The Revenge Ch 05

The Revenge

Selestina gets a secret message from her father to meet him, but is tricked to believe that it's to clear their name. In a cliffhanger, they argue in a struggle and she stands in front of a gunshot meant for Alejandro who has come to save her, but no one knows what has happened.

Chapter 5 - The End

The echo of the gunshot through the canyon warned Alejandro where Mateo Garcia was. He exchanged tense glances with Miguel and Captain Morales, their expressions a mix of alarm and determination. The air was thick with dust and tension, the silence only broken by the occasional cry of a hawk circling above.

Alejandro reined in his stallion with a quick pull, his dark eyes narrowing as he searched for the source. A moment later, another shot cracked the air, sending a flock of birds from the nearby brush into the sky. Miguel, beside him, ducked instinctively, cursing under his breath. Captain Morales and his men, already on alert, spread out, hands on their weapons.

"Take cover!" Captain Morales barked, his voice sharp and commanding. Instinctively, the group of men ducked behind the rocky outcrops that offered scant protection from unseen assailants.

Alejandro's mind raced, each heartbeat a reminder of Selestina's peril. She was somewhere just around those mountains, a mere few hundred yards away. His heart pummeled against his chest. Was she safe?

"There!" One of the soldiers pointed.

Alejandro turned in time to see two figures on horseback and one by foot disappearing into the distance, dust trailing behind them like a ribbon in the wind. Mateo and Diego.

Captain Morales squinted into the distance, assessing the situation with a soldier's keen eye. "We cannot let them escape," he declared. "They're heading towards the old mission trail."

With a quick nod of agreement, Morales signaled to his men, and they mounted their horses, ready to give chase. "We'll cover more ground if we split up," he suggested. "Alejandro, you and Miguel find Señorita Garcia and head back to ensure everyone's safe."

Alejandro agreed, knowing that his place was not in pursuit but with Selestina. As the Captain and his men disappeared into the dust cloud trailing behind them, Alejandro and Miguel turned their horses, their urgency spurred by fear for Selestina's safety.

He spurred his horse forward, his mind racing.

When he finally found her, she was behind the mountains, standing alone leaning against the boulders behind the shrubs. Her dress was dusty and dirty, slightly torn at the hem, her dark hair loose around her shoulders. There was a tenseness in her stance, as if she were bracing herself.

"What the hell were you thinking?" he demanded as he dismounted, his boots hitting the ground hard. "Do you have any idea what could have happened to you?"

Selestina lifted her chin, her dark eyes unreadable. "I am alright, Alejandro."

"Alright?" His voice was sharp, cutting through the silence. "Gunshots, Stina? Mateo and Diego. They are not petty thieves - they are killers. And you were out here alone to meet them!"

"I had to..."

"I don't want to hear it!" He took a step closer, his chin inclined, his jaw tightening. "If my informants hadn't seen you come out here we wouldn't have found you!" He gritted.

"Let's go," he said finally, his voice tight. "Miguel is waiting."

It was against his nature to be this angry with a woman! This woman was infuriating. Did she have any idea what risk she had put them through? From now on, she would be kept under a close watch. Never again, would she put herself in danger.

As they rode in silence back to the hacienda, he refused to acknowledge her.

As they finally reached the hacienda, Alejandro barely made it inside when Isabella rushed to greet them, her skirts swishing as she hurried forward.

"Selestina!" Isabella threw her arms out, ready to embrace her, but Selestina pulled back, hugging her black scarf around herself.

Isabella frowned. "You look pale. Are you alright?"

Alejandro, still fuming, didn't notice at first. "She's fine," he said, turning to face Selestina. "Just out risking her damn life for no good reason."

Isabella looked between them, her worry deepening. Selestina's face was pale, her lips slightly parted as if she were struggling to catch her breath.

Alejandro turned to her, his voice cutting through the tension. "What were you thinking? You could have been killed! Lying, refusing the guards to go with you!" He exclaimed, his voice a mix of anger and overwhelming relief.

Selestina blindly looked at the ground. "I needed to know..."

"To know?" he interrupted, his temper slipping its leash. "To know what? To know how dangerous this was?" What if I hadn't found out where you were? If we hadn't reached you in time?"

She didn't answer, just stood there, her face unreadable. Something about her silence sent a warning through him, but he was too angry to decipher it yet.

"Damn it, Stina!" He ran a hand through his hair, trying to steady his temper. "You are reckless. Stubborn. Impossible. You put yourself in danger and everyone else..." He exhaled sharply. "Do you know what could have happened?"

She lowered her gaze, but still said nothing.

"Say something!" he demanded.

Selestina wavered on her feet, her eyes closing, struggling to keep alert. She opened her mouth, but no words came. Instead, she swayed, her knees buckling beneath her.

"Stina?" Alejandro's voice lost its anger, replaced with sharp concern as he noticed the agony in her face and the increasing frailty in her stance.

Before he could ask what was wrong, she swayed, her eyes rolling back in her head, and she collapsed, her body hitting the ground with a sickening thud. A dark stain of blood revealed on her dress, blossoming across the stone floor.

"Dios mio," Isabella breathed.

"Stina, why didn't you say anything?" Alejandro's heart slamming against his ribs.

He let out a rough curse, lifting her gently in his arms. "Someone get a doctor! Now!"

Miguel shouted orders and Isabella followed upstairs, but all Alejandro could focus on was the woman in his arms, pale and limp, and the realization of tonight's events.

And that, despite everything, she had tried to bear it alone.

~

Alejandro had no idea what time it was. After the doctor left, he hadn't left her side.

He heard the bedroom door open.

"Alejandro," Miguel started. "Our men found the stablehand. He told me everything."

Alejandro rose from the edge of the bed.

"Tell me every detail, Miguel." Alejandro said and inclined his chin.

"Mateo Garcia forced her to give up your secrets, but she refused. He threatened her, held a knife to her throat."

Alejandro turned to face him, dwelled by the horror he heard.

"And when she didn't... He wanted to take her with them. To extort you for money."

"But when we showed up, he pulled the gun to shoot you. Selestina... she stepped in front... The gun went off."

Alejandro felt defeated, weak and crippled. How could he not have protected her? Miguel's hand held his shoulder.

"And where is Mateo and Diego Garcia?" he whispered.

"No news yet."

"And the stablehand?"

"Held by my men in the staples."

Alejandro fumed. Turning, he wasn't yet sure what to do with the traitor yet.

~~~~~

Selestina drifted in and out of consciousness for what felt like days. Sometimes, she surfaced long enough to feel cool cloth pressed to her forehead, hear hushed voices arguing beyond her reach. Other times, all she felt was pain.

But when she finally woke fully, it was to the dim glow of a single candle and the soft scrape of a chair against the floor.

Alejandro sat beside her.

His face was shadowed, his dark hair disheveled, his eyes heavy with exhaustion. He was watching her with an expression she couldn't quite place, relief, perhaps, but guarded.

"How long?" she croaked, her throat dry.

Alejandro exhaled, rubbing a hand down his face. "Four days."

She tried to sit up, but pain lanced through her ribs, and she gasped. Immediately, Alejandro was at her side, pushing her back down with surprising gentleness.

"Stay still." His voice was firm, but not unkind.

Alejandro frowned, glancing at the room. Miguel's hacienda. Not Alejandro's. She looked back at him. "Why are you here?"

He scoffed, leaning back in his chair. "Where else would I be? You have a talent for getting into trouble."

She swallowed, hesitating. "Did you..."

"I know everything," he interrupted. His tone was flat. "The stablehand confessed. We know what your father did."

Selestina looked away.

Alejandro sighed, scrubbing a hand through his hair. "You should have told me."

"I wanted to..."

"I don't care what you wanted," he rasped. Then he stopped, inhaled sharply. When he spoke again, his voice was quieter. "You almost died."

Silence stretched between them.

Finally, Selestina whispered, "But I didn't."

Alejandro let out a rough chuckle, shaking his head. "No. You didn't." He stood, reaching for the pitcher of water on the bedside table. "Drink."

She took the cup he offered, her hands still weak.

As she sipped, she studied him. He looked... tired. More tired than she had ever seen him.

"Did you stay?" she asked softly.

Alejandro hesitated. Then, with a half smile that didn't quite reach his eyes, he said, "I had to make sure you didn't do anything reckless."

She let out a breath of a laugh, shaking her head. "Maybe you left me to my fate."

Alejandro's smirk faded. He looked at her for a long moment, his gaze unreadable. Then he exhaled, shaking his head.

"You're mine, Stina."

She wasn't sure what to say.

The days passed in slow, measured hours. Selestina remained confined to the large, sunlit room in Miguel's hacienda, her body weakened from blood loss but her mind sharp and restless. Every morning, the mayordomo would bring trays of broth and medicinal teas. Every afternoon, a physician would arrive to change her bandages, muttering about how miraculous it was that she had survived.

But every night, it was Alejandro who sat by her bedside, reading to her or telling her of the day's events. Isabella would join her late at night with stories from that dreadful night.

He never acknowledged why he stayed. Never spoke of concern or fear. He was simply there, with his quiet presence, his rough hands occasionally brushing hers when he adjusted the blankets or handed her a cup of water.

At first, Selestina thought he was waiting for something, perhaps for her to break, to confess some hidden truth. But as the days stretched on, she realized the truth was simpler.

He could not bring himself to leave.

One evening, Selestina awoke to the sound of distant thunder.

Her room was dim, the candle on the bedside table flickering in the warm draft from the open balcony doors. Alejandro sat where he always did, leaning back in the chair, his arms crossed, his gaze fixed on the floor as if lost in thought.

For the first time, he looked... vulnerable.

She studied him, the way exhaustion clung to him, the slight crease in his brow. His shirt was unbuttoned at the collar, sleeves rolled to his elbows, revealing tanned forearms lined with faint scars. He looked less like the untouchable man she had always known and more like someone human.

"Have you slept at all?" she asked softly.

Alejandro's head snapped up, his dark eyes narrowing. "You should be resting."

Silence. The storm outside rumbled closer, a cool wind sweeping through the room, rustling the sheer curtains.

Finally, Alejandro leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "You shouldn't have gone to meet him," he said, his voice low. "You knew it wasn't safe."

Selestina looked away. "I had my reasons."

He scoffed. "And were they worth nearly dying for?"

She didn't answer.

Alejandro stood abruptly, pacing to the window. "Your father shot you." His voice was tight, controlled. "Do you understand what that means?"

Selestina swallowed hard. "Yes."

"No, I don't think you do," he snapped, turning to face her. "Because if you did, you wouldn't have lied. You wouldn't have hidden your injury like a fool." His hands curled into fists.

"Get some sleep, Stina." His voice was softer.

She watched him for a long moment before closing her eyes.

A few days later, Selestina managed to walk to the balcony with Isabella's help. The fresh air was a relief after being trapped inside, the scent of damp earth lingering from the passing storm.

Alejandro stood below, near the stables, talking to his men.

She could feel his presence before he even looked up.

And when he did, his expression was unreadable.

Isabella followed her gaze, exhaling quietly. "He hasn't left since that night."

Selestina swallowed. "I know."

Isabella studied her. "You do?"

She hesitated. "It doesn't matter."

Isabella's brow arched. "Doesn't it?"

She glanced away. "He doesn't love me back, Isabella."

Isabella didn't hesitate before she said, "I don't believe that for a moment."

Selestina exhaled, gripping the balcony railing. Below, two men on horses came galloping into the entrance. Alejandro turned, walking toward Miguel's office.

"Rest," Isabella murmured. "You'll need your strength."

"For what?"

Isabella smiled faintly. "For whatever comes next."

As Alejandro disappeared through the courtyard archway, Selestina wondered if Isabella was right.

Because no matter what they pretended, no matter how much they refused to name it, something between them had shifted.

And she wasn't sure either of them were ready for what came next.

~~~~~

"She is healing well," the old physician declared, examining the wound at her side. "She still needs rest, but traveling will not harm her, so long as she does not overexert herself."

Alejandro stood in the corner, arms crossed, listening intently. At those words, he only gave a short nod, saying nothing.

Selestina sat up in bed, staring at the open balcony doors where warm night air filtered in, carrying the scent of damp earth and orange blossoms. Alejandro had been near constantly by her side, tending to her in his own quiet, stubborn way. But he was careful. Too careful. As if she might shatter beneath his touch.

The doctor had finally given his approval.

"She is strong enough to travel," the old man had declared. "But no strenuous activity."

Selestina had caught the glance Alejandro gave her at those words, and she had smirked in response.

That night, Alejandro helped her into the carriage, his hands lingering at her waist longer than necessary before he abruptly pulled away.

They rode in silence.

She wanted to ask him why he had stayed with her. Why he had looked at her like she was something fragile and precious.

But she didn't.

Because she was terrified of the answer.

Alejandro's hacienda was quiet when they arrived. The servants were buzzing around, quickly preparing the bedroom, and Alejandro carried her inside himself, despite her protests.

"I can walk."

"Be quiet," he muttered, setting her on the bed gently.

She looked up at him, her fingers curling into the fabric of his tailcoat.

Alejandro froze.

She could see it, the way his body tensed, the way his breath hitched.

"Stay," she whispered.

His jaw clenched. He pried her fingers from his coat, his touch gentle but firm.

"You're too fragile for that. And the doctor said..." he murmured.

Selestina swallowed hard. "I'm not."

Alejandro sighed, stepping back. "I'm still angry with you, Stina."

She laughed softly, though it hurt her ribs. "I know."

Alejandro turned away, running a hand through his hair. "Why did you go to him?" His voice was quiet now. "Why take that risk?"

She inhaled slowly, steadying herself. She couldn't tell him the truth. That she had done it because it was the only way to clear her name. A smither of hope, a chance for them to be together. Because she was hopelessly in love with him. Because she knew she could never have him, but at least she could clear her name for the sake of her mother.

Because if she couldn't have Alejandro's love, then she needed to know that she was more than just a mistress, more than just a secret in the shadows of his life.

"For my mother," she finally whispered.

Alejandro stilled.

"I needed to clear my name. Not for me, but for her. I didn't want my father's shame to stain her memory." Her voice trembled, but she lifted her chin. "I couldn't let him win."

Alejandro exhaled slowly. Then, without another word, he turned back to her.

"Get some rest, Stina. I'll be back later."

Selestina buried herself under the soft blankets, happy to be back home.

~~~~~

His informant brought the news and arrived at the hacienda just as the sun dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows over the sprawling estate. Alejandro stood on the balcony, staring out at the land he had spent years building, his hands gripping the adobe railing as the words echoed in his mind.

Mateo Garcia is dead.

He had tried to flee after his capture, making one last desperate attempt at freedom. A gunshot had ended it. A single bullet to the back, swift and final.

Alejandro exhaled slowly, feeling the weight of those words settle deep into his bones. Twenty long years since the night Mateo Garcia had murdered his mother, leaving a gaping wound in his heart that had never truly healed.

By all rights, he should feel victorious.

He should feel satisfied.

Even liberated.

Avenged.

The man who had haunted his past, stolen from him, and taken the most precious person in his life was finally gone. The evil had been defeated by vindication. He should indeed feel a sense of satisfaction of a proven right, the bitterness and anger was absolved.

But he didn't.

Instead, a deep, unshakable sadness clawed at his chest. It dug and festered, lingered by his heart.

Because Mateo Garcia was Selestina's father.

He ran a hand down his face, exhaustion settling in. How was he supposed to tell her? How could he look into her eyes, those same warm, deep eyes that sometimes held the same fire as Mateo's, and tell her that the man who had given her life was dead?

Would she cry for him? Surely not! The man had tried to have her murdered!

Would she hate Alejandro for feeling relieved that he was dead?

Alejandro turned and leaned against the railing, looking blindly into his office. Selestina was steps away in the sitting room, sewing, praying or reading, oblivious to the storm raging inside him.

She never knew of all her father's sins, she was shielded from most of the truths, of most of what Mateo had done.

Alejandro didn't want to tell her the full depth of Mateo's cruelty, how he had ruined lives, destroyed families.

But now he had no choice. The news would find its way to her.

He felt a bitter taste in his mouth. It should have been simple. Justice had finally been served. But nothing about this felt simple.

Mateo had been a monster, but he had also been Selestina's blood.

A cold wind swept through the balcony, and Alejandro closed his eyes for a moment. Whenever he looked at her, he didn't just see her beauty, her warmth, her stubbornness. He saw the ghost of her father in the lines of her face, the betrayal written in the blood that connected them.

And it disheartened him.

He straightened, pushing away from the railing. He couldn't delay this any longer. She deserved to know.

Taking a steadying breath, Alejandro turned and made his way inside, his footsteps heavy with the weight of what he had to say.

He had never feared battle. Never feared blood, war, or death. But telling Selestina this?

This was a battle he did not know how to fight.

~~~~~

Selestina blinked a few times then looked up and found him asleep. Quietly, she traced a finger over his lips. She noticed how full they were, a bit swollen still from kissing her and gorging on her earlier. Normally, she would have blushed at the thought, but she smiled, satiated.