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There’s not a chance I’m telling Valentina anything the general public doesn’t know. I don’t want her caught up in it. She has enough going on, and doesn’t need to worry about me.
Besides, Valentina and I see things differently. We both want our worlds—the ones we grew up in—to be a better place for women. Valentina has had a lot of upheaval in her life, and she’s content running a Port company in an industry that has kept women out for centuries. She leads by example. I, on the other hand, want to eviscerate every motherfucker who buys and sells women like a commodity, or thinks rape is their God-given right. If Valentina saw my charts, she’d have a heart attack.
“I told you everything when we were on the phone. Besides, I’m getting tired of telling that story. Did creepy guy pull something?”
She shakes her head. “His name is Scott Bancroft. And no, he didn’t pull anything. I’ve been around him several times, always in public, but he always seeks me out. You know, corners me outside the bathroom, that kind of thing.”
I hope you didn’t mention this to Rafael, because if you did, your security team just got bigger—and meaner. “What does he want?”
“I’m not sure.” She shrugs. “I think he just wants information about our new product, but my Spidey sense is on high alert whenever he’s around. Anyway, I agreed to meet with him over breakfast.”
“Alone?” I ask, like I’m Rafael, or my father.
“Alone? Did I mention the extra security? I don’t use a public restroom alone.”
“That might be the case, but I doubt anyone from your detail was with you during a private meeting.”
She doesn’t deny it.
“Valentina, it’s a terrible idea to meet alone with a man who gives you a bad feeling. I realize your guards would come if you screamed, but what if he drugged you?”
I sound like the men who want to control us. But while she was talking, all I could think about was the guy who slipped something in my drink and was trying to coax me into taking it. If I was less self-assured, like Francesca, I might have taken it, under the pressure. Valentina’s not naive, but she’s sweeter than I am. Although she wouldn’t take a drink from a stranger.
“I’m sorry.” She has her hands on her hips, and it’s not I’m sorry as in I’ll do better next time, but I’m sorry as in What the hell did you just say? “Did you just say it’s not a good idea to meet alone with men who give you a bad feeling, Ms. Clarke?”
I roll my eyes. “The woman gave me a bad feeling,” I huff, defensively. “I was worried about Francesca, not myself. Besides, the woman, Misha, was a skinny little thing. I could have kicked her bony ass.”
I’m so animated that Valentina chokes on her drink before spraying it all over the counter where Rafael and I were naked. Something I would tell her about if it wasn’t Rafael.
She pours herself another drink and tops off mine.
“So has Rafael been checking on you?” she asks nonchalantly, popping a piece of cheese into her mouth. She’s fishing for information.
“I told Rafael about how crazy my father has been, and he feels bad. He’s going to help me come up with a way to manage him.”
“You told him?”
Maybe I shouldn’t have said that.
“I’m glad you did, but you’re normally not so open about your family.”
“Rafael’s not going to use the information to hurt my father. I’m at the end of my rope, holding on by a few frayed threads, girlfriend. But being here has been a relief—despite the fact that I’m stuck in the apartment until we have more information about the traffickers.”
“Rafael will help. He can’t resist a damsel in distress.”
Is that what I am to him? No. He’s clearly attracted to me. He said so himself, although I wouldn’t be surprised if the whole damsel-in-distress thing heightens the attraction. I hate that.
“Lexie—I love Rafael with all my heart and soul, but he’s a player—”
“I know. The worst kind of player. The one who keeps you around for a few weeks and then vanishes.” You’ve told me this before, and I’ve seen it for myself. “Don’t worry. I’d have to be comatose not to think he’s hot, but I don’t want to jump his bones.”
“Hmm.” That’s all she says.
I hate lying to her, especially now that Rafael and I have had sex. It will be weird for a few minutes, but if I’m happy, I know she will be, too, even if she’s a little worried. Plus, I’d love to talk to her about the relationship, but I won’t until I know how Rafael feels about her knowing. He clearly didn’t mention a word about it to her, and I’m sure they’ve spoken. They run a business together and talk almost every day.
“Let’s go back to creepy guy,” I say in an obvious move to change the subject. “What does Marco say about him?”
“I haven’t said much to Marco about him. He’s been preoccupied with work,” she mutters, wiping away a tear.
