Page 16 of Naughty and Nice
“Does Horace know?”
Pressing her lips together, she nodded. “Em called me late last night. He said he went with José and Renata to the warehouse before thinking about you. He wanted me to check on you. What happened? Did you stay in your apartment? You know, there’s something happening with another cartel.” Her forehead wrinkled. “You should come stay with us. Like I said in my text message, Valentina wouldn’t mind. I even asked her this morning.”
“I’m staying here right now.”
“Here?” She pursed her lips. “Oh, we do have an empty apartment. But don’t you want to leave here—and not be here day and night?”
“I want to stay in my apartment.” I shrugged. “I guess I need to wait until a new bodyguard can be assigned.”
“Wait,” Izzy said. “You were still in your apartment when Em left with the Pérezes. How did you get here last night?”
“Nick brought me.”
“Nick was with Em?”
I nodded. “Once everyone left, Nick realized I was alone. He insisted on bringing me here.”
Isabella let out a sigh. “I’m glad Nick was thinking. But seriously consider my invitation. I’m sure Mia would want you too.”
My phone rang.
“Speak of the devil,” I said with a grin, looking at the screen. “It’s Mia. She’s probably only recently heard.”
Izzy waved. “I’ll let you two talk.”
Sitting in my desk chair, I hit the green icon. “Mia.”
“Liliana, are you okay? I just heard about José. We have renovations planned in one of the bedrooms for the new baby, but you’re always welcome to stay here. We have other rooms.”
“Thank you, Mia. I’m at the apartments right now. We have an empty unit. I’ve invited Renata to come here and stay with me.”
“Oh…you don’t know.”
Aware of the tightening and prickling of my skin, I sat taller. “What?”
“Renata isn’t staying in the US. José had his citizenship; Renata doesn’t. With him gone, she’s afraid to stay here. She still has family in San Miguel de Allende. Jano arranged transportation for her. She left this morning.”
My stomach dropped. “So fast? She couldn’t even stay for his funeral?”
“Liliana, I’m sure she didn’t want to leave so soon. Things happened quickly.”
A new rush of sadness overtook me. In a matter of hours, I’d lost both José and Renata. “I understand.”
“You don’t need to be working today.”
My gaze scanned my desk, bookshelves, and office. “Mia, I don’t know where else to be.”
“Here. You can come be here.”
“I-I” —I took a breath— “I want to be here. The residents make me…feel useful.”
“Liliana, you’re useful. You also deserve time to mourn.”
“I heard something happened at Wanderland last night. Let me feel out the residents as they wake. If they need to talk, I’ll be here.”
“Tonight, you can sleep here,” Mia said.
“I would like to go back to my apartment.”
