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“Cousin,” he said cautiously, his gaze cool and watchful on Alejandro. Then that gaze moved to her. She repressed a shiver. He seemed far colder than Alejandro.
But then again, Alejandro loved her. This man didn’t know her.
“This is Cat.” Alejandro wrapped an arm around her.
“Catarina. Lovely to meet you in person. Please, come in. We’ll have drinks by the pool.”
She shot a questioning look at Alejandro as they moved into the house behind Dante. Were they always this formal with each other? But Alejandro just shrugged.
As they walked into the large entrance, she gasped at the view from the enormous glass doors at the other end of the room. There was an infinity pool with sun loungers and greenery planted all around and beyond that was the ocean.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Alejandro said quietly.
“Breath-taking.” Made it hard to believe he’d left all this. Then, she remembered that huge mess with Elena. The way she’d betrayed Alejandro by having an affair. Then his fight with Dante afterward.
Right.
“Come outside,” Dante said, still watching them like they were insects he was trying to decide how to dissect.
Maybe this hadn’t been a good idea.
Alejandro had given her lecture after lecture about how she was never to leave the compound without his permission and that she must always have him or two of his men with her when she left.
He’d assured her that the local town and everyone in the compound were loyal to Dante but that it still paid to be cautious.
Now that she’d seen the gorgeous view from this balcony, she didn’t see any reason to leave.
“Your wing is ready,” Dante told them as he led them to a large table set in front of the swimming pool. “I hope it’s still to your liking.”
“I’m sure it will be,” Alejandro said stiffly.
Oh, this was going so well.
Not.
She stared between them in chagrin. How the heck was she going to help them repair this mess?
They were like two polite strangers. It was worrying and kind of annoying.
They sat and started talking business. Really? This was . . . insane.
She stood and they stopped to stare at her.
“What is wrong? Do you need the bathroom? Food? Bed?” Alejandro shot off his questions.
Whoa. Dude was being pretty intense right now.
“I just want to go dip my toes in the water.”
“I’ll come hold your hand while you do.”
“No. I’ll be fine. You, uh, stay.” Maybe they could talk better without her here.
She headed to the pool, letting out a gasp as Ortega suddenly appeared beside her. “Hello, Sprinkles.”
Then he picked her up, throwing her over his shoulder.
“Ortega!” Alejandro growled. “What are you doing?”
“Kidnapping your bride! It’s tradition!”
“It’s not tradition. Put her down!”
“I don’t think so.”
“Ortega,” Alejandro warned. “Put her down.”
“No. She’s coming to have some fun. Maybe the two of you should stop comparing dick size and do some actual talking.”
“Ortega,” Dante said this time.
Alejandro sighed. “Cat?”
“I’ll be all right, Papi.”
“Bring her back in an hour,” Alejandro ordered. “She needs to go to bed.”
“Sure, I’ll do that!”
Ortega moved away.
“And take her off your shoulder. She’ll get sick!” Alejandro called out.
Ortega rounded the corner of the house, and then set her down on her feet, holding on to her.
“So you finally did it,” he said.
“Did what?”
“Got Alejandro here. Thought I was gonna have to do it myself.” He cocked an eyebrow.
“Why didn’t you?”
“I don’t like to interfere in other people’s lives.”
“Uh-huh, not sure I believe that.” She gave him a look. “So where are we going?”
“How do you feel about cocktails?”
“I don’t drink a lot,” she admitted.
“Alejandro doesn’t let you? He’s pretty uptight.”
“No, it’s not that. I don’t like the taste. Scotch is disgusting.”
“Oh, Sprinkles. Let me introduce you to some real drinks. Come on, we’ll go find Bonnie and I’ll act as barman.”
“That’s Dante’s stepsister. Right?”
“Yeah, he’s as uptight over her as Alejandro is over you.”
“You didn’t tell me you were shot,” Alejandro said, interrupting Dante as he was droning on about their last shipment.
Dante paused and stared out at the setting sun. “I didn’t.”
“Why not? Why not tell me that’s why you couldn’t come to my wedding?”
“You didn’t really want me there.”
Alejandro slammed his fist down on the table. “Would I have asked you if I didn’t?”
He was sick of this. Either Dante met him halfway, or he didn’t. But he’d laid out a huge olive branch by coming here. Dante had to give him something for this to work.
“It was a drive-by, but we both know nothing is accidental. I couldn’t risk leaving at the time. And I couldn’t bring trouble to your wedding.”
“You should have told me.”
“And what would you have done?”
“Come down to help.” Ahh. Fuck.
“Exactly,” Dante said.
“I’m not a child in need of your protection, Dante.” Cat thought Alejandro was over-protective, but he’d learned it from this man. He had the need to smother everyone in his life with his protection. Even when they could take care of themselves.
