Chapter 24
CHAPTER 24
C armella
Seeing Alejandro standing only a few feet away should do nothing but make me even angrier than I already was. Sadly, that wasn’t happening.
He’d only grabbed a leather jacket when leaving the house. There was nothing like the sight of a muscular man in supple brown leather. I couldn’t believe I was still attracted to the hunky criminal mastermind when he’d obviously been lying to me.
Possibly to my entire family and the people he’d been working for.
He slowly lowered his weapon, preparing to slide it into his jacket.
“Not so fast, dear husband of mine. Put the weapon right here on the table in front of me. Don’t try anything. Contrary to what you obviously believe, I am my father’s daughter. He not only taught me to shoot, he also ensured I was a skilled marksman. Trust me, I won’t hesitate to pull the trigger. I also have martial art training, which I have kept up with.”
I didn’t need to lift my weapon nor was I going to give him the impression his presence bothered me in the least.
What had and continued to bother the hell out of me were the images of him with a woman and a little girl. It was obvious they were a little family by their body language. Yes, the woman had been pissed at him, but the little girl had welcomed him with open arms.
Alejandro narrowed his eyes. “What exactly do you think you’re doing?”
To give him some incentive, I raised my arm, pointing the barrel at his chest. “I’d hate to get blood on your crisp white shirt.” Then I took a gulp of wine, even half closing my eyes for icing on the cake.
He shook his head, his expression holding his initial surprise. But at least he took me seriously, holding out his weapon as he took slow and careful steps in my direction. When he was near the table, he bent over, all the while keeping his eyes locked on mine. He held the gun gingerly, keeping the barrel of his Glock pointed in another direction.
“You drugged my men.”
“You seem to forget, I’m a doctor. I knew what I could use that would temporarily take them out of commission without causing permanent harm.”
“You have me curious,” he said slyly. “Did you plan this all along?”
“No, but I have a medical bag where I keep a few essentials. Something dawned on me and my feminine instinct said you were lying to me. Turns out I was right. I happen to know quite a bit about what a limited volume of particular drugs will do to a human body. At least temporarily. There won’t be any long-term effects.”
“Well, I guess there’s that.”
“They’re fine. Right?”
“Groggy, but okay. You’ll need to tell me what you used. Maybe I’ll try that at some point.”
“I won’t provide you or anyone else with all my tricks. Now that we’ve dispensed with the niceties, why don’t you take off your jacket so we can have a nice long chat.”
“Why did you drug them?” he asked, taking his time to remove his jacket.
I found myself studying him, but not to ensure my safety. His arm muscles filled out the shirt, his chiseled chest muscles showing through the thicker material. It was impossible not to think of him as gorgeous. “It was necessary to discover what you weren’t telling me.”
“A necessary evil.”
“An acceptance of the old ways. Women are to be seen while keeping their mouths shut and remaining in the dark. Right? To you, I’m nothing but an object.”
“I think you know me better than that, Carmella. What you did could have caused an implosion within two regimes.”
“Because you’re lying to everyone, including me.”
“Because not everything is what it seems to be. You need to try and trust me.”
I laughed. “You certainly haven’t allowed me time to develop even a tiny bit of trust. Today is no exception. I think… No, I know you need to tell me everything or I will do what’s necessary.”
“Shoot me?”
“If I have no choice.” I could tell by his expression I’d never be able to shoot him and live with myself. But I had to keep an indifferent front. My stomach churned, the trickle of fear mixing with adrenaline, which kept me on edge. I was no fool. Soon, I’d have a slide into another wave of fear and uncertainty. “So talk. I want the truth.”
A lump formed in my throat. I was angry, but I couldn’t see myself shooting him. Maybe.
“Is it alright if I get a drink?”
“Help yourself. It might be your last.”
“You truly plan on killing me?” he asked with all the charm he’d highlighted at the wedding and beyond.
“That depends on how you act and how many lies you tell me.”
Alejandro took his time as he headed for the bar, using it to roll up his sleeves as he’d done before. When he was finished, I could swear he was flexing his arm muscles on purpose. He pulled a glass and tipped his head over his shoulder to look at me. “There’s one little problem with that plan.”
“What’s that?”
“You’re not a killer. You’re a healer. Plus, you took an oath in your profession.”
“Only for good people.”
He chuckled and poured a hefty amount of scotch. It was still midafternoon and we were drinking. But this point, I had to believe we both needed some liquid courage. I know I did.
“So I’m no longer good people?” he dared to ask me.
I rarely snorted, but around him, the sound came easily. Today especially. “You’re hardly a good man, Alejandro. If that’s your real name.”
His eyes flashed. Great. I was preparing to launch into every single lie I thought he’d conjured up. “Because I’m considered a criminal.”
“There’s no considering it. You are a criminal. A cold-blooded killer. But the reason you’re not a good man is because you’re a lying sack of shit.”
With the drink in his hand, he moved closer and for the first time since he’d entered the room, I stiffened. I wasn’t afraid of him. I was terrified of what his presence did to me.
At least he didn’t try to crowd my space as he sat down on the couch opposite me.
“I never denied I was, Carmella. You know that.”
“Yes, I knew that. What I didn’t know or expect was that you were married and had a child.” I waited to see how he reacted. The man was tough to read on a good day when I felt somewhat close to him.
Right now, doing so was impossible. Other than a tiny flicker in his irises, he barely registered what I’d said.
“I am not married. What would make you say that?”
“Oh, come on. I followed you.”
Now that he hadn’t expected.
“Well, the truth is that I found you at the nice little house with the bright red door,” I corrected. When he allowed the surprise to continue on his face, I felt vindicated. As if I’d scored a point. But what kind of dangerous game was being played? “That application you put on my phone? Well, what you likely didn’t know was that all I needed to do was make a few little changes and was able to locate your position.”
I grinned, lifting my glass of wine.
“Aww. You didn’t know that? I thought in addition to all your other talents such as identifying military-grade bombs and law enforcement tactics that you could add technical guru onto your resume. I guess not. Anyway, I saw you with her. Lovely little girl.”
“You don’t know what you saw.”
“Oh, no?” I threw at him. “Enlighten me. Don’t lie. I don’t take kindly to lying sacks of shit. I had that my entire life from a man I was stupid enough to think I loved. And that’s not you.”
He took a deep breath, but didn’t seem bothered in the least. However, he did shift his glass back and forth from one hand to another. “That’s my sister and her little girl. I haven’t seen them in over two years. She’s a good egg, a nurse. I’m her criminal brother she tossed from her life.”
“Your sister yet no one knows about her. Right?”
“Do you think I’m stupid, Firesong?”
“Don’t you fucking call me that. I’m nothing to you but a pawn like I am to my father. I won’t take it any longer.”
“Fine. I’m not an idiot. Any single weakness than a man in my position has can be used against me. With the things I’ve done to protect your father and his regime, don’t you think there’s a tremendous number of people who wouldn’t mind using an innocent woman and child to get to me? Do you have any idea what they do to victims they’ve captured?”
I cringed and sensed my distaste was showing through my false bravado.
“Do you? It’s not like the movies, Carmella. Ransom money isn’t provided and they’re freed. There’s no cavalry of police officers who give a shit about saving them. And often in the case of crime syndicates, the leaders of those organizations must pick and choose who they save. Collateral damage isn’t worth their time. I would not allow my sister and that beautiful, bright, loving little girl to face possible torture. Just like I would die in order to protect you and Gabriel. Call me anything you want and it’s likely true, but I won’t allow you, my sister, or two innocent children to be used in a twisted war.”
I sucked in my breath, praying that I could tell by the look in his eyes alone as to whether he was telling me the truth.
But the man was a damn good liar. That was also a required attribute for anyone advancing in my father’s world.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
He laughed so harshly I winced. “Because as you just said. You’re your father’s daughter. Right?”
“Oh, my God.” I jerked to my feet. “Do you really think I’d allow anything to happen to your sister and niece? Not for any reason. Now you don’t trust me? I’m not the one keeping things from you.”
“Are you so certain about that? What about whatever Derek did to you? Didn’t he hurt you, threaten you?”
“So what?”
“So what? So no man will ever be able to try and terrorize or hurt my wife again. I’ll need to have a second long conversation with the pig, but I doubt he’ll like the outcome.”
“You will not touch him.”
“I’ll do exactly what I want when I want. Including with my wife. Did he hurt you? Tell me.”
The man was infuriating and I was overwrought.
“Yes, but only once. At least physically. I left him after that. I won’t live in misery.” The admittance was far too easy to do.
“Good for you. Now you’ll never have to feel that way again.”
“My God. Do you honestly think this sham of a marriage means anything? Not to me.” I couldn’t think straight. Definitely not around him. I tried to walk away, but he was having none of it.
But my reactions were involuntary, learned behavior after Derek’s antics. I spun around, immediately pointing the weapon in his direction. In doing so, I sloshed wine over the rim of the glass.
He was much better trained than I was, immediately able to grip the weapon.
“Be careful, Firesong. You don’t want to do anything you’ll regret.”
“Trust me. Everything I do is intentional and I rarely have regrets.”
Only after a little struggle was he able to take the Beretta from my hand. There was more fire in his eyes than I’d seen before and he wore a smirk, almost one of admiration.
I broke free from him again, backing away until I bumped into the bar. I barely managed to place my wine on the surface before he advanced.
That prompted me to suddenly act like some impetuous child.
I threw things at him.
A glass. A wine opener. Coasters. Everything I could get was fair game. He dodged most, his grin growing wider with every informal weapon I could find. He even managed to suck down the rest of his drink, thudding it against the table where he placed my weapon alongside the one I’d taken from him.
“Damn you.” I rushed from the room, knocking over a wooden statue in the doorway, which he skipped over as if nothing. I flew into the kitchen, this time grabbing a couple of pots and tossing them in his direction. The horrific clang matched the rabid-dog shriek I allowed myself.
He cornered me by the island, but I was quicker than he was, bolting to the left. But damn him if he wasn’t right there, attempting to cut me off.
That wasn’t going to happen. We played the game of jumping from side to side a few times before I managed to get a jump on him, running toward the front door. I had a split second to disengage the security system, although my mind was sticking barbs into me about why I was bothering. Let the entire neighborhood hear the system going off. What did I care?
Because something in the back of my mind, a different nagging voice reminded me the games outside this house were very real.
And extremely dangerous.
But I needed space away from him to think. To breathe. To figure out if he was lying. By the time I threw open the front door, Alejandro was right behind.
Both Gio and Bronco were racing up the walk after hearing the noise. Gio skidded to a stop a soon as he saw us.
“Everything okay, boss?”
“Yes,” he growled.
“Get out,” we both yelled and I elbowed Alejandro right before Gio’s eyes opened wide and my husband slammed the door.
I was shocked when he managed to grab both my arms, immediately driving me back against one foyer wall.
The hard thud was jarring, but not nearly as much as the intensity of his touch. Yet I fought with everything I had to escape his clutches even as every nerve ending was seared. Red-hot heat roared through me like a firestorm, claiming my desire and turning it into utter need. I could tell he felt the same by the tension in his body.
“What the fuck are you doing?” I hissed while still trying to catch my breath.
“Taming you.”
I laughed in his face.
“Not possible.”
“Oh, you think so, my wild Firesong?” He crushed his weight against me and I was more breathless, my longing more unstable than ever.
“I know so. You aren’t qualified.”
He lowered his head. Why was it every time he became fully aroused his nostrils flared like a bull’s? And why did that small action turn me on as much as it did?
There wasn’t a decent answer.
“I thought you said I had dozens of qualities and qualifications.”
“None of them good.” I arched my back as I fisted my hands, wishing I could scratch out his eyes.
He was far too strong for me, holding his lips just over mine as I fought and snarled out of frustration.
“I guess we’ll see about that,” he breathed just before he captured my mouth. He was relentless, opening and closing our lips as he breathed into my throat. There was a difference in the way he was dominating my tongue, savoring me while letting me know that there was no way I would ever regain control.
Not even for a little while.
As the roar of passion exploded between us, he ground his hips back and forth. Our battles also aroused him as much as they did me.
This wasn’t normal or natural, but I honestly couldn’t imagine our relationship being any other way.
He knew how to get to me in both the worst and best ways. Then again, I could easily push his buttons. He thrust his tongue deeper as I arched my back even more, longing to touch him, to rake my nails down his back.
I threw one leg around his, now grinding my hips. The kiss lingered as he sucked on my tongue, driving me to the point of seeing a wave of stars and other shapes. Being lightheaded was the norm around him, but butterflies had also formed in my stomach.
Maybe being truthful was a powerful aphrodisiac.