The Other Marlowe Girl (Marlowe Girls) (7 page)

At least I wasn’t dead. 
Yet.
 

His face came barreling toward me.
 

“Sweetheart, I hate to break it to you but your husband is a loser. Squeezing him ain’t gonna get me my money. Squeezing you might. And you wrote the check. After that diamond stunt, I should kill you. I want cash now.” 
 

He reached into his pocket. 
Gun. That’s the only thing guys like Daniel pull out of their pocket.
 I had to do something and quick. I curled my foot around his leg and bit my bottom lip. “Maybe, we could work out some other arrangement?” I said as I moved the denim of his pant leg gently up and down with the tip of my sandal.
 

His laugh sounded more like a grunt. “After those chunks of plastic? Not if you were the last woman on Earth.”

Being cute was not going to get me out of this, and there was not much else to me. 
God, I wish I was smart like Tiffany. 
Then it hit me. I had one other asset. My eyes flashed down to where our legs were for a millisecond. I pushed my lower body forward a bit, so I’d be in a better position, sure the dumbass would just think I was still flirting with him. “Are you sure?” I asked.
 

I had no idea if he would consider it or not, but it didn’t matter. All that mattered was distracting him for that fraction of a second gave me time to bring my knee up and pound it into the crotch of his jeans. Daniel folded at the waist, grabbing his crotch with both hands. I slid one foot and then the other slightly to the left to give myself more room. 
Time to practice my high kick for the first time in years.
 My stiletto heel caught Daniel’s jaw with enough force to knock him off balance. Daniel slapped the parking lot as a bike pulled up less than a foot from me.
 

“Are you okay?” 

I stepped over Daniel’s feet on the ground and jumped on the bike behind Enrique. “We need to get out of here.” 

He took his helmet off and handed it to me. “Wear this.”

“Just go!”

“Hang on.” 

I slipped one arm around Enrique and pushed the helmet over my head using my free hand. Then I leaned forward, closing my arms around him. Daniel couldn’t follow us right now thank God, but we needed to get as much distance between us as possible. Wind hit me in the face as we darted in and out of traffic.

“You’re going to get us killed!” I screamed.

“You just drop kicked a drug dealer. I think you can handle a bumpy ride.”

We turned into the parking lot of a gated apartment building. Enrique pulled a card from his pocket and waived it in front of the gate. The iron bars slid apart, and we cruised past them and around the first couple of buildings before parking. The bike stopped and Enrique popped up, but I needed a minute to catch my breath and take in everything that had happened tonight. I blew out a deep breath, and when I looked up, Enrique studied me.

“You never answered my question. Are you okay?” He extended his hand, and I took it, allowing his strength to pull me from the bike.

“I’m fine.” Closing my eyes, I pictured Enrique’s beat up BMW in the bank parking lot. “God, I’m sorry about your car. I’ll pay
 
for it.” 
Somehow. Eventually.
 

He shook his head. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll take care of the car. I’ll tell the insurance I backed into a building. What happened, Kammy?”
 

“Can we get inside first?”

“Sure.” He took my hand and led me to the door.

“Where are we?”

“My place. I hope that’s cool. We should talk and I didn’t want to do it at Luke’s.”

“It’s fine.”

We stepped into a room with a large gray couch against one wall and a big screen TV and computer table against the other.

I crossed to the couch and took a seat. Enrique went to the kitchen the living room opened up into, flipping on a light as he walked by.

“Do you want a glass of wine?”

“Yes.” 
After tonight I could use the whole bottle.
 

A second light came on in the kitchen, and Enrique sat two wine glasses on the counter separating the rooms and began pouring into them.
 

“
Chica, 
what happened tonight?”
 

“I went to apply for jobs and I noticed Daniel behind me. He followed me forever, so I texted you to meet me. I thought he would disappear if you were there, the way he backed down in the bar that night. But he followed me to the coffee shop, and when he couldn’t get me out of the car any other way,
 
he rammed it.” I crossed to the counter and picked up my glass. Enrique was around the counter pulling me to him in seconds. 
 

“I’m sorry I wasn’t there. 
Mí mama 
likes to talk, and I couldn’t get out quicker.”
 

“It’s okay. It’s not your fault. I’m the one who wrote a hot check to a drug dealer.”

“And drop kicked him. How did you do that?”

I grinned. “I told you I was a dance major.”

“When I saw the car, and him and you, I was so worried, but then you knocked him out. That was hot, Kammy.”

I felt my cheeks warm at that and wondered what was happening to me. I wasn’t the kind of girl to blush, and this man had done it to me more than once.

“But I’m sure it hurt his pride to have his ass kicked by a girl. The next time he finds you alone, he’s going to—hurt you.” The way his voice dropped on those last two words told me it wasn’t what he wanted to say, because we both knew the truth. The next time he would kill me. “I would give him the money to leave you alone, but I’m not sure he would do it, and I can’t have a paper trail to a drug dealer. My big brother would have a field day with that one.”

“Hey, I didn’t ask you to pay him, and I don’t want you to.”

“I know you didn’t ask me to, but I’m not sure what other option you have. You could go to the police, maybe. But you’re probably going to come out of it with some charges, and I can’t have that either.” 
 

“Why?”

“Because I’m not killing time here, and I can’t have criminal connections either. I think that might get me disowned, if not disbarred.”

The blood raced through my cheeks. I felt the color growing darker. I hated having my emotions so displayed, but I loved the feeling I got from being around Enrique. “Enrique, I told you not to get mixed up with me.”

He shrugged. “I’m already involved.”

Then I did something I’d never done before. I was completely honest. “I’m scared.”

Enrique held me tighter. “I am too, but it’s going to be okay. Trust me.”

“He knows where they live.”

“Who knows where who lives?”

“Daniel. He knows where I’m staying. He knows where Luke and Tiffany live. You were right, I shouldn’t have gone there. Lucí’s there. It makes me sick.”

“How do you know?” he asked slowly.

“He texted me a picture of their house.”

Enrique let go of me and paced across the floor. “This is worse than I thought. I’m just paying him.”

“You can’t do that.”

“What choice do I have? He’s after you. I’m not going to let anything happen to you, and even if I were that guy, you’re staying with my brother and his one-year-old. I’m getting rid of the drug dealer.”

I shook my head. “You 
can’t 
pay him.” I caused this problem and I was going to take care of it myself, somehow. 
 

“I really can’t, but I’ll figure out a way to eliminate a paper trail.”

“I’ll leave.”

“What?”

“I’ll leave Luke’s house. Then you won’t have to worry about Lucí.”

He looked me in the eye. “You know it’s not just Lucí I’m worried about, right?”

“Enrique, you can’t fix this.”

He sighed. “I’m not giving in, but since I can’t think of a way right now, we’ll talk about it later.”

I wanted to argue, put up more of a fight. He needed to give in. I wasn’t letting him pay for Emmett’s drugs, and this was my problem. I should have found a better way to deal with it a long time ago. But talking about it later sounded good at the moment. I needed to think about something else—
anything 
else for a while. We took our wine glasses and sat down on the couch. I lay back in exhaustion and rested my head on Enrique’s leg, not sure what he would think of it. His lips turned up into a perfect smile, and he took my hand.
 

“So other than the encounter with the drug dealer, how was your day?”

“You know most of it.”

We watched “Ever After” while finishing the wine. 

“I know you don’t want anyone to know about this, but I’m talking to Luke.”

“About Daniel? You can’t!”

“Kammy, I don’t feel like you’ve done anything wrong. Stupid, maybe. Not wrong. But if this guy has shown up at his house, I think he should know.”

“I told you, I’ll stay with my parents or Katia.”

“You’re staying with your sister because your parents kicked you out, and Katia isn’t reliable.”

“I’m sure my mom just wanted me to get a job. She’ll let me stay there.”

“This guy is looking for you, and he thinks he can find you at your sister’s. You can stay here, or I can put you up in a hotel. But it doesn’t matter, because he already thinks you’re at Luke’s. I’ll leave out the details. I’ll make you innocent.”

I felt the tears roll down my face. “He already hates me, and my sister isn’t going to talk to me until he doesn’t. If you do this, I’ll never speak to you again.”

He pushed a strand of my hair behind my ear. “Come on, you don’t mean that.”

I pushed myself up into a seated position and glared at him. “Yes, I do. And I’m good at not talking to people.” 

“You want your sister and niece to be safe, don’t you?”

“He’s not after them. He’s after me.”

“And he wasn’t after you when he showed up at your apartment that day either.”

“If I hadn’t written a hot check, he still wouldn’t be after me. And I don’t see Tiffany doing that.”

Enrique moved to close the space I’d put between us. “He would have shot you, if you hadn’t.”

“Enrique, please don’t do this. I’ll—I’ll do whatever you want me to. Just don’t do this.”

“I think I have to. If you think Luke is the reason your sister doesn’t talk to you, I’ll ask him about it.”
 

I crossed my arms. “Oh, yeah. Because that’s going to make him like me so much more. He already thinks I’m playing some kind of game with you.”

“Kammy, I’ll take care of it. Trust me, please?” 

No. I don’t trust guys. Duh.

He stood and offered me his hand. “Come on, 
princessa
. It’s getting late. I should get you home.”
 

I got up without taking his hand and walked to the door with Enrique following behind me. “You can’t stay mad at me forever,” he whispered. 

I wasn’t sure about that. His smile made me smile, so it might be hard to stay mad at him. But if he told anyone about Daniel, I thought I could do it.

Chapter 9

Back at my sister’s, Enrique walked in with me. I knew then he would sell me out.

“Luke, I need to talk to you,” he said.

I shot him a glare.

“Okay?” Luke said.

Enrique’s eyes trailed from Luke to where Tiffany sat beside him holding the baby. “Alone,” he said quietly. 

Tiffany stood up, holding Lucí in her arms. “I’ll just go put the baby to bed.”

I glared at Enrique one more time. “I hate you,” I muttered. I looked at Tiffany. “I’ll help with Lucí.” 

But the “I hate you” I threw at Enrique must have been louder than I thought, because Luke looked from Enrique to where I trudged toward Tiffany, then back to Enrique and said, “Already?” 

“Definitely,” I confirmed.

“Kammy—” Enrique started.

“What?” I cut him off.

“You’re beautiful.” He gave me a smile that made me want to melt, but I couldn’t care because I had begged him not to do this.

“Gee, I’ve never heard that before. Wow! Mr. Hernandez, you are so creative!”

Tiffany laughed and turned to look at me. “This is better than primetime. Come on. You can tell me about it.”

“There is nothing to tell.”

As we headed up the stairs I heard Luke say, “I know a good florist.”

“What happened?” Tiffany asked.

“Nothing.”

“Are you sure?” She sat Lucí down on her changing mat and started pulling her sleep sack on over her onesie.

“Pretty sure.” I leaned against the wall while Tiffany sat down in her rocking chair.

“What did he do?”

“Nothing.” 
 

“He’s a good guy.”

“I know.”

“Well, he must have done something. You’re obviously upset.”

I sighed. “It’s not his fault. It’s my fault as usual. I just don’t know why he couldn’t let me handle it.”

“What happened?”

“Tiffany, I’m not talking about it.” My voice was sharper than I meant for it to be, and I instantly regretted it. 

Anger flashed across her face for a second, and then it was gone. “Are you still screwing things up and expecting other people to take care of them?”

Now I was angry. “No. I asked him to let me take care of it. That’s what I’m mad about.” I kissed Lucí on the head and left the room, calling “goodnight” to Tiffany on the way out.

  The next morning when I went downstairs, Tiffany was putting waffles on the table. “Can I ride to work with you?” I asked Tiffany.

Luke looked up over his paper, tracing his eyes from me to her.

“Sure,” my sister answered.

“Where is Enrique’s BMW?” Luke asked.

I sighed. “I got rear-ended.” No need to point out unnecessary details. I had no idea what Enrique had or hadn’t told him.

Tiffany laughed. “You’re fighting over the car?”

“How about I drive you both today?” Luke asked before I could answer.

“Why?” Tiffany asked.

“I was taking you today anyhow. I’ll just take you both.”

“Were you planning to tell me about this?”

“We don’t spend much time together these days. I miss you.”