floor.
When the elevator reached the bottom, it dinged and the doors parted.
That was when I saw Alvarez standing there waiting for the elevator to arrive. My gut dropped a million miles per hour when his steady gaze met mine.
"Ciara," he said, stepping forward and kissing me lightly on the cheek. "We must stop running into each other like this." He smiled.
"I know, funny isn't it?" I stammered. I suddenly remembered Chase standing beside me, "Oh, I'm sorry. This is..."
"Davin," Chase said holding his hand out. "Her brother."
"Davin," Alvarez repeated as he shook his hand. "Alvarez. Ciara and I keep bumping into each other. This is what..." He wiggled his eyebrows at me. "Our third serendipitous meeting?"
I forced a laugh to my lips. "Yes. Most unusual." I put my arm through Chase's. "Anyway, we're running late. We have a lunch meeting."
Alvarez frowned at me. "Lunch? But you're still dressed in what you wore last night."
Shit. I desperately wanted to head-slap myself for that blunder. "Yes, I'm off home to change now, actually. Hence why we're running late. I dressed in the first thing I saw this morning so I could come and pick up my brother."
Alvarez smiled. "Well don't forget to call me. We have a dancing date to attend to."
I shook my head. "Of course not. I'll give you a call tomorrow and we can sort something out."
He leaned down and kissed me on the cheek again. "Lovely to see you again." As he straightened, he said to Chase, "And nice to meet you as well."
"Likewise," Chase said with his usual confident composure.
Alvarez stepped into the elevator, and as the doors closed, Chase tugged me out of the apartment complex doors, and across the road to the car. I had a feeling that Alvarez would be watching our car if he got to a window fast enough. The thought of it sent shivers down my spine, and I forced myself not to look up at the building as Chase nudged me towards the driver's seat to maintain our cover.
I started the car up, and carefully pulled out of the park. Chase told me to drive straight ahead. I hated driving in Tijuana, hated it with the rental they first got me, and I still hated it now. The drivers were erratic, there was loads of traffic heading to the border, and everyone seemed more impatient than was necessary.
Both River and Chase were much more composed when driving in this city.
"That was close, Mack," Chase said quietly from the passenger's seat. "With Alvarez, I mean."
I nodded, still too nervous about the whole meeting to say anything.
"Chances are he could be going up to meet with Nicandro. We don't know."
I shook my head, keeping an eye on the road in front of us.
Chase pulled out his phone, and dialled a number. "Gabe. Everything is set up; you should be able to link through now." There was a pause as Gabe responded. "Yes. Three of them. Also - we just bumped into Alvarez when we were leaving the building. You better check to see if he's meeting with Nicandro."
My throat closed at the thought, and my hands gripped the steering wheel. Alvarez would know that I didn't leave with Nicandro last night, and if Nicandro told him about waking up with me, it would open a whole new can of worms that I really didn't want to deal with right now.
I swore, and thumped the wheel.
Chase looked over at me in surprise, eyebrows raised. "What? You forget something?"
"No... Just thinking, that's all." I sighed when Chase didn't say anything. "Okay, I'm just hoping like hell that Nicandro keeps his mouth shut about me if he is meeting with Alvarez. I'm pretty sure Alvarez watched me leave the ball with River last night. He'll know something is up if he discovers that I apparently slept with Nicandro."
Chase patted my leg gently, causing the butterflies inside me to return to their dance routine, and I swallowed.
"If anything happens, we'll try and cover you."
"Damn straight," I muttered. I threw my hands up at the traffic in front of us, "Now, where the fuck am I supposed to be
When the elevator reached the bottom, it dinged and the doors parted.
That was when I saw Alvarez standing there waiting for the elevator to arrive. My gut dropped a million miles per hour when his steady gaze met mine.
"Ciara," he said, stepping forward and kissing me lightly on the cheek. "We must stop running into each other like this." He smiled.
"I know, funny isn't it?" I stammered. I suddenly remembered Chase standing beside me, "Oh, I'm sorry. This is..."
"Davin," Chase said holding his hand out. "Her brother."
"Davin," Alvarez repeated as he shook his hand. "Alvarez. Ciara and I keep bumping into each other. This is what..." He wiggled his eyebrows at me. "Our third serendipitous meeting?"
I forced a laugh to my lips. "Yes. Most unusual." I put my arm through Chase's. "Anyway, we're running late. We have a lunch meeting."
Alvarez frowned at me. "Lunch? But you're still dressed in what you wore last night."
Shit. I desperately wanted to head-slap myself for that blunder. "Yes, I'm off home to change now, actually. Hence why we're running late. I dressed in the first thing I saw this morning so I could come and pick up my brother."
Alvarez smiled. "Well don't forget to call me. We have a dancing date to attend to."
I shook my head. "Of course not. I'll give you a call tomorrow and we can sort something out."
He leaned down and kissed me on the cheek again. "Lovely to see you again." As he straightened, he said to Chase, "And nice to meet you as well."
"Likewise," Chase said with his usual confident composure.
Alvarez stepped into the elevator, and as the doors closed, Chase tugged me out of the apartment complex doors, and across the road to the car. I had a feeling that Alvarez would be watching our car if he got to a window fast enough. The thought of it sent shivers down my spine, and I forced myself not to look up at the building as Chase nudged me towards the driver's seat to maintain our cover.
I started the car up, and carefully pulled out of the park. Chase told me to drive straight ahead. I hated driving in Tijuana, hated it with the rental they first got me, and I still hated it now. The drivers were erratic, there was loads of traffic heading to the border, and everyone seemed more impatient than was necessary.
Both River and Chase were much more composed when driving in this city.
"That was close, Mack," Chase said quietly from the passenger's seat. "With Alvarez, I mean."
I nodded, still too nervous about the whole meeting to say anything.
"Chances are he could be going up to meet with Nicandro. We don't know."
I shook my head, keeping an eye on the road in front of us.
Chase pulled out his phone, and dialled a number. "Gabe. Everything is set up; you should be able to link through now." There was a pause as Gabe responded. "Yes. Three of them. Also - we just bumped into Alvarez when we were leaving the building. You better check to see if he's meeting with Nicandro."
My throat closed at the thought, and my hands gripped the steering wheel. Alvarez would know that I didn't leave with Nicandro last night, and if Nicandro told him about waking up with me, it would open a whole new can of worms that I really didn't want to deal with right now.
I swore, and thumped the wheel.
Chase looked over at me in surprise, eyebrows raised. "What? You forget something?"
"No... Just thinking, that's all." I sighed when Chase didn't say anything. "Okay, I'm just hoping like hell that Nicandro keeps his mouth shut about me if he is meeting with Alvarez. I'm pretty sure Alvarez watched me leave the ball with River last night. He'll know something is up if he discovers that I apparently slept with Nicandro."
Chase patted my leg gently, causing the butterflies inside me to return to their dance routine, and I swallowed.
"If anything happens, we'll try and cover you."
"Damn straight," I muttered. I threw my hands up at the traffic in front of us, "Now, where the fuck am I supposed to be
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