Page 89 of LA King

“Blake Fielding?” I repeat for Alejandro’s sake. I want him found and dealt with as much as he does, if only for Lucy’s safety.

She confirms, and I tell her I have to go. “But stay safe, and I’ll speak to you soon, okay?”

“Okay. And thank you, Alana. I don’t know what I would have done if …” Her sentence is cut off by another loud sob. God, she’s so young and vulnerable and all alone. I need to speak to Kristen as soon as possible.

“You’re welcome, sweetheart.” I hang up, wishing I could do more, and hand Alejandro his phone.

He brushes his knuckles over my cheek. “Are you okay?”

How do I even answer that? Someone I care about was put in danger because I didn’t act quickly enough when she told me she was in trouble. I was just assaulted and had my purse stolen. My husband is so pissed at me I can almost see the steam coming from his ears. But actually, right now, in this car with him, I am okay. “Yeah.”

“Is Blake Fielding the name of the piece of shit who did that to you?”

“Yes.” I’m condemning the man to his fate, and it sits uneasily with me, but it’s a price I’m willing to pay if it ensures Lucy and her baby’s protection.

“You want to tell me what the hell is going on?”

I rub my temples, trying to stave off a threatening headache. “It’s a long and complicated story. Can I tell you when we get home?”

He growls. “You shouldn’t have gone out alone.”

“I know that. And I’m sorry that I’ve inconvenienced you⁠—”

“Inconvenienced me?” he barks. “You think I’m mad because I had to drive a few miles to pick you up?”

I shake my head, tears burning my eyes. I feel foolish and guilty, and I stupidly just want him to tell me everything will be okay. “I don’t know.”

“Alana, I am incensed because you almost got yourself killed! Do you have any idea how reckless you’ve been? How …” He inhales sharply.

“I understand why you’re mad. But she was desperate, and I had to help her. This life is a big adjustment for me. I’ve never had to worry about leaving the house or had to ask permission to do anything before. I’m a grown woman⁠—”

“This is not about your independence, Alana. It’s about your fucking safety. How can I do my job knowing you’re out there getting yourself hurt? How do I even fucking breathe when I don’t know if you’re safe?”

His voice cracks, and I feel even more foolish. He’s afraid of me being hurt. “I know it’s about my safety. It’s just hard to adjust. Sometimes I feel like I have absolutely no control over my life anymore.” A tear rolls down my cheek, and I angrily swat it away. He’s right, but that doesn’t mean I’m wrong, and I don’t want him to think I’m crying to manipulate him.

We stop at a red light, and he takes his eyes off the road to look at me, but I turn to the window because I can’t handle seeing his disappointment. It hurts more than what Blake did.

I go on staring out the window while he makes a few calls. He speaks mostly in Spanish, but I hear Blake’s name mentioned and presume he’s now a very wanted man. It soon becomes clear we aren’t headed home.

“Where are we going?” I ask.

“You’ll see.”

Oh god, is this some sort of test? “Are you going to punish me for going out alone?”

He doesn’t take his eyes off the road. “Yes.”

Panic grips me, and there’s a tremor in my voice. “Is that where we’re going?”

He takes my hand and brushes the backs of my fingers lightly across his lips. Warmth spreads through me. “No, Alana. Have I ever given you any reason to fear me?”

“No,” I admit.

Alejandro makes another call, this time to Jax, whom he always speaks to in English, and he leaves the call on speaker.

“Hey, amigo,” Jax says. “Everything okay? You ran out of here like your house was on fire.”

“Someone attacked Alana,” Alejandro says, anger bleeding into his tone again.