Chapter 134

Aldo

I never thought I’d ever be the one to personally reach out to Dmitri Orlov.

But I seriously felt as though I’d reached the bottom of the barrel when it came to possible ideas that could potentially help Layla’s situation. I actually liked the idea of wanting to get out of town for a few days.

We all could use a decent break. Even Eli deserved to have some carefree fun for a little while.

But I already had a feeling that Layla wouldn’t be interested. My mother was right, Layla was still hurting and I wasn’t the person she wanted to be around at the moment. It stung beyond words to know that I wasn’t that person for her.

After my talk with my mom, I returned to the study and pulled out my phone. My heart sank a little in my chest as each ring went by with no answer. Hopefully, they hadn’t left the area and were still home.

The last we had seen Dmitri and Irena was at the wedding. The two had been more than supportive of the fact that their own living granddaughter was marrying into an Italian Mafia family. I was honored to receive their blessing, considering the amount of help that they were able to extend to us in the previous months.

Now, I was hoping that the same help could be extended once more.

Dmirtri’s deep, aged voice came through the speaker. “Aldo? How nice to hear from you. I take it things are going well, no?”

“Not as well as they could be, Dmitri,” I admitted, feeling deflated. I scratched the back of my back and sat down at my desk.

“Irena and I have been following the news rather closely these past couple of weeks,” he said. “Some minor family giving you problems, yes?”

“It’s nothing we haven’t dealt with in the past,” I acknowledged. “Plus, I’m fairly certain that we won’t be hearing from the Rossettis for quite some time, if ever.”

“Good,” Dmitri muttered. “They’ve caused a bit of a commotion with all those explosives. Been meaning to ask, how are you feeling? Heard you were admitted to the hospital yourself not too long ago.”

I tried to keep my aggravation down, knowing that Dmitri wasn't purposely trying to mock me in any way.

“My recovery was thankfully quick,” I noted. “In any case, my point for reaching out is because of Layla.”

“Layla? Is something wrong?” His voice sparks with panic.

“It may be the easiest thing to explain, especially over the phone.”

“Come to the house,” he insisted. “Irena and I will make sure the gates are open for you when you arrive.”

He hadn’t given me the chance to make any further questions or arguments. I briefly checked my phone for any updates from Carlo. There weren’t any.

I forced down my disappointment as much as I could. There’s no way that this Agent Carter was slick enough to escape the unseen eyes of my best tracker.

I have to be patient.

There were more important things than hunting down this federal agent. Layla was now my top priority. As I made my way out of the house, I ran into Luca and swiftly informed him about my ‘errand’ and to expect me back later.

Right as my car pulled up to the Orlov estate, they let me through the main gates. I wished my uneasiness would have subsided as I saw both Dmitri and Irena standing at the door.

Irena greeted me with her naturally softer demeanor. “Hello, Aldo. Dmitri tells me that there’s been something going on with Layla.” I gave a slight nod. “Why don’t we all go sit down in the living room?”

I sank down in one of the available spots on the couch and waited for the couple to get antiquated. Unconsciously, my hand reached up to press against the side of my head.

“I appreciate you both taking the time to hear me out,” I said. “I just don't know what to do.”

“Of course,” Irena commented. “We’re glad you reached out to us. Now why don’t you tell us what’s been going on with Layla?”

Over the next hour, I went on to explain everything that had gone on since we returned from our honeymoon. I’d gone over the training and the brief moment of peace. I then went on to talk about the sporadic explosions and attacks around the city. Then I moved into the topic of Vanessa and how she’s virtually deceived everyone.

Irena clicked her tongue and shook her head in disgust. “What a horrible girl,” she said. “To think Layla opened up her home and heart to someone so vile.”

“It’s part of the reason why I think she’s having a hard time bouncing back.”

“Her trust in others is broken,” Dmitri said.

Although she may not have openly said it, I knew how much Layla longed for a real friend. One that she didn't have to hide her true identity from.

From there, I went on to explain how after my injuries from the explosion, Layla had taken up my position as head of the family and the unfortunate effects that came with making such heavy decisions. I explained how Layla’s disposition and behavior shifted into something I’d never seen.

“Sounds like she’s having a hard time going through withdrawals,” Dmitri said.

My brows pulled together in question “Withdrawals?”

They made it sound as though Layla had been suffering from some kind of drug abuse. There again, I thought back to those times when Layla had been speaking to the rest of the group. Everyone agreed with her without question or hesitation.

That wild, ruthless look in her eyes...She’d been riding a power high.

“What happened then?” Irena asked.

I told them about the day Ethan and I had gotten Eli back. Neither of them was too keen on the idea of having the police get involved. But I believe that Irena was able to understand given how high the stakes had become.

Dmitri, on the other hand, was rather impressed by Layla’s intent on taking out the entire Rossetti family.

“Look, I’m not saying that I condone her choice,” the older man noted. “However, I am going to say that I can understand her desire to eliminate any possible chance of a future threat.”

I shook my head. “At the time, Layla was running purely on the thought of getting revenge on Vanessa, having been deceived by her. But I know for a fact that she would have ended up regretting her decision once everything calmed down.”

Irena spared her husband a soft look. “You and I both know that Layla doesn’t have that kind of natural malice.”

“I know that her acting on my behalf has put her mentality at risk,” I said. “In the end, Vanessa got away but that wasn’t the worst of it.”

“What do you mean?”

“Federal Agent Danny Carter,” I muttered under my breath. “He’s been staking out the Marcello family for the last several weeks, maybe even months. He brought Layla down to the station to ask her a few questions. It was yesterday when we all found out that Layla’s medical ended up getting revoked.”

Both Dmitri and Irena wore startled looks.

“Oh my God,” Irean gasped. “Poor girl.”

Dmitri wore a puzzled look. “Why take her license, though? On what grounds?”

“Layla tried to establish a free clinic without the proper permits. These sorts of things take months, even years to get approved by the city officials. She didn’t want to waste the time by waiting.”

“Her heart was in the right place, I’m sure.”

“Now Layla is heartbroken and refuses to leave her room,” I said.

Irena nodded her head. “Based on what you’ve told us, I think there’s a lot more going on in Layla’s mind than we’re aware of. On the bright side, there may be someone who might be able to help.”

At that point, I was desperate and ready to agree to anything that might help.

“Who?”