The Vargas Cartel Trilogy (Vargas Cartel #1-3)(49)

“No.”

With that one word, he walked out of the room and my heart stumbled. I didn’t know if I’d ever see him again, and I wasn’t ready to say goodbye forever.





Chapter Twenty-Three




The next morning, I had showered and put on my swimming suit and a sundress by the time someone knocked on my door.

I slept better last night than I had in a week. Total exhaustion—both mental and physical—probably had something to do with it, but I also attributed it to the comfort of the bed.

“Come in,” I said as I slid my feet into my camel colored ballet flats. My feet hurt too much to wear any of my sandals.

Javier stood in my doorway with a food tray in his hand. He dressed in a version of the same outfit he always wore. White shirt. Khaki pants. Brown loafers. “?Desayuno?” he asked. Then, he shook his head. “I’m sorry. Breakfast?”

“Thank you.” I took the tray from him.

Yogurt, fresh fruit, and chia seeds. “How did you know?” I asked, my eyes searching his.

“Ryker requested it.”

I nodded, my heart squeezing and my mind reeling. Ryker remembered my flippant comment about what I liked to eat in the morning. I didn’t need any reminders of him. I needed to erase him from my system before he released me for good. “Of course.”

“Ryker wants you to be ready for a video conference at ten in the morning,” Javier said, backtracking a few steps.

“Wait,” I said, putting the tray of food on my nightstand. My eyes flickered to the alarm clock. It was only eight-thirty. “Can you show me where the pool is? I want to swim this morning.”

Javier rubbed his hands together. “Now?”

“Sure, or after breakfast. Either is fine.”

Javier walked through the bedroom, stopping at the curtained window. He glanced over his shoulder. “Do you mind?”

“No,” I answered, confused by his actions.

In one swift motion, he pulled back the floor to ceiling silk curtains. “The pool is right here.” He swung the door open.

“Ryker said you liked to swim, so he selected this room for you.”

“Oh.” I didn’t know what to say. Ryker knew I liked to swim. I guess he wasn’t bluffing about keeping tabs on me before he abducted me. Conflicting emotions flashed through me, but I buried them for later introspection.

“You can use the pool anytime.” He shifted on his feet. “Except at night.”

“Why not at night?”

“Ryker swims at night,” he answered simply, as though that’s all he needed to say, and maybe it was.

“Okay. I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Anything else?” Javier asked, smile on his face.

“Why did you join the Vargas Cartel?” I couldn’t stop myself from asking the question. Unlike Caesar who tried to kill me, Javier didn’t belong here, or at least from what I’d seen of him.

He tipped up his chin and puffed out his chest as though he was offended by the suggestion. “I’m not part of the Vargas Cartel. I work for Ryker.”

My mind stumbled. “Ryker? I thought he was part of the cartel.”

“No. He’s not.” Javier answered without explanation.

“Does helping the cartel hide me and keep me captive bother you?”

“I’m helping Ryker. He saved my life. I’d do anything for him.”

“How did he save your life?”

“Ten years ago, the Vargas Cartel broke into my home as a kid. Ryker was with them. I hid under the bed, but they found me. Ryker stepped between the gun and me and refused to let them kill my brother and me.”

“Why did Ryker do it?”

“I don’t know, but I’m grateful. He gave me a job and he has kept my family safe for ten years now. Anything else?”

“No.”

“Okay, then be in the study by ten this morning for the video conference.”

***

Ten o’clock arrived faster than I had anticipated, and I ran through the house, my bare feet slapping against the tile floors, and my wet hair dripping onto the sleeves of my gray t-shirt.

“Hattie,” Ignacio said, inclining his head the minute I breached the study door threshold.

“Yes?”

Ignacio pointed toward the chair behind the desk. “Please sit.”

Hesitating, my foot froze mid-stride. Images of the first time I entered this room flashed through my mind, but I tamped down my fears and settled into the brown leather chair. I hoped this time ended better than the last time.

My eyes surveyed the room, taking note of every person. Javier. Caesar. The security guards with guns. No Ryker. “Where’s Ryker?” I asked.

Ignacio tapped his fingers on the desk for a few excruciating ticks of the second hand. “Ryker is no longer involved in this mission on a daily basis.”

Without any further explanation, he leaned toward the computer monitor and turned it on. After a few strokes of his fingers, I heard a ringing noise. Instead of hovering over the back of my chair like last time, Ignacio shifted to the side.

Two rings later, Evan, Senator Deveron, and my dad appeared on the screen. Tangible relief warmed my body, starting with my heart and spreading outward in the form of a warm, fuzzy glow. I missed my dad. I missed his dark hair, his even darker eyes, and the strong, firm set of his mouth.