Dangerous Conceit by Ali Lee
Chapter 57
Lexi groaned when the Escalade came to a stop. Her head slid from Rafa’s shoulder where it rested to the window on the opposite side. Her eyes opened and then squeezed shut. The blazing western sky made it impossible to see anything. Where was she?
“Hey,” Rafa whispered and gently laid his fingers over her cheek. “Lexi, we're here.” His warm hand moved. Then she heard three doors open and close.
“Alexis,” his voice came again. This time from the passenger door that opened and startled her awake. If not for his quick reflexes, her head would have bobbed outside. “Come on, baby. You can rest inside.”
Lexi forced her lids open and looked at the man standing above. She was relieved. If they stopped, that meant they were back in Miami.
“Where’s Maura? Is she here?” Lexi glanced in front of the car at the large metal building. Rafa had driven her to the warehouse. “I want to see her.”
“No, she's at home. We had to come here first.”
“Do you have any medicine here?” she asked.
He nodded and held out his hand, guiding her to the door. As soon as they walked through, Lexi froze. Despite there being twenty members in the middle of a discussion, Lexi focused her attention on one man—Antonio. He was standing and talking with a couple of men. He never saw her come inside.
Lexi saw a room in the back. It was the same room where Rafa had stayed after he was shot. Lexi remembered Angelo had gotten hurt while taking care of Maura. Where was he? How bad was he hurt? She had forgotten all about Angelo in the wake of finding Maura. That was probably the reason Rafa stopped here first. It was on the way home anyway.
“Why don't you sit down?” Rafa led her to a chair at a long table. She guessed they held meetings of sorts at this table—or interrogations. It was probably all the same to them. “I'll bring you some meds.”
Lexi clenched her eyes shut. The throbbing headache was killing her. In defiance of her aching body and pounding head, Lexi stood back up as soon as Rafa left the room. She walked straight over to Antonio and glared. She slapped his face as hard as she could swing.
“You left me with her? Then my daughter was almost stolen forever because of what you did.”
One of the members immediately came to Antonio's aid. He started to grab Lexi's arm when Lexi gave him a seething scowl and yanked a gun from the back of his pants.
“Back the hell away,” her voice was calm but hardly rational. Lexi briefly wondered how many seconds it would take to have a dozen guns pointed at her head.
Antonio nodded at the man and raised his hand. He knew what this was about. By the look in her eyes, he also knew better than to antagonize her. Lexi yearned for blood, and his head was at the top of her list. “Let her say what she needs to say.” He gave the okay.
“I don't need to say anything.” Lexi raised the pistol at him. “It’s you who needs to start talking. It’s you who needs to explain why you ditched a pregnant woman and then left me with her.”
Lexi continued to hold the gun but her body was quickly giving out. Even so, she gathered all the strength she had to stand and waited for his reply.
Angelo walked out of the room where he was resting. There were IV's sticking out of his arm as he held his ribs and leaned against the wall for support. “I was waiting for him to tell my mother about you before I let Rafa tell you.” Lexi's eyes widened as soon as she saw his bandaged torso and thin drawstring pants. He did not look good. “Don't pretend you feel sorry for me over a couple of scratches.” He brushed off his injuries, trying to make light of the situation. He was trying to comfort her but looked like death almost claimed him.
“And don't pretend that you’re okay.” She looked at him, horrified over what Abby had caused. Only she would have been able to get word out that fast. Lexi shook her head. Her eyes were becoming redder. She was on the verge of crying again. Lexi turned her attention back to Antonio.
“Didn't you think Gloria would come back to hurt your family? You should have gotten rid of her then, before all of this happened. Look around you. This is what you caused.”
Antonio looked at her with disappointment. He directed his feelings at himself instead of Lexi. “I was married to Gloria. I loved her. She left me. Gloria was interested in what I could give her, not me. When I found out she was pregnant with Angelo, I tried to get her back. She wouldn't. She had already moved on and didn't want the baby either. So I gave her two hundred grand. She signed over her rights—to Angelo.”
Lexi's jaw dropped. What did he say? “Angelo?”
“Yes, that's right. I said Angelo. A year later, Gloria wanted me to take her back. What she really wanted was more money. She spent every dollar of what I gave her…all two hundred thousand. Oh sure, she acted as though she wanted her family back, but it was all a lie. I wouldn't return her calls. I had already met Nina who was raising Angelo as her own.”
Lexi lowered her gun, looking more confused than ever. “That doesn't explain me,” were her simple words as Rafa came behind her and handed her some pills. Lexi swallowed, never bothering to ask him what they were.
“It's the life, darling. I ended up crossing paths with Gloria years later. She looked beautiful as always. We ended up spending the night together. When I woke up the next morning, my credit cards, my cash and Gloria were gone. I didn't see her again until ten years later. Angelo ran her off instead of me. By then, he knew exactly what she was. He didn’t want anything to do with her. If I had known I had a daughter, I would have taken you too. There’s no chance that I would have left you with her. She knew that.”
Lexi rubbed her eyes and turned around. It was too much. How would she ever come to terms with the truth? She and Angelo had the same parents. Everything finally made sense and disturbed her at the same time.
“If it weren't for Brett,” Lexi looked at Rafa, “I would be dead right now. He's the one who ran in and pushed me to the floor. If I had been on that bed, I would be dead. Did he make it?”
“They finally have him in stable condition.” Angelo held up the phone that he was talking into. “Whatever hit his chest missed his vital organs by a hair. He's going to be in the hospital for a while, but the doctor said he’s not critical anymore.”
Lexi nodded. She owed Brett her life. She owed a few people her life. She looked at Antonio one more time. “It's the life, right?” She gazed in his eyes and wiped her own. “How's that working out for you?” Lexi would not let up on him. He needed to feel the heat. “I hope you have trouble sleeping at night. I know I have for the last twenty-three—” Lexi vented but could not finish. Her mind faded. She felt more lightheaded than before. She glanced in Rafa's eyes, knowing it had something to do with the meds. “What did you give—” Her voice trailed off. The meds must have been strong. Lexi started to lose consciousness and collapsed in his arms.
***
Hours later, Lexi woke up in her room…at their house. The only light that shone came from the office to the side. She could hear papers shuffling and typing on the keyboard. Then she looked beside her, where she heard the sounds of soft snoring. Lexi smiled. Maura was sound asleep on her pillow next to Lexi who slept in the middle.
Lexi stroked Maura's hair. The cute reddish-brown locks bounced right back in front. Lexi laughed; then she cried. She did not know if she was happy or sad—she was both. She wrapped her arms around the child and did not care if she woke her up. She cried with the horror that was. She cried with relief. She cried for the friend she no longer had. She cried for the man she now did. Everything came rushing like an endless tidal wave of hurt, but it was over and they were both safe.
“Hey.” Rafa crawled on the bed and pulled her to his chest, trying to console her from the sadness that overwhelmed her. Lexi gladly accepted the comfort and cried into his arms.
Time passed. Lexi could not seem to pull herself together. Neither said anything. Rafa stayed quiet and caressed her body while she hid within his. Right now, she needed the shield, anything but the cold world that she was born. Lexi would not care if she never left the house again. She never wanted to fight in the first place. The fight always found her.
“Here.” Rafa handed her a bottle of water, knowing she was probably dehydrating from thirst. “Do you want something to eat?”
“I'll eat later.” Pushing herself up, Lexi wiped her eyes and composed herself. “What are you working on in there?” She pointed to the office.
“I had the guys bring up those file cabinets you wanted. I found some documents in there. I was scanning some of them,” he answered and scooted to the edge of the bed.
“Find anything good?” she asked, sniffing as she took another drink.
Rafa's expression seemed slightly sentimental, almost reflective. “Let's just say Pearson will have a lot of explaining to do.”
“Meaning that I was right and there’s no way he can win?”
“The files will work against him. He won’t be able to explain enough to erase the doubts they cause.”
Lexi took a deep breath and looked around the room. It was quiet—just her, Rafa and a sleeping Maura. She wanted to shut out the world for good. She wanted to keep her small family to herself. Lexi knew better than to indulge in her outlandish fantasy. It could never be just them.
“What's bothering you?” she asked and let her legs dangle around his while squeezing her arms around his waist. She could feel his heavy breathing, that slouching of his muscles as she laid her cheek on his back.
“We will have to move to Tallahassee if I win,” he said with a sigh.
Lexi gave a slow nod and kissed the skin of his back exposed to her. Of course they could not stay. She already figured, though she never brought it up. “What does that mean for you and the group?” She rolled her fingers over his abdomen and higher, feeling the old gunshot scars underneath. Lexi knew what he would say.
He pressed her hands tight against his heart. Somehow, he needed her comfort. Knowing she would be with him seemed to ease his heavy breaths. “Angelo knew when he brought up the idea that I couldn't do both jobs at once. We haven't talked about it…but he knew. I won't be able to stay with his group while living up there.”
“You must have known too.”
“I knew…that's why I wouldn't run at first. I knew I would win. I knew I would have to leave. But it's like I said, I would do anything for you.”
His words made Lexi squeeze him harder, loving him more than she already did. What kind of man would run for governor for her? There was no one like Rafa. “Do you regret your decision?” Lexi wanted to know.
He chuckled and pulled out of her grip, turning around to look in her eyes. “I'm used to living in Miami. I'm used to all the shit Angelo has me doing and we can come back when my term is up.”
“So no regrets?”
Rafa looked at her. “No, I have no regrets about running against that asshole and kicking him out of office. Besides, if I know Angelo, when I'm done with the term, he will use all my new contacts to his advantage. He was probably thinking ahead the whole time. That's why he was willing to lose me for a while.”
“I guess you're locked in then.” Lexi looked down. She had a feeling there would be lonely days and late nights without him. She wished they could be together every night.
“Is it too much for you?” he asked. “Are you strong enough to be a governor's wife?” He lifted her chin; his eyes looked directly into hers, more serious than she had ever seen. Did he need her assurance? How could she be the strength behind someone like him? “I understand how you must feel,” he said and closed his eyes.
Lexi wrapped her fingers around his cheeks. She stared at him, taking in the deep brown of his eyes as they opened again with lips that she wanted to kiss. He was gorgeous. Rafa could take any position and succeed. It did not matter what he did. So what could she add exactly?
“It doesn't matter what you do. I’ll be here no matter what. It will be a little harder to get rid of me than becoming governor or being part of the mafia.”
Rafa's brow lifted as he touched her lips with his finger. “How about president then?” He was trying to provoke a reaction and gained a frown.
“Don't be that conceited, Rafa. I draw the line at governor.”
He smiled at her, at the exact reaction he expected, and then he wrapped her with his arms until there was no space between them. “I love you, baby.” He kissed her, a soft gentle kiss that showed he would do anything to make her happy, the same as he always had. His life was always about her.