Blurred Lines 1: CHASE
Chapter 132

-Chase-

They say you wouldn't realize the value of what you have until it's gone. I already knew the value of my family. Maybe that's also the reason I willingly feed myself to the wolves instead of sitting idle in prison.

I made a deal with Alice. I told her about Brega, omitting Derek and Carlota's involvement. This was supposed to be Derek's mission, and what I did had consequences. I would pay for that in due time, but this, having Sofia's limbs tangled with mine, was f*****g worth it. The door to Sofia's hospital room opened, and a man dressed in a leather jacket, jeans, and white shirt walked in. Sofia was a valued witness to Alice's investigation. There were police officers posted outside her room, but this guy was no police officer. He scratched his chin, regarding Sofia's current state, before his eyes met mine. His jet black hair was tied in a low ponytail, lips encased with day-old stubble tipped onto a smirk. "We've got your message," he said.

Back in Mt. Irid, Derek gave me an emergency number to call if things go sideways. I called that number as soon as I got out of my holding cell. When the call directed me to a brothel in New York, I thought Derek had given me the wrong number. Turns out, it was only a front.

"Come with me, Mr. Montiero," he said, his tone commanding. Hesitation must be written all over my face, because he added. "I have men posted outside. We won't be long."

Nodding at him, I kissed Sofia's forehead, carefully untangled our limbs, and slid out of the bed. In the hallway, my eyes narrowed at the officers sleeping in their posts outside the room.

'This was the kind of security Alice would provide for Sofia?'

Anger simmered within me, hands balling to a fist. Sofia had suffered enough, and I won't let these lazy bastards endanger her again.

"They weren't asleep when we came," the leather jacket guy slapped a hand on my shoulder. "Come. We have a lot to talk about."

Three men in the same attire as the Leather jacket guy were wearing a passive look as we passed by.

I followed him out of the hospital to a 24-hour diner across the street. Apart from the redhead behind the register, the place was empty. She jerked up when the doorbell chimed as we walked in. Her eyes dropped to the Leather jacket guy, rounding In recognition. "Two of my usual, Sari," he said. The redhead nodded, rubbed the sleep off her eyes, and started moving behind the

counter.

He slid into the booth beside the glass window; the hospital and Sofia's room were in our line of sight.

Sari soon followed us with two steaming cups of brewed coffee and left wordlessly.

"You were accused of murder, huh," he started, a taunting smirk tipping his lips.

"I had an alibi," I said, watching him sip his steaming coffee and take three gulps.

"You did," he murmured. "So, why did you call?"

It seemed that he already knew who I was and my relationship with Derek. My guess was he had me investigate up to the size of my shoes.

"Who are you?" I asked, lifting my coffee onto my lips, wincing. The burning hot liquid scorched my tongue.

He chuckled, watching me slam the cup back on the table. How did he f*****g drink it if it was that damn hot? 'What was with this guy?'

"Just a nobody. But you can call me Joe," he said. "I am not even here, Mr. Montiero."

I pursed my lips. I liked dealing with Cisco even more. "Are Derek and Cisco safe?"

"They're accounted for, and your friends, too." He shook his head. "I can't believe I'd get the chance to meet Santino. That guy is a legend." Excitement flickered in his dark irises. Some sentences are incomplete if you are not reading this novel on FindNovel.net. Visit FindNovel.net to read the complete chapters for free."You're fucking lucky, you know that? For a civilian like you to have a hold on both ends?" he shook his head. "Anyone would die to be in your shoes, even me."

"I didn't want any of this," I growled. "I almost lost my family."

He hummed as Sari returned with two plates towering with pancakes, the butter on top melting, dripping down the sides.

Joe rubbed his hands together and dug in on his food. "I understand. But don't tell your girlfriend about her brother for now."

"I have new information about Brega," I lowered my voice, leaning my elbows on the table. Joe stuffed his mouth with a mouthful of pancakes, the syrup dribbling on his lips. "What?" "One of his people helped Sofia escape, and she told me something that bothered me," I said. Joe scraped the syrup on his plate and eyed my pancakes. "Are you gonna eat that?"

My brows twitched, shoving my plate to him. He started gobbling it as though he wasn't interested in what I would say. I don't know if I could trust this guy, but I trust Derek. He wouldn't give me that number if this man would put his sister's life in danger. "She addressed Brega as Don," I blurted out.

Joe's shoulder stiffened, gazing at me as if I grew two heads. "Come again?"

"Brega, I think he's in the mafia." This had been on my mind since Avery left. "I don't know which mafia families he had a tie with, but Avery called him Don."

In the mafia world, Don is the highest rank anyone could ever achieve. And being a Don comes with great respect, responsibility, and power. I feared Nikos was more powerful than he was letting on.

"Are you certain about this information, Chase?" Joe asked, and for the first time since he walked inside Sofia's room, I'd gotten a glimpse of the real him, not that easy-go-lucky and the self-assured man he posed to be.

I nodded. "This girl actually saved Sofia's life. I hope she made it out alive, but I don't think she would lie about something like that in the middle of the chaos I arrived into. She was pretty shaken."

"Where is this girl now? She escaped?"

"I think so. I saw the men Alice captured; she wasn't one of them. I told her about the tunnels under the mansion. She'd be long gone by now if she made it out."

Joe nodded, quit devouring his pancake, and drank his coffee instead. "I will look into this, Chase. If what you're saying is true, Derek would be home soon. We need to regroup and change our approach in handling Brega if he's really in the mafia." Chapter 133

-Sofia-

Slivers of sunlight slip through the curtain gaps. The fresh, salty ocean scent permeated the air. I inhaled sharply, stretching my limbs, wincing at the biting pain on my left shoulder.

It had been two weeks since the chaos in Pinehills. After they brought me to Pinehills Memorial, Chase managed to get me out the next day and flew me to Rio.

He was avoiding the swarm of persistent reporters to get our side of the story. He told me to turn my phone off, not check my emails or watch the news. He took it upon himself to inform our friends about my situation. He was taking all the pressure off me, shouldering everything instead.

Since then, we've been staying at Diego's beach house. It had been good for all of us, especially for Elise. She had fallen in love with the ocean; she even grew a perfect tan because of staying under the sun.

Slipping out of bed, I padded out of our room and headed to the kitchen downstairs. Before I even heard Elise's laughter, I already knew she was on the seaside with her dad. Hunter was with her, and they loved playing on the beach until the sun's heat was tolerable no more. It's a good thing that Chase never forgot to put sunscreen on her skin when I wasn't around to do it.

I was making breakfast when Clara and Diego walked in. They were staying in the city to give us privacy, a gesture I was grateful for. They didn't have to do that, but she insisted we needed our own space and visited almost every day.

Clara was dressed fancy in a yellow floral dress, white sandals, and a huge white hat, hair curled at the ends. Diego was wearing a matching light yellow Hawaian shirt, and khaki shorts. It makes me smile everytime I see them wearing couples shirts or matching outfits. I hope Chase and I will have that same adoration for each other twenty years from now.

Clara removed her hat, her bright smile broadened when she saw me.

"Smells good in here." She tipped her nose as though smelling the air before pulling me in for a hug.

"I made English breakfast." I hugged her back and waved at Diego. He dropped a duffle bag on the couch and pulled me for an embrace as well.

"Perfect timing," he cajoled, ruffling my hair like my brothers loved to do.

I pouted, and his chuckle grew louder.

Taking two mugs from the cupboard, I filled them with brewed coffee and handed them to Clara and Diego.

"You're staying for lunch?" I asked.

Clara nodded. "I hope it's okay?"

"Of course. This is your place; you don't even have to ask, Clara." I gushed. "Elise would love to spend time with you guys."

Clara's smile widened. Diego excused himself and brought his coffee outside the porch.

"So, how was your doctor's appointment?" Clara gripped my arms, looking deep into my eyes.

"My shoulder is still tender," I rolled my left shoulder, "but all in all, I'm as good as I could get."

The laceration on my legs had already healed, only a scratch was left, and the bruises on my body had already faded.

"And how was your visit with the therapist? Tell me the truth."

Chase insisted that we seek professional help. Between the three of us, Elise was doing better in terms of moving on. Though her doctor advised us to stay in Rio for the time being.

It wasn't easy reliving what I'd gone through, but I had to. I pulled the strength to do so from Chase and Elise. I had to survive the aftermath of what Nikos had done to me for my family.

I bit my lip. "I won't lie, Clara... moving on is a grueling process that needs a lot of hard work, but I will get through this for Chase and Elise."

Clara smiled, sympathy written all over her face, but she masked it quickly, shifting to another topic. "How about the wedding? Have you decided when you'll schedule it?"

In light of our current situation, we had to cancel our wedding. Much hard work and planning went to waste, but our peace of mind was more important. But I have to admit, I was disheartened that we had to cancel everything. It had been my dream to be wedded to Chase, but that's not the most important thing for now.

Heaving a sigh, I turned to face the open sliding door. Chase was watching Elise play fetch with Hunter. His back was on us, and our daughter's laughter mingled with the ocean waves crashing on the shore.

"We haven't talked about it yet." I smiled at Clara. "But I'm not entirely heartbroken that we had to cancel. We are already a family. The wedding is more of a formality."

Clara hooked her hand with mine, her eyes trained on the same view I was looking at. Diego now stood beside Chase. He patted Chase's shoulder, squeezing it. Chase turned to his father and gave him the same pat on the back. "Thank you, Sofia," she murmured.

I threw her a sideway glance, brows knitting together. "For what?"

She nodded towards the beach. "For that." My confusion deepened. "This was a dream come true. To see Chase and Diego together with my grandkid. Married or not, you are my daughter, Sofia, and we are a family."

I bit my lower lip, which started to quiver. I didn't say anything. I didn't feel the need to. Clara was right. If my parents were here, they would be proud of what Chase and I had overcome. Despite all the struggles we've been through, we're still together.

The sound of the car pulling to a stop at the front of the house drew my attention from watching the beautiful view of the beach.

"They're here," Clara said, clapping her hands like a kid on Christmas Eve.

"Who's here?" I asked, but she was already sashaying to open the front door. Georgia and Jessica walked into the mansion with teary eyes.

"Oh my God," I covered my mouth with my hands, and my tears instantly spilled profoundly. Lead poured into my body, keeping me glued to the spot. My knees were boneless, and my head spun with all the what-ifs if Avery didn't help me or if Chase had come a minute too late that day.

My sobs exploded when the familiar warmth of my best friend's embrace engulfed me.

"I can't believe you went through all of that." Jessica plucked another ply from the tissue box, blowing her nose.

We were in the gazebo, and I just finished telling them what happened at the mansion about Nikos and how we ended up here in Rio.

Chase asked them to come and see me over the weekend, and I couldn't be more grateful for his concern for my well-being. There is some kind of comfort that only my best friends could provide. I'm so lucky to have a man as understanding as Chase.

A lot has changed with Jessica and Georgia since I last saw them. Jess cut her hair short, emphasizing her round shape face, and her bangs made her green eyes stand out. Gone was Georgia's brown hair. She was back to being a sultry redhead, but there was something different about her I couldn't point out.

"Do you have news of where this Nikos/Brega or whatever that's shit's name is now?" Though her eyes were puffy, Georgia's sassy tone was back. "He should pay for what he did to your family."

Jessica hummed in agreement, blowing her nose once again.

"Derek and Carlota were working on it," I explained. I trust these two well enough to keep every piece of information I told them a secret. This also comes with the reality that they might - at some point - get caught in between this war Nikos had started, and I need them on this willingly. I'd understand if they'd keep their distance from me. But from the way they're both fuming in rage, I bet my money they'll be staying by my side all the way.

"I can't believe Carlota would risk her life for you," Jessica insisted, reaching for her glass of orange juice and taking a sip. "I mean," she wiped her mouth and set her glass down. "You kinda hated her to boot."

"We're on good terms now," I explained, adding another pillow to the pile on my back. I was resting against the couch, Jess was on my left and Georgia was on my right. We spread a picnic blanket on the gazebo floor and moved all the throw pillows around us for a more relaxed chat. "Plus, she saved my brother."

Derek visited me three days after we flew to Rio, but he didn't tell me how they survived the explosion. He told me that if it wasn't for Carlota, he'd be six feet under by now. I didn't press for details. I knew his job required confidentiality. What's important is that he's alive and well.

"And what happened to Samantha's son?" Jessica asked.

Kenzo was still keeping Cyrus safe in Japan, but Chase had already sent one of the staff from the DNA testing center to collect a sample from him. We expect to hear the result from the clinic any time now.

"We're still waiting for the result," I murmured, reaching for a grape from the bowl of fruits Clara kindly served us. She brought freshly baked goodies too. And to give us time to catch up, she volunteered to make lunch for us with Diego's help.

Chase and Elise went to the city to replenish our supply since it was supposed to be our grocery day. Jose drove them. He had never left Elise's side since they arrived in Rio. I think my daughter has grown on him. Hunter, however, was sitting here with us. He chose the spot beside Georgia, and once in a while, Georgia would pet his head.

"Will he be staying with you guys? I mean, if he's really Chase's son?" Georgia asked.

I nodded. "Whatever Sammy had done, Cyrus had nothing to do with it. Besides, we don't want Samuel to take him."

Georgia hummed in understanding. "If you ever have trouble keeping Cyrus, or if he's not Chase's, I am here... just putting that idea out there."

I reached for her hand, squeezing it. We don't expect this transition for Cyrus to be easy. He lived all his life with Sammy, and now she's gone. We understand he would need some time to get used to the idea of having a father. "Thank you, Georgia. Both of you, thank you for coming to see me."

"We're not the only ones here to see you," Jessica murmured.

Hunter jerked up from his spot, his ears perched toward the beach house. A ball of brown fur came barrelling from the corner, barking in excitement as he met Hunter on the lawn. Shooter.

If he's here, then...

Tears blurred my sight when I saw my brothers with Julian emerging from the mansion.

Chase had done this all for me. He brought my family and friends to Rio.