The Alpha Mafia King
Chapter 45

Taleela sat in bed, tears pouring down her cheeks like a waterfall. By her right-hand side, a laptop was in standby mode, and its light was blinking steadily and intermittently. She took it, lifted the screen, and the computer became active. She put on a sad song that drowned the muffled sobs that escaped from her mouth.

Her body was trembling at the thought that her father was gone. She had a deeper connection with the man than anyone else. She also felt brokenhearted about Dimitri’s death too.

Alonzo had his back against the wall just outside their bedroom door. He could hear his mate sobbing, and he felt all of her emotions.

Alonzo could tell that she was grieving, and it became apparent that she recalled her old man but was lying. He wondered if he should come back, but his body acted independently, and he found himself pushing the door open. Taleela responded by quickly wiping away her tears.

“Hey, Taleela, what’s wrong, honey?” Alonzo said, gulping his guilt.

“Nothing, I’m fine-“

“You’re not fine,” Alonzo argued and added, “you’re crying!”

“Yeah, you’re right,” replied Taleela, taking a calming breath. “I am just overwhelmed by the fact that I’m starting to remember things.”

Alonzo was shocked.

“You remember?”

“Not entirely, and I wish this amnesia weren’t so damn bad. Right now, I can only recall some things from my childhood with my father.”

Taleela was no longer sticking to the script. She could no longer play the ignorant fool. She might have taken up that role circumstantially, but she would refuse to play dumb now that she knew who she was, irrespective of Nestor’s belief in secrecy.

“I am so sorry,” Alonzo said. He wondered if he should have to move closer to her or father away from her.

She averted his gaze as she spoke, “Alonzo, what am I supposed to do now with the confession of you killing my father?”

“I don’t know,” said Alonzo unequivocally. “I feel terrible too. I didn’t mean to take your father away from you. In my line of business, I’ve taken out many men, and most of them were fathers. My business involves sacrifices that, if I don’t make, would come back to me and haunt me. It was him or me, and for men like us, that’s the ultimate choice.”

“I understand,” Taleela said and added inwardly, “I understand the mob game, Alonso, and that’s why I shouldn’t even be contemplating avenging my father, but you’ve got me hooked up with your charms.”

“I can’t undo the past, but I promise you that as long as you have me, I won’t let any harm come to you. Some people want you dead, and the scariest part is that you don’t even remember them. I’m going to protect you.”

“Promise?”

“Yeah, I promise!” said Alonzo firmly. “Taleela, I want to bring up one more thing. Is it okay with you?”

“Yeah,” she replied, thinking it would be another confession.

Taleela also wondered if Alonzo knew that he was responsible too for killing Dimitri, her ex-lover, and protector. Nestor had informed her that it was Vladimir who killed both men. It wasn’t delightful when she remembered he attended the man’s burial and was sympathetic towards his son.

“The lady I brought over for business dinner that night, do you remember her?”

“Yes,” she said, knowing where the conversation led.

Alonso reached for the laptop and stopped the music.

“You remember that she’s your sister, your older sister.”

“My sister? I don’t remember having any, ” Taleela said, feigning her confusion very well.

“Yes, the lady is your sister, and after your father’s death, she became the new Don of the Makarov family.”

“Right, my supposed family?”

“Yeah,” replied Alonso, and he added, “your actual family!”

“Damn, Mariyanna was so good at pretending, but she isn’t fooling me anymore,” Alonzo thought inwardly.

“I don’t know who she is, and I don’t want to go on about people with whom I can’t remember or feel a connection.”

“I’m not finished!” Alonzo said gently but firmly, boring his poker face at hers.

‘I’m sorry.”

“I realize that you may not remember her, but she pretended not to know who you were; I would talk about it with her on your behalf. She could help replace those after your life and maybe even help you remember who you used to be.”

“Thanks,” Taleela said.

“Yeah-“

There was a knock on the door, and Alonzo went to answer it. He already knew who it was from the person’s scent.

“Bianco, what do you want?” Alonzo said

“Boss, I’m sorry to interrupt, but it’s time,” Bianco replied.

“I’ve got to go now, Taleela,” Alonso said, and she nodded. “I’ve doubled the guards, so you’re safe as long as you don’t run off on your own. If you remember anything, call me and refrain from acting on your impulses and against your better judgment.”

“Alonzo,” Taleela called softly.

“What?” he replied, narrowing his worrisome gaze at her.

“It might help me remember if you stopped calling me Taleela,” she said.

“Oh, right, Alyona, it is then.”

The way her name rolled off his tongue was so sexy, and she thought she shouldn’t be noticing such things. He smiled a tight smile, nodded, and shut the door behind him.

After he had gone, Taleela wondered what Mariyanna’s reply would be to Alonso if he called her out on her pretense. She and Nestor had already speculated about her sister’s behavior, and it would be great if Alonso could help confirm their speculations by reporting Mariyanna’s reply to her. She had to admit that she needed Alonso, but she was prepared only to use him until he became dispensable.

Alyona slipped her hands under a pillow and brought out a knife. She stared at it wide-eyed. She was like a fluorescent light flickering as she struggled between forgiveness and revenge.

Alonso walked out of the building with Bianco, and they got into the car waiting to take them to the werewolves king. He pulled out his phone and dialed Mariyanna’s number.

“Mariyanna on the line,” she answered cheerfully. She was aboard a jet to Russia on her way to meet with the disaster that she had created in the first place.

“Mariyanna Makarov,” Alonso said, pausing. “We need to talk about your sister Alyona.”

“So she finally remembers who I am, huh?” Mariyanna responded nonchalantly.

“No, she doesn’t remember. Specific incidents with her here in Russia have pointed me in the right direction.”

“Yeah, I’m aware of the situation in Russia,” Mariyanna said. “That’s why I’m on my way there.”

“You are?” Alonzo asked, utterly surprised. “You know that your sister has already faced assassination twice for just being here. Do you mind telling me what the hell is going on?”

“Twice? What do you mean?”

“It’s… proceed with what you were saying, please.”

“I already tied the assassination attempt of Alyona to my underboss Olga,” Mariyanna said calmly.

“Now, why would she want that?”

“To retain her position, of course. My underboss tried to have my sister killed for her selfish gain. Alyona’s alive, and now she thinks I’ll betray her. She thinks I would make Alyona the underboss. No one was supposed to know that Alyona was living with you asides from me.

“However, you brought her down to Russia, where you exposed her; Nestor found her. At first, I thought he was part of the setup, but I heard that I have him to thank for saving my sister’s life. So then, I called him to figure out what the hell was happening, and he accused me of being an accomplice myself.”

Alonzo’s ears pricked up, saying, “Why would he do that? On what grounds does he base his accusations?”

“There’s an agent whom my father attached to me,” Mariyanna said with a pause.

“And?”

“Well, he hasn’t been around much, but suddenly he shows up in Russia, precisely my home, around the same time my sister was shot, and he was seen talking with my underboss.”

“I see how that can implicate you,” Alonzo said, thinking he could see the bigger picture.

“His name is agent Fox, and he’s a rather dangerous man, but since I was the only one who could get through to him, my father deemed it appropriate that he should be my guard while Alyona got Dimitri, who later became her lover and you just so happened to be involved in his murder too.”

“What the hell?” Alonzo said, feeling sick. He never knew that he was responsible for taking another of Taleela’s loved ones.

“He works for you,” Alonzo said.

“Correction, I hadn’t heard from or required Agent Fox services long before Alyona went missing. You can investigate that, but it would just be a waste of time. We have an assassin on the loose, and if you join forces with me, we could nip him in the bud before he becomes more dangerous.”

“What does he stand to gain by killing Alyona?”