“I can’t stand to see her in pain.” Emotions hitched in her words. “She loves being at the park but wants to be here with Mr. Bow.”
“Fine, I’ll go. You stay with her.”
“And have her screaming every minute you’re gone. No way. She’ll stay calmer with you than me. Trust me, I know. I was a daddy’s girl, too.”
That was enough to make Lachlan give in. “Ten minutes, not a second longer.”
“I promise.”
But the car bomb made a liar out of her. Ten minutes turned into three years, and now she’d be gone from them forever. She wouldn’t lose them like she lost her mother and her father. Lachlan could only be known as a former fling. Paloma had to stay completely off their radar. It was the only way to keep them safe from this world.
Alejandro pulled her from her memories with a gentle squeeze of her calf. “No need. You have a legion of enforcers dedicated to killing those who hurt you. And you have me to take care of you if you want.”
Britt was quiet.
She’d had no choice but to align herself with Alejandro all those years ago. Her father’s freedom depended on it. He was in a bind that only Alejandro could fix. The price of his help was her hand in marriage, solidifying his spot as the number two in line to run the cartel after her father handed the organization to her. An antiquated concept that had left her furious. She’d known Alejandro had feelings for her, but she never expected he had the balls to make that kind of power move.
She would’ve been impressed if the deal had impacted anyone but herself.
But her father needed the criminal charges against him to go away, which required their star witness to forget the details she knew about his operations. Alejandro would make that happen if she agreed to his terms. And there was nothing she wouldn’t do for her father. Once the charges had been dismissed, Britt resigned herself to complying with the terms of the deal. Being Alejandro’s wife wasn’t exactly a hardship.
That all changed when she met Lachlan.
“You love him,” Alejandro said.
It wasn’t a question. Admitting her feelings for Lachlan would cripple her. Stop her from doing what needed to be done. It didn’t matter. The truth was written all over her face.
“It was hard for me to see it. The lengths you’d go to protect him,” Alejandro said.
“I couldn’t let you kill him when his only crime was loving me,” Britt said.
“But you sent him away.”
“He doesn’t belong in our world.”
“No, he doesn’t. You need someone who is fully committed to this life. Who understands it as deeply as you do.”
She chuckled. “Someone like?—”
“Me.” Alejandro blessed her with a sexy smile. “All I want is a real chance to win your heart. The chance I never got beforewith our relationship being a business transaction,” Alejandro said, then leaned down to kiss her foot. “When you’re ready, of course.”
“Of course,” Britt said.
Three quick raps against the door interrupted them. She turned to see Miquel entering, followed by Corey.
Britt jerked her feet away from Alejandro, standing as worry flooded through her. “Miquel, what are you doing here? Where’s Lachlan?”
“He wasn’t in the best condition for travel,” Miquel said, his face betraying a flicker of concern he couldn't quite mask. “I’ll take him home in a day or two when the doctors clear him.”
Britt squeezed the tense muscles of her neck. “How bad is he?”
Miquel’s voice remained calm, steady, and reassuring. “He’ll live, but it’s better to wait for the pain to subside a bit. More comfortable for him, which I knew would be important to you.”
These men had been her family since childhood, raised like cousins, confidants, conspirators. If anyone would ensure Lachlan's safety, it would be Miquel, with his methodical precision, and Corey, with his fierce loyalty. She trusted these men with her life. The irony wasn't lost on her—the very world she was protecting Lachlan from would now be his shield.
“Get over here and give me a hug,” Britt demanded, waving toward them. “I’ve missed you guys.”
“Fuck, you don’t know how happy I am that you’re alive,” Corey said, enveloping her in a bear hug. “I missed you so much.” He ruffled the top of her head, like he’d done so many times before, causing her hair to shoot in all directions. She playfully swatted his hand away, smoothing her strands.
