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

watch and a single gold chain with a simple crucifix. He could almost pass for an upstanding citizen. Almost.
    Lalo swooped in and curved his arm around my shoulder. I had to muscle down the urge to shrug him off. His cologne was too heavy, and I couldn’t stand the scent of it. He dipped down until his mouth was close to my ear. I shivered but he misread it as encouragement. “Come with me, mami . Your sister sent me to get you. We’re in the back.”
    The arm curved around my shoulders tightened and pressed me forward. Every instinct in my body screamed to push him away and run out the main entrance and back into the cold, dark night, but I had to find Shannon. She would believe anything Ruben told her, but I prayed she would listen to me and maybe even agree to come with me.
    Lalo dropped his arm from my shoulders, grasped my hand and dragged me along behind him. Immediately, I compared his possessive grip to the way Alexei had held my hand in his office. His fingers had been strong and warm, his grip firm but gentle and reassuring. I still couldn’t believe I had been so bold and traced that black rectangle tattoo on his skin. I might have imagined it, but I could have sworn his breath hitched in his throat when I touched him.
    But my breath wasn’t hitching in my throat as Lalo led me through the thick crowd. The blaring live music momentarily disoriented me. A driving beat of brassy bass and drums pushed a lively accordion tune as a pair of singers wailed lyrics that had the entire arena up on their feet. The band on stage was somewhat infamous for their narcocorridos so I wasn’t surprised by the violent imagery on the posters lining the walls or on the merchandise displayed at the first table we passed.
    As the singer crooned, he caught my attention with one of his lyrics about a Russian. I looked toward the stage and listened more intently as he sang about an ice cold Russian king who had had his heart melted by the blue-eyed machete princess. He sang of the way the Russian was made immortal and untouchable because of the love of his wife and of a night when new blood washed away the old and new kings were crowned by the Russian.
    I wasn’t the only one listening to the music now. Lalo had stopped and glared at the stage, the darkness inside the building hiding eyes that I was sure were shining with fury. I didn’t know everything that had happened over the summer and early fall, but between Shannon and the news reports, I had been able to piece together the power shift in the cartel and in Houston’s underworld. The fact that the band had the balls to stand up there and sing about the bloody coup Lalo had perpetrated both impressed and horrified me.
    Lalo said something to one of his enforcers before jerking on my hand and dragging me along more forcefully. That band was probably going to have a rough end to their night as the enforcer left the group with a couple of other men.
    That’s not my problem. Worry about yourself. Find Shannon and get her out of here.
    I tried to keep my head down and my eyes averted as I reluctantly followed Lalo around the outer rim of the seating area. Even so, I didn’t miss the way people deferred to him or the way his enforcers cut a wide swath through the crowd. Seeing the street respect he had earned helped me understand why Shannon had gotten swept up in Ruben’s lifestyle. To be treated like someone important? She must have found it utterly addicting.
    As we neared the backstage entrance, I quickly glanced around to get my bearings. Back behind me, there was an emergency exit near the bar. Up ahead, I could see a flash of light as a pair of doors opened to the loading dock. If I needed to get out of here quickly, I had two good options.
    Clutching my phone in my hand and hiking my purse strap higher on my shoulder, I let Lalo lead me into the backstage area and down a dimly lit hall. His enforcers peeled away in groups of two until we were alone outside a closed door.