Intimate Enemies (19 page)

Rio slid the weapon back into his jeans and muttered, “You’re about to rip my shirt, sugar.”

Cassie forced her fingers to uncurl from the cotton. She didn’t feel steady enough to walk on her own. Now that the gang was gone, all of the what-ifs rushed in and paralyzed her. But her pride wouldn’t let her hold on.

When she shifted her weight to her own feet, Rio rounded on her, gripped both arms, and brought his face within an inch of hers. “When I tell you to get inside, you
get inside
. Do you understand?”

Shock hit her head on and she recoiled. His fingers dug into her arms as he shook her. “Do you fucking realize what could have happened right there?
Do you?
”

Her head was fuzzy. Confused. Anger and fear made her heart beat fast. An overwhelming sense of loss she didn’t understand pushed tears to her eyes.

“Christ,” he bit out, low and pained, and shook her again. “Don’t cry. They’re watching, Cassie. Don’t you dare cry. Scream, throw a tantrum, do anything else, but don’t fucking cry.”

Anger gave way to rage. Confusion blurred all good sense. And her control snapped.

“I don’t cry, asshole.” Cassie jerked out of his hold, hauled back, and let her hand fly. She cracked Rio hard across the face. His head jolted sideways. A fleshy smack sounded at the same time his whisker-roughened cheek dug into her palm. The sensations instantly made her want to hurl.

He raised his hand to his face with a grimace. “Motherfucking…” He hissed a breath between his teeth and squinted at her. “Nice one. I didn’t expect you to pack quite that much power.”

He rubbed at his cheek, gave his head a good shake, and stretched his face muscles, then reached for the carrier filled with coffee he’d set on the top of a garbage can nearby. An angry red handprint remained, showing the first signs of welting.

Some kind of pained sound came out of her throat. Never had she hit…anyone. Ever. And Rio? She cared for Rio. Yes, he was acting like a lunatic and a shit, but …

Good Lord, what was happening to her?

“Hey.” His voice was soft as he walked up to her and ran a hand over her hair. Her world righted for a millisecond. Then he said, “You did good. Now we kiss and make up. The
Muertos
know you’re not a pushover and not to fuck with you.” He grinned. “Besides, I belong to you, right? So have your way with me.”

He leaned in, and it took a second to believe that after all that, he was really going to kiss her. She slapped a hand to his chest, stopping him a breath from her lips, and all she could focus on was the injury she’d caused. The tears pushed out and over her lower lashes.

“This was…all a game?” Her voice was weak, rough. “A show? You taunted me into hitting you—”

“Hold on.” He reached up and wiped at her tears with his thumb. “I did suggest a few other options.”

She pushed hard at his chest, turned, and started walking.

He came up beside her. “I’ve been trying to tell you how things work out here, but you don’t want to listen. So now you’ve had a front-row seat, Cassie. Now you know why I carry a weapon. Now you know why you need protection at the clinic. Now you know why I need to be with you everywhere you go.”

She stopped and turned on him. “Tell me why they’re all so afraid of you. What did you do to earn
that
reputation?”

His gaze went dark, and a hint of shame shot through before he looked away. “All that matters is that they are.”

“Is it? Is that what matters to you, Rio?”

“If them being afraid of me keeps you safe, then yeah, that’s what really matters to me.”

She stepped close, grabbed the front of his T-shirt, and implored, “
Why?
”

His expression twisted from frustration to anger. He turned away and started walking again. “Why can’t you believe I don’t want to see you get hurt? Why can’t I just care?”

“Maybe because that would give you an admitted direct conflict of interest. Maybe because we’ve only known each other two days, of which you’ve seen ninety percent of my bad side.”

“Maybe I like your bad side.”

“Then you’re in luck. There’s a lot to like.”

He strode up the clinic steps and held the door open for her. “You may have only known me for two days, but I’ve known you a lot longer.”

The scent of fresh wood and paint washed over her as she entered. Every sound echoed around the unfinished space, and she knew their conversation was nearing an end. “What does that mean?”

Rio walked in behind her, but instead of answering, called, “Hey, Solana!”

He stood so close his enthusiastic voice vibrated over her neck and shoulders. He reached past her and set the crate of coffee on the temporary plywood reception counter.

The two men met in the center of the space and did some elaborate handshake thing like teenagers.

“Haven’t seen you in a while.” Raymie’s smile lit up his deep brown skin. “What you been up to, man?”

She turned to set her coffee on the reception desk. One look at Nina and Cassie lost track of the men’s conversation. Her cousin rose slowly from her chair, attention focused on the interaction between Rio and Raymie with clear discomfort.

“Nina?” Cassie rounded the reception desk. “Something wrong?”

Nina pursed her lips. Her gaze dropped away. “No. Nothing.” She grabbed a handful of papers and turned down the hall. “I’m doing inventory.”

“Great catch, Cassie,” Raymie said from behind her. She turned to find his trademark grin in place, but Rio’s attention followed Nina down the hall. “Rio’s help will really speed things up.”

“Good,” she answered absently. “Keep him busy.”

Cassie followed Nina’s path and pushed open the door to exam room three. Nina stood at the counter, sifting through a box of lab supplies with jerky shoves.

Cassie closed the door. “What’s wrong?”

Nina’s hard glance sliced toward her. “What are you
doing
with him?”

Oh, great
. She braced herself. “Getting coffee. What’s the problem?”

Arms crossed over her chest, Nina flipped her long hair over one shoulder. “When…where…? How did you meet up with someone like him?”

Cassie slid her hands into her back pockets. “He’s working security at the estate for Saul.”

Nina’s tight expression went slack for a long second, followed by an audible click when she closed and set her jaw. “Well, I guess that makes sense.” She busied herself with supplies again. “You know, I was thinking today. I have everything under control here; the clinic’s coming together nicely. Why don’t you go back to San Diego or take a vacation before you have to start your fellowship? You could probably use a break. This last year hasn’t been easy—”

“Okay.” Cassie held up her hands. “Saul I can understand. I expected him to be a prick. Rio would love to have me out of the way to make his life easier. But you? What possible reason could you have for wanting me to leave?”

Nina threw a handful of test tubes back into the box and faced her. “I don’t, Cassie. I don’t want you to leave, but….” Her gaze darted to the door. “It would be safer.”

She pulled her hands from her pockets and planted them on her hips. “What in the hell are you talking about? Spill it, Nina. Now.”

“He’s dangerous, Cassie.” The lowered hiss of her cousin’s voice raised the hair on Cassie’s arms. “He killed a man.”

The words didn’t stick, didn’t sink in. She couldn’t let them. After how close Cassie had been with Rio, how vulnerable she’d allowed herself to be with him, just as she’d been with Sharpe… “How do you know that?”

“The same way anyone knows anything in this town. People talk. Everyone knows.”

The reason for Rio’s reputation was starting to take shape, and one part of her brain wanted to hold out benefit of the doubt for him, while another wanted to kick on the flight reflex.

“Then why isn’t he in jail?” Cassie asked.

“You just told me he works for Saul. Everyone knows Saul’s tight with Chief Fermin.”

Cassie envisioned Rio and Fermin shaking hands the night before, their easy familiarity. Nervous tendrils snaked through her chest.

Another burst of Rio’s and Raymie’s laughter drifted into the room.

Nina’s gaze turned and held on the door. “I didn’t know they were friends. Raymie’s last job was down in La Paz. Maybe he hasn’t heard…maybe he doesn’t know what Rio’s really like.”

Cassie was beginning to wonder if anyone knew what Rio was really like. She used to believe she was such a good judge of character, believed her senses had become so keen over the last year in the emergency room, but…

“Listen,” she said, “give me some time to get the real story before you say or do anything. Don’t ruin a sweet start with Raymie over a rumor, okay?”

Resignation smoothed the stress wrinkles in Nina’s forehead. “You’re right. Okay.”

Cassie sighed, but she was hardly relieved. “Now, do you want me to have him leave? I told him he could help out, and he’s also here as a source of security.” She held her hand up before Nina had a chance to argue. “I agreed before I knew anything about this history, and I have to tell you that he just diffused a terrible situation with the
Muertos
in the street. I’m extremely worried about you here, and in this case, Rio’s reputation could be a benefit. I’ve spent the last couple of days with him at the estate and he’s been…”
—delicious, irresistible, sexily distracting—
“…tolerable. He says he was Mamà and Santos’s friend, and from the things he’s told me, I believe him.”

Another wave of laughter carried through the clinic, and Nina closed her eyes, obviously torn between a budding romance and deep fears.

“Let’s just see how it goes,” Cassie said. “If you’re uncomfortable, you say the word and he’s out of here. In the meantime, I’ll try to get the details. Okay?”

Nina pushed out a deep breath and met Cassie’s gaze. “Fine.”

Cassie and Nina emerged from the exam room, and the men’s laughter quieted. Rio held a roll of drywall tape, fingers covered in white dust. The entire line of his body was relaxed, his easy stance slanting his shoulders and hips. He wore a wide smile, lopsided and bright. Those mysterious eyes shone warm green and glimmered with happiness.

When his attention locked on to her, Cassie’s stomach corkscrewed. Damn he was…sexy. Incredibly sexy. And if she hadn’t been standing in that street just minutes ago, she wouldn’t have believed that man and this could be one and the same, which made her wonder just how many sides he had—and which was real.

Twelve

Rio shoved his truck into Park and waited as Cassie gathered her things from the Jeep and headed into the house. She didn’t look back, which, while not surprising, still annoyed the shit out of him.

The sun had started to sink over the ocean behind the house, and Rio yearned for a good, long, mind-numbing swim. The exercise would help ease sore muscles, and the cold would hopefully dull the pain in his chest.

Something had happened at the clinic shortly after they’d arrived. Cassie had pulled so far away from Rio she’d acted as if he didn’t exist the rest of the day. He would never have guessed her indifference could hurt more than her anger, but he ached with it now.

And he still couldn’t figure out what had caused her to close off so completely, though he was sure it had something to do with Nina. He’d endured the girl’s cool attitude and half-nasty, half-fearful looks the entire day. Her friendliness to Raymie and the other workers made it clear her problem was with Rio, but he couldn’t remember ever interacting with her. He could only figure that she’d heard about his reputation, which could very well explain Cassie’s distance.

Convincing himself that was for the best wasn’t working so well after spending the day listening to Cassie’s sweet voice and occasional laughter, or looking up to see her walking down the hall. The further she pulled away emotionally, the more desperately he wanted to do something to pull her back.

He didn’t know if he was coming or going with this woman. Had never been in such an impossible situation in all his years of undercover. Had never had so much at risk.

Leaning forward, Rio crossed his arms on the steering wheel, rested his chin there, and watched her disappear behind the front door.

“Suck it up,” he murmured. “Couple weeks and it’ll all be over.”

Cassie would be safe, and she’d have everything she wanted. Saul would be out of her life for good. The home she loved so much would once again be her own. Then she’d go back to San Diego, vacation here on weekends, never another worry in her perfect little world.

And why the hell would she want to continue any kind of relationship with him? She was beautiful, successful, had more money than God. He’d be nothing but a memory from a time in her life she’d rather forget.

Which he told himself was for the best, because Cassie had him thinking in terms of relationships—something that was impossible for someone in his position. The pain of that encroaching reality brought out a darker side of Rio. The side that whispered
take her while you can. There won’t be any future to worry about.

He climbed from the truck, wincing at the pull of tired muscles but grateful for the distraction. All in all, it had been a great day. Honest work, good progress, fun company. When had he degraded into a chump who could let a woman’s mood ruin his enjoyment?

He was cursing himself in four different languages when he walked into the main house and found Saul waiting for him.

“My office, Rio.”

Like an obedient dog, Rio followed. His patient undercover persona was wearing thin. He might need to take a break before accepting another assignment after this. That or think about an even bigger change, because he was damn sick and tired of playing all these games—with Saul, with Fermin, with the gangs, with everyone. But especially with Cassie. She made him think about taking a long-ass break from undercover and never returning.

He was hot, sweaty, tired, irritated, and horny as hell after looking at her all day, and Saul’s inquisition was not on the top of Rio’s interest list.