21. Hotel Room
Hotel Room
The lock turned.Camila’s heart stopped.She stood in the middle of Chris’s bedroom surrounded by the truth.His truth.FBI files covered the bed.Mateo’s photograph stared up at her.Diego.The mansion.Vehicles.The garage.Her.And in her shaking hand—Chris Walker’s badge.
“Shit.”She moved.Fast.The badge went back into the dark T-shirt exactly where she’d found it.She wrapped the fabric around it.Back of the drawer.Two guns.
Boxes of ammunition.Exactly where they’d been.Camila gathered the files.
Her hands were shaking so badly she dropped one.“Come on.”She shoved the papers back inside.Mateo.Diego.Camila Vargas.Everything returned to the folder.
She closed it.Placed it beneath the shirts.Closed the drawer.Then stared at it.
The front door opened.“Camila?”Chris.She backed away from the dresser.
Her heart was pounding.“Bedroom.”His footsteps approached.Camila forced herself to breathe.Normal.Be normal.Chris appeared in the doorway.Short blond hair slightly disheveled.Dark jacket.Jeans.That familiar face she’d kissed a hundred times.
Except now she knew.Christopher Walker.FBI.Chris looked at her.“You’re dressed.”She glanced down.“Observant.”
His mouth tilted.Usually that smile made her want to kiss him.Now it made her want to cry.He crossed the room.“How’d you sleep?”
“Fine.”Lie.Chris stopped in front of her.
Camila had to resist the urge to step backward.But she did it anyway. He noticed everything.She knew that better than anyone.“You okay?”
“Yes.”Chris studied her.“You sure?Camila smiled.“Why wouldn’t I be?”He touched her cheek.Camila’s stomach twisted.Because she still loved his touch.That was the cruelest part.Finding the badge hadn’t erased anything.It had simply poisoned every memory with questions.Chris leaned down and kissed her.Camila kissed him back.For one terrible second, she forgot.Then she remembered the photograph.SPECIAL AGENT CHRISTOPHER WALKER.She pulled away.Chris frowned. “What?”
“Nothing.”His eyes narrowed.Camila forced a smile.
“Hungry.”Chris stared another second.“Always.”She walked past him.Chris turned and watched her.Something was different.He could feel it.He just didn’t know what.
“Something’s off.”Camila stared.Of course he knew.FBI.Training.Everything suddenly had an explanation.Chris looked at her. “What?”
“Nothing.”He opened his door.“Stay here.”Camila almost laughed.That wasn’t happening.She climbed out.Chris gave her a look.“What?”
“Nothing.”
But Camila knew him well enough now to know that nothing meant something.
Chris crossed the apartment and looked through the blinds again.
Street.
Parked cars.
A man walking a dog.
Nothing unusual.
And yet the feeling wouldn’t leave him.
Camila watched from behind him.
“You’re doing that thing.”
“What thing?”
“The thing where you suddenly stop being here.”
Chris let the blind fall back into place.
“I’m here.”
“Your body is.”
He looked at her.
Camila folded her arms.
“Where did the rest of you go?”
Chris almost smiled.
Almost.
His phone vibrated.
He pulled it from his pocket.
MATEO
Chris stared at the name.
That feeling in his stomach sharpened.
Camila saw the screen.
“My brother?”
“Yeah.”
“What’s he want?”
Chris opened the message.
Bring Camila home. Now.
His expression didn’t change.
Inside, everything did.
Camila stepped closer.
“What?”
Chris locked the phone.
“We need to go.”
Her eyebrows lifted.
“Why?”
“Mateo wants you home.”
“At ten in the morning?”
“Apparently.”
“What did he say?”
Chris grabbed his keys from the counter.
“Bring Camila home. Now.”
Camila stared at him.
“That’s it?”
“That’s it.”
She didn’t move.
Chris looked at her.
“Camila.”
“Why do you suddenly look like you’re about to shoot somebody?”
“I don’t.”
“You absolutely do.”
Chris shoved his phone into his pocket.
He couldn’t explain it.
There was nothing inherently threatening about Mateo’s message.
But Chris had survived too many operations by paying attention to the moments that didn’t feel right.
And this one didn’t.
He picked up his jacket.
“Let’s go.”
The entire drive back to the Vargas mansion, Chris watched the mirrors.
Camila noticed.
Of course she noticed.
“You’ve checked behind us about seventeen times.”
“Sixteen.”
She stared at him.
Chris glanced at the rearview mirror again.
“Seventeen.”
“Chris.”
“What?”
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.”
“You’re terrible at that word.”
He didn’t answer.
Camila shifted in the passenger seat.
“Is someone following us?”
Chris looked at her.
That wasn’t the question most people would’ve asked.
Why do you keep looking behind us?
What are you worried about?
Camila went straight to—
Is someone following us?
She’d been around him too long.
“No.”
“You sure?”
“Yes.”
That much was true.
Nobody was following them.
Which somehow didn’t make him feel better.
Chris turned onto the long private road leading toward the Vargas estate.
The gates appeared ahead.
Normally, one of Mateo’s men waved Chris through without hesitation.
Today—
Two men stood outside.
Another SUV was parked near the gate.
Chris’s eyes narrowed.
Camila saw it.
“That normal?”
“No.”
One word.
Camila became quiet.
The gates opened.
Chris drove through.
His eyes moved constantly now.
Guard.
Camera.
SUV.
Second-floor window.
Front entrance.
Another guard.
More security than usual.
Something had happened.
Chris parked the Range Rover near the mansion.
Before Camila could reach for the handle, his hand caught her arm.
“Wait.”
She looked at him.
Chris scanned the property again.
“What?”
He didn’t answer.
“Chris.”
“Stay here.”
Camila almost laughed.
That wasn’t happening.
She opened her door.
Chris gave her a look.
“What part of stay here—”
“I’m not a dog.”
“Dogs listen better.”
Despite everything, she almost smiled.
Chris didn’t.
They crossed the driveway together.
Chris saw Diego first.Mateo was waiting when they returned to the mansion.So was Diego.Chris noticed the tension before the SUV stopped moving.
Two additional vehicles.Three men Chris hadn’t seen at the estate recently.
Diego smoking near the fountain.Mateo was already standing near the entrance.
Diego beside him.
Mateo standing beneath the portico.
Chris parked.Camila reached for the door.“Wait.”She looked at him.“What?”
Chris scanned the property.
And immediately knew.
Whatever had happened—
it wasn’t small.They both got out of the SUV and walked toward the Mateo.
Mateo looked at Camila.
Then Chris.
“Office.”
Chris stopped.
“Both of us?”
“Both.”
That bothered him more.
Mateo turned and walked inside.
Chris glanced at Camila.
She looked just as confused as he felt.
But Chris wasn’t confused anymore.
His instincts had been right.
Something was wrong.Camila follow Chris she saw his gun sticking out some from the back of his jeans and shirt.
They followed Mateo into the mansion.
The study doors closed behind them.
Diego remained inside.
Chris automatically positioned himself near Camila. Camila noticed how close he was too her. Protective. On guard. Just like he been trained.Like a FBI Federal Agent Undercover.
Mateo walked to the bar poured himself a drink.Ten in the morning.
Interesting.
Then Mateo turned.
“We have a problem.”
Chris kept his expression bored.
“Those are always fun.”
Mateo didn’t react.
And that was when Chris knew—
this one wasn’t.They approached Mateo.
.Diego remained inside.Chris stood near Camila. Diego noticed.
Interesting.
“Someone is talking.”
Chris’s pulse didn’t change.
Years undercover had trained that out of him.
Camila’s did.
Because now she understood.
Mateo was talking about Chris.
Diego watched him.
Chris looked at Mateo.
“About?”
“Business.”
“What business?”
Mateo smiled faintly.
“Good answer.”
Chris shrugged.
“You don’t tell me shit. Hard to leak shit I don’t know.”
Diego stepped away from the wall.
“You know about the warehouse.”
Chris looked at him.
“So do about thirty people who work there.”
“Twenty-seven.”
“Congratulations on counting.”
Diego’s expression hardened.
Camila stepped forward.
“What’s going on?”
Mateo looked at her.
“Nothing.”
“Then why am I here?”
“Because you’re leaving.”
Silence.
Camila frowned.
“What?”
“For a few days.”
“Where?”
“San Antonio.”
Chris immediately looked at Mateo.
“Why?”
Mateo’s eyes moved toward him.
“Problem?”
“She’s my responsibility. You change the plan, I ask questions.”
Mateo studied him.
Then nodded.
“Fair.”
Chris waited.
“We’re moving inventory.”
Chris didn’t react.
Inside—
everything changed.
The warehouse.
Mateo suspected a raid.
Fuck.
“When?”
Chris asked.
Mateo smiled.
“Why?”
Chris met his eyes.
“Because somebody attacked your sister last week. If trouble is coming here again, I’d like to know when I should expect bullets.”
Good.
Natural.
Mateo accepted it.
“Soon.”
Chris nodded.
“What does that have to do with San Antonio?”
“I want Camila away.”
Chris glanced at her.
“And me?”
“You go with her.”
There it was.
Chris looked at Diego.
Diego was already looking at him.
Something in that stare bothered Chris.
“You said somebody’s talking,” Chris said.
“Yes.”
“And you’re sending me away.”
“Yes.”
Chris smiled faintly.
“Should I be offended?”
Mateo smiled back.
“No.”
But Diego didn’t smile.
Chris noticed.
Camila noticed Chris noticing.
The entire room felt like a game where everyone had different pieces of the truth.
Mateo thought someone had leaked information.
Diego suspected Chris.
Chris knew the FBI was preparing a raid.
And Camila—
Camila knew Chris was FBI.
Nobody else knew she knew.
Mateo finished his drink.
“Leave in an hour.”
Camila crossed her arms.
“I don’t want to go.”
“I’m not asking.”
“Mateo—”
“Camila.”
Chris touched her arm.
“Come on.”
She looked at him.
The irony nearly made her sick.
Chris Walker was telling her to trust the brother he was preparing to arrest.
They left at noon.
Chris drove.
Camila sat beside him.
For almost forty minutes, neither spoke.
Chris glanced over.
“You’ve been weird all morning.”
Her heart jumped.
“Weird?”
“Quiet.”
“Maybe I don’t feel like talking.”
“You always feel like talking.”
“Asshole.”
“What is wrong Camila.”
She didn’t answer him. She looked out the window.
Chris frowned.