Page 127 of Arranged

I glanced at the closed door and frowned.

With the number coming up as unknown, I hesitated, but my gut told me whatever the information was, it was something I’d want to know.

“Yes?”

“Is this… Alejandro Banderas?”

Hearing my alternate identity, my hackles were raised further. The woman’s voice was pleasant and there were several other voices around her.

“Who is this?” I asked in return.

“This is Nurse Angie Bennett from the Presbyterian Hospital. There’s a patient here who’d been asking for you for a couple days. He’s insistent you come see him. He says it’s urgent. I don’t know if this is true, but he mentioned it’s life and death.”

“Why didn’t he call me himself?”

“I’m sorry, sir, but his condition is… guarded. That’s all I can tell you. I thought I’d see if you can come see him, maybe calm him down.”

I gritted my teeth. “Who is it?”

“He said he’s an old friend, a man who once admired your Harley. I know that doesn’t make any sense, but I just wanted to try and help him.”

It made perfectly good sense. Enough so I took a deep breath. “What room is he in?”

* * *

Carmella

“You look extremely handsome,” I told Alejandro when he walked into the kitchen. The kids were squealing, the sugar-based cereal I’d allowed them to consume for breakfast obviously not the best idea.

But I’d caved. I hadn’t been able to help myself. Perhaps it was the high I remained on after the sinful experience the night before.

Not just the incident in the kitchen. Incident? The disciplinary action. Sighing, I placed my coffee mug on the counter and inched closer.

Alejandro gave me a funny look before reaching for his tie. He always wore suits, the tailored fit accentuating his buff body, but today his appearance seemed to have more of a critical eye.

Perhaps because he was sliding into the role of the Don of a huge regime preparing to continue an alliance with another. I stepped in front of him, pushing his hands away. As expected, his expression was devoid of emotion or hints to his thoughts. But I knew him well enough by now to realize how anxious he was. It was entirely possible he could be walking into an ambush. I understood the ruthless nature of the business I’d been born into.

My father was no saint. He grabbed every opportunity to make money or obtain additional power. However, if he fucked with this, I would do more than disown him.

“There you go. Perfect,” I told him. “You look like you’re ready to leave. I thought the meeting wasn’t for a couple hours.”

He gripped my arm, winking to try to ease my own nerves.

It wasn’t working.

There was too much at stake for both of us.

“I have something to do first.”

“Something?” I countered, giving him a look.

He laughed. “Yes, I still have business to handle, you know.”

“All work and no play.”

“Oh, I think you know better.” His nostrils flared and the wave of tickles dancing down my legs was amazing.

“You look okay.” The little voice immediately drew Alejandro’s attention and I bit back a laugh. Gabriel’s face was so serious, his eyebrows pinched together as he studied the tall man standing in front of him.

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