Page 61 of Wicked Games
He made slow love to me instead, and I knew it could be the goodbye I both cherished and dreaded.
I was starved by the time we showered and dressed in the clothes we found in the closet and drawers. My nose detected the delicious aroma of breakfast the minute we stepped out of the bedroom. I followed the scent to the patio where we last saw Carmen the previous evening.
We found her sitting in the same seat, and if not for the wardrobe change, I would’ve thought she never left. Carmen smiled when she saw us. “Sleep well?”
“Surprisingly, yes,” Lucien said. “I could’ve used a few more hours though.”
“I’m afraid it’s a luxury we can’t afford today,” she said softly.
“Why aren’t you wearing red?” I asked, gesturing to the white and blue maxi dress she wore.
“I hate red,” she said with a wry smile. “My name and looks so closely resemble the fictional character that I dressed as her for Halloween one year and it stuck.”
“She only wears red when she wants to appear powerful and mysterious,” said a familiar voice from behind us.
I whipped my head around. “Desiree?” I asked.
Beside me, Lucien snorted and said, “I knew it.”
“I call her Mama,” Carmen said, rising to hold out her arms for the older woman. “Gentlemen, this is my mother, Manuela Santiago. The gentleman you met with Mama yesterday really is Dennis, and he’s my soon-to-be stepfather.” I was dying to know how Manuela escaped to safety, but it wasn’t my place to ask.
“You didn’t just happen to be in the neighborhood when we showed up at Sal’s, I bet,” Lucien said.
“Nope,” Manuela said. “Dennis and I staked the place out and got in line when we saw you approach.”
Lucien looked at Carmen, and she shrugged. “I knew there was no way you wouldn’t get on the first plane to Miami after receiving my note, Lucky. It was easy enough for me to figure out which flight you’d choose too. I decided not to bother tailing you from the airport, because curiosity would send you to Sal’s soon after landing and checking in at your hotel. From there it was easy, but I’m certain you knew you had a tail.
“I did,” he admitted. “I knew they weren’t hostile, so I allowed it to play out.”
“When do you leave?” I asked Carmen.
“Our flight leaves at seven forty tonight. It takes approximately eight and a half hours to get to Heathrow, and with the change in time zone, that puts us landing in London tomorrow morning at nine fifteen,” she said. “If it helps, you won’t be alone here, and your every need will be looked after.”
“Noteveryneed,” Lucien countered.
“Of course not, Lucky,” Carmen said, rolling her eyes.
I noticed Manuela didn’t leave us to talk; she scooted back the chair next to her daughter and lowered herself into it, smiling to reassure me. As much as I appreciated her effort, nothing would comfort me until Lucien returned safely to my side.
“The rest of our team should be arriving with Draco any minute now.”
“Rest of our team?” Lucien asked.
No sooner had he asked, I heard familiar voices inside the house. “Oh, this should be interesting.”
“Indeed,” Carmen said with a wink.
“HOW DARE YOU JET OFFto paradise without us,” Percy said, stepping onto the patio and pinning me with an irritated glare. “I thought we were a team.”
“We are,” I said. “Our team has grown unexpectedly.”
Carmen rose from her chair and walked to Percy then exchanged air kisses. “Welcome to Miami, Felix and Oscar.”
“Felix and Oscar?” Ryder and I both asked.
“Can you believe the aliases on our new IDs she sent along with our tickets?” Percy asked in disbelief. “She made us leave our cell phones and electronics behind. Is this an intervention? If so, I don’t want to be unplugged.”
“If by intervention you mean saving your life, then yes,” Carmen said.