Page 74 of King Alejandro

“Did Kataleya tell you about going to see the kid after breakfast?” I asked quietly.

“She did. She went to ask Claire to prepare a meal for him, too. She said she’ll eat with him,” she replied, her voice soft, yet I could sense her disappointment in it. Because of me…

“Yeah? And what about you? Still not going to look me in the eye?” I asked, looking down at her as shestared ahead.

She turned her head and looked at me. For the first time, I realised her eyes looked tired and maybe a tad fucking red. I hated her upset. I bent down and pressed my lips to her plush ones, kissing her slowly and snaking one hand around her throat as I deepened the kiss. She kissed me back, our bodies reacting to one another, the pleasure coursing through us both as her ass brushed against my crotch.

I pulled away, my eyes flashing red as I did my best not to let my emotions loose. There was something about Kiara that messed with my head. I could be angry with her, but I still needed her, like a fucking drug to survive. She was my lifeline, and as much as she fucked with my sanity, at the same time, she was what kept me fucking grounded and rational.

“You could burn down the world, and I’d still love you,” she whispered like a promise in the stars, tilting her chin up as she stared into my eyes. The single light in my dark ones…

“But you won’t stand by my side and support me,” I replied quietly. If she didn’t approve… she wasn’t going to be there… just last night when she had shut me out. A flash of hurt filled her eyes before she looked away.

“I’m sorry, but there are things I don’t approve of,” she whispered.

“When you see him, I’m sure you’ll believe it was better for him. He’s missing a hand, and I don’t think he was born that way. Besides, he refuses to speak.” She frowned, her heart skipping a beat.

“I will take a look at him. Maybe he’ll talk to me,” she replied, concerned.

“Yeah, probably,” I replied. She was the fucking light to my darkness and the one who had a better heart.

“Don’t do that.”

“What?”

“You’re thinking negatively about yourself again.”

Our eyes met, and the urge to fucking kiss her all over again was threatening to break through, but at the same time, I was trying to fucking keep myself in control so we could talk.

“Hard not to when I’m obviously not making the ‘good’ fucking choice,” I replied coldly, knowing that came out harsher than it should have. I let go of her and turned away. I hated arguing with her, I hated when we didn’t agree. Her silence was painful, but she didn’t reply. “Let’s head down to breakfast.”

There it was again. Another conversation that fucking ended in disagreement. We left our room, side by side, yet the conflict between us was fucking suffocating. The smell of several dishes being cooked promised a big breakfast full of variety, but I didn’t have a fucking appetite.

Breakfast was over. Kiara, Kataleya, and I were heading to headquarters. Kataleya was holding the basket with the food in it. She had refused to have breakfast, saying she was going to eat with Enrique. I wasn’t happy with that, but Kiara had said she could. Her excitement was palpable; she was two steps ahead of us, her feet barely hitting the ground as she tried to contain her happiness as she reached the doors of the building first. My men opened them when I gave them a small nod and we all stepped inside.

It wasn’t the first time Kataleya had been here, but she hadn’t seen the cells. Luckily, the room I waskeeping the pup in was more of a questioning room that had been transformed into a bedroom for him, and it wasn’t too far down. We walked through the corridors, stopping at a metal door. Kataleya frowned.

“Daddy, why is he here?” She asked. Kiara crossed her arms and looked at me questioningly, too.

“To keep him safe,” I responded curtly, unlocking the door.

We stepped into the darker corridor, and I went to the door where two guards stood outside.

“How is he?”

“He didn’t sleep, nor did he touch anything. He’s been standing all night,” one of the men, Arnold, said emotionlessly. The second one, Milo, shook his head sympathetically.

“I tried to talk to him, but he ignored me.”

“Open the door,” Kiara commanded coldly, her eyes flashing. The mother in her was not going to let this slide. The men obliged, and Kiara was the first to enter, with Kataleya hurrying behind her.

I looked at the boy who was standing, arms crossed in the middle of the room, a frown on his face as his cold eyes met mine.

“Enrique!” Kataleya exclaimed, rushing passed Kiara and over to the boy. He looked at her indifferently, and if I didn’t know better, one would fucking think he didn’t even know her. “Look, Enrique, I brought breakfast. You gave me food, so I give you food now,” she said, placing the basket on the bed that had not been slept in or even touched.

“I don’t need it. Leave,” he spat coldly, making my eyes flash.

No one talks to my daughter like that.I stepped forward, but Kiara blocked my way, stepping in front of me as she gently placed her hands on Kataleya’s shoulders. I didn’t miss the flash of surprise in the child’s eyes at Kiara’s move when she blocked me.