Page 26 of Hidden By His Side

Baby or no baby, she’d never have him. He’d made that clear over the years.

Ramiro parked in the garage of her apartment complex, the apartment he still paid for, even though he gave her a decent salary.

“Are you sure you should be alone right now?”

Summer forced herself to smile. “If I’m going to be a mother, Ineed to be stronger.”

He stared down at his hands on the steering wheel before letting go and turning toward his door. She waited for him to get out and move around to her side, feeling protected when his gaze skimmed over the parking area. He’d walk her to her door and search the place himself before leaving.

He was the one being targeted by the cartel, but like always, his thoughts were only about her safety. She used to worry that it would get him killed, but if anything, taking care of them both only made him stronger.

She hadn’t absorbed any of that strength, no matter how often he tried to instill it in her.

The doorman acknowledged her wave with a head bob to her and to Ramiro. The ride up in the elevator was silent, his quick search of her apartment the same. Ramiro hovered in her doorway, as if reluctant to leave.

“I’ll be fine, and I won’t be alone all night. It’s Friday, remember?” She’d made friends with her neighbors across the hall, mainly to make Ramiro happy. He’d wanted her to have someone in her life besides him, and the two women who were roommates were nice enough. Each week, she tested herself with a visit to their apartment. She’d gotten better at acting normal around the women. They never seemed to realize how messed up she was.

Ramiro’s expression eased. “Right. One of my men will be nearby, just in case.”

Not him, one of his men. She smiled and nodded through her disappointment. “Thanks, Ram.”

She allowed herself ten more seconds to breathe him in, then closed the door between them. Staring through the peephole, she watched him standing just outside, unmoving, and her heart skipped a beat. He’d force his way in. He’d hold her, tell her he’d always be with her. The daydream locked her breath in her throat.

“Lock the door, Summer,” he said through the door.

She locked it, watching him walk away until he slipped into the elevator and was no longer in sight.

Chapter 9

Aspring from the seat of the beat-up, piece of shit car dug into Ramiro’s ass. He missed his own car, but he needed something he could ditch.

“This is a mistake,” Diego warned.

“I have to send a message,” Ramiro repeated, gripping his phone tight as he stared at the street leading to the nightclub.

Diego snorted in his ear. “Sure, I get that, but you really think walking right in to give it is the best plan?”

“You know me better than that.” Ramiro stared through the windshield at the people stumbling drunkenly on the sidewalk ahead. He’d never been the clubbing type, even when he was young enough for it.

“I should be there,” Diego murmured.

Ramiro listened to the muffled giggle of a child in the background of his friend’s phone. “You know why you’re not. I’ve got backup.”

Diego groaned. “Don’t tell me it’s the sneaky fu—uh, fudger? Shit, that didn’t sound right. Oh, damn, I mean—”

“Please stop,” Ramiro said, rubbing at his forehead. Listening to Diego trying not to swear was painful, but it also reminded him of Summer’s situation. “I didn’t call about the hit,” he admitted.

Diego went quiet before clearing his throat. “This is about your secretary, isn’t it? I saw the way you looked when I showed up after the attack.”

“They shouldn’t have touched her.”

There was a muffled thump of a door closing on Diego’s end, and the background noise faded. “I get it. She’s yours, isn’t she?”

Summer had always been his, but she felt farther away than ever. Ramiro’s throat went dry. He swallowed, forcing the words out. “She’s pregnant.”

Saying it made it real. He’d wanted that. He hated the words anyway.

“All that pent-up need of yours must have flooded her.”

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