Breaking Even

by Lily Bishop

  “Let Xavier take you to the tower suite. I’ll be up in just a few minutes. I have something I have to take care of.”

  “I need to talk to you,” she said, remembering the whole discussion with Jacquetta.

  “I will be right up,” Ric said, almost growling. Lindsey took a step back, and his tone softened. “Honey, I’m sorry. Just go with Xavier. I will explain everything when I come up, sí?”

  “Don’t make me wait,” she said, narrowing her eyes at Ric. Something was going on, and she intended to find out what.

  “I won’t,” Ric promised.

  Xavier walked with her to the elevator and swiped his key so she could access the floor. He didn’t make eye contact, and when she tried to engage him, he ignored her.

  “What is going on, Xavier?”

  “Ric will be up shortly,” he said, but he wouldn’t say more than that. When he left, she realized that she didn't have the keycard to call the elevator back. They had locked her in the tower suite. Just like old times.

  #

  Lindsey paced the tower suite, frustrated that was stuck up here—again. Just like when they first met. That weekend Ric had locked her in this same suite for three days. He had only allowed her into the larger casino under his supervision. While she had forgiven him, she didn’t intend to submit to the same fate this time.

  She loved the suite, with its round walls and tower-like feel. A wall divided the area into two halves. One side held the bedroom and bath, and the other held a living area with a small eat-in kitchen. The elevator opened into the suite, and couldn’t be accessed without a key card. The perfect prison.

  Lindsey heard the elevator and stood waiting for him when he emerged.

  “What was that whole exchange about? That was not just someone who looked like Xavier.” She shifted on her feet, but didn’t change her position.

  Ric raised his eyebrow at her show of defiance. “You’re right. The man was Xavier’s twin. They haven’t spoken in years. He works with some tough criminals and you may be in danger. That’s why I wanted you up here, where no one could snatch you off the island.”

  Lindsey’s eyes widened. “Snatch me off the island? Why would they do that?”

  “To get to me. Listen, you’re just going to have to trust me. The more you know, the more you’re in danger.”

  “And I’m just supposed to accept that?”

  “At this point, yes. It’s the best I can do.” He glanced at his watch and groaned. “We’ll have to talk about this later. I promised I’d be at the midnight mass.”

  “Midnight mass?”

  “Of course. All good Catholics go to midnight mass on Christmas Eve.”

  “I guess I didn’t realize you were Catholic.”

  He shrugged. “Normally it doesn’t matter, but I still honor the old traditions. Midnight mass is one of them.”

  “Well if I’m in such danger, why do you think it’s safe to go to church?”

  Ric pinched the bridge of his nose. “Because we have confirmation that Xavier’s brother has left the island. There won’t be any more attempts.”

  “How do you know it’s not a trick?”

  “I just know. If you don’t want to go to the service, I’ll go alone—“

  “No, that’s fine. I’ll get dressed.” She wasn’t giving Jacquetta any more fuel in her battle for Ric. That reminded her of her other question.

  At least Lindsey had learned her lesson on her first visit and brought dressy clothes. Still raw from her conversation with Jacquetta, she would have preferred to stay in, but that wasn’t to be.

  She finally got up the nerve to ask Ric about Jacquetta’s comments on the ride over to the little church. “Did you take Jacquetta to Atlanta with you when we went to the big horse estate?”

  “Yes, why?”

  “No reason.” Lindsey bit out the words. How could he just sit there and act as if it was no big deal?

  “She just went so she could buy Christmas presents for Rudy. The toy stores are better in Atlanta,” he offered in explanation.

  “But she stayed in your house.”

  “Of course. In one of the guest rooms.” He glanced over at her as he drove. “It’s a four bedroom house,” he added.

  “Oh.” Lindsey felt foolish. She felt her face freeze when she realized that Ric was trying to suppress a smile. “Why are you smiling?”

  Ric’s grin got bigger and he slipped his arm around her shoulders, hugging lightly. “I’m smiling because you’ve never acted jealous before.”

  “I’m not jealous—”

  “It’s okay, I promise. Listen, Jacquetta and I are friends and colleagues. Nothing more. I would never date two women at the same time.”

  Relief washed over her. “I’m sorry—I didn’t mean to doubt you. She just acted like it was something different.”

  “Do you want me to talk to her?”

  “No!” Lindsey cringed at the very idea. “I’m sure it was just a misunderstanding.” She knew it wasn’t, but she didn’t need Ric to fight her battles.

  “Maybe now you have more sympathy for what I went through when you were sharing your house with Ben?”

  “It’s not the same thing.” Lindsey pulled away and stared out of the window. “I don’t want to fight over that again.”

  “Me either.” He squeezed her hand and turned back to the road.

  The village church was decorated for Christmas with greenery and bunting. Lit candles filled each window, and tall candelabras flanked the front of the church. Some guests chose to stand in the back rather than crowd in the pews.

  The priest's sermon focused on Christian love, friendship, and time with family during the holidays. The sermon was shorter than the sermons she remembered growing up. She enjoyed it, but then felt even guiltier about not seeing her sister for Christmas.

  The priest started communion. Ric explained that since she wasn’t Catholic, she could go up for a church blessing but not take the bread or wine. Lindsey chose to go up with the rest of the group, and she knelt for the blessing beside Ric. He squeezed her hand as they finished, and steadied her as she stood up.

  This wasn’t Lindsey’s church and she only knew a handful of people, but she felt a sense of connection wash over her. She wiped away a tear as the congregation sand “Silent Night” by candlelight at the end. The church bells rang midnight as the service ended, and the crowd started to disperse.

  Ric led her over to Jacquetta, who held a sleeping Rudy. “Merry Christmas, Jacquetta. I hope you have a great holiday tomorrow.”

  “You too, Ricardo,” she said in her lilting voice. “Shall I come over for lunch as usual?”

  “Not this year. I think Lindsey and I want some time alone. Did I mention that I’m looking into property in South Carolina? I may split my time between two resorts.”

  “No, you didn’t. Congratulations.” Jacquetta practically spat the words.

  “Well, we will see you later.”

  Ric took Lindsey’s hand and led her to his car. “I’m sorry that I didn’t see her jealousy before. We did spend time together as friends, but never dated. She must have had other ideas.”

  “I see that now. Thanks for mentioning that to her. At least I feel less like an interloper.”

  He took her cheeks in his hands and kissed her in full view, right outside the passenger door. Several people stopped to stare as they walked to their car.

  “You are not the interloper,” he said, his voice husky. “You are the reason for everything I do.”

  Lindsey blushed. “Thank you. Now take me back. We have some celebrating to do.”

  Back in the suite, Lindsey left him to brush her teeth and get ready for bed. She emerged wearing one of his gifts, a soft gown made of fine-spun white cotton. Ric turned and his eyes widened.

  “God you’re beautiful,” he said, taking her in his arms. “The gown is perfect for you, just like I knew it would be.”

  “I love it,” she said, pressing herself against
him.

  “I have something else for you. I had put it in the safe, and almost forgot.” He stepped back, and reached in his pocket. He pulled out a flat square box wrapped in pale robin’s egg blue tissue paper and tied with a silver ribbon. Her heart skipped a beat as he handed it to her.

  Lindsey's palm was open. Time seemed to slow down as she stared down at the box. She hoped he wouldn’t give her an engagement ring. Not yet. She didn't think she could say yes. She determined the box was too flat to be a ring box.

  “You've already given me so much.”

  “Humor me.”

  She held back just a moment more, and then she pulled the ends to release the silver satin. She lifted the box top and pulled back the velvet liner. A gemstone butterfly of peridot and amethyst caught the light and twinkled. “Oh, it’s beautiful.”

  “You remind me of a butterfly,” he said as he helped her put the necklace on. “You stay in your cocoon, apart. When you finally blossom and let yourself open up, there are no limits to what you can do.”

  “But—”

  “No buts. You are an amazing young woman.”

  Lindsey couldn’t help the tears that welled in her eyes. “You are so good to me. What did I do to deserve you?”

  “Ah, querida, you have it backwards. I’m the one who doesn’t deserve you.”

  She reached up and pulled him down to her. She took his lips with hers, and he leaned down for a gentle kiss. “I love you,” she whispered. “And not because of the necklace. I’ve loved you for so long I can’t remember you not being there.”

  “I feel the same. I don’t know how I managed before you walked in that casino in Miami. Who did I talk to? Who did I tell my dreams to? Now there is only you. Te Amo. Mucho.”

  “Te amo,” she echoed. “Mucho.”

  He kissed her again, and Lindsey knew she had come home. He led her into the bedroom and stretched out on his back, content to let her play. She rubbed his chest, twirling the soft hair she found there. When she tongued his nipples, mimicking what he did to hers, he sucked in his breath.

  “I think I need another lesson,” she told him, easing herself across him, one leg on either of his hips.

  “What kind of lesson?” he asked, his voice rumbling low.

  After her failed attempt before, Lindsey still wanted to try on top. She slid over, allowing his erection to spring up under her, and carefully slid down on top. She worried about hurting him, but he guided her hips. When she was fully seated, she waited, not quite sure what to do next.

  “You said you would teach me to ride," she reminded him.

  He looked at her with his eyes half- closed. “I could spend all day teaching you to ride.”

  He lifted his hips and she matched his movement. The angle gave her a different feeling than before. She gasped at the contact. "Oh, baby, that feels good," she said.

  She pulled the gown off and tossed it across the room. He gripped her breasts, holding his palms flat against her nipples as she moved up and down. He squeezed her nipples until she gasped, and she felt an answering pull in her core.

  “You make a good horse,” she said, teasing him with her fingernails on his nipples. “Lots of stamina.”

  “You’re going to think stamina,” he said. He held her hips still and thrust into her and Lindsey thought she would die from the force of his thrusts. He held her up as they both came apart together. She dropped on top of him, not caring that he took her weight.

  “And you always hold yourself up afterward,” she muttered. “Too bad. I can’t move.”

  He chuckled and eventually she rolled over, nestling in the crook of his arm. She lay beside him for a few minutes, her mind drifting. Twice now, she had thought he would propose. Twice, she had held her breath, wondering how she could say no without hurting his feelings. Now, in the wee hours of Christmas morning, she felt disappointment that he hadn’t asked.

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  Christmas in Vegas

  Ric waited until Lindsey fell asleep before he went into the other room to call Miguel again. He didn’t care that it was the middle of the night on Christmas Eve. Miguel would be up. This time, his cousin answered on the first ring.

  “Primo. Why did I know you would call me? Come to Vegas. Let’s talk this out the old way.”

  “Hah. The old way would be with swords or dueling pistols. You know you are wrong. Stay out of my life.”

  Miguel laughed, a low rumbling sound. Ric had the distinct impression that the man was playing with him. “You don’t have any proof that I did anything illegal.”

  “Javier was on my island, masquerading as his twin, trying to get Lindsey on a ship registered in your name. If you touch her, I will kill you myself.”

  “You can try. Answer me this? How would your precious Lindsey react if she knew that you killed your first love ten years ago? Would she be so understanding?”

  Ric closed his eyes. It always came back to the one girl they had both wanted. “I did not kill Dionna. You know that.”

  “As long as the policia think that you did, what does it matter? Come to the Vittoria. Robert gives me a private suite. We will talk there. I will leave a key for you at the front desk.”

  Ric rubbed the back of his neck, trying to stave off a middle-of-the night headache. “What name are you traveling under this time?” he asked, irritated. How did Miguel still manage to come in and out of the United States at will, despite the fact that he had warned the FBI?

  “Let’s just say they haven’t discovered all my aliases.”

  Ric growled and ended the call. Regardless of what he wanted, he would have to go. He made a mental note to ask the FBI if they had anything on Robert Stephens. Once he got the hard proof the FBI needed, they would arrest him in the U.S. Until then, he would have to play the game.

  Robert knew about this somehow. Miguel always stayed in the best suites for no charge. Ric couldn’t count the number of times Miguel had used Robert’s ship, The Atlanta Lady in the past year. Something else about Robert’s ship hovered in the back of his mind, but he couldn’t quite grasp it. It would come to him later.

  Ric slid back in bed with Lindsey. She stirred and rolled over to cuddle against him. He loved her so much it ached. He had almost asked her to marry him, but he still couldn’t tell what her answer would be. She was so much younger, and she had never even hinted that she wanted marriage.

  Time didn’t ease the guilt he felt when he thought about Dionna. He had enjoyed spending time with her when he returned home on break from college, but he didn't plan to marry her. In contrast, Miguel had been obsessed with her. Ric had even tried to nudge the girl toward dating his cousin, but she would have none of it. She wanted Ric.

  Then Ric had come home for spring break, determined to break it off with her. They had taken a picnic to their spot, the beach below the old stone fortress where his family lived. He had wanted privacy, something tough to find with his family always around. He had told her he loved her, just not in that way. He wanted her to find a husband and be happy. She had cried, but in the end, he knew it was best. He had walked away.

  The next morning her body had washed up on the beach. The news reported that she had drowned. Later, the police reported that she was raped before she was killed. They questioned Ric for hours, but in the end had to release him with no evidence. His mother had died months later and he had not been back to his home country since her funeral. In his heart, he believed Miguel had killed her, but his cousin had an alibi that he was in Caracas that night.

  He knew that he loved Lindsey more than she loved him and wondered if this was his penance, to feel Dionna's pain. Every time he thought back to that night, he wished he had walked her home to the other side of the island. She had been angry and swore she never wanted to see him again. Short of staying and following her against her wishes, he wasn’t sure what else he could have done.

  Lindsey wouldn’t be happy that he was leaving her to go to Vegas. She had been so excited abo
ut the week in Calliope. They would have to look at her class schedule to see when she could come back. If he remembered, she had a short break in January. He explained that to her over their room service breakfast.

  At first, she just stared at him over their room service breakfast.

  “What do you mean I can’t go?” Her eyes narrowed at him over her coffee. “Is Jacquetta going?”

  He jerked back as if she had slapped him. “Of course not! Jacquetta has no reason to go. I told you there is nothing between us."

  “You did, and last night was wonderful. Now you want to change our plans, and that doesn’t feel right to me. There has to be a reason.”

  “It’s a fast trip for business. I promise I will come back as soon as I can. If you don't want to wait here, I will stay with you in Clemson for the rest of your break.”

  “Let me go with you. I won’t get in your way. You don’t have to entertain me. I’ll be perfectly fine at the blackjack tables on my own. Ooh, this is so exciting!” Lindsey clapped her hands and went back to eating her omelet.

  “Lindsey, it’s not worth your time to go…”

  “I don’t care. I just want to see the strip. I promise. We can save downtown Vegas for a different trip.”

  He tried one last time. “I don’t think you should go.”

  He should have known better. Lindsey stood up, her hands on her hips. “You know that I have studied blackjack for years and I could never afford to go to Vegas. My thesis compare and contrasts various card-counting methods. You cannot sit there and tell me I’m not going. If you don’t take me in your jet with you, I will just fly commercial.”

  She paused to let that sink in. Then, almost as if she had convinced herself, she continued. “I have money now. I’ve just been so busy with school I couldn’t get away. I would like for you to show me Vegas, but there’s no reason I can’t go on my own.”

  Ric knew when he lost the argument. The only way to convince her to stay was to tell her about the kidnapping attempt, and he didn't want her worried. He didn't want her to know the level of his family's involvement in the Caribbean sex trade.