Chapter 61

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, cari?a? 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.

A sound caught his attention, a muffled cry. Knowing instinctively it was coming from Gina's room, he pulled his gun and lunged toward the connecting door. He slammed his fist into the wall, hitting the light switch and ducking to the side so he wouldn't become a target. She was nowhere in sight.

The sounds were coming from her washroom. He realized that they were the sounds of a woman's muffled sobs, not someone being attacked. He put his gun back in the holster so he wouldn't frighten her even more than he already had that evening and approached the lit, half-open door. At the sight that met him, his chest ached and for the first time in a very long he felt regret. He was at least partially responsible for this.

Gina was standing in the claw-foot tub fully clothed except for her shoes which lay discarded on the marble tiles, her arms held stiffly in front of her as though they didn't belong to her. She was staring down at the blood, tears dripping down her face. She was shaking and sobbing, trying to catch her breath. Her lips were tinged in blue and her skin was alarmingly pale.

"Oh, cari?a," he said softly, "look at you." Her head jerked a little, but she didn't look up when he approached. Gently he reached for her and wrapped his arms around her, leaning her into his body. He ran his hands down her arms, warming her chilled skin. "Okay, baby, we're going to wash you and warm you up. Understand?"

She didn't respond, but she didn't push him away either. He gently pulled her down with him, her inside the tub and he on the outside until she was sitting and he was kneeling next to her. She was shivering uncontrollably but her breathing was starting to even out. He suspected she was having a panic attack. He took her face in his hands and looked into her eyes, taking in the dilated pupils.

"Just breathe, amor," he urged brushing his thumb over her lips. He was worried about the blue in her skin. Though she didn't respond to him verbally, she seemed to hear him as she took a long rattling breath.

"Good girl," he praised her, reaching for the taps. She grabbed his arm and clung to him while he adjusted the flow of water and made sure it was warm enough without scorching her delicate skin.

She leaned against the side of the tub, laying her head against his shoulder while he used a cloth and some soap to gently wipe the blood from her. After a few moments he said, "I'm going to help you out of this dress, Gina." When she stiffened, he assured her, "I will give you the highest respect, but you'll feel better if we take this dress off and wash all the blood away. Okay, mi amor?"

"Yes, Alejandro," she whispered, so quiet he barely caught the words. His heart leapt though. She was giving him her trust again. Even after seeing him murder someone right in front of her.

He lifted the curtain of hair away from her neck and unhooked the halter part of her dress. She quickly brought her hands up to catch the front as it fell while he dropped his fingers down her back to unzip the remaining part of her dress at the top of her perfect, curvy ass. He had to remind himself he was being a gentleman as the curves of those cheeks were revealed. Gently he tugged the front of the dress from her stiff fingers and urged her to kneel so he could peel the dress completely away. He tossed the sodden mass out of the tub and helped her to sit back once more.

Alejandro spent several minutes running the cloth over her body until she gradually relaxed and closed her eyes, her blond head resting against his shoulder. He dropped a kiss against the soft curls and inhaled the sweet, flowery fragrance. He hadn't anticipated his first time seeing his bride's naked body, touching each gorgeous curve and being unable to take her the way he'd planned. Yet, the moment, despite the events of the evening, was more perfect than he could have imagined.

"Alejandro?" she asked sleepily, her husky voice reaching out to wrap around his cock the way it did each time she said his name.

"Si, Gina?"

"How can you be so scary one moment and so sweet the next?" Her voice was both innocent and accusing.

Alejandro felt a shaft of hurt. But her question was not unfair. He was Reyes' second-in-command. He was an enforcer, the monster that stalked the shadows of the underworld. It was his job to be scary. He wasn't built for love. Yet love had found him anyway. He dropped his head and murmured against her, "I am only sweet for you, mi amor. No one else."

She said nothing and when he looked he realized she was asleep. He turned the water off, wrapped a towel around her as best he could and lifted her from the tub, ignoring the water that streamed over him. He was as bloody as she had been anyway, his suit ruined. He strode with her to the bed, shifted the blankets back and tucked her inside, naked and damp. Then he dropped to his knees beside the bed, took her hand in his and leaned forward until he was almost touching her face.

"Gina, mi amor," he murmured. "Will you be my wife?"

Her eyelashes fluttered, and she opened clear grey eyes to look at him. His heart nearly stopped as he waited for her answer.

"Yes, Alejandro."