Chapter 16
Chapter Sixteen
Ihave absolutely no reason to not believe him.
If Sammie says the knockout-gorgeous woman he was talking to was his mother, then I guess she’s his mother.
I also have absolutely no reason to be jealous either.
Because he isn’t mine. We are not exclusive.
I have no claim over him. If he wants to talk to other women, he is free to do so.
Knowing this does nothing to tamp down the jealousy coursing through me, though. I hate it. I don’t usually have self-doubt or think I’m less-than. I don’t know what it is with Sammie that makes me so damn insecure.
I left, made up something to Fefe about not feeling well, and told her I had to go home. But I didn’t go home. I need to be alone right now. I need to figure out a way to get over myself and this insane jealousy. Which is why I came to Paris and booked a room.
Who doesn’t want to escape to Paris?
I had no doubt that Sammie would turn up to my apartment if I went there. At least he can’t find me in this room I booked. Well, not easily anyway.
I look down at my fingers. They’re wrinkly.
I need to get out of this shower. I don’t even know how long I’ve been sitting here.
I do know that someone is waiting for me outside the door.
I heard them come in. I just didn’t care.
If it’s Sammie, he found me a lot quicker than I thought he would.
It could be Emmanuel, but I saw he had his hands full with Evie at the club.
I was about to follow him into the bathroom when I thought better of it.
I don’t need Emmanuel knowing how worked up in my head I am over Sammie.
I will get over it. Once I figure out why I’m so jealous.
It’s his mother. I mean, she must have had him really young, but it’s not impossible.
And why wouldn’t he have a gorgeous mother?
The man is the very definition of freaking beautiful.
Of course he comes from just as good-looking parents.
Turning off the shower, I step out and pick up a towel. I should be worried about who is on the other side of this door. I just don’t have the energy to give a damn. After drying off, I wrap the towel around my torso and pull the door open.
“Ah, ma’am.” The nervousness in Paz’s voice has me rolling my eyes.
“What are you doing in my room?” I ask, stepping through the door.
“Boss wanted me to collect you.” Paz is one of Emmanuel’s higher-ranking guys.
Why the hell did Emmanuel send him to collect me? It’s on the tip of my tongue to ask. I don’t bother, because even if Paz did know, there’s no chance he’s telling me.
“Are you going to watch me get dressed?” I quirk a brow at him.
“No, ma’am. Sorry. I’ll… ah… wait outside,” he says and walks out the door that leads to the hallway.
He’s always been nervous around me. I swear you cut out a man’s tongue once and people think you’re insane.
Which is laughable, considering what these men do in those dungeons of theirs.
In all fairness to Paz, though, I did cut out that guy’s tongue after he told me I looked fuckable.
I was already having a bad day. That idiot just picked the wrong time to speak up.
I get dressed, putting on the same clothes I wore to the club, because I didn’t bring anything else with me. I’d love to be able to go home and change, but I know that’s not going to happen tonight.
Opening the door, I smile at Paz. “Just so you know, if this is you leading me to my would-be death, I will come back and haunt your every waking hour,” I tell him.
His eyes go wide and then he tilts his head to the side and scrutinizes me. “What have you done that would give the boss a reason to kill you, ma’am?”
“Pfft, as if he needs a reason.” I shake my head and start down the corridor. “You coming?” I call over my shoulder, even though Paz is one step behind me.
The car pulls into a fancy-ass estate about an hour outside of the city. And then I’m led in through a side entrance, down a corridor, and into an office.
“Wait here,” Paz says.
“Where would I go?” I smirk at him before spinning in a circle to take in the expanse of the office. “Guess crime does pay. I should try it sometime,” I call out as Paz exits the room.
It takes ten minutes—ten fucking minutes—for Emmanuel to finally grace me with his presence.
I’m sipping away at a glass of what I’m sure is really expensive tequila.
Not because I like it. Tequila is disgusting, in my opinion.
But because I was bored, and I wasn’t about to get caught snooping around a cartel leader’s office.
Helping myself to his liquor seemed like the much safer choice.
“Enjoying yourself?” Emmanuel asks, closing the door behind him.
I shrug while kicking my legs back and forth. “Sure.”
“Get off my fucking desk, Lailani,” he growls. He walks around and sits himself on the chair on the other side.
I jump down and sit in one of the chairs in front of him. “You summoned me?”
“No one summons you.” He lifts a brow at our usual song and dance.
“You seem to. Quite often actually. What do you need?”
“Can’t a friend just want to check in with a friend?” he asks me.
I roll my eyes. We are not having this conversation again. “E, are you lonely? Do we need to schedule lunch dates or something?”
“The woman you saw tonight. She’s his mother,” he says.
“I know,” I tell him.
“Then why the fuck are you hiding out in a hotel room?”
“Because I like my peace.”
“Right, well, I’m gonna need you to find him and make sure he’s not falling apart,” Emmanuel says.
“Why?” I shake my head. “I mean, why would he be falling apart?”
“He has a… difficult relationship with that woman,” Emmanuel explains.
“I’m not going to bother him when he’s spending time with his mother,” I grunt.
“He’s not spending time with his mother,” E mocks me. “She’s here. For tonight anyway.”
“Why is she here?”
“Like I said, he has a difficult relationship with her and it stresses him out. A distraction, such as yourself, is exactly what he needs right now.”
“Yeah. I’m not a whore, E,” I snap. “I’m not going to go and find your friend to distract him from his mommy issues.”
“No, you’re going to find your boyfriend and distract him from his mommy issues, because that’s what good girlfriends do,” Emmanuel is quick to correct.
“I’m not. He’s not.” I shake my head.
Emmanuel doesn’t say anything. He just gives me that don’t even try to bullshit me stare. The one that would have many men shaking in their boots.
Me? I huff out an irritated breath. “Fine. I’ll find him.”
“Great. Now, pretend you’ve never been here,” he says, ushering me out the door with a wave of a hand.
“Gladly.” I stand and straighten my skirt.
“Oh, and Lailani, when Sammie asks you to babysit Carlo’s kid, accept the offer.”
“What? I am not babysitter material,” I choke out.
“You are the only person I want protecting my niece when her own father can’t be there,” E says. “Her safety comes before any of them.” He eyes me for a moment before adding, “Hers and Evie’s.”
“How long are you staying in town?” I ask him, instead of unpacking… all that.
“Until I don’t need to be here,” he states.
“Right. Okay, and how long am I staying in town?”
“Until you don’t need to be here,” he replies just as matter-of-factly.
“Helpful,” I groan.
“If you want to quit the job, Lailani, you can. I’m not forcing you to be here,” he says.
“I know. I happen to like this job. It comes with benefits.” I smile. “You should see how good Sammie is with his tongue.”
“We’re friends, but we are not those kinds of friends. You really need to find some women to gossip with.” Emmanuel shakes his head. “Paz will drive you back to the city. I believe Sammie is waiting for you in your apartment.”
I nod, then open and close his office door behind me.
A few minutes later, I’m in the car with Paz on my way back to my apartment. I pull out my phone and send Sammie a message.
Me:
I’m heading home. Meet me there?
Sammie:
Already here.
I smile. I had a feeling he would be.
Shit… I should definitely be more concerned about him snooping and finding something he shouldn’t. I try to think. I’m always careful to never leave anything out that could compromise my cover. I also don’t take Sammie for the snooping type.