Chapter 7
Chapter Seven
When I wake up, Charlotte is sitting on the sofa in the living room. She looks like she’s just showered and made herself up.
“Hey, you look nice,” I tell her as I cross the suite. I don’t sleep often, but when I do, I always wake up groggy as hell.
“I’ve been waiting for you to wake up,” she says.
“Let me get coffee first.” I head into the kitchen area. There has to be a coffee pot here somewhere.
Charlotte follows me. “Hey, I think you should get an early flight back home,” she says.
When I find the already full coffee pot, I thank God that I have good friends. Charlotte knew I’d need it. “Why?” I ask her. I just got here.
“Remember that guy from last night? The one you were flirting with?”
“Emmanuel, kinda hard to forget.” I smile at the memory of him I have imbedded in my brain. The sight of him in that suit, the smell of him whenever he got close…
“Yeah, well, I don’t think he was kidding around about being a cartel boss, hon. When I woke up, he was holding a gun to Louie’s head,” she says.
“What?” I gasp, coffee spilling from my mouth.
“He wanted to wake me up and Louie wouldn’t do it.”
“You mean, the guy you just met had a gun to his head and still wouldn’t wake you up? That man is a keeper, Charlotte.” Maybe this whole marriage thing will work out for her after all.
“Yeah, well, I did marry him. But that’s not the point. Emmanuel wanted to know what happened.”
“What happened when?” I ask.
“To you,” she says, and her voice goes quiet. “He was watching you sleep. I didn’t know. He left after he had carried you up to the bedroom. I didn’t know he came back.”
My blood goes cold. He was watching me sleep. I take a mental inventory of every part of my body. I don’t feel like I was touched. I don’t feel like anything actually happened. But I’ve been wrong before…
“He carried me up to bed? Doesn’t matter. What did you tell him?” I don’t plan on seeing the man again, but the last thing I need is for him to think I’m broken or have issues. Appearances are everything, remember?
“You were talking in your sleep, Evie. He was adamant on finding out why. I didn’t tell him anything other than to look into the pageant world.” She flinches apologetically.
Crap. Fuck. No.
“It doesn’t matter.” I shake my head. “I’m sure he’s forgotten about it by now. But you’re right. I do need to get home.”
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said anything. I know that.”
“It’s fine. He can dig all he wants. He’s not going to find anything, because there is nothing to find. I’m glad I was here when you got married,” I say, quickly changing the subject.
“Me too. It’s crazy, right?” She sighs.
It’s fucking insane, but that’s not what she needs to hear right now. She needs support.
“It is, but I think it was for the best. You seem… happy with him.”
“We don’t even know each other. What if it turns out he clips his toenails in bed or something just as gross? Or what if he wakes up tomorrow and decides he doesn’t want to be married anymore?” In true Charlotte fashion, she’s spiraling. I reach across the counter to steady her.
“What if he doesn’t? What if you spend the rest of your life waking up next to him and you’re both sickeningly happy? What if you get to live the dream everyone wants?”
Truth is… I wish I could take my own advice and learn to be happy. Learn to let go of the past.
“I know, but I just worry. It’s all happened so fast.”
“You know, there are many cultures that have arranged marriages and those work out. Is it fast? Yes, but that doesn’t make it wrong,” I tell her.
“How did you get so smart?” Charlotte chuckles.
“I don’t know, but don’t tell anyone because I don’t need them all expecting this level of wisdom from me. Now, I’m going to shower and find a flight. He’s not still around, is he?”
“Who?”
“Emmanuel?” I need to avoid that man like the plague. He’s not safe for me. He watched me sleep, and I have no idea what he did to me while I was out of it. Was I drugged? Is that why I passed out so suddenly?
My hands start to shake. I clench my fists to try to ward off the oncoming panic.
“I have no idea. Want me to ask Louie?” Charlotte asks.
“No, I just want to get out of here without running into him. It’s creepy that he watched me sleep… and embarrassing,” I tell her as I make my way to the bathroom.
“I’ll make sure you don’t have to see him,” Charlotte calls out from behind me.
After saying my goodbyes to Charlotte, I make my way to the check-in desk at the airport. My heart is beating so fast. I keep counting in my head, trying to calm my nerves. I can’t get over the fact that he was in the room with me when I was sleeping.
I went over every inch of my body while I was in the shower. I didn’t see any marks. I didn’t feel like I’d been touched, but that doesn’t mean he didn’t. Why the hell was he watching me anyway?
And to think I was fully prepared to have a few hours of naked fun with that creep. I bet he would have been so good too. Always the way… The ones who can actually make you come are not the ones you should be in bed with.
“Hi, checking in for the flight to Atlanta.” I hand over my ID to the young guy behind the counter.
“Thank you, Miss… Carter,” he says after reading my name. “How many bags are you checking?”
“Just the one.” I left a bag of clothes with Charlotte, considering she came here with nothing.
Once I get to Atlanta, I have to make the drive to Madison, my little hometown. I’ll be as far away from the supposed cartel boss as I can get. Although I’m almost certain he’s already forgotten about me. Moved on to his next poor victim.
“Thank you.” I smile at the guy as he hands me my ticket. It’s better than acknowledging the ache I feel at the thought of Emmanuel turning his attention to another woman. I don’t want his attention, but I don’t really want to lose it either.
Something is very wrong with me. That’s nothing new, though. I just need to get home, get back to the store and my normal, boring life. That will reset my… whatever it is that needs resetting to forget all about the tall, dark, dangerously handsome man in a well-fitting suit I’m leaving behind.
“Argh.” I am not doing this. Nope.
After walking through security, I find a seat at the gate and plug in my earbuds.
I turn on the latest Taylor Swift album and lose myself in her music while I scroll through my emails and reply to all of Amy’s.
The thought of messaging Rachel and Charlotte to get their reassurance crosses my mind.
But I don’t want them to worry about me, so instead of bringing up my own issues, I message them with a distraction.
Me:
Enjoy your honeymoon @charlotte!
Rachel:
I still can’t believe you got married and I wasn’t there. But I’ve seen your new husband. I get it!
Me:
Right? The man is a goner for her. He’s got it bad.
Charlotte:
He’s a catch for sure. Thank you for understanding, or at least pretending to.
Me:
Babe, you upgraded. Trust me, this is going to work out for you.
Charlotte:
One day soon, you two will find your own Louies.
Me:
Nope. I want a boring accountant, someone with a desk job. I don’t want or need a mobster.
Charlotte:
Or a cartel boss.
Me:
Or that.
When the announcement for boarding comes across the loud speaker, I send the girls one last text and jump up. I’m going home, but it feels like I’m leaving something behind. I just don’t know what that something is? Charlotte?
Has to be her.
The entire time I’m standing in line, inching closer and closer to the plane, my stomach turns. And I can’t put my finger on why. I get settled in my aisle seat and take a deep breath. I would have preferred the window but beggars can’t be choosers, right?
I switch my phone to flight mode. It’s midday. I’ll be home around six or seven o’clock tonight. The first thing I’ll do is go to the store and make myself busy. After sleeping last night, I know I won’t sleep again for at least three or four days.
The plane starts to taxi and I breathe another sigh of relief. I really do hope Charlotte will be happy here. I hate that she’s not coming home. Especially considering I’m not sure when I’ll be able to bring myself to come back to this city.
“There’s a slight delay for take-off, ladies and gentlemen.
We are required to return to the gate. We’ll get you in the air and eastbound in no time,” the pilot’s voice comes over the speaker, followed by a wave of audible groans.
Nobody likes a delay. I wonder why they’re being called back to the gate.
“Do you think there’s something wrong with the plane?” the lady beside me asks, her voice sounding a little panicked.
“I’m sure there isn’t. It’s probably an ill passenger or something. These things happen all the time,” I tell her with my best smile. I’m bullshitting out of my ass, but if I can help ease her worry, it’s worth it.
The woman nods, appearing relieved.
When we get back to the gate, the doors to the plane open again, and I drop my head against the seat and close my eyes.
Whatever they’re doing won’t take long. I’m sure of it.
I try to relax until the quiet shriek from the woman next to me has me jolting upright again.
I open my eyes, look to her, and then in front of us.
No… No… Hell fucking no…
“Am I asleep?” I ask aloud. I must be, because there is no way Emmanuel Lopez is making his way down the center aisle. His glare fixed right on me. He looks… pissed, and I can feel all the other passengers staring.
“Ma’am, I’m going to need you to gather your things and come with me,” he says, stopping next to my seat.
I shake my head. “I’m not doing that.”
Emmanuel leans over, his breath bristling the skin on my neck while his hand unfastens my seat belt. “You can either come willingly, or I will throw you over my shoulder and carry your pretty little ass off this plane,” he whispers.
“You wouldn’t!”
“Fine, we’ll do it my way.” He smiles, like that was what he wanted.
When his hands reach for me, I shove them aside.
“Fine, I’ll come with you,” I hiss under my breath as I stand on my own, because the only thing worse than being carried off by a man I just met is being escorted off by a federal agent I don’t know at all.