Page 49 of Game of Revenge

“Thank you.”

Doctor Rodriguez gave me a bag with all the medicine and equipment he could, as well as some water for the road. He also gave me a list of recommended foods I was going to have to find to help with the loss of blood.

He helped Alejandro back in the car, in the front seat this time. I got in the driver’s seat, thanked the doctor profusely, and started driving under Alejandro’s instructions.

Alejandro took out his phone and plugged it in the car charger. He made countless calls, trying to figure out who had attacked us and how his men were doing.

From what I could hear of the exchanges, it sounded like Alejandro’s men had regained control of the house, the intruders had left, and some were dead. There were no fatal casualties on Alejandro’s end, thankfully, but a few of his men did get shot, and some of them were in the hospital. Alejandro mostly talked to a man named Marcus, who was going to help him investigate who had attacked and why they had clearly tried to shoot me.

I had a million questions, but I had to bite my lip—for now. All that really mattered in this moment was getting Alejandro somewhere where he could rest, where we would be safe.

Chapter 21

Alejandro finally instructed me to turn into what looked more like an actual neighborhood. We had been driving for an hour or so, and I was glad when he said we were getting closer.

I drove up a narrow, barely lit road. Thankfully, the skies were clear, the moonlight lighting the path for us. I could smell the ocean as we had rolled the windows down. I finally stopped in front of a brown gate with a security checkpoint. Alejandro told me the code to enter. The gate, he explained, would open and close by itself.

I took us down a fairly short road and parked the car as close to the entrance of the house as I could. The house looked quaint, two floors, very spacious with a white exterior and light-green shutters and doors. It was the perfect beach house—at least based on what I could decipher in the dark.

Alejandro grabbed some keys from the glove compartment and accepted my arm as he got out of the car. I opened the double doors to a gorgeous foyer with a small table and a gorgeous blue orchid plant. Alejandro pointed me to the staircase. We went up the stairs very slowly, so as to not strain him, and I stared at his face to watch for any sign of discomfort. I opened the first room as indicated.

I walked Alejandro to the bed and slowly let him down. I quickly but tenderly took off his shoes and what was left of his shirt. Doctor Rodriguez had run the bandage all around his waist, but it looked like he was still bleeding through. I went to turn on the light.

Before me was a gorgeous bedroom, all white, with a simple, gray wood king-size bed and a gorgeous window I imagined opened to a view of the water. The room was a coastal decor dream. The moon was high and full as it shed some light inside the room, and I could hear the sounds of the waves hitting the beach with all their strength.

“I am going to go find the kitchen,” I told Alejandro. "You need some water to take your medicine.”

“Come here,” he said, lifting his arm toward me. I went to him and grabbed his hand.

“How are you feeling?” he inquired, searching my face for an answer.

“I just want you to be okay,” I admitted, avoiding his gaze, my voice cracking.

“I am going to be just fine,” he said sweetly, “all thanks to you.” He paused. “Thank you.”

I cleared my throat in an attempt to push down the rush of emotions that were going through me. I needed to be strong in the moment and think later. I quickly got up, wiping my eyes as I turned away from him.

“I will be back as soon as I can,” I announced before I left the room.

I rapidly went down the stairs. The house was very spacious, clearly built to maximize the view of the ocean from every room, even though I couldn’t quite see it in the dark. I passed what looked like a very relaxing living room and dining room then finally got to a gorgeous kitchen with white countertops and gray cabinets.

I proceeded to the big, stainless steel fridge in the kitchen. It was empty, but I found a box of frozen chicken wings and frozen fries in the freezer. The expiration dates had thankfully not yet passed, so I put both in the oven.

I sat down on one of the chairs by the kitchen island. My brain was still trying to process the day. Everything had changed in just a few minutes. I could still hear all those gunshots. It had felt like I was in a war zone, and I really thought I was going to die. But at the last minute, Alejandro protected me.

I had instinctively wanted to protect him, but he chose to put his life at risk for mine instead, literally covering my body with his and taking a bullet in my stead.

That memory made my blood rush, my body overtaken by a chaotic combination of fear and hope. He turned around and took a bullet that was, for some reason, meant for me. I was torn between the overwhelming joy I felt at knowing that he would sacrifice himself for me and the simmering dread I felt at the idea that he wouldn’t make it. The sharp pain and panic I felt at the idea that I might not see him again overpowered my being, fear shaking me to my core.

I had to tell him eventually—about the cop and Karina. The sooner, the better. Because Karina, as his girlfriend, probably knew of this house and seemed to be part of a plot against him or me, so he should know as soon as possible.

When the food was ready, I put it all on a plate, got some water and a bottle of Italian wine I had found and took it with me to his room. Alejandro was dozing off when I went in, but the smell of the food woke him up. I helped him sit up a bit and put some pillows behind him for support. I brought him the food and gave him the painkillers.

“Ah, you found something,” he said.

“Yes, the only food there is in the whole house.”

“I don’t come here often,” he explained.