The Vargas Cartel Trilogy (Vargas Cartel #1-3)(99)

When the voices faded, I jumped out of bed and snagged one of his dress shirts from the hanger in his closet. I buttoned it enough to cover me, and combed my fingers through my tangled hair. I hadn’t been back to the apartment I shared with Vera for two days, and I didn’t have anything to wear except for the few things I snagged from Evan’s place.

My phone vibrated on the nightstand. I picked it up and read the message.



Vera: Where are you? You haven’t been home in two nights. Your mom and dad are blowing up my phone and threatening to come over.



I rolled my eyes. My mom must have received news of my fight with Evan. She probably wanted to have a family meeting to discuss my obligations as a member of the Covington family. Fuck her.



Me: I’m fine. I’ll be back later today.



Vera responded immediately.



Vera: Okay. Can you call your mom? I’d prefer to stay out of her line of fire. She’s on the warpath. What the hell did you do?



I groaned. A couple of months ago, I would’ve shared all the sordid details of my relationship with Ryker, but now I didn’t know if I could trust her. In a matter of months, I went from having a best friend, a serious boyfriend, and an organized, predictable life to total chaos. Even crazier, I wouldn’t change anything. I was hopelessly drawn to Ryker, inextricably caught in his web for better or for worse. My soul had chosen him. I didn’t have a choice.



Me: Who knows? I’ll call her. Don’t answer her calls. You don’t need to deal with her.



I sat crossed-legged in the middle of Ryker’s bed as I scrolled through my missed calls. Five from my mom last night and one from my dad an hour ago. If I could find any way to avoid calling her, I would.

I slammed my finger on her contact. Unfortunately for me, she answered after the first ring.

“Hattie, where the hell are you?”

“I’m getting ready to go on a run. What do you want?” I responded after a lengthy pause. It was a lie, but the truth wasn’t necessary.

I heard her heels, clicking on the tile floor. I guess she needed some privacy to say what she wanted.

“Can you meet me for coffee around the corner from my house in the next twenty minutes?” Her voice was hushed.

I lifted my chin and closed my eyes briefly. “I don’t know. I just woke up.”

“Thirty minutes, then? Is that long enough? This is really important. We need to talk.”

I grabbed my purse off the dresser and pulled some clothes from my purse. I cringed. They were damp and hopelessly wrinkled. “Fine. I’ll do my best.”

When I walked out of Ryker’s bedroom, his apartment was empty. I spotted a note on the kitchen counter.



Hattie,

I’ll be back by noon. Breakfast is in the refrigerator. Call me if you leave.

Ryker



I picked up the pen sitting next to the note and then set it back down. I’d planned to beat him back here anyway. I didn’t need to leave a note.

***

Forty minutes later, I walked into the coffee shop. The rich smell of coffee flooded my nose. My mom sat in the back corner with huge sunglasses covering her eyes and her hair styled into an elegant twist. Unlike me, her light gray suit was pressed.

“Hi, mom,” I said as I pressed a kiss to her plastic cheek.

Her eyes swept down my body. “You look…tired.”

I shrugged as I slipped into the chair across from her. “It’s been a rough couple of days.”

She gestured to her cup of tea. She didn’t drink coffee. She drank herbal tea, preferably organic and single-estate. “Do you want something to drink?”

“Maybe later.”

She removed her sunglasses and placed them on the table. “Did you get everything settled with your professors?”

I leaned back in my chair. “Yes, but I’m pretty sure I told you that last week.”

She glanced at the exit. “You’re probably right.” She tapped her sunglasses against the table. “How do you like living with Vera?”

“It’s okay.”

She nodded, her teeth nearly splintering under the weight of her counterfeit smile. “That’s nice.” She twirled her mug on the table, then she lifted it to her lips. “You know, you can move home. We’d be happy to have you. You can even take the apartment over the garage, so you have some personal space.”

I folded my arms across my chest. “Mom, what do you want? What’s really going on?”

She exhaled shakily and set her mug on the table again. “Evan called your dad last night.”

I raised one eyebrow. “Oh, really?”

“He’s worried about you,” she whispered as she slanted her body against the table.

I snorted. “I don’t give a shit about Evan. In fact, I’d appreciate it if you’d stop talking to him.”

Her light pink lipstick disappeared as she pressed her lips into an unyielding line. “I can’t do that. The Deverons are family friends. Very close family friends. We have a special relationship,” she hissed. “Just because you and Evan pressed the pause button on your engagement doesn’t mean I’m going to kick him or his family out of our life on a whim. That would be awkward when you get back together.”