Page 18 of Alejandro's Prey

“And a damn good one,” Selena said smartly, patting her belly. “Made the best cordon bleu I’ve ever had the pleasure of tasting.”

Alejandro leaned down to speak in Gina’s ear conspiratorially. “We called it apology chicken. He made it whenever he screwed up and had to apologize to mama. The chicken worked better than words ever did. It came in handy living with one of the world’s most effective killers.”

Gina continued to eye Selena during their short ride to the airport. They hustled onto the helicopters without pause and were in the sky within minutes. Gina gasped in fear and cringed in her seat when two jets roared past them and circled back. Alejandro took her hand and kissed the tips of her fingers, then assured her, “They’re ours,cariña.Simply an escort to see us safely home. The military owesEl Reymany favours.”

She nodded and sat back in her seat, but her eyes remained glued to the window during the entire flight, her body stiff with anxiety. He wished that he could help her relax. Assure her that the likelihood of attack in these mountains, with a military escort at their sides, was virtually zero. But Alejandro knew that Gina wouldn’t feel safe until her feet were back on the ground at the compound.

If he was a better man, perhaps he would not have made Gina his wife. Perhaps he would have let her go. Resettled her elsewhere in the world, where she could have a chance at happiness in a normal life. She deserved that. She wasn’t mafia material. She was soft, lovely and moral. She loved flowers, kittens and baked goods. In the past year she’d done her best to muddle her way through their world with a happy smile and positive words. But over and over he’d watched her stumble. A frown here when she overheard the family speak of product crossing borders and a flinch there when she watched the men in combat training. She tried to become invisible when the mafia world flowed around her, pretend that everything was normal. So unlike her cousin who thrived in the world they were born to.

Yet, Alejandro was not a better man. He was decent enough when he put his mind to it and now he would spend the rest of his life being the best man he could for Gina. He’d stolen her chance at normal. So now he would bring normal to her every opportunity he could. He would build her a white picket fence at the compound. He would fill their house with flowers and kittens. He would make sure she was never covered in blood again.

“Cariño, we’re here.”

Her soft voice, coming through the headset startled him. He looked around the cabin and realized they were the only two left. The others must have exited quietly to give them a moment. Alejandro never missed anything, yet Gina was capturing his attention to the point that he was losing focus. He looked at her, a frown creasing his forehead. Perhaps he should have sent her away. For both their sakes. But he knew it would be the same as yanking out his own heart and sending it with her. Life would have become a colourless empty shell until his death.

He pulled the headset off and helped her out of the aircraft. Predictably, the moment her feet hit the pavement, a shrieking blond launched herself into Gina’s arms, tearing Alejandro’s hand from hers. He allowed the separation, understanding that the cousins needed a moment. Besides, denying Casey anything she wanted was a good way to get himself killed by her husband. Alejandro’s and Reyes’ years-long friendship meant nothing when it came to indulging Reyes’ wife.

“Look at you, Gina!” Casey cried, holding her cousin at arm’s length. Alejandro smirked waiting for the verdict, blood or dress? “What a fabulous dress! It’s absolutely gorgeous. Who picked it out? Is it Valentino? Dior? Let me see the shoes! I wanted to go to the ceremony so bad, but Reyes said I couldn’t. I would’ve gone anyway but there weren’t any helicopters left.”

Dress. She hadn’t even noticed the red streaks all down Gina’s front and in her hair. He should have known the bloodthirsty little hellion wouldn’t care about a little blood. Nowshewas a true mob wife. He’d seen her in action. Casey killed without remorse when it was warranted, stood at her husband’s side and made carefully plotted power decisions.

She wrapped an arm around Gina and urged her toward the jeeps. “Come on, there’s a wedding feast up at the main house. You can eat and tell me all about the ceremony.”

Alejandro growled in frustration. It would seem he wouldn’t have his bride to himself for awhile yet. He should have anticipated this. He glared at Reyes who had the audacity to laugh at him. “Would you have let your bride just walk off untouched on your wedding day?” he demanded.

“Fuck no,” Reyes replied instantly, eyeing the jeep as it took off with their wives and Alejandro’s mother. “But you try saying no to Casey when she’s determined. Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten Mexico?”

Alejandro grunted and swung into the second jeep, determined not to let Gina get too far out of sight. “She took a pot-shot at you and damn near found a way out of these mountains by herself.”

“Si, and her aim has only improved since then.” It was true. Alejandro himself worked with Casey on her shooting. The woman was a natural. “Just come up to the house, eat some food, take your woman home. I will deal with Casey if she gets out of hand.”

“Just try not to use the fingers she has herself wrapped around when getting your woman in hand.” Alejandro ducked the punch aimed at his head and laughed the first lighthearted laugh he’d managed since he’d discovered his bride was missing.

The meal Casey had asked the chef to prepare was indeed a feast worthy of their wedding day and seeing the pleased look on Gina’s face as they lifted their glasses to toast the bride and groom, Alejandro was glad that he hadn’t just dragged her back to his home. She deserved every happiness possible, even if it meant he had to wait a little longer to bury himself in the woman he’d spent a year pining over. Hell, it had been a year since he’d touched any woman, period. It was like the moment he met Gina, his dick was no longer interested in anyone else. And Alejandro was old enough, experienced enough to get the message. Gina was forever material. The type of woman a man waited for. Did not take for granted by fucking around on. Even if she never knew the depth of his feelings until he was ready to declare himself.

So, he lifted his glass, toasted, smiled and laughed alongside his bride and the rest of the family. He spent two hours accepting congratulations, talking, eating and listening to Spanish music. Finally, he was able to wait no longer; he wanted Gina to himself. He sent their host a meaningful look and was rewarded with a nod for his patience. Alejandro took Gina’s hand in a firm grip and stood, drawing her up with him. She gave him a startled look but didn’t protest.

“Though the evening is not late, it has been a long day and I am eager to have my bride to myself,” Alejandro told the table. “Excuse us,por favor.”

Casey stood. “But we haven’t had cake yet.” Alejandro was certain she would have run to her cousin if Reyes hadn’t captured her wrist and tugged her back down into her seat.

“Let them go,” he said in an authoritative drawl. “You have seen for yourself that she is well,mi reina. Now you must relinquish her to the care of another.” When it looked as though Casey would argue, he lifted a brow and said, “Let her go. I insist.” Casey bit her lip and fell silent, though she frowned at her husband, clearly torn.

Alejandro and Gina said their goodbyes. He allowed Casey to give her cousin a tight hug and promised that the two women would meet the following day before pulling his bride away. Though he would rather keep her to himself for longer than a day he knew he would have to work. The problem of whomever had been targeting him still existed. Alejandro would not rest until that particular threat was entirely extinguished.

After making sure that hismadrewould be taken care of at the mansion, he strode through the hall with Gina and out into the crisp mountain air. She looked around confused as he escorted her toward his car, brought around as requested. “You didn’t think we’d be staying here, did you?” he asked, opening the passenger door for her and arranging the skirt of her wedding gown before closing the door.

After he took the driver’s seat she answered. “I guess not. But we aren’t staying in the barracks with the men, are we?”

“Certainly not,” Alejandro assured her, but abstained from clarifying their whereabouts until they approached the home he’d had built on the far side of the compound. He watched her face as they drove up to the house, set away from the rest of the buildings. It wasn’t like anything else on the property. It was much smaller than the mansion, but still large and beautifully designed. He knew that Gina’s family was originally from Georgia, so he asked the architect to go with an older southern US style home with a wraparound balcony. Of course, he’d had the structure reinforced to withstand potential conflicts as well as Andean weather.

“Oh!” she gasped, her hand going to her mouth. Her grey eyes widened as they took the entire white and blue structure in. Then she turned to look at him, speechless.

“I began plans for it a few months after you arrived and had it started a few months ago. I moved my things in on Tuesday. Your things were moved yesterday while we were in La Paz,” he told her. “There are brand new furnishings. And of course, I expect you to pick out whatever you want, or make any changes that will make you happy.” When she continued to stare as if she couldn’t believe her eyes, he took her hand and then turned her chin so she would look at him. “If it doesn’t make you happy,mi amor, we can burn it and start over. Hell, we can build a mansion bigger than the main house. Though I am not sure your cousin will like that. She can be a competitive little thing.”

Gina half-choked, half-laughed and reached for the door. “Don’t you dare burn it!” She jumped out of the car and began walking fast toward the front doors. “I want to see inside. Do you have the key?”

“Door code,” he growled following quickly behind her and scooping her up in his arms before she could reach the front steps. She squealed and gripped his shoulders laughing up at him while he strode with her to the door.

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