Page 110 of LA Reign

“So that was why they treated me okay?” Lucia asks. “Well, compared to Alana, anyway?”

“Yes, it would seem so,” he nods, looking at me and frowning slightly, as though he’s thinking about what I endured at his uncle’s hands.

“Do you think it was him who killed Blake?” she asks.

“Probably. My uncle was the kind of man who could make things like that happen. And once I knew what to look for, I discovered that one of the foremen at that building firm in Philadelphia, Lambert and Hall, had a gambling problem. And debts that went away very suddenly, coinciding with transfers from one of my uncle’s accounts. Jax made the connection.”

“But why?” she asks.

“Again, in his own messed up way, I think he wanted to protect you. Step into the role of being your father.”

She shudders slightly. “So, I’m not a Ramos after all, then?”

Alejandro shakes his head. “No. A Montoya through and through.” He smiles at her.

She smiles back. “Well, I suppose I’ve had crap luck with fathers, but I won’t complain about being a Montoya. Not when you’re one too. I suppose you’re not all that bad.”

Alex rolls his eyes, doing a decent imitation of her teenaged exasperation, and it warms my heart to see them like this.

“What are your plans now, Lucia?” I ask her, wanting to focus on something positive. “Now that Blake is gone and you’re not running from anyone. What are your dreams, sweetheart?”

“I guess I still need to apply for emancipation,” she shrugs.

“Unless you’re happy to stay with us until you’re eighteen?” Alejandro suggests. “It’s only one more year. If that’s something you want.”

“What?” She sits up straighter. “Really? You’d both be okay with that?”

“Of course,” I reply. “More than okay.”

“You’re family now, kid,” Alejandro adds. “And you were even before I knew about Carlos.”

“What about your future, though? What would you see yourself doing in an ideal world?” I ask.

Lucia leans back against the pillows, her hand resting on her bump, and sighs. “I always wanted to go to college. I’d have to work my ass off and get a scholarship, but my grades are good even despite the school I’ve missed. I figured I could put the little man here in daycare, and then I could pick up some shifts at the shelter. He could come with me.”

I lift my arm, wincing at the pain, and wrap it around her. “Sounds perfect,” I say as I feel a wave of tiredness washing over me. I suspect she doesn’t need to worry about earning money for college, not now she’s part of this family, but I admire her work ethic.

“Do you mind if I stay in here with you guys for a while?” Lucia asks softly as my eyelids flutter. Suddenly, they feel very heavy indeed.

“Sure. I’ve got some calls to make. I’ll sit on the balcony. Why don’t you watch the TV? Looks like Sleeping Beauty here is about to fall asleep again,” Alejandro chuckles.

I open one eye drowsily. “Hey, I heard that.”

He leans down and kisses my forehead. “Get some rest, princesa,” he says softly.

I nod feebly. I hear the muffled sound of the TV in the background and feel Lucia’s warm body curl up next to mine as I drift off to sleep.

I wake with a start, my heart thumping in my chest. It’s dark, and it takes me a few seconds to realize that I’m at home and not in Carlos’s basement. My back is pressed against Alejandro’s hard chest, and I hear him breathing softly behind me. I let myself calm down. I am safe. I am home.

I spent most of the day drifting in and out of sleep. All my normal rhythms are messed up. I would wake up a few times, take some pills, and eat a little food, but I would still barely able to keep my eyes open. I’ve never felt so exhausted in my life. Alejandro said it’s a result of the pain meds the doctor gave me, and also my body’s reaction to the last few days.

I suppose I hardly slept in that basement, and when I did close my eyes, I was inevitably jolted awake by pain or terror. It isn’t easy to sleep when you’re tied to a chair and in fear for your life. I was too worried about what might happen to Lucia to stay out for too long.

Now though, I finally feel fully rested. The heat from Alejandro’s body makes me feel safe and secure, but it’s stirring something else in me too. I miss the feel of his hands and his mouth on me. It’s been too long, and too much has happened. I need that connection. I roll over, shifting onto my back, grimacing at the pain in my ribs and shoulders.

Alejandro stirs. “Are you okay?” he murmurs.

“Yes,” I reply. “Except for…”