18. I Want to Trust You

HUGO'S POV

As soon as I opened my eyes, everything was dark, and I had no idea where I was. I looked for my gun, but it was nowhere to be found. Suddenly, the door opens, and I see a man with a couple of things in his hand, I quickly get up and grab the first thing I see to throw it at him.

"Calm down man, I'm not going to do anything to you... I'm just here to help you." He said throwing his hands up in the air "Where the heck am I?" I asked, sticking to the wall. "At Alexandra's house, we had to treat your wound."

"WHAT?" I asked even more alarmed "Yes, you're at Alexandra's, but I need you to lower your voice before you wake them up." He said seriously and I couldn't help but frown "Wake up who?" I asked him "Look at the chair there and you will know who you will wake up."

I looked towards the direction the man pointed at me and I could see a small person hugging someone, and if it wasn't for seeing a part of the little girl's face, I wouldn't be able to figure out who they were. She had to be Alexandra's daughter, because she looks a lot like her, so I guess the one sitting on the couch must be her.

"Why are they here?" I asked looking at them "Because this is Alexandra's room, and since she wants to make sure you are okay and she wants to make sure her daughter is okay, she came here and fell asleep with her daughter in her arms. Now if you let me take your temperature that would be great."

I sat on the bed and put the object on the table next to the bed. The boy approached me and took out what looks like a thermometer and a couple of pills he gave me with a glass of water. "Why I'm here?" I asked because I wasn't understanding too many things, especially what I was doing at Alexandra's house after all I said to her "Because they shot you, and Alexandra didn't want to risk taking you to the hospital and having them come after you again."

"How did she know they were after me?" I asked again "I can't tell you, but if there's one thing I know for sure, it's she'll do whatever it takes to keep you safe." I frowned and the man smiled.

"You should know Alexandra had a difficult life since she was little until she came here, and that's why she has a hard time trusting people, especially men. I'm sure she loves you and will become something, but you have to be patient with her, because as much as she loves you, it's very difficult for her to trust someone. Above all, if we consider at some point, you can become part of her life and Alison's, she doesn't risk her daughter for nothing in the world, so you will have to be patient with her."

I was surprised by his words, had she perhaps told him something we talked about the other day? "I won't do anything to her." I said quickly "I know, but how did I tell you. Alexandra has many insecurities and has a hard time trusting people. I can assure you she trusts you more with the little time you know her than she did at the moment and the same time we know each other, she didn't trust me half as much as she does with you. Now answer me a question, and I hope it is the sincerest you have ever answered in your life."

"What?" I asked, "Do you love Alexandra, or do you just want a fling with her?" he asked crossing his arms "I love Alexandra and I will wait for her as long as she needs. I don't want to pressure her with anything. I want her to be comfortable."

"You are good for her. But the case, I'm Diego" he said, stretching out his hand in my direction "The brother I must assume." He started laughing so loud I had no idea how he hadn't woken up Alexandra and her daughter "No, I'm not her brother, I'm one of the bodyguards. Here between us, I'm her best friend, but don't tell her, she's too stubborn when she thinks of something, and she'll never admit I'm her best friend."

I laughed. This guy was funny I must admit, and seemed like a nice guy. After he finished checking me, he left, and I sat on the bed looking at them. There was no denying they were mother and daughter, they looked too much alike. After a while, the girl got up and went to the side of the room where I suppose the bathroom was and when she comes out a few minutes later, she stares at me until she slowly approaches.

"Hi little girl." I said in a whisper so as not to scare her even though it didn't look like it was going to happen "Hello." She said and stared at me for a while. Then she walked over to the bed and sat there. I don't know why I got the feeling she was trying to find out something about me.

"Are you my mommy's boyfriend?" she asked with her head tilted to the side and I couldn't help the smile on my face "I wish I was, but no. We are known." I said, "Do you want to be my mommy's boyfriend?" she asked with a sparkle that wasn't there before and I nodded.

"I would be delighted if I can, but that's something for your mother to decide, not me." I said, "Did you ask her?" she asked, and I denied "So how do you pretend to know what mommy wants if you didn't ask her?"

This little girl was smarter than she was letting on, but considering who her mother was, I wasn't surprised at all. "That's a great question, but let's give her time, shall we?" I asked her and she nodded "I just want mommy to be happy." She said in a whisper, "I'm sure she already is."

"She's not at all. Will you wake me up if mommy has nightmares?" she said, and I frowned. "Nightmares?" I asked without understanding what she meant "Yes, she doesn't usually sleep well because of the nightmares, and she says that when I hug her, she's better."

"Don't worry, I'll wake you up." I told her and she gave me a smile "Thank you, I hope you're my daddy and make mommy happy." She said and for a moment I was surprised "I hope the same."

"Can I sleep here?" she asked me getting on the bed "Of course." The girl lay down next to me and soon fell asleep. I was impressed I must say. Despite not being more than six years old, she was a very intelligent girl. It didn't take me long to fall asleep too, but I must have woken up later and the girl wasn't in bed. I sat up on the bed and looked in the direction where Alexandra was sleeping, and she wasn't there either, which was strange.

I got up to look around the room for them, but they weren't anywhere, so I left the room and started looking for them. I was passing by a room when Diego comes out and closes the door immediately.

"What you do awake? Are you okay?" he asked, looking me up and down. "I feel fine, I was just looking for Alexandra and her daughter." I said "Alison is sleeping in her room and Alexandra must have gone out into the garden. I think she's not feeling very well to say."

"Is something wrong?" I asked worried about what might have happened to Alexandra "She didn't want to talk to me, but it happens to her sometimes. She will be fine." He said denying. I could see he didn't like seeing Alexandra like that either. "Could you tell me where I can go to find her?" I asked him and he stared at me for a couple of seconds "Of course, go downstairs, cross the living room and you can exit through the living room door. It's probably by the pond, you just must use your ear to know where the pond is."

"Thank you." I told him starting to walk "Good luck. Try not to scare her, if she had a nightmare it's better not to, she's not herself." He said a couple of steps behind me, "Thanks for the warning." I told him without turning around, "Thank you for loving her the way you do."

With that, I headed for the stairs and followed the directions Diego gave me. It didn't take long for me to hear water, but I also thought I heard someone crying. When I could see Alexandra, I could see her shoulders go up and down like when you cry, so I slowly approached her and as soon as she realized there was someone else with her, she turned around and I get the feeling she relaxes a bit when sees me there, but she turned in the direction she was looking before I got there.

"Alexandra, are you okay?" I asked her, moving closer slowly "I should ask you that" she said, and I couldn't hear tears in her voice, which confused me a little "I'm not the one crying." I said sitting next to her, leaving a little space between us "Don't worry about me, I'll be fine."

"The thing is, I can't help but worry about you." I told her, and it was true, but it seems that it was not clear to her "Why are you so nice to me?" she asked turning to look at me "Because as I've told you a thousand times, and I'll tell you a million times, I love you Alexandra, and the only thing that matters to me is that you're okay."

"I haven't been well for a long time. I don't even remember when was the last time I was alone." She said, looking towards the horizon again, "Talk to me, I won't judge you." I said moving a couple of inches closer to her, but still leaving a bit of space between us. "Hugo, I didn't have an easy life at all... I have many things in my head that don't go away easily... I've been fighting against it for six bloody years, and it won't go away..."

"What doesn't go away?" I asked full of curiosity "The nightmares... the memories... all the shit... it won't go away and I'm sick of it all." She said with a sigh at the end, "Nightmares of what?" I asked "Of all the times me and Megan were beaten… the time my child was murdered… all the times I was raped… I can't get it out of my fucking head… and that's what will make you leave…"

I went over to her and hugged her, because something told me it wasn't just this she was worried about. I just hugged her and started crying and we were like that for a while. I ended up sitting on the floor with her in my arms, and even though I didn't like she was crying, it felt good to have her in my arms.

"Alexandra, I'm not going anywhere. I love you, and I'm not going to go anywhere because of it." I said trying to make her see what I was saying was true "That's until you realize I'm literally in shit."

I don't know why I said it so convinced. Hadn't any of her partners said things like that to her? "I won't... I can help you get through all that shit if you want, you just have to trust me." I said half whisper "And I trust you, but I don't want to drag you down with me"

"And you won't, I'll help you when you need it and I'll be there for whatever you need." I said, trying to convince her, "Thank you, Hugo. I'm sorry about my daughter earlier, I hope she didn't hurt you." She said looking up and making them meet "Why would he hurt me?" I asked confused for a moment "I was on your bad shoulder. To begin with, I don't even know how he ended up in bed."

"She went to the bathroom and when she saw me, she sat on the bed. She's a very cute and nice girl. And if it helps, she asked me if she could lie on the bed." I said and surprise appeared in her eyes "Really?" she asked "Yes, I like her. She cares for you."

"Did she tell you something?" she moved away from me a couple of centimetres and stared at her, waiting for her answer "She told me many things, but what caught my attention the most was she told me to wake her up in case you had a nightmare."

"It's the only good thing I got out of there with Megan." I'm not very sure what happened to her in there, and the truth is I don't have the slightest idea if I want to know, because it didn't seem good at all, I could see Alexandra was a broken woman "But you brought out more good things when you came out thence." I said and she shrugged.

"Some, but not much. At least I was able to have parents who loved me and not like mine." She said with a small smile on her face "Well, we'll have to fix that thing about you having few good things when you got out of there."

She looked at me again with surprise and some suspicion, but I tried to ignore the last "What are you talking about?" She asked "How am I going to help you to have more good things for which you are happier? It's what your daughter wants, and I'm sure you won't deny her anything."

"There you aren't mistaken." She said in a whisper, "So, do you mind if the three of us go for a walk later in the morning?" I asked her "All three?"

"You, Alison and me." I said with a smile planted on my face "And where?" she asked "Surprise, but don't worry, there won't be people. I'm not going to let anything bad happen to you two." I said trying to reassure her since she had tensed up when I said surprise "I appreciate it, but it's not necessary. Also, you must rest."

"I'm already rested. This isn't the worst thing has happened to me. And besides, I would like to meet your daughter." I said "Okay, we'll go. We can talk about another thing?" she asked, looking again at the horizon, "Whatever you want."

"I would like you to stay at home, with us. I'm sure they'll be looking for you to finish the job, and I don't want anything to happen to you." She said as if it was nothing strange "But I must go back to my house, my mother will worry. What's more, my mother is at risk because of it."

"If you want, we can bring her here." She said, "You don't have to do all that." I tried to tell her, but I don't think I was going to be able to convince her "Hugo, I don't want anything to happen to you, and at this moment, they are looking for you everywhere. I don't want anything to happen to you and there are enough people here. They won't reach us."

"Then you won't mind bringing my mother?" she turned back in my direction and shook her head with a smile on her face "No. She can even catch up with my mother and distract her from what happened to my father." She said and I frowned because I have no idea what she was talking about "Catch up?" I asked "Yeah, apparently they got along well. That's why she knows you."

"About what?" I asked again "About the charity meetings my father used to do when you were little. Your family went to them."

"I remember going to many gatherings with my family, but I don't remember any of them being charitable. Well, once we did go that I remember. I think the lady's name was Analissa." A big smile appeared on her face, and he nodded "Well that's my mother."

"That's not what I expected." I said thinking of all the times we went to those parties "Now you know."

"Changing the subject, how did you find out where I was?" I asked full of curiosity, because if she hadn't been the one who had ordered me killed, how did she know? "I had no idea where you were. Let's say I got Dimitri's phone and I saw Derek's name on it, and someone named as head of the DEA, I went to ask him, and he told me Derek is one of Stefan's sons and the boss you have here works for him…"

"Wait, wait, wait… how did you get Dimitri's phone number?" I asked without understanding anything "If I tell you, will you get angry?" she asked and I denied, because I don't think I could get mad at her.

"I had Dimitri." She said in a whisper and my brow furrowed again, "How did you have Dimitri?" I asked "The day we got back to Italy, he stuck a letter under the door of the suite we were staying in saying he wanted both me and Alison to go with him and I don't know what other stories, and if I accepted, he would be there at midnight here waiting for us. I get the feeling he had no idea what was going on inside the house."

"But that doesn't explain what you mean you have Dimitri." I said trying to understand what she was talking about "That same night I came to recover our house; I couldn't deny it to my mother, and despite the fact everyone thought I was coming to recover the house, the only thing I came to the house, was to get Dimitri."

"Are you telling me you have Dimitri locked up somewhere?" She denied "I had him." She said, softly, "Has he run away?" I asked surprised that he managed to escape from Alexandra "No. He agreed to help us catch his brother."

"Are you telling me you free him?" I asked even more surprised "I had no other choice. He knows his brother better than anyone."

"And you don't think he can escape?" She smiled and shook her head. "No, I'm keeping an eye on him, and he really wants to help us." She said, "How are you so sure?" I asked for. Alexandra sighed and ended up lying down on the grass, but I moved her, so she was on my lap and began to run my hand through her hair. At least she had stopped crying and seemed calmer, so I guess I accomplished something.

"I'm not entirely sure, but I remember when we were in there, he was kind of the nicer of the two of us, and he tried to help us. If it weren't for him, we wouldn't be cured by doctors." She said, focusing her gaze on the sky, "But I understand he did everything to you." I said confused.

"Believe me, he did, that's why I don't know how to explain it." She said frustrated without knowing how to explain it "What relationship do you two have then?" I asked "None, I hate him with all my being. That's how it was with the rest of the girls… but with me? It was the complete opposite. The only good thing he did, and in part, is to give me my daughter, he didn't do more."

"Alison is Dimitri's daughter?" I asked surprised and she closed her eyes "Unfortunately she is. Why do you think she has no idea who her father is?" I nodded to myself, because that made sense. "I don't want her to know what her father is like." She said opening her eyes and looking at me "And she doesn't want to meet him?"

"Of course, she does, but I won't even let her get anywhere near her biological father, at least not until I'm absolutely convinced, he really changed. Like I said, she's my daughter and mine alone. I don't even know what to answer when she asks me about her father." She said seriously, "What do you say normally?" I asked curiously, because that girl was the smartest, I had ever met in my life.

"Well, the first time she asked, I literally had an anxiety attack. They ended up sedating me and the other day she told me that she didn't want to meet her father because as her aunt told her, he was bad, which is why I ended up hitting Megan, but she told me she would like to have a father." She said with a small smile "I repeat it again, you have a very cute daughter."

"I'm not going to deny it, she is." We were silent for a while until I heard her breathing get heavier. I looked down and saw she was asleep, so I moved away and picked her up. My arm ached like hell, but there was no way I was leaving her out here and I'd get over it.

As soon as I entered the house, I closed the door and locked it, headed upstairs to put her in bed and let her sleep. Once in the room, I pulled back the covers, placed her on the bed, and then covered her. I kissed her on the forehead and went to the chair where she was sitting before and I stared at her until I fell asleep.

When I woke up, I had no idea what time it was, but from the light coming into the room, it must have been something like ten in the morning. As soon as I looked towards the bed, I could see Alexandra with Alison on top of her, and the first one had her embraced and covered. It was a good image to see as soon as you woke up.

" So, you're the one who makes my sister have that smile on her face." Someone said from the door, and I turned in the direction the voice came from, and as soon as I saw Alexandra's sister standing there looking at me, I couldn't help but jump in place, because it wasn't a lie when I said she scares me a bit.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to do anything to you. I just came by to see if Alison was here, and she just so happens to be." She said crossing her arms and pointing in the direction of her niece "When I brought Alexandra here, she was in her room sleeping." I said confused, not knowing how she ended up here.

"Yes, but this little girl has a habit of coming to sleep with her mother, and she's delighted with it." She laughed "It looks like it."

"At least tell me you're not playing with Alexandra, because then you'll have a reason to be scared of me." She said changing the subject, and by her look, I could see she was talking about the most serious thing, so it was a little scary.

"I love your sister. I know we've only known each other for a couple of weeks, but I really love her." I said, looking directly into her eyes so she would understand I was telling her the truth "I hope you don't even think of doing her the least bit of harm, because then, the arm thing won't be bought with what I'll do to you."

"Before doing any harm to your sister, I jump off a bridge." A smile appeared on her face, but soon changed it to a more serious one. This girl really cared for her sister and niece a lot. "If you want, you can come down to breakfast with us. My mother will be delighted to meet you." She said "And what?" I asked for.

"My mother isn't stupid, and she knows there has to be someone in Alexandra's life who makes her smile more often." She said rolling her eyes "And you think it's me?" I asked confused she believed that, until less than a minute ago, she was threatening me.

"Otherwise, you wouldn't even step foot in this house and wouldn't let you near her when she's not well like she did tonight. I think we can get along just fine, you and me." She said with a small smile on her face "That would help me not to get scared every time I see you."

"It's good you're scared, at least I can make sure you don't do anything to my sister or my niece, because I'm warning you, I kill for them." She said, and I could see she was serious, "I'm aware of it." I said raising my hands.

"What's all the whispering about early in the morning?" Alexandra said from the bed and lowering her face into her daughter's hair "Until you decide to wake up. I was coming to see if Alison was here and I got distracted talking. Can you get up so we can have breakfast like a normal family?"

"Agh, you're annoying, but I'm coming. But before we eat breakfast, I'd like to talk to you and Jennifer." She said as softly as she could so as not to wake the little girl I guess "About what exactly?" her sister asked curiously. "You're welcome, now can you please go call Jennifer and go to the office, please?"

"Okay, okay, but don't be long, I'm hungry." She said, turning to leave, "I won't, I'll get dressed and go dress Alison." She said, brushing her daughter's hair out of her face, "I hope you don't get distracted by him."

In that, she turns her head in my direction, and I couldn't suppress the big smile that appears on my face, and it gives me the feeling a small one appears in hers, but soon she looks back at her sister who ends up leaving with a big smile on her face.

"I hope I wasn't bothering you." She said sitting down and hugging Alison "She didn't, in the end she's going to be nice and all." I said half-jokingly "She is, but she has a very bad mood. Well, I'd say we both have it."

"Well, for the moment I have not seen it, and I hope not to see it." I said, because if her sister was in a good mood, she was scary, I don't want to imagine how much she would give in case she was angry "I hope the same. Why don't you go to the kitchen for breakfast?"

"I'll feel weird not knowing anyone." I said "That won't happen, but don't worry, I'll be down soon and you'll meet someone." She said with a small smile on her face "Didn't you have to talk to your sisters?" I asked and she nodded "And I'm going to do it, but I hope it won't take so long, it's all up to Megan. And if I'm late, you always have Alison, she seems to like you and everything."

"This makes me happy. I'm leaving to let you change." I said, getting up from the chair, "See you later." She said with a slightly bigger smile "See you later." I said matching her smile and left the room to go to the kitchen I vaguely remember where it is. Upon entering this, the first surprise I get is to see my mother sitting there who soon comes to give me a hug.

"I thought I would never see you again." She said with a couple of tears on her face "I'm fine mom." I said wiping them away "Now I know, but all the media said you had disappeared, that there was blood and your boss called me to tell me he would do everything in his power to rescue you."

"He's the least trustworthy." I said bitterly, I still couldn't believe everything Alexandra had told me about my boss and partner "What are you talking about?" she asked "You're welcome, but it's nice to see you."

"I'm glad to see you, son." At that moment, Alison runs up and goes to hug her grandmother and then hides behind her, looking in the direction of my mother and me. I couldn't help but love this girl more, I really mean it.

"Don't be afraid, princess, they won't do anything to you." Said Analissa with her hand on her granddaughter's back "And who is that beauty?" my mother asked softly, "Can you tell them your name?" Analissa asked with a smile on her face. "Alison." She said, still behind her grandmother.

"Nice to meet you, Alison. I am Débora and this is my son Hugo." My mother pointed in my direction the moment she said my name "Have you already forgotten about me princess?" I said with a smile and she denied, I bent down to be at her height and to my surprise it doesn't take long to hug me, which I return.

"I don't think I've ever seen her hug anyone she just met." I looked at Analissa who had a surprised face, apparently this was not normal for her, which made me somewhat happy "We were talking last night, right princess?" She nodded. "And can you tell your grandmother what you talked about?" Analissa asked.

"About mommy." she said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, "By the way, where are your mother and aunts?" she asked looking towards the door "Mommy told me she would come down in a bit, she had to talk to them, but we could eat."

Analissa raised an eyebrow and put a hand on her waist. "Are you sure she said that?" she asked, and Alison nodded with a small smile on her face. "And if I ask her, will she tell me the same thing?" she asked, and Alison rushed over to her and grabbed her leg. "Don't ask her, Grandma, please."

"You're always hungry, but come on, I won't tell her anything." She said picking her up and sitting her on one of the stools. "Sit down, I doubt it will be short the talk." She said starting to pace around the kitchen picking up plates "We can wait."

"Oh no, I'm not going to allow my guests to wait. Sit down for breakfast." My mother and I started laughing, but we listened. Apparently, Analissa wasn't easy to convince, but Alison was hungry, so I didn't object too much either, and while we had breakfast, both my mother and Analissa were talking, while I listened to all of Alison's stories from her day to day.