Alejandro
"You're distracted?" Elliot noticed as they sat in the communications room.
Alejandro shook his head, "I'm not."
Alejandro saw Elliot lift his brows, "Okay, if you say so....."
Alejandro ignored Elliot's sarcasm and refocused his attention to the sheets of paper in front of them. To be quite honest, Alejandro was distracted— distracted with a woman whom he'd seen two days ago. His behavior was appalling to him and every time he'd think of her green eyes he'd chastise himself for his wayward thoughts and force himself to forget because the past was not going to repeat itself; not again, not to him.
Alejandro furrowed his brows, Sai Khalil seemed like trouble and both himself and Elliot knew it. Although he posed no threat to them, he could foresee the man giving them some difficulty and then, there was the skeletons Elliot had managed to dig up referring to the mysterious death of his wife, Rome's mother and the other disappearances of at least three women after her. Neither of them had liked those stats as they readily filled Allegro in on their discovery.
Alejandro watched as Allegro pursed his lips, "The next meeting is tomorrow?" Allegro asked.
Alejandro nodded.
"Good, I'd like to know more. We don't go into business with men who hurt innocent women."
Alejandro and Elliot agreed before Allegro left the room and Elliot turned towards him.
"The daughter, Rome." Elliot began.
The mention of her name made Alejandro freeze,
"What about her?" his tone made Elliot lift a brow.
"I think something's happened to her— or it's already happening to her."
Alejandro nodded his head trying to seem unaffected whilst Elliot seemed to be giving him a once over. Alejandro agreed, the way she'd asked for them to come back, gave it all away not to mention the obvious limp when she walked; something was happening and as it turned out Elliot wanted to find out what it was.
"She was staring at you."
The statement snapped Alejandro out of his head.
"What are you......"
Elliot rolled his eyes, "Let me put it plainly, she's smitten or seems to be anyway."
Alejandro felt something tug in his stomach but ignored it as well as Elliot's statement.
"I know you're running Alejandro, running from the mistakes you made all those years ago but you can't run forever and maybe this girl may need you."
Alejandro scowled at the man, he really wished Elliot wasn't so perceptive. He really wished Elliot hadn't figured him out because he enjoyed being left alone to wallow; he enjoyed being the serious don't fuck with me brother; but over the course of the three years Elliot had lived on the compound, he'd become quite frankly, Alejandro's best friend which irked his brother and Elliot's boyfriend, Alessando terribly. Elliot knew everything about him, things he didn't want anyone to know, things not even Allegro and the rest of his brothers knew. But he also knew Elliot would take his secrets to the grave and he trusted him with his life.
Alejandro crossed his arms at the statement before Elliot gave him a pat on the shoulder, "I don't think I didn't see you looking at her too."
Alejandro scoffed making Elliot chuckle before they settled back into their work.
~*~
The next day Alejandro sat at the table with Greece, Allegro's wife on the other end. The woman had grown so much and Alejandro was grateful he was able to see it, her blonde hair was tied in a ponytail as her blue eyes focused on her phone in her hand. Alejandro remembered the first time he looked at her, the woman had ripped open wounds he hoped had healed; wounds that he'd caused. He was pissed at his brother, pissed at Allegro for not learning from his mistakes and bringing another woman home.
Alejandro had thought for so long that Greece was no good, all because of her last name. Of course, as it turned out that was not the case and now Alejandro loved her like the sister he never had, she did and quite literally take a bullet for him, so how could he not.
"You seem different?" Greece eyed him suspiciously.
Alejandro shrugged, sipping his glass of water, "I haven't slept much."
"Nope— that's not it." She pursed her lips, "Something else....."
Alejandro rolled his eyes, "No idea what you're talking about."
Greece gave him an appraised look, "Fine, don't tell me but I'll figure it out."
Greece narrowed her eyes, "Does Elliot know?" She grinned.
Alejandro gave her an exasperated look, "That means he does!" She exclaimed smirking.
"I'll squeeze it out of him!" She said smugly.
Alejandro almost chuckled, Elliot would never break, he knew that much not even for Greece.
Alejandro looked up when Arturo walked in with his son, Alonso in his arms. The child was half asleep and Greece turned to her nephew cooing, "Look at him!"
"I can't get over how much he looks like Dallas!"
Arturo chuckled, the child was a mix of Arturo's milky complexion and Dallas' chocolate one to make the cutest little boy. Alejandro smiled at the little one before his brother spoke to him and Greece before it was time for Alejandro to get ready for his meeting. Soon both him and Elliot pulled up in front of Sai Khalil's house with the intention of finding out everything about this man, all his deep dark secrets and to find out the truth about his wife's death and not to mention the green eyes girl who'd caught his eye.
This time, Sai greeted them at the door ushering them inside and once again, both himself and Elliot found themselves in the same seats as three days ago.
"I hope you've given my proposal time." Sai began, "business between us would benefit us all."
Alejandro nodded, "We've looked it over and I'd like to see the plans in writing."
Sai gave him an approving stare before smiling widely, "Of course. Give me a moment."
"Daughter, offer these fine gentlemen some beverages."
And just as she'd done before Rome stepped out of the shadows, this time in white sari that was even more gorgeous than before and Alejandro's heart almost stopped at her beauty before she got even closer and suddenly his blood boiled at the now fading bruises on her cheeks. The discoloration caused Alejandro's fist to tighten and his anger to flare, who the fuck had laid a hand on her? Who the fuck had the nerve?
His expression displaying nothing of his emotions on the inside as she approached him stopping before him before offering him a small hello. Her voice, silky like music to his ears and it almost made him forget why he was furious.
"Who?"
The question made her eyes widen in shock,
"What?" She asked confused.
"The bruises."
He saw the girl visibly gulp, he knew he shouldn't be this angry; of course he never tolerated the mistreatment of innocent people but this festering anger for a woman he didn't know unnerved him.
"It's nothing." She whispered back.
"I'd like you to tell me who." He asked firmly.
"Please." She begged, "Don't ask again."
Alejandro gave Elliot a look causing the man to frown, "We can help you." Elliot spoke up.
But Rome shook her head before retreating to her corner at the vivacious voice of her father approaching and Alejandro suddenly had a pretty good idea of who'd done it but wouldn't say anything yet. Alejandro watched as Rome fell once again into the background before Sai took a seat again.
"Well gentlemen, let us begin."
Yes, let us begin, Alejandro thought venomously.
~*~
I M P O R T A N T
A U T H O R ' S N O T E
id like to say, i hope i haven't offended anyone with the choice to put some of my main characters as Palestinien and use Arabic. My story line was going to be the same no matter the race and nationality of my characters and as you can hopefully tell, i like diversity, i made Dallas, African American and Laya, Chinese so it was meant to bare any ill will to anyone; hope you understand & again i hope i didn't offend anyone it wasn't my intention.
hope you loved the chapter more to come
xoxo
;)