Xander's POV

"Boss-" a hand rocked my body. "Wake up." I recognized the voice as Henry's. But that still didn't make me get up. "Mr. Sanchez is calling for you."

"What does he want?" I muttered with my eyes still closed.

"He didn't say," Henry replied.

"Tell him I'll call him back." Unfortunately, I didn't have the energy to deal with my father's antics. He was a borderline sociopath, so his presence would bring me nothing but more grief.

"He isn't on the phone," Henry said like he was scared to continue. "He's in your office." Henry cleared his throat.

That made me rise from my bed. I didn't remove my clothes or get underneath the covers last night; I simply flopped down on my bed and passed out after a cigarette and a couple of shots. I rarely indulged in alcohol but now was more than enough reason to start.

"Tell him I'll be there in a moment." Henry nodded curtly then walked out of the room. My dad never came to the estate anymore. Once he retired the business to me, he made it a point to stay away so he could raise my siblings in peace. The veins in my neck were throbbing, and my head was pulsing with a headache from a hangover. My father must've known about Harley by now. Everyone did. It pissed me off that everyone was satisfied with Harley leaving while it was tearing me to shreds. Her sweet voice wasn't playing around me. Her irresistible body was swaying towards me or away from me. I didn't have the satisfaction of knowing that she would be waiting for me when I returned home. She was just gone. She wasn't thinking about me or yearning for me like I was for her. Part of me wanted to get her and drag her back here just because I could, and I know I could, but the rest of me knew better. There was no chance for me if I did that.

I removed my rancid clothes and slipped on a fresh T-shirt and shorts. It wasn't my usual attire, but I didn't plan on doing any work today. Nor tomorrow. I left to the office directly after. My father was as impatient as me, probably more.

When I walked in, naturally, he was sitting in my seat behind my desk. He always needed to be in power regardless of the situation.

"Father." I breathed lightly as I walked towards him. His button-up shirt was ironed perfectly, along with his slacks. He never wore anything different, nor didn't he let anyone touch his clothes besides his personal maid. I wouldn't be surprised if he screwed her too.

"About time." He murmured and looked me up a down. His eyes grazed over me two more times before he spoke. "You look a mess." He rolled his eyes and got up from my chair. "You walk around dressed like that? You look ridiculous. That's why your men don't respect you. You look like a felon, fuck your assistant-" he trailed off but didn't change the distaste in his voice and face.

"I'm sure you can understand." I retorted. It didn't matter what I said to him. He'd think I only cared about getting my dick wet with Harley.

"I heard about Harley." He ignored my comment, which surprised me.

"I'm sure you have," I said.

"Good job." He said, but it sounded like anything but a compliment. "I'm glad you listened to me." He paced to the window. Telling my father that it wasn't my choice that Harley was gone seemed even more pointless than this conversation. He didn't care how it happened; he was just glad it did. "We can move forward now." He sighed.

"What do you mean we?! My issues are my issues. You just involved yourself in them." I tried not to bark. Regardless, Harley was not an issue or problem.

"Calm down, Son. I know this entire situation has been stressful for you and the business." My father said.

"Not really." I lied. He was implying Harley was the cause of my stress when it couldn't be further from the truth. If anything, she kept me sane.

"And I know how to help you." This time he turned and looked at me. Both his hands sat on the top of his gold-encrusted walking stick.

Help me? My father never helped me a day in his life. He always did what was best for him in the moment and said that he was doing it for me. Like when he sent me away all those years ago. All alone in a foreign country with no one to lean on. Then I was forced to return and take over a business I didn't want any parts in. Now it's my life.

"I've been talking to your stepmother and your mother." He started again.

"What about?" I asked although I didn't want to know, nor did I particularly care.

"This girl. Harley. She's young. Too young. She'll be off to college soon. Probably far away. She'll want nothing to do with the life you live, Xander." He explained. He spoke pretentiously like he met a million girls like Harley. My fathers met any of my flings or part girlfriends. None of them. He never showed interest in them either. He used to tell me to "fuck as many women as you can before you get married. Fucking the same pussy gets old very fast." He was a prick like that, but he's shown extensive interest in Harley. I never took the time to think about what would happen in the future with Harley. There was never the time or the opportunity. We didn't have a label, and we were both just beginning to understand our feelings for each other. At least I was. Now still wasn't the time to think about that. I didn't even have her anymore.

"None of that matters." I looked away from trying to control the convulsing veins in my neck.

"It does, and you know it." He said sternly. "But Nevermind that." He waved me off. "You mothers and I have arranged for a dinner with Alec Faiola and his family."

"Who is he?" I asked, suddenly curious. Faiola was Italian, but I knew nothing about the Italian cartels. They were limited or almost extinct on this side of the US. The Italians dealt more into the mafia than cartel business. They were too violent to engage in cartel business. They liked getting their hands dirty; they played by their own rules. Everything they did defeat the purpose of a cartel.

"An old friend of mine." He looked down at the floor as he answered. "He's coming from Milan with his wife, both of his sons, and his daughter, Gaia." He continued. "They'll be staying with us at the summer house in Lake Tahoe for a week. I expect you to be there." He said. My blood suddenly ran cold, and my eye began twitching in a sudden rage.

"Why would I do that, father? I have no interest in meeting old associates." I asked, trying to control my quivering voice.

"Because I said so." He said, "and if you don't, I'll send Harley away. Farther then, she was already going to go."

"Don't threaten me-" I began to shout but was interrupted by Henry rushing into the office.

"Boss-" Henry swallowed, then panned his eyes from me to my father, clearly understanding he interrupted something. "Sorry to barge in, sir." He nodded towards my dad.

"It's fine." My father said and began walking towards Henry. "My son and I were just about done anyway." He patted me on the back lightly as he passed. "I'll see you very soon, son." My father said as he walked by Henry. "You boys have a nice night." Then he left Henry and me floating in a deafening silence.

"Why'd you come back?" I asked, looking behind him to my father's retreating figure.

"Oh yeah." He said like he and suddenly forgot why he walked in. "It's about Harley." That was enough to straighten me out.

"What? Is she okay? Where is she? Did she call?" I rubbed a hand over my face.

"Calm down." Henry rolled his eyes. "She's fine, for now."

"-the fuck are you talking about? Where the fuck is she?" I asked.

"She left the safe house." Henry sighed. "She left so early that the guys didn't get eyes on her until now," Henry explained. My heart was beating faster now. I had Emilio and Felipe guarding the safe house just in case Daniel or my father decided to pay her a visit.

"Where did she go?" I barked.

"To Avery's house," Henry concluded. I figured she'd go to see her but now so soon. I also thought I'd have Daniel on my doorstep by now, and he wasn't. Instead, he was frolicking around with his police buddies waiting. I'm not sure for what, but it didn't matter anymore. Harley was away from me, on her own, and she wanted nothing to do with me.

"Fuck." I groaned.

"He won't touch her, right?" Henry asked.

"I don't know," I said, pulling fresh clothes on. "He saw how I reacted when he asked me to return her. He also knows I sent those photos to his wife. If he's pissed and desperate enough, he might take it out on her-" I tried to push away that possibility. I should've refused her when she wanted to leave. I also should've killed Daniel at the club that morning and Evan weeks ago. Since I met Harley, everything I'd done was out of sympathy, sympathy that I didn't know I had. Now my patience was gone, my sympathy was gone, and the love of my life was gone. I had nothing more to lose.

"So, what are we going to do?" Henry asked.

"We wait, for a signal." I said. Daniel would shoot her dead if one of us showed up to take her, so my only hope was that Harley would call or tell me about the current situation. She was stubborn, not dumb.

"Does Emilio have eyes on her?" I asked.

"No. They don't have a view of her. No one does." Henry said sadly. "But Emilio and Felipe both reported that there were several SUVs in the driveway. They had police badge stickers on the windshield." Henry explained.

Harley was angry with me, and she more than enough reason. I wouldn't be surprised if she wanted to kill me for what I'd done to her and her family. All it would take to put me 6 feet under is her confession to those cops. Daniel wasn't lying when he said law enforcement was dying to take me in. They are so desperate they have sided with Daniel, and they'll use whatever probable cause as an excuse to shoot me where I stand. Harley could do that for him.

"She wouldn't talk, boss. She's mad, but she wouldn't do that." Henry said like he read my mind.

"It's not her fault even if she does." I pushed away his words and moved to my dresser for my gun, then tucked it tightly on my waist.

"They are dirty cops. They don't want justice; they want you dead." Henry followed after me out into the hallway and to my office.

"Doesn't matter," I grunted. "We need to get her out of there." I had to talk to her. I needed to explain myself and explain the whole thing. I wanted to apologize then apologize again. I didn't want anyone else talking to her or messing with her head, and that's all Daniel was going to do.

"It's a suicide mission. They're waiting for you to show up." Henry sighed. "As long as Harley doesn't talk and as long as you don't get close to her, everything should be fine."

"I'm not waiting here until Daniel decides to let her leave." I barked. "He's not going to let her go that easily."

"Then what the fuck do you suppose we do, Xander?" The desperation in his voice growing with every word.

With the room silent and my brain physically moving. My phone began vibrating in my pocket. Without another thought, I pulled it out. Harley's name danced across the screen.

"That's her, isn't it?" Henry's eyes widened, and his breath hitched.

"It's our signal." My finger slide across to answer. ——————————————- YALL YALL YALLL, the way I set this chapter up got me feeling some time of wayyyy. I set this bitch up for this bomb-ass sequel that's finna happen. SPICY SEQUEL!!!

Harley called Xander?!! Tf going on at Daniel's house?? who tf is Alec Faiola??!! Who tf is his fam??

I wanna give a very special thanks to my consistent readers!! Even the silent ones👀 , I see y'all. There will only be about three more chapters before this part of the series is over and I just want to say I love y'all and appreciate y'all so much. Y'all always keeping up with my updates and whenever I'm writing I think about creating the content specially for y'all to love and look forward too. I appreciate the support no matter how small.

KISSES XOXOXOXO