Page 27 of Temptation and Treachery
Chapter Thirteen
Celeste stared out the window, watching men move around the grounds. Vix paced the floor, her dark catsuit useless now that the sun was up. She’d tried half a dozen escape plans, but none ended in success, even in her imagination, thanks to Rio. Celeste sat in the hospital bed, cold metal handcuffing her to the rail. One hand had been freed for her to feed herself, but with absolutely no interest in food, she’d only managed to force down a few bites. Her mind kept replaying the arrest. The gunshots had echoed in her head most of the night, chasing away any possibility of sleep.
She reached up with her free hand and rubbed her eyes, wishing she could curl up somewhere safe and sleep. The door opened, and Kari greeted someone who didn’t respond. Frowning, she dropped her hand, dragging her attention away from the scene outside. She looked over her shoulder and went still.
Rio.
He acknowledged Kari with a quiet “Hey,” and stood there, looking at her. Heat flared in her cheeks, and her heart started beating so hard it filled her throat. She turned away, focusing on a spot in the middle of the yard. After everything he’d done, she was still annoyed she looked like crap, and he got to see her this way.
“Celeste.” Hearing her name coming from him set her nerves on edge. “Look at me.” She straightened her spine, scowling as she met his gaze. “You haven’t eaten.”
“I’m not hungry.”
His features hardened. “I’m not going to let you hurt this child.”
She flinched. How could he think she’d willingly hurt the baby? “I’m not,” she retorted, outrage adding a hard edge to her tone. She moved to fold her arms under her breasts only to be held in place by the wrist. “The chorizo is…” She shook her head, scrunching her nose.
He relented, looking down at the chorizo and egg. “Parker.” He picked up the untouched meal and handed it to Kari, ignoring her questioning look. “Can you talk the kitchen into fixing a quick breakfast?”
“I think I can work something out.” Kari took the plate, giving her a curious glance from head to waist and back. Celeste wanted to stop her, but truthfully, she hadn’t eaten a full meal since the previous afternoon. She had no idea how that would affect a developing baby.
“Eggs, plain and scrambled, ham on the side. Wheat bread, lightly toasted.” Something twisted inside her. He remembered how she liked her breakfast. Vix’s shoulders sagged, and her expression turned dreamy. Celeste gave a disapproving sniff. These people probably researched their targets and learned everything about them. He turned back to look at her, his expression having softened. “And milk,” he added over his shoulder.
“Gotcha.” Kari gave him a mock salute. Celeste bit her lip, struggling with the urge to call her back. For the first time since this nightmare started, she and Rio were alone together. Suddenly the room seemed a lot smaller with just the two of them. Her senses focused on him, fighting to put up a wall and scale it at the same time.
“We need to talk.”
“I have nothing to say to you.” She turned to the window, once again trying and failing to cross her arms.
“It’s about your father.”
Damn him. She ground her teeth and gave a subtle tilt of her head. “I’m listening.”
“Yesterday, you claimed your father wasn’t a part of all the violent acts he’s been credited with.”
Celeste nodded. What was Rio after? Hadn’t he done enough? Then it hit her, the jerk wanted help chasing him. Anger roiled through her. “I’m not going to help you trap him,” she snapped.
“Answer the question, Celeste.”
“He’s still my father. I can’t be—”
“He’s already in custody,” he said, losing some of the hard edge in his voice.
“No.” Bloody, horrific images flashed through her mind. Oz’s face replacing every victim the internet offered up when she Googled him. Devastated, she set her hand to her throat, applying pressure where her lungs were threatening to blast through. “Is-is he all right?” Her eyes burned, but she couldn’t look away. Custody. Not dead. Not hospitalized. Still, with her father’s reputation, things could have gone bad. Really bad.
Rio’s gaze swept across her face, in a familiar way. “He’s alive. And safe.” She fell back on the bed, releasing a shaky breath. Thankfully he was arrested and not killed. “Celeste, I need you to concentrate. You said he wasn’t involved in some of the reported skirmishes?” She nodded, pushing herself up on one elbow. “You understand he hires people like the ones in those firefights.”
“I know.” She agreed. “But this wasn’t him. I tried to tell your guy last night, but he didn’t believe me.”
“What if I said there’s a possibility you’re right?” Rio watched her intently. “Convince me it’s not him.”
“You didn’t see his face.” The memory was still vivid in her mind. “He didn’t know about the nightclub in Mazatlán until one of his men came in, pulling him aside for a whispered conversation. He told me to go to bed and spent half the night watching international news and making phone calls. Same with Tampico, only he sent me home and flew back to Mexico.” The people killed were innocent tourists at a popular resort. The news reported her father sighted in the area, so they believed he was personally responsible. “The following year, he came to visit for my birthday. That’s when Monclova happened. He left, furious.”
“How many phones does your father use?”
“Just the one.” She hitched a shoulder, not knowing what her father did outside of their visits. “Well, for me, just the one.”
Rio leaned against the foot of the bed, solid arms crossed over his chest, reminding her of another time, another bed. He’d been so relaxed. Sexy. Her fingers had itched to explore his bare chest even though they’d just— “Would you be surprised to find two numbers for him in your contacts?”
