I shook my head roughly. “No. He’s got people everywhere.”
“I know. We saw them. But he’s got his people looking out for him. They won’t be watching you. Once you’re there with him, they won’t have a reason to. You’re just an American tourist to him, one hot piece of ass. He’s going to work on impressing you and you’re going to be impressed then he’ll have no reason to worry why you’re taking so long in the bathroom.”
The way he was telling me what I had to do was familiar. But this time, it was comforting because I knew he had my best interests in mind. I knew I could trust him one hundred percent, because I’d left him in the dust in Palm Valley and he was here with me now. This could work. I could get out of all of this.
“I just …” he began and trailed off.
“What?”
“I just hope that once we leave, that you can leave it for good.”
I gulped. “You think I’d return to this place?”
“Not this place. Not this city. The place inside you. The place where killing Travis still sounds like a good idea. I know you want him dead, Ellie, and there’s nothing wrong with that. But once we leave, we have to let it go. Everything and everyone.”
I know he meant Javier by that. I nodded. “I will do that. I will leave.”
“You will, but does that mean you can?”
Outside thunder rumbled ominously.
He exhaled loudly. “Looks like a storm is coming. You better get ready for your day. You never know when Enrico will stop by with a new message.”
“You better get back in the closet then,” I said.
“If only my father could hear that,” he said, attempting a joke. His brow furrowed in pain and I had to wonder how he was dealing with everything. Not only me or his gunshot wound but Sophia turning on him and being wanted by the police. His father had to know too, the man Camden could never be good enough for. My poor, poor Camden. He’d taken enough.
He got up and used the washroom quickly, had a banana and went back in the closet. I got ready and waited, waited long enough so that when there finally was a knock at my door, I was ready for it.
It was Enrico. I opened the door and a gust of electric air came in.
“Just checking in on you,” Enrico said. “Any problems last night?”
“No, I went to bed. Looks like a storm is coming.”
“There’s a category one hurricane off the coast. Nothing to worry about, just no sun tanning today.”
I smiled politely and stared at him until he cleared his throat.
“The other reason I am here is that Javier has a message for you.”
My gut twisted.
“What is it?”
“He wants to meet here at this café at 11AM today.” He handed me a business card.
“Is this a good idea?”
“That is not for me to say. Have a good day, Miss Willis. I will have the cab waiting for you out front a half hour prior.”
Enrico turned and walked away. I knew Camden was in the closet, catching all of that. At least then he could finally come out after I left, assuming that Javier’s men would be trailing after me. Then he could activate the tracking device and I would have his protection.
I got ready for the day, feeling slightly self-conscious with Camden there, hiding out of sight. I put on a simple strapless maxi dress and fluffed out my hair with my fingers, doing a quick sweep of makeup.
At twenty after ten, I grabbed my purse and left the room, whispering, “See you later,” to Camden, hoping he had heard me. Hoping that I would see him later. I had no idea what Javier had planned for me now. Everything was turned on its head.
The café wasn’t a long cab ride from the market, and I got there early. I didn’t see Javier anywhere. I sat down at one of the tables inside, the threatening clouds producing wind that whipped scattered loose napkins around on the streets like white tumbleweeds.
I waited there for an hour at my table, finally indulging in a crêpe and some fruit, when the waiter slipped me a note. It said “mujeres ba?o andale” in unknown cursive handwriting, perhaps the waiter’s.
I looked up at the waiter but he was already walking past and delivering food to someone else. I got up and made my way through the café to the woman’s bathroom, trying to stay cool. Suddenly I was very afraid.
I opened the door and stepped in. There were only two stalls. Both looked empty but both stall doors were closed.
“Javier?” I whispered tentatively.
A pair of shiny shoes stepped down from one of the seats. I held my breath as the stall door opened and Javier stepped out. Everything felt so fucking different now. I had to keep it cool.
He nodded at the door behind me. “Lock it.”
“Okay,” I said and turned around to do so.