FALLING IN LOVE WITH HIM - HER FIRST LOVE

FIFTEEN YEARS AGO,

ALEXANDER'S MEMORY;

Alexander was glad that this time Sebastian found the correct location of the Baresi brothers. They stopped at a two-storey building in Old Havana that looked nothing more than a cheap motel. According to Sebastian's knowledge, Marco and Franco took the help of the local gangsters. They assisted with Hera's kidnapping and now probably providing them shelter to hide from Alexander. 

The inside of the building was far too big from what it appeared from the outside. Surprisingly it turned out to be a late-night club where all the local criminals spend their nights indulging in illegal gambling. The upper part of the building was a brothel. 

Barely clothed young women danced to the unharmonious loud music while the drunken men showered them with dirty, crumpled bills. Alexander couldn't wait to get his hands on the culprits. The noisy club stunned into silence at the mention of Alexander's other identity, the name Carlos was enough for the petty criminals to drop their attitude and bow before him in surrender. 

No matter what reward or how much money the Baresi brothers promised or paid the local gangsters, it didn't take more than a minute for them to betray the Baresis. They willingly gave away their hideouts at the mere mention of Alexander's name. 

"Get out if you don't want to die," Alexander yelled on his way to the brothel upstairs. The tourists, the gamblers, the female dancers, everyone raced out of the club like rats abandoning a sinking ship, scared for the safety of their lives.

Alexander raced his men to the rooms and led the way as he couldn't trust anyone. He wouldn't risk failing the chance and lose his baby again. He heard a shrill cry of a woman on his way. Some were moaning in sexual pleasure, and some faked it while some cried in agony. The place reeked of sex mixed with disgusting sweat everywhere. 

On Alexander's beacon, Sebastian reached the room where the woman's cry resounded. He kicked the door open to find a man brutally abusing the naked woman's body while he forced her to please him. By going near, Sebastian learned that the poor girl was too young to be a sex worker. He barged in only to help the crying girl on his boss' command, but he didn't expect to find his prey there. 

It was Marco Baresi, attempting to rape an underage girl. 

Marco turned around to curse at the intruder. Alarmed, he instantly jumped to his feet and searched for his gun in the pockets of his pants as soon as he saw Sebastian's face. The latter grinned at the man's ridiculous appearance as Marco's pants were halfway down his buttocks. 

"Found one of the pests, boss," he yelled in an amused voice for Alexander. Before Marco could pull the trigger, Sebastian shot at his hand and jerked his thumb over his shoulder, showing the door for the girl to escape her nightmare. He marched towards his target in three long strides and rammed his knee into Marco's exposed male organ. 

Picking up her discarded clothes from the floor, the girl sprinted off the room, not even caring that she was naked. Meanwhile, Marco doubled over in pain. Sebastian didn't give him time to recover and kicked him in the balls continuously until his face turned pale and he struggled to breathe. 

Alexander's feet halted when he heard the faint sound of a baby crying in the opposite direction. 

He rushed forward following the sound, but his men beat him to the door and broke it for him. They entered with their guns pointed at the possible attack and cleared the way for their boss. Ignoring Franco's cries while his men pounced on him, Alexander's eyes explored the stinking, dirty small room searching for his baby. 

Relief flooded through his system when his eyes landed on the baby wailing on the carpeted floor. Wiping his watery eyes with the back of his hand, Alexander rushed at little Hera and cradled her in his arms. Cleaning the tear stains off her chubby cheeks with the cuffs of his sleeve, he kissed her forehead, sending a silent prayer to God. 

His smile was watery when the baby stopped crying, only to recognise his familiar face and the comforting touch. It broke his heart when little Hera wailed again as if to complain about her struggle. Alexander apologised while kissing her tears away. He felt as if his daughter was punishing him for taking so long to reach her. 

The cries of agony that tore out of the Baresi brothers' mouth gave immense satisfaction to Alexander. He had turned his back to his men while he played with his daughter to make sure she felt safe again in his arms. He made silly faces and entertained her with weird noises as baby Hera responded in her baby language and giggled at everything her father showed her. 

After speaking to Felicity over the phone, Alexander was ready to leave for home. Handing the baby to one of his men, he rolled up his sleeves and prepared to get his hands dirty. The sooner he finished, the sooner he could go home. 

Sebastian enjoyed the show with a wide grin plastered on his face while the two pathetic brothers screamed and yelled, begging Alexander for mercy. It wasn't metaphorical when Alexander said he would skin the twins alive for daring to touch his daughter. He held the dagger in his hand, a sinister smile playing on the lips as he literally began to peel the skin off one of the brothers. 

He started with Franco's face and grimaced in disgust as the man's blood soaked his hands while the dagger cut the underside of his jaw. 

Alexander didn't even care to identify their faces anymore. The only thing that mattered to him was the sheer cry of agony they let out. The brothers would take turns begging for each other's life. 

His phone vibrated in his pant pocket, and the Lord of the mafia world huffed in displeasure, not happy by getting interrupted. Wiping his hands quickly into the white napkin, he pulled out his phone. His expression shifted into a frown as he saw the number displaying on the screen. It was the guard assigned to keep Felicity safe. 

Alexander clenched his jaw as soon as he heard Johnathan's vile voice greeting him. "Why do you have access to my guard's phone, John?" He asked, but before he could listen to Johnathan's answer, he heard gunshots. He saw Sebastian taking his position to guard Hera and pulled out his gun in a counter-attack. 

Unexpectedly, they got attacked by an unknown enemy. 

Pressing the phone to his ear, Alexander tried to listen to whatever Johnathan wanted to say while trying to reach Hera. The noise erupting from the rapid gunfire made it difficult to hear his voice. He signalled Sebastian to take over and shielded his daughter from danger. 

"Felicity has been shot, Xander. She's dying. Please come as soon as possible. If you don't, you won't get to meet her before she takes her last breath," Johnathan said, his voice coated with mock sympathy. Alexander wished his hand could reach the bastard's neck and strangle him to death. "Do you want to die, Johnathan? Choose your words carefully because it could get you killed," Alexander warned him. 

The resonating laughter from the other end disturbed Alexander and his heart dropped to the pit of his stomach as he recognised the arrogance of victory in Johnathan's voice. "Where's Felicity? Give the phone to her," Alexander barked into the phone. Johnathan took a few more seconds to waste on his cruel laughter while Alexander's mouth went dry as he panicked. 

"Let me speak to her, Johnathan," Alexander said, his defeated voice begging while his panicked heart raced at an unnatural pace. 

"I said she's dying," Johnathan said in a slow voice as if giving time for Alexander's mind to process the meaning behind his words. "Someone has shot her right in the heart. I'm afraid she won't survive until you return. Come fast, Xander, you don't have time to waste," he said in a disapproving tone. Finally, his words registered in Alexander's mind and the phone slipped out of his hand. 

He knew Johnathan wasn't lying. 

'The bastard had betrayed her again.' 

The tears blurred his vision while he slumped to the floor. He vaguely noticed people helping his enemies. But nothing mattered at that time. All he wanted was to die and end this heart-wrenching pain that burned inside his chest. 

'She's dying.' 

'She won't survive.'

Johnathan's voice echoed in his mind, and Alexander couldn't bear the ache it brought along. 

'What would I do without you, Felci?'

"Alessandro, watch out," he heard Sebastian yell, but he couldn't move. A bullet pierced right through his chest, and Alexander released the breath he had been holding. The new pain that shot through his body somehow eased the pain Johnathan imposed on his heart. It was nothing compared to the pain of losing his love, his Felicity. 

Alexander couldn't wait for death to claim his last breath.