Lost Then Found

Chapter Three

Alex woke up with a splitting headache. Opening her left eye felt like stabbing a knife through it, so she opted for leaving it closed for now. Her right eye felt fine, and she used it to look around the room she was in. She recognized it as Laura's bedroom.

She had only been there a handful of times, not wanting to run into Ciro. She didn't know if he would even recognize her or not, or if he had ever found out that she had been the one posing as David's bodyguard the night Anthony had been killed (and if he did, why hadn't he told Laura?). Though Alex and Laura tried to keep their friendship under wraps there were still some Costa soldiers that knew Alex and Laura were close. It was hard to keep their friendship a secret when Laura was almost always followed by a security detail.

If word of their friendship ever made it back to Ciro, neither Alex nor Laura was aware of it. Alex had no idea how he would react, either, and was pretty sure she didn't want to find out.

Alex didn't know what she would do if she ever ran into Ciro. It had been Ciro who had kidnapped and tortured Valerie, his actions eventually leading to her 'death.' But Alex had some self-preservation left, especially after last night, and she felt it would be best to never be in Ciro's presence ever again. She would probably try and kill him, and that would almost certainly end with him killing her instead.

But it had been two years since she had met Laura and she had never run into him, so it stopped being too much of a concern long ago.

Alex fell back asleep for a few more hours, and she felt a bit better upon her second awakening, though her body still ached.

"Alex." It was Laura's soft voice. She was sitting on the edge of the bed, her hand lifting and resting on Alex's forehead. Her soft fingers felt cool against Alex's skin, and the blonde woman let out a hum to show that she was awake.

"I feel like I got run over by a truck," Alex mumbled, letting out a slow breath as she felt Laura run slender fingers through her blonde hair. "That feels nice," Alex said, feeling sleep pull at her once again.

"What happened to you?" Laura asked, and Alex had never heard such a tone in the girl's voice before. Alex opened her eyes to peer at her. Laura's pretty copper eyes were filled with tears as she poured over Alex's face, her other hand gingerly reaching forward to feel over the bruises on Alex's face. "What did they do to you?" She was choked up, and Alex worried that she might start crying, really crying, at any minute.

"Laura," Alex cooed, managing to sit up against the headboard despite it sending shockwaves through her abdomen. She winced in pain and grunted, her hand lifting to rest over her stomach. She took a few deep breaths and then put on a mask. She offered Laura a small, fake smile and reached forward to cup Laura's face. "I don't look that bad, do I?"

Laura smiled and let out a giggle despite the tears beginning to spill over her cheeks. She placed her own hand over Alex's, turning her warm cheek into the woman's palm, her eyes fluttering closed as if to relish the sensation of skin on skin.

Blue eyes were fixated on the concern etched on Laura's pretty face. Alex hadn't known that getting hurt would have had such an effect on her friend. "Where's Gabe?" Alex asked, glancing around the dark room again.

It was a lavishly decorated room, fit for a queen... or a king, rather. The bed Alex was in was king-sized, with a heavy dark wooden frame and beautiful red covers with gold trim. On both sides of the bed were end tables, and opposite the bed was a dresser with a large TV mounted on the wall above it. Alex knew the wall opposite the door had a large window but the curtains were drawn, blocking what she knew was a view of the surrounding forest. The Costa family lived on the quieter side of the city, where there were actual trees and parks and not the heavily manicured ones people had built to make the city look less gray and concrete.

Alex was fighting hard against the memories of her visit to the Grecos that threatened to overpower her. She didn't want to start sobbing uncontrollably in front of Laura. She continued to fight the surge of painful emotions, mentally building a barrier to keep them back. They felt like wild animals in a cage, scratching and banging on the bars in an attempt to get out.

Alex swallowed hard, closing her eyes for a brief moment. It helped her reel her emotions back, but just barely.

"Gabe called me in a panic last night. He said the Grecos captured you and were holding you at the Greco Estate..." Laura sniffled and tried in vain to wipe the tears from her eyes with the back of her sleeve. "I called in a good amount of soldiers to plant themselves right outside their gates and demand they turn you over or we'd launch a full out assault on their estate." She had an ironic smile on her face then. "My dad is gonna kill me when he finds out. The Grecos will retaliate, of course, and who knows what that means, especially with how bold they've been acting these days." She looked exhausted. "I risked the lives of at least fifteen Costa soldiers, not to mention myself." An ironic smile appeared on her lips. "Dad is gonna flip."

Alex's eyes widened at the revelation of what Laura had done to save her. Laura had called in the Costa soldiers, packed them into cars, and marched them straight to the Grecos front gates. Alex couldn't believe that Laura had even gone with them. She could've gotten captured herself!

Alex hadn't known Laura was so brave.

"That's..." Alex's heart, the one she couldn't even feel just moments ago, filled with warmth. "That's amazing of you, Laura," she said, sounding breathless. "Thank you so much for saving me."

Much to Alex's horror, this only seemed to make Laura cry harder. Alex never knew what to do around crying girls since she herself had been raised to pretend an emotion such as sadness didn't exist, lest it be interpreted as weakness.

Alex ran a thumb under Laura's eye, wiping away the tears. "Hey..." she said, meeting Laura's sad gaze. "Why are you crying? I'm okay, right?"

Okay?

Alex was far from okay. She had never felt lower, except maybe the day Val had died. This was definitely a close second place for worst day ever. It could only possibly get worse, with Laura having saved her. She didn't blame Gabe for calling Laura, but she also didn't want to tell Laura anything, especially about Val. Now she felt almost obligated to. After all, she likely owed her life to this woman. Who knew how far Salvatore would've gone, how far Val would've let him, if Laura hadn't showed up with her Costa goons in tow?

"Okay?" Laura repeated, incredulous. "Alex they beat the hell out of you." Laura reached forward, her eyes fixated on Alex's split lip. She ran her finger over it, pulling back when Alex winced.

"Sorry," Laura whispered, looking apologetic.

"Don't be," Alex said, her eyes locking with Laura's.

Laura's cheeks flushed and she had to look away for a brief moment. It seemed as though she had never gotten used to the intensity of Alex's blue directly on her. "Tell me what happened, Alex. How did you get involved with the Grecos? Why did they do this to you?" More tears fell. "God Alex," her voice was raw with emotion, her eyes full of so much pain. Her voice was a whisper as she asked, "Did I do this? Did they find out that we're friends and... is that why they hurt you?"

Alex reached forward and pulled Laura's face to hers, bringing the younger woman into a deep kiss. Laura tensed at first, clearly surprised by the kiss, that it was Alex that had initiated it. Not wanting to question her good fortune, she relaxed into it, her arms lifting to wrap around Alex's neck.

"I was so worried about you," Laura whispered against Alex's lips, when they both had pulled back, their foreheads pressing together.

Alex was crying inside, her insides were shredded. The brief moment of warmth she had felt from hearing of Laura's heroics had already disappeared, leaving Alex feeling empty again. Her mind was filled with a dull buzzing sound, like white noise.

Val.

What happened to you?

"I really care about you, Alex," Laura whispered, when Alex continued to space out. She peered at Alex with sad eyes. "I just... I need you to know." She caressed Alex's face, careful not to press on the black and blue bruise that marred her fair cheek.

"I..." Alex ran her tongue over her split lip, tasting a mix of Laura and blood there. She thought of the last two years, how Laura had always been there for her, how they had become extremely close, something Alex had always struggled with when it came to other people.

Alex suspected that Laura was using the word "care" as a stand-in for a far more intense word.

"I care about you too," Alex said after a moment, taking her time with the phrase. Laura's eyes lit up, glowing with warmth. "It's just..." Alex averted her gaze.

Laura had never seen the blonde woman look so broken before.

"I know," Laura said, gently turning Alex's chin with a finger so that she was looking into the other woman's stunning eyes. "Gabe refused to tell me anything. He told me to ask you myself. Are you... going to tell me what happened? Why did they... why did they take you?"

"It's not your fault," Alex said quickly, returning her ice blue gaze to Laura's warm copper. "Don't ever think this is your fault." She sighed, running her hand through her tousled blonde hair. She soon gave up; there was no point in trying to tame it. "There's a lot you don't know about me, Laura."

"Well then we're even. There was a lot you didn't—and don't—know about me either," Laura said, smiling slightly at the look on Alex's face. "Why don't we talk a little, then? You first. Tell me everything, please."

Alex didn't want to tell Laura. Where would she even begin?

Yes, Laura, I fell in love with my busgirl who turned out to be the daughter of your rival family's boss and we were in love and your scumbag father kidnapped her and then I risked my life and sacrificed my home to rescue her and then she died anyway and that's why I reacted so strongly to finding out that you were the daughter of the man that essentially murdered the love of my life.

Alex's brain short-circuited. She didn't want to tell Laura. She didn't want to talk about Val. She didn't even want to think about Val, the... the monster Val had become, how she was unrecognizable, how every one that had warned Alex had been right, and that she had been living in a fantasy world where Val would somehow remain unchanged after living with her mob family in isolation for seven years.

No, she didn't want to think about any of that.

Instead, Alex kissed Laura again.

"Are you trying to distract me?" Laura asked, her tone full of teasing. Her eyes swam with desire as she peered deeply into Alex's.

"Maybe," Alex said, leaning forward to press her lips against Laura's again. "Is it working?"

"Yes..." Laura deepened the kiss, pulling back when Alex winced. "Sorry," Laura squeaked, giggling at the expression on Alex's face as the blonde reached a finger to her split lip, looking slightly confused. Laura found it adorable. "Are you..." the younger woman looked Alex up and down, slowly, and bit her lip. "Are you able to...?" She lifted her brows.

Alex resisted the urge to smirk, knowing it would simply rip her lower lip open again. "I'm okay," Alex said unable to look away from the way Laura was watching her, like she was something to be devoured and savored, not beaten to a pulp. It felt good. "I'm a little sore," she admitted. A little was an understatement, but she had had sex in worse conditions. Her college years had been... interesting.

"In that case, I'll be gentle," Laura said, her voice a low purr.

Alex stretched, mostly to feel out her body and find out if it were even capable of... physical activity. Finding that she was indeed quite sore, but still capable, she locked eyes with Laura and began pulling off her shirt. "I won't be," she said, and she meant it. Her brief, violent encounter with the Grecos left her with the desire to regain control—any kind of control. What better way to feel in control than to control another person?

Laura was transfixed, her eyes taking in Alex's perfection. Despite the bruised face, the split lip, the black eye... Alex was still the sexiest woman Laura had ever seen in her life.

"You know you really should've gone into modeling," Laura murmured.

Her eyes did another slow sweep of the Sterling daughter, the long and tousled blonde hair, the straight and proud nose, the full lips, the ample chest, the lightly toned muscles of her arms, legs, and abdomen, and lastly, the look full of desire in those electric blue eyes.

Laura bit her lower lip, feeling slight shame at her thoughts. She found Alex's condition... arousing. It wasn't that she enjoyed seeing Alex hurt or in pain. But... maybe seeing the tough and untouchable Alex Sterling vulnerable only served to endear Alex to her even more than before. Laura had never seen Alex look so damaged, so... weak. Alex had always seemed so strong, and now she was reduced to a broken doll.

Laura wondered if this is what it felt like to find a stray, injured bird and wanting to nurse it back to health.

She reached forward, her hands gingerly feeling the other woman's abdomen. There were splotches of bruises all over it, and Laura felt hatred burn in her heart for the twisted Greco family.

"I'll make them pay for this," Laura vowed, lifting her gaze to Alex's.

Alex had never seen such a look on Laura's face before. It was stone cold and serious, a burning rage made obvious by the way her brow furrowed, the way her nose crinkled. It was the first time she had ever looked like Ciro. Alex felt a strange stirring in her stomach.

"No you won't," Alex said, reaching forward and brushing dirty blonde hair from Laura's face, cupping her cheek. She forced Laura to meet her eyes. "I don't want you to worry about this. It's over now."

"How can I not?" Laura asked, frowning when Alex suddenly leaned forward and kissed her again. The kiss was searing hot, leaving Laura feeling weak and her heart full to bursting. "Don't think I don't know what you're doing," Laura said, breathless.

"Oh?" Alex began planting kisses along Laura's jawline. "And." Kiss. "What." Kiss. "Am." Kiss. "I." Kiss. "Doing?" Alex smiled into the kisses as Laura moaned softly, turning her head to the side in order to give Alex access to the skin of her neck. Alex's fingers were expertly working on unbuttoning Laura's shirt, revealing more smooth skin.

"Distracting... me... again..." Laura let out a small moan at Alex's teeth on her collarbone.

Alex pulled Laura's shirt off and pushed the younger woman onto her back. She hovered over her, her messy blonde hair falling around their faces like a curtain. She straddled Laura's hips and took a moment to push her long hair over one shoulder before leaning back down again and resuming her former work.

Alex's lips left a trail of fire wherever they went. Laura moaned into Alex's ear, causing the spot between her legs to throb with want.

Laura moved her hands over Alex's body, making quick work of her bra, feeling the other woman's taut muscles and smooth skin. Laura bit her lip in an effort to hold back the moan in her throat that threatened to escape as Alex pressed her lips to every inch of flesh she could find, causing Laura's mind to go blank. Laura's focus was entirely on how Alex was treating her body, like it was to be worshipped.

Alex's hands moved along Laura's breasts, her mouth finding its way over the mound of flesh, her skilled tongue causing Laura to moan and bury her hands into Alex's hair.

Deciding that Laura had had enough torture, Alex lifted once more, planting her lips to Laura's neck yet again as her hand moved downwards, her fingers finding and then sliding between folds slick with desire.

"Alex," Laura pleaded, her arms wrapping around Alex's neck as the blonde woman lifted to peer down at her.

"Yes?" Alex asked, her eyes twinkling, her lips curving into a wicked smile.

Laura would have called Alex a tease, but the other woman's fingers moving against her entrance caused her words to die in her throat, and she bit her lip in anticipation instead.

"Tell me you want it," Alex said, her voice low and sultry. Her eyes lifted to meet Laura's. There was urgency, a panic in them that Laura couldn't recognize, even found them startling. "Tell me you want me to touch you."

Laura's cheeks flushed with embarrassment, and the younger woman peered at Alex with a look of exhausted annoyance. She hesitated, but when Alex's fingers twitched against her again the words Alex demanded spilled out of her. "I want you to touch me, Alex," she breathed.

A strange expression appeared on Alex's face, as if she weren't really seeing Laura, but seeing something else. It was gone in a flicker of a second, so fast that Laura wasn't sure if she had imagined it or not.

A devilish smile slowly cracked its way across Alex's beautiful face, and she ran her finger along Laura's entrance again, her smile widening as Laura bit back another moan.

"Please," Laura gasped, frustrated with all the teasing.

Alex slid a finger in, reveling in the sound Laura made, how badly she had wanted it. Alex slid in another and began moving in and out of Laura at a slow pace. She found a rhythm, with Laura matching Alex's strokes with her hips. Alex began to pick up speed, ignoring the slow burn she began to feel in her arm.

The way Laura's breathing changed, the way her body reacted... Alex felt a throb between her legs. She had often denied it, especially with Gabe, but she fantasized about sex with Laura often, as she didn't really remember the first time they had had sex, having been too drunk. She didn't plan on ever acting on it, and yet there had been something undeniable about their relationship, how electric it felt, how very unlike just friends it had always been, despite Alex's efforts to keep it that way.

"I love you," Laura whispered in between gasps, her breath hot on Alex's ear.

Alex didn't stop her ministrations, nor did she say anything back. She continued pumping in and out of Laura's wet opening, lowering her mouth to cover the younger woman's in a searing kiss before her lips made their way lower, and lower, and lower... until they lifted once again to kiss down the insides of Laura's thighs, where they finally found their destination and were pressed against Laura's hot center.

Laura gasped, one hand desperately grasping at the sheets around her and the other burying itself in Alex's golden locks. Alex could sense Laura reaching the precipice, and she intensified her efforts.

Laura cried out as wave after wave hit her, Alex bringing her down slowly from her pleasure. By the end, Laura was clinging to Alex like Alex was the only thing keeping her from drowning.

The two women lay, breathless, side-by-side. Alex peered silently up at the ceiling, her eyes fixed on something Laura couldn't see. Laura rolled onto her side and examined Alex's profile the way one observes a piece of art that they admired deeply but didn't quite understand.

"Are you okay?" Laura asked, still sounding tired. She reached forward and turned Alex's chin with her hand, forcing the other woman to look at her.

To her horror, she saw Alex's cheeks wet with tears.

"Alex," Laura cooed, instantly scooting closer to the woman and bringing her into a tight embrace. "It'll be okay. I won't let them take you again."

Alex held Laura to her, crying softly into the younger's neck. She felt... so unlike herself. Weak, emotional, and hopeless. These weren't words she ever felt could be used to describe herself, and yet they were the ones at the forefront of her mind when she tried to analyze her own feelings.

Holding Laura to her made her feel a bit better. She tangled their legs, wrapped her arms around Laura's waist, let the warmth of Laura's naked body warm her cold one.

Laura stroked Alex's back, planted her soft lips to the blonde's forehead. "You're safe here," Laura told her. "I won't let anyone hurt you. You're mine, alright? I'll protect you."

Alex hated crying. It just reminded her of all that tutoring, how she would be scolded for showing even the barest minimum of an emotion she wasn't supposed to be displaying. When she would get upset, her parents would lock her in her room until she learned to "calm down." Which meant the next time they checked on her, she'd have to be sitting calmly at her desk, doing something productive, or else she wouldn't be allowed out.

At first, like most children would, she rebelled. She'd cry and scream and throw a tantrum.

But eventually the tutoring worked. The punishment worked. Whenever Alex began to feel even an inkling of an emotion she wasn't supposed to feel, she would simply excuse herself, go to her room, and do something... productive, as if she didn't feel anything at all.

"I know you're scared," Laura whispered into Alex's golden hair. "I know." She planted a soft kiss to Alex's forehead. "It'll be okay, Alex. I'm not afraid."

Alex felt safe in Laura's embrace. She hadn't even known that she was at a level of comfort around Laura that would allow her to cry in front of the girl in the first place, but maybe it didn't matter. The hurt and the pain was eating her from the inside out, chewing at her insides, scraping at the walls of her rib cage, making a home in her throat, waiting for her to let it out so it could wreak even more havoc. The stress of trying to keep it all back was too much, and not even the usual remedy—sex—was enough to keep it back.

***

"You what?" Gabe asked, when he had finally gotten Alex out of Laura's—The Costas—mansion. "You slept with Laura? She told you she loved you?"

They were sitting across from each other, in a booth situated by the window of a cozy diner not too far from Laura's. It had been the first one they had seen, as Gabe had insisted on stopping so he could grill Alex about her experience. He was the one driving, so Alex had had no choice but to begrudgingly follow him inside.

Alex groaned and ran her hand through her messy hair. She knew she looked like a disaster, but she didn't care. She just wanted to go home, crawl under her covers, and sleep forever.

Gabe watched his friend, his jaw tightening when he realized she was ignoring him. "Alex," he said again, trying to get her attention. Instead she stared out the window, a blank expression on her face. He wasn't sure if she was staring into the street or at her own barely visible reflection.

Normally Gabe could tell how Alex was feeling, even when she was acting like an emotionless ice statue, he knew better than anyone that it was all an act. But now, watching her gaze at seemingly nothing... she radiated nothing, no emotions, no feelings. She felt... empty.

Gabe shifted uncomfortably. He didn't like seeing Alex like this. It was like she had lost Val for the second time. Maybe she had. He had to find out what happened.

"Alex Sterling if you don't tell me what happened so help me god..." Just at that moment the waitress appeared, placing two steaming cups of coffee onto the table. At this, Alex seemed to perk up, and her head tilted slightly towards the coffee, her nose crinkling as she took in one of her favorite scents.

Gabe slid Alex's coffee mug as quickly as he could without spilling any towards himself, and grinned when Alex finally turned towards him, her eyes narrowing at him like he was nothing but a low-life thief.

He held up his finger and wagged it at her. "Nuh-uh, not until you spill. What happened with Val? Did you see her? Did you talk to her?" He paused and then gave her a pointed look. "And you're going to need to elaborate on what you said earlier, about sleeping with Laura."

Alex sighed and started from the top, explaining everything that had happened while at the Grecos, how Val had sounded and acted like the Greco underboss she claimed to now be, how Salvatore had come in and kicked Alex's ass, how Laura had shown up with Costa soldiers to save her.

Gabe leaned back in his seat, eyes wide, and let out a low whistle. "You had quite a night."

Alex let out a huff and blew on her coffee before taking a sip of it. The hot liquid did little to make her feel less empty. She continued to drink it anyway. "You could say that." She looked up at him then, the intensity of her blue eyes catching him off guard.

He swallowed hard at the sight of them. They were unsettling, as they usually were, though now there was something missing from them. "What is it?" He asked, his tone quiet.

"Thank you for calling Laura," she said, briefly touching the pad of her finger to where her lip had split. "I don't know what they would have done to me if she hadn't shown up."

"I was going to come in after you myself but..." he shrugged. "I knew Laura had the resources to save you—" like a mob army at her beck and call "—and would probably do a better job."

Alex let out a defeated sigh and ran her hand through her hair. She didn't know why she bothered; her hair was beyond fixable at this point. "I just wish she wasn't involved in all of this."

Gabe let out a laugh, slamming his palm on the table. After a few more chuckles he noticed Alex giving him a bemused look. The mirth instantly left his eyes as he realized she was serious.

He sighed and said, "Alex, she's the Don's daughter. Ciro's only child. She's way more involved than you are. She was involved in 'all this' her entire life."

"But the Grecos—" Alex began, before Gabe cut her off.

"—The Grecos don't know she was in the car with her goons, and even if they did, what would that change? They already know any Costa should be killed on sight. The families are already at war, she wasn't really changing anything by saving you."

"She challenged them," Alex said, meeting Gabe's eyes when staring into the black of her coffee caused her to become dizzy. "She showed up on their doorstep, Gabe. The Grecos had no choice but to give me up unless they wanted bloodshed on their own turf, which could've been humiliating depending on the outcome. They will retaliate against the Costas."

Gabe frowned. He hadn't thought of that. "You're right," he said after a moment, turning to look around the diner to make sure no one was sitting close enough to overhear them. The Costas and Grecos had eyes and ears everywhere in the city, and it was considered asking for trouble if you spoke of them out loud and freely.

He hunched down and lowered his voice, leaning closer to Alex. "So do you think Val was acting? I mean... this is Val we're talking about. That girl convinced everyone she was moving to Arizona, only to sell herself back to her own family. Not to mention she lied to you about basically everything." He paused and then decided to add, "To protect you, of course."

"I know," Alex said, rubbing at her eyes with her hand. She was so tired. She had a sinking feeling that despite being exhausted, sleep would prove to be elusive. "You don't have to remind me, I was there."

"Sorry," Gabe said, his hazel eyes twinkling in the dim lighting of the run-down diner. He scratched at his stubble as he watched his friend. It was so strange, seeing the usually pristine, confident Alex Sterling like this. Wrecked. "She could be doing something similar now. Acting like a bitch to get you to leave her—and the Grecos—alone."

"No," Alex said instantly, her eyes suddenly full of so much pain that Gabe had to avert his own gaze for fear that her pain would somehow penetrate into his own soul. "I thought so at first too but... I even asked her if that's what she was doing. She had a chance to tell me if she was just playing a part. This guy, Vincenzo, he left us alone in the office together, and all she did was insult me. She called me delusional for still thinking that she would be..." Alex squeezed her eyes shut and took a deep breath. She hadn't remembered what it felt like for her voice to threaten to break with the weight of the words behind her lips. She hadn't felt such strong emotions in so long. What was it about Val that lowered her defenses so quickly, that allowed her to feel the things she actively tried to numb?

"That she would be what?" Gabe asked. He lowered his voice to just above a whisper and said, "Still... in love with you?"

She took another sip of her coffee and made a face. It was lukewarm. She gestured to the waitress who came over smiling and refilled her mug.

"Anyway," Alex continued, clearing her throat. "Val had a chance to tell me she was pretending, but instead, the entire time she tried to make me understand that she wanted nothing to do with me. She got frustrated with me because I kept trying to appeal to someone that no longer existed. I was such an idiot. I couldn't believe it." Hell, half of her still refused to believe it. But she had seen Val's face, that face void of love and full of coldness, and knew that Val had been telling the truth when she said her feelings for Alex had been the result of her being a stupid, infatuated teenager at the time.

Alex remembered having been insecure about that possibility seven years ago, and hearing Val confirm it years later seemed to bring back all that anxiety.

"I'm sorry," Gabe said quietly, reaching forward and placing his hand over Alex's smaller one. "I know you had... high hopes for how the reunion would go. The last time you saw her you two were in love. But... she's had a whole new life since then, one that didn't include you."

"I should've listened to you," Alex said, giving Gabe such a sad, broken look that he had to resist the urge to clutch at his chest. "She's not even remotely close to the same person she was. She's cold, and cruel, and..."

Alex could see Val in her head, the inquisitive glint in those piercing green eyes, the air of power that seemed to radiate off of her now, a far cry from the defenseless girl act Val used to put on as a teenager.

"What'd she look like?" Gabe asked, watching Alex's face in wonder as she spaced out.

"Beautiful," Alex replied instantly. "Devastatingly beautiful. My heart would ache every time I looked at her, I couldn't not look at her," Alex was rambling now, not realizing how incredibly gushy her words sounded. Gabe was smirking at her. "And her body... she must work out every day. She was so... stylish too."

"Val was always pretty stylish," Gabe pointed out. "Just not when she was hiding out with you. I mean did you ever stalk that girls social media? The Val we knew was way different than the way she acted—and dressed—at school."

"That's a good point," Alex conceded. She remembered Val joking about designer dresses and finding Val's fancy underwear in her sock drawer when they had broken into the Greco Estate the first time. "I guess she was also usually wearing an apron..."

"What I can't figure out is why she said 'found you' at the hospital then," Gabe said, shelving his chin on his fist as he again peered around the diner. More people had come in, with a few couples sitting nearby. One quick glance at his watch and he realized it was noon.

"Neither can I," Alex said. "She probably was high on pain medication."

"Still," Gabe said. "That's almost more damning. When you're high you can't hide your thoughts."

"That's true, but it's just... I know Val. I know how she is, what she sounds like, what she feels like. This woman is Val but she's also... not Val. And she is just as obsessed with her family as her father was." Alex ran her tongue over her lip and turned her head towards the window again. She watched people walk by, clutching their jackets to their bodies as they braced the cold. This part of the city had a suburban feel to it, with shorter buildings and wider, quieter streets. She quite liked it.

Maybe it was time to move out of this city, start fresh somewhere else and as far away from these mafia families as possible.

"And that's another mystery," Gabe said. "Where's Donato?"

Alex shrugged and returned her icy gaze to Gabe's. "Maybe expanding the family business in other states? That's what Ciro is supposedly doing these days. Maybe it's a race to see who can control the most cities."

"That's a lot of speculation with no proof," Gabe said, smiling slightly. "Besides, if Donato was still in the picture then Salvatore wouldn't be the Don, he'd still be the underboss."

"That's a good point. I can ask Laura if she knows anything about Donato's whereabouts but you know how she stays out of her family business as much as she can... she might not even know." Alex sighed. "In any case, it's obvious that the Costas still have no idea that Val is even alive."

"It'll be interesting when they find out."

"If they find out. I'm sure the Grecos will do everything they can to continue keeping Val's identity a secret. Besides, her last name is Lazzari now."

Alex inwardly cringed at the thought of Val, her Val, being married to that sleazeball. It was another thing that seemed too ridiculous to be real. Val had a... complex relationship with Salvatore, the predator that had been taking advantage of her, raping her, since she was fourteen years old, and Val had always expressed disgust at the thought of marrying him, of being intimate with him.

Alex could see Val kissing him in her mind's eye, the way she moaned into it, pulled his face closer to hers. Alex shuddered, a chill moving up and down her back.

Maybe Val had been brainwashed? If she wasn't acting, that is.

Why do I keep coming up with excuses for her? Alex thought angrily. She could still taste the metallic blood in her mouth as Salvatore slammed his fist into her, Val watching emotionlessly from the desk behind him.

It was hard to accept that Val, the Val Alex had known, no longer existed.

"How does that work? Lazzaris running the Greco mafia?"

Alex shrugged. "From what I understand, crime families are more like businesses. The founder of a company isn't always the CEO, just like the founder of a crime family isn't always in charge of that family. Besides, I always thought Salvatore planned on taking the Greco family name." Salvatore was pretty much Donato's de facto son. "It's possible they'll change Val's last name back. Maybe Salvatore will take her name. I'm sure Donato will eventually want a Greco in charge of the family again." She felt at her face, wincing as she pressed into the flesh where a bruise marred her fair cheek. "I can't believe she's married... to Salvatore."

"Yeah," Gabe agreed, making a face. "Val was... I mean she was adamant about being gay. Plus, that guy was a creep."

"That's an understatement. He's still a creep... and he's completely enthralled by Val, even more so than he seemed to be before." Alex made a face. "You should've seen him. He couldn't keep his hands off of her, and anytime she simply said his name he padded over to her like a lovesick puppy dog."

"That... doesn't surprise me," Gabe said. "Val was always... deceivingly charming. And he was convinced that she loved him, even when it was obvious she loved you, if I remember correctly."

"He was delusional, yes, but that was also because Val wanted him to think that she loved him, wanted him to think that she wanted to be with him. It gave her some control over him, manipulating him, using his heart the way he manipulated her using her body. They're like a weird power couple, a team. He would probably do anything to keep Val happy." Alex thought about it some more and remembered that he had ignored Val's concerns over upsetting the Sterlings. "Almost anything," she amended. The blonde doctor felt her body ache. "He also has a much lower bullshit tolerance. He's much more violent now, much less willing to let his threats stay empty. He's... scary now, in an entirely different way than before."

"Evidently," Gabe said, frowning at his injured best friend. "He does have a lot more to lose now. You should order some food, when was the last time you ate?"

"I don't remember," Alex admitted, resting her forehead in her palm and briefly closing her eyes as if that would help her gauge her hunger. "I'm not hungry at all," she finally said. "The thought of food makes me sick. But," she looked up at him, "You should order something if you're hungry."

He shook his head, concerned etched into his face. "I'm alright, I'm just worried about you."

A comfortable silence fell between the two. Gabe leaned back in the cushioned seat of the booth, watching as Alex once again turned and gazed idly out the window.

"Are you going to work tomorrow?" He asked, tilting his head to the side.

"No," she said simply. "I called in to take a week off. I may even take a leave of absence... take some time to clear my head."

She wasn't sure if that was a good idea or not. A part of her wanted to hole up in her house and never leave. But the rational part of her told her that going back to work might help her forget the last few days had ever happened. If she stopped working and stayed home she'd drive herself crazy overthinking things.

Then again, she didn't want to show up to work with a bruised face either. Thanks to Brian, Alex's ex-fiancé who Val had strategically gotten out of her life, she was already used to people trying to pry into her personal life when it came to mysterious bruises, though Brian, for the most part, had always avoided her face.

"Definitely at least take a few days off," Gabe agreed. "As for the leave of absence... might not hurt either. Maybe take a vacation."

Alex considered it. She really wouldn't mind being on some isolated tropical island, relaxing on the beach, flirting with other tourists, and drinking stupid touristy drinks like daiquiris and coladas. Maybe she'd take a really long cruise. No one would be able to find her on a cruise, she'd always be moving.

She could certainly afford it. Her bank account was in an extremely good condition, and she still had saved a good portion of the money Brian had given her after making a deal with Val, in which Val extorted from her father the money that would save Brian's business, if Brian agreed to leave a significant lump sum of it to Alex, who he was to break off his engagement with and never see again.

"You can take Laura with you," Gabe added, grinning when Alex scowled at him. "What?" He said. "You slept with the girl, remember?"

Alex did remember. She remembered feeling so overcome with emotions that sex with Laura seemed like the best way to forget everything that had happened to her, everything she had learned about the new Val while at the Greco Estate.

She had known Laura would be receptive, thrilled even. The chemistry between them was palpable, it always had been, and they had had casual, no-strings-attached sex before, when they had first met.

Then again, things were different now. Laura wasn't just some random girl from a bar Alex could sleep with and forget about. They were best friends now, and best friends didn't sleep together without consequences.

"Fuck," Alex muttered, slamming her palm into her forehead and squeezing her eyes shut. "I'm an idiot."

Gabe nodded enthusiastically at her. "A huge idiot. Tell me what the hell you were thinking! You spent the last two years avoiding going there with Laura again, and you just undid all of that within a few hours. And you said she confessed that she loved you? Alex..." The way he said her name reminded her of the way her parents would when they were disappointed in her.

"I know, I know," Alex grumbled. Burying her face in her hands and peering at Gabe through the space between her fingers. "I convinced myself that we could go back to normal afterwards but there was even cuddling and then I cried..." Alex shuddered, as if the memory of being vulnerable in someone else's presence was too much to bear.

Gabe stared at her. "You cried? In front of Laura?" He blinked. "I've only seen you cry... what... twice in my entire life?" The first time had been when Alex had thought Val left her for Angela, and the second had been when Val had died. After that Alex cried by herself, when she was alone. At least, that's what Gabe assumed.

"I was a mess," Alex said. "I'm still a mess."

"Have you heard from her?"

"No." Alex checked her phone just to be sure. Not even a text. "No I think she's... giving me space. It's not like I said 'I love you' back."

"Do you?"

"What?" Alex asked, looking up, a crease forming on her forehead.

"Do you love her?"

Alex's body froze. "I..." She swallowed hard. Of course she loved Laura. But... like that? Compared to what she had felt for Val her feelings for Laura felt... like an echo of something bigger.

"Do not compare her to Val," Gabe said, his expression stern as he saw the conflict on Alex's face and knew exactly what she was thinking. "Leave Val out of it." He took a deep breath and then asked again, "Do you love Laura?"

"Yes," Alex said, her voice quiet. She did love Laura. A lot. "I do... but it's not—"

"I said to leave Val out of it."

"I can't," Alex growled, angrily slamming her fist onto the table and causing some other diners to look over at them. "I can't," she said again, weakly, her eyes glazing over as she stared at the tabletop.

She felt as though her heart was full nearly to the brim with her love for Val, the Val from her memories, and the little space left wasn't enough to fit anyone else. It wasn't fair to love Laura when she couldn't give her everything. Laura deserved a heart that she could fill all on her own, a heart that only had room for her.

"Okay," Gabe said, taking a deep breath. He watched Alex through tired eyes. "Look, I can't let you do this to Laura, Alex. You're going to regret it, and she's going to get hurt. You did this to Cyn and countless others when Brian was controlling your every move, and now you're doing it to Laura because Val let you get your ass kicked by her douche husband."

"What are you talking about?" Alex asked, her jaw tight as she glared daggers at her friend. "What does Val or Brian or Cyn have to do with me stupidly sleeping with my friend?"

Gabe frowned at her. "You seriously haven't noticed? You're a control freak. Every time you lose control, you have to go out and fuck your way back to control again. You don't even care who gets hurt in the process."

Alex's full lips pursed into a thin line and she peered at Gabe through narrowed eyes. "That's not true."

"Yes. The untouchable, always in control Alexis Sterling lost control of a situation, got her ass beat, and used her friend to try and feel in control again. It's messed up, but you do it all the time. I love you. You're my best friend. My loyalty is always to you. But," he gave her a pointed look, "Laura is also my friend, and I won't let you hurt her just because you're sulky over your evil ex-girlfriend."

Alex was speechless. She hadn't expected Gabe to put her in her place. He was right, of course. She knew he was right. She didn't know what to say, but he gave her a look that told her he understood that what he said was reaching her.

Gabe looked around again and noticed some of the diner patrons still looking over at their booth. They began to whisper to each other, and he saw one of them point to their own face, as if to say, 'Hey look at that woman's bruise.'

"Hey Alex," Gabe said.

"Yes?" Alex asked, sounding distant, like she had just barely heard him.

"Wanna get out of here? I think people are starting to notice that you got your ass beat and I must look like the abusive boyfriend."

Alex chuckled. She wondered how bad she looked. She had briefly examined herself in the bathroom at Laura's but it had been in the dark. She did some quick patching up of her cuts and cleaning her wounds before placing bandages over the really bad ones. Laura had helped. Luckily the damage wasn't too bad, she'd just look like a horror movie victim for the next week or two until the swelling went down and the bruises disappeared. Her abdomen hurt constantly, but she knew it wasn't anything serious. She would be adding painkillers to her diet.

"Yes, let's get out of here," she said.

***

Alex felt like a zombie. The next few days went by in a flash. She didn't go to work the entire week, knowing that if she did her bruised face would only mean too many questions that she couldn't answer without then receiving even more questions.

Instead the doctor spent most of her time alone in her house. She wandered its empty rooms like a ghost, drifting across the polished wooden floors in nothing but a blanket. Nothing on TV interested her, not even the cheesy medical drama show that was her secret guilty pleasure. She played her favorite classical music album throughout her house, yet couldn't even listen to it and enjoy it. Normally she could get lost in it, close her eyes and let her mind wander. Instead it felt like her mind only wanted to focus on one thing—her encounter with Val—and the music was just an annoying distraction from it.

She tried cooking, and found it was the only thing that could get her to truly focus on something else for once. She thought she might've cooked more food in that one week than she had cooked in the past year. She ended up throwing most of it out, being able to only eat some of it on her own and not wanting Gabe or Laura to come over.

At night she lay on her side, staring blankly at the wall. Her mind wouldn't shut up, replaying everything from her visit to the Greco Estate over and over again.

She felt as though she were in a state of shock. Val was back, but she wasn't Val. Donato's location was unknown but he was no longer running the show. Salvatore was a sociopathic mob boss and he was running the show. Laura had saved Alex from the Grecos, but at the risk of the Grecos retaliating. Alex had slept with Laura and Laura had confessed her love. Val was back, but she wasn't Val. Val was back, but she wasn't...

Val.

Alex's eyes closed. She wasn't religious, but she prayed to any god that would listen that when she woke up tomorrow morning the last week would have all been a terrible dream.

Alex awoke to her phone ringing. She reached over, saw that it was Laura, and hesitated before accepting the call and bringing the phone to her ear. "Do you have any idea what time it is?"

"Time for you to wake up. I haven't seen you since Christmas."

"That was only a few days ago."

"It's been a week."

"Okay, then Christmas was only seven days ago. My point stands."

She heard Laura sigh. "You're usually awake by now anyway, what's with you? Are you feeling okay?"

Alex thought about it for about three seconds before she said. "No."

Laura's tone was suddenly full of concern. "What's wrong? Are you still upset about what happened with the Grecos?"

Alex realized that Laura wouldn't really know why she felt so messed up over everything. To Laura, Alex got beat up by the Grecos and was then let go. Laura didn't know the rest of the story, that Alex had also been reunited with the evil version of the former love of her life. To Laura, Alex sulking about the last week must've seemed odd.

"You could say that... but mostly I've just been recovering. Anyway..." Alex looked at her alarm clock. It was 7AM, but she wanted to go back to sleep for another four hours, at least. "Did you need something?"

"Do you know what day it is?" Laura asked, sounding bored.

Alex thought about it. She actually hadn't been keeping track of time at all. "No." She rubbed at her face and yawned. "What day is it?"

"Wow, Alex. It's New Year's Eve."

Alex let out a groan. "Oh." She wasn't going anywhere. She still felt like she had been run over by a truck, and the bruise on her face hadn't completely disappeared yet. The thought of alcohol, belligerent people, and large crowds made her sick.

"You're getting out of that house. Gabe and me are going to Gray Haze tonight, you have to come."

"Do I?" Alex muttered, burying her face into her pillow. She put Laura on speakerphone and rested her phone by her head. "I don't think I do."

"You do. If you don't come then I'm going to have to kiss Gabe at midnight."

Alex chuckled. She could practically see the face Laura was making. "At least Gabe is handsome."

"True but you're going to be the hottest woman there, aside from me, and I want to make all the boys jealous."

Alex rolled her eyes, but couldn't help her lips from curving upwards into a small smile. Maybe Gabe had been right. Maybe pursuing something with Laura would be worth it. Maybe, with Laura's help, Alex could finally move on. Laura always made Alex happy.

Laura continued, "Besides, think about it, you're still feeling weird because of the Grecos right? Well at Gray Haze you'll be surrounded by the Costas! Perfectly protected. No better place for you to be after a run-in with the Grecos."

Alex let out another groan. She hated the Costas too, but ever since her violent encounter with the Grecos, Laura had been saying pro-Costa things around her, when previously she had never really mentioned her family at all, wanting to distance herself from them as much as possible. It was certainly strange, and Alex wondered if this entire time Laura had simply been holding back any displays of family pride because she knew Alex held such strong feelings about the mob families. Maybe she thought that now that the Grecos had hurt Alex, that Alex would become pro-Costa instead.

The truth of the matter was that Alex felt the same way towards both families. They were both evil, and they both needed to be brought to justice for the good of the city and its people.

"I still have a bruise on my face," Alex said, racking her brain for any number of excuses.

"There's this thing called makeup. I know with your oh-so-perfect Sterling skin you've never used it before in your life but you're smart so you can probably figure out how to use it to cover a bruise, right? Come on, Alex, please."

"No," Alex groaned, feeling sleep tugging at her again. "I'm going now. Have fun tonight."

Laura was quiet on the other end, but then she asked, "Is this because... of what happened? With us?"

Alex's eyes shot open. She hoisted herself up onto an elbow and peered down at the phone resting on her pillow. She turned speakerphone off and brought the phone to her ear. She spoke with a soft voice. "Laura, no. I'm still just really... exhausted from everything that's happened. It has nothing to do with that."

"Look I don't expect anything, Alex, I know you. I know how you are."

Alex blinked. "You know how I am?"

"Aloof. Emotionally unavailable. Heartless. I get it."

Alex opened her mouth to argue but then closed it. She wasn't that way on purpose. "Sorry," Alex said, her voice quiet. She was unsure what else to say. The word heartless caught her off guard, and she was surprised by how much it bothered her. People had called her worse things, so why did the word heartless feel like a stab through her chest?

"It's okay," Laura said, though she was trying too hard to sound fine. Alex could pick up on the subtle sadness that gave her away. "Like I said, I know how you are. I'm not expecting anything from you, okay? Please don't pull away from me like you do to all the others."

Alex took a deep breath. "I'm really not, Laura, I promise. I'm just—"

"Tired, yeah I know. Okay."

Both women fell silent. Alex didn't know what to say. Had she upset Laura? She could sense that Laura wanted to say something more, and waited in nervous anticipation.

Instead, Laura said, "I won't force you to go, but I really do think you should leave your house and come out for a night. You can even sit at the bar all night and brood or whatever it is you do, as long as you get some fresh air."

"I don't brood."

"You brood. Anyway, places to go, people to see. Gray Haze. 9PM. Be there or... don't, but I'll be sad."

"Wait, Laura," Alex said. She waited a moment, and when Laura hadn't hung up she asked, "What does..." I hope I don't butcher this "'Occhi'egghiaccio' mean?" She had done her best to pronounce it, but could tell she didn't do a very good job when Laura let out a giggle.

"Say it one more time. I think I heard you right but I just want to make sure."

Alex frowned. She thought Laura just wanted to hear her terrible attempt at pronouncing an Italian word. "Occhi...egghiaccio?"

Finally Laura seemed to figure out what Alex had been trying to say. "Occhi'egghiaccio?" She asked, sounding like she spoke fluent Italian. Maybe she did. Alex had heard Laura speak Italian to her goons or her friends on occasion, but Alex hadn't known if she spoke it well enough to be considered bilingual. "Did someone call you that?"

Alex nodded, thinking of the way Val had looked at her. "What does it mean?"

Laura giggled. "It means ice eyes."

Alex blinked. "Oh."

"Who called you that? Someone Italian? Mafia?"

Alex's lips twitched. "I think she'd say half Italian, but yes."

"She?" Laura asked, suddenly sounding interested.

"Never mind," Alex said. "I'm going back to bed. I'll talk to you later."

"You'll see me later," Laura corrected. "I'll even drive you home and we can have another sleepover if you're up for it." She hung up before Alex could respond.

Alex sighed, rolled onto her stomach, and closed her eyes. When sleep continued to evade her, she got up and made coffee, enjoying it while she read the morning paper on her E-reader. After that she ran five miles on her treadmill and then decided to read some more in the comfort of her living room. Maybe she'd even light a fire.

***

Gabe had shown up at around 8:30PM, on Laura's orders, to make sure that Alex was ready and dressed for a night out.

"I'm not going," Alex growled, resisting as Gabe tugged her towards the bathroom by the arm. "It's so early."

"Just take a shower and come hang out! You could use a drink. Besides, the earlier we get there the earlier you can leave." He shoved her towards the all-glass shower. It had jets built into the wall as well as a fancy showerhead. He had to pause for a moment to admire the luxurious bathroom. When his envy died down he turned to his friend and eyed her suspiciously. "When was the last time you left the house?"

Alex's cheeks flushed. She didn't want to admit it but she had been living like an agoraphobic shut-in the last few days. Everything felt like it took too much energy. When she wasn't sleeping or forcing herself to cook or exercise she was sitting silently, trying to force her thoughts from going to places she didn't want them to go.

"A few days..."

"Jesus," Gabe grumbled, running his hand through his dark hair.

There was something different about him, but she couldn't quite place it.

Alex noticed that he had started sporting a medium-length hairstyle. He had grown the front out, so it was longer than the back, which he still kept short. He was still handsome, and the new style fit his square jaw and five o'clock shadow. She turned her gaze lower and noticed why he had seemed 'different.'

Normally Gabe dressed casually, with black boots, an old pair of jeans, and a simple T-shirt with a band's name on it. Tonight, he was sporting black slacks, shiny black oxford shoes, a dark blue button down, and a blazer. He looked like a businessman. He looked good.

When Alex returned her gaze to his she found he had already been watching her. Her cheeks burned at the knowing look in his eyes.

A wolfish grin spread across his face. "Did my handsomeness finally turn you straight? Are you checking me out? Do you want to have sex to regain control or something? I'm available."

Alex rolled her eyes. "Hardly. But you do look good. Is Darby coming tonight?"

Gabe suddenly looked embarrassed and he cleared his throat. "Maybe."

Now Alex got to grin, a knowing look in her eyes. "That's what I thought." She gestured to the door, an impatient look on her face as she gave him a pointed look. "Now get out. I'll shower."

Gabe's grin widened, his joy lighting up his eyes. "Excellent. I'll wait downstairs. Try not to take so long."

Alex was notorious for taking long showers, though now that Gabe saw how luxurious her bathroom was he couldn't really blame her.

"Yeah, yeah," she shoved him out. "Give me 20 minutes."

***

They had managed to find street parking in the front of Gray Haze.

"Okay," Alex said, stepping out of Gabe's Jeep and slipping her hands into the pockets of her long, black peacoat. It definitely wasn't warm enough this late into winter but it was fashionable and Alex always tried to look her best when going 'out.'

"Okay what?" Gabe asked, locking his truck and turning to look at her.

"I've stepped outside." She inhaled deeply then exhaled. "Ah, fresh air." She then turned and met his hazel eyes with her blue. "Okay, I've been outside. Take me back home now."

"Oh stop," Gabe said, gently gripping her arm and leading her across the street. They walked right by the line of people waiting to get in. Gabe noticed, as usual, as all their eyes followed Alex Sterling's every elegant step. He smiled at how clueless Alex seemed about being ogled by multiple pairs of eyes all at once. She was so used to people staring she didn't seem to notice anymore. "Look, if you don't go home with Laura tonight I'll take you home anytime you want. Just try to have fun."

"No," Alex deadpanned. "I refuse."

"Come on," Gabe said as he held the door to Gray Haze open and gestured for Alex to go in first. "It's New Year's Eve. New year. New beginning."

Alex felt uneasiness in the pit of her stomach. She didn't want to be around people. She didn't want to go out. She didn't feel like having fun, if having fun were even possible.

She knew Gabe and Laura's hearts were in the right place and she knew they were right that she needed to get out of her house, but her altercation with the Grecos was still fresh in her mind.

The fear she had felt when Salvatore had aimed his gun at her, the promise in his eyes that had her so sure he would shoot her.

And worse was the disappointment and hurt she still felt from her encounter with Val. It still hung heavy on her soul, dragging her down and making her feel like every breath, every step, was attached to a ball and chain.

"This place..." Alex said under her breath, glaring daggers at the neon purple sign hanging above the entrance.

The Costas had bought out the business next door, knocking down a wall and combining the two large spaces to create the club. The outside, which had been relatively bland when Alex had been managing her uncle's bar, was now bright and well lit. The entrance was made of two large red doors guarded by two large bouncers, and there were velvet ropes lined along the street for when people would inevitably start lining up to get in. Gray Haze was clearly marked by the bright signs, while Alex's Bar had been tucked away like a hidden treasure.

The bouncers standing guard outside—Costa goons—never gave Alex or Gabe a hard time. They were considered VIPs, thanks to their friendship with Laura. They could come and go as many times as they pleased.

Alex watched as more people began joining the line that was already forming. Most of the club-goers looked like they were in their early 20s. Alex frowned. She never liked clubbing much to begin with, and had only first entered Gray Haze when she had been curious enough to see what the Costas had done to her old bar, her former sanctuary. Anytime she went afterwards had been to see Laura, or because Gabe made her, not because she actually enjoyed the club scene.

"God, I don't know how you do it, Gabe," Alex said, her gaze sweeping over the excited club-goers in line as they chattered amongst themselves. "I can already tell I hate at least ninety-percent of these people."

"You're such a Sterling," Gabe said, offering his arm and offering her a mega-watt smile when she gave him a look. "Come on, at least let me be the lucky guy that gets to walk in with the most beautiful woman hanging off my arm."

Alex's cheeks flushed a bright pink. Gabe was such a charmer. She slid her arm into his and allowed him to lead her into Gray Haze.

As usual, it was loud, with bodies moving all around. Men and women all danced together, screaming along with lyrics, and even hooking up in the middle of the dance floor. Alex was certain most people in the room were high on something. It was a mafia-run club after all, and the city suffered a serious drug-smuggling problem that had only gotten worse in recent years.

Gabe led her towards the bar, where Laura was sitting and chatting up some woman Alex had never seen before. It always seemed weird to Alex when she saw Laura flirting with another woman. Technically, Laura identified as straight, and insisted Alex was her "only exception." Yet she would often comment on attractive women, and Alex had witnessed Laura watch other women with a hungry look in her eyes, a look Alex only recognized because it was the same look men had always given her.

"Are you sure you're not bisexual?" Alex had asked Laura nearly a year ago.

Laura had seemed to think about it before shrugging. "Maybe. I like you, but I can't say I've ever felt this way about another girl before. I think women are attractive but it never really occurred to me that I would ever want to be in a relationship with one. It was always men for me, until I met you." She had smiled weakly then, her cheeks turning a shade of pink. "What about you?"

Alex remembered that she too had had to think about it. She had always identified as bisexual, but after Val's death she had started referring to herself as a lesbian. What she had found in Val she had never found in a man, nor would she ever find it in a man, and so she knew that she was likely done dating men. She was, technically, still bisexual, as she still found men sexually attractive, but when it came to romance, to relationships, to... love, she knew she would only find that in another woman.

"I date who I want to date," Alex had finally replied with a shrug. "But I don't see myself ending up with a man, to be honest."

Now, watching Laura flutter her eyelashes at this woman, flirtatiously touch her arm, Alex wondered if Laura still considered herself straight with an exception. Maybe she had advanced to bisexual. Alex didn't think it mattered either way, it seemed like sexuality could be fluid, and that labels were limiting and stupid.

As if sensing their approach, Laura turned and settled her warm copper gaze on Alex. Her lips parted, as if letting out a small gasp.

"You look stunning," Laura purred, sliding off the bar stool and wrapping her arms around Alex's neck.

Alex wrapped her own around Laura's waist and gave her a small squeeze. "As do you," she replied, stepping back and holding Laura at arms length so she could take in the younger girl's outfit. "Wow," Alex breathed as she took in the view, causing Laura to blush and avert her gaze away from the intense one of Alexis Sterling.

Laura was wearing a tight, silver dress. It clung to her body in a way that emphasized her womanly curves and slim waist. The neckline was cut low, revealing a generous view of cleavage, and the dress ended just above her knees, revealing smooth legs and matching six-inch heels.

She had spent more time on her makeup as well. Her plump lips had the familiar sheen of gloss, making them hard not to stare at. Shimmery dark blue outlined her eyes, allowing the warmth of her brown eyes to appear as though they were glowing. Her hair was tied up in an elegant style, with loose curls framing her heart-shaped face.

Alex finally remembered to return her attention to Laura and found the other woman already watching her. Alex's lips curved into a wicked lovely smile. She knew that look. "Are you checking me out?"

Though Gabe couldn't quite get Alex to put on one of her many dresses, he was able to convince her to put in some effort.

What took Alex fifteen minutes to put together took models two hours, a makeup artist, and a professional stylist. But then, maybe that was just the blessed genetics of the Sterling family at work.

Alex was dressed to kill. She was wearing a sheer, fitted sleeveless white blouse with a plunging neckline, revealing a long necklace that dangled tantalizingly between her ample breasts. The blouse had golden zippers on either side, and Alex had left them unzipped slightly, revealing her slim sides. Instead of jeans, which Laura would have expected, Alex chose to wear black leather leggings that might as well have been painted on. They hugged her curves perfectly, earning her ass more than a few hungry stares.

She hadn't wanted to wear heels at all, especially in this weather, but considering she hadn't put in as much effort into her outfit as she could've, she decided a simple pair of black pumps would add another layer of sexy refinement to it. The boots she had considered wearing instead would not have achieved the same effect. The heels were still a pain to walk in when the streets were still slushy from Christmas's snowfall, but at least she didn't look like the idiots in itty-bitty dresses shivering in line outside.

Alex had left her hair down, allowing it to flow freely down her back and over her shoulders in waves of gold. Her makeup she had kept subtle and natural, though she had made sure to focus on outlining her eyes in order to bring out the pure color of her deep, ocean blue. She had also done her best to cover up the bruise on her face, which was easier now that a week had passed and it was beginning to change into yellowy, lighter shades instead of the dark blue and purple it had been before.

"Twirl for me," Laura said, twirling her finger in a circle as if to demonstrate. Her eyes were intensely focused on Alex's body as they shamelessly roamed over every inch.

Alex humored her, turning slowly in a circle until she was facing Laura again. The blonde arched a sculpted brow, a smile tugging at her lips as she shifted her weight to one hip. "Satisfied?"

"You're still wearing pants," Laura said, her eyelids lowering, "So no, not yet."

Alex's cheeks flushed at the look Laura was giving her. "I'm going to grab a drink," she said, moving past her two friends towards the other end of the bar.

Gabe cleared his throat, gestured to his dashing outfit, and then did his own, overly dramatic twirl. "Why don't I get any compliments?"

"You look so gallant," Laura said, her voice full of genuine awe. Not that she was surprised, Gabe was a handsome guy, but she had never seen him dressed in such a classy way.

"You don't need to sound so surprised," Gabe said, grinning at her.

She lifted her hands and undid the top buttons on his shirt. "Theeere you go! Show some manly chest hair, Gabe."

Though Laura was toying with Gabe, her eyes kept flickering to the side.

Gabe followed Laura's gaze to where Alex was leaning against the bar, a wistful expression on her flawless face as she scanned the crowd with what looked like mild interest.

Gabe, knowing Alex, knew it was probably complete disinterest.

He chuckled. "See something you like, Laura?"

Laura shot him a glare, but couldn't keep the smile off of her face. "She's gorgeous," she admitted, her voice quiet as if she were confessing a deep, dark secret. She stole another peek at the elegant Alex Sterling, her eyes filling with warmth. "It's hard not to stare."

Gabe would've patted Laura on the head, but he didn't want to mess up her fancy hair. "Go over and talk to her, I'll bring you guys some shots."

"You're going to get Alex to do shots?" Laura asked, both her brows lifting in amusement.

"With the way this week is going, I'm not sure I'll be able to keep her from doing too many shots."

***

Four shots and two hours later, and Alex was finally having a good time. The music ceased to be 'awful,' the people ceased to be 'obnoxious,' the drinks ceased to be, 'mediocre.'

Everything was great. Everything was awesome.

"Drunk Alex is hilarious," Gabe said, handing Alex a glass of water. "Try this, babe."

"I'm not drunk," Alex said. Tipsy? Yes. "I'm on my way to being drunk, though." She took the glass of water and took a few large gulps before setting it back down on the bar. "New rule for tonight, I drink one glass of water for every drink I have from now on." She then flagged down the bartender and ordered a gin and tonic.

"Hey, Alex," Laura said, lifting her eyes from her drink and peering steadily into Alex's blue. "Who are you kissing at midnight?" She slid her finger up the small straw in her martini glass and lightly chewed on it, never breaking eye contact with the Sterling woman.

Alex ran her tongue over her bottom lip and cleared her throat. She averted her gaze to her drink and spun her straw around. She remembered what Gabe had said to her at the diner, after she had slept with Laura. She shouldn't keep leading Laura on if she wasn't interested... but damn it, what if Alex was interested?

Alex felt like the world's biggest asshole. "I don't know yet," she told Laura, suddenly turning to Gabe in an effort to avoid whatever expression her answer would've garnered from the Costa girl.

Gabe, who had overheard the exchange, offered Alex a look full of sympathy, but nodded to show he approved of her answer. Alex continued to glare at him. He lifted both his brows at her. "Yes?"

"When is Darby getting here?" Alex asked feeling victorious when she saw how nervous her question had suddenly made Gabe.

Her former bartender suddenly leaned on the bar, as if relaxing. He looked lazily around the bar, trying to seem nonchalant as if he wasn't desperately scanning the crowd for his date's face. "She'll get here. She had a dinner thing with her family," he explained, shrugging.

"Uh-huh," Alex purred, her eyelids lowering as she peered at her anxious friend. "What if she doesn't show up?"

His eyes were suddenly on hers. "She'll show up."

Alex was about to tease him some more when she heard Laura let out a small gasp.

"Who is that?" Laura asked, her voice unlike anything Alex or Gabe had heard from her, like she wasn't sure whether she was excited or in awe.

Both Gabe and Alex exchanged equal looks of confusion before turning to peer at Laura. The girl appeared to be completely transfixed as she stared towards the entrance of Gray Haze. The two followed her gaze to see what had caused the Costa girl to stare with such intensity.

When they saw whom Laura had been talking about, everything seemed to come to an abrupt halt, including time itself.

Valerie Greco walked into the club like she owned it.

Gabe's jaw dropped to the floor just as Alex's heart ceased to beat.

Following in after Val was an excited posse of other beautiful women, and yet it seemed as though the darkly beautiful Greco was the only one in the room, like her presence demanded every club-goers' rapt attention. No one could look away even if they wanted to, and none of them wanted to.

"Wow," Gabe breathed, his voice low and husky. Alex had never heard him sound so... primal before. She would've turned to see the expression on his face, but like him she was too enraptured by the Greco underboss.

Val shrugged her jacket off, revealing a gorgeous dress beneath, and held it out to one of her friends, who took it from her like a lady-in-waiting. Val walked towards the dance floor with the grace and confidence of a woman who knew her beauty was lethal. Women parted for Val like the sea parted for Moses, their eyes filled with envy as she glided past them with the regality of a queen.

"Where is she going?" Gabe asked, just loud enough for Alex to hear him.

Alex had no idea, but found she could barely muster the strength to respond. Her heart, though it had at first seemed to completely stop, now seemed to be running laps around her chest. The feeling had come back to her hands and she noticed them trembling. She was about to slide her hand into her back pocket to feel for the familiar comfort of the small pills, but soon realized that earlier that night she had convinced herself that she wouldn't need them, and had left them at home.

"Is she crazy?" Alex hissed under her breath, watching as the most handsome man—and therefore the most confident—in the club approached Val and started speaking with her, likely asking her to dance. Val flashed him a heart-breakingly beautiful smile and fluttered her eyelashes at him. Alex still couldn't look away. "She's going to get herself killed," Alex growled.

After all, Gray Haze might be a club open to the public but it was still a Costa-owned and operated club, full of Costa mafia members, not to mention the heir of Ciro Costa himself.

Val had quite literally walked, no, strutted right into a cave full of hungry bears.

Gabe let out his signature low-whistle. "Guess she hasn't changed as much as you thought."

"What does that mean?" Alex snapped, forcing herself to tear her gaze away from Val, who was now dancing way too closely with a man that was not her husband.

Gabe shrugged as he whispered, "This is Val we're talking about, right? That girl probably doesn't get out of bed in the morning unless she knows she's about to do something dangerous."

"Or stupid, you mean," Alex muttered, returning her gaze to where Val continued dancing her way through the crowd, being passed between the hypnotized men who twirled and spun her, their hands roaming her body as much as they possibly could, as if afraid she'd take away the privilege of touch from them at any moment.

Luckily the music was too loud for Laura to be able to hear Alex and Gabe's conversation. It would not be good if she found out who Val really was. A crease formed in Alex's forehead as she watched Laura's face, recognizing the look on it.

Laura looked completely bewitched, her warm brown eyes following Val's every move as the mysterious woman danced, laughed, and drank with her friends and the random club-goers who were all clamoring to get Val to merely look in their general direction.

"She looks like a bad idea," Laura purred, running a tongue over her lips as she followed Val's every movement like a cat watches a mouse.

"You have no idea," Alex muttered under her breath, so only Gabe could hear her. Alex knew Val was no mere mouse. A Tasmanian devil was perhaps a more accurate comparison.

Alex wasn't sure how she felt about Laura being just as taken with Val as everyone else seemed to be. On the one hand, it was good that Laura wasn't paying any attention to Gabe or Alex's conversation, on the other hand...

"Looks like you have some competition," Gabe whispered, snickering when Alex shot him a fierce glare.

She wasn't sure what he meant, anyway. Was Val competition over Laura or was Laura competition over Val?

Regardless, Laura couldn't find out that Val was a Greco, let alone THE Valerie Greco, the one that had "died" seven years ago thanks to the torture she underwent at the hands of Laura's father, Ciro.

Alex knew Laura had met Val, briefly, but it had been in a dark room, for about five minutes, and Val had been beaten bloody, with bruises all over her body and likely on her face. She had also been starved, so she had been much skinnier, much paler. It was highly unlikely Laura remembered what Valerie Greco looked like. Alex remembered that Laura also didn't seem to be able to recognize Val from the photograph Gabe had given her for Christmas. That was good. As long as Val wasn't stupid enough to introduce herself using her real last name then Laura should be none the wiser to the mysterious woman's true identity.

What is she up to? Alex could only wonder as she continued watching Val have a good time. The blonde woman found her eyes unable to leave Val's face. She looked... different than she had a week ago. She didn't look serious or scary or intimidating. She looked like a regular twenty-five year old woman having a night of fun with some friends.

Then again, Alex had never pegged Val as the type to dance with a bunch of random guys and girls, and certainly not so... sensually. But... maybe this Val, the adult Val, had lost any shyness or awkwardness that Val as a teenager had certainly had. Alex was certain the Val she used to know wouldn't have been so comfortable having so many strangers' hands on her body at once, that's for sure.

"What's the plan?" Gabe whispered to Alex, his voice laced with concern but also with a promise that he would have her back no matter what. "Are you going to confront her? Make a run for it?" When Alex didn't immediately respond with a game plan, Gabe added, "May I recommend a course of action?"

"No."

"Glad you asked! I recommend running out the back door. So, Boss, what's the plan?" Gabe watched Alex in silence. She couldn't take her eyes off of Val. His jaw tightened. This could go very bad.

Alex watched as two men that Val had danced with began arguing and shoving each other. Val watched them with a bored expression on her face, as if she didn't care that men were about to exchange blows over her. She simply gathered her posse of women and gestured towards the bar, where Alex, Laura, and Gabe were currently residing.

Were they coming over? Was Val coming over to the bar?

Panic welled up within Alex. Shit!

"I'm going to pee," Alex suddenly announced, pushing off from the counter, spinning on her heel, and stalking towards the bathroom.

***

What is happening? Alex breathed, staring at her reflection in the mirror of the lady's restroom.

The Costa had completely renovated everything when they took over Alex's bar, and they had redone the old dirty bathrooms to look extremely classy and clean. Alex hated to admit it, but they were much nicer than when she had owned—managed—this place.

Alex took a few deep breaths. What was Val doing here? She had been shot a little over a week ago, not to mention had suffered a concussion, and was somehow sashaying her way through the club like she owned it, and everyone in it.

Then again, the gunshot had been extremely minor, and very close to her side. The procedure required little more than cleaning the wound, stitching, and bandaging it. The concussion was another story, but Alex hadn't gotten close enough to Val to see if she was still wearing a bandage on her head where she had had a large cut. If she were wearing one, it was likely small and not a thick piece of gauze like she had been wearing a week ago.

Okay, deep breath. Alex inhaled and then exhaled slowly. She was grateful that no one else was in the bathroom. She needed the quiet that the bathroom lent her. She could think more clearly here, without watching Val, without Gabe trying to convince her to leave, without Laura's enraptured gaze.

Val was there. Val Greco was in Gray Haze. Val Greco was in Gray Haze, which was owned by the Costas. The Costas think they murdered Valerie Greco seven years ago. There was no way that Val didn't know that Gray Haze belonged to the Costas, which meant she intentionally entered her enemy's turf knowing they would be none the wiser to her identity. Why?

Alex couldn't just leave. She couldn't run. She had to find out what the hell Val was up to. That girl—woman—was always up to something as a teenager and that clearly hadn't changed now that she was an adult.

If anything, Alex had to make sure Laura was safe. Who knew what Val was planning? If it included the Costas... if it included Laura, it couldn't be good.

With newfound determination, Alex straightened and peered deeply into the blue of her eyes. Then... she made sure she looked good. She checked her hair, her makeup, and her outfit. All perfect. Good.

She didn't see why she couldn't still look immaculate while teetering on the edge of a panic attack.

***

As Alex walked back towards the bar, she noticed Gabe had slid aaaaall the way down to the other side, where he sat at the very end, and was hunched over the counter as if he were hiding from something or, rather, someone. Alex came to a slow stop, her gaze flickering back towards the other end of the bar, where she saw Laura sitting on a bar stool, blushing and laughing at whatever Val, leaning up against the counter, was saying. Alex's jaw tightened at the look on Val's face, that devilish smirk, those sparkling green pools that swam with eternal mischief and mayhem.

What is she playing at? Alex wondered, frowning as Laura burst into another fit of giggles as Val drew even closer, like a shark that smelled blood.

Alex felt her heart begin to pound in her chest as she forced her legs, which seemed to have locked in place, to propel her body forward. She felt like her body wasn't working naturally, like she had to manually make sure every body part was moving correctly.

Finally she came to a stop just beside Laura, who, for the first time in years, didn't seem to notice Alex's presence.

But it didn't matter, because now that Alex was standing about two feet away from Val, she couldn't blame Laura. Alex didn't think she would've noticed anyone else either, and likely never would again.

Val was dressed in a striking dark red dress. It was skin-tight, with a high collar, and sleeves made of lace. Over the upper part of her chest and the lower part of her stomach was a piece of sheer, mesh fabric that revealed a peak of her cleavage as well as her slim abdomen. The dress was short with a dangerous slit up the side, revealing a generous portion of her toned thigh. On her feet she wore black high heels with straps that wrapped all the way up her strong calves.

Alex opened her mouth to speak but words wouldn't come. It was Laura's finger under her chin, pushing her mouth closed, that brought Alex out of la-la land, at least temporarily.

"Earth to Alex," Laura said, sounding irritated.

Val, still leaning casually against the bar's wooden countertop, tilted her head to the side as she eyed Alex. She had looked surprised upon first making eye contact with Alex, but had quickly masked the emotion and appeared as collected as ever.

There was an awkward stretch of silence as Alex continued staring, dumbstruck, at Val, who stared coolly back. Laura's eyes narrowed, and her gaze flickered between the two other women staring each other down.

"Ah, crap," Val said after a moment, when Alex still hadn't said anything. The lack of an Italian accent caused Alex's mind to short-circuit. Val sounded like Val again.

"What's wrong?" Laura asked her, looking concerned.

Val shrugged, a very familiar Val gesture, and then slid her green gaze to Alex's again. "I just hate running into an ex when I look like crap."

That was a joke. It had to be a joke. Because Alex had never seen Val look so stunning before, and Val knew it.

Laura snapped her head so quickly in Alex's direction that Alex was surprised she hadn't broken it. "Your ex?" Laura repeated, her gaze once again flickering between the two women as they stared each other down. "Alex, this is your ex?"

***

A/N: "Uuugh Taleth why did you have to end it there?!" - You guys, probably. 

Because I like watching you all squirm ;)

Don't forget to vote/comment/follow/pray/whistle/dance/sing/serenade me/etc. Thanks to everyone that voted/commented on the previous Chapter(s)! Really appreciate the show of support!

-Taleth