Page 59 of Under His Sheets
“Is everyone gone?”
“Nearly. Are you hurt?”
He reached over and tugged on the lapel of my suit coat. He pulled a small metal disc off of the fabric, rolled down the window with a hand crank, and tossed it out.
“What was that?”
“That was the listening device my comandante put on you. I had my own. Did anyone hurt you, Randall?”
“No,” I said, surprised. “Jaume was going to search me, but then he got interrupted and Paolo stopped him so I was able to leave.”
He opened his fingers, flexed them, and then tightened them on the steering wheel. “I wish you would not have been put in that position.”
“I needed to go. For Pere. What happened to Ruiz?”
“I don’t know,” he said. “They are still looking for him.” He glanced at me. “He was taken out of the house and forced into a black SUV, driven by Vidal’s bodyguard. The task force lost him. They are trying to track his phone, but no luck finding a signal as of yet.”
“Hewhat? Theykidnapped him? Oh my God! He was just gone…I thought he’d left or was snooping or something. I never thought?—”
My stomach bottomed out and bile crawled up the back of my throat. This situation was spiraling out of control.
Alonso reached for my hand and squeezed it as he shushed me.
“He is trained for this. We all know what can happen doing this work.”
“God, Alonso, Paolo asked about you! Asked if I knew you. He?—”
“He was not one of the men who assaulted my father, but Vidal was there.”
“Assaulted? Alonso?—”
“One of the men pushed him a few times and he pushed back. My father is not one to be walked over. It was enough to upset the delicate balance of his health.”
“Your parents…your poor mother must have been so worried. I’m sorry, Alonso. I feel awful, but I’m glad you weren’t inside with me. They talked about you?—”
“I heard everything,” he said. “The device in your boutonniere.” He glanced down at me before taking a turn a little fast. “You did so good, Randall. I hate that you were there, but you did so good.”
I was quiet for a moment. “Then you heard what he said to me. That I can’t trust you.”
“And?”
I’d gotten into the car with him. I would do it again. “I trust you.”
Alonso nodded and his hands adjusted on the steering wheel.
“Camille was there. With Vidal.”
Alonso frowned. “Did you know she knew him?”
“No. I had no idea.”
Alonso’s eyes were scanning the road in front of him. We’d been driving longer than it should have taken to get back to my apartment.
“Where are we going?”I didn’t recognize where we were.
“To Felip’s apartment. It is the safest place right now.”
I blinked. “Alonso, what is happening?”
