The Carrero Contract - Selling Your Soul (Mafia Romance) novel Chapter 108

‘I wish I could; you have no idea.’ Alexi slumps back into his seat and just stares at the ceiling for a moment, deflated and almost exhausted. His brimming prick has subsided and he seems a hell of a lot less aggressive so quickly. I know it’s an act and I don’t buy anything he says.

‘So, it’s my fault now is it? … Some weird pull to make my life an endless misery?’ I laugh sardonically, enraged at such a stupid statement.

Fucking prick.

Alexi looks across at the people climbing over seats to get closer together and the merry atmosphere and sighs again. His whole demeanour has lost that intimidation and he just seems like he did when we arrived, only not so happy anymore.

‘You have no clue, London. Can we stop fighting and just forget this shit until tomorrow? I brought you here to have fun, not a battle, not drama and you upset. I brought you because I am trying to treat you how you deserve to be treated. I am TRYING to make you feel like I want you in my life, even if you don’t see it. I don’t do words … I act. I show, not tell. I’m not the best when it comes to talking, about anything … but I’m trying, Cam. ’

He turns back to me and it completely shuts me up, all my feelings falling into a heavy pit into my shoes as his words render me speechless. He’s looking at me, and for a moment a flicker of something is there. A look at me that makes my heart flip over, a look so similar to how Gino looked at Alessandra, a small speck of something warm, longing looks, and then BAM … it’s gone and there’s nothing once more. No anger, no emotion, just a blank look that tells me he’s closed up back inside his head but his words seemed genuine.

My rage fizzles a little but I’m not that dumb to let my guard down. With him, it will always be up. He lies, it’s second nature and I know it.

Pondering the meaning, too emotionally distraught to think about this right now, and aware this isn’t the best place for an all-out screaming match, I let it go. He is Alexi after all, and we have an audience. I wouldn’t put it past him to gag me, tie me up and stuff me in the overhead locker for the rest of this trip.

I glance past him at his family and relent.

‘You have a funny way of showing it then! Fine … Truce. Not that I believe you, but because I cannot be bothered with this anymore and you are giving me a headache and killing my buzz.’ Now I am the one sulking and being childish and when Alexi leans out and drags two glasses from the table across the aisle to come back with, I take one with a glare. Accepting the drink but letting him know he still pisses me off and this isn’t over. I can’t ever trust him. A temporary lull in our war means nothing. I need time to regroup and come back stronger.

He clinks his glass against the top of mine and throws me a weird look.

‘To us!’ He says drily, sarcastically and I just eyeroll dramatically. Getting my crazy under control and finding Camilla’s cold sass instead.

‘Match made in hell; Just fucking perfect.’

I down my drink in one and push the empty glass on the table in front of me briskly, turning to stare out of the window instead of at him, and he falls silent beside me and lets out a subtle heavy sigh.

The rest of the plane ride is short and silent between us. We stay seated together, but I stare out the window and act like I am engrossed in watching the nothing in the darkness and just watch aimlessly for city lights. Alexi stays with me, quietly listening to his family and occasionally joining in across the aisle to chat without really returning to the party—an uneasy vibe between us.

I don’t care. I wish he would move and leave me be, but he seems oblivious to what I want. We are close to landing anyway so it isn’t that much longer before we do, and Alexi seems introverted and sulky, no longer in the mood to join the fun in any real way. I guess our row has killed his mood but I have no remorse over what he started.

He’s still a shit head.

I just feel numb and tired and have no will to get merry anymore.

‘You know? … You are hard work sometimes.’ It’s a slightly humorous comment, given in a light tone but I spin on him harshly.

‘Says you? Oh, my God, you are the most infuriating, mind-fucking person I have ever met in my life, and you have the nerve to say I am hard work? How ironic!’ I snap at him and get madder when it’s met with a grin instead of that normal Alexi fire and rage. He looks smugly cocky and just infuriatingly happy all of a sudden.

‘Mind-fucking? Is that a thing?’ He chuckles at me as though enamoured with how adorably cute I am being and tweaks my cheek playfully. I flinch at the surprise gesture, eyes popping with the non-Alexi manoeuvre and blanch at the same time. It infuriates me and I slap his hand away, no more amused with that than any of this conversation. I wonder if he has suffered a bang to that thick bloody skull of his which resulted in a personality transplant. I mean, when the hell did he start pinching people and acting like some goofy happy weirdo?

‘Piss off, Alexi.’ I have no other words. He is trying to goad me into whatever this is, and I am not playing ball. Alexi is all games and smiles and I am not taking part in his highly suspicious and unnerving behaviour.

‘You know you are the only female I have ever known that is openly hostile towards me, no matter what I do? … Well, maybe my mother, but that’s a different kind of passive-aggressive.’ His tone is still light and breezy but I just frown hard and throw him an impatient look, checking my phone for the time and ramming it back into my bag in a wave of frustration.

‘Why are you talking to me?’ I throw my bag under my arm abruptly, tucking it in tight and visualising Alexi’s head as I squish it under my armpit; More than a little annoyed that we are not progressing to the lift like I want. Regardless of being angry with him, I still need to wait on the tosser to escort me to our transport to the club. I have no clue where we are going and I don’t want to sit here all night alone and bored like Billy no mates! I could have done that back home in the apartment and not wasted time and effort making myself look red carpet ready just to stare at a hotel room walls.

‘That’s what friends do … they talk to one another. It’s supposed to be nice.’ It’s a slight eyebrow raise and another oddly happy smile and I just hit the sarcastic giggles. Ridiculous ‘are you mad’ sort of manic laughter that makes me wonder about my own sanity. He’s not amusing, he’s deluded! He brings out the absolute worst in me sometimes.

‘Are you serious right now? Friends? On what planet, Alexi?’ I retort, hand on my hip as I scan him with a glare that is meant to portray ‘I think you’re high right now’. I’m not impressed at all and just getting more fidgety and uptight every second we spend loitering here and not making progress.