AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Even though Prince is driving, able to hear every word, I place a hand over my wife’s stomach. “You’re sure? Sometimes, things can happen, and a person doesn’t know until it’s too late.”
“I fell on the ground. I didn’t actually get hurt.”
“Just the same. We’re taking you to a doctor first thing in the morning,” I tell her, needing to make sure she and our child are okay. She rolls her eyes and clicks her tongue, but I’m not budging on this. “I mean it. I’m taking you to a doctor, and they’ll do one of those ultrasound things.”
“If it makes you feel better.” She covers my hand with hers, and her smile widens, making something ache deep inside my chest. It isn’t a painful ache. It’s rather nice—warm, almost sweet. I don’t know what to do with it. And when I withdraw my hand, rattled by the intensity of my reaction, her smile slides away, and I know I’ve ruined something. There’s no undoing it. I pull farther away, returning to my side of the back seat. I shouldn’t have sat back here. I should have stayed up front instead of being so determined to make sure she was safe, whole, and well.
There’s one thing I keep forgetting. I’m not meant for this life. Doting husband, concerned father, that shit. I’ve gone so far over the edge I can hardly remember why it was important to stay away from her. Moments like this remind me that I don’t have what it takes. I’m not built the way I should be. I’m broken.
And we aren’t in this for a relationship. Once she gives me what I want, that’s it. Those were my terms, weren’t they? I can’t even stick to my own terms around her. She’s worked her way that deep into the heart I was sure I didn’t have.
Once we arrive at the house, I leave her at the foot of the stairs and gesture up toward the hallway. “You’ve had a long day. Go take a bath and get ready for bed; you need your rest.”
“I’m pregnant,” she reminds me while wearing that same soft, understanding smile. “Not dying.”
“For once, could you do something without arguing? I have a lot that still needs to be taken care of. Word is going to spread of what happened tonight, and—”
“Enough.” She raises her hand, her brows pinching together while disappointment radiates from her eyes. “Next time, all you have to do is say you want to get me out of the way so you can get some work done. It’ll save us both a lot of time.”
“Wait a minute.”
She pauses after placing a foot on the stairs. “Which is it? Do you want me to go, or do you want me to wait a minute?”
Why is she like this? I have to grit my teeth against what threatens to spill out, thanks to her attitude. “Just go. And don’t forget, I’m making you an appointment in the morning, first thing.”
“Yes, sir.” It’s the fatigue in her voice that gets me as she walks slowly up the stairs. I know I’m right—she has to be exhausted.
You asshole. Thank her. Tell her how it felt when you didn’t know whether she was hurt or safe. Tell her everything that went through your mind. Tell her how pointless everything would be if she was gone.I wish I could. I do. What’s stopping me? Knowing how unfair it would be to make her care for me more than she already does. I’m no good for her. I’ll only ever fuck things up, and she needs more than that. Better than me.
And I need to clear my head of these distractions. A lot of people will be asking a lot of questions after what went down tonight. I expect Rosa Martinez to be one of the first people to reach out. I promised her a lot, and she won’t want to wait to collect.
I head straight for the bar and pour myself a healthy glass of whiskey before turning to Prince, holding up the bottle in a silent offer. He nods, and I set about pouring him a drink.
“You were keeping tabs on the Martinez cartel, right? They came through for us, didn’t they?”
He doesn’t answer right away, not until I give him a pointed look. “Well? Yes, or no?”
“Yes,” he grunts. “They had the warehouse raided and hijacked a shipment last week. I gave you a report on that.”
Did he? I’m starting to think I’m the one who could use a good night’s sleep. The days blend together, so much so that I can’t remember how long it’s been since Rosa visited me here at the house. “Right, of course you did. I know she’ll be on my ass to settle up now that she did her part.”
“I’m sure she will, but you can handle her.” He’s giving me a funny look as I hand him his glass. When I raise my brows, he reads my expression for what it is. “That’s what’s on your mind right now?”
“Obviously. Word’s going to get out, and there’s going to be a lot of questions and offers and maybe a few demands for a piece of the Alvarez businesses. We have to be prepared for that.” I gulp down half of my drink all at once on my way to the study.
He follows without question, waiting until I’ve settled in behind my desk before clearing his throat. “I’m only asking because tonight…”
“What about it?”
“Nobody would blame you if you needed a little time to wrap your head around what happened.”
“What happened?” I lean back in my chair, grinning. “I won. We won. That asshole is gone. We’re going to absorb his businesses after cutting off a chunk for Martinez.”
“What about the rest of it?” Rather than take a seat in a chair, he perches on the corner of my desk, swirling the whiskey in his glass without having consumed any yet.
“What about it? What are you trying to get me to say?”
“It’s not that you have to say anything. But I don’t think anyone would blame you if you needed a minute to process what Frankie said.”
