by Meg Ripley
“Exactly.” Was it even safe for Valentina there?
I’d discuss everything with her that night. As soon as I got back from riding, I would call her to set up details. We hadn’t chosen a place or time yet, but just thinking of hearing her sweet voice sped my pulse.
I laughed to myself at what Alex had said. A wedding in the near future? But, truth be told, the thought wasn’t that far from my mind. I felt myself falling hard and fast for Valentina. I might already be in love, though it felt strange to think that after such a short time. I didn’t want to make our love look fake by rushing things unnecessarily. But then again, we’d already taken things quickly. And I wouldn’t mind waking up beside her every morning. Not one bit.
When I got back to the station, I called her, dialing the number she’d written down for the first time. It rang several times, but no one answered.
My heart raced. The phone service could be unreliable, I reckoned. What if the phones are down and I can’t get a hold of her? I rang up Wyatt’s station, and the phones seemed just fine.
“Remember that name I gave you?” I asked him.
“Javier, the coyote. Yes. Funny you mention him, actually.”
“Oh? I was wondering if he was involved with the drug smuggling somehow.”
“We’re suspicious,” Wyatt admitted. “I don’t like that you ran into him in Boquillas. He doesn’t live there and it’s primarily bear territory, so I don’t know why he’d be hanging around unless he’s up to no good.”
“Sure’nuff. He said something about Valentina’s father having belonged to him. Valentina wouldn’t say much about him, and that worries me, too.”
“Hmm…” I heard him scratching notes on a pad.
“If he had something to do with Diego’s death…”
Wyatt sucked in a breath. “Don’t go gettin’ yourself into trouble. We have far too many shifter officers to pull off a successful ‘animal attack’ murder. You know that. Self-defense only.”
“Who said anything about killing him? I’m just fixin’ to take him down and stop these smugglers.”
“Same here,” Wyatt agreed. “I’ll get some people on this Javier thing and will let you know if something pops up.”
“Thanks. I want to make sure Valentina is safe and that her family is, too.”
I tried calling her again when I hung up with Wyatt. A woman answered the phone that time.
“Howdy, ma’am. Is Valentina available?”
“Hold on.”
There was a loud bang as the phone was set down. I heard faint screaming in the background, then rustling as someone picked up the phone. My heart skipped, expecting to hear Valentina’s voice.
“She’s not here,” the gruff voice said.
“Okay. Can you tell her Elijah called, please?”
“I will.”
I found some paperwork that needed to be finished and sat at my desk, hoping Valentina would call back soon.
8
Valentina
My sisters caught me sobbing in my room, despite my efforts to keep quiet.
When I heard the knock, followed by a timid, “Val? Can we come in?” I knew there was no point in trying to resist. If I said no, they’d just pick the lock. I shuffled over to my door and opened it.
“¿Que pasa?” Rosa asked, worry evident on her features. She was older than me by three years.
Isabella, who was seven years older than me, just shook her head and took my arm, leading me to the bed. “Tell us what that cabrón did.”
“He’s not an asshole.”
“This isn’t about Javier? Who upset you, then?” Isabella asked. “Is this about that American you met across the border?”
I nodded. “Elijah. He…” The tears spilled over my lashes again.
Rosa smoothed my hair back. “What did he do?”
I shook my head. “He didn’t do anything. I just…can’t be with him.”
I broke into fresh sobs and they waited a few moments until I could speak again.
“This is making no sense,” Isabella said. “Why can’t you be with him if you have such strong feelings for him?”
I let out a long sigh and decided to let them in on the truth. “Because of Javier. He doesn’t want Elijah in the village, where he might see what Los Aulladores are up to.”
Rosa’s eyes narrowed. “So this is about Javier.”
“I wish Elijah would come here.” Isabella glared. “Maybe then he’d put an end to them once and for all.”
“He threatened the family if I saw Elijah again,” I admitted.
“Enough with all the threats against this family!” Rosa threw her hands in the air. “We can’t all just live according to what Javier wants.”
“What do you suggest I do?” I demanded. “Put everyone in danger just so I can have a boyfriend?”
“What do you think Papa would have said?” Isabella asked.
“I guess it’s obvious. He gave in to Javier, too.”
Isabella waved off my reasoning. “That’s different. I mean, what he would have said to you? He would have said to be smart and do what you have to do.”
“That’s what I’m doing,” I said, confused.
“No, no.” Isabella shook her head. “Do what you have to do. What is in your heart to do that you cannot live without, and it seems you cannot live without this boy.”
“How can I do that?” I whined.
“What would Abuela say?” Rosa asked. “Remember? ‘Only listen to your heart because your head is full of junk anyway.’ She wouldn’t want you to cave and stop seeing your American.”
“It gets worse,” I added. I told them what our abuela had said about me being destined, the reaction I had when I first met Elijah, and then him also saying he thought we were fated.
Rosa threw up her hands again. “What more do you want, Valentina? The entire universe is telling you to be with him.”
Isabella gave me a stark look. “Be smart about it. But I’m sure there’s a way. You have to be with your fated.”
When I agreed to find a way, they finally left me alone. The problem was, I’d lied to them, and sooner or later, they’d figure it out. I knew Javier had people near the border, on the border and across the border. I was sure he’d have told them to watch for me. I couldn’t leave the country without Javier knowing. And I’d be willing to bet that Elijah couldn’t get in without him knowing, either.
The next day, I took a long shower and made sure I had visible evidence of my despair, but not too much. I had to walk a fine line between showing Javier I was listening to him and letting him know how much he was getting to me. He could show up at any time and any place, and I wanted to be ready.
Later that night, many members of the village gathered for a meeting of Los Osos Demonios. We got together every month or so to discuss official business of the group, right out in the middle of the village. No other place would hold so many people. That night was my first time attending.
Oscar stood at the front of the group and addressed us. He briefly recounted the fires we had been a part of that month and praised us for a job well done. Before he could go on to the next order of business, someone interrupted.
“Oh good!” Javier walked up to stand beside Oscar and clapped his hands. “All of my favorite people, together in one place. How convenient of you all to meet just for me.”
Oscar glared, but said nothing as Javier went on.
“Turns out, I need some volunteers. I know my Demonios are always eager to help me out, right, amigos? Who’s going to be first? Bonus points for whoever is.”
Javier searched the crowd. The men all looked at each other and Miguel looked at me.
“Don’t make eye contact,” Miguel muttered under his breath, “and don’t draw attention to yourself.”
I nodded a little.
“What’s the job?” Carlos asked bravely.
“Glad you asked,” Javier said. “I take it you’re my first volunteer. Come on up here.�
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Carlos shook his head, but had no choice other than to join Javier. I bit back my anger. Carlos had three kids and both he and his wife worked hard to take care of them and the other family members who lived with them.
“Who’s next?” Javier looked around, pausing to let his gaze rest on me. He put his arm around Carlos’ shoulders. “We wouldn’t want poor Carlos here to have to do the work of two men, would we?”
No one spoke, and there was little movement. They’d all seen how easy it was to be picked out of the crowd. Javier reached behind his back and pulled out a handgun, pointing it in the air.
“If I don’t get a volunteer before I count to ten, I’m going to choose one myself. I may choose a volunteer…or maybe I’ll just shoot one of you instead. Uno… dos… tres…”
I nudged Miguel and whispered, “Do something!”
Javier looked straight at me. I gulped as he moved the gun toward me, then aimed it straight at Miguel.
“No!” I shouted and stepped in front of him.
Miguel firmly pushed me out of the way. “¿Estás loca?” he snapped at me.
“What will it be, then?” Javier asked.
“I’ll do it,” Miguel said.
“No, you can’t!” I begged him, but he was already walking toward Javier.
“Now, that wasn’t so hard, was it?” Javier asked. “Come. I’ll give you all the details soon.”
I waited up for Miguel, pacing across the dark living room after everyone else went to bed. Hours later, he finally entered the door.
“You have to get out of this!” I insisted.
“I can’t. You know that. If I do something stupid, he’ll come after you, then Mom, Rosa and Bella. Do you want that? I can’t stand by and watch my family be hurt because I was a pussy.”
“It’s not about that! We already lost our father. Now you want me to lose a brother, too?”
He shook his head. “I won’t get caught or hurt. You’ll see.”
“Yeah, great. So then, Javier will see how good you are and send you more often.”
“What do you want me to do? None of us has a say. You don’t even have a say in your love life.”
“What?” I put my hands on my hips.
“Javier told me. He wants me to snitch on you if you see that bear again.” He held up a fist. “And I’ll tell you right now, you’d better not see him again. I’m risking my life for this family. Don’t throw that away.”
“I wouldn’t do that,” I hissed at him.
I may have sounded sure when I talked to Miguel, but by the time we’d stormed off toward our bedrooms, I wasn’t. My sisters’ words came back to me. Who did I listen to? My brother or my sisters? My dad’s example or my grandmother’s words? My heart or my head?
My head ached from trying to figure it out. But my heart ached from not talking to Elijah. I had been there when he called. Several times. Every time, one of my sisters had to lie and say I wasn’t there. But we were supposed to go out. I should have been with him at that moment. A surge of longing welled in my chest and brought fresh tears to my eyes.
How could something so good and pure become such a source of heartache? How could Javier ruin everything with his presence? As if tearing apart my family and having my father killed wasn’t enough. He wanted to take away the love of my life? The man I was fated to? It’s not like I could find someone else or move on. Elijah was it. My one. No one else could ever compare, and my heart wouldn’t even let me try.
A night like that was exactly the sort of time that my father would come padding out of his room, as if sensing I needed him. I wanted him to knock on my door; to shuffle to the kitchen and make himself something to eat. I wanted to sit with him and have him tell me exactly what to do.
I’d have to settle for the next best thing. I pulled on my shoes and took a knife for protection. Those days, I had no idea when Javier might show up and try to cause trouble. I walked down the dirt path to the graveyard and found my father’s marker. I sat down and faced the stone, pretending it was him.
I poured out my heart to him, asking him what to do. I stopped talking to listen, but there was no answer. Not even in the wind.
As I walked back, my heart felt heavy, knowing I already knew the answer. I wanted it to change and had tried my best to justify it. But I couldn’t. I just couldn’t put my family in danger. Now that Miguel was getting singled out and I had already caught Javier’s attention, I had to be extra careful.
Maybe one day, things would change and Elijah and I could be together. I would look forward to that day and hope it came sooner than later.
9
Elijah
I walked up to Oscar and shook his hand. “Mighty nice to see you again so soon.”
He nodded. “Let’s try this again.”
He went to talk to his men as I finished checking things over. The prescribed burn that had gone wrong before would be finished that day. I decided not to wait until things started to get out of control before calling in Los Osos Demonios; this time, I had them there from the start.
I found myself watching Oscar and his men as they did their final preparations. But my eyes hadn’t stopped searching for Valentina. I was starting to get worried. After not being able to get a hold of her the night before and missing our date, now she didn’t show for work? What could be going on with her?
Hopefully, I’d at least be able to get her on the phone that day. Missing out on one night with her had been awful. But I hadn’t heard from her in days, and each day was more painful than the last. The longing was so strong that it made me feel listless to be without her. Work was a good distraction.
As the burn got started, I noticed some wind gusting up right away. Nothing to be alarmed about yet, but a little more than normal. Things were still burning as they should, but I’d check potential problem areas more often.
Then I saw a sight that both horrified and thrilled me. Valentina. She stood beside her brother, her long ponytail hanging outside of her fire jacket. She was okay, then, if she was there. But, with the winds as they were, I didn’t want her there, either. My protective bear roared and thrashed within; I wouldn’t let any anything hurt her.
I tried to get Oscar’s attention, hoping he’d pull her out of there, but he was busy guiding his men. Instead, I watched her, not taking my gaze from her dark hair.
When the fire had finally burned all the way and was then extinguished, I felt relieved. The problem plant growth had been taken care of, Valentina was safe, and now I could go talk to her.
Excitement surged in my chest as I grew closer.
“Valentina!”
She turned, saw me, and turned back around. Strange, I thought.
“Hey.” I caught up to her and stood facing her.
“Hey.” She made brief eye contact, then looked away.
“Are you okay? What happened the other night? We were supposed to go out.”
“I couldn’t. Sorry.”
“Why won’t you call me back? Is something wrong? Did I do something?” I asked.
She shook her head and started to walk away. The fear I’d felt at seeing her fight the fire was nothing like the panic striking me now. I reached out to put my hand on her arm. She stopped, but didn’t face me.
“What’s going on, Valentina? What’s wrong?”
“I have to go do something.”
“Wait.” I stepped closer to her and dropped my voice to a whisper. “I’m sorry that we slept together so soon. I shouldn’t have taken advantage of you like that. But that doesn’t have to ruin everything between us.”
“It’s not that.”
“Okay…Can we go out tonight, then? Talk about whatever it is that’s bothering you?”
She met my gaze for just an instant, but in that flash, I saw the longing I’d seen in her face when we were together before. “I can’t.”
She walked away, calling out to one of her fellow Demonios as she hurried away from me, and I felt as if ice water had
been dumped on my head. What just happened? Why did she blow me off like that? She seemed to not want to say no. Or was I just imagining that?
Did I really ruin things by sleeping with her too soon? I’d thought she wanted to just as badly. And I couldn’t think of any other reason she might be upset with me. I hadn’t done anything wrong, I hadn’t broken a promise and I hadn’t looked at another woman. I’d only been infatuated with her.
Could that be it? It was too fast and too much. I shouldn’t have said I thought we were fated. I could kick myself for that one. But hadn’t she said the same thing? None of it made sense. I hadn’t misread her feelings for me when we’d been together. Things had been so passionate between us. There was no way I could have misunderstood.
What then? Did her family not approve? Did the Demonios have some rule I didn’t know about? Was her family very traditional and had arranged a marriage for her that she’d known nothing about until then? What could possibly cause her to be so cold to me? Then the thought came to me. She had been home the night before; she just hadn’t wanted to talk to me.
Back at my desk, I typed furiously on my computer in my frustration. I guess I’d been typing harder than I realized.
“Hey now, what’d that keyboard ever do to you?” Wyatt asked.
I looked up at him. “What?”
“You’re typing really hard. What’s going on?”
“Just trying to work,” I snapped.
“Okay.” Wyatt put his hands up in surrender and took a step backward. “I’m just going to get Alex to help me.”
He walked out and I glared at his back. He must’ve gone out and said something to Alex about me, because it wasn’t two minutes later that he stood in my doorway.
“You need anything?” Alex asked.
I huffed. Yeah. I needed to know what the hell was going on with Valentina. “No.”
“You okay?”
“Yup.”
“Because you seem…agitated. And I noticed that you and Valentina…had a thing.”
I shot my eyes over to him. “It wasn’t a thing.”