Fierce Queen (L.A. Ruthless Series Book 2)

I handed Lucia a pair of my pajamas and sat on the bed in the spare room she had chosen to sleep in. It was the same one I’d chosen on my first day here, before Alejandro had come storming in, in a rage, demanding that I sleep in the master bedroom. It was hard to believe that had been just six months earlier. It felt like a lifetime ago.

‘Thank you so much for this, Alana,’ she said softly as she sat on the bed beside me. ‘I truly didn’t know who you were when I first met you. And then when I found out, well, I already liked you, and well …’ she shrugged and wiped a tear from her eye. ‘I suppose there was an element of self-preservation involved when I realized you were Alejandro Montoya’s wife. I should have told you. I wanted to. But, I also want to leave Lucia Ramos behind. I want to be Lucy Callaghan,’ she sniffed.

I squeezed her hand. ‘I understand why you didn’t tell me.’

‘You do?’ she blinked at me.

‘Of course. You’ve had no-one to rely on but yourself. You did what you needed to do. You are an incredibly brave young woman,’ I said, and I meant it. I could hardly even begin to imagine what she’d been through. To see her own family murdered. Then to have lived the past two years in fear.

I watched as the tears rolled down her cheeks. ‘You remind me so much of my mom,’ she sniffed loudly.

I wrapped my arms around her shoulders and she rested her head on my chest until her tears were soaking my shirt. ‘I wish she was here,’ she sobbed.

I held her while she cried. There had been no reports about her mom in the shooting at her house and I wondered what had happened to her. I had so many questions about this young girl beside me, but they would have to wait for another time. Right now, all that mattered was that she was safe here.

When Lucia stopped crying, she sat up straight and wiped her eyes again. ‘I haven’t cried this much in two years,’ she said with a faint laugh. ‘Thank you again for letting me stay here tonight.’

I nodded. ‘You’re welcome.’

She smiled at me and something about the way she looked at me, made me anxious. ‘Promise me you won’t run away, Lucia. I know you don’t like the Bakers, but I will speak to Alejandro and see what we can do.’

‘I hate it there, Alana,’ she whispered. ‘They hate me.’

‘Just give me time, sweetheart. I promise I am on your side, but there is red tape involved. I’d let you stay here if it was up to me.’

‘Thanks. But I’m pretty sure Alejandro won’t want me here. My family weren’t exactly …,’ she shook her head. ‘It doesn’t matter anyway.’

‘I wish it were as simple as me convincing Alejandro to let you stay here. That’s the easy part,’ I said as I chewed on my lip.

For some reason that made Lucia laugh out loud.

I smiled at her as I saw a glimpse of the carefree teenager she should be. ‘What?’

‘The fact that you have so much control over the King of L.A is funny. But, so is the fact that you have absolutely no idea just how powerful he is, Alana. Red tape does not exist for a man like your husband.’

I frowned at her. ‘We can’t just take you in and keep you here. Even if we wanted to.’

Lucia stood up and took a deep breath. ‘Alejandro Montoya can do whatever the hell he pleases, Alana, and you’re his wife, so that means you can too.’