Page 22

She pulled her phone out of her purse, plugged it in, and set it on the dresser.

She left the encrypted one in the lining of the clutch, and then tucked the small bag in the closet with her others.

She slid the dress down her body and hung it up in the closet, fished a pair of light pajamas from the dresser, and stepped into the bathroom.

She punched the lock and dropped onto the closed toilet seat. Her knees knocked together to the rhythm of her heart.

Tony was dead.

She didn’t give a rat’s ass about Tony, but he’d been Carlos’s best friend and main man for decades. Hector was Tony’s cousin, and together, they’d be in a rage over Tony. She hadn’t wanted to let on to Nate how bad this was. If he cancelled the job, all of this would be for nothing.

The image of Fabian Acosta’s tongue-less mouth flashed through her mind.

She inhaled a deep breath through her nose and pressed her palm to her chest. It did nothing to calm her nerves.

Nate was right across the hall and would be on high alert.

If he heard anything amiss, he’d break the door down without a second thought.

With Nate so close, she was safe. Well, as safe as one could be while in close proximity to a murderer.

Planting her feet firmly onto the cool, marble floor, she got to her feet and went to the sink. In minutes, she had the remainder of her makeup off and had brushed her teeth. She turned the water off and reached for her pajamas.

Thump, thump, thump!

She jumped, and her hands flew to her chest, the pajamas scattered to the floor. Her stomach slammed into her ribs and her breath sucked in sharply. “Maddie? Are you in there?” Carlos’s rough, angry voice boomed off the walls. She swallowed and forced her voice to steady.

“Yes, I’ll be right out,” she called. Her voice wavered and she closed her eyes. She stepped into the soft pajama bottoms and fit the shirt over her head.

The ends of her hair dripped from her shower with Nate. Her eyes widened and she raked her gaze over the bathroom. There was no evidence of her showering. Dry, folded towels stacked high on the shelf, no steam clouded the mirror or air, and the shower was bone dry.

“Maddie, hurry up,” Carlos barked. Her hands shook. She couldn’t chance that he wouldn’t notice.

“One second, babe.” A hint of annoyance laced her voice, hopefully enough to buy her a few minutes.

She snagged a towel from the shelf and wet a few spots on it beneath the tap, and then hung it on the back of the door. She filled one of the glasses on the vanity with water and poured it into the bottom of the shower. She dried out the glass and set it back on the counter.

She straightened her shoulders, grasped the doorknob, and swung the door open.

Carlos stalked the bedroom floor, his shoulders tense, his hands flexed at his sides. She crossed the room and placed her hand on his back.

“Carlos, what’s wrong?”

Slowly, he turned to face her and her hand fell away. Red stained his cheeks and his pupils dilated on her face. He let loose a hot breath and the scent of alcohol clouded the air around her.

“Tony is gone.” His black eyes focused on hers, never wavering.

She brought her eyebrows down and squinted at him. “Gone? What do you mean? I saw him at dinner.”

He grunted and paced away from her, stopping at the doors to the balcony of their suite. Unease rooted her feet to the spot. Keeping her distance would only flare suspicion. She crossed the room and sat on the edge of the bed.

“He left the dinner shortly after you took that call. No one has seen him since.”

She curled her feet under her and tried to exude calm. Her fingers shook in her lap. She folded them tightly together and kept her voice even. “Maybe he went down to the Casino—”

Carlos snorted. “Don’t you think we already thought of that?” He turned on her, his hands clenched into balls at his sides.

Her lips parted and she blinked at him.

He didn’t back down.

“I’m sorry, honey.” She forced through her tightening throat. “I can’t imagine where he could go. He can’t be far—”

“Something happened to him. Security is being tight-lipped, even the fucking Captain won’t talk to me.”

She chewed the inside of her cheek. “If they know something, they’d have to tell you wouldn’t they?”

Carlos shoved his hands in his pockets and leaned back against the wall beside the sliding doors. “Fuck if I know. They said worst-case scenario, he went overboard. Apparently, it happens often. They turned the boat around and have sent out a couple rescue boats.”

She pressed her hand to her mouth. “Oh my gosh. That’s terrible.” She got to her feet, pressed her chest against his, and locked her arms around his waist. “I’m so sorry, honey. I hope to God they find him and that he’s okay.”

He didn’t move beneath her. A beat passed and she pulled far enough away to meet his eyes. Dark shadows crossed the harsh planes of his face and a muscle in his jaw jumped.

Terror prickled the hairs on the back of her neck, but she kept the muscles in her face loose.

“You didn’t see him when you were on the deck?”

She stiffened and frowned at him. “No, I didn’t.” Her voice rang without hesitation. “Why on earth would you ask me that?” She folded her arms across her chest and took a step back. She couldn’t act unaffected by his words. Carlos was too observant, too sharp.

His head dropped and he raked his hand through his dark strands. “Fuck, I don’t know. Hector has this idea…”

Her breath sucked in. She never took her gaze off him.

His eyes met hers and he sighed. “It’s stupid. Hector is just looking for someone to blame.” Carlos’s hand caught her shoulder and he pulled her to him. “I’m sorry.”

She folded her arms around him and rubbed her hand over his back. “It’s okay, I understand. But for the record, I never saw him.”

He nodded, his jaw moved against her forehead. “How’s your mom?”

A pang shot to her heart. Carlos was a ruthless bastard, but every so often, his consideration struck her.

“She’s doing well. My dad said she’s stabilized, but we’ll know more tomorrow.”

“Good. If you want to send something, call Wendy and she’ll put something nice together.”

She smiled and straightened. “Thank you, I’ll do that in the morning. Can I get you a drink?”

Bang, bang, bang!

Sharp raps on the stateroom door echoed through the suite.

“That’s Hector.” His hand dropped away from her. “He’s pretty upset. It’s probably best if you don’t come out.” He slipped out of the room and shut the door behind him.

Her stomach churned. Hector was on to her. Had Tony said something? He must have. Tomorrow, they had plans to go snorkeling. She’d planned to stay behind and search Carlos’s computer for clues on the job he had in San Juan.

She had to find out what she could. Their time was limited.