Page 96 of Bad Rio
“It is. Now I’m providing a service, a valuable one. The guys I train are taking their new skills elsewhere to protect others, or to fight for the homeland, or to rescue hostages, like I did. It’s been good for me. I found a place for myself.”
Becca didn’t answer. Despite her deep anger and disappointment, she was pleased for him. Funny how the human heart worked.
“You—you changed me, Becca,” Rio told her, his expression earnest.
Still, she said nothing. He’d changed her, too. Yet for the life of her she didn’t know how to respond.
After a moment, he asked, “How are the frogs?”
“They’re good.” Moving to the bulletin board, she touched one note. It was a drawing of a frog. Her employees knew she loved them, even their children did, and that knowledge was expressed in many drawings of green amphibians. She kept her gaze carefully away from Rio. Suddenly, it was hard to breathe.
“I’d like to see the little guys.”
She did glance at him then. Was he asking to come over? She narrowed her eyes. He’d hurt her, left her cold, crushed her tender heart.
The notion of inviting more pain into her life was daunting. She didn’t answer him.
He approached her, but didn’t come close. As though recognizing that right then she needed space between them, he stopped five feet away. “As I said when coming in here, if you’re hungry, I’ll buy you lunch. But I have a different idea, if you’re game.” The expression in his eyes was pleading ... hopeful.
Despite her resolve, she found herself searching his features. His face was open, honest, humble. No, she wouldn’t allow herself to be touched by that. She’d play it cool. “Oh? I’m pretty busy.”
“How about we go to your place? I’ll have a visit with the frogs, and you can pack a bag. The boys are capable of handling things here for a while. Everything’s lined up, Becca, for a little trip. And when we get there, I have something important to ask you.”
Her mouth dried up. Her heart stopped. The world tilted. “A little trip?”
“If you want to go.” He waited.
“Where?” she asked, her voice hoarse. But she already knew.
Chapter Forty-One
When Rio took the wheel, driving a new pickup truck he’d recently purchased, Becca was deeply pleased to sit back and relax. The truck was a deep blue, with running lights, a navigation system, and satellite radio. On the bench seat, he held her hand the entire three-hour drive. At the border, for the first time, they crossed into Mexico legally, with passports and driver’s licenses. Soon they met with Julio, the pilot. Boarding the battered Cessna, Rio set inside an overstuffed rucksack filled with groceries.
Becca was gratified to see that peeking from the top was a package of Arabica ground coffee. He’d certainly planned this. The idea felt gloriously sexy. The notion of being romantically kidnapped to a wild and remote location thrilled her. The closer they came to their final destination, the more the sensual anticipation blooming within her continued to unfurl. This kind of kidnapping, she could accept.
They were going to the cabin.
