Page 42 of Bad Rio

“Becca, no one can know you’re back in the states. Not yet. Not until we find out if you’re still in danger.”

She breathed in deeply. “Okay.”

“I’ll get us a no-tell motel room, sneak over to your place and grab the keys.”

“But how? Why do you think you won’t be seen?”

He didn’t take his eyes off the road. “No one will see me.”

She thought about how he’d snatched her from the cantina’s bathroom right under the noses of her captors. He’d kept her hidden in the mountain cabin, even saved her from certain recapture from the cartel. She reminded herself of how he’d constructed their ghillie suit hats, had successfully maneuvered them past watchful guards and across the river into the United States. For whatever reason, Rio was still assisting her. And he was good at what he did.

“I’m glad you’re here with me,” she told him. “And I have confidence in you. It’s obvious that you know what you’re doing. You’re the expert. From now on, I’ll try to do everything you say.”

He did take his eyes off the road then.

She couldn’t tell what he was thinking behind his glinting sunglasses, but she gave him a nod and a soft smile.

He took off his sunglasses, and she found that the same blue flames that had animated his eyes during their lovemaking had come alive again. “I want you.” Taking a quick glance at the road, his gaze returned to travel over her breasts, down her body. “Do you want me?”

“Oh,” she breathed, fidgeting.Oh, God.“Yes. Yes, I do.”

He slid his shades back on his face. “Good. Man, it’s gonna be a long drive.” A wry grin twisted his lips. “That part about doing everything I say? That was pretty funny. You’re not exactly the meek type.”

“I said I’dtry.”

“When we arrive in San Antonio and find a motel, I’ll get the keys and late tonight I’ll sneak over to your dad’s factory, and check it out.”

“Sounds like a plan. I’m going, too.”

“Becca—”

“I’m going.” She set her jaw.

He hesitated, then gave his trademark shrug as though it was her choice and he cared little.

She found it bothered her, his retreat into indifference. During their hours of lovemaking, he’d been anything but indifferent. She wondered if he used the cool attitude to insulate himself from the world, like a shell or invisible armor ... or a ghillie suit.

“This evening in the motel, we won’t have much to do for several hours. We’ll just have to rest...” He grinned wolfishly. “And stuff.”

****

As soon as they checkedin, Rio left her alone in the low-rent motel room to shower and wait for his return. When he drove away, she locked the door securely, and using the motel’s shampoo, washed her hair twice. In the bathroom, she found a room-supplied comb, so she worked it through her long hair until it hung heavy and damp down her back.

Making a pot of coffee with the hotel’s equipment, she nursed the black brew. It was bitter and a poor replacement for her beloved Ethiopian Arabica coffee beans, but it was all she had and she desperately craved it.

Putting on new undergarments, white cotton capris pants, and the white embroidered Mexican peasant top felt good. A new pair of white tennis shoes and socks finished her outfit. On the bed she laid out the khaki pants, new T-shirt and shoes she’d bought for Rio. He’d told her he would take a shower when he got back.

Peeking through the motel draperies into the parking lot, she saw that it was beginning to get dark. He hadn’t told her how he was going to get inside her condo. She’d only given him her address and a description of the building.

However, now that she’d seen the imaginative way he solved problems, she’d no doubt he’d find a way.

Gazing longingly at the room telephone, she wished she could call her father, reassure him of her safety. She wished she could call Maria, her old roommate, and make certain that during the violent kidnapping, she and her father hadn’t been hurt.

Reluctantly, Becca made no calls.

Picking up a newspaper left on the nightstand, she scanned it for news and found nothing about any American woman kidnapped from the Mexican ambassador’s home. When she flipped on the TV and watched an entire news cycle, there was no reporting on her case there, either. As Rio had told her, somebody high up was keeping a lid on this.

Pacing the room, she chewed nervously on a knuckle.

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