When I pull up on my drive, it takes a moment before either of us moves. I do first and open the door for her.
She steps out on legs so shaky I pick her up. At least she allows me to and holds on to me.
When I walk into the house, Estelle sees us, and I thank fuck when she notices the state Lucia is in she doesn’t give me the attitude she’s been sporting for the last few weeks.
“What happened?” she asks, keeping her voice low.
“Can you get me some of that herbal tea you used to make Avozinha?” My grandmother and Estelle were always brewing their calming teas.
“Of course.”
She saunters away to make the tea, and Lucia rests her head on my shoulder.
I take her up to her room and help her change out of the clothes and into a little nightshirt. It’s the first time I’ve seen her naked and not have some reaction to take her.
Estelle brings up the tea and some cookies on a plate I know Lucia likes, then she leaves us.
“Have the tea,” I tell her. She nods, taking the cup and trying a sip.
“It’s sweet.”
“It’s for shock.”
She lowers to sit on her bed and sets the teacup on the nightstand.
“Alejandro, are you okay?” she mutters.
“I’m fine.”
She holds my gaze then bites the inside of her lip. “Who’s El Diablo, Alejandro?”
I dip my head. Of course, she was going to have questions.
When I lift my head to meet her worried eyes, I find myself wanting to talk to her and tell her my problems. But I have to remember she’s not part of my world. Tonight was testament of that.
“It’s not something for you to worry about.”
“But you almost died.”
“It’s about business. Something I have that people want.”
“What is it?”
“A company.”
“They want your company?”
“Yes.”
“How would they get that?”
I’ve already said too much, and I won’t tell her the rest. “I have certain protocols to keep people out. Business can be dirty. I don’t know why that guy was spying on me tonight, but I’ll find out. I promise you that won’t happen again. I shouldn’t have left you in that alley.”
That was where I went wrong. I went outside when I saw her go, and I worried some shit like this was going to happen.
People take stock of what’s yours when you’re a man like me. They’d know she was important to me just for the fact I was with her.
I should have been more careful and called my men when I noticed that guy.