I ease him onto his back, my hand trembling as it brushes over his striking features. A long gash runs across the side of his cheek, temple to chin. Blood streaks his face, warm and sticky under my touch. A pool of red spreads across the ground.
“Alex… Alex,” I whisper-shout, fingers shaking as they thread through his ruffled hair. His eyelids flutter open, unfocused at first, then slowly, he finds me. He lifts a hand and places it over mine, his grip weak, but deliberate. Then, his gaze shifts, finding Teya still tucked against my side.
“Oh, Alex.” She breathes a sigh, voice thick with relief as tears spill freely down her cheeks.
He looks past us, eyes unfocussed, drifting over our shoulders… searching… searching…
“NOOO…” he howls into the night, wind snatching his cry, dragging it down the narrow alleyway.
“What is he saying?” she asks, voice barely above a whisper. She sits up straighter.
“He’s drunk.” I ease my hold on Teya, shifting my focus to Alex. Rage coils in my gut. I’m going to fucking kill Gabriel for sending him down this road.
With that violent thought burning through my chest, I scoot closer and slip an arm behind Alex’s neck, carefully lifting his head.
“I’ve got you, mi amor. You’re safe now.”
I press my lips to his forehead as his panicked eyes flutter shut once more.
“Don’t leave me,” he slurs. “Please, don’t leave me.”
“Teya!” I shout, even though she’s barely a foot away. “There’s a gate behind the dumpster—unlatch it and push it open. I’ll get Alex.”
Carefully, I slide one arm under his legs and lift him, cradling his lean frame against my body. The quickest way out would be through the club, but I dismiss that idea immediately—too many eyes, too much risk. One photo, and it’d be all over the headlines by morning. The back gate is the better choice; it’s hidden and leads straight to the valet lot. I shift Alex’s weight slightly and reach into his pocket, fishing out the valet ticket. I toss it over to Teya.
“Give it to the gentleman at the front entrance,” I huff out, once again shifting Alex around in my arms.
Trying not to drop him, I dig into my pocket for my phone and hit speaker. “Fernando, soy yo Elijah. My friend is heading back your way. Please get her keys from the valet. And, amigo… be discreet.”
“No problema,” he replies, wisely asking no questions. In our tight-knit Spanish community, it’s an unspoken rule: the less you know, the better.
I pocket my phone and exhale, waiting for Teya to return.
“You’re so pretty,” Alex mumbles against my chest, his eyes still closed.
I hold him tighter, nuzzling his ear. “Am I?” I chuckle. His drunken words make me smile. I kiss the corner of his silly mouth, licking away the gold glitter that clings to his lips.
God, I love this man.
Teya whipsher SUV across the parking lot and speeds over to where I’m standing, Alex still cradled in my arms. She throws it into park, jumps out, and rushes around to open the back door, motioning urgently for me to get in.
I shake my head. “I think you should ride in the back with him,” I say, preferring to take the wheel. She nods, and climbs into the backseat without argument.
“NOOO…” Alex yells again, just as I ease him in headfirst through the door and into her arms.
“Elijah,” Teya says, watching her brother thrash around in my tiring arms. “Maybe it’s better if you’re back here with him instead.” Her voice softens. “He’s calmer with you.”
She reaches out for him, fingers twisting through his unruly hair. “It’s okay, Alex. Elijah is staying with you. There’s nothing to worry about.” She presses a kiss to his temple, then jogs around to the driver’s side.
With no other choice, I reluctantly slide across the leather seats after Alex. His head settles in my lap as he curls onto his side, drawing him into a loose fetal position and nestling his bruised face into my groin. His lips press against my soft dick.
“Should I take him to your house, Elijah?” Teya asks from the front, forgetting for a moment that Emilee is there. She shifts the SUV into drive.
“How about we take him back to your place?” I suggest. “I can stay with him, if you don’t mind.”
“Absolutely, Elijah. That’s fine. More than fine. He’ll be glad you’re with him.”
“Am I going swimming?” Alex blurts out, slurring his words, a line of drool sliding onto my crotch.
