She ignored his question. Instead, she asked, “You know what Casey and I’ve been up to?”
The two women had decided to teach themselves different dances over the long months of isolation at the compound. Their favourite had been the tango; a beautiful, passionate and difficult dance. They had taken turns in the leading and following roles, learning all the steps, sometimes serious, sometimes erupting into hysterical fits of laughter. Though they probably should have realized they’d been discovered, they thought their activities were secret, their only audience a baby that couldn’t tell on them yet.
He nodded, a slight smile twitching up the edges of his lips. Gina held out a hand and arched an eyebrow in query. “We’ve been dancing around each other for a year, Alejandro. Don’t you think it’s time we do this for real or don’t you dance?” she challenged, fully expecting him to deny her request and take her away from the club.
She should’ve known her man better than that. He let out a growl and took her wrist in an unbreakable hold. Standing up, he towered over her and wrapped an arm around her back, crowding her, refusing to allow her to back up. He leaned down and spoke in her ear, his warm breath feathering across her skin, “Just remember, cariña, where I lead you will follow.”
He led her out of the VIP area and down the steps, stopping only briefly to speak with Fredo. Then he took her to the edge of the dance floor where they stood waiting. Her heart pounded in her chest. She suddenly realized she’d made a colossal mistake. They were about to dance. In front of people. People that would watch them. She’d only ever danced in front of and with her cousin. This was so very different it was grossly not funny!
She turned panicked eyes up to Alejandro. He smiled down at her and winked, leaning down to her. “You will see, feel and hear only me, si? My heart is the beat of the music in your ear. You remember and you will be fine, mi amor. I will not let you fall, not now, not ever.”
Her lips parted slightly in surprise as she took his words in. “When did you become so romantic?”
He laughed out loud, his voice booming out as the music fell away and staff were urging people off the dance floor. Silence descended over the room and the crowd turned to watch as Alejandro took her hand and led her to the middle of the dance floor. A shaft of fright ran through her as the watchful faces came into focus, but then Alejandro stepped in front of her and captured her attention, forcing her to focus on him once more. The lights dimmed around them until there were only a few left spotlighting the glossy black dance area. The crowd faded away until there was only Alejandro and Gina.
She watched him through lowered lashes as he circled her slowly and then stopped in front of her not touching physically but holding her enthralled with the warmth of his gaze, his domination, his determination and his love. The music started, and she immediately recognized Goten Project’s popular Santa Maria from La Revancha del Tango. She stepped around Alejandro and gave him her hand indicating she was allowing the dance to proceed. He whirled her into his arms and proved to her quickly that he knew exactly what he was doing. That hands soaked in blood were equally capable of caressing and dominating a woman in dance.
Within moments, exhilaration replaced trepidation as they flew across the floor together. Gina had no time to worry about counting steps as she followed Alejandro’s every step, snapping into place beside and in front of him as he led their dance. She kicked her leg over his and then back over, twirling away from him and then gasping when he gripped her hard and turned her back against him, pressing their chests intimately together. As the music neared the final notes, she felt the tension in his body increase. She knew exactly why – he would have to allow her to fall. The symbolic death.
As she whirled against his strong arm preparing to sink to the floor, he caught her instead, pressing her close. Rather than allowing her to drop to the floor at his feet he tipped her far back against his arm until she was nearly prone against his chest. Her legs were draped over top of his strong thigh and the tips of her hair brushed the dance floor at her back. He leaned forward, the muscles of his arms bulging against his shirt. He was so close to her that when he spoke his lips touched hers, “I will never allow you to fall, Gina, mi amor.”
The breath caught in her throat and tears threatened to spill as the final notes of music died away. Applause sounded around them. She knew they were good, very good for an amateur couple that had never before danced together. What they might have lacked in skill they more than made up for in passion. She flexed her fingers against him and smiled happily.
“I will do my best to never let you fall either, Alejandro,” she replied shyly.
He looked surprised for a moment, as though the thought of a woman, especially one like Gina, protecting him never occurred to him before. Then he grinned down at her, pleased, and kissed her quick and hard before setting her on her feet once more. They took a quick bow and left the dance floor. Without another word they exited the club. Gina guessed they had made enough of an impression.
She was glad. She was exhausted from a long day of dates with multiple men and trying to stand up for her rights so as not to get dragged to the alter by the hair caveman-style. “What next?” she asked, smothering a yawn as Alejandro escorted her onto the sidewalk toward the waiting vehicle. Fredo had the back door open and waiting for them.
When Alejandro didn’t answer, Gina opened her mouth to ask again. He held his hand up and stopped walking, drawing her tight against his side. Then, without warning he flung her forward into the arms of one of their bodyguard’s. The man caught her and shoved her into the side of the vehicle, covering her with his body. She felt him shift to pull his weapon from the holster when loud pops erupted all around them.
Gina let out a cry when she was shoved roughly down, a hand on her shoulder, guiding her to the pavement. She reached out, halting a nasty scape to her knees by gripping the edge of the open door. She flinched when she felt something slam into the vehicle next to her and looked up to see Alejandro throw himself against the metal panel to use it for cover as he squeezed off a few shots over the roof of the SUV. Someone was driving by and shooting at them.
She heard the screech of tires and slamming metal. He must’ve hit the other car when he fired at it. She wasn’t surprised. She knew how accurate Alejandro was. She’d seen him on the range before.
“You take left, I’ll go right. Don’t let them pin us down,” he snapped at Fredo. “Try to take one of them alive if you can.” He glanced down at Gina where she was crouched on the sidewalk, terror clear on her face. His own gaze was dispassionate. This was Alejandro at work. His eyes moved to the man who still had a hand on top of Gina’s shoulder, holding her in place. “Put her in the back, cover her with your life.”
“Yes, boss,” he answered immediately.
Gina didn’t have a chance to say anything. Alejandro disappeared around the side of the darkly tinted SUV as she was dragged to her feet and pushed inside. She crawled to the opposite door and peeked through the window. A bullet slammed into the glass next to her face and ricocheted off. She screamed and lunged back.
Trying to steady her breathing and heartrate she sat up again and stared out the window looking around frantically for Alejandro. He was around the back of the SUV, his dark head bobbing in and out of her line of sight as he shot at the men emerging from the crashed Lexus across the street.
“You okay, Ms. Giancarro?” her bodyguard asked, shoving his head back through the door.
“Yes!” she yelled back. “Just startled.”
“Keep your head down, ma’am,” he shouted. “It’ll be over soon.”
She nodded and ducked against the leather seat, clutching the seatbelt against her, as though it could keep her safe. After a moment, when she heard nothing she glanced back up. She couldn’t see anything so she crawled closer to the window and took a good look. She gasped and covered her mouth. Alejandro was standing in the road, his tall form hulking over top of a prone body in the road. Ra
ge suffused his features, an emotion unlike anything she’d seen on his face before. It filled Gina with awe. She knew it was because of her, because these men attacked him in public while she was with him.
She glanced over her shoulder and saw that her bodyguard had stepped away from the SUV. She clutched her purse tight and reached for the door handle, cracking it open. She could hear Alejandro’s low voice growling in fury. “… dare to attack me and my woman, you weak fuck. You will die slowly for this, pendejo. There will be no coming back from the hell I send you, puto motherfucker.” She peeked around the side of the door in time to see him spit on the man for emphasis.
Gina saw the other attacker a split second before Alejandro could spot him. She knew he was good at his job, knew that she should leave him alone to work. But she couldn’t. Every instinct in her body screamed at her to save the man she loved. She jammed her hand into her purse, pulled out the switchblade Casey insisted she carry everywhere and opened the door of the SUV. She screamed a warning as she ran at the man who was making his way stealthily toward Alejandro, his gun hand extended.
Alejandro twisted to the side, ducking the shot as it went wide while Gina jumped on the man’s back, sinking her tiny blade into his side. He screamed in pain, dropped his gun and flung her away from him. She flew sideways and hit the street hard, rolling before landing on her back. She came up on her elbows and looked around to find the man lunging toward her. Apparently, he knew his best bet at staying alive was to get his hands on the prize. She tried to scramble backwards but he was quickly on top of her, reaching down to grab her.
It didn’t matter, Alejandro came up behind him, yanked Gina’s blade from his side, pulled him against his chest and slammed the knife home in guy’s neck once, twice, three times. The attacker fell to his knees between Gina’s spread legs, blood pouring down his throat and chest. He flailed, one hand reaching for the wounds, trying to put pressure on them while the other continued to reach for Gina.
She watched in frozen horror as Alejandro gripped the man by the hair and held him upright, away from Gina but still close enough that she could watch every moment of his life drain from him. Alejandro watched her face as she stared at the scene before her, sobs spilling from her lips. He leaned forward until his lips were next to the dying man’s ear and he spoke clearly, his words travelling to Gina, “No one puts my woman in danger.”
His terrible, cold eyes held hers and she knew he was speaking directly to her. Another lesson. No one put Gina in danger, not even her. A shudder ripped through her and she forced herself to swallow a gag as he threw the now dead body away from them. Gina pulled her legs back so the man wouldn’t touch her as he fell to the pavement. Alejandro crouched next to Gina and gave her a quick once over.
“Are you hurt?” he asked coldly.
She shook her head sitting up and hugging herself against the chill of the night. She refused to look at him now, instead focusing dully on Fredo and his man as they collected the guy Alejandro had captured.
Alejandro stood and held a hand out for her. This time she felt none of the happiness or elation she’d felt earlier when she took it. As he helped her to her feet and escorted her to the car she knew she was truly in the hands of the mob. As though his prediction had come true much sooner than either of them could have thought; he’d made her unhappy. The man she loved was a monster. A monster that loved her back and would never let her go.
Chapter Nine
She was covered in blood. It had been his responsibility to make sure Gina was safe and happy and he couldn’t even manage to do that for a single evening in the city. She distracted him, a man well known for his ice-cold resolve, and there had been consequences. Now she was walking through the lobby of their fancy hotel, blood splattered across her chest, arms, dress and legs. He suspected she didn’t know or she might have freaked out in the car. Instead she’d remained silent on the ride back, sitting next to him in a numb haze as though waiting for her execution. He knew he’d been hard on her. Shouldn’t have killed the guy in front of her with such brutality. But fuck, he needed to show her that he could handle himself without her interference. She needed to obey his orders and stay safe for fuck’s sake.
The elevator arrived and wordlessly he pointed Fredo toward the stairs. He felt the tense vibes pouring off the other man. Fredo didn’t want them alone after that attack, not even for a second. He didn’t care. He wanted Gina to himself. He pushed her into the elevator and punched the button. The second the doors closed he punched the wall panel beside the door, enjoying the satisfying crunch and shatter of glass as it broke and hit the floor at their feet.
Finally, Gina came alive, letting out a terrified squeak and jumping back from him. He turned to her, grabbed her arm and pushed her against the same wall he’d kissed her against earlier. Only this time he wasn’t in the mood to kiss her. He wanted to slap her, to shake her, to wake her up and make her see sense.
He put a finger in her face and watched fear flare in those beautiful grey eyes. “The next time,” he said in a deadly quiet voice, “I give you a fucking order, you listen. You don’t listen to me, cariña? You don’t sit down for a month, you don’t leave the house for a year. Understand?”
She nodded quickly, her nose brushing his finger. Fat tears gathered in her eyes and rolled down her cheeks. He touched one to his finger and put his finger in his mouth. The elevator stopped on their floor. He calmly placed a hand at her back and escorted her off the elevator and into their suite of rooms, ignoring his men who exited the stairwell and took their places along the hallway.
Without a word, Gina moved immediately toward the connecting door, reaching for the knob as though it were a lifeline.
“Gina.” She stopped but didn’t turn around. Her stiff shoulders spoke for her. “Leave the door open. I’ll be able to hear you in case you need anything. The ceremony is tomorrow at noon. Someone will be in your room at 9 to help you get ready.”
She stopped breathing for a moment, just stood frozen, her body a beautiful bloody statue. Then she nodded jerkily and thrust the door open, disappearing through it. She left the door open as he’d commanded but didn’t turn on a light. He could barely hear her shoes on the carpet as she moved around her room.
He decided the best thing for him to do was have a smoke, calm his nerves before he did something they would both regret. Like beat or fuck her into her into obedience. The blood lust and anger were still riding high in his system. He knew his annoyance with Gina was a symptom even if she deserved the lash of his tongue for the stunt she’d pulled. Still, he didn’t want to frighten her more than he already had. Though she’d proven she had spunk, she was still a soft woman with a soft heart.
He stalked toward the balcony, jerked the doors open and stepped into the cool night. It occurred to him that she must’ve been cold without a wrap or jacket, yet she hadn’t said a word. He would have to remember to take better care of her. After he lit the end of his half-smoked cigar, he pulled his cell phone from his pocket and hit his employer’s contact.
Reyes picked up immediately. “Alejandro,” he growled. “I was expecting your call sooner.”
Alejandro blew out a stream of smoke and answered, “I needed to get the girl safely back to the hotel. Called as soon as I could.”
“She is safe?” Reyes snapped, annoyance clear in his voice. “My wife is beside herself with worry.”
“Si, though not for lack of trying on her part,” Alejandro said coldly.
Reyes grunted. “I heard. Didn’t think she had it in her. You’ll deal with the security breach?”
His lip curled in anticipation and he brought the cigar to his mouth for another puff. “Si, mi amigo. The packages should arrive shortly. My younger friend will need to be taught to listen much better to orders. When I tell him to keep my woman safe in the car, he will need to know to listen in future. The other, the gang scum that dared to try for my life tonight and question your reign, is for your pleasure, mi Rey.”
“Excellent, I do enjoy a good example.”
“I thought you might.”
Reyes grunted and remained silent for a moment, then he said, “It’s probable that you have become the target of a hit. It has become common knowledge to both our friends and enemies that you are highly valuable to me, amigo.”
“Be still my heart,” Alejandro joked. Reyes almost never commended his men. Keeping them well paid and in good health was praise enough in his eyes.
Reyes ignored him. “I’m sending more guards. You will finish your business with the woman and come home until we sort this out. If it is a marriage you want, then get it done and come back to the valley where you will have safety.”
Alejandro frowned down toward the street, watching the passing cars. “You think a heavy is behind this, not just La Paz gang shit.” A statement, not a question. He was good at reading his boss.
Reyes was silent for a moment, thinking before he answered. “This job was sloppy but doesn’t feel like a random potshot at my authority. I am uncertain who could be behind it. And as you know, uncertainty makes me uneasy.”
And Reyes’ uneasiness usually ended in a sea of bloodshed until the mobster was satisfied any threat to his reign was neutralized. Alejandro grinned and tossed the stub of his cigar over the iron railing into the darkness. “I look forward to the challenge, boss.”
Reyes grunted something that sounded suspiciously like, ‘crazy fucking puto.’ Then he continued in a clear voice, “Just make damn sure my cousin doesn’t get caught in the crossfire, si? I’ve grown somewhat attached to the little nanny.”
“Every motherfucker that so much as thinks about my woman the wrong way will die a slow and agonizing death,” Alejandro snarled. “El Escorpion taught me well how to play with my food before dispatching them.”
He ended the conversation and straightened, breathing deep, taking the crisp night air into his lungs. It was different than the much more hot, humid jungle region in Venezuela where he’d grown up, became first a military commando and then a mercenary. It had taken him some time to grow attached to the Bolivian Andes, but now he gladly called this place home.
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