Page 53 of Bad Men

It wasn’t a question, nor was it a statement used by anyone in the twenty-first century. It took me a moment to find words to answer.

“I’m sorry?”

His chin tilted in my direction. “A street walker.”

I frowned. “If you mean a prostitute, no, I’m not.”

That seemed to satisfy him into turning back to the window.

“How long have you been with Torres and Diaz?”

I shifted, uncomfortable by this sudden need for conversation. “A couple of days.”

“Is it exclusive?”

I tried to understand the question, but my brain couldn’t seem to. “I don’t understand,” I confessed.

He looked to me again. “Are you seeing anyone else?”

While explained, I still couldn’t wrap my mind around what he was asking.

“Two men isn’t enough?” I heard myself blurt, like I had no care what anyone thought about my relationship with Davien and Nero. The moment it was out, I clamped my mouth shut, horrified by my boldness. “I mean…”

Alejandro seemed unfazed by my response. He continued to study me in the dimming interior of the cabin, searching my face.

“I have no interest in you.” He brushed an invisible bit of lint off the knee of his black trousers. “In case the facts need to be addressed. However, it’s my opinion, a lady, no matter what her position, should be shown a modicum of respect.”

I tried hard not to react to the statement. For all I knew, he was waiting for a reason to put a bullet between my eyes. But the implication of his words had me really looking at him without the twisting sensation of dread coiling up my insides.

The man was gorgeous. Maybe that was heightened by the chill cloaking him or the infamous backstory that put Alejandro Delgado at the top of everyone’s fear list, but he truly was the sort of man who could make a woman aware of him just by walking into a room. Still, given a choice between him and Nero and Davien, there was no competition. I picked them. This man, I had no loyalty to him.

“You must have heard wrong,” I muttered, balancing between gritting my teeth and keeping a respectful tone. “Davien and Nero have been nothing but courteous.”

He glanced at me from the corners of his eyes. “You seem quite protective given how little they fought to keep you.”

His attempts to goad me didn’t go unnoticed. If anything, he was succeeding in annoying me. “I don’t see how they could have when you insisted.”

He hummed quietly. “I suppose that is true. I just know that, were I in their shoes, I would have killed everyone in that room before allowing anyone to touch what is mine.”

My frown deepened. “What would you have done if they had refused?”

To his credit, he took a full heartbeat to think about it before answering, “Killed them.”

Despite the crawling fear clawing at my insides, I couldn’t help raise an eyebrow at his response. “Can you blame them then?”

“I suppose not.”

Feeling like I’d made my point, I broke the connection and stared hard at the passing buildings, refusing to give him anything else.

“Perhaps,” he reached inside his blazer. A moment later, he had a Glock in his grasp. “I need to rephrase my question.” The deadly weapon made a horrible, grinding, cracking sound as the safety was snapped out of place. “How long have you been seeing them?”

I couldn’t move.

I had no spit in my mouth to answer. My heart had wedged itself into my throat, choking me with terror as I stared at the bit of steel resting comfortably on his thigh.

“Mia?” He peered into my face, unflinching and void of everything. “Did you hear me?”

I gave a jerky nod, unable to take my eyes off the gun.

---