CHAPTER 11

I had the perfect boyfriend, but one day, he just walked away. It was a little over a year ago, and I haven't heard from him since. His name was Arlo Speer. Stephanie's words haunted Brian for days on end, the pain in her voice piercing through his heart like a sharp knife. At the time, the librarian held the young woman in his arms and comforted her, but he felt it wasn't enough.

Brian couldn't imagine a solid reason why a sensible, well-mannered man, who loved to read, had a well-paid job, and wanted to raise a family with Stephanie, would break up with her out of the blue. Something was very fishy about the whole business, so he decided to go and talk to the man, find out his side of the story.

One day, Brian remembered Stephanie's words about how Grant controlled and manipulated Bailey, bending them to his will by threatening he would harm their sister if they refused to cooperate. Suddenly, a thought popped into his mind, terrifying him: what if that pile of garbage was in fact after his spouse's sister?

By San Gennaro's blood, that's it, Brian exclaimed internally. The fucker was going to get rid of Bailey so he could go after Stephanie. He got rid of Arlo and was going forward with his plan. In his twisted, sick mind, the monster was in love with her, but once he got her in his iron grasp, the sick bastard would have destroyed her, like he almost did to her sibling. I have to get in touch with Steph's ex-boyfriend as soon as possible, the librarian concluded his internal monologue.

Brian enlisted the help of Julien to find out Arlo Speer's phone number and, like every time, his computer wizard brother-in-law was happy to help. After thanking the blond and giving him, Edward, and their kids all his love, the librarian called Stephanie's ex-boyfriend and, passing as one of his father's business partners as instructed by Julien, asked for a meeting later in the afternoon.

The location Brian chose was a little café, a cozy place with a warm atmosphere, that also had books which could be borrowed by the patrons who wanted to spend the time waiting for their partner or date in a pleasant manner. The booths weren't crammed together, so the occupants enjoyed a higher level of privacy compared to what other cafes offered.

After waiting for a while, Brian checked his watch. Ten minutes passed over the time he and Stephanie's ex-boyfriend agreed to the meeting. The man being late made the librarian worry that maybe he changed his mind and wouldn't show up at all. After another five minutes, to his great relief, he saw a guy about Stephanie's age heading to the booth.

"Sorry I kept you waiting. It was a last-minute family obligation I couldn't avoid." The young man smiled apologetically. "On top of that, the traffic was hellish." He extended a hand. "Arlo Speer, nice to meet you." He took a seat.

"Brian Cavallieri, likewise." The librarian took the other one's hand and shook it energetically. "I'm here to talk about your ex-girlfriend, Stephanie, and the reason behind your breakup."

"You are barking at the wrong tree, my friend." Arlo's voice suddenly became cold and condescending. "I don't want anything to do with her."

"I know why you left." Brian looked into the younger man's eyes, waiting for his reaction.

"Look, I don't know who you are, and I'm not sharing details from my private life with total strangers." Arlo stood, ready to leave the booth. "This meeting is a waste of time. The place is nice, though." The young man looked around, nodding in appreciation.

"Alright, listen." Brian gestured with a hand like he wanted to make the other one change his mind and sit back. "I'm here as your ex-girlfriend's best friend." The librarian inhaled sharply. "I could be wrong, but I think Grant told you to get away from Stephanie or he'd hurt her. Just like if Bailey didn't do as he was told that Grant would hurt Stephanie."

"You are not wrong," Arlo said in an almost flat voice. "So what? You don't know that bastard, he's crazy. Every time he hurt Bailey, he sent me pictures, saying it could be Steph instead. You don't know what it was like." He shook his head.

"I knew a bastard like him once." Brian's voice was tinged with pain. "Anyway, you don't have to worry, both Bailey and Stephanie are safe now. My friend misses you and said you were the perfect man for her. I believe she loves you." A weak smile appeared on the librarian's lips when he said the last few words.

"Look, mister, it's been two years. I put the past behind me and moved on; you would've done the same if you were me. I'm now engaged to a girl who has all of Stephanie's qualities and is also filthy rich. This union makes everyone happy, so please don't ever look for me." Arlo stood and started to walk to the door but stopped after a few steps. "Why don't you talk to my older brother? He would be very happy to hear the news." Arlo pointed to the café's exit. "Here he is."

A man using a cane as support when he walked, a little younger than the librarian, came next to the booth. "Are you Stephanie Harper's friend? Is she in danger?" He extended a hand. "Bastiaan Speer, nice to meet you."

"Brian Cavallieri, nice to meet you, too." The librarian was moved by the concern pouring from the man's voice and the worry in his eyes. "Stop worrying, please. Stephanie is fine, and Bailey is safe, too. I'm saying this as their best friend."

"That…that's good." The man's stuttered words were followed by a sigh of relief as he plopped down on the seat. "Some two years ago, my brother got death threats on several occasions, so I instructed our chauffeur, who previously worked for one of the biggest security companies in the city, to place his phone under surveillance. He listened to the conversation my brother was having with you and thought something happened to Stephanie."

"As I said before, there's no reason for you to worry." Brian smiled, a warm and friendly one. "I'm sure Stephanie would love to talk to you."

"That's good." Bastiaan released a breath he didn't know he was holding. "I'm happy they are both safe and sound, but no, I don't think she would like to spend time in my company. I'm way older than her and boring." His voice was low, barely above a whisper.

"I said the same thing when I met my husband." Brian chuckled, eyes shining with affection at the happy memory. "He was eighteen, and I was twenty-eight."

"I…I fell for Stephanie from the very first moment I saw her, but stepped aside when my younger brother Arlo expressed his interest in her, and she reciprocated." A moment of silence followed Bastiaan's confession, then he continued in the same whispered, defeated voice from before. "Young women like young men, charming and full of life. Those like me have nothing to offer."

"You're selling yourself short." Brian gave the other man a piercing look. "Plus, my best friend Steph is not just any young woman. She's an intelligent, strong, feisty one who appreciates the wisdom and life experience of an older guy." The librarian pulled the wallet from the inside pocket of his jacket, opened it and extracted a rectangular white card. "Here's the address of the place where she can be found every day, between noon and two in the afternoon." He put the card on the table. "It doesn't hurt to try."

Bastiaan didn't reply; he looked at the small piece of hard paper for a while, then took it from the table and put it in the pocket of his suit's coat. Brian watched carefully every move the other man made, trying to decipher his body language but, except for an imperceptible shake of his fingers when he took the card, the man showed no emotion.

A few days passed, and Bastiaan Speer didn't show up at the library. Brian started to lose hope when, one Wednesday afternoon, the man stepped inside, casting a hesitant look around. When he finally spotted Stephanie, his face brightened, and eyes shining, he advanced to where she was sitting. In a shaky voice, he said hello and complimented the young woman on how she looked.

Her cheeks colored by a delicate blush, Stephanie lowered her gaze and thanked Bastiaan, who brought her hand to his lips and kissed the tips of her fingers. The two stayed like that for a couple of seconds, enjoying each other's company and the serenity surrounding them. Both of them had the same thought, at the same time: the other one didn't forget them.

Tentatively at first, but daring more with each word, Stephanie started to talk, asking Bastiaan how his life was over the two years they hadn't seen, nor heard from each other. The man's answers were equally hesitant and somewhat concise, like he didn't want to get into details that could be considered boring by his conversation partner.

But Stephanie congratulated Bastiaan on his achievements and wanted to know more about his activity, which left him baffled, because he didn't expect a beautiful young woman like the one in front of him to show so much interest in what he did. The man didn't detect a single note of falsity in her voice; all he could hear was sincerity and warmth, so he continued to offer answers to all her questions.

After a while, the roles reversed, with Bastiaan being the one who asked, and Stephanie answering in a lighthearted voice. She talked about The Base, about her job there, the people she met and how they enriched her life. The only sad moment of the conversation was when the young woman told the man about the ordeal her sibling was put through by the beast they were married to.

Bastiaan took Stephanie's hands in his and locked eyes with her. After a few seconds of silence, the man promised the young woman to protect her for as long as he would live, the protection extending to Bailey, too. He is going to keep it, Brian, who watched them from the corner of his eye and heard Bastiaan's words, said to himself.

The librarian's thoughts took a turn to Grant, who was under lock and key, in his and Luca's custody, from the night he put Bailey in a coma. The two made great efforts not to off him right away, the only reason why they kept him alive being Stephanie fearing her sibling's unpredictable reaction at the news of their husband's death.

Not anymore, Brian said to himself, a smile of satisfaction blooming on his lips. Bailey had at their side a man who would protect them at any cost and who, the librarian was sure, would love the child Bailey was carrying like it was his own. That bastard is already dead, he thought, but he doesn't know yet.

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Un-fucking-believable , Grant yelled his frustration as he turned the small TV off and threw the remote control across the room. The psychos holding him captive were right; no one cared about him. So many days passed since they took him from the comfort of his house, in broad daylight, and yet none of his business associates or employees wondered if he was dead or alive.

Ungrateful bastards , he hissed through clenched teeth, watching as the object hit the wall, then landed on the hard, concrete floor, still intact. I was damn lucky, the man thought, leaving his seat to go and pick the remote control up. After only a few steps, something held him in place, making him curse again.

Caught in his own frustration, Grant totally forgot about the cuff on his wrist, attached to a chain ending in a hook which was stuck in the cement floor. The chain was long enough to allow the man to reach the toilet in the corner of the room, but that was all. He was a prisoner, the restraint serving as a permanent reminder of that fact.