Page 12 of Before Dawn

“I’ll take you shopping after your nap.”

Her face lit up. “At Hudson Yards?”

“Anywhere you want, angel,” he confirmed, his eyes twinkling.

“Want anything, Suarez?” Alex asked as Mara headed upstairs.

“Whiskey, thanks.”

He poured a drink, and we made our way to the living room.

“You good?” I asked, noticing the uncertainty in his expression. Something was off.

He exhaled, clearly frustrated.

“I’ll take that as a no. What happened?”

“Mara’s smiling, but trust me, it’s just a cover for the crime she’s plotting.” Alex exhaled, rubbing a hand over his face. “I swear, one of these days, I’m waking up with a pillow over my head because my schedule is only getting worse.”

He took a sip of his scotch, and only then did I realize we were drinking before midday.

“Have you told her about it yet?”

He took a slow sip of his drink. “Not yet.”

“Didn’t you just get back from a trip?”

He nodded. “I got in this morning around three, and Mara had a few unpleasant words to exchange with me. I didn’t even get a welcome home kiss.”

“Yikes.” I winced. “That doesn’t sound great.”

He let out a sigh, rubbing the back of his neck. “She’s been upset at everything lately, and I can’t blame her.”

I leaned back, eyebrows raised. “Everything? Or just you being gone all the time?”

He ran a hand through his hair, clearly worn out. “A little of both. She’s frustrated I’m not around, but it’s not like I can just snap my fingers and fix it.”

“Have you thought about scaling back?” I asked. “You’ve been flying nonstop for years. Maybe it’s time to take a breather.”

He chuckled dryly, shaking his head. “Scaling back would mean leaving money on the table. Not happening.”

“You’re rich, Alex. Money isn’t everything,” I said pointedly. “Your marriage? Your son on the way? Thoseshouldbe your priorities.”

“Theyaremy priorities,” he admitted, his voice dropping. “But it’s not that easy.”

I whistled low. “You’re playing with fire, Alexander.”

He groaned. “Tell me about it.”

I sipped my drink, considering him for a moment. “So, what’s the plan? Besides getting yelled at and possibly murdered.”

He hesitated, then smirked, a mischievous glint in his eye. “I’m buying the airline.”

I choked on my drink, coughing as I set the glass down. Was he serious? Out of all the ways to fix a marriage, buying an entire airline was nowhere near the list of sane options.

“WHAT?”

“Look, it sounds crazy, I get it,” he admitted, rubbing his jaw. “But I can’t keep promising Mara I’ll be home and then breaking that promise. If I control the damn thing, I can make sure I’m there when it matters.”

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