rara

Alejandro’s P.O.V.

Alejandro walks through the backdoor of Rudy’s home, hearing the music and lively chatter of the Parra and Vargas family. He goes around and greets both families and friends until he ultimately sees you. You’re talking to Rudy’s younger sister, Ximena, the two of you notoriously always joined at the hip. His heart begins to race once he sees you laugh. He pretends to listen to a conversation with Rudy, but his eyes keep moving back to you.

Dios, that smile… He’s not supposed to think your smile is pretty or that your laugh perfectly scratches that itch in his brain. Your Ximena’s best friend for god sakes, part of the Parra family at this point. Alejandro shouldn’t be interested, you're younger than him, not prepared for the life he has. It doesn’t matter that both the Parra and Vargas family know of the mutual attraction and try to push Alejandro to swoop you up before someone else does, he doesn’t – he won’t ruin you.  

That doesn’t mean he can flip a switch on his emotions. He can’t just tell himself to ignore the desire and your allure. Alejandro watches as you get up to dance with one of Rudy’s cousins, Javier or Jaime or whatever his name is. Jealousy burns his stomach while you laugh the moment you’re spun in a circle. He feels someone bump his shoulder and turns to see Ximena.

“You should ask her to dance. I think she’ll say yes,” Ximena says as she points to you. 

“Don’t point,” Alejandro says as embarrassment colors his cheeks from being caught. “No, I’m not going to ask her to dance. I wasn’t–wasn't even looking at her.” 

She raises her eyebrow at his words. “Honestly, Alejandro, I don’t know why you do this to yourself. You two obviously like each other. And like I told Rudy, I’m okay if my best friend and older brother date.” 

Alejandro whips his head around,” Rudy is interested in–” 

“No, menso,” Ximena interrupts with a laugh,” you’re my other older brother.” [Dummy]

Alejandro remembers to breathe in that moment. He should’ve known Ximena was talking about him. He and Rudy consider themselves brothers and of course Ximena would also consider Alejandro her brother as well. Her words bounce around in his head. A selfish part of him thinks you would fit well in his life. 

You would be okay to wait for him while he’s on mission. You would busy yourself on his ranch by riding his horses or having picnics in his peach orchard. Maybe you’d visit his mom and calm her nerves while he’s away. You wouldn’t be too scared when he’s gone on dangerous missions because you’d know he’d always find a way back to you. 

He wonders if you’d enjoy a weekend camping up in the mountains or if you’d let him take you to the restaurant you love so much or if you’d enjoy walking around town where everyone could see you two together. Alejandro always stops wondering the moment he realizes other people would bear witness to the relationship. What would they think about him, a man roughened up by war and bloodshed, taking advantage of such a sweet girl like you?  

Alejandro knows you’ll say yes if he asks you to dance. He’d be stupid if he didn’t notice how you look at him and the way you touch his arm when he’s close. He doesn’t allow himself to be alone with you, knowing he’ll fall to his knees and beg for your affection. So instead Alejandro, as much as it pains him, hopes that you’ll find someone. That you’ll focus your pretty eyes on someone else. Then, God willing, Alejandro won’t be tempted by you anymore. 

Ximena pokes his arm, gaining his attention once more. “Will you dance with me?” 

He nods and follows her to the dance floor as a new song begins. You’re still dancing with Rudy’s cousin, whatever-his-name-is continuing to spin you around and make you laugh. A minute into the song, Ximena abruptly spins them both around and puts them right next to you. 

“Javier, you need to teach me how to dance,” Ximena says as she lets go of Alejandro. 

“Uh,” Javier turns to look at you then back at his cousin,” sure yeah, next song–” 

“No, now!” 

Before Alejandro knows what’s happening, he’s pushed towards you and Ximena whisks Javier away. You look at Alejandro and give him a confused smile.

“We don’t have to–” you begin to say. 

“I guess we should–” Alejandro interrupts,” Oh. Si no quieres bailar conmigo, we don’t have to.” He’s not sure why he feels a pinch in his heart. [If you don’t want to dance with me] 

“No–I mean, yes. Why don’t we just dance?” you stumble over your words. 

The music has now switched to a new song, something soft and romantic. Alejandro stares into your eyes and grasps one of your hands in his. His other hand is placed on your hip and you both begin to sway to the music. The rest of the guests fade away until it's just you too holding each other close. He falls victim to the pools of color in your eyes and the slope of your nose. He tries to stay strong and not glance at your soft lips, but eventually he does. 

“I didn’t realize you were such a great dancer, Coronel,” you whisper. 

Alejandro lets out a small chuckle and grasps your hand a little tighter. The dress that you’re wearing is thin enough that he can feel the warmth of your skin on your back.

“My mom taught me,” he whispers back. “She said if I ever want a wife I need to know how to dance.” 

“Señora Vargas is a smart lady, that's why I like her–” 

“She likes you too, nena,” Alejandro interrupts,” she likes you too.” 

He’s being honest. His mother along with Rudy’s always have nothing but good things to say about you. Qué niña tan lista e independiente. She’s going to make someone very happy, they’d say. [What a smart and independent girl]

“Can I cut in?” Rudy says. 

Alejandro reluctantly lets your hand go. He walks away and turns as you and Rudy begin to dance, catching your eyes and giving you another smile. 

- - - 

Reader's P.O.V.

“¿Todo bien?” Rudy asks with concern clouding his features. [Everything okay?]

“Yeah, why wouldn’t it be–oh… That,” you respond. 

A few days prior, you and Ximena visited a bar in town. Las Almas is a small town, mostly everyone knows each other. When a couple of drinks were placed in front of you by the bartender, you both thought maybe a friend or family member had sent them. What you weren’t expecting was a guy dripped in gold and silk to slide up next to you, a little too close for comfort. You tried to deny the drinks, already knowing where this was going. 

From the clothes he wore and the way he talked, even before he told you what he did for a living, you already knew. When El Sin Nombre reigned supreme in Las Almas, guys like him existed in every corner. Guys who thought that one day they would run the Las Almas Cartel if they pushed enough merchandise or threatened enough people, all in expensive clothing. 

You hadn’t seen him before and he confirmed your suspicions when he told you he was from more down south. His name was León and he was here to take advantage of the border that separated Las Almas and Texas. You and Ximena sat there in disbelief, thinking that maybe someone was pulling a prank on you. 

León spoke so casually about everything, like if it was no big deal selling hardcore drugs or amassing enough artillery for a small army. Your body ran cold at his words. Life had improved drastically at the exile of El Sin Nombre. Yet here was this random guy who was able to enter Las Almas so easily. 

He didn’t seem to notice or care as you and Ximena stared back in horror. León, if that was even his real name or just a moniker, took a small baggie filled with white powder out of his pocket and squeezed your upper thigh. 

“It’s supposed to… heighten, every cell in your body,” he said while running a hand up and down your cold skin. 

You’re not sure how Ximena managed to safely drag you out of the bar, a weak excuse thrown at León. The two of you drove to the Vaqueros’ base where Rudy was stationed for the night. No way were you going to risk León following you back to your house. Rudy took your words’ seriously and dispatched two soldiers to go check the bar if he was still there. They didn’t find him, no surprise, but they did see him leave and arrive through the security cameras. 

Ximena convinced you to stay the night at their house, just so you wouldn’t be alone. Rudy decided to keep what happened quiet, wanting to gather as much evidence as he could before presenting the information to Alejandro. The trail has run cold, Rudy not being able to track which roads León used to get into and leave Las Alamas. No new property had been bought recently and there were no new satellite images of any incoming trucks or planes passing through Las Almas. 

You thought you had seen him while walking to work the following morning, someone with the same build and awful fashion sense standing across the street, but when you glanced back there was no one there. 

“I thought I saw him the other day but… it might have just been my mind playing tricks on me.” 

Rudy nods at your words.”If you see him again, please and I mean it please, call me or Alejandro immediately. Don’t engage, we don’t know anything about this guy.” 

“I will Rudy, I promise.” 

Rudy gives you a brotherly kiss on your forehead and leads you off the dancefloor once the song finishes. You spend the rest of the evening talking and eating while trying to dodge Javier’s advances. He’s cute and polite, but he can’t compare to Alejandro. Sooner rather than later you’ll have to let the crush go, but there’s a small part of your heart that still holds hope. 

Alejandro managed to focus his sole attention on you while dancing and even now you keep finding him look at you before quickly glancing away once he’s been caught. The last thing you want to do is seem desperate, but you wish he would let go of his annoying principles for just one moment. 

As the night goes on, neither family seems to be getting tired or having any plans to stop the party. You have a busy schedule in the morning and it's still somewhat of a drive back into town from Rudy’s ranch. You begin to say your goodbyes, and surprisingly Alejandro offers to walk you out. 

“You’re sure you don’t want me to drive you, nena?” 

You smile at the nickname,“I’m sure, Alejandro. Thank you.”

He holds the car door open for you and waits in the driveway while you reverse out onto the road. You stay smiling throughout the entire 15 minute drive back to your house and even as when parking your car. Right as you step onto the porch, you notice the door to the house slightly open. Your brain begins to race with a million thoughts and it becomes difficult to breathe. 

Even in the moonlight you can see the doorknob and lock have been knocked off for easy entry. Against your better judgment, you slowly tip toe up the porch and push open the door. There, on your entry table, is a large bouquet of red roses with a note sticking from the top. Cold sweat runs down your back and you stay frozen to the spot. You’re scared to enter more into the house to find safety in your room but also scared to run the few steps back to the car. 

The party and Rudy’s ranch seem so far away now. You take a deep breath and run back to your car while pressing the unlock button only once so it opens just the driver’s side. You don’t know if someone is waiting to grab you outside or if they’re waiting inside, but you don’t want to risk it. Once in the safety of the car, you check the back seat quickly and speed out of the driveway. You press Rudy’s name on your phone and begin to explain in rushed words what just happened. 

The drive to the Vaqueros' base seems long and each car that passes next or behind you seems like a threat. The moment you pull up to the entrance, the soldier on duty waves you in. You park in front of the building that holds Rudy and Alejandro’s office as another truck parks next to yours. Before you know it, Alejandro has yanked your trembling body out of the car and squeezes you to his chest. 

“Are you okay, nena? Are you hurt? Did anything happen to you?” He says his words in a rush. 

“I’m–I’m okay, no one was there I think. Where’s–where’s Rudy? I thought he was meeting me here?” 

Alejandro sighs and presses a kiss to the crown of your head. “He went to check your house with a few other soldiers. They’re going to review the security system and see if they can find who did it.” 

You close your eyes and nod to his words. Your body begins to calm down while Alejandro keeps you locked in his arms. His hand massages the back of your skull and your grip the front of his shirt to keep you balanced. 

“You should’ve told me,” he whispers,” you–you need to tell me stuff like this. Gracias a Dios que no te paso nada. Let’s get you inside, yeah?” [Thank God nothing happened to you] 

Alejandro leads you into the building and directly to his office. He makes you lock the door, you guess more for comfort than for safety, as this is most likely the safest place in Las Almas. He leaves to get some pillows and blankets for you to rest a bit. 

“Only for a while until Rudy comes back. Then we’ll take you with us.”  

You’re not sure if that means back to Rudy’s or to Alejandro’s ranch, but you’re too shaken up to ask more questions. You begin to think about the state of your home. There was someone in your home. Someone went in and did God knows what and left a bouquet of roses. To taunt you? To make you cower in fear? You’re not even sure if they destroyed or took anything. You most likely know who did this but you don’t want to believe it was him. 

- - - 

Alejandro’s P.O.V.

He hasn’t stopped shaking with anger the moment Rudy got the terrified call from you. Alejandro ran to his truck and managed to arrive at base in only a few minutes. He did his best to control his anger at Rudy for not informing him about the incident at the bar. It was Rudy’s job to gather intel first then present information to Alejandro if it posed a threat. They weren’t even sure if it was the same guy or just an isolated incident. 

Once you explained, your voice trembling from adrenaline and fear, how you didn’t stick around and jumped back into your car, he praised you for being such a smart girl. He’s not letting you back into that house until they find who did this. Alejandro doesn’t care if he has to drag you kicking and screaming to stay at his or Rudy’s ranch. 

Alejandro returns to the office and wraps a blanket around your shoulders warm your cold skin. Once he’s sure you're comfortable, he leaves again to meet with Rudy downstairs, making sure you lock the door behind him. 

“Did you find anything?” His voice is rough as he talks to Rudy. 

Rudy holds up a plastic evidence bag with a white note and some words scribbled on it. 

“I’ll see if we can get prints on it to identify this ‘León’ guy.” 

“You think it’s him?” Alejandro asks. 

“Read the note, Coronel.” 

You didn’t give me a name the last time we talked. I found you anyway. I even know your favorite flowers. Red roses, right? Like the color of the lipstick you wore that night at the bar. Nos vemos pronto, muñeca. –León [See you soon, doll]

Anger and something akin to fear rises in Alejandro’s body. No one gets to threaten you and make you fear your own home. No one gets to stalk you and make you feel unsafe in the town you grew up in. He made sure that Las Almas would be a safe place for you, for everyone. And he’s not going to let some wannabe narco cause you terror and destroy everything he’s built. 

“We need to get the security footage from her house and the surrounding houses. We need to confirm he only left a bouquet of roses and nothing else. I need someone to change the locks on her door and–” 

“Coronel,” Rudy interrupts Alejandro’s anxious tirade,” Coronel, we are doing all of those things, no te preocupes. We need to focus on finding this guy and figuring out if he’s actually moving coke.” [Don’t worry]

“Rudy, that’s your focus right now? What about her–” 

“I know, Coronel. That’s my next point. He thinks she’s alone, single. What if–and hear me out before you yell at me again–what if she has someone?” 

Alejandro stares back at Rudy in confusion. “Yes, I expect her to have un escolta the moment she leaves base and until we find León.” [a guard] 

“That’s not–that’s not what I’m saying. What if we have one of the soldiers step in as her boyfriend–” 

“¿Qué chingados estás diciendo, Rodolfo?” [What the fuck are you saying]

Rudy ignores Alejandro and keeps talking,” Maybe it’ll scare him enough to leave her alone and then we can focus on–” 

“Rodolfo,” Alejandro says in a voice simmering with anger,” I will not allow one of the soldiers to date–” 

“Pretend date–” Rudy interrupts. 

“Me vale ver–” [I don’t give a shi–]

“Or you could do it. Who else than the Coronel to scare a narco away?” 

At that, he stays quiet. Rudy stares back, an obvious glint of victory in his eyes. Alejandro thinks about the situation. While he trusts each and everyone of his soldiers with his life, the idea of one of them dating you, even if it's pretend, makes his stomach churn. And as ridiculous as Rudy’s plan sounds, he’s right. Alejandro would have a much better chance at protecting you if León and everyone in Las Alamas believes you two are dating. 

- - - 

Reader's P.O.V.

“Wait–I’m sorry. I don’t understand how this is supposed to help me?” 

You’re in Alejandro’s guest room with Rudy, Ximena, and Alejandro. Ximena looks at you and back at her brothers with the same confused look. Rudy and Alejandro, well mostly Rudy, just explained their plan to get León away from you at least until they find out where his operations are happening. Alejandro hasn’t said much but his eyes don’t leave you. 

“If León is interested in moving merca’ through Las Almas, then he’s not going anywhere. We’lll find him,” Rudy’s voice is serious, “but we’re worried about you. Alejandro thinks it’s best if you two pretend to date.” [goods] 

You want to laugh, you really do. In only a few hours you went from flirting with Alejandro to your house being broken into to now being his pretend girlfriend. 

“This sounds like one of those romance novels,” Ximena says. 

Alejandro shakes his head. In a few strides he reaches then kneels in front of you. “This is—this is serious. We need to make this believable, nena.” He reaches up to cup your jaw and without thinking you place your hand over his. 

“Okay, Alejandro… Let's do it.” 

part 2 | part 3 [epilogue]