RISKY PLAY (RED CARD #1) BY RACHEL VAN DYKEN Page 0,12

sleep.

Grinning, I turned back toward the ocean and straightened my shoulders.

“I’m going to keep you,” I said to myself, my voice carrying across the wind like the universe heard my promise and was going to help me keep it no matter what.

I felt it in my soul.

There was more here in this moment. More than sex, more than coincidence. Maybe I’d finally found my other half, halfway across the world.

I leaned against the wall and thought about the possibilities as my phone started buzzing in my hand.

Mom?

It was late.

I answered quickly. “Everything okay?”

Silence, and then, “No, no, Slade, no.” She hiccupped. “Your father—”

I sighed. “I know, he’s worried. Things will be fine.”

“No.” She started to sob softly into the phone. “Slade, your father is—”

“Don’t say it.” My breathing turned shallow as I gripped the phone tighter, her sobs making my stomach sick, my heart fearful. “He’s fine, he just left a message today, I was going to call him back, he’s fine, he’s probably just not answering his phone, he’s—”

“Slade!” she interrupted with a wail. “Your father is dead.”

Your. Father. Is. Dead.

I swayed on my feet. “No, no, I don’t . . . I can’t.” I ran my hands through my hair.

“His heart just . . . the doctor said it stopped before the paramedics got there . . . he was going to surprise you . . . for your first practice, he was packing—”

I couldn’t listen anymore.

I squeezed my eyes shut as a tear ran down my cheek. My stomach roiled while my heart slowed in my chest and then, as if it no longer wanted to pump, almost completely stilled.

Gone. He was gone.

My biggest supporter.

My best friend.

The only person who had ever truly understood me.

“Slade, are you there?”

“Yeah,” I croaked. “I’ll be on the first flight out. I love you.”

“I love you.” She sobbed. “I’ll see you soon. Everything’s going to be fine, everything’s going to be fine . . .”

She didn’t believe it.

And neither did I.

My father was the glue.

He was the leader.

He was everything.

And now?

He was gone.

I walked on hollow legs back to the small wall dividing the penthouses. Numbness settling in, I jumped over, grabbed my bag, and threw things in, not caring if I left anything.

I didn’t care.

I just didn’t care.

And when I thought about the girl next door, still sleeping, I couldn’t bring myself to do anything except touch the wall dividing us and cast blame.

She was the reason I was so distracted.

The reason I hadn’t called him back.

Women.

I thought my ex had cost me everything.

But the stranger sleeping in that bed—had cost me the most.

Chapter Nine

MACKENZIE

Cold silky sheets wrapped around my legs as I stretched my arms overhead and felt the spot next to me. The pillows were gone. And the space was empty. I opened my eyes and yawned. My body hurt in the worst and best way possible as I slowly moved my feet to the floor, grabbed the sheet, wrapped it around my body, and walked around the room.

The sliding glass door was open. I frowned. I hadn’t opened it last night. Maybe Hugo went to his room to shower? I didn’t really think anything of it.

Until I heard a vacuum.

Frowning, I peeked over the divider between our two penthouses. Two maids were working tirelessly around the patio, while another was inside vacuuming the living room.

Panic seized my chest. “Um, hola!” I called like the idiot American I was.

One of the ladies turned to me and grinned. “We speak English, miss.”

I mentally rolled my eyes at myself, of course they did, this was Puerto Vallarta. It wasn’t like we were in the heart of Mexico, and even then. I gave my head a shake.

“Sorry.” I finally found my voice. “The man, staying here? Do you know where he went?”

She gave me a curious look and then her eyes roamed over my naked body, the sheet barely covered anything. Understanding dawned on her face. “I’m so sorry, he’s no longer here.”

“He died!” I yelled and covered my mouth with my hands. I’d heard about Americans getting killed by drug cartels in Mexico, but I didn’t know it was true! “Did anyone else get taken?” I gulped as panic seized my lungs. Where the hell was Liam Neeson when you needed him?

She smiled softly. “No, no, you misunderstand, he checked out of the hotel. We were told to get the room ready for the next guest. That’s all I know.”

“Oh.” My stomach sank while my heart thundered in my chest.