Crossed Off

by Lacey Silks

  “Let me go,” I pleaded

  His deep laugh echoed through the night. There must not have been anyone else around as Mateo had no qualms about his loud voice. “You know, you almost had me fooled, Missy. But when I saw you at the lake in Ogden and then here, I knew it was you.”

  When had he seen me in Ogden? “Stop calling me that.”

  “You’ll always be Missy Thrope to me, you traitor. Do you even have a fucking clue how I recognized you?”

  Was it possible that he somehow saw me in town when we were at Annabelle’s wedding? But I hadn’t even left my parents’ house. Sharp pain flew through my head, and I wished it didn’t hurt this much. It was as if someone kept twisting a dagger from the top, right in the middle, and made thinking much more difficult. Was it Wagner who told him about me?

  “I heard you were back in town for a wedding. I didn’t know what the connection was to the Waters until someone at the general store mentioned you. It’s a good thing my brother kept a low profile. Otherwise, hiding this face around Ogden would have been more difficult.”

  He was right. No one in Ogden knew Rick Menzos or what he looked like, or even that he existed. They only knew his father. It must have made blending in for Mateo much easier.

  “And then I saw you sitting on that rock across the lake. It’s a wonder how far a good set of binoculars will reach. You fit the description perfectly. And that tattoo on your arm, the one that covers who you really are, sold you.”

  Oh God! He did see me in Ogden. The day before the wedding when we all went to Blake’s resting place.

  “Your boyfriend has some powerful connections, but they’re not big enough for the business I run. Do you think I’d agree to meet him just to sell a few stupid credit cards and IDs if I didn’t know you’d tag along? Why would you even need a fake ID, Missy? What kind of a scam are you running? Maybe the blood that runs in your veins is more of father’s than you think.”

  I figured Mateo didn’t know exactly who Cash was and that we were setting him up. Which also meant that he didn’t make the connection between Cash and Wagner. But did it even matter now?

  “Why continue this? Hasn’t enough blood been spilled?”

  “Apparently the only blood you like to spill is the one of your family.”

  “Rick would have killed my sister.”

  “Exactly. You’re the one who chose sides when you slit his throat.” He crouched beside me, and I heard his teeth grind.

  “He would have been after me next.” My rib cage hurt with each breath, and I wouldn’t have been surprised if a couple of my ribs had cracked.

  “Well, I guess we’ll never know that, will we?” he mocked.

  Of course I knew it. I was certain that once he killed Annabelle, he would have gone after me in that hospital room. But I doubted that anything I said would change Mateo’s mind. And at this point, I was hoping that stalling would buy me some time. Maybe Cash or Emma would find me.

  Oh my God! Cash! Had Mateo hurt him? He was only supposed to go to the vending machine. As the countless ways Mateo could have harmed Cash to get to me flashed through my mind, my stomach turned.

  “Where’s Cash?” I asked.

  “I sent him on a wild goose chase. Don’t worry, he won’t bother us for a while, and if he finally finds you, it will be all over.”

  Okay, at least he was alive. “Why are you doing this to me? I’m your sister.”

  “Blood relations didn’t seem to matter to you when you slashed our brother’s throat, did they?”

  “He gave me no choice.” My voice was trembling. I knew this was a battle I couldn’t win. After all, if my half-brother was anything like his twin, the conversation was over before it even started. The only thing I could do was stall for time.

  His watch beeped. “Oops, it’s time for me to go. It was nice chatting with you, sis. If you’re smart, you’ll take a deep breath.”

  What?

  “Wait, what are you doing?” I asked as he approached me. I could still barely move. Using his foot, he pushed my body, rolling it closer to the pool’s edge. One more shove like the last and I’d be in. “I... I can’t swim, Mateo. Please don’t.”

  “Don’t you think I know this?” The lights from the pool illuminated the hatred in his eyes. With another push in, I rolled over the edge. I took a deep breath before plunging into the water. My entire body felt as if it was made of lead. Moving my limbs back and forth, I barely floated to the surface for a few seconds, but as I tried to get another breath of air and my voice out, water seeped into my mouth, choking me. And my arms and legs hurt so much, there was no way I could keep afloat. Mateo stood on the edge laughing. As it became more difficult to keep at the surface, he turned around and left. I took one last breath and felt my body sink. Was that how Blake felt when he drowned? All alone, unable to say good-bye to those he loved. Was he thinking about me the moment Rick threw that stone tied to his ankles overboard? I knew that he was, because of that look of desperation and thousands of apologies for not being there for me in his eyes... I could never forget that.

  And barely moving at the bottom of the pool, holding on to the little air I had left in my lungs, I knew that I was about to join him. Part of me wanted to give up. Blake would wait for me on the other side, and our baby... the little boy would be there too. We could be reunited. But I had no doubt that Mateo would go after the rest of my family. He’d continue what his father started and brother couldn’t finish, and I couldn’t let him. And I couldn’t leave Cash. There was still so much to say. There wasn’t enough time. I wanted to tell him about his father and about the conversation we had in his office. I wanted to tell him how just like my half-brothers, Rick and Mateo, maybe his father wasn’t worth fighting for.

  Thinking about Cash and what he’d told me about floating, I tried to relax. My consciousness of course screamed against it, and my lungs were beginning to burn as I desperately tried to keep the air inside my chest. Yet I kept hearing Cash’s voice asking me to find that buoyancy. With a hard painful push off the bottom, I soared up to the surface. I filled my lungs to their capacity, spread my arms out to the sides and legs out front and imagined Cash’s hands underneath my body helping me float.

  And it worked. As difficult as it was to keep my beaten-up arms and legs out, the water helped more than I thought. When I relaxed my limbs, it didn’t hurt that much. Afraid to let the air out of my lungs all at once, at first my breaths were shallow. But as I kept afloat, I felt brave enough to steady my breathing into a more controlled rhythm.

  Don’t panic, Skyler. You can do this, I thought. With each passing second that I was able to stay on the surface, new hope began to grow.

  I concentrated on the beautiful night above me, watching shooting stars and following a tiny dot cruising across the sky between all the twinkling lights.

  “That has to be a satellite,” I said to myself.

  It’d been such a long time since I’d seen the sky and its raw beauty. The city lights overpowering New York never allowed them to shine through the way I remembered in Ogden. Above me, the thicker cluster of white looked as beautiful today as it had years ago when I would lay down on the stack of hay with Blake. He’d point out every single falling star to me so that I could make a wish.

  “Imagine how small we must look from all the way out there,” he’d said. “They say we look small up from above and the earth is the most beautiful picture ever. But if I ever flew up to the sky, all I’d want to see is you.”

  I wondered whether he saw me now, and if he had, I prayed he’d send help. I couldn’t die now. Not yet. Not while Mateo would possibly hurt my family. And if he wouldn’t be after my family, then I was sure that Cash was his next target. That is, if he hadn’t harmed him already. I didn’t know how long I’d been floating there, but it must have been a while. Even in the warm night, my body was trembling and I felt my fingers wrinkle.

  “Cash, where are you?”

  My ears were submerged un
derwater, so the distant call of my name didn’t resonate until there was a loud splash into the pool. I slightly lifted my head and heard, “I’m coming, Sky. Hold on!” Cash’s voice squeezed fresh tears out of my eyes. When his strong arms grabbed me and hauled me out of the water, I broke down. Emma had just run up to us as well with two exhausted-looking, bulky men and Tracy.

  “Skyler, baby. I’m so sorry. I swear I will kill this son of a bitch. I will kill him and skin him alive for doing this to you.”

  “You’re okay?” I asked. “I thought you were dead. I thought he hurt you.”

  “No, baby. I’m fine. They were out of chocolates on our floor, and I just went one lower to get you the bar. I shouldn’t have.”

  I was sure I’d swear off sweets forever after tonight.

  “When I came back, the door was locked and you didn’t answer. He left a note that said you probably didn’t like to swim with the sharks. We checked the lagoon first, then by the beach and then here.”

  “I thought I’d drown. I thought this was it.”

  “But you floated.” He smiled.

  “Yes, I floated.”

  Cash brought me to his body. My drenched clothes were beginning to feel uncomfortable but at least I was alive. “I think I’m ready for that swim lesson,” I whispered.

  “Good. That’ll be the first item on my agenda after we find this bastard. He will get what’s coming to him, Sky. And it will be all over.”

  Emma crouched down beside us and hugged me as well. “No more stunts like these for you, Skyler. God, Eric would kill me if he knew.”

  “No, it’s not your fault. And it would have been all good if Mateo wasn’t Fords. Listen, he doesn’t know who you are, Cash. He doesn’t know you’re Wagner’s son.”

  “That’s good. But don’t worry about anything now. Please.”

  “Ready to go home?” Emma asked.

  “Yeah, I think I’m ready.”

  * * *

  My trip back to New York was in a haze. Exhausted, I slept most of the way. Cash drove me straight from the airport to the hospital, where I found out that I had a broken rib. Over the next week, the patches on my body changed from red to purple, green, and yellow. Cash cursed under his breath each time he looked at me. I didn’t even want to see the mirror. While part of our trip had failed, another part was successful. Tracy was able to download important data from Mateo’s phone, and they were tracking Mateo’s cartel operation with precision. The problem was that my half-brother seemed to be off the grid. It was as if he’d disappeared and had people doing all the work for him. And so long as Mateo was on the loose, I refused to leave Cash’s apartment. And with another target on my back—one from Cash’s father, my uphill battle had only begun.

  CHAPTER 20

  The clicking sound of a camera woke me. Cash sat in bed, completely naked, snapping pictures. It wasn’t the first time he’d done this and I made him swear that the photographs he took of me in a bathtub would turn out tasteful and not porn-like the way I imagined. When I noticed that the top of my bare body was uncovered and pulled up the duvet, he lowered his camera.

  “Don’t, Sky. You’re beautiful.”

  The sun shone from behind the tightly shut drapes, squeezing its beams of light into the room. The streams spread along the soft carpeting and illuminated the space.

  “You always say that.”

  “Because it’s true. Good morning.” He leaned down for a kiss. It never ceased to surprise me how much at ease Cash felt around me. Never shy to walk around naked or sleep naked. It was as if he wanted to display his manliness every time he was around me.

  “Is it?” I grumbled.

  “Yes, it is. I have some good news and some good news.”

  I sat up in our bed, somewhat curious. It’d been a week and a half now since we’d returned from the Bahamas. My bruises had healed and my rib was hurting less and less. Afraid to crack it again, Cash refused to touch me. Apparently, the best remedy for the kind of fracture I suffered was rest and minimal movement, but I couldn’t wait to feel him against me and inside me the proper way.

  “Okay, you have my attention.”

  “Emma texted this morning. They’ve pinpointed Mateo and will be making a move today.”

  Working with Cash, my sister-in-law found enough support from a governor who wanted the cartel Mateo ran gone so badly that they’d funded the entire operation.

  “That’s great news. Does it mean it will all be over soon?” I asked, secretly wondering how Mr. Wagner felt about this. Was it possible he was bluffing? But if there were so many people on Mateo’s tail, that would make it more difficult to get to me, wouldn’t it?

  “I hope so. Because I really want to put this crap behind us. Besides, Emma’s planning this huge family reunion in a week and you know she wants us there.”

  It’d been Emma’s dream to finally have everyone in her family together for a big bash. And she made a point to say that her wedding didn’t count. She was adamant about making a family reunion a once-a-year tradition.

  “What’s the other good news?”

  “You promised Grace you’d return for a trim in a month. She’s expecting you today.”

  “I don’t know, Cash.” I cowered my body underneath the covers. “I’m not sure I can leave just yet.”

  “I won’t force you. It’s totally your choice, Sky. Especially since I’m joining Emma at her office to listen in on the operation. Actually, it will make me feel better if you stay here, but Grace would kill me if I didn’t remind you.”

  “Thank you for understanding.”

  “Always.” He set his camera aside and lowered his mouth to mine. Kissing me, Cash whispered into my mouth, “I’ve missed you.”

  I moaned in response, feeling the heat storm through my body with the force of a hurricane. I had no strength to reply, because all I wanted was Cash. It’d been way too long since he’d been inside me. The heat of his tongue simmered along my jaw and neck. His hand cupped my breast and squeezed it gently, molding it as if it was the first time he’d touched me. Soon enough, I was underneath his body, aware of his every careful move not to hurt me. But once he got to that point where I parted my legs for him and his hips were in that perfect position for his cock to slide inside me, he stopped.

  “No, no, no. You can’t leave me.”

  “You’re still healing,” he said.

  “We’ll be careful. And I didn’t tell you this, but when we were at the hospital, I asked the doctor for a shot too. You know, for birth control.”

  “So, you’re telling me that I don’t need a condom?” His eyes widened. I could feel his erection twitch against my tummy.

  At my simple nod, Cash slid inside me. I gasped as he filled me. He held himself there for a moment as if savoring the feel of me, skin to skin, before pulling out almost to the tip, then entered me again as if wanting to live through that moment all over.

  “I could do this forever,” he breathed. “To feel your warmth around me, so slick and ready.... Jesus, Sky. I don’t know if I will let you out of here again.”

  Watching his face change as a new kind of pleasure roamed through him, I laughed. I wasn’t sure how long he continued this, but it definitely felt good. I writhed underneath him and lowered my hand between us to touch the point where he entered me, pulling up the wetness to my clit, rubbing tight circles around it. That must have driven Cash over the edge because soon after he stilled. When he pulled out, white cream still covered his tip. He dragged it along me and added the touch of his thumb where my hand was already working, driving me to the point of no return.

  * * *

  Cash had left an hour later than he planned. I showered, changed, and after a quick breakfast, or more like brunch, I sat on the couch and flipped through the channels. Wondering how Cash and Emma were doing, I texted him but only received a reply that everything was still on schedule. The waiting game was driving me crazy and so I sent him another message.

  Skyler:
I think I want to see Grace.

  Cash: I’ll have George pick you up and drive you there.

  Skyler: Thank you. I miss U

  Cash: Miss U 2. I’ll meet you at Grace’s in a couple of hours. We can walk to Olivier’s for dinner to celebrate

  Skyler: Is it over?

  Cash: Not yet. But soon.

  Skyler: TTYS

  Minutes later, I was sitting in Grace’s chair catching up with Cash’s sister on the past two weeks.

  “So, just a trim?” she asked.

  “I was thinking about a subtle change.”

  “Can I choose the color?” She smiled, already knowing my answer.

  “Please?”

  “Okay, let’s get you set up by the coloring station.”

  As Grace flipped pages through a booklet, contemplating and looking through colors, I heard the front door ding. And when the thick Spanish accent asked to book an appointment for a cut, I thought I’d fall off my chair.

  “What’s the matter?” Grace asked.

  I grabbed my purse, shot off the chair, and hurried to the back room before Mateo came in from around the corner. Grace of course followed me.

  “Grace, he’s here for me.” I felt my chest tighten with pain.

  “Who is?”

  “The guy. Don’t tell him you know Cash. He’s dangerous. You need to call your brother and Emma and tell them he’s here.” All the while talking, I kept looking for a way to escape while walking backwards. I couldn’t stay here. That girl I remembered from Ogden was back. I needed to hide. I knew how to hide. He wouldn’t find me if I hid.

  “Okay, Sky. Calm down. You’re safe here. I’m calling Hunter as well.” She was already dialing the numbers.

  “I need to get out of here.”

  I felt like I was beginning to run out of air, and when I heard his voice closing in as he was asking about someone fitting my description, I couldn’t take it any longer and headed to the back door I’d seen there.

  “Wait, Sky. No one’s going to tell him you’re here. This place thrives on confidentiality.”