13. Chapter 13
Chapter 13
N ot receiving Diego’s weekly text made Naz antsy. Every seven days, it came. That someone cared he was still alive had settled him more than he’d realized. Not having that check-in only added to the spreading emptiness inside, even if it’d taken him a day to realize it was missing.
Of course Diego was sick of checking in on him. What the hell did Naz give him in return?
Meg’s hand shifted into view, tilting his phone toward her so she could see it. There were only Naz’s deleted images and Diego’s brief words.
She tapped the last message. “You sent him a picture of my foot? I want to see.”
He released the phone into her hand, trying not to think of that day. Worrying about Diego was better than that.
A disgusted breath puffed out of Meg. “Why are there no pictures on here? I’ve seen you take them. Do you delete them all?”
Naz focused on the table in front of him. The newest shipment had come, and it was a day of sorting. Boring, but Naz didn’t usually mind boring tasks.
“Why do you delete them?” Meg asked. “That one of you flicking him off was hilarious.” She bumped his shoulder from where she sat on the edge of the table. “That’s what made me like you.”
Her words dug inside him, pasting over the piece of him that had begun to crack.
Meg’s arm snaked around his shoulder. “Here, turn this way,” she urged.
He turned his head toward her, finding her so very close and grinning, like she was happy to be near him. Her lips had a cut on the outside, one he’d noticed but knew better than to ask about.
Her eyes flicked to his, laughing cat eyes, unlike any he’d looked into before.
“I didn’t mean look at me.” Her giggle slid in with the words, soothing him. “But that works.” She leaned forward, kissing his cheek.
Naz froze when her lips brushed over his skin. Everything else faded away. He waited for his memories’ claws to scrape him raw, but there were none. No one had ever kissed his cheek before.
He jerked away, confusion filling his mind. She’d already pulled back, turning his phone to show him the picture of her kiss. He looked the same as he did in all his pictures, unsmiling.
He reached for the phone, knowing he should delete it.
“Nuh-uh!” She hopped off the table to dance a step away, grinning down at his phone. “I’m going to make it your background. How do I do that?” Her tongue stuck out slightly as she concentrated on his phone, her fingers poking at the screen.
Naz wanted to grab her and haul her close. Was it possible to absorb someone into your skin?
Across from him, Seb snorted in amusement.
Next to him, Miguel scowled as he focused on the drugs.
Naz’s phone vibrated in her hands.
“Oh, shoot.” Meg’s smile fell as she held the phone out. “I didn’t mean to read it. The message just popped up because I was clicking and—”
Naz slid his fingers around her wrist, squeezing gently to reassure her before he took his phone.
With Diego’s text finally coming, he was going to burst out of his skin, he felt so full.
That it was a message from Ramiro instead killed that rising hope. A spike of panic rose at the name, but it settled as he read. Ramiro wasn’t telling him something happened to Diego. It was just a side job.
“You have to go,” Meg murmured. Naz started to nod, but she was staring at the ground, her other hand pressed over the wrist he’d touched.
Naz stared at her curled fingers. They brushed over her skin as if repeating his caress before dropping to her side.
Her head lifted, and the smile was back, though it was different from before. “I can go tell Julio for you. He’s in the trailer.”
“What are you going to tell me?” Julio asked, approaching the tables.
A chill ran along Naz’s spine. He hadn’t noticed his entrance. He’d been too focused on Meg to see anything else.
Meg looked away from Julio, focusing instead on hopping back onto the corner of the table.
Julio’s eyes narrowed on her before shifting to Naz.
Naz turned his phone. It was easiest, and the message wasn’t incriminating. Ramiro was too careful for that.
Julio shrugged. “We can spare you right now. Get gone.” He elbowed past Naz, pushing into Meg’s space. “Sad about it, baby? I’d entertain you, but I’ve got shit to do.” He gripped her ponytail, tugging her head back so she looked up at him. “You’re fucking needy if you’re pouting over losing his attention.”
Her lips spread. “Jealous?”
Julio’s grip tightened as his jaw flexed, and then he released her with a laugh, stepping away. “Of him? Fuck no. I’m just annoyed I’ll have to deal with your shit.”
Naz watched her eyes lose focus as her smile froze.
Miguel chuckled. “I can keep her busy.”
Naz’s gut twisted as Julio laughed along with him.
“What if—”
When Naz moved in front of Meg, Julio stopped, his eyes narrowing.
Naz pointed at Meg, then himself.
Julio sneered. “I told you before, I’m not figuring out that shit. You got something to say, say it.”
Meg’s hand repeated what Naz had done, moving toward herself, then to him with a frown before her eyes widened. “Wait. Do you want me to go with you?”
Naz nodded, but he shifted his gaze to study Julio.
Julio was not amused. “You want to take her on a job?”
Naz didn’t want to leave her there without him, but he figured it was the same thing. He nodded again.
Julio burst out laughing. “You’re so fucking stupid. You’re not even pussy whipped since you don’t like pussy, more like a lapdog.” He crossed his arms. “Naz, you want to be my woman’s lapdog? That makes you my bitch.”
Naz didn’t give a shit what the man called him. He only cared about one thing: not leaving Meg alone with Julio’s crew.
Julio stared back, then moved forward, getting into Naz’s face. “If you try to disappear with her, I’m going to fucking gut you.”
Naz didn’t flinch, though he was about ready to be done with the asshole.
“Wait, you’re letting her go with him?” Miguel asked, a whine in his voice.
Julio’s eyes hardened as they slid to him. “Think I didn’t notice your shit? Don’t fucking push me.”
He eased away from Naz, turning his back on him as he approached the table, waving over his shoulder in dismissal.
Meg hopped off the table with a happy squeal. “Does this mean I get to ride your motorcycle again?” She grabbed Naz’s hand, linking their fingers as she moved ahead, tugging him toward the warehouse exit.
Julio’s stare pierced his back as they left.
When they reached his motorcycle, Meg pulled on his arm, leaning into him and close to his ear. “Are you helping me run?”
All the warmth from before withered away as he stared down at her. Meg wanted to leave. The thought hammered at the inside of his skull, and his body turned to stone.
Meg’s eyes widened. “Oh,” she breathed out. “That’s not—” Her scraping laugh burst out, cutting off her own words. It dragged along his nerve endings in its falseness.
Meg let go of his hand, reaching for the helmet. “I was kidding. This will be fun.” She pulled it over her head. “Here, help me strap this on.”
Naz’s fingers moved almost mechanically as his mind raced. She hadn’t been kidding. She wanted him to help her leave.
He couldn’t seem to fasten the buckle.
Her hands clasped his face, making him grow still and focus on her eyes.
“Hey, it’s okay,” she murmured, her fingers warm against his skin. “The way you take care of me is more than I’ve ever had before. I won’t get you into trouble, I promise.” Her fingers stroked over his cheek, the one she’d kissed before, then pulled away.
His chest felt like a rib was broken as he cinched the helmet tighter and considered what it would look like if they did run.
He didn’t hate the image, even if their time together would be brief once the cartel came after them.