Free Unveiled (Vargas Cartel #2) by Lisa Cardiff Page A

course I chose.” I shrugged. “After everything I’ve gone through, I want to make sure I pursue my dream, not my mom or dad’s dream.”
    “And you’re not sure?”
    “It’s still up for debate.”
     
    ***
     
    By the time our dessert arrived, I was stuffed.
    “I can’t eat another bite. I’m done,” I declared, leaning back in my chair.
    The waitress placed the check on the corner of the table. “So where to now?”
    “I’m going to use the bathroom, then home, I guess. Can you ask our waitress to call me a cab?”
    “I’ll take you home. It’s bad enough you wouldn’t let me pick you up.”
    “I don’t think that’s a good idea. Vera—”
    “Not a problem. I won’t get out of the car,” he countered.
    This was why dating Ryker would never work. I’d always be wondering when someone would puzzle everything together. I glanced over my shoulder, gathering the courage to do what needed to be done. Dissolve all my ties to him once and for all.
    My stomach plummeted along with all the blood in my head when my eyes connected with Evan’s. “Oh shit,” I whispered, abruptly severing eye contact. “We have to go.”
    Ryker followed my line of sight. Then, he grabbed my hand. “It’ll be fine. Just act naturally. You’re not doing anything wrong.”
    “But…But,” I stammered.
    He raised one eyebrow, searing me with his gunmetal gray eyes. “Hi, Evan,” he said as he released my hand.
    “Ry,” Evan said through clenched teeth as he laser focused all his attention on me. “I didn’t realize you were already dating other people. It’s been what,” he lifted one shoulder casually, “three or four days since you broke off our engagement?”
    I bounced my leg up and down under the table. “That sounds about right.”
    Evan folded his arms across his chest. “I thought you needed space to figure out your life.”
    “I do,” I snapped. “That’s what I’m doing.”
    “Just tell me how long you waited.”
    I blinked. “How long I waited for what?”
    Evan’s eyes cut to Ryker. Then, he leaned forward, bracing his palms on the edge of our table. “Did you start fucking him immediately after our engagement party, or did you wait until we broke up?”
    My eyes flared as I sucked in a breath, but I didn’t get the opportunity to respond. Ryker jumped out of his chair and grabbed Evan by the collar of his shirt, yanking him forward so only inches separated their faces. “Apologize.”
    “Apologize?” Evan laughed bitterly, his face hard, his eyes dark and narrowed. “Why? She’s the one who needs to apologize. She’s the one who ended our engagement and moved on five seconds later.”
    Ryker’s fist twisted in the fabric of Evan’s shirt. “She’s not your concern anymore.”
    Evan tried to grab my hand, but I lowered it to my lap and out of his reach. “I love you, Hattie. I stood by you. I accepted you back into my life. I didn’t even make you explain anything. Is this how you repay me?”
    I popped out of my chair, and it tumbled backward. He said those three words with conviction, but I didn’t believe him. Not anymore. I saw a man who loved the idea of us, and what we could do together, but he didn’t love me. “Accepted me back into your life? I didn’t do anything wrong. I was a victim.”
    “Did you tell him what happened?” Evan asked, his eyes narrowed into dark slits.
    Ryker released Evan’s shirt. “I know everything,” he said, answering the question for me.
    “You hardly know him.” Hurt flashed across Evan’s face. “You told him, and you wouldn’t tell me anything. Not a single fucking detail. Why? Don’t you trust me?”
    Guilt dissected my heart like a sword. “Evan,” I said, holding my hand over my chest. “Can we talk about this later? This isn’t time or the place.”
    Evan surveyed the restaurant. Everyone was watching us with a mixture of horror and excitement. What a disaster. He squared his shoulders and took a few steps back.