My almost impossible goal is to find Gio and murder the son of a bitch in cold blood. I don’t know how long it will take, but whatever it is, it is. When my life is free of baggage, I will find Julius and show him I’m no longer a woman to depend on a man, that I don’t need him but want him. That my heart will belong to him no matter what his choices are.
I will be loyal, to the death. At the moment, loyalty is all I have to give.
Now, as I lie here, contemplating life’s mysteries, a knock at the door sounds. And I stop breathing.
Another knock. But still, I don’t rise.
When the voice sounds, my heart jumps.
It’s definitely not Wyatt.
“Jesus. C’mon, Alejandra. I saw you go in there,” the husky feminine voice accuses. “Let me in. It’s fucking cold.”
I move to slide out of bed but stop, sitting on the edge.
Her tone harsher, she hisses out, “If I have to guard you like a fucking hawk, I’m going to do it in comfort, bitch. Now let me in.”
Watch me?
Well, that has my attention. Could it be that Julius sent her to keep watch over me?
I’m not brave enough to hope. But I am bold enough to move toward the door. When I stand behind it, I call out, “What do you want, Ling?”
She lets out a trying growl. “I just told you. Shit. Let me in, will ya?”
I know it’s a stupid decision, and I roll my eyes as I do it, but I unlock the door and throw it open.
The attack I expect never comes.
She strides inside without sparing a glance at me, rubbing her arms then breathing in her hands for warmth. She grunts in annoyance. “It’s so much warmer in here, and he wants me to spend the night in the goddamn car? I don’t think so, boss man.”
That confirms my initial suspicion. Julius sent her.
And my heart soars.
I knew he was acting strange, out of character, and this is why.
He never wanted to leave me.
“Ling,” I huff out in irritation. “You can’t stay here. You need to leave.”
That’s when she turns to look at me. And I’m surprised at her reaction.
Her face softens as she takes me in, looking me up and down with a shake of her head. “Oh, Ana.” She moves toward me, but history has told me not to trust this woman—not fully, anyway—and I take a step back, away from her.
Undeterred, she throws me a look of utter sympathy and states, “You’re bleeding.”
For once, her high heels don’t click, muffled by the soft carpet as she moves closer to me. I don’t move from my spot. When she gets to me, she reaches up, and I try not to flinch. But the slap I think she’s about to deliver never lands at my cheek. Instead, she cups it gently, running her thumb over the corner of my mouth where I’m hurt.
She holds up her thumb to show me the small bloodstain there then slowly brings it to her red-lipped mouth. Her pink tongue darts out and laves the pad of her thumb, and my heart begins to race.
I’m uncomfortable with Ling’s sensuality, have been from the beginning.
Her face lowered, she puts her thumb into her mouth and sucks a moment before letting her arm fall by her side. Then she speaks, “You remember what I told you after the club that night? About what I would do if you took Julius away from me?”
I think hard, trying desperately to remember her wording.
“…if you take him from me, what happens as a consequence of that will be your fault, not mine.”
After a long moment, I nod, because it doesn’t sound like a threat any longer. Now, it sounds like regret.
Taking a single step closer, she looks me in the eye. “I’m sorry.” When I search her expression, all I see is genuine remorse.
I open my mouth to respond, to tell her it’s okay, that from now on, we’ll tolerate each other for Julius’s sake. But she stuns me.
Reaching up, she takes hold of my elbows, gripping them tight in silent apology, then leans forward to place her lips on the corner of mine, kissing me there. I still, unsure what to do. The last thing I want is to offend her. An offended Ling could end my life. A second passes and she pulls back far enough to rest her forehead against my temple. “I’m sorry, Ana.”
This sorry is different. Colder somehow.
And when she raises her head and speaks again, my heart stutters. Her eyes glacial, she utters, “But you brought this on yourself.”
Turning on her heel, she strides out of the motel room, leaving the door wide open.
The evening breeze is cool and, as it passes over me, chills me to the bone.
I wrap my arms around myself, rush toward the door, gripping the handle and moving to close it, but I never make it.
The door swings inward so fast it’s as if a bomb has exploded on the opposite side of it. I’m thrown backward onto the floor, the door hitting my head along the way. Stars dance behind my eyes as I fight to stay conscious. The shirt now gathered around my waist with my ass completely bare, I hear him.
I hear him and die inside.
“Hello, Alejandra.”
Before even having the chance to look up at him, my body begins to tremble in dread as I fight tears of utter terror.
This is it.
This is the end.
He found me.
I’m screwed now.
My first reaction is to cover my bare bottom, and as I shuffle around to do just that, Gio laughs, low and rough, as he moves toward me. “No need for that. I’ve all but eaten off of it before.”
I scuffle backward in a lame attempt to get away from him, but he grips my upper arm and pulls me up with little to no effort at all. I grit my teeth in an attempt to control my breathing, but my chest heaves.
He looks at me and frowns in confusion, tilting his head in thought and speaking on a whisper. “What does he see in you, I wonder?” He shakes his thoughts off. “Same thing my brother saw in you.” He looks at me from under hooded brows. “Nothing but ass.”
I bite my bottom lip to silence the whimper threatening to escape.
He grips my arm, squeezing hard enough to bruise. “How long did it take before you fucked him? A day? Two?” He looks down at me and chuckles quietly. “I s‘pose I can’t blame you. It’s all you know. Isn’t is, Alejandra?”
“Please,” I pant, and I feel stupid for it, because I have no idea what I’m pleading for. A quick death maybe.
His face softens, but only marginally, and he shushes me. “Hey. Quiet now. It’s okay, Ana.” He pulls me close, his front to my back, and locks me in with a firm arm around my shoulders. “It’s okay. You’re coming with me. And we’re going home.”
I can’t fight, not now, not without one of us ending up dead, and that would more than likely be me. I’m smarter than to let pride kill me. So I don’t fight. I let him hold me, and I do it without complaint.
Gio leans down to place his cheek next to mine, rocking me softly. “I missed you, you know?” His free hand slides down my right side, running over my hip to clutch at my right hand. “So, married again, huh?”
I nod slowly, submissively, and he brings my hand up to look at it. He turns his head into mine, to gauge my expression. His brows rise. “No ring?”
I shake my head and stay quiet, although I’m screaming on the inside.
He releases me a moment to reach into his pocket before bringing his arm up around my shoulders once more, holding me tighter than before. When I spot what he holds in his hand, a petrified sob escapes me. My body trembles so hard that my teeth chatter.
I await what is coming as icy, cold dread rots like road kill in the pit of my stomach.
Gio speaks directly into my ear, his breath warming my neck, and I shudder at the feeling. “You know, in the eyes of God, you’re nobody’s bride, Ana. You betrayed your husband, and to be honest, I think He would be livid to know you’ve taken another. I mean, you’ve clearly proven you’re not wife material. Who are you to shit all over the sanctity of marriage?” He
pauses a moment. “When I marry your sister, you better believe what happened to Dino won’t happen to me. I won’t allow it.” I feel his smile stretch at my cheek. “I’ll kill her first.”
His fingers close around my ring finger on my right hand, and he jerks it upward in front of my face. “Now, I’m going to make sure everyone knows your sins, and if that fucking scimmia Julius ever gives you a ring,” his laugh is pure evil “I’d like to see you try to wear it.”
The gardening sheers he holds come closer toward my hand, and although I plan not to fight, my body goes into preservation mode, and I lash out, kicking and growling through pleading cries.
But he’s bigger than me. He’s stronger than me. He’s more of a psycho than I am.