Page 112 of Never His Girl
“Like you’d listen to me anyway,” he grumbles under his breath.
My brow tenses then and I refuse to let him get under my skin, remembering that none of this is easy for him, none of it’s black and white.
“Ricky, you’re one of my best friends,” I remind him. “Ialwayslisten to you. Even when it’s hard to. So, if you have something to say, I’m listeningnow.”
He can’t deny that, which is why he seems to be softening a bit. He remains quiet at first, but then breathes deeply just before speaking his mind.
“I think this guy’s bad news,” he openly admits. “And I think you need to cut ties before you get in too deep.”
Those words have me squirming in my seat, feeling uncomfortable because I’malreadyin too deep. My heart is about as entangled with West as it can possibly be, and there’s no turning back at this point.
Ricky leans in and I’m trying to focus, trying not to let my emotions cloud my thinking right now, but it’s not easy.
“When I met with him at the pier the other day, I didn’t tell him everything because I don’t trust his ass,” he says sharply. “But, B, his dad’s into some dark shit. Right alongside my uncle.”
To keep him from seeing how my hands are shaking all of a sudden, I clasp them in my lap.
“Dark…how? What are they into?”
A look of frustration passes over Ricky and I feel so uneasy.
“I don’t ask questions because I know better, but there’s a word that’s been tossed around a lot lately. And I know firsthand that business is booming.”
“How can you tell?”
He flashes a look out the window, toward the blue Mustang parked in the lot.
“Because Uncle Paul’s been real generous with the early Christmas gifts,” he explains.
I stare at his new ride, finding it hard not to wonder what the true cost of it was. And I’m not talking cash value.
“Like I said, I don’t push back too much, because I can’t let on that I’m suspicious, but… I’m suspicious asfuck,”he admits. It also isn’t lost on me that he almost sounds nervous. And Ricky Ruiz doesn’t get nervous.
The shaking in my hands gets worse and my appetite is gone now.
“You said there’s a word you keep hearing,” I remind him. “Can you tell me what it is?”
On some level, I’m not even sure I want to know, but being kept in the dark hasn’t done me any good so far. I need to understand what’s happening around us.
Even if the reality of it scares the shit out of me.
Ricky holds my gaze, breathing heavy for a moment, but then just comes right out with it.
“Cargo.”
There’s a sudden twisting in my gut. It’s an indication that this seemingly innocent word is anythingbutthat.
“Cargo,” I repeat.
He nods. “And if I’m right about what that means, I’m even more convinced that I need to find out why that asshole has that pic of you.”
My breathing’s erratic as I search Ricky’s expression for some measure of comfort, but I find none. He’s just as worried as I am and that’s unusual.
“Promise me you won’t dig too deep,” I say in a rush, not even sure where the words came from. I’m aware that we need answers, but I’m not willing to let him risk his life for them.
“I promised your brother I’d look after you, which is exactly what I intend to do.”
He sounds so determined, despite the impending danger I know we both sense.