Page 70 of Crowned In Blood
I straightened my back, forcing myself to appear calm and in control, even as my heart pounded in my ears. I checked our surroundings for anyone we'd missed, anyone who could hurt Marco, and even though I couldn't find anyone, I stayed vigilant.
Slowly, we approached the vehicles, searching for any survivors or information we could get.
One of my capos flagged me down. The driver of one of the SUVs was unconscious, slumped over the steering wheel, but still alive.
My capo pulled the bastard back. "Fuck! These are Alvarez's men," he snarled.
I glared at the bodies decorating my event center lawn.Felipe Alvarez has no idea what is coming for him.But he would. I'd make sure he felt every ounce of my wrath before I choked the life out of him with my own two hands.
"Take him to interrogation. If you find anyone else, kill them on sight."
I squeezed my dress,using it to wipe away the dampness from my palms. My men at the entrance had stopped four of the vehicles, but we'd lost three men, and two were in the hospital.
I'd finally finished dealing with the police, all of them on my payroll. They would do the best they could, but the whole situation was a mess.
My movements would be restricted for the next couple of weeks, which meant I couldn't take my revenge on Felipeyet,but his days were numbered.
I glanced at Marco, and his eyes immediately met mine. He'd been assisting me, using his own contacts, but every time he came near me, I turned away.
I found someone else to talk to, another person to check on, anything to keep me away from him.
He'd noticed, but he never stopped staring at me. His eyes bore into the back of my skull, a constant reminder that he was there, waiting.
But now that everything was settled, I couldn't hide from him or the truth any longer.
Marco could have been hurt or killed all because he was beside me, and I would never accept the possibility of waking up to a world without him.
Felipe had torn open Pandora's box, and I'd have to retaliate for my familia. If Marco stayed by my side, he'd be dragged into a war that had nothing to do with him.
The only way to protect him was to break our contract, stop our alliance, and end whatever our relationship had been morphing into. After today, we'd be nothing more than strangers.
That reality broke my heart, and I would have begged and pleaded to whomever orwhateverfor another solution, but there wasn't one.
I'd sacrifice anything for Marco, do anything to keep him safe, no matter how much it destroyed me.
I approached him, and he crossed the distance between us.
"Can we talk?"
His expression grew grim and dark. "I've been waiting for us to."
I led us up to my office.
He shut the door behind us. "What's going on? You've been off since the shooting. Did something happen? Are you scared, hurt, or worried about your familia?" He reached for me, but I stepped away.
"Lina—"
"Stop. Just stop." The way he called for me, reached for me, made me want to run to him. I wanted to be in his arms, to feel his warmth—but I couldn't.
"Lina… why are you crying? Talk to me, please." His voice was soft, tender, filled with the same misery I felt.
He stepped closer, but I couldn't let him pull me in. Icouldn't."Please, just stop," I begged.
"How can I? Lina, if you don't want me to touch you, I won't, but I'mnotleaving you like this."
I swung my head, panicked. A coldness seeped into my bones, and I wrapped my arms around myself to stave it away. "Yes, you are."
"Lina—"
