Alejandro Vargas x Reader

Fifteen

You stared at Diego.

His eyes were locked with yours but instead of you he was visibly confused. This was obviously not how he had planned things. And now he lacked the skill to improvise.

A soft chuckle escaped you.

"I always thought of her as a great leader, a woman with a sharp mind.", you mumbled and shot down a woman who had the audacity to still not shake in fear. "But maybe I was wrong. If she chose you. Is that why she wanted to see me? Because she's starting to experience what failure is?"

Diego flinched as another bullet almost grazed his temple.

The last henchman that had come with him was down. Now he was the only one to be left. Or at least the only one who had been stupid enough to set foot on your land.

Surely he hadn't been send with just a handful of people to aid him. She was smart enough to know better that only an army could manage to bring you to get even one step closer to her again.

His breathing quickened.

"I'm just a courier.", he said with his hands raised to show you that he wasn't trying to be a threat.

"Just like a dog with its tail tugged between its legs. Pathetic...", you mumbled and did a gesture with your head. "Take the car. And don't turn back. Or I'll do much worse things to you, entendido?"

With a nod, his hands still raised, he stepped backwards over a body while his hand felt along the side of the car until he could feel the handle of the door. In one swift movement he pulled it open and jumped inside.

The engine turned on.

One last glance and he turned the car to drive it down the road and vanished between clouds of dust and sand.

Your eyes kept following him for a while, until you were sure that he was far enough away to consider it safe.

Without a second glance at the dead bodies that now decorated your driveway you jumped up the porch and pulled out your keys.

In that moment the adrenaline died down. Cold sweat covered your entire body.

Your breath hitched. It felt like your heart was about to pull together and burst. If you hadn't known better you could have sworn you were having a stroke due to the stress that washed over you all at once.

There was this strange sound that kept ringing inside your ears. It caused your head to feel all jiggly and tough like honey in a jar.

Your hands started to shake uncontrollably as you tried to push the key inside the lock.

It wasn't fear, at least not entirely. But you couldn't tell exactly what it was either. Perhaps because your emotions were through the roof at the moment.

Finally you managed to unlock the door. Immediately you rushed to the kitchen sink and bend over it, gagging and shaking.

Disgust tried your throat. Even though it drove tears to your eyes, you did not throw up. Your body refused to part from the evil that nestled in the pit of your stomach.

This was a part of you. And your body knew it.

Your brain just tried to refuse.

Long threads of clear saliva dripped off your lips. The slight taste or acid covered your tongue while tears clouded your field of vision.

By chance your gaze rose to catch a glimpse of the landscape outside.

A cold shiver crawled down your spine.

Diego would return. This was not a question of if or maybe. It was certain. He couldn't afford to return to her with empty hands. Not if he wanted to live.

You needed to act. Immediately, at best.

Quickly, you wiped the spit from the corners of your mouth with the back of your hand and turned on your heel to rush down the hallway.

Like a madman you banged your fist on the door of the room where the kids were supposed to wait for your return.

Silence answered.

For a moment your heart dropped. Panicked, you looked around to check the hinges or lock for damage. But it seemed like the inside of the house had not been touched.

"Wesley?!", you asked, your voice shaky all of a sudden. "Niña? Are you guys alright?"

Again a moment of silence.

Then, finally, the cries of a baby sounded from the other side.

Relieved, you let out a sigh so deep that you let yourself fall against the door. Exhaustion threatened to make you pass out. But you knew that there was no time for that.

"Wesley, I need you to open the door.", you asked in a gentler voice. "Please..."

On the other side of the door the tapping of little feet waddled across the floor. A key was turned inside the lock.

The door opened a crack wide to reveal the worried face of Niña. With her eyebrow drawn together and her head pulled she peaked through the crack.

You greeted her with a soft smile.

"Pequeña princesa.", you kneeled down to stroke her cheek. "Are you alright? Did someone come here?"

She shook her head. Her eyes wandered over your face.

"Why is your shirt so red?", she asked with her little voice.

Struck by surprise you looked down. You were sprinkled with blood. It wasn't much, barely enough to consider yourself covered. But it was enough to make a small child question you.

Unsure what to say, you eyed her.

She was scared.

Deep down you feared it was because of you. You feared that she had caught a glimpse of the monster that you truly were and now she wanted to run.

But you couldn't bare to loose her. Or any other child. If there was a heart and a soul left in you it all belonged to the kids.

"The world is full of light and shadows, you know mi conejito.", you pulled her into a hug. "And sometimes, when the shadows are a bit bigger than the light, monsters crawl out of them."

With her face buried in your chest, Niña let out a whimper.

"But you'll protect us from these monsters, won't you?", she asked. "You'll kill them."

Tears of regret started to fill your eyes. If only she would have known that you were one of these monster that she was afraid of.

"Daría mi vida por ti.", you kissed the top of her head. "En cualquier momento."