Dangerous Conceit by Ali Lee

Chapter 46

Twenty minutes later, a black Escalade screeched to a stop, heaving the soft dirt and grass below to the air. Lexi jumped over the barrier between the back and front seat, still pointing a gun at the man's head. When she saw the doors to the Escalade open, she knew she was safe and nudged the man with the point of her boot. “Open that door, slowly, and get out.”

He did as she said. He opened the door; but in a last attempt for his life, his hand darted under the seat, trying again to reach for a gun. She was not having it though. Lexi pulled the trigger and shot his left shoulder, plunging him out of the open door.

“How many damn times are you going to try that?” She scooted to the driver's seat and reached for the gun herself. “Who sent you?” she asked, wanting very much to know who was next to die.

“Go to hell!” The man spat, earning no pity from Lexi; instead, she held the steering wheel and kicked the mouth that spoke.

“Fuck you. You took me. Remember? You threatened to shoot up the room that held my daughter. Big mistake for you.”

Before she realized, Rafa and Angelo stood in front, pointing their guns at the man who held his bloodied hands and groveled on the ground. She glanced up and finally stepped over him and out of that wretched car. “I don't know who sent them, but they won't be seeing a dime of anyone's money—assholes.” Lexi said nothing more and simply walked away, slamming the door on the Escalade behind as she hid herself from life.

Rafa reached down and grabbed the man by his collar, nearly choking him as he lifted him to his feet. “You’re going to wish that we had never met when I get through with you.” Rafa slammed his head into the car, losing himself and never stopping until he knocked the man unconscious. Then he dropped him, letting his body crash to the ground below as Angelo looked inside.

“We need to get this car to the warehouse—now.” He pointed at Rafa to look; both saw two other bodies inside and how the face of one of them was bloody and beaten. “God almighty, Rafa, I would never piss that girl off. She's liable to kill you in your sleep.”

After thinking over the situation, Angelo snapped at the Escalade. The driver’s door opened fast and Brett came running over; then he waited for Angelo to tell him what to do.

“When Vinnie and Ian show up, you and Vin drive this thing back to the warehouse. Ian can follow. After you get there, call up Luis and Dylan. Got it?”

“Course.” Brett grinned and readied his gun while looking inside the car. “Too bad,” he said to the men. “Somebody else got to you first.”

Rafa looked at Angelo as they walked to the Escalade. He shook his head in response to Brett's words but spoke when they closed the doors. “I swear there isn't something quite right about him. He acts like a kid in a candy store with a gun.”

Angelo snorted as he looked at Brett through the windshield. “But he's a loyal fucker. I wouldn't trade him.”

Rafa smirked and then looked at Lexi in the back. “Are you okay?” She gave a passing nod but that was it. On top of being taken, she still had questions about her father; then the words of the woman ran through her mind. Lexi was having another bad day.

Rafa climbed over the barrier, leaving Angelo alone behind the wheel. He slid to the backseat and laid his arm around her shoulder. Lexi turned her body sideways to face him, unreceptive to the comforting gesture.

“Who is she—that woman?” Lexi asked. She might as well learn all the bad news. It was not as if it would make matters worse.

“Who?” Rafa did not want to have this discussion. His frivolous connection with Bianca was actually a huge, complicated deal.

“What? I'm not stupid. She knew she could talk to me that way and nothing would happen to her. It’s not like I feel threatened by her or anything, but I have a feeling I’ll see her again. I deserve to know who she is.”

A second Escalade stopped beside the car in front of them, and Angelo turned the key, starting the engine. Before he shifted to drive, he looked in his mirror and received a brief shake from Rafa's head. Nobody else could tell, but Rafa noticed the impish look in his eye. Why did Angelo want to start trouble with him? This was not a good time.

“You ever heard of the Celestial Cruise Lines?” Rafa scowled, knowing better than to interrupt now. It would not have done any good.

“I've heard of them.” Lexi crossed her arms, almost anticipating where this was going.

“The Tomassi group invests in those cruise lines. Miguel Vega runs them now.”

“Right, he just took over.” She slumped to the back of the seat.

“You know him?” Angelo turned around to face her when she turned her head toward the window.

“I met him once, but that hardly counts as knowing him.” She stared at her reflection, noticing her hair out of place.

“That woman you met is Bianca Vega, his sister.”

“Well,” Lexi's eyes strayed to Rafa's and then back to the window, “That’s one way to keep good relations with the enemy.”

Rafa pressed his lips together, mouthing a thank you to Angelo as he grabbed his forehead. “You know, you could have let me tell her.”

“Now you don't have to worry about it.” Angelo gave the flippant reply and shifted the clutch into first.

“Let's get out of here. When we get back, I'm taking Lexi and Maura home. I will work from the computer in my office.”

***

That night, Rafa's house was quiet with the three of them for once. Being past ten, Maura slept soundly in her bed and Rafa rattled away at his desk. Lexi, on the other hand, could not settle her thoughts for anything. She tried to watch television but found nothing of interest. She went outside for a breath of fresh air. Maybe a drink would help calm her down.

Lexi found several bottles behind the patio bar and grabbed a small glass from the cabinet underneath. She poured. She drank. Lexi enjoyed the potent numbing feeling that tingled all the way down her throat. The tequila made her relax. It took away the edge. She concluded that she deserved some sort of fix and sat on the swing, comforted by its gentle sway. After all that had happened in the last twenty-four hours, she owed herself a moment to forget. At least, that was what she thought until Rafa sat down beside her.

“Drinking alone tonight?” Lexi did not respond. She cast him a glance, intending to look away; then she groaned. The bastard knew exactly how to entice her mind. He came down in a lone pair of dark cotton pants, not bothering to tie its strings.

“I was.” Lexi stood to refill.

“I see.” Rafa also stood and pulled her by the waist, flush with his bronzed skin that captured her eyes. She could not look away. She did not want to. It annoyed her more that she did not want to look away. She felt so weak to his charm. “Do you want to stay alone?” He further tempted with his luring voice and sultry grin. “Or do you want me to take care of you?”

Is that a trick question? She thought but said, “I'm mad at you.”

“For what? Bianca? I wasn't with you then, and I made her leave the hotel. I did the right thing.”

“Fine, then I’m just mad,” she admitted. “Even if nothing else happened, I got hauled off on the night of my wedding. Then, that cruise ship princess throws it in my face. How do you expect me to act?”

Rafa thought about it and gave her a weary look. “Fair enough,” he said and started to leave. “I'll be right back.”

Lexi stared after him and sat back on the swing, taking another gulp of her drink. None of this was actually his fault. He did send Bianca away, ignoring the potential problems he might face. From a business standpoint, his fling could cause friction for the Tomassi group.

Rafa returned and sat next to her on the swing. He slipped his arm around and pulled her to his side. This time, Lexi did not refuse. Why would she? He was a sexy man who devoted all his affection to her.

After a couple of minutes of silence, he handed her a small pouch with a drawstring attached. It was red with a design made of tiny beads. She recognized the logo. It belonged to a small jewelry store back in Homestead a couple of miles from where she used to live.

“Go ahead, open it.” He did not look at Lexi but stared at the pool with a solemn look on his face. Lexi could not place this expression. It was a mixture of longing and sadness.

She pulled the string and emptied the contents in her hand. It was a ring. It had three tiny diamonds surrounded by a narrow band. She held it out to inspect, slightly confused by its significance when Rafa looked at her, staring in her eyes.

“I love you—a lot. Nothing I have done and nothing anybody says will change that.”

“I don't understand.” Lexi turned toward him, giving him her undivided attention.

“I bought that a long time ago. It seems like too long now. When you left, I kept it. It isn't fancy. All I could afford at the time. But it meant a lot to me.” He paused and pointed at it. “I was going to ask you to marry me that Friday when we were supposed to share our news. Do you remember that night?”

Silence.

Then one tear was followed by two. Lexi could not hold it in anymore and wrapped her arms around him, crying in his neck.

“Do you get me now? I’ve always wanted to marry you. Yes, I could have married you today in some quick Justice of the Peace wedding. If that’s what you want, it doesn’t make a difference to me.”

She pulled away, leaving enough room between them both to see his face. Lexi never released the death grip on his neck and placed her lips on his. “I love you. I love you so much.” She tried to wipe the tears from her cheeks but did a poor job, not wanting to let him go. Rafa did it instead. He rubbed her eyes and returned the kiss, a kiss with so much love she felt intoxicated by the passion.

“Come with me.”

He stopped and pulled her hand, leading her through the quiet stairway of the house. When they passed Maura's room, Rafa gently closed the door and continued to theirs. With barely enough time for the door's knob to click, he backed Lexi to the bed.

“You are still hurt.” Her fingers stroked over the healing bullet wounds yet mesmerized by the firmness of the muscles underneath.

“Not enough,” he returned and unfastened the first button of her shirt. “I need you tonight.”

“How much do you need me?” She gently fisted his hair and returned his kisses, moving her hands long enough to let her top slide to the floor.

“This much,” he unsnapped her bra and flung it, moving his lips to her neck, keeping her tilted head in place.

“God, I never could resist you.”

“I know.” He smirked and popped the snap on her pants. “That's because I am a god.”

“Aren't you full of your—” She grasped his shoulders for balance, losing all control as his mouth lowered to where his fingers had slid her panties off.

“Yes, I am.” He looked up at her. “Because I can, and you love it.” Then he gave her a gentle push, laying her on the bed. While he crawled on top, they both became lost to each other. The tingling of their kisses made all other thoughts disappear. Rafa kicked off his pants with growing need and settled between her legs.

“I almost forgot,” he muttered and reached for the drawer beside the bed.

“You don't want any more children, do you?” she asked without really thinking and then looked away, embarrassed at the slip.

He brought her face back in front of his, studying her eyes. “Is that what you want, to have another baby?”

She did not know how to answer. “Maybe…eventually. I don't know.” She gave up.

“Lexi, it's not that I don't want more. It's that they’re small and fragile—helpless. I'm scared for more in my world, but I’m so proud to have Maura. I love that you gave me her.”

Lexi smiled. Rafa adored holding her in his arms. He would have to consider giving her another child, becoming a larger family than the three of them. Certainly, he could protect another.

“If that’s what you really want, love, I’ll give it to you. All you have to do is ask.”