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“Don’t worry about us,” Gunnar told her and crouched down in front of her. “Tell me the truth, did that asshole keep his word about hurting you?”
Marisol stared at Gunnar for a long time, brown eyes taking in every detail to see if he was someone she could trust. Not that I blamed her, his words were firm and not even a little fucking nice so she had a right to question him. “He didn’t touch me. Kept me in the room ne
xt door. Alone except when someone brought food.”
“Good. That means he gives a shit about whatever this shipment is. Sorry to tell you, but he cares more about that shipment than you.”
“Gunnar, what the fuck man?”
He shrugged. “She needs to know the goddamn truth, Stitch. To make sure she’s not holding out hope that he’ll leave his wife and kids for her. That she’s not thinking about double-crossing us when we get to the other side.” He was talking to me, but Gunnar’s blue eyes were glued to hers, taking in every detail, every muscle twitch and every time her eyes moved. “Well?”
“I already know that,” she sighed with exhaustion. But her shoulders squared, showing signs that she was coming back to life. “I don’t love him, but whatever you think of me, I’m stuck with him. Every time I’ve tried to leave, he would sabotage my job. My apartment. My friends.” Her hands fisted around the hem of her shirt, eyes focused on some faraway time in the past. “I didn’t know he was married at first and by the time I found out, there was no fucking leaving.”
Gunnar placed one big hand over hers, the other stroking his beard, which by now was in need of a thorough washing. “I’m not judging you, honey.”
She snorted. “I may be a mistress, but I am not an idiot. And I do hear and comprehend English.”
“Jesus. What do you want me to do, tell him I’m willing to die to protect you? That’s not how you bargain Marisol, or didn’t you learn that at accounting college?”
“You really are a grouchy bastard.”
Gunnar barked out a laugh and looked up at me. “So you told her about us but you didn’t tell anyone about her?” He shook his head like I was some precocious fucking kid who needed the guiding hand of an adult and I wanted to smack him. “If you had, maybe we’d have gotten some help by now.”
“Help? We don’t even know where the fuck we are other than Mexico, which is a big fucking country Gunnar!”
He smiled at Marisol. “He gets worked up so easy. Must be love.” Before I could say another word, Gunnar stood and moved away. “Have your talk but if I hear anything interesting, I’m lettin’ you know now that I will be watching.”
I wanted to smash his face for that last comment but the sweet sound of Marisol’s laugh stole my attention. Robbed me of my focus and when she smiled, heat bloomed inside of me. “Don’t mind Gunnar, he hasn’t had a decent meal in however long we’ve been here.”
“It’s been awhile, maybe two weeks.” She paused to let her words sink in and she sighed. “I had a TV in there and even though its all in Spanish, we’re close enough to the border that a few American news stations came through.”
“Shit. I thought it had been a few days not a couple weeks.” I bet Cross and the rest of the MC were worried as fuck. Like Gunnar said, because no one knew about her, they wouldn’t even know where to start looking for us. “Sorry about the mess at your apartment.”
“It’s not mine.”
“I know you’re scared, but we got this, Marisol. I got you. Gunnar is a man of his word and he wouldn’t leave you to that fucking psycho. Trust me.”
She shook her head, leaning her face against my palm. The sight of her bruises, pale green and yellow, made it hard to keep my composure at the thought of the pain she must’ve gone through. The horror she’d had to endure at the hands of man she had, at one time, had feelings for. “Things are never that easy with Carlito.” She was worried about me as much as herself.
“Don’t worry babe, we specialize in shit that ain’t easy. Next time I see you will be in Reno.”
She smiled and leaned further into my hand, pressing a kiss to my palm. “Thank you, Stitch. But really, don’t mess around with Carlito on my behalf. He’ll never let me go.”
I pressed my forehead to hers and inhaled deeply because I knew my words would put hurt in her eyes and that was the last damn thing I wanted to do. “He will, Marisol. He will because Gunnar is right. Whatever he needs us to get to Reno is important to him, that’s why he hasn’t killed any of us. Enough that he doesn’t want to use his regular channels to make it happen. It means he can’t afford for Gunnar to make good on his threat. More important to him than you.”
She sucked in a breath. A gasp of surprise I assumed but a slow smile crept across her tear-stained face. “God, I hope you’re right.”
The sound of the lock tore through the relative silence in the room and I took my chance, pressing a hard kiss to her lips before Carlito appeared. Her lips were salty but there was still that hint of cinnamon and sugar and spice that was unmistakably Marisol. “I’ll be seeing you again real soon, pretty girl. Just let me get this bullshit handled and I’ll be there.”
“If not, I get it Stitch. Really.” I could see in her eyes that she did. That she expected this would be the last time we’d ever lay eyes on each other.
I knew then that I had to prove her wrong. “See you soon. And when I do, I expect a big sloppy kiss. On my cock.”
Her laughter rang out, making Carlito frown. “Time to go boys. I hope you’ve enjoyed your goodbye?” One dark brow arched in question but all three of us stared at him blankly. “Right well, off you go.”
I sent Marisol one last, longing glance and I hoped that nothing would happen that would make a liar out of me. I would get her away from Carlito, no matter what.
I just hoped to have the backing of my MC if it came to that.
