Please Divorce Me, Alpha! {BL}

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”That’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me.” I snorted, ”Forget all those, ’you’re beautiful’ shit and whatever.”

His mouth twitched slightly as I smiled despite myself.

Then my smile faded. ”But seriously, Lorenzo. Who were they?”

”We’re still figuring that out.”

”How many enemies do you really have?”

”Enough.”

”That’s not a number.”

”It isn’t supposed to be.”

I groaned. ”You’re impossible.”

He began walking again, and I trailed behind at a slower pace. I shoved my hands into my pockets. ”How did you get there to get all knight-in-shining-armor on me so quickly?”

Lorenzo didn’t respond. I narrowed my gaze. ”You heard me, don’t pretend I didn’t say anything! Dracula...Dracula!”

”I did hear you.”

”So?”

”I had people watching the route.”

My stomach dropped. ”You were watching me?”

”I was monitoring the convoy.”

”That’s pretty much the same thing.”

”It’s not.”

”How is it not?”

”I wasn’t watching you personally.”

I rolled my eyes, ”Wow, that distinction makes me feel so much better.”

His expression stayed calm. ”There were concerns about your safety.”

”Because I’m a flight risk.”

”Among other things.”

I halted. ”You knew I was going to try something.”

Lorenzo looked at me. ”Alex.”

I blinked. ”You know what? I’m not even going to ask further in that topic.”

He started walking again, and I kept pace. ”You could have told me my life was in danger the second I left the estate.”

”You wouldn’t have listened.”

”That’s not the point.”

”It is when you’re concerned.”

I threw my hands up in frustration. ”See? This is exactly why you’re Dracula.”

He glanced at me. ”Dracula?”

”No feelings, no heart, no compassion. Always logic and reasoning and ’oh, look at me! I’m Lorenzo Castelli and I think ten steps ahead of everyone like I’m fucking Albert Einstein!’”

A low chuckle escaped him, which surprised me enough to stop talking for a second.

Then he said, ”Compassion isn’t required in a world like this.”

I stared at him. ”That’s possibly the most Dracula-like thing you’ve ever said.”

His lips curved slightly. ”You asked.”

”I regret asking.”

”You often do.”

I walked beside him, unsettled by his words that kept circling in my head. Compassion isn’t required. Maybe that was what set us apart.

I still believed there were lines people shouldn’t cross no matter how warped my perspective was, while Lorenzo operated in a world where lines were meant to be blurred.

”You’re going to tell me to go back to bed now, aren’t you?”

”Of course, it’s pretty late.”

”Well, no. I’m not going.”

”Alex.”

”I almost died tonight again.” I said, still trailing after him. ”I had a nightmare you see.”

His pace slowed and I kept talking his fucking ear off.

”I dreamed that the knife actually went in.” He looked at me. I rubbed my face. ”It felt so real, my heart was literally in my ass.”

His expression softened a bit.

”I woke up and you were gone, and then I was thinking about the attack, and then I started thinking about how you got here so fast, and then I heard someone screaming, and naturally, my brilliant idea was to investigate.”

”Naturally.”

”Don’t mock me.”

He almost smiled. I pressed on. ”I thought my heart was going to leap out of my chest when that guy tackled me in real life though.”

Lorenzo raised an eyebrow and I ignored him. ”And then there was the knife, and then you showed up like some terrifying action hero, and then you carried me away even though I could walk, which was kind of unnecessary, by the way.”

”You were shaking.”

”I was just reacting like a normal person after nearly dying.” I defended.

”Exactly.”

”Then I couldn’t sleep, and then I found you downstairs torturing someone.”

”I wasn’t downstairs for your benefit.”

”Got that!” My voice echoed in the hallway.

Lorenzo glanced at me. I lowered my voice. ”Basically, I’ve had a really awful day.”

”I noticed.”

”And I want answers.” I said.

Lorenzo let out a sigh, ”You’ll get them when I have them.”

”That’s not good enough.”

”It’ll have to be for now.”

”No.” He looked at me. I crossed my arms. ”No.”

”You are exhausting.”

”I’m emotionally resilient.” I said, then I frowned thinking of the times I’ve crashed out this month alone. ”Sometimes...”

This time he genuinely laughed. The sound followed us as we entered another corridor.

I didn’t realize where we were headed until warmth enveloped me. Then I heard water, I looked around. The doors ahead opened into the private indoor pool area.

Steam rose through the room, swirling above the dark water illuminated by soft amber lights and the whole space felt quiet and hazy, almost serene after the cold hallways and the horrors of the interrogation room.

I blinked. ”Why are we here?”

Lorenzo didn’t answer, he made his way to the edge of the pool.

I trailed behind. ”Hey, are you ignoring me?”

He reached for the buttons on his shirt. I frowned. ”Lorenzo? Stop ignoring m– huh?”

He undid the first button, and I fell silent. Then he opened another and another.

My brain went blank.

This was a problem, a huge problem. I had been living in the same house as this man for months, and somehow I had never truly seen him like this...not without the armor of his suits and impeccably buttoned shirts.

The fabric fell loosely across his chest, revealing pale skin illuminated by the warm light.

His shoulders were broad, his frame lean rather than bulky, every detail defined without being exaggerated.

The muscles across his chest and abdomen shifted subtly as he moved, still holding onto the remnants of the tension from the night’s events.

There were scars too; faint, old lines against his skin, telling of a past I barely knew.

I couldn’t stop staring. Unfortunately. Very unfortunately.

Lorenzo shrugged the shirt off entirely, and the bloodstains looked almost ridiculous against the otherwise pristine skin beneath.

I opened my mouth to say something, but nothing came out.

I tried again. ”Lor...”

That was as far as I made it before I spun around so fast that my injured wrist brushed against my side. ”Ow.”

I focused on the opposite wall, noting a decorative tile shaped like a fish. I decided I loved that fish.

The fish was now my friend. The fish had never made my brain shut down.

Behind me, I heard fabric hit the floor. My face felt hotter.

”R...right,” I stammered, trying to redirect the conversation. ”As...as I was saying...uh–”

Silence, what the fuck was I even yapping about again?

I cleared my throat. ”The attack.”

Nothing, I blinked rapidly. For God sake get a grip, Alex! He was just getting undressed!

”The people who...um, attacked me and...stuff.”

Still nothing...fuck!

Could someone please remind me what I was on about?!

”I–I was asking...” My voice trailed off as I heard movement behind me, the sound of footsteps approaching.

I concentrated even harder on the fish.

Maybe if I stared long enough, I could transform into the fish. That seemed preferable.

Suddenly, I felt Lorenzo come closer, stopping right behind me, the warmth of his body reached me through the humid air. I froze.

Then he leaned down slightly, his breath grazing my neck. So close to my scent gland and my entire mind short-circuited.

His voice came low and teasing beside my ear.

”What’s wrong? Why have you suddenly stopped talking, mio cuore?”

I swallowed hard as his amusement grew.

”Don’t get all shy on me now, love.”