Page 82 of Wrecked By You

“Nothing. Forget it.”

Secrets. Dangerous things that, in the end, always spilled out. And when they did, carnage ensued.

“You should have told me. I could have helped you. Icanhelp you.”

“I don’t need your help.”

“Yes, you fucking do.”

All the fight in me fled, leaving me weakened and exhausted. “I need time to think. Space. Give me that, please.”

“Fine.” His voice softened. “Whatever you need. You take the suite. I’ll make myself scarce for a few hours.”

He cupped my face, brushing his thumb over my cheekbone. The tender touch made me want to cry.

“But I won’t give up on you. On us. When you’re ready, I want you to tell me everything, and we’ll form a plan. But I guarantee that you and Chloe are safe.”

I wished I could believe that. But after his private detective had found out my real name and my marital status in a mere few hours, it was only a matter of time before Mateo found me.

“Safety is an illusion, Johannes.”

As I walked away, I felt the heat from his stare on the back of my neck. But when I turned around, he’d gone.

Instead of going up to the suite, I headed for the swimming pool. Mateo might not have found me, but the need to keep Chloe close trumped any and all logic. The pool deck was jam-packed with sun worshippers, the pool filled with people standing around in groups chatting and drinking. I weaved through the crammed-together sunbeds toward the children’s pool and play area. The heat from the sun bore down on me, and I squinted, ruing the lack of a hat and a pair of shades.

Chloe and Ginny weren’t at the pool. They must have gone inside to escape the heat. I didn’t blame them. I’d only been out here for a few minutes, and I’d had enough already.

I returned inside and took the elevator up to the suite. Johannes’s revelation wouldn’t stop racing around in my head. He knew I was married, and he knew my real name, but he didn’t know the truth of why I’d left. I should have told him. He was right about that. But when your life was on the line, you traded nothing for safety.

And besides, Johannes had his own secrets that he’d kept to himself.

Both of us were culpable.

Neither of us was willing to trust the other.

The question was, where did we go from here?

I didn’t have an answer.

The light on the door turned green as I touched the key card to the black plate. I pushed it open and entered.

“Chloe! Ginny!”

Silence greeted me. Hmm. Maybe they’d gone for a bite to eat, or for a ride on the Monorail that ran the length of the Strip. Chloe had mentioned that this morning. She’d never been on one before. Neither had I. Hopefully, I’d get time before we returned to Los Angeles.

If I stuck around.

Whatever happened, I needed to tell Johannes everything, and he had to do the same. Without a complete clearing of the air, we wouldn’t be able to move forward.

I kicked off my shoes and tossed my purse onto the couch. My hair fell in my eyes, and I reaffixed the hairpin I used to keep it off my face then padded over to Chloe’s bedroom in case she and Ginny had returned and were taking a nap. I stepped inside. Empty. I turned around, but as I did, a movement from my left caught my eye. A man emerged from the shadows, and the bottom fell out of my world.

“Hello, Eloise,” Mateo said, moving closer. “I’ve missed you.”

I backed into the living room, assessing my options. I wouldn’t make it to the door. My phone was in my purse, out of reach all the way over there on the couch, and the house phone was as fruitless as the door. Johannes wouldn’t return for a while, and I hadn’t a clue where Ginny and Chloe were.

Oh God.

My mouth went dry.