“All right, but if some guy is touching her—” I can’t even finish the sentence.
“I’ll help you light the match. Deal?”
I nod, and a long silence stretches between us. “I love her,” I say, more to myself than to Felipe, but he squeezes my shoulder.
“I know, River. I’ve known since I married Amelia how you felt about her.”
“How?” I’m trying to think of a time I said something or did something that might have given myself away.
“I know how it feels to look at a woman and promise your heart to her right on the spot.”
Sitting back in my seat, I think about his words and how they’re exactly right. Mara has always been mine since the first time I saw her. I don’t know if she realized it, but she’s been carrying around a piece of me with her since then.
When we pull up at the club, we’re taken by security to a private entrance. From there, we use the private elevator, and I’m surprised at how quiet it is. You can’t hear music from inside at all, and everything is blacked out.
The elevator doors open into a large office, and I notice that straight ahead is a glass window that looks out over the club. To the right, there’s a wall of cameras, and that’s where Beckett is sitting.
“See anything?” Felipe asks as he walks over to stand beside Beckett.
“Who is this?” Beckett looks at me, and I come over beside him.
“It’s one of her friends. I don’t know her name.” I barely glance at her because my eyes are searching for Mara.
“Are you sure?” Beckett moves closer to the screen and then squints. “Wonder if I can have security check her ID.”
“Why would you do that?” Felipe turns to his best friend, but Beckett is staying quiet. “Hmm, interesting,” he muses.
“There,” I say, as I poke my finger against the screen.
“You found her?” Felipe asks, but I ignore him, because my total focus is on Mara.
And her tiny fucking dress.