and just kept my head down since. He'd gotten close whilst I was in London. I spotted him and one of his guys at the supermarket. I was dying my hair brown then and it was winter so I was able to pull my scarf over my face but yeah, I skipped town the same night. I was super lucky I managed to get 4 years without him. He said he was close to giving up until someone saw us in the airport and told Cam and Cam told Jaxson and then he spent that 2 weeks tracking your car and looking into us and he bugged the house, most likely my flat too. That's how he knew where I was the morning he showed up."
"What happened then?"
"When he had me? Not much. I made him sleep in another room. He didn't fight it really. Tried acting like he was sorry for making me end it with us but I knew he wasn't. He took me out on Monday night and we talked all night about how he wanted to make it work and fix us, that he was going to put the work in but he knew it was going to be hard after 4 years. Said I'd misheard him the night I left. Usual gaslighting stuff. That's it. I mostly found a reason for the girls to be there and sat by the pool out of his way like I used to. All I know about this morning was going to bed last night and waking up down there with a slap around my face." His jaw clicked, trying to steady his breathing.
"Was he replanning the wedding?" I nodded. "Did you want it?"
"I don't think I wanted it the first time but I didn't have a choice. He put the ring back on my finger before I even left the alley or called you. Told me not to dare take it off again." I looked at my hand and laughed when I realised I'd been so pent up about everything, I hadn't taken it off. I did, handing it to Alex.
"Why are you giving it to me?" I shrugged.
"A reminder of what you saved me from I guess." He sighed. "I never wanted the life Jaxson wanted to give me Alex. I never felt safe with him. My life was always on the line." I put the ring down on the side and exhaled again, pulling me further into his lap.
"Can I go now?" I nodded. "You know you're safe with me Pops right? That I'll go to the ends of the earth to make sure whatever the hell happened this week never happens again?"
"Of course, I do. I wouldn't be sat here if I didn't." I ran my hands through his hair. "I trust you Alex."
"Good because I've had some things I should have told you a while ago but I haven't and now seems like the right time but I don't want you to be mad at me for not telling you. I didn't tell you for the same reason you didn't tell me about Jaxson, because you didn't want to scare me off with how dangerous being around me could be." He leaned forward and kissed my cheek softly. "I was adopted when I was 6 Poppy. I don't remember a huge amount about my birth parents, I remember the night they died very very clearly and I'm not going to go into details but I have a feeling you can work it out. My adoptive parents are very well known. Whilst I still have my birth parents' surname, I'm legally a Rossi." I stared at him. Fucking Jesus. "You know Harry through Dean right? Harry is my brother, from my birth parents. I didn't say anything but Dean knew. Well. He knew of me. We've spoken on the phone but never in person. Neither of us knew until I first dropped you off at theirs and Harry called me whilst you and Dean were out in the garden with Gus. That's why I was okay leaving you with them because I knew you were fine. Anyway, the second you hung up I called him and then my parents who said we could have whatever we needed to sort this because our families don't exactly get on with the De Silva's."
"I know. Jaxson was forever swearing about you guys, shouting at the top of his lungs about whatever." Alex chuckled.
"I'd heard about you. The girl Jaxson was supposed to marry being abducted in the middle of the night and then again a few months later. We laughed about it. Said he must be really slack if your future wife can just get taken from bed in the middle of the night. Our paths would have crossed either way Pops. I think it would have been messier if you'd have never left though."
"Why?"
"Because as soon as I saw you, I wanted you. I have no doubt the same would have been true even if you were married to him. And I have a way of always getting what I want."
"I know." He laughed as I rolled my eyes.
"You're sat on me naked darling; I'd watch that attitude unless you want your mouth full." I stopped and Alex immediately chuckled at me. "I thought as much. I need you to know Pops, yes, I have the same lifestyle Jaxson did. My family call on me sometimes to do things for them with Harry. But no matter what, you are always, always, my top priority. I got to you in 3 days and that's only because Cam wouldn't let me in on Saturday. Which was very smart of you to tell him to tell me everything because I very nearly put a bullet in him."
"Wouldn't be a waste." I smirked.
"But he held out that video of you telling me he was right and I knew it wasn't a forced one and then he showed me photos of you both as kids and before you left and I trusted him. He told me about Jaxson and as soon as he told me his full name I face palmed because of course you were her. Of course, he got the most amazing girl in the world and was stupid enough to let her slip through his fingers so I could have her. And of course, your first priority was making sure I didn't walk into a certain death. So, I waited for Harry and Dean and the guys from home and we pulled everything and planned the whole barrage and I knew, right down to the second what would happen thanks to Cam. And Cam was with you the whole time, telling me you were okay."
"I knew something was off with him. Just sitting in the corner no matter where I was. Clingy."
"I told him he better or I'd make sure you killed him." I laughed.
"I would have done too. He wasn't in my good books."
"He said. He really paid his dues though Pops. Gave us so much information, my dad's put is it Sophia and Ella?" I nodded. "He's put them under a full team so they stay safe in what's going to be this huge fall out. As a thank you for all it all. But he's given us the chance to wipe out these pricks and that's what Harry and Cam and Dean wanted me for earlier. To know if I wanted in on it."
"What did you say?"
"I said it depended on you. What you thought, what you wanted. This was going to be your family. My dad's got to do it anyway, because he knows I'm what they want now and he wants me safe like I want you safe. But I won't do anything you don't want me to do Poppy." I leaned over and grabbed my glass of wine. That's a lot. A hell of a lot to process. I took a big sip, thinking about it.
"What about the girls? Lara, Livvy, and Mia?"
"They're safe. With Cam and the boys." I nodded. "Is there anyone else you were close with?"
"Not really." I tapped my finger on the glass. "What happens if you say yes?"
"Whatever we decide. If you want me to stay out of the firing line, I can. You want me to be there to make sure no one gets out; I can do that too." I nodded, slowly turning around, settling myself between his legs and pulling his arms around me. "I'm not gonna get hurt Poppy. I never have."
"That's cocky." He chuckled. "You want to do it?"
"I think I want to make sure anyone involved in this whole thing for you is dead." He pressed his lips into my skin. "The quicker we act the better." I nodded. "If you want more info-"
"Do it Alex."
"Pop-"
"Do it. I'd feel better knowing you did it. Do you need more information? I might be able to help."