“Can you meet me this week?” I asked the minute Evan disappeared around the corner.
“I’m sorry, Ryker, but I can’t.” She shook her head. “It’s not a good idea.”
“You said you missed me. Was that a lie?” My voice was intentionally soft, but it didn’t mask the anger burning beneath the surface. Rationally, I understood why she didn’t want to meet me. I knew what I did to her. If she stopped to think about it for a second and pushed all of her emotions aside, she’d run from Evan and me.
“No,” she snapped. “But I need some space. I’m confused. I don’t understand why you’re here—”
“Because I was invited,” I retorted, curling my hands into fists at my sides.
“Exactly. Why the hell were you invited to my engagement party? Why the hell do you have two names? Why the hell are you in the United States? None of this makes sense.”
“I’ll explain all of it later.” I kept my voice perfectly smooth and controlled. I didn’t know what I’d tell her. It couldn’t be the whole truth. I wanted to keep her sheltered from the reality of the way my world worked.
“Later?” She scoffed. “Just like you explained everything that happened in Mexico.”
I winced inwardly. “No. I’ll tell you everything I can.” I always added a qualifier to my answers. In my line of work, it was a necessary evil. I envied people who inhabited the world of black and white. I lived in a world colored with a thousand shades of gray. A world where black was white, and white was black. Hattie would never understand.
“I’ve heard that before.” Her golden eyes narrowed briefly. “I know what that means. You won’t tell me a damn thing.”
I couldn’t force this right now. She needed time to process everything. I plucked my wallet from my back pocket and handed her a business card. “Call me when you’re ready to talk.”
She glared at the card, and for a minute, I didn’t think she’d take it. “I’ll think about,” she said, ripping the card out of my hand and crumbling it inside of her fist.
“You do that.” I crossed the study, my leather loafers echoing on the herringbone wood floor. Everything about Senator Deveron’s house screamed of pretentious elegance. Crystals dripped from oversized chandeliers. Pristine white wood paneling covered the walls. A spiral staircase with a sweeping gilded railing greeted guests in the entry. It was all very Vegas, which was fitting. That’s where he got his start. He owned a casino in Las Vegas before the people of Nevada elected him to be their Senator. Too bad the tentacles of the criminal underworld were firmly embedded in Senator Deveron. He voted in accordance with their interests rather than those of his constituents. “But if you take too long, I’ll come find you.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
I winked. “You know exactly what it means. We’ve been down this road many times before.”
Chapter Six
Hattie
“Vera,” I sighed as I stood up from the table and I wrapped my arms around her.
I invited her to lunch this afternoon. After weeks of avoiding her, I finally decided enough was enough.
I expected to see her at my engagement party two days ago, but she was noticeably absent. Clearly, my mom had a firm hand in the invitation process and neglected to invite her. She never liked my best friend.
At first, I was pissed at my mom, but then I realized it was my fault Vera didn’t receive an invitation to the party. I’d spent the last few weeks wallowing in my personal pity party, which gave my mom the opening she needed to sink her claws into my life again. I’d worked hard over the last six years to forge my own path. I couldn’t stand the thought of everything I’d done crumbling because I’d lost the will to fight for myself.
The meddling in my life had to stop, which meant I had to take control and stop being a victim. This morning, I exercised for the first time since I had returned from Mexico, and now was going to eat lunch with my best friend. Just those simple steps made me feel more like myself than I had in weeks. I had a plan. I had a schedule. I would be okay. I could do this.
“I’m so mad at you,” she declared as she returned my hug.
“I know. I’m a shitty friend. I don’t have a good excuse for avoiding you.” I released her and took a step back, a faint smile on my face.
She waved her hand at me, dismissing my comment. “I can’t hold it against you. I can’t even imagine what you’ve been through over the last two months. One minute you were talking to that guy, and thirty minutes later, I couldn’t find you. I scoured that bar and every bar within walking distance until three in the morning. Eventually, I went back to the hotel.”
“I know. I’m sure you were losing your mind. I’m sorry I put you through that.” I settled into my chair at the table.
Vera slipped into the seat across from me. She eyed me warily for a few prolonged seconds. I focused on anything and nothing to avoid the intensity of her stare. With trembling hands, I lifted my napkin and placed it on my lap, taking far too long to arrange it.
She cleared her throat and planted her elbows on the edge of the table. “Do you want to talk about what happened?” She sucked her raspberry-stained lower lip into her mouth. “I’m fine either way. You can tell me everything, nothing, or a little bit in between.”
My stomach twisted. I missed Vera. She accepted me without judgment. I shouldn’t have waited so long to talk to her. I needed her, and I needed our friendship, particularly now. “How much do you know?”
“Not a lot. I called your dad the next afternoon when I realized you weren’t coming back.”
My eyes flared. “I can’t imagine that conversation went over very well.”
She shook her head. “No, it didn’t. He freaked. After that day, your dad called me twice. The first time he told me you’d been abducted, and the second time he told me they had successfully negotiated your release. He didn’t give me any details. Nobody knows anything. Evan hasn’t breathed a word to his friends either.”
“You asked them?”
She twisted a strand of her long red hair around her finger. “Of course.”
“I thought you hated them.”
“I did. I still do.” She took a sip of ice water. “They didn’t know anything except that you and Evan are back together.” Her eyes narrowed. “Is that true?”
I shifted in my seat. Then, I exhaled and held out my hand. Sunlight bounced off my engagement ring. “Actually, we’re engaged.”
Her eyes flickered to the two-carat square diamond ring glittering on my finger. “Oh, I didn’t realize. Nobody told me.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t mention it earlier. I should have told you immediately.”
She shrugged her shoulders, but it looked robotic…forced. “This is the first time we’ve talked other than by text. I understand.” Her eyes darted around the restaurant as she fiddled with the prongs of her fork. “Can I help with the engagement party?”