The Vargas Cartel Trilogy (Vargas Cartel #1-3)(159)

I squeezed my hands into tight balls and drew in a deep breath through my nose, summoning my willpower. “No, before that.”

“I don’t understand,” my mom said, her voice hushed as though she suddenly realized she didn’t want anyone to overhear our conversation.

“What’s to understand? I met someone I want to spend my life with,” I snarled, unable to control my growing temper. “You don’t need to understand. You need to support me.”

“But you haven’t even introduced him to us, and I’m not sure you’ve recovered.” She leaned closer to me and her heavy floral scent curled around my nose. “Don’t you think this is too sudden? I mean, what will we tell everyone? A month or so ago you were engaged to Evan, and now you’re engaged to someone new. That doesn’t look good.”

I sat taller in my chair and squared my shoulders, refusing to bow under the weight of my mom’s glare. She’d never change. She thought she knew how I should live my life. She was wrong. If she thought I’d bend to her will right now, she didn’t know me at all. I’d been subjected to far worse at the hands of the Alvarez Cartel. She could dump a mountain of guilt on me, glare at me until her eye sockets froze, but I wouldn’t leave Ryker or change my course. I was a fighter, and I planned to fight for Ryker and our child every step of the way.

“Evan was a mistake. He asked me to marry him when I wasn’t thinking clearly. If I hadn’t been emotionally vulnerable and exhausted, I never would’ve agreed. I hate him. I hate his family.” I pinned her with my eyes, daring her to challenge me.

My mom sucked in a breath, and her face flushed red. The air buzzed with years of mutual anger and resentment.

My dad waved his hand in front of his face. The three of us sat in silence. His expression held no sign of judgment. I listened to the low hum of restaurant, picking up fragments of conversation from nearby tables.

“Hattie, are you happy? Does he make your happy?” he asked as he rubbed the back of his neck.

I nodded. “Yes. Very much.”

My dad leaned forward and tapped his fingers on the white tablecloth. Every thud sent my heart higher and higher until every frazzled beat vibrated at the back of my throat, suffocating me.

He blew out a breath. “That’s all that matters. Why didn’t you bring him tonight? Do we know him?”

“His name is Ryker and he’s out of town right now.”

“Are you living at his house?”

“Yes.” I shrugged. “For now. He’s out of town for a couple more weeks, and I still don’t have anywhere to live. It made sense.”

“Right.” My mom nodded. “What does he do?”

Here came the unanswerable questions. My body sagged like someone had placed a hundred-pound weight on my head. “Oh, I don’t know. It’s hard to explain.”

My dad’s eyes narrowed. “Is he employed or does he plan to live off you and your family?”

My anger flared, but I bit the inside of my cheek, pushing back the emotion. I didn’t want to pick another fight tonight. “He does consulting. He doesn’t need your connections or your money.” I lifted my chin. “Neither do I.”

“Those are big words for a girl who doesn’t have a job and hasn’t finished her master’s,” my mother said.

The words hit me like a punch to the gut, which was fitting. My mom excelled at low blows. “I’m fine. You and dad don’t need to worry about me. My life is back on track again. I know what I want.”

I looked over my shoulder, and my gaze collided with Noah’s. He didn’t even pretend to blend with the other patrons at the bar. All of his attention was focused on my family and me. I flashed him a small, quick smile and turned back to my parents.

Desperately seeking a diversion, I lifted my menu, concealing my face. “What’s good here? I haven’t had a thing to eat since breakfast. I’m starving.”

My dad smiled. “You do seem happier than you’ve been in a long time.”

“I am.”

My dad nodded. “I can’t wait to meet the guy who changed your life.”

“Soon,” I promised, even though I didn’t know if it would ever happen.

So many things had to come to pass before we could be together. Did it make me a terrible person that I didn’t care who we had to hurt to get what we wanted?

My mind whirled with a million and one questions. I shook my head and pushed it all away. I was getting too far ahead of myself. I needed to move forward one step at a time, and step one was making it through dinner with my parents.





Chapter Twenty-Three




Ryker



Yellow, pink, and orange streaks tinted the late afternoon sky. Rever’s bright yellow convertible Porsche darted in and out of traffic along the coastal highway, drawing more than a few stares. Wind tunneled through my hair and the smell of exhaust burned my nostrils.

“Couldn’t we have driven something less conspicuous?” I yelled.

“Nah,” Rever responded without looking at me. “Everyone knows this is my car.”

“Exactly my point,” I grumbled.

Rever chuckled. “Everyone will stay clear of us when we’re driving home. It’s perfect.”