Page 156 of Shifting Hearts 1
He shoves the cup of coffee away and gets up to walk to the front door. He opens it and gestures for me to exit the room, and with my head held high and my shoulders back, I step over his threshold for the last time.
THIRTEEN
Alejandro
Iwanted to ignore the obvious but couldn’t anymore when I heard her mention Alexi yet again. Even when she was sleeping in my arms, she was still thinking about another man.
Jealousy was running rife through my veins, and it made me the asshole that is standing next to her in the elevator, trying not to inhale her sweet scent mixed with trepidation.
Good.
She should be afraid because whatever false notion she has of coming out of this alive while clinging to Alexi is going to get her killed.
I think back to the sad expression on my uncle’s face when he talked about his true fated mate and wonder if that is what my life will be from now on.
No.
I might not be as lucky as he is to find someone new to love, but I will at least know that I did the right thing by not begging someone who is in love with someone else to love me back.
Our arms rub slightly against each other as the elevator jerks to a stop, and immediately, I want to wrap her up in my arms and pretend that the world outside doesn’t exist.
Forcing that feeling down, I step out first when the doors open.
I have already made arrangements for the car to pick us up at the door and informed my uncle of what is going on. He coordinated with Don Alvarez, saying that he is sending me to check out the operation as well, just in case he changes his mind. This made the don very eager to accommodate us, but still careful. He promised to send us the location once we were close enough and he could verify that we meant no harm to him.
Little did the don know that I didn’t get my reputation from rumors alone. I earned every hushed and reverent mention of my name in dark places. My uncle insisted on sending Antonio and Benito with me to cover our asses, as we still don’t know who ordered the hit on him in the first place. He has been putting out feelers, but so far, he has come up with nothing.
This also means that he will stay close to home until the danger has been eliminated.
I assume my cousins are in the car parked behind mine, and I open the door for Maddy to get in.
She has a weird look on her face, but I ignore it as I bark orders to my men and slide in behind her.
“Maybe, we need to talk,” she starts hesitantly.
“There is nothing more to say. We both agreed to this arrangement and will have to play the cards that we are dealt. Just don’t expect me to protect you from what is coming. You made your bed when you chose Alexi.”
She throws her hands in the air. “I didn’t choose Alexi above you. And it is unfair to expect that of me in the first place.”
Unfair?She thinks it is unjust to finally find my fucking mate and then have to give her up to some human smuggling piece of trash?
“Let’s not complain about the decisions you already made. Let’s just get you there, and I will get the exact location, and we call it a day.”
She looks out the window, but I hear the sadness in her voice when she asks, “You really don’t want me to stay?”
I huff, frustrated that I need to defend myself against something that she has chosen. “Let’s not pretend that you were anything other than a convenient pussy that could give me the power I needed. Don’t tell me that you have deluded yourself into thinking that you could ever mean something more to a man like me. All these emotional feelings you have attached to me mean nothing. That is just the loss of your virginity talking, and besides. I’m sure you will be a big hit at the club now since you are open for business and already broken in.”
The slap resounds in the small space, but the impact resonates further. I see the hurt in her eyes and know that I have overstepped, but I can’t convince myself to apologize.
This is better.
We need to break this ridiculous notion right now before I do something preposterous like ask her to stay with me and find some way to forget about Alexi.
I lower my hand, touching the throbbing spot on my cheek and turn away from her to stare out the window. The rest of the trip goes by without another word being spoken.
We cross the border without any problem, like always. I am expecting a call from my uncle but frown when my phone starts ringing with Antonio’s number on my screen.
“Hey, what’s wrong?” My tone carries concern as I look behind me to see their car still following ours.
