She’s pretending this is the first time we’ve ever spoken. She assumes Gabriel’s listening and I haven’t told him about our other meetings. Maybe she’s trying to protect me, or maybe she’s trying to protect her case.
Either way, I’m done with this game.
I steel my nerve. “Yes, I remember you well, Agent Lewis. You cornered me in the spa in Vegas and fed me lies about Gabriel. Then you tracked me down at the Cirque show and threatened to arrest me for crimes I never committed.”
Several seconds of dead silence fills my ear.
And then, “You’re making a big mistake.”
Maybe.
Maybe every choice I’ve made since I stepped into Fulcort that day has been the wrong one. But if I had to do it all over again? The only thing I’d do differently is tell Gabriel about this woman the second she made contact.
“I’m not sure when I’ll be back in town yet, but you have Gabriel’s number. Let me know when you’d like to meet and I’ll arrange for my lawyer to attend with me. Until then, you’re cutting into my pool time.”
Gabriel stifles a snort as I hand the phone back to him, my hand trembling despite my brazenness.
“I appreciate the call and your ongoing concern for my safety. I’ve never felt so protected by the FBI. Take care.” He’s chuckling by the time he drops his phone into his pocket. “She really thought she’d be able to flip you. You just ruined her entire fucking day.”
There was a brief time when I thought she might convince me to turn on Gabriel. That’s one mistake I’m glad I didn’t make, and one Gabriel never needs to hear about. “Good.”
His heated gaze drags over my sweaty frame. “Now, how about you make my day better.”
Excitement stirs in my belly despite our current situation—in Ava’s cartel’s compound, surrounded by armed men, Gabriel’s once-crisp white shirt stained with his blood. “And how would I go about doing that?”
He pulls me against him, our bodies flush. Between us, his hard length presses against my stomach. “See that pool house over there?” He nods behind me.
I look over my shoulder at the cute little building.
“We could go in there and I could get you out of this dress, and then wrap these thighs around my shoulders and taste—”
Gabriel’s phone rings in his pocket and he groans deeply.
“You need to get that.” Every time someone calls, all I can think about is my father in solitary, wondering what the hell is going on. Or maybe he’s figured it out.
“I do.” With a kiss against my lips, he releases me and digs his phone out again. “Yeah? Hey, Stanley.” A smile of satisfaction curls his lips. “So, it’s confirmed? Navarro?” He adds for my benefit, I’m sure. “Give me a minute?” With a second fleeting kiss—this one against my temple—he moves away to continue his conversation with his PI. While he’s told me a lot, I think he’s hiding just as much. It doesn’t bother me anymore. He’s trying to protect me.
And while I don’t understand all that’s happening, everything seems to be falling into place.
Holding onto that hope, I settle down on the edge and slip my legs into the inviting water. If this were under any other situation, it might feel like a holiday.
A pseudo honeymoon, even.
I snort at the insanity of it all, and brush against a dusty patch on my hem. If Gabriel and I are still going through with this city hall marriage, I guess I’ll have to find something else to wear.
“I’m afraid that dress may be beyond saving.”
I jump at the sound of Ava’s voice. She has changed out of her pantsuit and into a white bikini and coral lace cover up. The combination accentuates her tanned olive skin and her voluptuous curves.
I take a deep, calming breath and then say, “I was just thinking that.”
“There’s no need to be afraid of me. You are in Gabriel and Caleb’s world, and from all that I’ve heard, they aren’t stupid men. They trust you.” She sits on the edge of the pool beside me, slipping her legs into the water next to mine. “I would have no reason to hurt you, would I?”
“No.” But the fact that she is asking disturbs me.
She collects my wrist, stroking a dainty thumb across my skin where the foundation has worn off. The cuff marks are faintly visible. “But someone had reason. I assume this wasn’t from a fun night with Gabriel?”
I hesitate, wondering if I should lie. Something tells me lying to our new “friend” would be a bad idea. “Vlad Easton had his psychotic hitman kidnap me for leverage to force Gabriel to do his bidding.”
She hums. “Vlad’s secret weapon. Yes, I’ve heard about Bane. A dreadful man. No one wants to be on his radar. Or Vlad’s, for that matter.” Her flawless brow furrows. “How did you get away? Did Gabriel save you from him?” Those curious, dark eyes wander to where Gabriel paces, still talking to Stanley. I see the hunger in them. She’s attracted to him. Of course she is. Who wouldn’t be?