Page 62 of Sapphire

Zoe plays with her hands nervously while listening to Tomas’s tirade. I understand Tomas’s concerns. I had no idea things had gotten that dangerous for his employees. That is terrifying, so I get he is coming from a place of worry for them, but this is Zoe.Our Zoe.

“I think I should go,” Zoe says sadly, standing up off the sofa. She still has the blanket wrapped around her. She’s still naked from earlier.

Tomas nods as he folds his arms across his chest.

I watch the woman that I love walk out of the room. And probably out of our lives too. I’m torn between the two of them.

Standing, I turn my attention to Tomas.

“What?”

“You’re just going to let her go like that? You’re not going to talk about it? That’s it?” I ask him.

“Maybe we don’t know who she is, Mateo.” His voice is like stone.

“Yes, we do. We know that woman in there is a part of us. She lives right in here.” I thump my hand over my heart. “In a spot right next to you.”

Tomas shakes his head. “This is what they do. They research their competition. Find their weakest link and use it against them.”

“For what? What would her end game be?”

“Them getting the land cheaply. Enrique told us that the Bratva use the Greek Islands as a trade route for their products. They have to find ways to launder their money. A hotel is a legitimate way.”

“And what about Zoe’s story. You think she beat herself up to a bloody pulp and then threw herself at our gate?”

Tomas stills, refusing to answer my question.

“There are flaws in your fucking logic, my love. I don’t know what the hell is going on, but I’m going to get to the bottom of this. And our Zoe is not a honey trap.”

“I don’t know what to believe. These people would stop at nothing to get what they want.”

Stepping toward him, I reach out and place my hands on his shoulders. “I hear you. But this time I think you’ve jumped to conclusions. You’ve had a shock. We all have. Let me check in on Zoe and then we can come back together and talk about this calmly.”

“Maybe you’re right. I’m going to give Enrique a call. I think he needs to know about this.”

I squeeze Tomas’s shoulders. I’m not going to argue with him in this moment as it’s not going to get me anywhere. Leaving Tomas in the living room with his phone, I head down toward our bedroom in the direction Zoe went. I step into our bedroom and see Zoe madly packing.

“Where are you going to go?” I ask, making her jump.

She has an overnight bag and is packing essentials. She’s dressed in a pair of dark denim jeans which show off her ass perfectly.Now is not the time, Mateo.A white shirt is pulled across her perfect tits. Her blonde hair is piled up into a high ponytail.

“I don’t know, but it’s for the best.”

“The best for who?” I say, resting against the door jamb as I cross my arms over my chest.

“Mateo, don’t fight me on this. It’s for the best. Tomas hates me. He thinks I’m a spy. Ruby warned me that you would be in trouble if I stayed. I can’t let that happen. I have to go to protect you.”

Now we were getting somewhere—she’s running scared. Walking into the room, I take a seat on the edge of the bed.

“We can protect you, Zoe.”

Zoe shakes her head. “Look at what they have been doing to Tomas already. If they know I’m alive they will do so much worse to you. I can’t let them do that.”

I grab her hand, stilling her. “And what will they do to you if they find you?”

She looks down at our joined hands, then pulls them to her lips and kisses my knuckles. “I’ll be okay. Don’t worry about me.”

Then she drops my hands and moves away from me.

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