Alejandro Vargas x Reader

Thirty-Seven

He wasn't even able to give an answer to that. No gasp slipped out between his lips, no sigh, no form of being upset.

He just stood there, frozen with disbelief and stared at you.

At Sin Rosto.

"This is my story.", you did not want to stop explaining, not now, after you had gathered all your strength to even start this. "And now we should come back to your original question."

"What did you offer them to leave?", he breathed.

His voice was so rough, so shaky, that it sounded like he was about to shatter with cold anger.

A sad smile conquered your face. It broke your heart to hear him talk like this. You could feel how upset he was, not just about everything you hadn't told him before but also about the fact that you still seemed to be involved with the cartel.

"I didn't know that she was looking for me.", you admitted and had to take a deep breath. "One day, after you were gone, Diego showed up on our door step. He wanted me to go with him. I told him to leave. I was foolish. They answered with violence."

Alejandro still struggled to find words. But it was visible how much more he needed to ask, how much more he wanted to know.

"(Y/N).", he finally breathed, his eyes trembling as he met your gaze. "What. Did. You. Offer. Them?"

Guilt tied your throat.

Silence was what answered him.

Alejandro was no fool. In fact, sometimes he knew things about you before you even knew them about yourself. It was as if you were transparent to his eye, every layer of flesh, muscles and bone visible.

He knew he wouldn't like the answer. You knew he would like it. But in the end both of you were very well aware that what you had offered had saved your lives.

The cartel didn't make deals easily, especially not the bribed military since they were the ones who were send to the frontlines once shit really hit the fan.

Sighing, you let your head fall below your shoulders and took such a deep breath that the air started to burn inside your lungs.

"Once she wants something she's very persistent.", you explained with your hands folded in your lap. "She won't stop until she gets what she wants. Or until it's impossible to get it."

Alejandro's eyebrows drew together. Wrinkles appeared on his forehead while confusion was written all over his face.

"What does that mean?", he asked and took a step closer to grab the edge of the hospital bed for support.

A bitter huff escaped you. In that very moment you just realised how stupid you had been to bargain for so much while you had so little to offer.

"It means either I give in and meet her for whatever she has to say...", you had to swallow hard before being able to continue. "Or I'll be out of her reach."

"We could leave the country.", he said without skipping a beat.

You shook your head.

"We both know the cartel is everywhere. Even if I'd go to fucking mars she'd find a way."

"So what else?"

"Only the dead can't talk no more. So either I meet her...", you were unable to finish the sentence.

"Or you'll die.", he stated the obvious.

With a shrug, you confirmed his suspicion.

"It is what it is...", you hummed.

"You won't kill yourself, will you?", now there was fear in his voice.

"No.", you looked up again to gift him a soft yet sad smile. "But I agreed to meet her. For old times sake."

He was not surprised. It was reflected in his eyes that he had expected something like this. But at the same time, this kind of aura enveloped him. Enthusiasm was definitely not something he felt at that moment.

And yet.

With the new information about you and the recent events, something could be done about the situation. Even if he would have preferred to get you out of the country.

Taking a deep breath, he wiped his face with both hands. He still trembled, wether with exhaustion or anger wasn't sure.

"All this time I've been working to protect you and the children.", his fingers clutched at the plastic as his gaze moved sideways to look at Moro. "And all this time you didn't need protection."

"I protected this family as best I could.", you tried to explain. "I set up traps around the house. Any car that got too close, I watched. The children never went further than the fence."

Through clenched teeth he shook his head.

"No... Tú no lo entiendes, he turned to face you halfheartedly. "You are cartel."

"I swear I never worked with them nor had contact ever since we've met!"

He raised his hands in a calming manner.

"Let me finish.", his voice was as sharp as a blade.

It cut through the irritated state that your mind was in, chased away the clouds. All of a sudden everything was so clear before you.

His voice always had some sort of power over you, wether it was calming or even enough to make you snap out of a lunatic episode.

He had never weaponised it against you. Not until now.

But who were you to blame him for it?

Even a blind person would have been able to see how disoriented and out of yourself you were at the moment. Taking a deep breath, you straightened your back to sit upright and nodded.

"Please.", you said. "Continue."

With a grateful hum, Alejandro closed his eyes to gather his thoughts for a second.

"I spent years of my life fighting corruption, wanted to free Las Almas from the chokehold that the cartel has on the city.", all of a sudden he looked you dead in the eye. "If you were so close to the cartel all this time we could have gotten a hold of El Sin Nombre."

"You would have used me as bait?"

He hesitated to answer. But deep down the two of you knew.