Alexei (Her Russian Protector #8) by Roxie Rivera Read Free Book Online

to think about people standing around those cages while starved and beaten dogs chewed each other to pieces. It was so barbaric.
    A man who enjoyed something so violent and brutal was a man who would think nothing of hurting a girl like me. So I definitely did not want to see Lalo tonight, but there was little chance of avoiding him if I wanted to speak to Shannon. I hated that my sister was putting me in this position. If I was being brutally honest, I sort of hated myself for always letting her have her way and not pushing back and enforcing boundaries.
    You’ve got to grow up and put a stop to this crap. Never again , I swore silently. Never again will I find myself in a situation like this.
    Running my finger along the edge of my phone, I remembered the way Alexei had taken it from me and entered his phone number in my contacts. The way he had shoved off that door frame and rushed toward me had filled my stomach with a swarm of butterflies. Even now, I experienced a fresh flutter in my lower belly.
    That protective streak of his did crazy things to my heart. It made me want something I had never dared to chase. It gave me a glimpse of what it would be like to belong to someone who wanted to take care of me.
    Call him. He’ll come for you.
    I turned the phone over and ran my finger over the screen. If I called Alexei right now, he would insist that I come back to the dealership or he would want Juan to drive me somewhere other than the Arena. If I didn’t go find Shannon right now, she could get hurt. Those men might ambush her and Ruben after the concert. I needed to get to her quickly.
    And then I would call Alexei. This was one time I wasn’t going to let my pride get in the way of my safety. He had offered his help, and I was going to grab hold with both hands and hang on tight while he dragged me out of this mess. He knew this world better than me, and I trusted him to get me out of this alive and whole.
    Before I was ready, we neared the Arena. Juan turned down Bellaire and looped around the freeway. He glanced at me as we sat in traffic. “Do you want me to take you up to the parking garage? There’s that covered walkway between the garage and the entrance. It’ll be warmer.”
    “I’ve got my jacket. Just let me out here,” I decided, already shrugging into it.
    “Be careful, Shay.” Concern filled his voice. “Just find your sister and then lay low. If you need help getting out of town, call me. My brother drives out to San Antonio to see his kids on the weekend. He could take you with him in the morning. You could hide out in a hotel there.”
    “I’ll think about it.” Dread swirled in my stomach as I slid out of the truck and scurried along the sidewalk toward the Arena. I fell into a crowd that included concert latecomers and couples leaving early. There was a heavy police presence outside that made me feel marginally better about my decision.
    I squeezed between two small groups and entered the lobby. I drew some strange looks in my work clothes and jacket. Oh well. I wasn’t here to find a date or have a good time. I was here to find my sister. That’s it.
    As I glanced down to type in a quick text to Shannon to ask her to come meet me, I heard my name being called by a male voice I really, really didn’t want to hear. Shit.
    “Shay! Baby! You made it!” Lalo Contreras called out to me, and I tried not to flinch. The last thing I wanted to do was make him mad. From the stories I had heard straight from Shannon’s mouth, I knew he had a mean streak in him.
    Schooling my features, I tightly gripped my phone and turned to find Lalo walking toward me. Flanked by his inner circle of enforcers, Lalo commanded the attention of every person standing in the lobby. With that snow white blazer layered over a black shirt, he looked slick and like a flush entrepreneur out for a night on the town. Over the summer, he had toned down his usual jewelry choices to diamond studs, an outrageously expensive