Hidden Deception: A Shelby Nichols Adventure

  “They were going to, but I talked them out of it.” I glanced at him. “Thanks for coming. That was awful, especially after they killed Anton.” I shuddered and closed my eyes.

  “It looks like there’s a gas station up ahead.” He pulled into the parking lot. “Do you want to go in?”

  “Yes. I… guess I need to freshen up.” That was exactly what Ramos thought anyway. He lifted his brow, knowing he’d been caught, and sent me a killer smile.

  I managed to get out of the car. Ramos took my arm, and we walked slowly to the door. He left to get some water, and I headed into the bathroom. Inside, I took one look in the mirror and winced. With black mascara under my eyes, and my hair a tangled mess, I certainly needed help. I splashed cold water on my hot face and moaned at how good it felt. By the time I was done, I felt more like my old self. Not only had I cleaned my face, but I’d rinsed out my mouth and run a comb through my hair.

  Ramos waited where I could see him, speaking into his phone. As I approached, I picked up that he was talking to Uncle Joey, but after telling him I was safe, he quickly disconnected and came to my side.

  He held a couple of bottles of water, and a bottle of Diet Coke, which brought a big smile to my lips. Back in the car, I drank nearly the whole bottle of water and felt well enough to tell Ramos what had happened.

  It made him sick that Yuri had threatened my kids, especially since he knew Yuri would have gone through with it. When I told him Yuri got shot, a burst of satisfaction came from him, but it stopped cold when he realized that I’d practically given away my secret.

  “It was the only way he’d listen to me. And now he’s on his way to Chicago, so hopefully, we won’t see him again any time soon.”

  Ramos clenched his jaw at what Yuri had done, the anger coming off him so strong that I thought his jaw might break. I caught a hint of pure revenge against Yuri before he shuttered his thoughts. It made me feel a little sorry for Yuri… but not too sorry.

  “That’s true,” he said, but I picked up that he wasn’t about to let Yuri get away with what he’d done to me and my family. Then he reached over and took my hand, thinking that he just needed to touch me for a minute and hoped that was all right.

  His sudden turn of thought surprised me, but I squeezed his hand back to let him know it was okay, and I rested my head against the seat and closed my eyes. To be honest, it felt good to touch him too, and since that was as far as it would ever go, I held on for most of the drive, grateful to have him beside me.

  Chapter 13

  “I’m taking you home,” Ramos said, exiting the freeway. “I’ll tell Manetto what happened, and you can get some rest.”