Page 106 of Bad Men

His eyes narrowed. “I do not want her.” There was truth in the statement, yet the muscles in his cheek bunched with the grind of his molars. That seemed to be all the answer I would receive when he pivoted on his heel and started in the direction of his car. “Hospitals aren’t safe,” he called over his shoulder without slowing his strides. “I will text you a number.”

I didn’t want a damn thing from the man. He was the reason Mia had been hurt, the reason she was yet again placed in danger. But deep down, I knew I couldn’t put all the blame on him. Luis was also at fault. It was just my luck I couldn’t kill them both.

“And so you know,” he stopped unexpectedly and turned to me, “I too was made to believe Cortez had been dealt with. This would never have happened had I been made aware of the situation. It appears we were both misled.”

My exasperation blinked out of existence, replaced by stunned disbelief as I stared at the other man watching me. It wasn’t like Eduardo to keep anything from his right-hand man. It was more astounding that Alejandro hadn’t known. He knew everything. For as long as I had known him, he had always been six steps ahead of everyone else. This error, this misstep put him in an odd, human light I didn’t know how to accept.

“You said you don’t make mistakes,” I muttered, finding my voice at last.

Alejandro’s chin turned up a notch, narrowing his eyes thoughtfully. “I don’t.” His voice echoed over the roar of fire alarms, the collapse of the packing plant under the snap and shriek of the inferno consuming it. It lingered somewhere between dejection and acceptance, as if it were a burden he had to carry. “I correct them.” He stalked the rest of the way to the car. One of his silent goons yanked the door open, but Alejandro didn’t climb in. “Best get on the way. This place will be crawling with cops in a few minutes.”

With that, he slipped into the backseat. The door was closed behind him. In minutes, all we could see was a cloud of dust and red taillights as he was propelled away into the distance. I watched until there was nothing, except the fading light of day painting the horizon a soft, creamy orange. My brain tangled with the lingering residues of our conversation, tugging at the loose threads Alejandro had left behind in his absence.

I didn’t understand the man or his motives, I definitely did not trust him, but occasionally, I was left to wonder if he wasn’t actually trying to help me in some weird, backwards manner. It was an insane notion; Alejandro Delgado cared about no one, not even Eduardo. He was loyal, that much I was certain of, and murderous if he had to be, but something told me his place at Eduardo’s side had more to do with the fact that it was all he knew and not because Eduardo was such a great boss. Like me and Dav, he’d been born into the life, a legacy of sorts. I didn’t know much about his parentage, but he’d always been there, lurking in the shadows, quietly climbing that ladder until he was suddenly at Eduardo’s side one day. No one had seen it coming. No one had even known he existed. But he’d been a faithful soldier ever since. I respected him to some degree, but I wouldn’t invite him to dinner.

“What did he say?” Davien came to stand next to me.

I shook my head. “Nothing that can’t wait. We need to get Mia—”

My phone dinged in my pocket. The text was from Alejandro with the name and address of some Dr. Robert Rachiele. It was followed by a brief message.

“Be careful who you trust.”

“What’s that?” Davien peered over my shoulder at the screen. “Who’s Dr. Robert Rachiele and what does he mean, be careful?”

“No idea.” I sighed, suddenly exhausted. “And apparently a doctor,” I mumbled, thrusting my phone into my pocket and starting for the car.

Mia peered up at me from the backseat. She said nothing as I climbed into the back with her. Her head pillowed on my shoulder when I gathered her close, needing the feel of her in my arms. With my free hand, I pulled out my phone and dialed Robert Rachiele’s number.

Chapter Nineteen — Mia

Mom would have loved the brownstone style complex built into the very heart of the city’s art district. It held all the class and charm of a romantic comedy. Even through the agony, I half expected Meg Ryan to come waltzing down the sidewalk.

I had only ever left my section of town once in my life. There was never enough time, or money to simply take a day trip to see how the other side lived. Well, judging from the lush, green yards and neatly pruned flowerboxes. There wasn’t even a single scrap of trash anywhere in sight. It was hard to believe my neighborhood was a forty-minute drive away in the wrong direction.

Dr. Robert Rachiele lived in the fourth unit, across from a beautiful sidewalk garden still in full bloom despite the change in season. Davien held me close against his chest as he climbed the steps with Nero right behind us. He was careful not to jostle me when he shifted aside to let Nero press the buzzer.

My whole body was on fire. What wasn’t assaulted by that maniac had been bruised by my fall. My entire right side throbbed. The arm I’d landed on hurt like no nobody’s business. I was almost sure I’d broken or fractured something. But the majority of my pain radiated around my fingers and my face. A lot of it had turned to numbness but not enough to keep the low whines from escaping my throat at the slightest bump.

“I know, baby,” Davien soothed against my sweaty brow. “I know. I’m sorry.”

I wanted to shake my head and assure him it wasn’t his fault, but I couldn’t trust myself not to fall apart. I was already holding on by a mere thread of sanity. The car ride over was enough time for reality to catch up, for my brain to twist around all the horrific possibilities that I had fought to bury the two hours Cortez had me tied up.

I could have died.

My parents would never have known what happened to me. Liana and Aunt Victoria would have blamed themselves for my disappearance. My family would have been devastated. I reminded myself that, at least, Nero and Davien would have been safe, but my brain also reminded me that Cortez would have just gone after them once he’d killed me. The very thought had me pressing closer to Davien.

“Mia?” Nero faced me while we waited for someone to answer the door.

“I’m okay,” I whispered, face mashed into the warm skin of Davien’s neck.

I wasn’t. Not by a long shot. I was trying so hard not to cry, not to dissolve into a puddle of hysteria and pain. It wasn’t so much that I didn’t want them to see me cry, but because it scared me more that I might not be able to stop if I let that wall crumble. I knew I would have to eventually let it out, but not yet.

The wood and glass door swung open, and a man stared back at them with eyes the soft green of damp grass. He wore dark cargo pants and a green t-shirt that emphasized the color of his eyes. He peered at each of us in turn before hurriedly stepping back and motioning them inside.

“First room down the hall,” he directed promptly.

I saw nothing of the corridor we crossed, or the room Davien took me into. I was placed gingerly on a freshly made bed in a brightly lit room. I had a vague recollection of pale, blue walls, but the stranger had followed us in and was fussing over me, taking my temperature, asking me questions I had no strength to answer.

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