Page 64 of The Alpha's Heir

“Aiden, are you okay?” I ask him softly. He is in a trance-like state and doesn’t move. “Come on Aiden, let's go home, this is over now. Let’s get back to your girls.” The mention of his girls wakes him up and gives him the incentive he needs to move.

“I’m sorry you had to witness that; I didn’t want you to have to see that. I can’t believe he killed Marissa, the selfish fucker.” I find it hard to believe too and yet I saw him do it with my own eyes.

Preston organises for Marissa’s body to be taken to the mortuary, ready for her send-off. She will have a pyre and be sent off to the Promised Land in dignity. Our father, on the other hand, will not. Aiden digs his grave himself and plonks him without any grace.

“Do you want to say anything, Amber?” he asks me with a spade in his hands, ready to refill our father’s final resting place.

“Yes. Yes, I do. Rot in hell.” I spit into his grave before walking away. I will not waste another minute on that man. He killed my mother and completely ruined my childhood and any esteem I had in myself by allowing me to believe I wasn’t wanted, I was abandoned, and I was unlovable. I almost threw away my mate and our bond based on those beliefs. He never once showed any remorse or regret for what he did. The way he treated Marissa today demonstrated that he was evil to the core. He was rotten and the world is better off without him.

I wait at the edge of the property for my brother and embrace him when he reaches me. “Come on Amber, let's go home. It's time to let go of the past and start living for the now and the future. That is what our mother would have wanted.”

The past has already robbed us of too much. It is time to look forward, and now, I have so much to look forward to.

*** Salma ***

Ale had been missing for fifteen hours when his father and brother return to me. “There was no sign of him anywhere, Salma. We’re going to have to call in some reinforcements.” Raul tries to cajole me but, if anything, it unsettles me even more.

“I can’t just sit around and wait for him to be found. Please watch Ricky for me. I’m going to find my husband.” I call Willy and within half an hour, he has my usual team assembled.

“Ale has been missing for almost sixteen hours now. We know how precious this time is. We have to find him and find him fast. I need you to go above and beyond. I need you to help me find him. You boys have never let me down. If anyone can find him, it's you lot.”

Karl raises his hand. “Mrs Morales, there were rumours of activity at the docks. I think we should check it out.” A shiver of dread runs throughout me as I give my agreement to his plan. That seems like the sort of place you could have someone cornered, but why hasn’t he come home? Am I going to find my Ale alive and well or has Dominga snuffed his life out too? I am nauseated at the thought.

Matteo asks if he can come too. “I won’t be able to settle, Salma. He’s my little brother and I need to know what has happened.” I am thankful for his support. At this moment in time, we both have a common goal, we both love Alejandro and want him home safely.

The drive through the city to the docks doesn’t take long. It is late at night now and the roads are mostly deserted.

As we pull into the docks, my stomach turns when I realise the magnitude of the task ahead of us. There are a million and one places Ale could be here. I don’t let it stop me. I put my gun in my belt and carry a second one in my hand. “We need to split up and do this systematically. In twos, everyone, and if you see anything suspicious, call for me straight away.”

We search into the night. “Where are you, Ale? Come on, I need you. Don’t do this to me,” I mutter continually under my breath. I will never give up. I know Ale would never give up on me.

“Salma. You need to get some rest. You need to stay strong for Ale and for Ricky now too.” Willy has become a father figure to me, and I know he means well, but I can’t just stop. Not now.

“Just one more hour. I feel like we are getting close to something, Willy.” He nods but I can see the concern lining his face.

We carry on searching and decide to check out the warehouses. Around twenty minutes later, I hear one of my team shouting out to me. They have found something. My heart pounds in my chest as I make my way through the dilapidated building. If it is Ale, they would have said they had found Ale. Except if he is dead. Then they wouldn’t tell me they would show me. Have they found Ale? And if not, what have they found that would be of interest to me?

Dominga.

They found Dominga’s dead body. A single gunshot wound right between the eyes has more than likely granted her a fast and instant death. There is a trickle of blood running down her face but that is it. She could be sleeping if you cover the hole in her forehead. All I can think is at least I don’t have to kill her now. I can continue to look my little brother in the eye.

That’s one problem solved but another question still begs for an answer: where the fuck is Ale?

“Mrs Morales, there is something else too.” My heart somersaults. Please don’t be Ale. Please don’t be dead. However, less than 100 feet away from Dominga’s body is a decapitated body.

I moan as I fall to my knees. I know from looking at the body, I know.

It isn’t my Ale.

Relief and horror washes over me. “ALE! Where are you?” I scream out; the bank of pent-up emotion bursts within me and I can’t hold it in any longer.

Willy and Matteo run to me. “Shhh. Sal, Shhh. Do you hear that?”

I listen out to hear what they can: a thudding. “ALE!” I shout again as I search frantically for him, following the hollow tapping that seems to quicken every time I shout.

“Fucking hell, Chula. What took you so long?” The scratchy whisper, hardly even audible, makes me fall to my knees.

“Ale! Oh my god! Oh my god.” The boys swarm around us and quickly pull Ale out from behind the crates and debris. He is in a bad way.

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