I ended the call as soon as the shelf I’d tried to push out of the way started moving.Fucking hiddendoors.
As soon as the opening was wide enough, I saw Ari’s deep red hair and I charged toward her, wrapping her in my arms.She reached out and slapped a button, and the door slid closedbehindme.
“You scared the shit out of me, Red.”As much as I wanted to demand an explanation right then, there was something else I needed more.I cradled both sides of her face in my hands and crushed my mouth against hers, letting my tongue sweepinside.
When I finally pulled back, I checked her for injuries, my hands roaming her bikini-clad body.She stood motionless andletme.
“I told you Iwasokay.”
“And I need to make sure formyself.”
Her gray gaze met mine, and I asked the question that was burning on my tongue.“What the hellhappened?”
Her expression changed in a single moment, all lightness leaving it.She swallowed as though she didn’t want to tell me, but dug up the courage to do it anyway.“I fucked up.Bigtime.”
My first thought was that she’d hacked the NSA, and Feds were going to be bearing down anyminute.
“Tell me.Everything.”From my tone, I was pretty sure she got that I was seconds away from shaking the answer outofher.
After she took a deep breath, she dropped a bomb.“I think I’m the reason your dad waskilled.”
41
Ariel
Deep breaths.I can tell him without losing it.Ican.
“Myboyfriend—”
“Ex-boyfriend,” Rhett said, correcting me, and Inodded.
“Ex-boyfriend.Carlos Herrera is really Carlos Alberto Moreno Herrera.”Rhett showed no sign of recognition at the name, so I continued.“He’s essentially the crown prince of one of Mexico’s deadliest drugcartels.”
Rhett stilled, every muscle in his body tense and ready to spring into action.“You hadnoidea?”
I shook my head.“No clue.Until now, when he started displaying latent possessivetendencies.”
His eyes narrowed.“Tell me what the hell you mean by that?Break it down in simpleterms.”
Sucking in another deep breath, I braced myself to tell him the truth.“He thinks heownsme.”
Rhett’s hands curled into fists.“No man fucking owns you.And he will never touch you again, Iswearit.”
“I know, but he seems to have other ideas.He sent his goon here to threaten me when I didn’t use the plane ticket he sent me yesterday to go home toCalifornia.”
Rhett’s expression darkened to something deadly.“Someone came here?Threatened you?In person?And you didn’t think you should tell me that on the goddamnedphone?”
I explained about the cameras and the missing footage, and my concern about my phone beingtapped.
“The resources they have are insane.I don’t know who we can trust, and I wasn’t taking a chance.They said if I told anyone, they’d die.I’m not risking you.He sent a second plane ticket.Told me I’d better use it thisafternoon—”
Rhett took two steps forward.Instinctively, I stepped back, my knees dropping out from under me as I hit the edge ofthebed.
“You don’t belong to him.You don’t go to him.No one orders you around.Ever.Yougetme?”
“Buthesaid—”
Rhett reached out to cup my chin.“He’ll have to bring an army to get through me.No one touches you.Over mydeadbody.”