Page 125 of His to Bedevil

“You can thank me by staying clean,” he orders, not a hint of compassion underneath, and directs his attention back to me.

She nods her head. “I was given a second chance, and I’m happily taking it.”

Somehow, after some time, the conversation becomes lighter. Mama actually tells stories about me as a little girl, and we all end up smiling and laughing. It’s as if we’re a normal couple spending time with my normal mother.

Thinking about this day, I was sure I would come in here guns blazing and tears flowing. That I would yell at her, and we would both be a sobbing mess. But it ended up being quite the opposite. And I’m actually feeling good about it. I don’t need to shout at her, I don’t need to cry my eyes out or see her cry hers out. I got the answers I needed. The closure I longed for.

“My God,flaca, your rings are blinding!” She reaches out her hand, and I instinctively place my left one in hers, my arm reaching across my husband. “Wow. I have never seen a diamond this big.” She admires my rings that Alejo never got rid of and presented me with the day after we finally made up. When he did, I felt a pang of guilt for tossing his out. When I brought it up, I couldn’t help but bust out laughing, even though he didn’t find it funny at all. Lucas did though. We had a pretty good laugh about it together.

After she gets her fill of my rings, she inspects my beaded bracelets carefully. “They’re from Señora Garcia,” I murmur, and her eyes snap up to mine. Then she sags in shame. “I ran into her in Little Havana early last year. She had a stand at the festival going on. She still makes the most beautiful jewelry.”

She nods and releases my hand. Alejo intercepts it and takes it in his and laces his fingers with mine, forcing me to keep my body angled toward him. Suddenly, I’m feeling a little emotionally drained, and I’m ready to call it a day.

“Well, we should get going,” I coolly state, trying not to sound eager.

“So soon?” Mama blurts out.

I nod. “Yeah, we need to get back to Cuba. But maybe…” I trail off and look to Alejo. He just stares at me then gives me an imperceptible dip of his chin. I look back at Mama and finish. “Maybe if you can take some time off work, you can come visit us. In Cuba.”

Her eyes immediately light up. “Oh, I would love that. I’m sure I can get some time off right away. I’ve never asked for time off, and the hours are pretty flexible.”

“Okay, then we’ll be in touch.”

We keep the goodbye short and sweet. I let my mother hug me, and Alejo makes no attempt at any physical contact with her. I know he resents the woman on my behalf.

Once we leave Mama’s place and get back in the limo, I quickly fall asleep in Alejo’s arms. Feeling so light and content. But not before I tell Alejo how much I love him.

“You’re an amazing man, Alejandro. My amazing man.”

He smiles and kisses me. “I’m only an amazing man to you,mi amor. You make me want to be.”

Irma

Epilogue 1

Five months later…

Brushing my teeth, I look down at one of the framed photos from our wedding sitting there on display next to the bathroom sink. From our second wedding. The one I was actually excited about and helped plan with Benita.

We got married in October. We used the same church and the same colors as the first time and even had a very similar setup back at the estate. Just fewer tables and guests and a bigger dance floor. We had a live band that played salsa music as we all danced the night away. The guest list consisted of our family and close friends, including my grandparents, who come around too often. My mother as well, since she moved back here to Cuba and she and Benita have become close friends. A bunch of Alejo’s men also attended with dates, and a couple other mob bosses came.

One mob boss from Italy came with his new wife, who I enjoyed, and a young guy came from Russia who apparently helped Alejo rescue me from the Russians. He came alone.

It was such an interesting night. The best night of my life, really. But Alejo still had business to discuss with some of the guests, and I told him I didn’t mind at all. It’s all so entertaining. Supposedly, Alejo had made the young Russian a couple of promises, and one was giving him access to France, which Alejo has strong ties to. Out of curiosity, I asked the young Russian what was in France, and he told me his girl. The way his eyes twinkled when he said it, I knew he was a man in love. Even though he was so young, a couple years younger than me, I could tell life had been cruel to him. He was so handsome even with the scar on his face.

And the Italian mobster with his American wife, they were madly in love as well. His wife was around my age, and we still keep in touch. She’s actually coming out for a visit soon, and I plan to visit her in Italy at some point.

I spit into the sink and rinse my mouth out. When I straighten back up, I see Alejo leaning in the doorway wearing a little smirk. I check him out from head to toe. Of course, he’s in a suit per usual, and even though I prefer him dressed more casually, he is still mouthwatering.

He straightens up to his towering form and nears me. When he crouches down right next to me, I raise my eyebrows, wondering what the hell he’s doing as he looks up at me with a mischievous smile. He opens the cabinet underneath and grabs something without even looking, then presents it to me.

I look down and see that it’s a box. A box that contains two pregnancy tests. Ever since I had my IUD removed back in September, he’s been trying to impregnate me and has me take pregnancy tests all the damn time. He’s even had the doctor come check me out twice since then to make sure everything was fine. He didn’t understand why I wasn’t pregnant already, and the doctor assured him that I was perfectly healthy and that it could take some time.

I roll my eyes and sigh as I take the box from him and head into the toilet room. I pee on one of the sticks and place it in some toilet paper and exit the tiny room. Alejo is waiting, leaning back against the sink with his arms crossed and a scowl on his face. “Something the matter?” I ask, and place the stick down on the counter. He immediately turns toward it and watches it like a hawk.

He shakes his head. “I’m fine, my love.” I don’t believe him at all but let it drop for the moment. I watch him as he watches the pregnancy test. I didn’t realize how badly he wanted a baby until we actually started trying. I thought he was insatiable before. Now? He is voracious and incessant.

Suddenly, his face completely drops, and I snap my gaze to the pregnancy test.Two lines. I’m pregnant.When I inch forward to get a better look, I’m abruptly swept up into Alejo’s arms. He squeezes me tightly to him with my feet dangling in the air. “Oh, my love. You’re pregnant. With my child,” he says into the hair at the nape of my neck.

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