I can always move into Neo’s apartment until you’ve gained some more control, Cherone warned.
Not gonna happen. I will try to wake if the dreams became erotic. Is that good enough for you?
That’s all I ask.
For the next three weeks, Rico continued his manic, unrelenting training. With both he and Cherone cooperating and being careful in their sleep, there was no more dream-state lovemaking. The brace from his leg had been off for two weeks, and he was walking with only a slight limp. With his returned mobility, Sean and Neo moved back to their respective homes as well. They all felt confident that Rico’s reflexes had returned enough to provide Cherone with adequate protection. As a precaution, however, two men guarded the house at all times.
They were both starting work at Silo in a few days. While he was still opposed to Cherone working for Silo, he had only relented when Neo, Sean, and Dominic swore to keep Cherone’s paranormal capabilities a secret. No way did he want the CIA to get its tentacles in her. He wouldn’t be able to prevent her from being exploited.
But he was worried about Cherone, and not only because he thought she was in danger. Cherone was ill. She had been feeling under the weather for days but refused to see a doctor. This morning when she was again curled in her bed, unable to rise without getting sick, he insisted on taking her to a doctor.
Rico sat in his truck waiting on Cherone to join him.
Where are you? I’ve been waiting in Cherone’s armored Volvo for ten minutes.
I told you this is not necessary, Rico.
Either you get into the damn car or I’ll put you there myself.
Cherone sighed, but a few seconds later she walked out the front door and climbed into the car. “God Rico! Do we have to drive in this ugly thing?”
“Neo told me why I bought it. I hate to say I told you so.”
“God for forbid you did that,” Cherone muttered. “I told you this is only a slight stomach bug. I’m sure I will feel better in a few days.”
“Forgive me if I prefer a trained physician to tell me that,” Rico muttered as he pulled out of the driveway.
“Well, I’m not the one who will feel quite silly for overreacting,” she said.
Three hours later, they left the doctor’s office with pamphlets, vitamins, and a referral to an obstetrician.
We’re having a baby! Rico thought. Yes!
In the parking lot, Rico sat in the car outside the doctor’s office not moving, or even turning the key in the ignition.“You can’t still be insisting that we’re not lovers,” Rico said softly.
“You’re sure that this baby is yours, huh?”
Rick stilled, and turned a menacing gaze on her.
“It’s only a question, geez!” Cherone said.
His steady regard continued to drill into her.
“Okay, obviously that was a stupid question. But your arrogant assumption is annoying.”She frowned.
“It’s not arrogant assumption. I know who you are.” Rico turned the ignition and backed out of the parking lot. “I’ve been reviewing all of my investments and legal documents. Everything is already jointly owned by you. You must mean the world to me if I did that. I was right then, and I’m right now.”
“I thought you cared about me, too,” Cherone said. “I’m just finding it hard to proceed with a guy who can’t remember me. What am I supposed to do, Rico? Am I supposed to pretend that it’s okay that my boyfriend conveniently forgot the years that I happened to be in his life?”
“You know that’s not true,” Rico insisted.
“That’s my reality, Rico!”
He frowned. “I don’t understand why I would risk getting you pregnant without marrying you first. I’ve never believed in children out of wedlock and don’t think I would have changed that much. What’s going on?”
“Until you remember, any explanation from me is just my opinion. I can’t speak for why you did anything.”
“I doubt…” The sudden jolt to his senses stunned Rico. He looked at their surroundings. They had barely driven a quarter of mile from the doctor’s office. His senses were going haywire, pickling in sharp awareness. He reached into the glove compartment and handed Cherone the gun stored there.
“What is it?” Cherone asked, her eyes widening.
“We are about to have some trouble,” Rico whispered. “Stay down. The glass is bulletproof, but I’m not taking any chances.” Rico hit the silent alert button to Neo and Sean. Looking into his rearview mirrors, he saw what had alerted him seconds before a black van pulled in front of the car and stopped. Two black Escalades came out of nowhere, trying to cage them in. The windows of the vehicles were immediately lowered and the Volvo was soon riddled with bullets.
The bullets ricocheted off the tough armor and fell away harmlessly.
Rico slammed on his brakes, threw the gear into reverse, and stood on the accelerator, ramming the Escalade behind them until he had enough space to throw the gear into drive and race through the gap he had created. “Every penny I paid for this car is worth it! Not a scratch to the body!” Rico whistled, marveling at the dent he made in the front bumper of the Escalade.
Four vehicles gave chase.
Rico activated his Bluetooth, and Neo and Sean were on the other end. “Where the hell are you guys?”
“We’ll be there in a few seconds,” Neo said. “The local police are also en route. We can’t have a shootout in the middle of the streets of Miami.”
Rico swerved to avoid a car as he ran a red light, but his pursuers weren’t so lucky. A huge truck side-swiped the van and it tumbled over and crashed into a traffic pole.
“Who am I dealing with?” Rico asked.
“Algerian mafia,” Neo said.
“What the fuck? Tell me what I need to know to protect my family!”
The three remaining vehicles continued to follow him at reckless speed.
“I hear you, man, but there’s no time,” Neo said. “Tell Roni to hang in there.”
Rico grunted.
His pursuers were coming alongside him fast.
Rico swung onto a side street near a construction site, but he was going too fast to negotiate a hairpin curve, blasted through a wooden roadblock, and got hung up in a ditch, the car’s rear wheels spinning wildly in the air.
“Take off your seatbelt!” Rico yelled.
Rico jumped out of the car and pulled Cherone out behind him. He was safely hunkered down behind a bulldozer holding her tight against him when the other vehicles came to a screeching stop next to his truck. “Stay down!” Rico yelled to the construction workers at the site, and many hit the ground while others hid behind loads of brick.
The sirens of the local police were loud and getting closer.
Men poured out of the vehicles firing their guns toward them.
Rico fired back. “Where the hell are you guys?” Rico yelled into his Bluetooth.
“Right here, old man!” Sean yelled.
Rico could see Sean and Neo sneaking up behind the assailants.
“Just remember, we need at least one of them alive!” Rico warned.
“I’ll leave that shit to Neo,” Sean snarled. “I’m too pissed to show restraint.”
Once Neo and Sean entered the fray, the gunfight was over in seconds.
“Cherone!” Neo yelled. “Get over here. This one won’t last long.”
Rico grabbed Cherone’s hand and pulled her behind him as they went to Neo. Although the danger had passed, he was still reluctant to let her go. As they came closer to Neo, they saw that the man Neo wanted Cherone to read was gasping for breath with blood oozing from a bullet hole in his neck.
Cherone held his hand briefly before stepping back into Rico’s arms.
“What is it, querida?” Rico asked.
“Can we go home now?” Cherone asked with a shaky voice. “Neo, we all need to get out of here.”
“Sean, take Rico and Cherone home,” Neo said. “I’ll take care of the locals.”
“Are you sure that’s safe, man?” Sean asked.
“Yeah Neo, you can’t stay out here on your own.” Cherone looked at him, her gaze dark with concern. “When I say we need to get out of here, I mean all of us. Samir now knows who you guys are. This attack was to draw you out into the open.”
Rico’s skin started tingling like electric shocks, and he grabbed Cherone’s hand and sprinted for Sean’s Porsche. “Drive with Neo!” he yelled to Sean.
“Gee, thanks!” Sean yelled. “Not a scratch, bro!”
Rico drove away with silent but tense confidence.
Cherone had no idea where he was going because Rico was driving them away from their home. “Where are we going?”
“You’ll see,” Rico said.
A few minutes later they pulled into the parking garage of his condo on Edgewater Drive.
“How did you know about this place?” Cherone asked.
“What?” Rico asked.
“You bought this place about five years ago, well outside your window of remembrance!” Cherone yelled. “So I ask you again, how do you know about this place?”
Chapter Eighteen
RICO BLINKED RAPIDLY at Cherone then looked at the building, watching as Sean and Neo exited their vehicle and ran toward them.
“Ah, Rico, where the hell are we?” Neo asked.
Cherone raised an eyebrow. “Yeah, Rico, tell your mates where we are.”
“I have a penthouse apartment here,” Rico said quietly as he climbed out of the Porsche. He went around to the passenger door, opened it for Cherone and tried to help her out of the car.
Cherone ignored his offered hand and climbed out of the car unaided.
Rico sighed and walked toward the elevator, the others following closely behind. As they entered the elevator, Rico entered a six-key code. He felt Cherone stiffen beside him.
“I didn’t know you had this place,” Neo said. “Dominic always said you were too damn secretive.”
Rico grunted but kept his gaze on Cherone, who refused to look at him.
The elevator opened directly into his condo, which was in pristine condition. .
Sean whistled at the elegance of the décor. “Damn, bro, this is some pad.”
“Ray and Clara are safe,” Neo said as he reviewed the display on his phone. “Tony and Reece took them to a safe place until this situation is settled.”
“That’s good,” Rico said, but he maintained his unwavering gaze on Cherone.
Cherone ignored him and went into the kitchen.
Rico stood in the kitchen doorway and watched her pour cold water into a glass. “I didn’t deliberately forget you, querida,” he said softly.
She turned away from him. “I don’t care.”
He crowded her against the counter.
“Don’t,” Cherone hissed.
As he bent his head to kiss her, she turned her head and the tender kiss landed on her cheek. “I didn’t want to forget you, mi amor.” He tried to kiss her lips again, but his lips met only air. He tangled his fingers in her hair and held her head still, holding her gaze with unwavering resolve.
Tears pooled in her eyes.
“You are getting upset for nothing,” he whispered.
“Let me go, Rico.”
“Not until you understand that I would never willingly forget you.”
“It doesn’t matter, because I don’t care.”
“I care.” Rico captured her lips in a deep kiss. He curled his tongue around hers, and only when she melted against him and wound her arms around his neck did he end the kiss. “I started remembering little things weeks ago,” he whispered against her ear. “But I knew that wouldn’t matter to you because I still didn’t remember our time together.”
Cherone pulled away. “Whatever.”
“No, querida, don’t be angry.” Rico tried to grab her hand.
Angry tears slid down her face. “Damn hormones.”
“I don’t know why I remember some things and have forgotten others,” Rico pleaded. “Be patient a little while longer, querida.”
“Ah, Rico?” Neo called out. “We need to talk with Cherone on what she picked up from that guy.”
“Give us a minute, guys,” Rico said.
“No, there’s no need.” Cherone stepped around him, exited the kitchen, and made herself comfortable on the sofa in the living room.
Rico sat next to her.
Cherone stood and sat in an armchair.
“Trouble in paradise?” Sean asked with a grin.
“Shut the fuck up,” Rico snarled.
“Let’s get this over with,” Cherone said. “I need to get the hell out of here.”
“You’re not leaving here,” Rico growled.
“Just watch me. I’m not sleeping here.” Cherone sat forward and stared at Rico stonily. “I’ll tell Dom everything. I’m sure he will be happy to take me home with him.”
“You think Dom will get between me and my kid?” Rico asked.
“Wow, what kid?” Neo yelled. “What the hell is going on?”
Cherone folded her arms and sat back in her chair. Are you sure you want to tell them about our baby without you remembering how I got this way?
Rico stared at her. You’re making me crazy with this shit. Stop being such a damn drama queen!
Cherone turned her gaze to Neo. “I think it’s more important for you to know that Samir knows who you guys are. Not sure how he found this information out, but he has had the house under surveillance for a while. Like I said before, today was an effort to draw us out in the open. They weren’t able to get to us at the house.”
“Who the fuck is Samir?” Rico asked.
“You have a computer in here?” Neo asked. “We need to bring Dom up to speed.”
“I have something better than just a computer. My office links into our systems at Silo.” Rico stood to lead them to his office. “I don’t know about you guys, but I’m tired of being a damn sitting duck for this asshole. We need to smoke this sucker.”
“Hooyah!” Sean and Neo shouted.
Rico gazed at Cherone. “I’m not sure what’s in the kitchen to eat, but as soon as we talk to Dom, we will go out and get you something to eat.”
Cherone rolled her eyes. “You boys go and save the world, save the little woman, and I will wait here patiently for my big strong man to return.”
The men didn’t miss the sarcasm in her voice. They looked at her uncertainly.
“Do we let her get away with trying to control us?” Rico looked at Neo and Sean for guidance.
“Bro, this has to be about you, because the Roni we know is a sweet kid,” Sean said with a frown. “Whatever you did to piss her off, apologize and don’t do it again because she’s beginning to scare the shit out of me.”
“Don’t be afraid, Sean,” Cherone said. “All of my anger is for Rico and Rico alone.”
“Is that right?” Rico asked as he stalked toward her.
Cherone backed away.
Rico raised an eyebrow. “You can be angry with me all you want, but if you do anything to jeopardize yourself, you won’t like the consequences.”
Cherone stilled, holding her ground as Rico closed in on her. “Consequences? I’m sure Dr. Chou won’t mind me telling you that you tried that before without much success.”
Rico grabbed her around the waist and pulled her tight against him.
“Bro, we talked about the PDA,” Sean complained as Rico swooped down and captured Cherone’s lips in a deep kiss.
A few seconds later, Rico rested his forehead against hers. “I’m sorry, querida,” he whispered. “I would give anything to remember that night.”
“It could have been our time together that night or the many hours that day. But you won’t know that now would you?”
As her eyes clouded with hurt, he kissed her hard one last time before whispering in her ear, “Go feed my kid.”
Cherone was standing in the kitchen preparing a meal for her an
d the men when a text came in on her phone.
If you want to see your friend Nic alive again, come to the Mall of the Americas in one hour. Come alone. No tricks or he’s dead!
Cherone went rigid with fear. God, Nic must be frightened out of his mind. She immediately went to find Rico.
“Who the hell is Nic?” Rico demanded.
“He’s a friend from college. You met him a few months ago. You have to help him, Rico.”
“Look, kid, you will have to prepare yourself for the worst,” Neo warned her. “Samir is a sadistic fuck. If Samir has your friend, he’s probably already dead.”
“No! I refuse to believe that.” Cherone frowned. “What’s the plan? We have very little time.”
“There’s nothing we can do in an hour,” Sean said. “That bastard gave you such a tight timeline because he knows we wouldn’t risk your safety.”
“So you’re not going to help Nic?” Cherone yelled.
“We are going to help him if he’s still alive, but not on Samir’s timeline,” Rico said. “It’s a trap.”
“Of course it’s a trap!” Cherone shouted. “Any dummy knows that. But I expected you would devise a plan to overcome whatever trap is being set.”
“In less than an hour,” Rico said. “Not possible.”
“We have to try, right?” Cherone asked.
“How well do you know this Nic?” Rico asked.
“He became my friend the last two years of college,” Cherone replied.
“That’s why we don’t know him,” Neo frowned. “We had your surveillance removed by then.”
“We had her under surveillance?” Rico asked.
“Not necessarily we,” Neo said. “It was more you. I tried talking you out of it and warned you that Cherone would be pissed if she found out.”
“I knew from day one when those guys started following me,” Cherone said. “But I knew how anal you all were, so I let you have your way until it got out of hand.”
“How did we get out of hand?” Neo asked.
“Really? Y’all threatened the star quarterback of the Miami Hurricanes because he grabbed me!”
“That little prick had no business touching you,” Sean growled.
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