by Wilder, L.
“She was too good for you. She deserved better, and you know it.”
“Maybe, but that doesn’t change anything. She’s still dead, and there’s nothing you can do about it.”
“But, I can keep you from doing the same thing to Alejandra.” He pressed the barrel of his gun into Navarro’s flesh as he replied, “I can still protect her.”
“You’re making a mistake, Marcus. If you pull that trigger, you’re as good as dead.”
I remembered Alex telling me about Marcus. He was the man who’d trained her how to fight, and as I stood there watching him put his life on the line for her, I quickly realized just how much he must’ve cared about her. She must’ve realized it, too, because she started to cry when she heard him say, “I don’t care. I’d rather die than let you hurt her.”
“Why must you be so fucking dramatic? We both know you don’t have the balls to pull that trigger.”
“That’s where you’re wrong.”
He didn’t bat an eye as he pressed his finger against the trigger, sending a bullet through Navarro’s head. It was like time stood still as we all watched his lifeless body slowly fall to the ground. It seemed inconceivable that such a powerful man could be taken down with a single bullet, but there he lay. He’d only been lying there a moment, when a second and then a third gunshot exploded through the room. Navarro’s men had shot Marcus, and once they felt certain he was dead, they turned their attention towards us. That turned out to be a mistake. They’d barely gotten a chance to aim their weapons when we fired our own, sending bullets soaring in their direction. When the last man fell to the ground, Alex rushed over to Marcus, and her sobbing continued as she knelt down beside him.
As she lowered her head to his chest, she whispered, “Thank you, Marcus. Thank you for everything.”
To all of our surprise, his hand reached for hers as he muttered, “I couldn’t let him take you back. I just couldn’t.”
Alex quickly lifted her head as she cried, “Marcus! You’re alive.”
“Not for long, sweetheart.”
“Don’t say that! We can get someone to help you.” She looked over to me as she pleaded, “Shadow! You have to help him.”
I knew by looking at him that Marcus was right. He didn’t have much time. Blood was pooling in his mouth, and he could barely breath. I crouched down beside her as I checked the position of his wounds, and when I saw that he’d been shot directly in the stomach, I knew his end was near. “There’s not much I can do.”
“But, you have to try something!”
Marcus gave her hand a squeeze and he wheezed, “Listen to me … Alejandra … I want you … to live … a good life … I want you to be … happy. You do … that for me, okay?”
“Yes, Marcus. I’ll do my best.”
“Your … mom would be … proud of you.” He coughed, and it took all his strength to take in one final breath. “You’re a fighter … never stop fighting.”
Tears started to stream down her face as she watched the life drain from his body. When she couldn’t stand it a moment longer, she reached for me, wrapping her arms tightly around my neck. “He’s gone.”
“I know, baby.”
I held her tightly against my chest for several minutes as she tried to collect herself. When the tears stopped falling and her breathing started to slow, I placed my mouth close to her ear as I whispered, “Let’s get you back to the clubhouse.”
She took a step back and asked, “What about Jason?”
“He’s coming with us.” I turned to T-Bone and said, “Hey, brother. Give me a hand.”
Once T-Bone helped me get Jason and Alex into the SUV, he walked over to me and said, “That apartment is on the third fucking floor. Cleaning this shit up ain’t gonna be easy.”
“No doubt. I’ll call Gus and have him send over some of the guys to give you a hand.”
“Tell ’em to bring plenty of plastic, cause we’re gonna need it.”
When he started to walk back towards the front door, I reached for my phone and called Gus. I gave him a quick rundown of everything that had happened, and while he was surprised by how things played out, he was relieved to hear that Navarro would no longer be an issue. We were still talking when he stopped to tell several of the brothers to head over to the apartment so they could help with the cleanup. Before ending the call, he asked about Alex. Like me, he was concerned about how she was handling losing both Marcus and her father. Even though I knew how she felt about her father, it couldn’t have been easy to witness his death. Losing Marcus would only compound the hurt, but in time, she would see that it was his love for her that gave him the strength to do what needed to be done.
Once I got Alex and Jason back to the clubhouse, we took Jason down to the med-room so Mack could take a look at his injuries. After he got him bandaged up, Alex helped me get him set up in one of the empty rooms. Mack had given him some pretty powerful pain relievers, and he was barely able to keep his eyes open as Alex tucked him into bed. “I’m so sorry about all of this, Jason. I never meant for you to get involved in all this.”
“There’s no way you could’ve known he’d come after me.”
“No, but I should’ve told you about my father … I was wrong to keep that from you.”
“Yeah. You should have, and honestly, I don’t understand why you didn’t.”
“I guess I was just scared.”
“But you could’ve talked to me about it. I would’ve understood. It hurts that you couldn’t trust me enough to tell me the truth.” He closed his eyes, and I thought he’d passed out until he said, “But, I’ll find a way to forgive ya.”
“I was hoping you would say that.” She gave him a quick hug before saying, “Get some rest, and I’ll be back later to check on you.”
By the time she closed the door, he was already sound asleep. She followed me down the hall, and as soon as we stepped into my room, she wound her arms around my neck, clinging to me for several moments. When she finally looked up at me, I could see the exhaustion in her eyes and said, “Why don’t you lay down and get some rest?”
“Will you lay down with me?”
“Of course.”
She crawled into bed, and as soon as I settled in next to her, she curled up next to me and laid her head on my chest. We hadn’t been lying there long when she whispered, “Thank you for coming for me today. I don’t know what I would’ve done if you hadn’t come.”
“Don’t you know … there’s nothing in this world I wouldn’t do for you, Alex.” I looked down at her as I said, “I never dreamed I could love anyone like I love you. You have me heart and soul, and I’ll die giving you everything I have to give.”
She eased up on the bed and leaned towards me, pressing her lips against mine. “I love you, too, Mason … so very, very much.”
As she laid her head down on my chest, I told her, “You scared me today. I was afraid something would happen before I could get to you.”
“I’m really sorry. I didn’t think I had any other choice.”
“Why don’t you tell me what happened?”
She let out a deep breath before saying, “He saw me outside by the fence. That’s how he knew that we were trying to trap him.”
“Did he tell you that?”
“Yes. He mentioned it during the phone call.” She let out a deep breath before saying, “I still don’t know how my father found out about Jason.”
“He was a smart man. There’s no telling how he found out.”
With the tip of her finger, she trailed lines across my chest as she told me all about Jason’s phone call, and how her father threatened to kill him if she didn’t come to his apartment alone. She didn’t think she had a choice but to do what he’d asked, and her voice was strained as she described seeing Jason so badly beaten. She was even more surprised when she found out Marcus was there. Her voice grew soft as she told me how he wouldn’t even look at her, making her think that he was there to help her father. It wasn
’t until he brought out his weapon that she realized he was there to protect her. With each word she spoke, her voice became more and more faint. Knowing she needed to rest, I whispered, “It’s over, baby. Just try to get some sleep.”
It was then that she whispered something that made my blood run cold. “I wish I could believe that.”
“Your father is gone. There’s nothing more he can do to you.”
“It’s not him that I’m worried about. It’s his brother, Josue. He’s even worse than my father.”
Before she could explain any further, she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep, leaving me wondering if there was more hell to come. I was tempted to wake her and ask what she’d meant, but decided to let her sleep. We both needed to put this night behind us, and I knew that as long as we had each other, we could face whatever came our way.
CHAPTER 22
Alex
The days after the attack were tough. I was struggling to come to terms with everything that had happened. Losing someone you care about is one thing, but watching them take their last breath is another thing altogether. It stays with you, lingers in your thoughts and haunts you in your dreams. Shadow knew what that was like. Remembering the pain he’d gone through when Michele died, he arranged for Marcus to have a proper burial. He thought it might help me find some sense of closure, but even after his funeral, I was still having a difficult time. Shadow assured me that things would get better. That I just needed more time, but I didn’t agree. I needed something to take my mind off of things, so against Shadow’s wishes, I reopened the bookstore. I knew he was worried that my father’s brother, Josue, would come after me, especially after I’d explained his connection to my father’s business, but I was done living in fear. I wanted to get back to work and visit with my customers so I could find a sense of normalcy in my life again.
I found solace in my old routines, and with each day that passed, I felt the tightness in my chest starting to fade and it wasn’t long before I was back to my old self again. I was pleased to see that I wasn’t the only one who found comfort in old routines. I’d only had the store reopened for a few days when Shadow came strolling through the door. Like so many times before, he walked over to the counter and made himself a cup of coffee and then scanned the different shelves looking for the perfect book. It was at this point his routine took a dramatic change. Instead of going to the back of the store to read, he’d find a spot close to me and we’d spend our morning together. Those moments quickly became the best part of my day.
I was happy, truly happy, and things in my life were finally settling down. Shadow had me talk to Gus about my Uncle Josue. After I told him everything I knew about him, he assured me that the brothers would keep an eye out for him. Knowing they would do everything in their power to keep him at bay, I let go of my worries, and eventually our lives got back to normal. After spending the night making love to Shadow, I woke up with my head on his chest and his arm wrapped around my waist. There was no better feeling than feeling his warm body next to mine. With great hesitation, I got up and took a long, hot shower. Once I was done, I got dressed and headed to the bookstore to get things ready to start the day. I’d just gotten things ready when Jason came charging in.
He could barely contain his excitement as he asked, “Did you hear?”
“Hear what?”
“The Sacred Knights are going to be at Newman’s tonight!”
It was good to see that all of his bruises had finally disappeared, and all his lacerations had healed. They had been a constant reminder of his kidnapping, and while he’d assured me that he didn’t blame me for any of it, I couldn’t help but feel guilty about it. As he stood there with a thrilled look on his face, I hated to disappoint him, but I had no idea who he was talking about. Having no idea what to say, I replied, “Okay?”
“Aren’t you pumped?”
“Umm… I hate to break it to ya, but I’ve never heard of the Sacred Knights.”
His mouth dropped as he looked at me with utter disbelief. “Are you kidding me! How do you not know about them? They’re huge!”
“I don’t know what to tell ya. I’ve been busy.”
“Well, that must be rectified. You’ve gotta come with me.”
I grimaced as I told him, “I’m sorry, but I can’t.”
“What? Why not?”
“I’ve already made plans with Shadow.” I could see the disappointment in his eyes as I continued, “We’re going over to Blaze’s house for a cookout with the guys. You should come grab a bite with us.”
“Nah. You go ahead. I don’t want to intrude.”
“Don’t be silly. You know Shadow wouldn’t mind. I think you’re kind of growing on him.”
“Really?” he asked, sounding hopeful.
Over the past month, Jason had made a habit of stopping by the bookstore at times when he knew Shadow would be there and had even come by the clubhouse a few times. At first, I thought it was just his way of checking up on me, but I quickly realized there was a different reason for his visits. Even though he’d never admit it, I could tell that he was intrigued by Shadow and the club, and the more time he’d spent with him, he discovered that he was actually a good guy—a guy he actually liked. I know he was surprised by the fact, but I couldn’t have been happier. I smiled at him as I answered, “Yes. Really. You should really think about coming by. Maybe we could hit the concert after?”
“Okay. I think I can do that.”
“Great. The cookout starts at six. I’ll text you with the address.”
“Sounds good.” As he started for the door, he said, “I’ll see ya tonight!”
Once he was gone, I hurried to wrap things up, so I could close the store early. I wanted to have time to take a quick shower before we headed over to Blaze’s place. As soon as the last customer left, I locked things up and headed upstairs to my apartment. Even though I spent every night with Shadow, I hadn’t officially moved in with him, mainly because there simply wasn’t enough room for all of my things in his room. We’d tried finding a place of our own, but nothing seemed to suit me. Shadow had dropped several hints, letting me know that he was growing impatient, but I wanted to hold out for the perfect place for us to start our lives together.
After I got dressed, I grabbed my purse and headed downstairs. I’d just locked the door, when Shadow pulled up on his motorcycle. As I walked over to him, I smiled and said, “Hey, there handsome. I wasn’t expecting you to come here. Is everything okay?”
“Yeah. Everything’s good.” He offered me my helmet as he said, “I had something I wanted to show you before we headed over to Blaze’s place.”
“Umm … okay,” I answered with curiosity. I took the helmet from his hand and climbed on behind him. As soon as I was settled, he revved his engine, and I placed my hands on his hips as we pulled out onto the road. Once we’d picked up speed, I leaned my back against the seat and let the wind whip around me, and I couldn’t help but smile. I loved the feeling of being out in the open. Everything around me seemed more vivid, like I could just reach out and touch all the different colors. I could’ve ridden with him for hours, but the ride ended when Shadow suddenly pulled into a driveway in the center of midtown. I turned to see a beautiful, dark gray bungalow with a beautiful white porch that led up to the entry way. There was a swing on one side of the front door and two wicker rocking chairs on the other.
As he helped me off the bike, I was surprised to see two familiar bikes were parked ahead of us in the driveway. “Who’s house is this?”
“You’ll see.”
He reached for my hand, and without saying a word, he led me inside. As soon as we walked through the front door, I left Shadow’s side and started walking through all the different rooms. There were hardwood floors throughout with fresh paint on all the walls. There were three bedrooms and two baths, and it had brand new tile and stainless steel appliances in the kitchen. While the house was empty and didn’t have any furniture, I could ima
ge how fabulous it would look completely furnished, and as I looked around at every last detail, I couldn’t think of a single thing I would change. I absolutely loved it.
I was just about to ask Shadow why he’d brought me to see it when T-Bone and Gunner came strolling in through the back door. Gunner looked over to Shadow with a big, goofy smile and asked, “Well? Does she like it?”
Answering for him, I said, “I love it.”
“Did you check out the master bathroom?”
“Umm … yeah. Why?”
“Did you check out the bidet?” Before I could answer, he said, “It’s got cold and hot water options, and I gotta tell ya, the cold water has got some power behind it.”
I couldn’t help but giggle at his enthusiasm. “Is that right?”
“It’s awesome. Hell, the whole house is awesome. You should definitely buy it.”
I quickly turned to Shadow and asked, “What is he talking about?”
Before answering me, he turned to T-Bone and Gunner and said, “Give us a moment, guys.”
As they started for the door, T-Bone answered, “You got it, brother.”
Once they were gone, Shadow walked over to me, and as he placed his hands on my waist, he said, “Once I saw it, I thought you might like it, and if you do, I’m gonna buy it … but only if you like it.”
“Are you kidding? I love it!” I wrapped my arms around him, hugging him tightly as I told him, “It’s absolutely perfect. I can’t believe you found it.”
“Then, that settles it. Looks like we’re buying ourselves a house.”