AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Call when you get to the parking lot, and I’ll come down and get you.
He sent:
Got it. See you.
***
Cal was gut-sick. Noway should Vic be out on her own. He’d never be able to go to sleep after her angry text, so he decided on a strategy to keep her safe. After a quick shower, he dressed and went down to his rental truck.
He knew just where the Marriott was, and he drove through the parking lot, looking for anything suspicious. Nothing jumped out at him, so he parked where he had a good view of the door and settled in for the night. If Vic was discovered, he’d be on it.
About thirty minutes later, he saw a man walking up to the entrance, but he looked like a regular Joe—no visible tattoos or conspicuous items of clothing. Cal started to glance away when his heart lurched in his chest. Vic stepped out of the door and gave the man a quick kiss and a hug. The man handed her a bottle of wine and put his arm around her shoulders as they walked inside.
Cal, his mind spinning, sat in silence. What in the hell was going on? Had Vic called another guy to meet her at the hotel? Didn’t she care about him at all? His stomach began to churn, and he felt like throwing up. He wanted to leave. He couldn’t bear to think about what might be happening in that hotel room. But he couldn’t—wouldn’t—go. The cartel still might come for her tonight. If they’d found her location, that would happen.
She hadn’t told him her room number, so sitting in the parking lot was his best shot at protecting her.
He leaned back on the seat and rubbed his stomach, trying to calm it. This wasn’t happening. He couldn’t believe it of her. Wasn’t he good enough? He’d done everything possible to show her how much she meant to him. Why would she do this?
But he’d seen the evidence. She had invited another man to her hotel.
He sighed and closed his eyes. How could this get any worse? He opened his eyes again. It could: the cartel could find her. And that was why he was staying put.
He checked his gun and looked around. He’d stay until morning. If they hadn’t found her by then, he’d go home and get some sleep. Or try to. With a grimace, he stared at the entrance where Vic had disappeared, the vision of the other man’s arm around her still clear in his mind.
“Well, shit.”
Chapter Eleven
The next morning, Vicclipped her gun to her belt before going down to the lobby. Talking with Alex for several hours last night had really helped her gain a different perspective on her situation with Cal.
While she was still determined to continue in her job as a special agent, she now felt real compassion for his position. Alex had given her a man’s point of view, and she’d realized that Cal wanted to protect her because he was probably falling in love with her.
Alex had said that he’d do anything to protect a woman he loved, and he was sure that Cal felt the same. Armed with this new information, Vic had decided to reach out to Cal this morning once she’d had a good breakfast.
First, she stopped off at the hotel’s newsstand and purchased a magazine, then she headed to the hotel restaurant. Over her coffee, she relaxed and read. When her food came, she set the magazine aside and began to eat.
