Page 126 of Falling Too Late

“Alex.” Gently, I rested my palm on his chest, pulling his attention to me. His eyes were hard and full of fire until they landed on me. “I don’t think Mario knows the whole story.”

The anger I felt earlier dissipated, and I felt nothing but adoration for him.

A part of me always thought Mario knew, but over the years of working with him, sparring with him on the mat, he never looked at me differently. I never saw the pity in his eyes the way the other police officers had looked at me that day. The ones who knew my story. The lawyers and the judge reading over my statements. The medical reports I sent them.

“You never told him?”

I shook my head up at him. “I only told him that Kevin beat me. I didn’t tell him anything more than that.” I looked at Mario. “I kind of thought you might have read the reports. Gotten curious.”

Mario shook his head, nodding to Alex. “I read Alex’s reports, but not yours. I didn’t want to invade your privacy like that.” Icould hear the insinuation in his voice while he eyed daggers at Alex.

I nodded at him, looking over to the very silent Foster. She knew enough already. I built up my resolve and spoke. “Kevin raped me. It started when I was eleven, until I was almost seventeen. Alex got me out, he and his mom hid me from them. I was safe for about five years. We didn’t think he would ever come back, and then one day he did. That's the day Alex killed him.” Alex pulled me tighter to his side. “He wasn’t just my mom’s abusive boyfriend. He was a pedophile. A rapist. He would have never stopped.” It'd taken me over ten years to say these words out loud calmly.

Mario’s face paled.

“I fought with the police, the courts, but because Kevin had left me at my home still alive, and there were reports of Alex ‘hunting’ him down, they deemed it a separate case. And since he was dead, there was nothing for me to do but ‘move on.’” I remembered those days of fighting to be heard. To be seen. But if the jury knew the real reason behind Alex’s action, then the city would have just looked bad in the papers for putting away a man who killed a rapist.

“Wren, I’m so. . .”

“Stop. I know. You don’t have to say it. Just, give Alex some grace. Please.”

Mario nodded at Alex. I knew it was going to take some time for Mario to wrap his head around everything.

Gravel crunched behind us. A black SUV pulled up the driveway.

“Ah, fuck,” Foster spoke under her breath, disgust filling her expression.

The SUV pulled up next to the other cars, the door opened, closed, and around walked a man I hadn’t seen before. He was dressed in a black suit, light blue undershirt with the top few buttons open. Sunglasses covered his eyes and everything about him seemed expensive. If I had met him on the street, I wouldcross it just to get away. There was something about him that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand.

“Alexander.” The man smiled a toothy smile, showing his very white teeth. He and Alex greeted each other like friends.

Alex turned to me. “Ezekiel, this is Wren.”

“Ah.” He picked up my hand and kissed the back of it. “The girl that my friend would burn the world down for. It’s so nice to finally meet you.”

“Okay.” Alex pulled me back from Ezekiel. “That’s enough of that.” There was humor in his voice, nothing told me I should be wary of Ezekiel, but. . .

“And you must be Mario.” Ezekiel shook his hand. Even Mario frowned.

I tried to quell the storm in my mind. Something was off about the man and it scared me.

I hadn’t been frightened like this in years.

“On that note, I’m out of here. Alex, I’ll get you the rest of that information later.” Foster kept her eyes on Ezekiel.

“Oh, come on now—”Ezekiel started.

“Ezekiel, let me introduce you to some friends of mine. Come on back here,”Alex said.

Alex put his arm around the man's shoulder and guided him to the house. Mario followed them.

“Uh, Foster?” I began.

She turned.

“I’m sorry about my reaction earlier.”

A smirk played on the corner of her lips. “It’s fine. I would have the same reaction if it was my man. Sorry for ratting you out to him, but he’s the one who pays me.”

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