Page 1 of LA Reign

Chapter

One

ALANA

My pulse throbs in my temples and blood rushes in my ears. I can do nothing but stare at my husband.

Alejandro Montoya is the King of LA, and he made me believe I was his queen. I’m the woman he’s supposed to share everything with, even his secrets. So, what the hell am I missing here? He’s not cruel for no reason, so why has he taken such an aversion to a pregnant sixteen-year-old girl? And why is he saying this is not a household issue?

Lucy is outside at the gates. Alone, and no doubt scared. She’s supposed to be with her foster family now, safe and protected. Not outside our house in the dark, asking to be let in. So, why is she here, and more importantly, why is Alejandro turning her away?

“What kind of issue is it?” I ask when I finally find my voice. “Why won’t you let Lucy in here?”

His tongue darts out of his mouth, and he licks his lower lip before running a hand through his hair in exasperation.

“Because her name isn’t Lucy, for a start. She’s not who you think she is, Alana.”

That makes no sense. I don’t even know all that much about her other than that she’s a pregnant young girl, which is blatantly obvious. Clearly he knows something about her that I don’t. My head spins and my stomach sinks. “Then who is she?”

Alejandro’s eyes are fixed on mine, and I instinctively know this is not going to be good. He stuffs his hands into his trouser pockets, eyes darting between me and his driver, Jacob, who’s still waiting for a final decision on whether Lucy should be allowed in or not.

My heart is hammering in my chest as possible scenarios run through my head, none of which I like. “Alejandro, who is she?” I ask again, the tremor in my voice audible.

He shakes his head and sighs “Let her in,” he tells Jacob, who quickly hurries from the room. Then Alejandro gives me his full attention. “Let’s see if she’s honest enough to tell you herself.”

He slips his hand into mine and gives it a reassuring squeeze. While I don’t press him further, a multitude of questions and assumptions race around my head. At this point I have no idea of what I’m about to discover. He glares at the open doorway with his free hand in his pocket and his feet planted wide apart, looking like he’s prepared for battle. I swallow the knot of anxiety lodged in my throat.

Is he nervous? Maybe.

Angry? Most definitely. It radiates from him in waves. It’s hard to believe that just a few minutes ago we were lying on the sofa, with me giggling and waiting for him to tear my panties off.

I’d quite like to shake him and demand answers, but I think a part of me is too afraid to find out why a sixteen-year-old pregnant girl made him react this way. There’s one thought lingering in the back of my mind, too awful to contemplate. One that I’m ashamed to even consider, niggling at me like a persistent fly on a hot summer day. Each time I swat it away, it comes back.

What if the baby is his?

A moment later, Lucy is shown into the room. Alejandro snarls at her presence. Actually snarls. But she ignores him and stares straight at me, her eyes brimming with tears.

Instinctively, I cross the room to her. “Lucy. Are you okay?”

She wipes the tears from her cheeks with her sleeve. “Yes, I’m so sorry, but I didn’t know where else to go.”

“Then you should take a seat,” Alejandro says, his tone cool and calm and dangerous. “And then you can tell us both why you’re really here, can’t you, Lucia?”

Lucia? The name seems to startle her, and she spins to face him. Her face pales and she visibly starts to tremble, but then, just as quickly, her demeanor changes once more. She rolls back her shoulders, regaining her composure and transforming in front of my eyes. Her jaw tilts in defiance as she tosses her long dark hair over her shoulder.

She crosses her arms over her chest. “So you know who I am?”

I glance between her and my husband, wishing one of them would tell me what the hell is going on here.

Alejandro scowls. “Of course I know who you are. Did you honestly think I wouldn’t find out? I take a particular interest in anyone who gets close to my wife, and you of all people should know that.”

Her eyes narrow. There’s something going on between them that I don’t understand.

My stomach is rolling, but I push away the anxiety and remind myself this is my husband, and my home. I am not a spectator at this show, and I have every right to ask questions. “Will one of you tell me what the hell is going on?” I demand, tired of whatever game is being played here.

“Tell her,” Alejandro barks.

Lucy shifts from one foot to the other, a little of her vulnerability peeking through again. Or perhaps that’s just an act she puts on for me. My heart starts to hammer so violently in my chest I think that she and Alejandro must be able to hear it too.