Page 52 of Till Death Do Us Part

As I waited for my husband to disembark, I couldn’t believe my eyes. This boat was crazy, reminding me of a story I’d seen about a Bezos superyacht. I was certain I was unsuccessful at hiding my awe. By the time all three of us were out of the helicopter, Jorge Roríguez stood near the staff. He too was dressed in white. A short-sleeved linen shirt and long linen pants. Despite his grin, I couldn’t help but see him for the intimidating and dangerous man he was. His smile broadened as Aléjandro guided me with a touch to the small of my back, and we walked toward him.

“Mia,” he greeted, again wrapping me in a hug. The combined scents of spice and cigars tickled my senses. While his accent was thick, I had no difficulty understanding his English. “We’re so happy to have you stay with us for a few days. We can get to know one another.”

“Thank you for having us.”

He spoke in Spanish to Aléjandro and Rei. Whatever he said to them sounded more serious than his greeting to me.

“You can get comfortable,” Jorge said. “We’ll have dinner at ten.”

Dinner.

At the sound of the word, my stomach grumbled. I’d forgotten that I was hungry. The first pang seemed like days ago, not hours.

“Sí,” Aléjandro and Rei replied.

I couldn’t look in every direction fast enough to take in the opulence surrounding me. My father wouldn’t be happy that I’d married into the cartel. Despite his willingness for an alliance, it was obvious he considered himself above them. I smirked, knowing that if he saw me now, he’d be green with envy at the sight of this superyacht. It was quite literally a floating castle.

“I’ll show you around after I shower,” Aléjandro said. “We’re headed to our suite.”

The breeze disappeared as my husband led me down a staircase and through a hallway. I wondered if I would need a trail of breadcrumbs to find my way back out. When he opened the door to our cabin, I couldn’t contain my awe.

“Is this always your room?” I asked, spinning a circle as a man laid both of our suitcases on the bed and left with a bow, closing our door behind him. Not only did we have a king-sized bed, but there was a deck with chairs and a table as well as a sitting area inside. One wall was lined with cabinetry, closets, and drawers. “This is magnificent. It is a honeymoon.”

“I’d like to tell you it is, but it’s not. Being here is all about safety.”

His tone took away a bit of my excitement. “How long will we be here?”

Aléjandro frowned. “As long as necessary.” He stalked my direction and possessively reached for my hips.

I sucked in a breath.

Holding his hand or him putting his hand on my back were becoming more comfortable. The way he held me against him was different—intimate. I could feel his erection hardening against me. “Aléjandro…”

He didn’t loosen his hold as conviction saturated his proclamation. “You were in danger today. I won’t allow that to happen again.”

Trying to ignore his arousal, I lifted my hand to his left arm and gently touched his short-sleeve and the bandage peeking out from beneath. “You were in danger.” I shook my head. “I wonder what I got myself into with our marriage.” I scoffed. “Or what Dario got me into.”

He lifted his hand to my cheek, staring intently into my eyes. I concentrated on the swirling shades of brown until his hand dropped, his eyes closed, and he leaned his forehead to mine. His words came out in a long breath. “I said you wouldn’t regret this marriage.”

“I don’t.”

Aléjandro’s eyes opened. “You don’t?”

I shook my head.

“I’m not an easy man, Mia. Neither is my father. Some would say I come by it naturally. This war with the bratva is” —he inhaled— “it’s a war we must win. I won’t allow you to be a casualty.”

“Because my death would harm the alliance?”

“That’s true. The real reason is that when I asked for you, I thought I was ready to marry.Mi padrewarned me about a wife.”

I took a step back. “He warned you aboutme?”

“No, about taking a wife. He told me that a wife is a weakness.”

My mind was spiraling. “Does Jorge think I’m responsible for your injury or the shooting?”

Aléjandro exhaled. “I’m not saying this right.” He ran his hand over his messy hair. “You, Mia, are important to me.”

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