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She pressed her face into Alejandro’s neck again, taken aback by the questions. Generally, Dante’s forceful manner wouldn’t worry her so much. But she was feeling raw and out of sorts after today.
“Dante,” Alejandro warned. “Too much.”
“I . . . is she all right?” Dante asked in a quieter voice.
“Scot?” Alejandro demanded. “You said she was all right.”
“She is. Cat just thought she saw someone from her past.”
Alejandro stiffened. “Who? Her Mama? Starla?”
Great. They definitely all thought she was losing her mind.
“Who is Starla?” Dante asked. “Is she a threat?”
“Of course not,” Alejandro said in a dark voice. “I don’t allow threats to my wife to live. Starla is long gone. Cat must have been feeling the heat. Has she drunk enough water?”
“I made her drink some when we returned,” The Scot replied.
Okay. Enough.
She attempted to wriggle free of Alejandro’s hold, and he smacked his hand down on her ass. “Stay still.”
“Papi, put me down! You all can’t stand there and talk about me like I’m not here.”
“Of course we can,” Alejandro replied arrogantly. “It’s called taking care of you.”
“It’s called being bossy jerks!”
Two more slaps.
“Sounds like someone needs to go to bed early,” Dante said. “She’s obviously overtired.”
“I’m not overtired.” She glared back at Dante. “I’m not imagining things either.”
Or was she?
“Hush, Kitten. No one thinks that. But Dante is right. You need to rest. Dinner, bath, then bed. I’ll talk to you about everything later, Dante.” Alejandro settled her on his hip so she could see everyone.
Dante nodded, looking stern. “I know you don’t approve. But this is our best option moving forward. Ruiz is growing too powerful and we need allies. Emiliano is agreeable to making a deal with us because he used to deal with José.”
The name was spat out.
José was Dante’s father. An evil man. She shivered as she recalled everything he’d done. To Alejandro’s mother. To Dante and Alejandro. Even Ortega, who had been young when Dante murdered him, hadn’t escaped his father’s darkness.
“This isn’t something we should talk about in front of Cat,” Dante said. “Go care for your wife.”
Alejandro turned and walked toward his wing. The Scot followed at a distance.
“What happened, Preciosa? You can tell me,” he coaxed.
“Oh, like you tell me everything?”
“You know I don’t talk about business.”
She sighed. “I know. But . . . is that man dangerous?”
He sure seemed like it.
Alejandro was quiet as they entered their wing.
“Please, just tell me something.”
“He is. He’s not someone I would ever allow you to be around.” He settled in the living room with her on his lap, holding her tight. “Are you sure there’s nothing you want to tell me? Who was it you saw?”
“I don’t know. It wasn’t that I recognized the person. More like a feeling. I guess . . . it was someone who reminded me of Mama. I know that’s silly, and everyone thinks I’m nuts—”
“Hush. No one thinks that. And if you say that about yourself, I will heat your bottom.”
She huffed out a breath.
“I’m going to put a cartoon on while I go order us some dinner from the main kitchen. Is there anything you’d like?”
“I’m not hungry.” She would rather sulk.
“What about the beef flautas that you had the other night?”
Damn. She had liked them. And her tummy grumbled in interest.
He raised an eyebrow. “I think someone was lying about not being hungry. Did you have lunch?”
“Umm.”
“Catarina,” he said warningly. “If you don’t look after yourself, I will have to become more strict.”
“I don’t think that’s possible, Papi. I’m pretty sure you’re as strict as can be.”
“Don’t be so sure.” He tapped her nose. “No skipping meals. You know the rules.”
She stuck her lower lip out in a pout.
Leaning in, he kissed her. “Such a brat.”
“Your brat,” she whispered.
“Always.” He lifted her off him, setting her on the sofa. “I’ll go order that and get you some water too.”
“I don’ts need water. The Scot made me drink,” she complained as he turned the TV on.
“Good. But you can drink some more.”
“I’ll be peeing all night,” she pointed out as he came back with a sippy cup of water.
“Then I’ll just put you in diapers so you can sleep.”
“Papi!” she complained.
He was joking.
She hoped, anyway.
He left and she sat, watching television until the need to pee came over her. Moving to the powder room, she took care of matters as she heard voices come from outside.
“Is Dante really making a deal with Emiliano?” The Scot asked.
“He hasn’t got much choice,” Alejandro replied. “Ruiz has become a real problem, and we have to start making moves against him. This deal will secure more supply. And the last thing we want is Emiliano and Ruiz joining up.”
“Fuck,” The Scot muttered.
“I have to get back to Cat. She thought she saw her mama again.”
There was silence. Shit.
“I don’t think you need to worry too much. Our brains play tricks on us sometimes, making us see things that aren’t there.”
