Chapter Twelve Seraphina
Chapter Twelve
Seraphina
I wasn’t ready to back down quite yet, even though I could see my hotel up ahead, so I raised a rather valid point that maybe he didn’t understand as a man. “You ever consider maybe a woman doesn’t feel safe driving off with three men she doesn’t know?”
“You’re right. That would’ve been inconsiderate of me not to think about.” He casually glanced my way. “ If we were strangers, and if we didn’t save you from a club with over two hundred men in there who may have done God-knows-what to you had we not shown up.”
I opened my mouth, prepared to argue, but he shook his head as a quiet request not to, and I turned my attention to the ceiling.
“And the eye roll of the century goes to you. Congratulations.”
Oh, this man was playing with fire.
I whipped my attention his way, my ponytail flying over my shoulder at the movement. Before I could come up with something smart or sassy to say back, I realized we were at a stop and Alex was opening his door to get out.
“Take her to her room to pack,” Ryder ordered. “Make it quick. Don’t let her out of your sight.”
“Afraid to be alone with me, huh?” I asked as Alex opened his door, then mine, and the SUV lit up inside.
Now I could clearly make out Ryder’s expression, which meant he’d made up the whole eye roll thing. No way he’d seen the fact I may have rolled my eyes.
“I need to cool off. I need air. Space. To be away from you for five minutes.” His blunt honesty sent me to my feet outside the SUV.
“Yeah, in that case, I need a lot more than five minutes.” I hated how I nearly lost my balance and had to hold on to the door for support. My legs were Jell-O, and that was doubtfully inspired by tequila, and instead, by this man.
“Well, too damn bad. You get five.” He gestured for me to shut the door, and I cursed a few choice words in Spanish that had Alex smirking as he closed the door.
Alex kept his smile while motioning for me to head inside. “Sorry about him,” he said once we were in the elevator and I was fishing my key card from my pocket. “He’s in a bad mood, as you can tell.” He scratched his jaw, eyes on the mirrored doors.
He reminded me too much of my brother. Looks-wise, at least. “You understood me out there, right?”
“I did.” He gave me a nod, still peering at me through the reflection of the doors. “American born and raised like you, but my parents are from Cuba.”
“Still alive?”
“They are.” He let go of a sigh and faced me. “I really wish you didn’t take off on us Saturday.”
Great, now I have you on my case, too?
“We understand why you’re doing what you are.
Well, maybe not the cartel part—that’s a curveball.
Wanting to work with ángel Morales is insane, in my opinion.
But we get why you’re so upset and have done everything you’ve done after .
.. well, what happened ... We don’t blame you.
” All those uncomfortable pauses. “Brave, yes.” When the doors opened, he waited for me to walk ahead.
“Also dangerous coming here and risking going into that club.”
I wanted to argue, but he wasn’t wrong. I knew what I was getting myself into. “Tell me something ...” Once in front of my door, I swiped the key card across the small control panel to unlock it. “Is Ryder’s horrible mood because—”
“Because he was terrified of you being in that club by yourself and angry you’d take a chance like that,” he interrupted as we went into my room, the lights automatically turning on from the motion sensors. “And my trying to stop him from getting into that ring didn’t help.”
“You didn’t want him to fight?”
“No, but there was no reasoning with him. Once he’s made his mind up about something, he’s all in.” There was some double meaning in his words, and all I could do was nod and save his statement for later to digest.
“I can’t believe I’m letting you guys force me to go to your place. I should put up more of a fight.” Continuing on the train of not doing that, I went to work by throwing my stuff in my bag to pack up.
“Your gut is telling you not to. Listen to it.” I looked back at him as he hung by the door, patiently waiting for me. “Why didn’t you reach out to your handler Saturday night? Worried there’s a traitor who betrayed you? Or did Lev roll over on you?”
That had my hand going still, stopping me in my tracks.
“You know about Lev?” I hadn’t even known about Lev—not until it was too late.
Not until I unknowingly placed a bull’s-eye on my head by telling Ezra that Lev was stealing from him.
Had I not done that, where would I be now?
Still working for Ezra and undercover. “That asshole sold me out, and he either made it up and lied, or someone talked.” Most likely made a lucky guess.
“Lev definitely should never have known about you, and if he really did, that means someone at the DEA or in the FBI screwed you over, even if they only mentioned they had an insider in passing.”
“FBI?” That was news to me. “What aren’t you telling me?”
“Just ... ignore me.” He shook his head, and I opted not to push him for now.
My resistance to all of them was taking a beating anytime I remembered they were why I was alive. But that didn’t change the fact I would put up a good fight to continue with my mission if they tried to stop me. I went back to packing, trying to shake off my emotions.
“Not trusting the agency isn’t the only reason you took off without a word, though, am I right?”
Smart man. After placing my phone and laptop in my bag, I zipped it up. “I don’t want to be thrown into WITSEC.” I have a backup plan, and I’m working on executing it, thank you very much. I kept that part to myself for the time being.
Alex came over and picked up my bag for me. “Not interested in spending your life looking over your shoulder. Yeah, I get that.” He met my eyes. “I suppose you also want your revenge.”
“But do you plan to help me, or try and be a hindrance to my cause?”
He gave me a lopsided smile before walking to the door. “I guess we’ll see what boss man has to say about that.”
“What are you doing?” I asked Ryder as he checked the window in my new prison of a bedroom, seeing if it’d open.
“Making sure you can’t escape again.” Still growly. Those five minutes apart at my hotel and the silent three-minute ride to the condo they were renting as a safe house had done nothing to ease his tension.
Or apparently mine. “We’re on the fourth floor. Do you think I’ll jump?”
“I’m beginning to think being four floors up wouldn’t be a deterrent if you wanted to get away.” Satisfied the window was sealed shut, he turned to face me. “I’ll be parking my ass in the hallway outside your door, too. Just to be sure.”
“Now, that’s overkill.” I opened my arms wide and dramatically. “I’m here, aren’t I? I came willingly.” After you picked me up and tossed me over your shoulder.
“I’m not taking any chances, not with you defending a Morales. You clearly—”
“I wouldn’t finish that sentence. We were just starting to get along so well.” I faked a smile just to chip away at his control even more. Such a fantastic idea. I was full of brilliant ones tonight.
Tequila and I were like fourth cousins—distant strangers. I barely touched alcohol in general, but never while employed by Ezra. It was basically liquid truth serum for me.
When his hands settled on his hips and he bowed his head, I spied dried blood on the side of his neck. I felt a twinge of guilt, which interfered with my desire to be angry at him.
“I wish you didn’t get into that ring,” I admitted, softening my tone. “You had me worried.” My confession was genuine, a sharp contrast to my bullishness before.
“How do you think I felt watching you go inside that club?” Hands falling to his sides, he closed the space between us, and all I could smell, think, and feel was one word: man .
He was all man. Every inch of him. Every ridge, curve, and line, right down to his scent.
“Helpless isn’t a feeling I’m accustomed to, and you made me feel that way tonight. ”
That confession cracked through the wall I was trying to keep up between us—the wall that was there to protect all I had left. Plan B. “I’m sorry.” I meant that. Honestly. Even if he drove me crazy with his overprotectiveness.
He frowned. “Don’t do it again.”
“Which part?”
“Any part that risks your life,” he said almost somberly.
“You don’t even know me.” More truth, only that line didn’t feel quite as honest.
“That doesn’t change the fact I don’t want anything happening to you.
” He lifted his hand between us, then curled his fingers into his palm as if fighting his compulsion to touch me.
“I’m also worried I now know why you’re here, and if you think I won’t do everything in my power to stop you from using yourself as bait, you don’t know a damn thing about me. ”
I walked back two steps, bumping into the bed. Bait was putting it mildly. Not that I planned to tell him that.
“Sleep. We’ll talk in the morning, like we never had the chance to do in Miami since you took off on me.” Without waiting for me to respond, he quickly left, closing the door behind him, probably worried I’d argue.
Fair enough. I would.
I bit back the emotions trying to dominate me and went over and locked the door. Like that’d do any good.
I went through the motions of getting ready for bed, telling myself everything would be okay no matter what, that I was safe with them, even if they’d basically taken me hostage.
Using the en suite bathroom, I changed, washed my face, and brushed my teeth.
Once back in the bedroom, I crawled into the bed with my phone. I opened up to my three contacts saved. I had no plans to text the first one, my former DEA handler, but I did need to talk to someone, and ASAP.