All I do is nod. I keep a close eye on my newest nemesis, waiting for her to wake. But when there’s no sign she will, I turn my full attention to Alejandro.
“You look better than I expected, but you still look like shit. It’s clear you’re in significant pain, Jandro. You need a real nurse in here to administer the medicine.”
“We can’t do that with her lying there. And she’s a mercenary, isn’t she?”
“Yes. You know she won’t give anything away.”
Attempting to interrogate her will be futile.
“We’ll call my cousins, and they’ll dispose of her.”
“Can you get cleaners in here, or do I need to leave no trace?”
“The latter would be better.”
I can clean up the blood that’s trickling from her nose and mouth, but if I have to cut up a bitch, that’ll get messy fast. We’d need a team to sweep through here to remove all biohazards. It’s not impossible, but it’s hard to keep that inconspicuous.
I straddle the woman again, wrapping my hands around her throat, my fingers feeling around for the most sensitive parts of her neck. When I’m in position, I quickly snap it. I glance at Alejandro, concerned about what he might think of my unrelenting brutality.
All I see is pride. What a fucked-up pair we make if murdering somebody without reservation makes him proud of me. But I suppose it shows we’re well-suited to each other.
I shift positions, rising to my feet so I can heft this bitch over my shoulder and carry her into the bathroom. When I come back into the main part of the room, I find Alejandro on the phone with Pablo, explaining that we need his help as fast as he can get here. I can’t hear the other end of the call, but I don’t doubtPablo’s reassuring him the cavalry’s on the way. It reminds me of how his family appeared when they arrived in the emergency room. They definitely weren’t trying for inconspicuous that time.
It feels like forever before Alejandro’s cousins arrive. In reality, it’s about an hour. I had a nurse come in and give him some painkillers, praying she had no reason to check the bathroom. Finding the dead assassin would’ve been most inconvenient. Alejandro’s resting now. Not what I would call comfortably, but it’s bearable. At least, that’s what he’s telling me.
I do my best to move out of the way when the men enter. The five of them suck the oxygen from the room. There’s barely space for me. However, Alejandro shoots me the same look he did when I attempted to move out of the way for his father. I change course and stand close to his head where I can hold his hand.
“What the hell happened?”
It’s Javier who demands an answer. The man isn’t what anyone would call chatty.
Alejandro looks to me.
“I woke to a strange woman walking toward Alejandro’s IV stand. I didn’t recognize her as any of the nurses I met when we came up here. I knew the current rotation wasn’t over. When I asked her who she was and what she was doing, she was evasive. She knew I’m not Alejandro’s wife, despite what I said when we arrived. Her strength surprised me as she defended herself. She was a mercenary as well. Whoever this is won’t stop untilthey’redead.”
I refuse to put out in the universe that Alejandro could die instead. I won’t even consider that possibility anymore. It’s startling to know that in less than a week, the man I’d committedto kill is the one whose life I put ahead of anyone and everyone else’s.
It seems illogical, but I don’t believe there’s a specific time frame for knowing if someone will be a major part of your life. Not only do I know Alejandro will be, but it’s in a romantic capacity, not platonic.
“Where is she now?”
Joaquin’s question interrupts my rumination. I point toward the bathroom. He walks over and opens the door just enough to peer inside.
“Vittoria, did you recognize her at all?”
“No. Do you?”
“No, she’s not anyone we’ve faced before or hired.”
In the world of mercenaries, loyalty lasts only as long as the job. Your ally can become your enemy from one day to another. So, it wouldn’t have shocked me if Joaquin said they knew her.
“We need to get you out of here, Alejo.”
Jorge opens the backpack he carried inside and pulls out a fresh set of clothes. Alejandro curls his lip and nostril in disgust when he sees what Jorge brought him. His cousin’s flippant as he drops the clothes on the bed beside Alejandro.
“Yeah, well, the last time I lent you one of my suits, it came back in three pieces, and not the three you got it in.”
My brow furrows, not understanding why the clothing matters right now. It’s a pair of track pants, a t-shirt, and Jorge just dropped a pair of tennis shoes on the floor next to the bed.
