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‘Probably. My uncle was the kind of man who could make things like that happen, and it would fit with my theory of him wanting to step into the role as your father and protect you.’
‘So, I’m not a Ramos after all, then?’ Lucia asked.
Alejandro shook his head. ‘No. A Montoya through and through,’ he smiled at her.
She smiled back.
‘What are your plans now, Lucia?’ I asked 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 shrugged.
‘Unless you’re happy to stay with us until you’re eighteen?’ Alejandro suggested. ‘It’s only one more year.’
‘What?’ She sat up straighter. ‘Really? You’d both be okay with that?’
‘Of course,’ I replied.
‘You’re family now, kid,’ Alejandro added.
‘What about your future, though? What would you see yourself doing in an ideal world?’ I asked.
Lucia leaned back against the pillows, her hand resting on her bump, and sighed. ‘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 day-care, and then I could pick up some shifts at the shelter and he could come with me.’
I lifted my arm, wincing at the pain, and wrapped it around her. ‘Sounds perfect,’ I said as I felt a wave of tiredness washing over me.
‘Mind if I stay in here with you guys for a while?’ Lucia asked softly as my eyelids fluttered. Suddenly, they felt very heavy.
‘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 chuckled.
I opened one eye sleepily. ‘Hey, I heard that.’
He leaned down and kissed my forehead. ‘Get some rest, princess,’ he said softly.
I nodded feebly. I heard the muffled sound of the TV in the background, and felt Lucia’s warm body curled up next to mine as I drifted off to sleep.
I woke with a start, my heart thumping in my chest. It was dark and it took me a few seconds to realize that I was at home and not in Carlos’s basement. My back was pressed against Alejandro’s hard chest and I heard him breathing softly behind me.
I’d spent most of the day drifting in and out of sleep. I’d woken a few times, taken some pain meds and eaten a little food, but I’d barely been able to keep my eyes open. I’d never felt so exhausted in my life. Alejandro said it was a result of the pain meds the doctor had given me and also my body’s reaction to the last few days. I supposed I had hardly slept in that basement. It wasn’t easy to sleep when you were tied to a chair and in fear for your life, and I had been too worried about what might happen to Lucia to stay asleep for too long.
Now though, I felt fully rested. The heat from Alejandro’s body made me feel safe and secure, but it was stirring something else in me too. I missed the feel of his hands and his mouth on me. I rolled over, shifting onto my back, wincing at the pain in my ribs and shoulders.
Alejandro stirred. ‘Are you okay, princess?’ he murmured.
‘Yes,’ I replied. ‘Except for…’
‘Except for what?’
‘I want you,’ I breathed.
He groaned out loud. ‘You’re killing me here, princess. I want you too, but I’m not fucking you while you’ve got a fractured rib. Now, go back to sleep before you make me even harder than I already am.’
‘You don’t have to fuck me,’ I whispered. ‘But you could do other things, couldn’t you? And one of my hands is working perfectly.’
He sucked in a breath. ‘Stop it. Now.’
‘Alex,’ I pleaded. ‘I need you.’
‘Alana!’ he groaned.
