Page 74 of Arranged

“Don’t worry. They’ll take turns guarding the place. Maybe I’ll order them a pizza as well. There’s a basic security system already installed. If you agree this house is perfect for us, I’ll have it beefed up in a couple days so we can officially move in.”

Beefed-up security. Another reminder this could never be a fairytale.

“Mommy! You should see my room.”

We both pulled back and when Gabriel flew toward us, wrapping one arm around my leg, the other around Alejandro’s, a lump formed in my throat. But I lifted my head, locking eyes with the man.

“I guess the decision has been made,” I half whispered.

Alejandro nodded several times. “Then welcome home, Mrs. Banderas.”

CHAPTER19

Alejandro

“I think he’d down for the count,” Carmella whispered as she continued to stroke Gabriel’s head. He had such a serene face, full of light and life just like his mother. He was lying across her lap, even snoring every once in a while.

I glanced at the television before leaning forward and grabbing the remote. “I haven’t seenDumboin a long time.”

“Oh, really? Then you’ve been missing out. Since you were so enthralled, I have about three dozen other Disney movies you’ll die for.” She laughed as she studied me.

I offered a sly grin, but the ache from spending a night in our new home eating pizza, drinking wine, and discussing options for the house seemed far too normal. So much so I was brought back to a life that had all but faded in memory. The pain was real, my mind processing all that I’d sacrificed.

It was a bad time to do so with so much at stake.

“Well, then I guess we’ll have a regular pizza and movie date night for a long time.” My voice was flat.

If she noticed, I couldn’t tell. “Psst. I will tell you that I prefer more adult movies.” Her face immediately flushed. “I don’t mean X-rated! I mean just, you know, thrillers with some sexy stuff. Like not full nudity, but… Oh, hell. I have no clue what I’m saying.”

Having her nervous around me forced my cock to twitch. “I understand you perfectly.”

“I’m glad someone does.” She moved to try to stand, but Gabriel was dead weight. I certainly shouldn’t be considered a gentleman any longer, yet a portion of the man I’d once been still existed.

I rose to my feet, taking the child into my arms. At first, her grip remained firm, apprehension furrowing her lovely face. When she finally took a deep breath, releasing him into my hold, I offered a smile. Maybe I hadn’t been a part of building the full alliance, but now that Carmella and her son were in my care, I would do everything necessary to keep them safe.

She said nothing as she trailed behind me. As I walked through the mostly all glass enclosure, it suddenly felt as if we were in a fishbowl. Of course there were methods of keeping us better protected. I hadn’t told her the family who’d moved out had done so based on threats the husband had received. It didn’t surprise me she’d been intuitive enough to pick up on that. However, the previous owner had been involved in supposedly illegal activities. It would seem there was corruption in every part of the world.

In the man’s line of work building defense systems for the government, he’d endured threats for years, but he’d taken to spending hundreds of thousands of dollars replacing the windows with bulletproof glass, the security system more refined and in depth than what I’d let on.

A light was already on in what would become Gabriel’s room. As I eased him onto the bed, Carmella sighed from behind me.

“He adores racecars. I don’t know how you knew or did it, but this is a perfect room for him.”

I took a step away, allowing her to adjust the covers around him. “I’ll let you in on a little secret. I had nothing to do with the room other than purchasing a few books and toys on the fly. The previous owners have a little boy almost Gabriel’s age.”

“What would make them leave all these beautiful things?”

“Danger.”

She tipped her head, sucking in her breath. A part of me expected her to either deny what I was telling her or argue with me about what danger meant. The fact she remained quiet meant she was shifting from feelings of anger toward and betrayal from her father to understanding what was at stake.

Forgiving and accepting were entirely different.

Bending down, she kissed Gabriel’s forehead, taking a few seconds to swipe several strands of hair from his face. I barely heard her tell him how much his mommy loved him. I bristled deep inside and found myself turning away.

I moved to the hallway, going over pieces of the puzzle in my mind.

“I’ll need to purchase a baby monitor. I know he’s not a baby, but these are new surroundings and he’s scared of the dark.”

---