Love or Money - Elizabeth Roderick Page 0,58
send you the documents you need in order to access the money yourself. I’m going to be fine, everything is going to work out, and I’ll be able to get the money back to you in person, but just in case, okay?”
“Okay, Riel,” Lizette said quietly. “But, please, just be really careful. You shouldn’t be doing this at all. You should just run away.”
Riel couldn’t keep herself from snorting. “Where would I go, that they wouldn’t find me? If it’s so easy, why don’t you run away?”
Riel waited breathlessly for her sister’s answer.
“I have the kids,” Lizette finally said, her voice shaking. “I need to take care of them. And Isaias…he’s my husband…”
“I know he’s your husband,” Riel said bitterly. “But he’s a cabrón, Lizette.”
The pressure on Riel’s heart eased when Lizette gave a watery laugh. That laugh died quickly into silence, however, and she spoke with a note of desperation in her voice. “I know he’s not perfect,” Lizette said, “but he takes care of us.”
Riel clutched the phone. “And if you could take care of yourself and the kids without him? Would you do it?”
Riel’s pounding heart rang into the silence. Lizette couldn’t be loyal to that asshole, she just couldn’t.
Lizette sniffed. “Yes,” she finally said, her voice barely audible. “If I could get out of this life, I would.”
Riel let out a breath. Thank God. “We’re going to get through this, Lizette.”
“I know we will. Just be careful.”
“You too, Lizette. I love you.”
“I love you too, Gabrielita.”
Riel hung up the phone and collapsed into bed. She’d done all she could. Now it was up to Isaias, her sister, and the FBI to keep their promises.
Chapter Seventeen
Riel was jolted out of a confused dream where she was searching for someplace to hide a bowling ball full of money. Consciousness surprised her, and she gasped and flailed, tangling herself up in blankets.
A hand reached out and grabbed her waist. “It’s okay, babe. Shhhh.”
She got a rush of adrenaline, but she made herself stop struggling. “Isaias?”
He pulled her closer. “Yeah, Rielita, don’t worry, it’s me. Why are you still in bed?”
“I couldn’t sleep last night. What time is it?”
“Nine thirty.”
Riel groaned, closing her sandy eyes. “I’m so tired. I didn’t get to sleep until late.”
He scooted closer, stretching out beside her and stroking her back. “Oh? Why not?”
“I just can’t stop worrying about this deal going wrong. I keep playing it over and over in my mind.” She looked up at him through her eyelashes. “Why do you have to complicate it by calling a hit on Mishmash right now? Percha was right, it’d be better to wait, after we’re away with the money.”
“We won’t be safe with Mishmash out there, and I won’t be able to take over his route as easily.”
“If you kill him, how do you know his people won’t retaliate even harder than Mishmash would have, if he were still alive? It’s one thing to screw him over, another to kill him. He has loyal men, Isaias. And how do you know that the bigger guys won’t get pissed and call a hit on us for messing with their business like that?”
He stroked her hair back from her forehead. “Mishmash is small potatoes. No one is going to lose sleep over him being taken out.”
“I’m not sure that’s true. Even if his people don’t retaliate out of loyalty, they’ll do it just because they want to take over his piece for themselves. And the bosses don’t like it when people on this level get too big.”
He kissed her lightly. “You worry too much, little girl.”
Riel clamped her jaw down in frustration, her gaze darting to her phone sitting on the bedside table. She hoped they were hearing all of this clearly, and that they could stop Mishmash from getting hurt.
She made herself relax as his hand slid down to her ass and squeezed. He pressed his body against hers. “Ah, babe, stop worrying.”
“I can’t, Isaias.”
He dragged his fingers around the curve of her hip, up between her legs. “I know something that will relax you.”
“Isaias—”
“Let me slide it up between those beautiful thighs and fuck you so good, Riel. Please.”
Riel closed her eyes and let go of herself, banishing her ego and clearing her head. This isn’t the real Riel. This is all pretend. “Yeah?” she murmured. “You give Lizette her money yet?”
“I will,” he said, fondling her tits. “Today.”
“You promise? I need to feel right about this, Isaias.”
“I promise.” He kissed her, pulling her tight