As a kid, Manuel was allowed to grow up like any normal child, but as his teenage years passed, my father started grooming him for his next generation of soldiers. They might not keep Manuel in the loop, but he’d still know if something has happened to Damian.
I grab my phone and dial the only number besides Damian’s I know by heart. After several long moments, he finally answers. “Hello?” Manuel barks in an angry voice.
“It’s me,” I whisper at the same time I hear a female’s voice holler. “Where are you going?” I giggle knowing I’ve interrupted him and one of his many conquests. I swear I can hear him growl in my ear.
“Izzy, why are you calling me? You know that’s not a smart idea.” I can hear him breathing hard into my ear as his anger becomes obvious.
“I have to know if Damian is okay,” I state.
“Damian? Since when did you start calling him by his name?”
I huff out a breath. “Now isn’t the time, Manuel. Tell me, is he okay?”
Manuel sighs. “I don’t know. The rumor is Damian and Richardo were shot. My father went to check on them but he hasn’t returned home yet. No one, at least, not to my knowledge, has seen or spoken to your father, Alejandro, or Sergio since the night you left.”
“Wait!” I shout louder than I meant to. “Sergio was with me. Somebody called him and he ended up taking me to the States where I boarded a plane.”
“I know. He reported afterward but my father sent him to check on Damian and Richardo. He’s been off the grid since.”
I groan in frustration.
“Babe, you shouldn’t be calling. That’s the whole reason you weren’t given a phone in the first place. You’re safe where you’re at, but not if the wrong people figure out where you’re hiding,” he adds in a softer voice.
“Why would he send me here? He cares about Kate; I know he does, so tell me why he would put the two of us together? It doesn’t make any sense.”
“Because the people who care about your whereabouts think you’re here. You weren’t listed as a passenger on the flight to Tijuana. When you did board a plane, it was in the States and Damian made sure you weren’t traveling under your real name. Go open your suitcase.”
I look around the room until I spot my luggage. I pick it up and sit it on the bed. “Okay, now what?”
“Feel around the inside edges until your finger snags the fabric.”
I run my finger around one side and find nothing. I move to the other and I hit a lump. “Now what?”
“Rip it open.” I tug hard and the tight fabric lining pulls away from the suitcase. “Holy shit,” I breathe out.
“If something happens and you need to leave her house, use that.” I look down at the fake ID I used for my school along with a passport I’ve never seen before in Gabriela Bello’s name, only with my picture and thousands of American dollars.
“How?”
“It doesn’t matter,” he says, cutting me off. “Damian has pissed the wrong people off. He’s either dead or hiding, and neither of those options leaves you in a good place once the dust settles.”
“If I’m a sitting duck, then—”
“You’re not. Damian has men on his payroll in Denver. The Reynolds girl doesn’t know it, but her house was rigged with top of the line shit before she moved in. Outside of actually being here, Kate’s house is probably the safest place you can be right now,” he adds.
I sniffle. I’m not exactly homesick, but I’m nervous. Not knowing what’s happened to Damian or if someone is after me is about to drive me crazy. “So the big plan is I just wait. What if nothing happens? What about school? Not to mention Kate has a life that doesn’t include a distant relative permanently living with her.”
Manuel groans. “Damn it, Isabelle. Just sit tight and like always I’ll make sure you’re taken care of.”
His comment puts a smile on my face, but I also know since he used my full name that I’m pushing his limits. Manuel has spent most of his life taking care of me. Other than Damian, he’s the last person I want to anger.
“I’m sorry. I’m frustrated but not with you.”
“I know,” he says, softer. “I have a way I can reach you if I need to. Don’t call this number again unless it’s a matter of life and death. And you need to get rid of the phone you’re using. Now that you’ve called here, someone could trace it back to your location. Do you understand what I’m telling you?”
“Yes,” I whisper. “Go back to your lady friend. Sorry I interrupted.” I wait as the line goes dead silent.
“It’s...it’s not like that,” he finally says.
I laugh. “Not like what?” I question.
“Me and that girl. It’s not like that,” he says again, confusing me until a light goes off.
“Oh, wow. You actually like this one. Holy shit.” I giggle. “When I get home, I’ll alert all the females in Poza Rica that Manuel Ramos is finally off the market.” I bust out laughing again as he groans in my ear.
“Belle?” I hear Kate at my door.
“No, that’s not what I meant,” Manuel repeats.
“I’ll do as you asked and I won’t call again. But if you find out something has happened to him, you better contact me.”
Kate knocks on my door. “Bye, Manuel,” I say before ending our call. I hop up and open my door. “Hey,” I say with a smile.
“I thought I heard you talking,” she says, looking over my shoulder and into the room. “Oh, I called someone on my cell phone.” I pull my phone out from behind my back.
“I didn’t know you had a phone with you.”
I shrug but I don’t tell her where the phone came from. “I came to tell you that breakfast is ready. I’d really like for you to eat with us.”
“Sure. I’ll be right down.” Kate watches me closely until she finally smiles and walks toward the stairs. I know she wasn’t expecting me to agree to eat with them so easily, but I have a feeling I’ll be in Denver for a while, which means I need to put forth an effort where Kate is concerned. It also means I need to go out again because if I’m going to be stuck here, I need a few more things to get me by.
****
By the time I make it down to the kitchen, the four of them are already sitting at the table eating. “Belle, you made it,” Callie cheerfully greets me. Since Callie moved past my name, she’s been nothing but sweet to me.
“Yep,” I add with probably the first smile they’ve seen on my face since I’ve arrived. I take a slice of French toast and sit down at the end of the table across from Gavin, leaving an open spot between Kiran and me.
“You seem to be in a better mood today,” Kate carefully says. I should be in a horrible mood knowing there’s a good chance my father is dead, but after my call with Manuel, I’ve decided I’m no longer putting my life on hold. I might be stuck in Denver, but I’m not going to live in this house like a prisoner of war.
“I spoke to a friend back home. I think I might be here longer than I initially figured. If that’s a problem—”
“No,” Kate says, cutting me off with a huge smile on her face.
“Good.” I nod my head before going back to eating. Everyone is quiet, and I think it’s because I’m out of my room and no one quite knows how to act around me.
I clear my throat, gaining everyone’s attention. “I plan to go out today and take care of a few things. I’m not sure how long I’ll be gone, but I don’t want you to worry like you did last time.” I was looking at Kate but I could feel Kiran’s eyes on me the whole time I spoke.
“Where are you going?” Kiran asks before Kate has the chance.
“Out. I have a few things I want to do. Nothing important.” I would leave her my cell number but I plan to get a new one today. Calling Manuel was a risk, one I don’t want to backfire on either of us.
“I can drive you,” Kiran says, causing all of our heads to turn toward him. “I don’t have anything going on today, anyway, and you don’t have a car,” he adds as th
ough this makes complete sense.
“That’s okay. I don’t want to bother you,” I tell him.
“It’s no bother,” he immediately says. “It’s my day off and everyone I know in this town is sitting at this table, so you’ll be doing me a favor, letting me tag along.”
My eyes thin, I can’t tell if he’s being friendly or if this is his way of keeping an eye on me. “Well, it’s settled. Kiran will drive you wherever you want to go,” Gavin adds as he reaches over and squeezes Kate’s hand.
I nervously swallow and look over to Kiran to find him watching me. I’m still unclear what his motives are, but I don’t think it’s worth fighting about.
“Okay. We’ll go together.”
****
Kiran
“Wow. Cool car,” Belle says as we get into my cherry red Nissan 370Z. I look over at her as she takes in my car. “I have to say I’m surprised a car like this could impress you.” The second the words are out of my mouth, I regret them.
Belle shrugs. “Damian likes nice things but that doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate something when I see it,” she says with a small smile. Every time I think I have this girl figured out, she says or does something that surprises me. She grew up around money—a lot of money—but she doesn’t act like the rich girls I’ve met in the past.
Once we both get in the car, I ask her something I’ve been thinking about. “You call your dad by his first name?”
Belle exhales through a sigh and shrugs again. “There’s no pleasing you, is there?”
My brow scrunches and I start shaking my head. “No, I didn’t mean anything by asking, I swear.”
“I was kidnapped and raised in a drug cartel. Of course I grew up surrounded by money, but I’m not some high-class, uppity bitch who believes others are beneath me,” she casually says as if we’re talking about the weather and not a seriously fucked up situation.
I’m not sure what I should say, and truthfully, around Belle, I tend to say the wrong thing when I open my mouth. Therefore, I remain silent. Belle holds my stare until her shoulders finally sag.
“Until the day I discovered what my father did, I called him Daddy because that made him happy. He didn’t care if I was twenty years old, he still pictured me as a little girl and it was important to me at the time to make him happy. Now ...” She pauses and takes a deep breath. “Now, I don’t know what Damian is to me. He has Kate and ...” She turns away from me and looks out the window. We’re still in the garage so I know she’s not taking in the scenery. Instead of saying something more and risk pissing her off, I start the car and pull out onto the street.
“Where to?” I ask once we’re a few miles away from home. Belle turns toward me. “The mall.”
“The mall?” I repeat as my eyes widen. I haven’t even been to this mall and I can tell you for a fact that I hate it. Shopping, especially where there are hundreds of stores, is not my idea of a good time, but I signed up for this, which means I need to keep my mouth shut.
“Don’t worry. I won’t be there long,” she says, apparently picking up on my thoughts.
I pull into the only mall I’ve seen since I’ve moved to town and park.
“I shouldn’t be long. An hour. Two tops,” Belle says as she reaches for the door handle.
“Wait, I’m going with you,” I say, squaring my shoulders, ready for her to snap at me.
Her eyes narrow as her head tilts to the side. “Why did you offer to come with me today?” she questions, catching me off guard.
I watch her for a moment. “I like you, and I don’t want you wandering around the city all by yourself,” I tell her, which isn’t a complete lie.
Every time I’m around Belle, I like her more, and for some reason, I want to get to know her. But the truth of the matter is, neither Gavin nor I think it’s a good idea for her to wander around Denver alone. We have no idea what’s going on with her father, and until we do, we need to keep a close eye on things.
“You like me?” she repeats, sounding somewhat annoyed.
“Yes,” I say through a long exhale. “Look, I know I’ve come off as an asshole.” She smiles, probably remembering how she called me out on my bullshit. “But I’m not normally a jerk. When you asked me why I wasn’t working, your question hit a nerve and that’s on me, not you.”
Belle slowly nods her head. “Ready?” Just like that, all seems to be forgotten. I quickly jump out of my car when it’s clear she’s not waiting on me. Once we make it inside, Belle appears to be on a mission.
She turns into a large department store and doesn’t stop until she spots a rack of swimsuits. I watch in horror as she starts picking out some of the ugliest one-piece suits I’ve ever seen. I have no idea why she wouldn’t want to wear that scorching suit she had on the other day.
“Okay, I’m ready to pay.” Again, she’s managed to shock me. I can’t say I’ve ever gone shopping with a woman before, but I was expecting her to look at every damn swimming suit the store had before buying one, but that’s not the case.
“I need to go to a cell phone store.”
“Is your phone not working?” I question as her eyes darken. Kate mentioned earlier that Belle was in her room talking on a cell phone—something none of us knew she had.
Instead of answering me, Belle smiles and walks past me, not worrying in the slightest if I follow her. Like a dog on a leash, I trail next to her as she walks into a cell phone store where the salesman perks up the second he spots her.
“Can I help you?” he asks, eyeing her up and down.
“I hope so. I need a prepaid smartphone.”
The jerk smiles. “Then I can definitely help you,” he purrs, causing me to roll my eyes.
“I thought you had a phone,” I question in a tight voice.
“I did. I do, but I need another one,” Belle says before looking away from me.
I take a couple of strides until I’m standing next to her. “Why do you need another phone?”
Belle looks at me before she smirks. “Are you sure you want the answer to that? Because I might have to kill you afterward.” She tries to fight a smile, but she can’t stop herself from laughing. I guess I deserved that seeing as I’ve thrown out her past several times.
“I’ll take the latest iPhone prepaid for three months.” The salesman’s eyes widen. “That’s not going to be cheap,” he tells her.
“I’ll pay cash,” she counters.
“Certainly.” He watches her for a moment before he heads to the back of the store.
Belle turns toward me and looks at me. Her brown eyes are shining and when she finally breaks down and smiles, I swear I can feel it all the way down to my toes. My stomach turns and my mind starts racing. I swallow a few times, suddenly unsure of what I should say. I don’t do relationships, and even if I was ready to try, Belle is the very last person I should date.
Take away the fact that she doesn’t live anywhere close to Denver...hell, she doesn’t even live in the same country. She’s Kate’s family and Kate made it clear that Belle is off limits.
“White or black, Miss?” the man asks, breaking whatever spell Belle cast over me.
“White.” The salesman nods his head and winks at her, which causes her to giggle...to fucking giggle.
“Give me just a few seconds and I’ll have it ready for you.” Belle looks back at me and her smile fades. I know I can’t have her, but that doesn’t mean I’m okay watching this jackass flirt with her.
“I need to go to the bank next,” she says as she nervously chews on her bottom lip. The few times we’ve carried on a conversation, I’ve flipped from hot to cold on her, and I’m not about to do that now.
“Okay. Which bank?”
Belle wrinkles her nose before she shrugs. “I don’t know. Whatever bank is closest.” I open my mouth to question her when the salesman returns with her phone.
“Here you go.” He pushes a card in front of her. “I wrote down your new number on this.” Belle picks
up the card before her eyes flash back to the salesman.
“The top one is yours, the bottom one is mine,” he says before giving her a heated smile, one I know all too well.
“Oh, thank you. I don’t know how long I’ll be in town but—” Belle looks down at the card “—Jared. You might hear from me.” The douchebag’s face lights up.
“How about I save you the call and I’ll pick you up tonight for dinner?” Before Belle can answer, a growl escapes my throat, causing both of them to look at me.
“We have to go,” I snap before grabbing Belle’s hand.
“Oh God. I’m sorry. I didn’t realize you had a boyfriend.” The man’s comment causes Belle to pull away from me.
“He’s not my boyfriend.” She smiles at him the same way she smiled at me minutes before. Although her words might be true, it sends a jolt of anger through my veins. For the first time in my life, I wish I were something more to a woman than I actually am.
“Then I can’t wait to take you out.” I swallow down my need to punch this prick in the face so Belle knows exactly what a tool he is.
“I better go, but hopefully I hear from you soon.” She gives him another smile before she takes a step closer to me. I wait until she walks past me before I give the guy a look that causes his smile to vanish.
I run to catch up with Belle when she stops at a small bank branch near the food court. Seeing as she had no idea what bank she needed, I can’t figure out what she plans to do.
“I shouldn’t be long,” she says, clearly dismissing me.
I stand around while Belle starts talking to a woman before the two of them walk off to an office and close the door.
I wander over to an empty bench and take a seat. This woman is officially jacking with my head. I run my hands over my face, trying my best to shake off this strange feeling.
I fuck women, I don’t date them, but even as that thought pops into my head, I feel the dread that comes with it. My mother made it her job to make my father miserable, even if she was justified in doing so. I’ve made it my mission in life to not be like my father or to end up with a woman like my mother. The only way I know how to accomplish that is to avoid relationships altogether. Long before Belle arrived, that plan had backfired one too many times.
Locked Away (Living With Lies Book 2) Page 5