Confessed (Vargas Cartel #3)(37)

I tossed and turned, chasing sleep, but my mind had other plans. Ryker had left me in his room over an hour ago while he went to search Ignacio’s records. He told me to go to sleep, and I’d tried. I really did.

My mind circled relentlessly. My ears labored to hear every noise. My shoulder muscles crawled up the back of my neck. Minute after minute passed, and I swore I heard footsteps a million times, but nothing happened. No one came in the room. I finally gave up trying to sleep and turned on the lamp on the nightstand.

Just when I convinced myself Ryker was bleeding to death somewhere in the house, and I needed to go find him, the door handle dipped. I sat up in bed, clutching the sheets to my chest with one hand and fingering the gun Ryker gave me with the other. My irregular breaths echoed unnaturally in the room.

The door cracked open. A sliver of yellow light spilled onto the creamy travertine tiled floor. Afraid to make a sound, I held my breath and stared as the yellow sliver grew, inch by painful inch. A silhouette shaded the opening. My heart rapid-fired inside my chest.

Thump.

Thump.

Thump.

At its current rate, my heart would explode by the time the door fully opened. The hinges squeaked. My breath hitched.

Please don’t be Ignacio or worse…

“Hattie?” Ryker said, pausing in the entrance. “Is everything okay?”

I swallowed over the lump lodged in my throat. “Oh my God. You scared the crap out of me.”

His dark eyebrows knitted together. “Did something happen while I was gone?”

I shook my head. “No. I couldn’t sleep. I was worried about you.”

He closed the door behind him. “You should be sleeping. Your flight leaves early in the morning.” He leaned against the door with a wicked smile on his face. “But I can’t say I’m sad you’re awake.”

“Why’s that?”

“Because now I can kiss you goodnight.”

I rolled my eyes. “Did you find anything we can use?”

He tapped a large yellow envelope against his leg, and his lips pinched together until they almost disappeared entirely. “I found more than enough.” He held up the envelope. “Everything you need is in here. Don’t look at it until you get back to the States with Noah.”

I frowned. “I can’t read it on the plane?”

“No.” He unzipped my suitcase and emptied out my clothes.

I tossed the sheets to the side, and I jumped out of the bed. “What are you doing?”

“I’m hiding this,” he answered without looking at me.

I looked at him askance. “I can put it in my purse.”

“This is better.” He pulled a switchblade from his pocket and sliced open the silky black lining in the suitcase. He slipped the envelope inside and squirted a few dots of glue on the lining, temporarily sealing the cut.

I nodded. “What am I supposed to do with the information?”

He tapped me on the tip of my nose. “Noah knows what to do. He’ll talk to you about it on the plane.”

“When did you talk to him?”

His eyes turned serious, but a faint smile remained on his face. “Just now.”

“Oh.” I sat on the edge of the bed. “Why do I need to go with him? If he’s taking the lead, I can stay with you. I want to be here to support you.”

He sighed as he settled onto the bed next to me, his hand weaving around my waist. His soft touch seared my side, his thigh leaning into mine, and his long fingers flexing into my skin.

“It’s better that way,” he said, his voice heavy with emotion. “I don’t know what will happen here. There are so many moving pieces and things I can’t control. If you leave, it’s one less thing I need to worry about.”

“Yeah. You’re probably right,” I said softly, even as a dull ache burrowed under my breastbone. As much as I wanted to glue myself to Ryker’s side, I sure as hell didn’t want to end up chained to a wall again because he couldn’t protect me.

My nerves were shot from straining to catch every sound over the last two hours, and my exhaustion made me jittery. Ryker slid his arm up my back to my shoulders and I buried my head into his chest, seeking strength in his embrace. I promised myself I would stay strong and not cry until I was safe at home, but I fell apart. Tears burned behind my eyes, and a strangled sob fled my mouth as I exhaled.

“Shh, it’s okay,” he whispered next to my ear.

I tried to stand up, but he pulled me back down next to him.

“How long do you think?” I asked. My words were muffled from pressing my face into his chest, trying to capture every last molecule of his scent and sear it into my memory.