by Elle James
“Agreed,” she said. She wished she’d known Alejandra’s phone had been in her purse when she’d entered her apartment. Had she known, Sheila might not be dead. Then again, she’d had no idea how far El Chefe would go to find his woman and child.
“We’ll need to give Hank more information about this guy who’s threatening you, so that his computer guru, Swede, can run some checks, maybe find out who he’s hired to do his dirty work. Also, so that he can check on the woman and her baby.”
“I can tell you the name of the man she said is after her and the baby. He’s from El Salvador. His name is El Chefe Diablo.”
Rafe’s head jerked around, and the truck slowed. “Who did you say?”
“El Chefe Diablo from El Salvador. Apparently, he’s a very dangerous man.”
“You’ve never heard of him before now?” Rafe asked.
Briana shook her head. “I’ve been so focused on saving abused and neglected children, I haven’t had time to immerse in international news. Why? What do you know?”
He gave a low whistle. “Holy hell. If the woman you helped find shelter is El Chefe’s woman, he won’t give up until he takes her back to El Salvador or kills her. He won’t hesitate to kill anyone who gets in his way.”
“How do you know this?” Briana asked, rubbing her arms.
“I swear I read that once he sent a squad of men to his neighbor’s house to shoot the neighbor, the children and the servants in that house because he got tired of listening to the dog bark, and the people never did anything to make it stop. He killed the family and had the dog brought to his place where he beat it until it didn’t bark anymore.”
Briana rubbed her hand across Lucy’s shoulder, a frown pulling at her brow. “All because a dog barked?”
Rafe nodded. “I remembered the story because it seemed too bizarre to be true. I researched the issue and, sure enough, it was true. The guy’s a sadistic bastard. He murdered an entire village because one man in that village skimmed a batch of the drugs they were producing and sold it to another cartel leader. Women, children…it didn’t matter to him. He killed them all and burned the village to the ground.”
Cold dread washed over Briana. “I’m glad we came to Montana. Surely, he won’t have his men follow us here.”
“If he does,” Rafe said, “it’ll be easier to see them coming than on a city street.”
“What can I do to keep safe?” she asked, staring out the window at plains. “You can’t always be around.”
He frowned. “I plan on being around until the threat is neutralized.”
“I know you will. But what if something happens to you? What if that bullet had hit you in front of the hotel? I had no way of defending myself.”
Rafe glanced her way. “Do you know how to use a gun?”
She shook her head. “Dad took me to the gun range, once, before I went to college. He offered to buy me a gun, but I didn’t feel comfortable enough to carry one.”
“While we’re out here, I’ll teach you how to use one. You’ll carry it and get to the point you feel better about having it near.”
Her fists clenched. “I hate this. I hate that I’ve lost someone who meant so much to me. A senseless murder. They were after me. Now, I hate that I’m afraid. My daddy taught me to be cautious, not afraid. To be strong, not weak.” She shook her head. “I hate this.”
Rafe reached across the console and took one of her fists in his large hand. “One good thing out of this, is that we’re getting to know each other. We might have made new friends.”
She unclenched her fist and wove her fingers into his. “There is that.”
“We might never have met, otherwise,” he said. “Not that I would’ve wished any of this to happen to you or your roommate.”
She lifted his hand to her cheek, fighting back the ready tears. “Thank you for coming to my rescue. I don’t know what I would’ve done if you hadn’t.”
“You probably would’ve kept driving.” He chuckled. “You might have been in Texas by now, instead of Montana.”
She smiled. “Probably. Not that I know anyone in Texas.”
“Your brother is stationed there.”
“Yeah. I guess I was headed that direction. But he wouldn’t have been there.”
“He cared enough to get you the help you needed.” He brought her hand to his lips and brushed a kiss across her knuckles. “See the mountains ahead?”
She nodded, her gaze taking in the snow-covered peaks ahead.
“Those are the Crazy Mountains,” Rafe said. “That’s where we’re headed.”
“Why are they called the Crazy Mountains?” Briana asked.
“Legend has it that a family of settlers were attacked by Blackfeet in the early eighteen hundreds. After her husband and children were killed, the mother went crazy and ran into the mountains. From that point on, the white settlers, and the Blackfeet, referred to the mountains as the Crazy Woman Mountains. The name has been shortened over time.”
“That’s sad,” Briana murmured. Her heart hurt for the woman who’d witnessed the death of her husband and children. Two days ago, she might not have been able to relate with the woman’s anguish. Having witnessed her roommate’s death, she could understand.
“I think you have a friend in Lucy,” Rafe said.
Briana glanced down at the dog, stirring at her feet. Lucy looked up at her with her big brown-black eyes. “She’s beautiful.”
“Did you have pets growing up?”
“We always had a couple of dogs in the house. They would alternate whose bed they would sleep in. On some nights, they’d sleep with Ryan, on others, with me. My parents were glad they didn’t sleep with them.”
“What kind of dogs were they?”
“We had a pair of miniature Shetland sheepdogs. Shelties.” Briana smiled. “Sam and Trixie. They were with us for most of our young lives. They didn’t pass until I left for college.” She sighed. “I missed them terribly.”
“College kept you busy?”
She nodded. “It was good to be running all the time. When I wasn’t in class or studying, I worked at an ice cream shop part-time for extra spending money.”
“What’s your favorite ice cream?” he asked. “Or did you leave the ice cream business hating ice cream?”
She laughed. “I didn’t eat ice cream for a solid year after I graduated. But I eventually came back to my favorite, Rocky Road. What’s yours?”
“I’m boring. I love vanilla ice cream. But I like a thick hot fudge sauce poured over it.”
“Mmm. You’re making my mouth water.” She looked out at the miles and miles of empty plains. “Do you know if Eagle Rock has an ice cream shop there?”
He shook his head. “I’ve never been to Eagle Rock. I just left the military and was on my way there when I got the call.”
She gave him a grateful smile. “I’m lucky you were as close as you were. I doubt anyone would’ve gotten to me from Montana any sooner.” She shivered. “What I don’t understand is why they didn’t attack me along the way? I was alone the entire trip from Joliet to Springfield. They had ample opportunity to run me off the road.”
“I’ve been thinking about that,” Rafe said. “Like we thought, it had to be your phone they followed. It might’ve taken them time to figure out where you were. They caught up while we were sleeping.”
Briana trembled in the seat beside him. “I’m just glad the bullet missed.”
“You and me both.” Rafe smiled. “I have Lucy to thank for that. If I hadn’t bent to pet her, I could’ve taken that bullet square in the chest.”
“Do you think they’ll hack into your phone’s GPS now that they know I’m with you?” Briana asked.
“Hank sent me my cellphone before I left Texas. He said it has special security apps and encryption loaded into it to keep that from happening. We should be all right. And I haven’t seen anyone following us since we ditched your phone in the back of that truck headed east from Springfield
.”
“I’ll have to call the phone company and have my service cut off,” Briana said.
“Another day. The less communication you have with your old life, the less of a chance El Chefe will have of finding you now.”
Soon, they entered the foothills of the Crazy Mountains, zig-zagging along winding roads. They came to a town, the name posted on a quaint wooden sign, indicating they’d found Eagle Rock. Rafe didn’t stop in the town.
“Shouldn’t we stop for supplies?” Briana asked as they passed a small grocery store.
Rafe shook his head. “Hank said they had the cabin fully stocked and ready for us. Again, the less contact we have with others, the less chance of El Chefe’s men finding us.”
Briana nodded and brushed her hand over Lucy’s smooth head. “I’m glad we stopped back in South Dakota for supplies for Lucy. I think we need to keep her on a lead until she gets used to us. If we let her run free, I’m afraid she’ll try to find her way back to her owner’s grave.”
“Good idea. There have been dogs that have done that, finding their way across several states to get back to the home they were familiar with.”
“Should we text Hank and let him know we’re here?” Briana asked.
“He has access to my cellphone’s location. He’ll know. He said he’d head to the cabin when he saw we were near. Most likely, he’ll be there before us.”
Using the directions Hank had sent, they passed through town and out the other end, heading deeper into the mountains. Eventually, they turned off the paved road onto a gravel track, climbing up the side of a hill. The road wound through trees and around hills. When it forked south, Rafe turned north.
As they neared the top of a rise, the trees thinned. They emerged into a small clearing where a rustic log cabin perched in the middle. Beside it stood a shiny black pickup with a tall, dark-haired man and a petite, beautiful blond woman Briana found vaguely familiar. She carried a toddler on her hip, and her belly was swollen with a baby yet to come.
Rafe parked beside the pickup, climbed out and came around to help Briana and Lucy to the ground.
Lucy leaped out and ran to the end of her lead, eager to explore her new surroundings.
Briana was glad she’d snapped the leash onto her collar. She hated to think of the dog getting lost in the woods. She’d read about the bears that made their homes in the mountains and the wolves they’d reintroduced to the area. Lucy wouldn’t stand a chance alone in the hills.
Rafe rested his hand at the small of her back as he led her over to where Hank stood with the woman and child.
Hank greeted Briana first. “You must be Briana Hayes. It’s a pleasure to meet you. Your brother was very worried about your safety.”
“Thank you for sending Rafe to help. I don’t know what I would’ve done without him.”
Hank shook Rafe’s hand. “Welcome to the Brotherhood Protectors. Glad to have you aboard.”
Rafe nodded. “I appreciate the opportunity.”
Hank turned to the blonde. “This is my wife, Sadie.”
Briana frowned. “Sadie…I feel like I should know you.”
Hank chuckled. “You might know her for the all the movies she’s made. Most people know her as Sadie McClain.”
Briana blinked. “You’re Sadie McClain, the movie star?”
She laughed. “I know. Out here, I don’t look like I do on the big screen. I’m just Sadie, Hank’s wife and Emma’s mom.” She looked down at the child in her arms. “This is Emma, our daughter.”
Emma leaned toward Briana, her arms outstretched.
“Do you mind if I hold her?” Briana asked.
“Please,” Sadie said. “She seems to want to go to you.”
Briana handed the leash to Rafe and took Emma in her arms.
“You must have a way with children. She usually takes a minute or two to warm up to new people,” Hank said.
“I’m good with the little ones,” Briana said, smiling down at Emma in her arms. “It helps in my job. Doesn’t it, Emma?”
“Your brother said you work with the Child Welfare Department in Chicago,” Hank said.
Briana nodded.
“Is that how you got into trouble?” Hank asked.
“Not exactly,” Briana said.
Sadie held out her arms. “Here, let me take Emma while you three talk.”
Briana handed the child back to her famous mother, took a deep breath and launched into what had happened back in Chicago that had led her to her fleeing the city and traveling all the way out to Montana.
“Until he finds Alejandra, he won’t leave Briana alone,” Rafe concluded. “She’s the key to where he can find his child.”
“In the meantime, I’ll fly some of my men to Illinois to bring Alejandra and her little girl here, where we can provide her the best of protection.” Hank glanced at Sadie and Emma where they walked around the yard in front of the cabin. “I can imagine how terrified the woman is that she’ll lose her child.”
“There could be a problem with sending someone to Alejandra,” Rafe said. “They know Briana’s with me. They could link me to your company and follow anyone you send back to Illinois to Alejandra. They’ve already proven they can follow a cellphone.” He frowned down at his. “Are you sure these phones are hack-proof?”
“Your phone isn’t registered in your name. But it wouldn’t hurt to ditch it now that you’ve come this far. I have a satellite phone in my truck. You can use it until we can get a burner phone for you to use. They’re really hard to trace, and you can change out phones quickly and easily. For the time being, you can hole up in the cabin. We’ll bring out anything you might need. If there are specific items of groceries you’d prefer, make a list and we’ll get them for you, so you don’t have to make the trip into town.”
Briana gripped Hank’s hand with both of hers. “You don’t know how much I appreciate all you’ve done for me.”
“Are you going to go inside and see if there’s anything you might need in the way of food or household goods? I shopped based on my tastes.” Sadie smiled as she rejoined them. “You might not like what I like. I’m okay with that, but we’ll need to get what you like on our next trip out.”
“I’m sure it will all be fine,” Briana smiled at the beautiful actress who looked as at home on the big screen as she did in the Crazy Mountains.
Sadie led the way into the cabin. “This is one of our hunting cabins. There’s only one bed, but I had Hank bring a sofa in, in case you need another place to sleep.”
She moved to the side with Emma and let Briana walk past her into the small space.
“I’m sorry, but it’s rustic. And by rustic, I mean electricity. It has a generator to run the lights and the pump to get water. You’ll be able to shower, but the stall is very small. Still, you won’t have to use the old outhouse.” Sadie grinned. “I don’t mind roughing it, but I draw the line at outhouses.”
Briana laughed. “It will be perfect.”
“My computer guy, Swede, will dive into the dark web and see what he can find out about El Chefe Diablo’s activities,” Hank said from behind her. “It might give us a heads-up on what he plans next.”
Feeling a bit overwhelmed by all Hank and his wife had done, Briana swallowed hard on the lump in her throat. “Thank you.”
Sadie turned and hugged her. “I know how it feels to be scared. You don’t know who to trust, where to turn and how to get out of a situation you didn’t instigate. Hang in there. And if you need anyone to talk to, call me on the satellite phone.”
“Speaking of which,” Hank turned and left the cabin.
Rafe stepped across the threshold. “We should be safe here. It’s far enough off the beaten path to discourage intruders from stumbling in.”
Hank returned, holding a phone, which he handed to Rafe. “Based on what you told me about the weapons you own, I brought additional ammo and a small .40 caliber handgun for Briana.”
Rafe smiled at Briana. “Go
od. We’ll get right on those lessons.”
Hank’s jaw hardened. “Hopefully, she won’t have to use it.”
“Better to know how and not need it than need it and not know how to use it,” Rafe said.
“Exactly.” Sadie nodded. “I have my own little pistol. I take it out every week and shoot to keep up my skills.”
Briana nodded. “That’s what I’ll have to do. First, I need to learn how to handle it.”
“Look out, world.” Rafe chuckled.
“Why are you laughing?” Briana demanded. “You’re the one who’ll be teaching me.”
His face sobered so quickly, it was Briana’s turn to laugh.
Her lips twisted. “See, it’s not so funny when you’re forced to teach the city girl how to shoot.”
“That’s not why I quit laughing. It is serious, and we need to start those lessons today.”
“I’ll get that gun and ammo,” Hank said and ducked out of the cabin, again.
“I’d prefer to wait until Sadie and Emma are out of here,” Briana said. “I don’t want to scare them with my ineptitude.”
“Oh, sweetie,” Sadie grinned, “everyone has to start somewhere. But yes, the loud noises will scare Emma. We need to be going anyway. She’ll be ready for a nap right after lunch. And I could use one, too.” Sadie patted her perfectly rounded belly. “I find myself easily tired, these days.”
A twinge of envy had Briana questioning her life choices. Soon, she’d be twenty-eight. She wasn’t dating, didn’t have a husband prospect, and she wasn’t getting any younger.
Wasn’t the big three-zero about the time her biological clock should start ticking? She’d known so many of her women friends who’d waited until they were in their thirties to have children, only to discover they’d waited too long. Some, even after long months of fertility treatments had yet to get pregnant. “When is your baby due?”
Sadie smiled. “Two months. But you’d think it was any day as big as I’m getting.”
“You’re all baby,” Briana said.
Suddenly, Sadie’s eyes widened. “Oh, well, there he goes, kicking me. I think he’ll be a football player, as active as he is. Or maybe she’ll go for hockey, as violently as she plays in my belly.”