Alejandro's Prey_The Queens

by Nikita Slater

  “Good girl,” Selena praised her quietly. “We’re pulling onto the freeway. Now’s a good time to start digging for that knife.”

  Gina didn’t need to be told twice. Mostly because if she stopped to think about it, there was no way she would do something so dangerous as pull a switchblade on three gangbangers in the tight confines of the back seat of a car with Alejandro’s elderly mother as backup. But somehow the lady had as much of a commanding presence as her son and Gina seemed willing to follow her into this suicidal battle.

  She plunged her hand into her cleavage, drawing the attention of the guy beside her, while Selena pulled her own skirt up, reaching for something underneath. “What you doing there, chica?” the guy asked from beside Gina.

  Gina shrugged, pulling the blade and flipping it open. “She told me to stab you in the throat and I’m an obedient little soldier,” Gina told him.

  But also squeamish, she thought as she closed her eyes and thrust the knife before he could bring his hands up to defend himself. She felt the blade sink easily into his flesh. Too easily. Shouldn’t it have hit his carotid or something? She cracked an eye only to see that she’d stuck the knife right through his eyeball and into his brain. He was dead, sitting up on the end of her knife. Or at least she was pretty certain he was dead. His other eye was open, and he was twitching, but his shoulders were slumped and he wasn’t moving otherwise.

  “Oh my god,” she gasped snatching her hands away. “I’m so sorry!”

  A hand grabbed her by the back of the head and shoved her down into the dead man’s lap. Bang, bang. Shots rang out, glass shattered. Gina covered her ears. Too late. They were already ringing from the gunfire. The car swerved wildly, bounced, swerved some more, swayed from side to side and then began to slow.

  “Fucking puta, you killed him,” the driver was screaming. “I’m going to fucking kill you!”

  “You’re going to pull over,” Selena said calmly. “Unless you want the next one to go right through your skull like your friend here.”

  Gina tilted her head and looked up at the guy she’d stabbed. His body was slumped forward, blood dripping down his face and onto her. She cringed back. “Ew,” she mumbled.

  “You’ll need a stronger stomach than that if you are to survive my son. You should also probably learn the difference between a neck and an eye,” Selena observed. “You can sit up now.”

  The car was pulled to the side of the road. Selena snapped her fingers toward the driver. “Gun and phone. Now. Hesitate and I take your head.”

  The man did not hesitate. He passed the items back to Selena. She took them and stared coldly at him through the rear-view mirror. “You can tell your boss that he not only fucked with Alejandro, Reyes’ man, but he came after the widow of Viktor Morales, El Escorpion. This was a stupid move. Who do you think taught our son the things that he knows? There will be no mercy for fools.”

  Gina had sat up and was looking around the car in a daze. Selena had shot the front passenger in the head and shattered the window in the process. They were pulled over on the side of an overpass. Luckily it wasn’t a well used overpass and there was no traffic.

  “You steady, niña?” Selena asked, eyeing Gina while continuing to hold her gun on the driver.

  “Uh huh,” Gina said faintly.

  “Good, take this,” she said, handing Gina the gun she’d taken. “Shoot him if he tries anything. You,” she snapped at the driver, waving her own gun, indicating the door. “Get out and start hauling bodies to the side of the road.”

  Gina swallowed a gag and tried to look as tough as her new mother-in-law. She suspected she was failing miserably. Selena climbed out of the car with the younger man, her body clearly stiff with discomfort. She was in her early 70’s and Gina knew she’d had her fair share of health issues. However, she was steady and strong as she followed the gang guy around the car, aiming her gun at his head while he jerked the back door open to pull the body next to Gina out. Though she’d been expecting it, Gina jumped back and aimed her gun at him too just in case he was foolish enough to try anything. He had the body halfway out when Selena stopped him to retrieve her knife.

  Even the hardened gangster paled and muttered, “Madre de Dios!” when she yanked the switchblade out of his friend’s eye socket with a nasty sounding squelch.

  Gina swallowed hard but continued to watch and move her gun around the interior of the car, keeping it trained on the bad guy as he moved the second body out of the car. Once it was thrown to the side of the road, Selena smiled grimly at their helper and shot him in the thigh. Gina’s mouth fell open. Her new mother-in-law was hardcore!

  After his screams of agony died down Selena said calmly, “I couldn’t have you getting away too quickly. You’ll be pleased to know I didn’t hit anything major. Now you remember my message?”

  “Fuck you, you vicious old cunt!” he shouted.

  “Oh dear, that wasn’t my message at all,” she sighed, aiming for his other leg.

  “No, no!” he shouted. “Viktor Morales widow… Scorpion!”

  “Very good,” she praised and slid carefully into the driver’s seat turning the key in the ignition. With calm resignation, as though she were going for a Sunday drive, she shoulder-checked and pulled the car back onto the ramp. “Seatbelt, Gina.”

  Gina stared at her in complete astonishment as she automatically slid back into her seat and reached for the belt. Ten minutes ago, she’d been convinced she was going to die on her wedding day. Now she suspected that her mother-in-law hadn’t had a single worry on that count. Hell, the two women hadn’t even sustained a single scratch during the entire kidnapping, which had taken a total of probably twenty-five minutes from the time the priest first started talking to them until now.

  Selena glanced at Gina in the rear-view mirror. “You have something you’d like to say to me?”

  Gina tilted her head. Yes, there were many things she wanted to say to Selena Morales; to ask her. Like who exactly was she? How did she know how to handle herself so well? Who was El Escorpion? And could Selena teach Gina to become brave like her? Instead she said the first thing that popped into her brain. “You shot two men, commanded that entire situation from start to finish like a pro and your hat is still exactly the same as it was when you entered the church.” Wonder and admiration mixed in her voice.

  Selena laughed and eyed her new daughter-in-law with indulgence. “Si, niña. While you accidentally stabbed a man in the eye and now you have blood in your hair and on your beautiful dress.”

  Revulsion twisted Gina’s face as she looked down at herself. Sure enough, she once more had streaks of blood all over her arms and the front of her dress. Panic began to swell and short breaths burst from her lips. She closed her eyes tight and reminded herself that she was safe now, they couldn’t get her. She glanced around and reached beside her for a discarded shirt to scrub away some of the blood.

  “Here, take this,” Selena said, passing the cell phone back to Gina and eyeing her as though to make sure she wasn’t about to completely freak out. “I’m no good with these. I got him to tell me the code while he was moving the bodies, it’s 7089.”

  Gina took it and typed the code in. She was relieved when the phone actually unlocked, and she immediately called Alejandro. He picked up right away, growling, “Si, who is this?”

  “Alejandro, it’s me,” Gina said softly, her voice wobbly. She felt a rush of emotion at hearing his deep voice. Tears started in the corners of her eyes and she brushed at them impatiently. Stupid really, she managed to kill a guy and get through a kidnapping without tears but the moment she heard his voice she was ready to fall to pieces.

  “Gina, where the fuck are you?” he demanded immediately, his voice rising in volume. “Are you safe?”

  It was no use, the tears spilled over and a tiny hiccoughing sob escaped her lips. She tried to smother the sounds. “We’re safe. We’re both safe,” she assured him in a high-pitched watery voice. “Your mama sa
ved us. We’re driving though, I don’t know where we are.”

  “Of course she saved you,” he snapped. “I was extremely relieved when I discovered this fool had her kidnapped with you. I knew she would get you to safety. Put the phone on speaker so I can talk to her.”

  Gina did as he commanded and held the phone out so Selena could talk. Rather than bother with any kind of emotion, the two held a quick, clipped conversation, agreeing that the best place for the women to meet was a remote café on the way to the airport.

  When Alejandro said, “Keep my bride safe,” to his mother, Gina felt the need to defend herself. After all, she’d somewhat held her own. “I stabbed a guy and I did a better job this time! I actually killed him.”

  Selena snorted but didn’t bother interrupting to tell how Gina had missed her mark by a long shot. She probably wasn’t going to make the best mafia wife. But dammit, she could bake and dance, and she had plenty of other wonderful qualities. And despite everything, Alejandro had chosen her and she had chosen him. They were a team now.

  Chapter Twelve

  Alejandro wanted to tear La Paz apart stone by stone until he had the man responsible for his woman’s abduction. Though he knew if Reyes was correct in his assumption that the person behind this mess was as much a heavy as themselves, then the likelihood of his being in Bolivia was slim. This was the reason he kept sending amateurs in. Which was why Alejandro kept getting lucky. If his enemy, whoever he was, got smarter, Alejandro might not continue this lucky streak. He needed to be more careful now that he had more than himself to think of.

  “I can practically read your thoughts, amigo,” Reyes said from beside him. They were travelling in the back of one of the armoured SUV’s to the meeting point to pick up the women. “Your anger will make you reckless.”

  Alejandro grunted and cracked his neck to the side to relieve some of the pressure. He’d had to make short work of killing the priest. It hadn’t been nearly as satisfying as it would’ve been if he’d had the time to do a proper job. “I’ve been angry before. Never interfered with my job.”

  Reyes grunted and nodded. “Fair.”

  They didn’t speak again until they pulled up to the restaurant where they’d agreed to meet Gina and Alejandro’s madre. He spotted the car she’d described and pointed his driver toward it. Relief blasted through him, releasing tense muscles when he saw the two heads he was hoping for leaning against the rear bumper. One bright blond and the other wearing a pert, colourful hat.

  “Fuck, there’s blood all over her again,” he growled. “Look at her!”

  “But she’s safe, amigo,” Reyes said calmly. “This is the main goal.”

  He was out of the vehicle before it had fully stopped and wrapped his arms around Gina, who let out a startled yelp and dropped the plastic cup she’d been calmly sipping from. It landed on the pavement at their feet splashing pop and ice cubes everywhere. She reached around his waist and hugged him back, pressing her face into his neck and breathing deep. Alejandro reached blindly for his mother, placing a hand on her shoulder and squeezing in an attempt to convey his gratitude. He felt her soft hand cover his.

  “Though it is unlikely that we were followed here, it’s best that we leave for the airfield directly,” Reyes said gruffly from behind them. “I would also suggest Señora Morales spend some time enjoying our hospitality in the mountains. Now that our enemy is aware of her existence, they will likely try to use her against you.”

  “They can certainly try,” Selena said pertly straightening up and placing her cup on the trunk of the car. “Nonetheless, I’d like to avoid another afternoon like this. I retired for a reason.”

  “Retired?” Gina asked, popping her head out from under Alejandro’s embrace.

  “Oh, you didn’t think I was referring to my poor dead husband as The Scorpion when I was threatening that young man, did you?” Selena said slyly, reaching for the door handle of the SUV. “Come on, let’s get moving. This heat is deadly.”

  Catching the look on Gina’s face, Alejandro let out a booming laugh and urged her to slide in after his mother. “Mi amor, I can assure you, you have been rescued by one of the deadliest assassin’s to ever grace the ranks of Venezuela’s elite commando unit. She was my mentor first, then mi madre.”

  Awe warred with disbelief as Gina looked at Selena Morales through new eyes. “What did your dad do?” she asked faintly.

  Alejandro shrugged. “He was a chef.”

  “And a damn good one,” Selena said smartly, patting her belly. “Made the best cordon bleu I’ve ever had the pleasure of tasting.”

  Alejandro leaned down to speak in Gina’s ear conspiratorially. “We called it apology chicken. He made it whenever he screwed up and had to apologize to mama. The chicken worked better than words ever did. It came in handy living with one of the world’s most effective killers.”

  Gina continued to eye Selena during their short ride to the airport. They hustled onto the helicopters without pause and were in the sky within minutes. Gina gasped in fear and cringed in her seat when two jets roared past them and circled back. Alejandro took her hand and kissed the tips of her fingers, then assured her, “They’re ours, cariña. Simply an escort to see us safely home. The military owes El Rey many favours.”

  She nodded and sat back in her seat, but her eyes remained glued to the window during the entire flight, her body stiff with anxiety. He wished that he could help her relax. Assure her that the likelihood of attack in these mountains, with a military escort at their sides, was virtually zero. But Alejandro knew that Gina wouldn’t feel safe until her feet were back on the ground at the compound.

  If he was a better man, perhaps he would not have made Gina his wife. Perhaps he would have let her go. Resettled her elsewhere in the world, where she could have a chance at happiness in a normal life. She deserved that. She wasn’t mafia material. She was soft, lovely and moral. She loved flowers, kittens and baked goods. In the past year she’d done her best to muddle her way through their world with a happy smile and positive words. But over and over he’d watched her stumble. A frown here when she overheard the family speak of product crossing borders and a flinch there when she watched the men in combat training. She tried to become invisible when the mafia world flowed around her, pretend that everything was normal. So unlike her cousin who thrived in the world they were born to.

  Yet, Alejandro was not a better man. He was decent enough when he put his mind to it and now he would spend the rest of his life being the best man he could for Gina. He’d stolen her chance at normal. So now he would bring normal to her every opportunity he could. He would build her a white picket fence at the compound. He would fill their house with flowers and kittens. He would make sure she was never covered in blood again.

  “Cariño, we’re here.”

  Her soft voice, coming through the headset startled him. He looked around the cabin and realized they were the only two left. The others must have exited quietly to give them a moment. Alejandro never missed anything, yet Gina was capturing his attention to the point that he was losing focus. He looked at her, a frown creasing his forehead. Perhaps he should have sent her away. For both their sakes. But he knew it would be the same as yanking out his own heart and sending it with her. Life would have become a colourless empty shell until his death.

  He pulled the headset off and helped her out of the aircraft. Predictably, the moment her feet hit the pavement, a shrieking blond launched herself into Gina’s arms, tearing Alejandro’s hand from hers. He allowed the separation, understanding that the cousins needed a moment. Besides, denying Casey anything she wanted was a good way to get himself killed by her husband. Alejandro’s and Reyes’ years-long friendship meant nothing when it came to indulging Reyes’ wife.

  “Look at you, Gina!” Casey cried, holding her cousin at arm’s length. Alejandro smirked waiting for the verdict, blood or dress? “What a fabulous dress! It’s absolutely gorgeous. Who picked it out? Is it Valentino? Dior? Let
me see the shoes! I wanted to go to the ceremony so bad, but Reyes said I couldn’t. I would’ve gone anyway but there weren’t any helicopters left.”

  Dress. She hadn’t even noticed the red streaks all down Gina’s front and in her hair. He should have known the bloodthirsty little hellion wouldn’t care about a little blood. Now she was a true mob wife. He’d seen her in action. Casey killed without remorse when it was warranted, stood at her husband’s side and made carefully plotted power decisions.

  She wrapped an arm around Gina and urged her toward the jeeps. “Come on, there’s a wedding feast up at the main house. You can eat and tell me all about the ceremony.”

  Alejandro growled in frustration. It would seem he wouldn’t have his bride to himself for awhile yet. He should have anticipated this. He glared at Reyes who had the audacity to laugh at him. “Would you have let your bride just walk off untouched on your wedding day?” he demanded.

  “Fuck no,” Reyes replied instantly, eyeing the jeep as it took off with their wives and Alejandro’s mother. “But you try saying no to Casey when she’s determined. Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten Mexico?”

  Alejandro grunted and swung into the second jeep, determined not to let Gina get too far out of sight. “She took a pot-shot at you and damn near found a way out of these mountains by herself.”

  “Si, and her aim has only improved since then.” It was true. Alejandro himself worked with Casey on her shooting. The woman was a natural. “Just come up to the house, eat some food, take your woman home. I will deal with Casey if she gets out of hand.”

  “Just try not to use the fingers she has herself wrapped around when getting your woman in hand.” Alejandro ducked the punch aimed at his head and laughed the first lighthearted laugh he’d managed since he’d discovered his bride was missing.