Chapter Twenty-Six Ryder
Chapter Twenty-Six
Ryder
San José, Costa Rica
Why the hell did I never learn Spanish? Am I too old to learn now? I was eavesdropping on Seraphina talking to our host as if I could actually understand instead of focusing on the conversation happening in front of me in English.
Owen was talking to Carter over the phone, so I took a moment to see if ángel had texted Seraphina back.
Upon landing, she’d let him know we’d arrived; then I quietly opened my palm, a silent request to hang on to her phone. I also had Reed check it before we’d even left Mexico, ensuring she wasn’t being tracked by anyone.
Still nothing. It’d only been thirty minutes since the plane touched down, so I wouldn’t jump to worst-case scenarios as to why there was a delay.
I pocketed the phone, training my attention on the Balinese-style villa, Casa Paraíso, where my team would be staying for however long it took to complete our mission here. The place sat on top of a hill, with a view of Santa Ana, a province of San José, in the distance.
While Owen wrapped up his call, I stole another look at Seraphina. A goddess standing beneath the sunlight, talking enthusiastically with her hands to the hostess, someone Carter had promised we could trust.
This whole op was starting to feel like one giant trust mission, and it was taking all my effort to do exactly that—trust people, the process. Also, trust myself in making the right decisions, like handing over my team leader role, for one.
“Yeah, yeah, of course. Will do. Later.” Owen ended the call with Carter and turned toward me, which meant I had to stop staring at Seraphina.
“Carter’s team, Falcon Falls Security, is already on another op on the other side of the world.
But if anyone can pull off a miracle and help out, you know it’s him.
He’s trying to move things around so he can come himself. ”
I wasn’t about to ask Carter to fly from Switzerland and stop his own work for the sake of our mission, even if I wanted him to join in.
“I’ll figure something out. This may not even be our final destination.
” I had no idea what ángel had cooked up for us here or whose side he really was on, and that didn’t sit well with me.
“You didn’t need to drive out here with us.
You did enough leaving your family to fly us here. ”
“Yeah, well, I wanted to make sure you arrived safe.”
“Didn’t you tell me you also promised your wife you wouldn’t get into any gunfights on your quick trip away?” I smiled.
Owen hooked his aviator sunglasses to the front of his shirt. The sun was no longer in our eyes from where we were standing on the driveway. “And I did keep my word.”
“We could’ve run into shit on the way out here.”
“Which is why I joined you,” he said with a laugh. “But we both know if Carter said we’d be good, we’d—”
“Be good.” And he was right. Carter even had power over the skies, as in he’d made sure we didn’t have drones overhead watching us leave the airport to get here.
Carter, on the other hand, did. He’d had eyes up there tracking our movement to be certain no one was tracking ours.
Regardless of that fact, I’d still wanted Seraphina in the SUV with me, instead of in the other with Reed and Alex, en route here.
She’d sat in the back while I drove, and Owen rode shotgun.
She’d spent the ride asking Owen questions, filling in the awkward gaps of silence, and I’d listened to every word as I drove. The sounds she made between pauses. The way she’d roll her R ’s a bit more even though she didn’t have an accent when talking, which I’d found sexy as fuck.
“A helo pad and Black Hawk at a villa. A beautiful sight.” Owen’s comment reset my focus back to where we were, and I followed his gaze.
“Yeah, no pilot, though. Maybe you should stay after all. Forget what I said.”
“Well, I’m in Mexico for a few more days, so if you can’t find yourself another pilot and you wind up needing one, you have my cell now; just call me.”
“I don’t know your wife, but I’d prefer not to piss her off.” I tipped my head in the direction of the helo. “On that note, you should get back to sipping mai tais on the beach.”
“Roger that.” He set two fingers to his head, giving me a quick salute as his goodbye. “I mean it, though—call me if you need me. My wife is forgiving, I promise.”
“Let’s hope I don’t have to find out, but thanks.” I waved him off, and he headed over to the other SUV to leave.
When I turned around, Seraphina and our hostess were walking my way.
“Senor Dominick had me arrange everything you’d need,” the woman told me. “Clothes and food.” She removed her sunglasses and smiled. “An armory.”
“Thank you, we appreciate that.” I returned her smile and nodded, catching sight of Reed off in the distance wrapping up a perimeter sweep with Alex, clearing the property and home before we’d enter. “Does Dominick normally stay here when he’s in town?”
“Yes, and I can assure you of my discretion. Senor Dominick’s also footed the bill. Stay as long as you need.”
Seraphina sidestepped me, and at the realization she was planning to go for her bag sitting by our other SUV, I quickly beat her to it. Distance between us needed or not, chivalry wasn’t about to be dead on my watch.
She gave me a gracious little nod instead of trying to take the bag from me.
“The living room and kitchen windows are made of bulletproof glass. Same with the primary bedroom. Can never be too cautious, right?” Yeah, this woman knew a thing or two about Carter and the company he kept. “Well, you have my number. Don’t hesitate if you need anything.”
That was the general theme of the evening, and I appreciated all the offers. Anything to keep Seraphina safe. Even if it meant pissing off Owen’s wife, I’d do it.
The hostess said goodbye and gave Seraphina a hug. Then she patted my shoulder and went to her Mercedes.
And now we’re alone together. Great. I cleared my throat, rocking back on the heels of my boots while looking up at the sky, feigning interest in the bird flying overhead.
“Beautiful day, despite the skies being so angry on our flight over,” she murmured. “Bumpiest ride of my life. I guess I should be thankful we didn’t have to jump from it, though. I bet you’ve jumped from quite a few planes in your life.”
I lowered my chin to find her eyes and smiled. “Always on purpose.”
She parted her lips, her tongue flipping up to cover her teeth.
God, that was too sexy. She stared over at the villa as if in a daze, running her hands up and down her arms over her lightweight jean jacket.
It was late October but still fairly warm out, so I doubted her shivering was from the temperature.
“This place was on my bucket list to visit before ... well, you know.”
Yeah, before Andrej was murdered here. “What else is on that list of yours?”
She looked over at me, her hands diving to her sides. “Nothing now. Wiped it clean. Blank slate. Hoping to start over and make a new list once this whole mess is done.”
I wanted that for her more than I could express. I gulped, working to hide the unexpected emotion crowding me, moving up from my chest into my throat.
“So, um, I take it nothing from ángel yet, or you’d have led with that?”
“Nada.”
She playfully lifted her brows a few times. “So you do speak Spanish, huh?”
“I know about ten other phrases, none of which are good.”
“Let me guess: Alex taught you a bunch of naughty ones.”
“A few dirty jokes and curses, yeah.”
“Mm-hmm. Just like I thought. He really reminds me of ...” She closed her eyes and her lower lip quivered—and shit, her emotions weren’t hiding like mine were; they were now on display for me to see.
And on that note, there it went: my heart. I was ready to give it to her if she wanted it.
Unable to stop myself, because she was clearly drawing some type of parallel between her brother and Alex, I dropped her bag and reached for her.
I secured a hold of her wrist and drew her into my arms the way I wished I could’ve done on the plane when she’d been shaking and nervous.
She wrapped her arms around me, smashing her cheek to my chest as I rested my chin on top of her head. She was the perfect height for me to hold her like this. Perfect in every way, actually.
“I know we’re supposed to keep our distance, but I’m going to override that decision for a minute,” I said, keeping her tight in my embrace.
“Such a control freak,” she said while sniffling, her words vibrating into my chest. “Don’t ever change.”