Page 66 of Exposed
Cal either didn’t catch the slip up or he was too sleep-deprived to care. “He’s settled down about Maddie for now, but he wants to talk to you.”
A big pool of dread opened in his chest. The elevator opened and he stepped inside.
“What about?”
“That’s for him to tell you. I just wanted to ask you personally if something is bothering you. As paranoid as Ethan has been with Maddie gone, he’s usually right about things, and something is off with you.”
He jabbed the main level button with his thumb. He couldn’t do this anymore, he needed to tell someone.
“You’re going to wish you hadn’t asked that, bro.”
Silence hung between them. Nate pressed his hip against the rail of the elevator and dropped the back of his head against the mirror.
“I’m seeing Maddie. But it’s a lot worse than that. We’re—”
“Holy, fucking shit!” Cal’s voice boomed into him. “Are you fucking insane? Seriously. Do you need me to take you to a mental hospital? Ethan is going to skin you. Of all the stupid, selfish, asshole things to do, this takes the cake.”
“Easy, you prick. I care about her.”
A stream of curses a mile long earned Cal a reprimand from Lana in the background.
“Fix this, man. I don’t know how, and I don’t care. But keep me the hell out of it.” The line went dead as the elevator door opened.
Nate breathed out a sigh. Cal was pissed, but it was nothing in comparison to what Ethan’s reaction would be. Still, the weight that had been crushing his chest for the last nine months had lifted.
Fix it? How the fuck was he supposed to do that?
CHAPTER 22
Maddie pinched thefront of her T-shirt and tugged it away from her chest. The material clung to a puddle of sweat between the pads of her bra. Ugh, so gross. The cab didn’t have air conditioning and the open windows only allowed the humidity in. She sent a look to Carlos and adjusted her shoulder bag across her chest. He’d warned her that they would have a lot of walking through the cobblestone streets once they stopped.
Nate hadn’t answered her call this morning and they’d left the ship almost an hour ago. God, she’d been stupid to think he’d understand. How much had he heard? She pushed Nate from her mind for now. She’d have to convince him to listen to her.
Pastel colored buildings lined the streets, their vibrant contrast brought life to the neighborhood. As Carlos had said, the streets were tight and cobblestone. It would be difficult to maneuver. Hector lit a cigarette in the front seat, and let out a deep exhale, as if the weight of the world had been on his bulky shoulders. Smoke billowed to the back. Maddie scrunched her nose and turned her head toward the window.
God, she wished Hector didn’t have to be here. When he’d been waiting for them on the main level of the ship her skin had prickled. Carlos never took her to business meetings. This, he’d said, would be fairly quick and he’d wanted to show her some of his hometown.
Would he make the exchange right in front of her? After what they’d been through, she didn’t expect him to trust her—unless it was a test. Her stomach twisted. That wouldn’t be good either. Should she act surprised? Maybe something like,Oh, honey. Ididn’t know you’re one of the biggest drug lords in the US. Coke? I never would have guessed.
She let out a puff of air through tight lips. Yeah right. She wouldn’t be able to say that without laughing. Maybe she could make a phone call, act distracted… but if Carlos wanted her to see him in action, he’d make sure she did.
The cab slowed and pulled over on the side of the street. Carlos unfolded some money from a wad of bills and passed it to the driver.
“Keep the change.” He stepped out, his hand held tightly to the black duffel bag. She mumbled a thank you to the driver and followed Carlos out of the car. The sun shone brightly, making the vibrant buildings dance with life. A smile touched her lips. Despite the reasons she was here, she was eager to experience some of the culture.
“We have a lot of walking still. We’re running late, so try to stay close.” Carlos turned toward a narrow alleyway and her throat tightened.
Her feet hitched with the reluctance to follow. “Why didn’t we have the driver take us closer?”
A beat passed. Carlos stopped and turned to her. Hector took a long drag on his cigarette, his gaze toward the street. He’d barely looked at her since their confrontation with Carlos and for that, she was grateful. Maddie looked up at Carlos and raised her eyebrows.
“It’s not an easily traveled area.”
Maddie’s pulse racked up a notch. That didn’t make sense. They were supposed to be going to his family’s yacht company. Why would that be in an area not easily traveled?
She nodded in response. Best not to question him. She pulled her sunglasses over her eyes and swept her gaze around before entering the mouth of the alleyway. Where the hell was Nate? If he’d known she was leaving with Carlos, he would have sentsomeone to tail them. But there’d been no indication of anyone following them.
The ground beneath her feet turned to broken concrete. As they got deeper, the well-maintained buildings turned seedy. Stucco peeled off the walls, and rust covered the wrought iron around the windows. A young girl tore down the alleyway, her feet bare and her ratty dress covered in dirt. They stepped out the other end of the alley and her shoulders relaxed.
