arrived and I practically sculled it back, burning my tongue. Once that was gone, I had nothing left to do but bob my knees and wait. In spite of the caffeine boost, my eyelids grew heavy and my head was starting to loll to the side when the elevator dinged open and Santiago strode into the room.
He saw me on the couch and clapped his hands together, eliciting a booming laugh.
“Well, my dear, it took a little persuasion, but they eventually confessed.”
I shifted on the soft couch. “What do you mean a little persuasion?”
He shrugged, his lips twitching. “You do not need the details.”
“Why didn’t you ask me to be there? I could have told you the truth without you having to hurt anybody.”
He tipped his head to the side as if only considering this for the first time. A slow smile eased over his broad lips and he wagged his finger at me, silently nodding.
I slumped back against the couch, annoyed that he hadn’t thought of it. Those men may have been cheating, but they didn’t deserve to be tortured for information.
“What are you going to do with them?”
Santiago studied me carefully. “They will not be returning to my casino.”
His mask slipped away when he said the words and I knew he meant more than what he was saying. Those men wouldn’t be returning, because they wouldn’t be able to...ever. My face crumpled as I read the truth. Their deaths hurt. I felt like I’d been the lawyer who lost their case and Santiago was an evil judge with a penchant for the electric chair.
How could he do that and get away with it? Just make people quietly disappear.
I thought of Eric’s dad. He’d been lost to an evil man with enough power to sweep his crimes under the carpet. I couldn’t believe I was in such company. It made me sick.
“They stole your money,” I spat. “You caught them. You got it back! Did you have to kill them, too?”
“I have not killed them.”
“You’re planning on it.”
His lips twitched, a smirk growing as he licked his lower lip.
“Oh, I like you.” He crossed his arms, his eyes lighting with glee as he gazed at me. “You are definitely a keeper.” He chuckled, clapping his hands together and walking out of the room. “A keeper!”
My body wasn’t the only thing to slump as I fell back against the couch. His words seeped into my brain like a black poison.
I didn’t want to be kept—not by him, anyway.
I belonged to one man, and he belonged to me.
“Eric,” I whispered, my nose starting to tingle with tears as my eyes glassed over.
Chapter 10
Eric
The tears didn’t last long. With a loud sniff, I pulled myself together and wiped my nose with the back of my hand. Starting the car, I drove towards UCLA. I couldn’t do anything that would lead to more desperate tears and an un-fightable paralysis. I had to keep working to find Caity. That would be the only thing to keep me sane.
Parking outside her dorm, I gazed up at her window and a slim hope that maybe, just maybe she was in there sliced through me.
My body moved like lighting, the thought spurring me into frenetic action. I raced up the stairs, two at a time, skidding to a halt outside her room.
There was a noise inside. A breath caught in my throat and I rapped on the wood.
“Shhh! Quiet!”
I frowned, leaning my ear against the door.
The room went still and a surge of adrenaline fired through me. Gripping the handle, I turned and punched the door open with my shoulder. It swung wide and I froze.
“Oh, thank God!” Nicole patted her chest. “I thought we were busted.”
I looked from her to Dale and shook my head. “What are you guys doing in here?”
“Looking for clues on Caity, what do you think?” Nicole flicked through the pile of papers she had in her hand.
Part of me wanted to yell at them for breaking into my girlfriend’s room, but a bigger part wanted to wrap them in a hug. I loved that I wasn’t the only one trying to find her.
“Have you found anything
He saw me on the couch and clapped his hands together, eliciting a booming laugh.
“Well, my dear, it took a little persuasion, but they eventually confessed.”
I shifted on the soft couch. “What do you mean a little persuasion?”
He shrugged, his lips twitching. “You do not need the details.”
“Why didn’t you ask me to be there? I could have told you the truth without you having to hurt anybody.”
He tipped his head to the side as if only considering this for the first time. A slow smile eased over his broad lips and he wagged his finger at me, silently nodding.
I slumped back against the couch, annoyed that he hadn’t thought of it. Those men may have been cheating, but they didn’t deserve to be tortured for information.
“What are you going to do with them?”
Santiago studied me carefully. “They will not be returning to my casino.”
His mask slipped away when he said the words and I knew he meant more than what he was saying. Those men wouldn’t be returning, because they wouldn’t be able to...ever. My face crumpled as I read the truth. Their deaths hurt. I felt like I’d been the lawyer who lost their case and Santiago was an evil judge with a penchant for the electric chair.
How could he do that and get away with it? Just make people quietly disappear.
I thought of Eric’s dad. He’d been lost to an evil man with enough power to sweep his crimes under the carpet. I couldn’t believe I was in such company. It made me sick.
“They stole your money,” I spat. “You caught them. You got it back! Did you have to kill them, too?”
“I have not killed them.”
“You’re planning on it.”
His lips twitched, a smirk growing as he licked his lower lip.
“Oh, I like you.” He crossed his arms, his eyes lighting with glee as he gazed at me. “You are definitely a keeper.” He chuckled, clapping his hands together and walking out of the room. “A keeper!”
My body wasn’t the only thing to slump as I fell back against the couch. His words seeped into my brain like a black poison.
I didn’t want to be kept—not by him, anyway.
I belonged to one man, and he belonged to me.
“Eric,” I whispered, my nose starting to tingle with tears as my eyes glassed over.
Chapter 10
Eric
The tears didn’t last long. With a loud sniff, I pulled myself together and wiped my nose with the back of my hand. Starting the car, I drove towards UCLA. I couldn’t do anything that would lead to more desperate tears and an un-fightable paralysis. I had to keep working to find Caity. That would be the only thing to keep me sane.
Parking outside her dorm, I gazed up at her window and a slim hope that maybe, just maybe she was in there sliced through me.
My body moved like lighting, the thought spurring me into frenetic action. I raced up the stairs, two at a time, skidding to a halt outside her room.
There was a noise inside. A breath caught in my throat and I rapped on the wood.
“Shhh! Quiet!”
I frowned, leaning my ear against the door.
The room went still and a surge of adrenaline fired through me. Gripping the handle, I turned and punched the door open with my shoulder. It swung wide and I froze.
“Oh, thank God!” Nicole patted her chest. “I thought we were busted.”
I looked from her to Dale and shook my head. “What are you guys doing in here?”
“Looking for clues on Caity, what do you think?” Nicole flicked through the pile of papers she had in her hand.
Part of me wanted to yell at them for breaking into my girlfriend’s room, but a bigger part wanted to wrap them in a hug. I loved that I wasn’t the only one trying to find her.
“Have you found anything
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