The temptation of my brother-in-law-Chapter 150 - One Hundred and Fifty

Chapter One Hundred and Fifty

Alicia’s POV

I knew Malachi would come looking for me. It was only a matter of time before he tracked my phone, before he put the pieces together and showed up at Cassie’s door demanding answers.

I couldn’t be here when that happened.

"We need to leave," I told Cassie. "Now. Tonight."

She looked at me with concern but didn’t ask questions. Just pulled out her phone and called someone. Her boyfriend, David. I’d only met him a few times, but he seemed nice. Normal. The kind of guy who didn’t torture people for fun.

"Baby, I need a favor," Cassie said into the phone. "Can you get us on a jet tonight? As soon as possible. It’s an emergency."

I heard his voice on the other end, muffled but concerned. Cassie explained quickly, leaving out the details but making it clear this was serious.

"Thank you. I love you too."

She hung up and looked at me. "He’s arranging it now. We can be in the air within two hours."

"Where are we going?"

"David has a property in Italy. A mansion near Lake Como. It’s private, secure, and far enough away that the Blackwoods won’t think to look there immediately."

Italy. The other side of the world. Away from everything.

"Thank you," I whispered.

"That’s what best friends are for."

I watched her text David, watched the easy affection in her messages, the little heart emojis and inside jokes. They had something real. Something healthy. He’d dropped everything to help her without asking why, without demanding explanations, just trusting that she needed him.

That’s what love was supposed to look like. Not obsession. Not possession. Not violence disguised as passion.

I felt a sharp pang of envy. Cassie had found someone good. Someone who’d never send her recordings of torture victims. Someone who’d never make her question her own judgment.

Sophie had been silent since we arrived. Just sitting on Cassie’s couch with her guitar, not playing, just holding it like a security blanket.

"Sophie?" I sat down next to her. "Are you okay?"

"Are you going to tell me what happened?"

"It’s complicated."

"Everything with this family is complicated." She looked at me with those too-old eyes. "Did Malachi do something?"

I wanted to protect her from the truth. Wanted to shield her from knowing that the brother-in-law who’d taught her to defend herself was also capable of horrifying cruelty.

But she deserved honesty. She’d had enough lies in her life.

"I found out some things about him. About who he really is. And I can’t be near him anymore."

"What kind of things?"

I pulled out my phone. Showed her the recordings. "Someone sent me these. I listened to three of them. I couldn’t get through the rest."

Sophie took my phone, put in the earbuds I offered. I watched her face as she listened. Watched the color drain from her cheeks. Watched her eyes widen with horror.

She pulled the earbuds out after the second recording. "That’s really him?"

"Yes."

"But he was always so. He taught me how to fight. He bought me my guitar. He protected us."

"I know. I thought I knew him too. But this is who he really is. This is what he does when no one’s watching."

Sophie handed my phone back like it might contaminate her. "We’re really leaving? Going to Italy?"

"Yes. Is that okay?"

"I don’t know. I have school. I have Charlotte and Cameron."

"I know. And I’m sorry. I know you finally made friends and now I’m taking you away from them. But I can’t stay here. Not after hearing those recordings. Not knowing what he’s capable of."

"What about Travis? The divorce?"

"He’ll sign the papers or he won’t. Either way, I’m done. I’m never going back to that mansion."

Cassie came back into the room. "Car’s picking us up in thirty minutes. Pack light. David says the house in Italy has everything we need."

We spent the next half hour gathering essentials. Passports, money, phones. Cassie packed a bag too. She was coming with us, at least for a few days to help us get settled.

The car arrived right on time. Black SUV with tinted windows. We loaded our bags and drove to a private airfield on the outskirts of the city.

David was there waiting. Tall, kind-faced, looking worried. He pulled Cassie into a hug immediately.

"Are you sure you’re okay? Do you need me to come with you?"

"No, you have work. We’ll be fine. I’ll call you when we land."

"I love you."

"I love you too."

I watched them say goodbye, watched the genuine affection between them, the trust and partnership. That’s what I’d wanted. What I’d thought I had with Malachi.

But it had all been an illusion. A pretty lie covering something dark and violent.

The jet was small but luxurious. Leather seats, a minibar, enough space to move around comfortably. Sophie took a window seat and stared out at the runway.

We took off just after midnight. The city lights disappeared below us as we climbed into darkness.

"Sophie," I said once we’d leveled off. "I’m sorry."

She looked at me. "For what?"

"For dragging you into this mess. For marrying Travis in the first place. For bringing you to that mansion. For making you leave your friends. All of it."

"You didn’t drag me. You saved me. From Dad. From that life. I’d rather be here with you than back in Dark City with him."

"Still. You deserve stability. You deserve normal. And I keep taking that away from you."

"Normal is overrated." She managed a small smile. "Besides, Charlotte and Cameron will understand. I’ll explain when we land. They’ll probably think it’s dramatic and cool that I ran away to Italy."

"You’re not running away. We’re relocating. Temporarily."

"Sure. Relocating. That sounds better."

Cassie brought us drinks from the minibar. Water for Sophie, wine for me and her. We sat in silence for a while, each lost in our own thoughts.

"What are you going to do about Malachi?" Cassie asked eventually. "He’ll come looking for you."

"Let him look. He won’t find us in Italy."

"You don’t think he’ll figure it out?"

"How would he? I never mentioned David. Never talked about Italy. There’s no connection for him to trace."

"He’s resourceful. And obsessed. That’s a dangerous combination."

"I know. But I can’t think about that right now. I just need to get somewhere safe and figure out my next steps."

Sophie was asleep against the window, her guitar case tucked beside her. I pulled a blanket over her, watched her peaceful expression.

She looked younger when she slept. Reminded me of when she was little, before our mother died, before everything went wrong.

I’d do anything to protect her. Even if it meant running to the other side of the world. Even if it meant leaving behind everything I’d built.

"Thank you," I told Cassie. "For helping us. For not asking too many questions. For just being there."

"Always. That’s what best friends do." She squeezed my hand. "You’ll get through this. You’re stronger than you think."

"I don’t feel strong. I feel stupid for not seeing who Malachi really was."

"You saw what he wanted you to see. That’s not your fault. These kinds of men are good at hiding their darkness."

I thought about the recordings. About Malachi’s laugh while someone screamed. About how easily he’d shifted between tender lover and cruel torturer.

How had I missed it? How had I convinced myself that his intensity was passion instead of warning signs?

"I really thought I loved him," I whispered.

"Maybe you did. But you can’t love someone’s potential or their mask. You can only love who they actually are. And who Malachi actually is, is someone dangerous."

"I know."

The flight attendant brought us food. I picked at it without really eating. My appetite was gone, replaced by anxiety and exhaustion and a bone-deep sadness I couldn’t shake.

Somewhere below us, Malachi was probably tearing apart Silver Lake looking for me. Calling everyone he knew. Using all his resources.

But he wouldn’t find me. Not this time. I was done being found. Done being owned. Done being anyone’s except my own.

Italy would give us space. Time. A chance to breathe and figure out what came next.

And maybe, eventually, I’d stop hearing those recordings in my head. Stop seeing Malachi’s face every time I closed my eyes.

Maybe.

But right now, all I could do was run. And hope that was enough.