Page 93 of Hard to Love
Alejandro. Alex. “Wait, wait, wait. This is Greer. I’m Alex’s…” She’d been way more than a friend, but a lot less than what she wanted to be to him. “Who is this?”
“Alejandro’s mamá.”
“Hi, Mrs. Villanueva. Yes, this is Greer, but if you’re looking for him, I hate to tell you that he left Prophecy yesterday and I haven’t heard from him since.” And she had very little hope she’d hear from him ever again. Especially since he’d left that simple—and oh so complicated—cream envelope crumpled on the ground.
“No, no. I know where Alejandro is. I need your help to bring him home. He’s about to do something very stupid. Something that will ruin his life. Alejandro is trying to make a deal with Ruben.”
That name froze Greer’s already tight midsection, and her mind spun through the conversations she and Alex had about the gang. He’d been on the path to redemption foryears. Redemption for his brother’s death. For his part in it. Only one thing could tempt him back into that life. Nicolás. Greer clicked on the lamp and twisted her hair. “What kind of deal?”
The breath on the other end was a shaky exhale. ““I don’t know, but they are both gone—my Nicolás and Alejandro.”
“From your house? From the city? Where?”
“Most likely to Ruben himself.”
“Do you have an address?” But she was already grabbing a pair of jeans and a shirt smeared with paint.
“It’s dangerous, especially for someone like you—”
“If you didn’t want me to help, why did you call?”
“When…when Nicolás and I were in Prophecy, I saw the way you looked at Alejandro. You love him.”
God, she loved him so damn much, it was like a switchblade to the heart. She dug a pen out of her purse. “Give me the address.”
After the callfrom Alex’s mother, Greer wanted to rush out of the house, but she forced herself to make a plan. Now she knew why he’d stuck around for the competition. He’d needed that prize money to pay off his old gang. To try to get Nicolás out of that life. No wonder Alex had been devastated when he lost.
But why hadn’t he come to her? Asked for her help?
Because at the very heart of it, Alex Villanueva was still a loner. Still didn’t believe he deserved to belong.
That was why he hadn’t asked.
She looked at the piece of leather she’d laid carefully on an empty pillowcase last night. He’d left it behind—just as he had her—like so much flotsam. But she knew exactly how much he cared about each piece he created. It couldn’thave been easy for him to abandon it.
And if that were true, maybe it hadn’t been easy for him to walk away from her either.
Maybe he cared more than she’d given him credit for.
And maybe, just maybe, she could bring him back home to Prophecy.
She snatched up the leather and, after a quick stop at Bostick’s for a roll of raffle tickets, headed to her brother’s house.
An hour later, a skeptical Cal and a perky, pregnant Delaney had agreed to help. They’d each taken off in a different direction, with Greer in charge of making the sweep through downtown. Before beating the street, she checked in with Alex’s mother.
“Have you heard from him?”
“No, he hasn’t answered my calls.”
Yeah, Greer had tried that too, but he’d never picked up. Each of her messages had become more frantic than the one before. “I need about four hours. Enough time to get money together and drive down to San Antonio.”
“I can’t let you—”
“I’m going after Alex if I have to walk the meanest streets in that city asking if anyone’s seen him.”
She hit the Sandstone first, knowing Sawyer would already be at the restaurant. In fact, she wasn’t certain if the man slept at all. Sure enough, he was behind the bar, attention glued to a flatscreen TV with scrolling stock prices.
“Sawyer, I need your help.”
