Page 13 of Corrupted By the Shadow King (Hope Runs Deep #3)

Alex

I don’t know what possessed me. When she left, I had every intention of forgetting her and moving on with my life. I have plans and things to take care of. My life is dangerous. I don’t need a woman to come in, get caught in the middle, and fuck it all up. But I couldn’t stay away.

Ricky called and ordered Nikki three dozen purple roses.

Initially, when he told me, I nodded and asked, “Three dozen?” It seemed a bit excessive, but he grinned and tilted his head to the side.

His reply of, “One dozen for every day she was held hostage,” made me question his sanity and mine, since he is my closest friend.

I opened my mouth to say something and stopped. I couldn’t fault his logic.

Something is nagging at me, though. I do a search for the meaning behind a purple rose.

I should have shot him when I heard about Miguel’s fuck up.

“Royalty, admiration, enchantment, and love at first sight,” I mumble under my breath as I read the words on my phone.

While not royal, she carried herself like a queen, and I can admire her bravery.

She was crazy enough to jump into a stranger’s car.

Crazy or stupid. I’m not certain. Enchantment…

maybe, but I refuse to acknowledge that out loud.

Love at first sight…I laugh at this one.

No. Never. Not me. My love is reserved for my family.

I don’t have time for anyone or anything else.

The moments I feel an itch that needs to be scratched, there are women I can call to get the deed done. Nikki is nothing and no one.

She means nothing to me.

Has it only been two days?

My right hand moves to my left arm without thought. It still hurts, but it is healing. Her touch was magic.

“Ricky, llévame al hospital ,” I say from the back seat.

After I got in one or five accidents too many, Ricky decided he was going to drive me around because he couldn’t trust me to get from point A to point B without almost killing myself.

I don’t need to tell him which hospital I want to go to because he sent a clear message when he sent the roses.

When we arrive, I jump out of the back seat and make my way into the hospital, but I quickly realize I do not know where to locate her.

I walk up to the service desk and plaster on my best smile, the one older women like the two manning the desk can’t resist. “Hello. I’m looking for the surgical floor.

I’m supposed to meet Nikki Albert for lunch, but I’m not sure where her station is located. ”

Flustered, they both grin and giggle. The woman closest to me types a few things into her computer and looks up.

“You are going to want to take the elevators to the second floor, turn left, and go all the way down the hall. Turn right before you get to the stairs. Go down that hall and you will come to a T. Turn right and the first door is a waiting room. Go in there and talk to the clerk. She will be able to call her for you.”

“ Gracias .” I give them both a small nod and walk off, following the directions I was given.

It doesn’t take me long to find the surgical area, and when I tell them who I am looking for and my name, they escort me back to the nurses’ station.

There she is talking to some man who doesn’t appear to like her declining his invitation.

After he stalks off, the person who escorted me leaves, and I’m about to make my presence known, when I hear another nurse ask, “Why don’t you give him a chance?

You have time before you have to do anything.

Now is the perfect time for a lunch break. ”

“Because he isn’t what I’m looking for,” she says, and I am curious about what she is looking for in a man.

Would I measure up? I am not the man for her, but I cannot stay away.

She has bound my heart and cast a spell on me, and I cannot resist when I should because I will bring danger to her doorstep.

“Who is?”

She glances up then and notices me. I slide my hands into the pockets of my slacks and wait, quirking an eyebrow as I smirk at her. “Alex,” she breathes, her voice coming out as a whisper.

“Alex? Who’s Alex?” the other woman asks, and I cannot hold my silence any longer.

“Pardon me, did someone call my name?”

Overly dramatic, the nurse spins around and falls against the desk, her hand on her chest. I know I surprised her, but did I scare her to the point I gave her a heart attack? “Oh!” She looks from me to Nikki and states, “Gotta go.”

Nikki’s gaze drops to my arm, where the wound is hidden under my shirt and jacket, and I can see the worry in her eyes. Her head tilts to the side, and she bites her lip. “Are you okay? Do I need to?—”

I lift my right hand. “I’m happy to see you got the flowers. I am here to ask you to lunch.”

She doesn’t pause or think. Instead, she immediately says, “Yeah, I’d like that,” and I can feel the tension leave my body. What is it about this woman?

“Where would you like to go?”

“Well…” She glances down at her feet, her bottom lip once again caught in her teeth. “I can’t really go far. “Cafeteria here isn’t great, but it’s decent. Is that okay?”

“ Sí .” I text Ricky to tell him where we are going and hold out my hand to her, forcing myself to suppress the jolt I feel when her warm fingers slide against my palm.

On the way to the hospital, I told myself I only wanted to take her out to lunch to thank her for everything she did for me.

To do more than have someone send her flowers.

The moment I touched her again, I knew that was a lie.

I cannot let her go, which means I need to change my strategy.

She will be my weakness. More so than my family or the few I call friends.

She has the power to destroy me and everything I have built, and I cannot allow that to happen.

I will protect her and my empire. I am El Lobo, and I defend what is mine.

“Are you sure?” she asks, pulling me out of my thoughts.

“ Sí . I would not have agreed if I was not willing to eat there.” I grin.

She fidgets, wiping her other hand down her scrubs.

It is cute, but I do not say this out loud.

The last time I told my sister she looked cute, she threw a knife at my head.

She has a temper. And while I do not think I am in danger of sharp objects, I would rather not take the chance.

“Oh, I need to get?—”

I cut her off by pulling her to a stop in the hallway outside the waiting room and placing a finger over her lips.

“You do not need to get anything. This is a lunch date.” The word feels foreign coming from my lips.

I don’t think I have ever been on a real date before.

I have occasionally had women accompany me to events, but most of the time, my sister stood at my side.

I don’t trust women, never had time, and never found anyone I wanted to bring into my world.

Until now.

Her cheeks fill with the color of her blush. “Oh. Okay.”

When we are away from the waiting room and prying ears, I inquire, “Who was the cabrón who was bothering you? The man who did not like the word no?” I ask, attempting to sound bored instead of annoyed. The bug will learn his place or pay the price.

She frowns and rolls her eyes. “Kevin. He is a nurse in the cardiac unit.”

“And he is a problem? A fastidio ?”

“Nuissance?” She nods. “He can be, but he is harmless.”

I do not agree with her assessment. There was something in his eyes.

I have seen that glimmer many times. Even Alonzo had it before I killed him.

There are men who willingly accept defeat and move on.

And then there are those who reject defeat, grab what they want, and force everyone around them to acquiesce.

“Are you okay?” she asks, pulling me out of my thoughts.

Forcing a smile, I give her hand a small squeeze. It feels so small and weak in my grasp, but I know she is strong. “ Sí . I was just thinking about something. Do not worry. We will have a good lunch, and then you can return to your patients.”