13. Crossing the Line
Crossing the Line
By ten the next morning, Mateo Vargas knew everything.Almost everything.He knew about the attack.He knew two vehicles had followed Chris and Camila.He knew the first SUV had rammed them repeatedly.He knew the crash had separated them.He knew Chris had gotten Camila out.He knew Chris had been injured doing it.And, most importantly, he knew that Chris Roman had been given an opportunity to save himself—and hadn’t taken it.What Mateo didn’t know was that the man sitting across from him wasn’t Chris Roman.
Chris sat in Mateo’s study with bruised ribs, a cut over his eyebrow, and enough painkillers in his system to make sitting almost tolerable.Almost.Mateo stood behind his desk.Diego leaned against the windows.Nobody spoke.Chris finally looked between them.
“This is fun.”Mateo didn’t smile.Chris sighed.“What?”
“You could’ve left.”Chris’s expression changed slightly.There it was again.The same thing Camila had said.You came back.He shrugged.
“She was my responsibility.”Mateo stared at him.
“That’s all?”Chris’s jaw tightened.“What else would it be?”Diego looked away.Interesting.Chris caught it.Mateo did too.
“You tell me.”Chris leaned back and immediately regretted it when pain shot through his ribs.He covered it.Barely. “You hired me to protect her.”
“I hired you to drive her.”
“Job expanded.”
“You went back into an active attack.”Chris shrugged.
“Seemed rude to leave her.”Mateo’s eyes narrowed.
“You make jokes when you’re uncomfortable.
”Chris went still.Then smiled faintly.“I’m always uncomfortable around you.
”Diego laughed.Actually laughed.Chris looked over.
“Holy shit. He can do it.”Diego’s smile vanished.
“There he is.”Mateo didn’t join them.He came around the desk. “My sister said you told her to run.”
“Yes.”
“She didn’t.”
“No.”
“Why?”Chris stared at him.“Have you met her?”That almost got Mateo.Almost.
“She said you fought two men.”
“I wouldn’t call it winning.”
“You were injured.”
“Occupational hazard.”Mateo stopped.Chris mentally swore.Again.That phrase again.
Mateo caught everything.“What occupation?”
“Security.”
“You haven’t worked security in years.”
“Apparently I’m back.”Mateo studied him.Long enough that Walker began listening beneath Roman’s sarcasm.Was this suspicion?Testing?Did Mateo know something?
Then Mateo reached into his desk.Chris’s body prepared automatically.Mateo removed a set of keys.Tossed them.Chris caught them.He looked down.Range Rover.Different one.Then back at Mateo.“What?”
“Camila doesn’t go anywhere without you.”Chris stared.“Excuse me?”
“You heard me.”
“You’re making me her permanent driver?”
“Personal security.”That was different.Very different.“Mateo—”
“You wanted better pay.”Chris looked at the keys.Then Diego.Then Mateo.“You’re serious.”
“Yes.”
“Why me?”Mateo’s answer was immediate.“Because when it mattered, you didn’t run.”
Chris stopped smiling.Mateo stepped closer.“There are men who’ve worked for me ten years who would’ve saved themselves first.”
“I was doing my job.”
“No.”Mateo shook his head.“You did more than your job.”Chris didn’t answer.
Because Mateo was right.That was the problem.
“You’ll handle her transportation. You’ll accompany her when necessary.
You decide routes. You decide whether a location is safe.
If something feels wrong, you leave.”Chris turned the keys in his hand.
“And if Camila disagrees?”Mateo smiled for the first time.
“Good luck.”Chris laughed.“Fantastic.”Then Mateo’s expression hardened.
“One more thing.”Of course.Chris waited.
“Whatever happened between you and my sister—”Every muscle in Chris’s body went still.Diego suddenly found the window fascinating.Chris’s eyes remained on Mateo.
Mateo smiled without humor.“That’s what I’m trying to determine.”Chris gave him nothing.Mateo watched him.Then:“Camila looks at you differently.”Chris’s heart gave one hard beat.“Sounds like something you should discuss with Camila.”
“I’m discussing it with you.”
“Then we’re probably both going to be disappointed.”Mateo’s eyes narrowed.
Chris held them.Finally Mateo stepped back.“She’s my sister.”
“I know.”
“Don’t make me regret trusting you.”There was something almost funny about that sentence.Mateo Vargas trusting Chris Roman.Camila trusting Chris Roman.Everyone trusting a man who didn’t exist.Chris stood carefully.His ribs screamed.“Anything else?”
Mateo shook his head.Chris headed toward the door.“Roman.”He stopped.Mateo looked at him.“Thank you.”Chris wasn’t prepared for that.The sarcasm disappeared.He nodded once.Then left.
By midnight, Chris was lying awake in the guesthouse Mateo had insisted he use until his ribs healed.Insisted was generous.Ordered.Apparently almost dying for the man’s sister came with complimentary accommodations.The guesthouse sat beyond the pool at the rear of the Vargas estate.Private.Quiet.Dangerously close to Camila.Chris lay shirtless on top of the bed, one arm behind his head.Bruising covered his ribs.The older scars on his torso looked pale beside the fresh damage.Two deep scars.Two bullets.Another life.Another cover.
Another operation he’d nearly died completing.He stared at the ceiling.Sleep wasn’t happening.Every time he closed his eyes—the crash.Camila screaming.Her being dragged away.Chris running back.Then—her kissing him.That memory was considerably less unpleasant.Also considerably more dangerous.A knock came at the door.Chris looked toward it.Midnight.He reached automatically toward the nightstand.Gun.Then stopped.
Another knock.Soft.“Chris?”His eyes closed.Of course.He grabbed a T-shirt and pulled it on carefully.Pain immediately punished him.“Fuck.”He walked to the door.Opened it.
Camila stood outside.Barefoot.Loose sleep pants.Soft sweater.Dark hair falling around her shoulders.Chris stared.“No.”She blinked.“I haven’t said anything.”
“Doesn’t matter.”
“Are you going to let me in?”
“No.”
“Chris.”
“No.”She looked past him.“Are you hiding someone?”Chris stared at her.“Seriously?”
“You’re acting suspicious.”
“I’m always suspicious.”
“True.”She stepped forward.Chris blocked the doorway.Camila looked down at his chest.Then up.“Move.”
“No.”
“I came to check on you.”
“Checked.”He gestured at himself.“Alive.”
“Barely charming.”
“Never claimed otherwise.”She folded her arms.“Mateo said the doctor thinks your ribs might be cracked.”
“Mateo talks too much.”
“Are they?”
“Probably.”
“And you refused the hospital.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”Chris smiled.“I’m one strange criminal. Remember?”Camila didn’t smile.“You scared me.”That wiped the humor from his face.The silence between them changed.Chris stepped aside.“Come in.”Camila entered.Chris closed the door.Immediately regretted it.
Because now it was midnight.They were alone.And the last time they’d been alone after surviving the attack, she’d kissed him until he’d nearly forgotten every reason he wasn’t supposed to touch her.Camila looked around.“Nice.”
“Your brother owns it.”
“I know.”
“Then why are you reviewing the accommodations?”
“Making conversation.”
“Dangerous hobby.”She turned.Her eyes moved over him.Chris shifted slightly.“What?”
“Nothing.”
“That word is banned between us.”
“Since when?”
“Since you abuse it.”Chris almost smiled.Then she approached.Slowly.He didn’t move.
Her fingers touched the cut near his eyebrow.Chris’s eyes closed briefly.“You should be sleeping,” he murmured.
“So should you.”
“I was.”
“Liar.”He opened his eyes.“You’re getting annoyingly good at that.”
“At what?”
“Knowing when I’m lying.”Something passed through her expression.Chris immediately wished he’d chosen different words.Camila lowered her hand.“You went back for me.”Chris exhaled.“We’ve discussed this.”
“I know.”
“Then why are we discussing it again?”
“Because I keep seeing it.”Her voice trembled slightly.“The car. Those men. You disappearing.”Chris’s expression softened.“Camila.”
“I thought you were gone.”
“I wasn’t.”
“I know that now.”She looked down.“But for those few minutes, I didn’t.”
Chris reached for her before he thought better of it.His hands settled on her arms.“Look at me.”She did.“You’re safe.”
“Because of you.”
“Because we got lucky.”
“No.”
“Camila—”
“You came back.”Chris stared at her.She stepped closer.“Why?”He could still use the answer he’d given Mateo.You were my responsibility.But looking into her eyes, he couldn’t.
“You know why.”Her breath caught.Chris realized what he’d admitted.Camila’s hand came to his chest.Directly over his heart.“You care about me.”
“That’s becoming painfully obvious.”Her mouth curved faintly.“You’re terrible at this.”
“At what?”
“Feelings.”Chris laughed softly.“Absolutely terrible.”She looked at his mouth.And Chris knew.He should step away.Instead he stayed exactly where he was.“Tell me to leave,” she whispered.He couldn’t.“Camila.”
“Tell me.”Chris looked into her eyes.Nothing about the moment felt playful anymore.
The fear was still there.So was the attraction they’d been fighting since the garage.
But now something deeper sat underneath it.Something neither of them could joke away.
“I don’t want you to leave.”Camila kissed him.Chris caught her carefully.The kiss was soft.
Nothing like the desperate kiss after the attack.Then she kissed him again.And restraint started disappearing.Chris pulled back just enough to look at her.“We can’t?”
“Why.”
“Camila.”He searched her face.Then kissed her again.This time neither pretended it was a mistake.Her arms slipped around his neck carefully, mindful of his injuries.Chris drew her closer.He winced.Camila immediately pulled away.“Your ribs.”
“I’m beginning to hate my ribs.”She laughed softly.The sound changed everything.
Made it warmer.More intimate.Real.Chris touched her cheek.For a moment, he simply looked at her.Camila covered his hand with hers.“What?”
“Nothing.”She narrowed her eyes.“Banned word.”Chris smiled.Then kissed her.The rest of the world slowly disappeared.The cartel.The FBI.Mateo.The investigation.Chris Roman.