by Lisa Cardiff
He jumped to his feet, his eyes wild. “Maybe you think they won’t hurt you because they let you walk away unharmed once, but you’re wrong. Those people are animals. They will hunt you down and…and…”
“Tie me to a lamppost and cut my head off,” I said without emotion, and his eyes bulged. “Because I’ve seen them do that. Or maybe they’ll brand me like a farm animal.” I slid up the sleeve of my shirt and exposed the burn marks on my arm. “There are so many options, I don’t know where to start.”
His faced paled, and he looked like he might be sick. “Why the hell did you go back there? I can’t believe you broke into the compound and put yourself in danger again.”
“I didn’t break into the compound. I was a guest.” I shrugged as though I didn’t have a care in the world. “In fact, one of them gave me all those documents. He even arranged my first meeting with a newspaper.”
A wall of sadness punched me in the gut as the memory of my last moments with Ryker drifted to the forefront of my mind. As of yesterday, his phone was disconnected. I didn’t know if he was alive or if I’d ever hear from him again. I scoured the internet searching for news on the Vargas Cartel daily. Fortunately or unfortunately, I didn’t find a single article mentioning Ryker or Ignacio. I had no way to contact him. Noah disappeared two days ago. He left a scrap of paper on the kitchen counter with his cell phone number. I could call him, but the way our last conversation went, I promised myself I’d only contact him as a last resort.
“You’re collaborating with the Vargas Cartel,” my dad said, sounding lost and confused.
“I guess so.”
“Why would you do that? Why would you put yourself in danger like that?”
“I didn’t have a choice. Senator Deveron paid the Vargas Cartel to abduct me. Nobody would believe me unless I provided evidence to support my allegation.”
“So you went to a criminal organization for help?”
“I didn’t have any other options. Besides, I wasn’t scared.”
My phone vibrated on the coffee table. I didn’t recognize the number, so I pressed ignore and slipped it into my pocket.
“I’m the US Attorney General. Of course you had options. You could’ve talked to your parents.”
I scoffed. “I tried that. Mom ignored everything I said.”
My dad winced. “I know, but if you’d given us some time, we would’ve come around.”
“Yeah, and in the meantime, Mom would’ve continued to shove Evan down my throat.”
“You didn’t give us much time to come to terms with the accusations. You disappeared a few days later,” my dad said, dropping his voice an octave. “We didn’t know what to believe. You were acting erratically.”
“It all worked out,” I said as I walked toward the hallway. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have some stuff to take care of before I leave.”
The light shuffle of my dad’s sneakers followed me down the hall and into Ryker’s bedroom. Without looking at him, I sorted through the stacks of clothes on the bed next to my open suitcase. I’d gone shopping earlier in the day to buy more clothes. Most of my things were still at Vera’s house and wearing the same five outfits had lost its appeal a week ago.
“Are you going somewhere?” my dad asked, leaning his shoulder against the espresso stained doorjamb.
“I’m thinking about it.” I counted the number of shirts and then placed them at the bottom of the suitcase.
“Were you going to tell us or did you plan to disappear again?”
I whirled around, my hands raised in the air. “Why would I tell you or Mom anything? You’re always busy with work. You barely have a minute to spare for me. Mom only wants me in her life when I’m her puppet doing whatever she wants.”
“That’s not entirely true,” he whispered, his voice raw, pleading with me to understand.
I cocked my hip to the side. “You and mom spent all of an hour with me the day Evan brought me home from Mexico. You were both counting the minutes until you could run away. I felt like you couldn’t stand to look at me. Like I had simultaneously disappointed and inconvenienced you.”
He licked his lips. “I’m sorry if you felt that way. We didn’t know what to do. We didn’t know what to say. There isn’t a textbook on how to handle what happened to you.”
Closing my eyes momentarily, I sucked a deep breath into my lungs. “You could’ve acted like I mattered. Like you were happy I was home. Like you loved me.” I tugged on the ends of my hair. “Jesus, Dad, it’s not rocket science.”
“You do matter,” he said almost soundlessly. “We love you. I’m sorry if we failed to show you how much.”
“Great, well, now you don’t need to worry about it,” I said, turning back around.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
I shrugged my shoulders. “It means that if you want me in your life, you need to support me and trust my decisions.”
“We can do that.”
I placed another stack of clothes in the suitcase. “All right.” My phone vibrated again. It was the same number. My heart raced thinking it could be Ryker. “I need to take this.”
“Okay.” He scrubbed a hand down the side of his face. “Will you call me later? I’m not done talking to you.”
“Yes.”
“Thanks.” He kissed me on the cheek. “Don’t give up on your mom and me yet. We aren’t perfect parents, but we love you.”
I nodded. “I won’t.”
“Hello,” I said as I heard the front door close.
“Hattie?”
My heart rocketed at the sound of his roughened voice. “Ryker. I’ve been insanely worried about you. Where are you? Why is your phone disconnected? What’s going on? Did you see the news about Senator Deveron?”
He chuckled, and the deep laugh danced down my spine like a lover’s caress. “Slow down.”
“Just tell me what going on,” I demanded.
“I had to disconnect my phone for security reasons. This is the new number. Yes, I’ve seen the news and I’m still in Mexico.”
“Oh.” My shoulders drooped, and I inhaled shakily. A big part of me had hoped he was already in D.C. “I miss you.”
“I miss you, too. How are you holding up? Are you feeling okay?”
“I’m a little nauseous on some mornings, but nothing too crazy.”
“Good. How are things with your parents?” His voice was gruff.
“Not so good, but my dad wants things to change. He just left a few minutes ago.”
“Did you work out everything with Ignacio?”
Ryker didn’t say anything for a prolonged beat. “I’m still working on a few details.”
I twisted my fingers into interwoven knots. “How much longer?” I couldn’t take being separated from him for much longer. I was lonely.
“Strange you should bring that up,” he said. I could hear the smile in his voice, and a matching smile stretched across my face. I loved playful Ryker.
“Why’s that?”
“Because there will be a private plane waiting for you at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport at two in the afternoon tomorrow. Do you think you can find it in your heart to clear your schedule?”
“You’re not playing with me right now, are you? Because I might reach through the phone and strangle you if this is a hoax.”
He chuckled. “Good thing I’m absolutely serious.”
I curled my free hand into the hem of my skirt. “I missed you. It feels like it’s been months instead of weeks since I’ve talked to you.”
“I know. I wanted to call you every single day, but I couldn’t. I had to make Ignacio and Emanuel think I was done with you.”
“I realize that, but it didn’t make it any easier.” I slipped the elastic band out of my hair and leaned back on the bed. “Are you sure it’s safe for me to come?”
“Of course, I wouldn’t have arranged a flight for you if it weren’t.”
My brows knitted together.
“But you said you were still working out some details,” I pointed out.
“I am, but it’s nothing that you need to worry about.”
I nodded before realizing he couldn’t see me. “Okay.”
“Can I expect you to get on that plane tomorrow?”
I smiled, the tension in my chest easing for the first time in weeks. “It shouldn’t be a problem. I’m already packed.”
“Why’d you do that?”
I propped my hand behind my head as I chewed on my lower lip. “If I didn’t hear from you in the next day or two I planned to go find you.”
“Hmm. Good to know.” I heard a hushed male voice in the background. “Hold on a second,” he said. I heard his phone brush against his hand, muffling the conversation.
I tapped my finger on my thigh waiting for him to talk to me again. Seconds felt like hours. I stared at the empty white walls of his apartment. I listened to the faint hum of the air conditioning unit. Then, he was back.
He sighed. “I have to go. I need to take care of a few things.”
“Oh,” I said, sitting up. My mood shifted and suddenly I felt melancholy. “I guess I’ll see you tomorrow, then.”
“Tomorrow,” he said softly.
“Sounds good,” I replied instead of saying goodbye because I wasn’t ready to sever the connection yet. I wanted to squeeze as many words as I could out of him.
“I’m sorry. I wish I had more time to talk. I miss hearing your voice and talking to you whenever I want.”
“I understand.” My voice wobbled.
“Hey, don’t get all sad on me. I don’t have anything planned after I pick you up at the airport except for spending every moment with you.”
I smiled. “I love that.”
“I love you,” he responded.
A shivered ran through me and my smile came back. “I love you, too.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Hattie
A salty breezed shuffled through my hair as I paused at the bottom of the stairs of the private jet. I scanned the area, looking for Ryker. A smile split across my face the instant I spotted him. He was leaning up against the wall with his legs spread, and his hands stuffed deep in the pockets of his linen pants. The top two buttons of his gray polo shirt were open, his eyes trained on me.
I broke into a sprint, my turquoise ballet flats slapping against the asphalt, the wheels of my luggage bellowing protest. I halted about a foot away from him, suddenly feeling shy. My eyes trailed down his wide chest to his narrow waist and back up again.
“Come here,” he said, crooking his finger at me, his lids heavy.
I closed the distance between us and his strong hands immediately circled my hips, pulling me flush against his body. I could feel the heat radiating from his body right through my clothes.
“Hi,” I whispered.
“Hi,” he said, a lopsided smile on his heavenly lips.
I brushed his smooth jaw with the pads of my fingertips and my skin tingled. “I can’t believe I’m finally here. It seemed like I’d never find my way back to you.”
Tenderness washed over his face, and his eyes crinkled at the corners, softening ever so slightly. Like magic, I swayed into him, burying my head in the crook of his neck. His familiar scent filled my lungs and I smiled like a kid on Christmas morning.
“The car is waiting for us. Are you ready to go?”
I dragged my hands up his chest. “When are we going to the Vargas compound?”
He framed my jaw with his hands, tilting up my face. “Tomorrow.”
“Where are going now?”
He kissed the corner of mouth. “It’s a surprise.”
I narrowed my eyes, but I couldn’t erase the smile on my face. I was too happy. “What kind of surprise? It better be good.”
“I think it is, but you’ll have to let me know what you think,” he said, his eyes twinkling.
“I’ll do that.”
He stared at me for a second, then he brushed his hand down my face. “How’s the baby?”
I slid his hand from my hip to my belly. “I think I’m showing a little.”
“Maybe a little.” He pressed a soft kiss on my temple. “We need to find you a doctor.”
I nodded. “Tomorrow.”
Grabbing my suitcase from me, he threaded his fingers through mine and pulled me toward a black SUV with dark tinted windows.
***
An hour later, we stopped in front of a large white stucco bungalow with a thatched roof. It sat on a nearly deserted stretch of white sandy beach bordered by the clearest blue water I’d ever seen. Orange and pink brushstrokes painted the sky where it met the ocean. A few boats dotted the horizon, but other than that, it looked like our private paradise.
“What do you think?” Ryker said as he opened my door.
“It’s beautiful.” I climbed out of the passenger seat and tilted my head to the side. The faint roar of the ocean mixed with the soft swish of the trees swaying in the wind brought a smile to my face.
“You’re not disappointed. We can go somewhere—”
“I love it,” I cut in, then I shook my head. “What is this place? How’d you find it?”
“Somebody gave it to Ignacio a couple of years ago in exchange for a debt. He has never used it.”
“He doesn’t care that we’re here?”
He slipped his fingers through mine. “He doesn’t have a choice.”
I cocked an eyebrow. “Do you want to explain?”
“Not today. I want today to be about us.”
I hesitated for a second, not sure what to say. He’d hid the truth from me in the past. I didn’t like being in the dark. It made me nervous. “Ryker,” I said, drawing out his name. “Don’t keep secrets from me.”
“There’s nothing to worry about. I promise.”
His phone buzzed, and he glanced at the screen. “You’re not hungry, are you?”
“No, I ate more than enough on the plane, but I think you already know that since you arranged the whole thing.”
“Then, let’s catch the last few minutes of the puesta de sol.”
“The what?” I said.
“The sunset.” He smiled at me as he guided us through the house and to the patio overlooking the ocean. “One of these days, I’m going to teach you Spanish.”
“Maybe,” I said noncommittally as I gazed at the beauty in front of me.
The palm trees lining the sides of the patio swayed in the gentle tropical breeze. Tiny white lights zigzagged from tree to tree. A small round table complete with a white tablecloth and three flickering candles in different sizes was positioned in the middle of the patio.
“This is amazing,” I whispered.
Ryker pulled out my chair, and I sat down. “I’m glad you like it. I was a little worried the traffic would make us miss the sunset, but it all worked out,” he said, waving his hand in the direction of the setting sun.
“Yes, it did. How’d you do all this?”
He poured two glasses of champagne from the open bottle in an ice bucket and handed me one. “Rever helped.”
Dumbfounded, I shook my head. “How’d that happen? I thought he left the country with Anna.”
Ryker’s lips tightened. “That didn’t work out so well.”
“What happened?”
He sighed. “Long story. She lied about everything. About being pregnant. Her continued involvement with the Alvarez Cartel. Her feelings for Rever.”
I glanced to the side. “I’m sorry,” I said, not sure what to say.
“It worked out. Rever and I are in a better place now, and he’s already over it.” He held up his glass. “To new beginnings.”
“To us,” I said, tapping my glass against his. I took a sip and the tiny bubbles danced on my tongue. “I’m glad you and Rever worked things out.”
He rubbed his finger along the rim of his glass. “Growing up, we were never close. I used to blame our problems on him, but in retrospect, I realize
Ignacio pitted us against each other. He bragged about all of my successes to Rever, and he constantly reminded me that Rever was his only legitimate son and heir. I never stopped trying to prove I was smarter and braver than Rever.” He shook his head. “I thought a long list of accomplishments would erase the error of my birth and make me worthy of my father’s love and attention.”
“How do you feel now?”
“I’m indifferent. I don’t care what he thinks anymore. He’s not perfect, but you know what I do care about?” He tugged on my sleeve.
“What?”
He inched closer to me and his knee brushed against my bare thigh. A ribbon of heat shot up my leg. “That you’ve done a half of dozen things to avoid kissing me tonight. Should I be offended?”
Flames rolled up my face and my exhalation fractured. I planned to spend my life with Ryker. I suspected he knew me better than my parents and my friends, but I’d been unable to relax around him since he picked me up at the airport. Now that we’d overcome all the obstacles to our relationship, I was scared and more than a little nervous. The incongruity of my emotions didn’t escape my attention.
I held up my thumb and index finger. “I’m a little bit nervous.”
Grinning, he stared at me with his smoky eyes. “We’ll have to change that,” he said playfully.
My eyebrows lifted, and I leaned forward a couple of inches. “I’m curious. How do you plan to do that? Do you have a magic wand tucked in your pants somewhere?” A laugh burst from his mouth and for a blissful second I didn’t understand what was so funny.
“As a matter of a fact, I think I do.”
I shoved his shoulder when the innuendo registered in my brain. “Shut up. I didn’t mean it that way.”
He angled his head to the side. “No?”
“No,” I said, unable to stop the smile from spreading across my face.
“That’s too bad.”
“Why’s that?”
He tugged on my arms, sliding me onto his lap and my eyes flared. My breasts grazed his firm chest, and he splayed one hand over my lower back. The heat of his body burned right through me.
“I think you’re on to something,” he whispered next to my ear, his thumb tracing my collarbone.
