ALICIA LOPEZ & ALEXANDER MEDINA.
Shock was but the only word to explain the womanâs expression as the man stepped back from her. His lips moments prior molded to hers as she remained in place doing little to return nor pull away from the kiss, as a vast array of emotions pushed and pulled at her insides. âI wouldnât call my intentions good.â She corrected with a shake of her head as she too took a step away from the male, mirroring his actions. Having been working for a cartel since she was but a teenager, this life was all she had known. Which was why she had ended up working for the Devils in the first place ten years ago, not just anyone could pick up a bill and deem it to be a fake or real by merely holding it in their bare hands. It was but the tip of the iceberg of her current skill set and role, but it was a job nonetheless and the Devils were her familia. She had also seen too many times to count, what happened to those that fraternized with the other side. A quick death would have been all one could hope for. Which was why this needed to end here and now, despite the confusion that fluttered within her gut.Â
Ruling with her head had long been the womanâs strong suit. So instead of echoing his goodbye, she squared her shoulders, expression quickly returning her usual unreadable exterior. Perhaps evoking a hatred from the male would have made this easier, nonetheless she was no longer the soft, fearful woman she had been when they had been together. Now she was different, hardened somewhat by her experiences over the years. âA friend of my enemy is my enemy.â She remarked, stealing a glance back in the direction of the estate, before her attention returned to the male. âLa explosiĂłn de Sugar Rub fue solo el comienzo. Entonces, si sabe lo que es mejor para usted, dejarĂĄ a su supuesta familia y correrĂĄ mientras pueda.â Alicia added, a silent warning for what was to come. âYou should have killed me while you had the chance.âÂ
And with that the woman in blue turned on her heel and made her way back toward the estate, ensuring Alexander was completely oblivious to the softening of her features as the weight of her previous words weighed heavy upon her shoulders, war paint flaking from her features with every step. Eerily aware of his following footsteps, that only hesitated when she re-entered the room to ensure they once again were not seen together. Despite the warmth of the room being mildly comforting, the constant chatter and music that seemed to raise the octaves of voices in result, had her head swimming once more. But alas that was when all hell broke loose. A gunshot rang out, and immediately most in the crowd dropped to the floor, Alicia only feet from the balcony watched as Skylar and Quinn drew weapons and before she could even contemplate her next move she was running, reaching beneath the sash of her dress for the small pistol she had concealed in an attempt to aid her friends. Only she never got there. Her breath caught in her throat as she hesitated mid-step, shock pulling at her features while her gun clattered to the ground at her feet. âMierdaâ She muttered, desperately willing herself to put one step in front of the other but to no avail as her knees buckled and she too fell to the floor as the searing pain of her gunshot wound finally took hold. Â
The mention of Sugar Rub did catch him off-guard, more than the actions he had just taken before that confession, and caused him to stare at her with a look of disbelief on his face. âTu?â He asked, knowing the answer had already been given to him. Yet, it wasnât her words that had promoted what he said or did next. It was her turning away from him, yet again, that got to him. When she did that, it felt as if ten years ago was happening all over again, and this time, it was worse. This time, it had involved his family. All he did for a moment was look at the back of her head, his heart shattering with every second that passed. If there was oxygen, Xander couldnât find it. He felt like a fish out of water, and Alicia was holding him above the surface. It seemed that no matter what they did, the paths they chose, the choices they made during, Alicia still had that hold on Alexander, and it infuriated him right now more than ever. âYou canât kill someone already dead.â He hurtfully shot back, walking behind her.
âEntonces, si sabe lo que es mejor para usted, dejarĂĄ a su supuesta familia y correrĂĄ mientras puedaâ. Those words were daggers to him; they cut more profound than anything else she had told him tonight. â No corro como tĂș cuando las cosas se ponen difĂciles.â He angrily continued, his jawline tightening as he attempted to keep his voice low as he spoke. â Nunca renunciarĂ© a mi familia, Alicia. Por quĂ© no dejas a tu familia? Right, because I was never worth your damn energy.â He sighed, slowing in his steps as they neared the entrance. That was all he had left in him when it came to the woman who continued to walk away from him. There was nothing left for him to say, to do, or even think. They both had said what they said, made their choices, picked their sides, and now Alexander was just as guilty of walking away from Alicia as she had been in walking away from him. Â
-BANG BANG BANG- The shots were sudden, unexpected, and resulted in Xander immediately reaching for his gun. At least, he was, before the rouge bullets went flying into the woman he had just declared his enemy. He didnât think he just acted. His feet were running in her direction with arms reaching out to grab her before she could fall, but failing to do so. âI didnât know. I didnât know. I swear to fucking god, I didnât know.â Those were the only words that kept desperately coming out of his mouth as he dropped to his knees the moment he got close enough to her, knowing she more than likely didnât believe him. âYou should have killed me while you had the chance.â Her words were swirling in his chaotic mind; his vision was blurring the more he saw blood spewing from her body and morphing with the blue fabric. Maybe down the line, there would come a day when he would end up paying for this moment with his life. Because despite what was said between the two, Alexander could not bring himself to leave her like this, and he certainly would never truly turn his back on her. âIâm not leaving. Iâm never going to leave. I promised.â Even if she tried to fight him still, Xander was not going to let her. He delicately scooped her up in his arms, determined to get her out of the sudden mayhem, and somewhere she could get help. At the same time, he was attempting not to lose his vision as he maneuvered through the crowd. Every so often, he would assure her things would be okay and that she would be okay. It wasnât until they were out of the building, people running in every direction, and the sirens in the distance, that Xanderâs mind finally attempted to take the situation in. As he scanned, his eyes fell on a figure that he had caught frequenting Moonlight as well, and he knew that was going to be his ticket to getting Alicia help. âHey!â He called to the other, running in his direction with the woman still in his arms.Â
    His back leaned against the bar and drink in hand, Foster patiently waited for Alicia to come back into his line of sight. They had just danced together for the first time that evening and before then, she confessed more about her past to him, confessed about her past lover. He appreciated the way she opened up more to him, but as he took a sip of his liquored drink, he couldnât help but scan the room for the man she mentioned, Alexander. As a hint of jealousy ran through his system, he jolted toward the unforgettable sound he heard from the balcony.
    BANG, BANG. The sound of his drink falling to the ground and crashing against the floor should have rang through his ears, but screams and gunshots crowded Fosterâs head. Instantly pulling out his sidearm from his waistband, he aimed to where the haunting shots came from. A second later, horror and fear controlled his thoughts and emotions. âAlicia!â Screaming her name at the top of his lungs, the dealer rushed to the front door. Pushing through the terrified crowd, he stayed focused on his main goal to find the woman of his dreams. Praying to God that she wasnât hurt, he exited the building. âAlicia?â Her name left his mouth again once the cool air hit his skin. Once he heard someone yell in his direction, he turned to the voice and became numb.
    Fosterâs romantic night with Alicia officially turned into a full-blown nightmare. He slightly recognized the man, but when his eyes landed on his girl, all he could do was run her way. âAli,â Halting inches away from the man holding her, the sight of blood rushing out of her side had him shaking. His future girlfriend was shot and he had to get her somewhere safe. He needed her to be okay, he needed her to be alive. Instantly applying pressure to her gushing wound, he locked his eyes with hers. âStay with me, babe. Iâm here and Iâm not going anywhere.â Leaning in and pressing his lips on her forehead, it was time he gave the man the light of day. âWe have to get her to Moonlight, now.â He stated harshly. âLet's get her in my car. Follow me and apply pressure to her wound as much as you can.â Giving him a quick nod, he backed away, turned toward the direction of his car, and started jogging. âStay with us, Alicia. Keep your eyes open.â He yelled back toward his date, hoping she wasnât close to passing out due to the blood loss. A minute later, his car came into view. Once getting to it, he opened up both of the passenger doors. âGet her in carefully and Iâll help from the other side. Stay with her and Iâll get us to Moonlight.â