Page 80 of Born a Queen

Chapter Forty-Three

Mateo paced impatiently near the front doors of the mansion as he waited for Danny's black SUV to traverse the driveway. Minutes later he caught a glimpse of the vehicle hurtling toward him. Before it could come to a complete stop, Raina was launching herself out one of the back doors and towards Mateo.

He caught her, absorbing the impact against his solid body, as she flung herself into his arms. It felt good having her sleight weight smashing into him. She wrapped her arms around his waist and clung to him, pressing her face into his chest.

"I'm so sorry, I had no idea this would happen. I should've stayed home. I tried my hardest to fight Daniela off, but she was stronger and more skilled. What if something happens to Angela?" Raina's words came out in a garbled mess. Mateo was only able to decipher every other word, but he got the gist.

He ran his hand over her head and frowned as she winced when his fingers touched a spot on the back. "You did nothing wrong. This is not on you. If anyone should bear responsibility, it’s me. I didn't treat Daniela as enough of a serious threat."

He shuffled Raina to the side as Danny emerged from the vehicle with Angela in his arms. He paused in front of Mateo. “Thomas found our missing men. Both dead. One shot to the head each while they were still in the car.”

Raina collapsed against Mateo’s side, using him for support as she learned the fate of her bodyguards. She was indirectly responsible for their deaths, for Angela being shot.

Mateo nodded toward Angela and said in a clipped tone, "Take her to her bedroom. The doctor is on his way."

"Doesn't she need a hospital?" Raina asked tearfully, tilting her head up to look at him.

Mateo shook his head. "We only use hospitals as a last resort. And the doctor isn’t for Angela, he's for you. He'll check Angela over, but since there are no discernible injuries, she should be fine once she wakes up."

"But Angela is the one who got hurt!" Raina burst out, jerking back in his arms and frowning. "Daniela barely had time to touch me before Angela shot her."

Mateo hadn't known that Angela had shot Daniela. There was much he needed to find out. He spoke rapidly to his men, giving them instructions on how to organize security and instructing them to let the doctor through. They were about to go into full lockdown, no one in and no one out.

"Come." Mateo wrapped his arm around Raina's waist and walked with her into the mansion. She balked and tried to trail after Danny, but Mateo forced her up the stairs and into their bedroom.

"I'm fine!" she burst out once they were in the bedroom. "Nothing happened to me. I'm worried about Angela, and you should be too." There was accusation in her voice as she told him that he should be more concerned for his subordinate.

"Angela is part of my security team, which means there are certain risks that come with the job. You are our number one priority, and you will continue to be priority until I’m assured that you’re not hurt." When it looked as though she intended to argue with him, he held a hand up. "I care about Angela too. I've known her since she was a teenager. But it's a fact, she would want you to be secure before anyone concerns themselves with her well-being."

Raina's jaw tightened and she narrowed her eyes at him. "Fine, I'm secure. But I want an update on Angela's health as soon as possible."

Mateo rolled his shoulders back, cracking his neck and easing some of the tension. He really hadn't intended to argue with Raina. He wanted some of their easy friendship back and he seemed to be pushing that farther and farther away.

"As soon as the doctor is able to look you over, both of you, then I’ll allow you to see Angela. For now, I need you to sit down and rest." Her face softened and she allowed him to take her arm and help her into a sitting position on the bed. He sat next to her and ran a hand down her spine then massaged the base of her back. "You may not have been physically hurt, though I suspect at least a bump to the head. Regardless, the terror and adrenaline spike alone can cause complications. I need to be sure that you’re okay. Will you do this, will you allow a doctor to look you over? For me?"

They stared at each other, her deep blue eyes big and uncertain. It tore at his heart knowing that he was forcing her into a lifestyle where things like this were possible. He made enemies, he was a target, which made her a target too. He loved her too much to be okay with this, yet his love wasn't unselfish enough that he was willing to let her go.

"Okay, I'll talk to the doctor." She reached out and took his hand, as though she knew he needed reassuring. "Really though, I'm okay. The back of my head hit a wall and she punched my chest, but that's all she had time to do."

"She shouldn't have even been able to do that much." Mateo growled, fury rushing through him, igniting his desire for revenge. He stood, releasing her hand. "I need to go downstairs to confer with security and check on Angela. I'll be up in a few minutes with the doctor and an update."

Raina nodded, but as he was walking away, she stopped him. "The woman, Daniela, or whoever she is… she said you killed someone she knew.” She looked at him expectantly.

“Don’t worry about it for now. We’ll talk later.”

As Mateo left the room, Raina was crawling up the bed to lay down in her favourite position, on her side with her hands in the prayer position under her face. He wondered if she would take a nap or wait for the doctor. All he wanted to do was curl up next to her, hold her against his body and reassure himself that she was both real and alive.

Mateo strode down the hallway and took the stairs two at a time as he descended to the lower level. He snapped his fingers at Thomas and jerked his head towards his office. "Get Danny and meet me in here."

Mateo shoved the door open and strode inside. A half smile lifted his lips as he looked around. The place was in complete chaos, protective plastic sheets over his desk and chair, construction equipment everywhere and sawdust hanging in the air. The sight of such renewal gave him hope. Raina was renovating his office to erase the memories of its past occupant. A sentiment he wholeheartedly agreed with.

Danny and Thomas shuffled into his office, closing the door behind them.

Danny nodded his head toward Mateo and started speaking. "Boss. Angela is awake, she doesn't remember much of the incident, but she seems to be okay. Says when she was shot, she was flung backward into a doorframe and hit her head. I think that's why she was unconscious for so long. Might have a concussion."

Mateo was relieved. He was worried something more had happened to her than they hadn’t been able to see. He cared about Angela. He considered her a sister and had watched over her from the moment she became part of Sotza's organization. She had trained under Mateo and worked for several years as his protégé.

"Make sure the doctor is aware of all her injuries," Mateo said to Danny. "I'm putting you on house security while she's recovering. Consider us in full lockdown until the Velasquez situation is ended. I want a full-time guard on my wife. The only time he doesn’t need to have eyes on her is when she’s in my bedroom or in the bathroom. Otherwise, he is to be two feet away from her at all times."

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