“Alex.” Dr. Treviño settled into the couch. “What’s the status?”
“The house is gone.” Alex shook his head. “Nobody else made it out.” He hesitated a moment, shooting a covert glance at Guerrero. Clearing his throat, he stared down at the floor. “The fire pond wasn’t kept up, neither was the equipment. Without them there’s nothing we can do except let it burn out, hope it doesn’t spread.”
Fear mushroomed within the group like a tangible thing, filling every corner. Nobody said a word, but the child’s incessant crying served to strain already frayed nerves. Susana stepped into the kitchen doorway, humming a tune in an effort to calm her son.
Dr. Treviño cleared his throat. “Get the other guards,” he ordered. “They should give us some answers.”
“I didn’t see them among the men.” Nobody had to say the words on everyone’s mind. If they were around back, they might not find enough of them to recognize.
“Check the bunkhouses.” The screen door slammed closed behind Alex.
Andres started for the door. “I’m going out there.” His childhood home was burning to the ground and all he could do was watch the ranch hands chasing stray embers.
“No, muchacho,” the doctor chastised, rubbing his right wrist. Andres stopped at the door. “Alex is right, there’s nothing anyone can do to save the house. Don’t get yourself hurt, or worse, when you’ll still have to rebuild.”
There was nothing left. The firebreak would keep the blaze contained, but nothing within fifty miles would put out that inferno. Another loud crack and a wall went down. He turned back to the room, unable to watch.
“You’re lucky you don’t have a concussion.” Dr. Treviño looked to Susana. “We found him heading to the house. He’d been knocked senseless by the blast, and he was still trying to save me.”
Andres shifted, uncomfortable with the change in conversation. “I’m just glad you made it out safely.”
“Thank you. I’ve been in shock since I found Carlo coming out of the house with Pablo in tow. I’d checked the bedroom, but didn’t find him.”
“He fell asleep in the front room, watching television.” Carlo turned to Guerrero, who was huddled into an overstuffed chair, for either praise or confirmation. Neither was forthcoming. “I had guard duty along that side of the house. I saw him crashed out every time I walked past the window.”
Pablo Guerrero looked dazed. He’d been in a drunken stupor since Paloma. Even a drug lord could fall apart if he lost a child.
“We’d had such a nice dinner last night,” Dr. Treviño said wistfully. “I helped Lourdes prepare her famous bread pudding for everyone at the party. Did you have some, Pablo?”
“A few bites.”
“You, Carlo?”
“Nah.” He folded his massive arms. “Too much sugar.”
Dr. Treviño’s shoulders deflated. His pale face held more years than they did a few weeks back.
Andres glared at Carlo. Idiot. Didn’t he realize Dr. Treviño was trying to lighten the mood? Maybe get some conversation started to break the stranglehold on everyone’s nerves.
Susana shifted the baby to her other arm, trying to soothe him. Andres crossed his arms and turned his attention to the wall. Anything was better than looking at her.
A picture commanded his attention, his parents standing proudly in front of a prize stallion his father had purchased years ago. Once upon a time he had thought that someday he would be in a picture like that. Then Susana had come into his life. Based on a single lie he had believed like the sucker he was, he’d made one bad decision after another. Monica could have been the woman who changed that, but now it looked like she was just the latest in his string of poor choices. Maybe the fire was a sign that it was time to let go of his dreams once and for all.
He sighed and glanced around, finding Susana’s attention on him. He met her gaze straight on. Once again she looked him up and down, only this time her assessment changed. Her hips swayed slowly side to side as she rubbed the baby’s back. She lowered her head slightly while still watching him, a move he once found seductive. Now it looked cheap and grasping. He could almost see her calculating his value. Whatever she might have once been was gone, the illusion stripped away in the rush to find her next sugar daddy. She was, in a word, pathetic, and regardless of where his life was, it would always be better than hers.
He took a deep breath, blew it out, and felt the resentment trickle away. He could never like her again, but he could pity her, and it was the only fitting thing left to do at this point.
Rapid footfalls grew louder. Andres turned toward the door. Alex huffed as he pulled open the screen, standing alone. He opened his mouth, but apparently the sight of Susana stopped him. Instead, he shoved a baby bag at her then gave Dr. Treviño a sharp nod. The man struggled off the couch, leading Andres and Carlo outside.
“What happened?” Their three voices layered over one another.
Alex shifted his weight, his face pale. “The guards for the day shift were in the bunkhouse. Dead. All four had their throats slit.”
Silence fell over the group. Each man absorbing the news in his own way. Susana joined them, still struggling with the crying child. “Mr. Guerrero was getting agitated with us,” she explained.
Carlo squinted, studying the surroundings through the chaos. “They’re out to get us all.”
“Who?” Susana tightened her hold on the baby.
Andres wondered the same thing. The murderer was a ghost. He’d added four hired killers to his list of victims. If not for the bodies, he might have thought the explosion was an accident. But there was no mistaking this for anything other than calculated, cold-blooded murder. Andres looked up to find Carlo staring at him. “Why were you out sneaking ’round?”
Andres jerked back, struck with a sudden dread. He shook his head, aware of where this conversation could go. “I wasn’t sneaking around.”
“Wait a moment,” Dr. Treviño protested.
“No. He just got here. I saw him from the porch,” Alex supplied, much to Andres’s surprise. Carlo’s suspicion he understood, but Alex?
“You were out the night Paloma was killed, too,” Carlo added with conviction. “You didn’t come back all night.”
Susana stepped back, looking at him with accusatory eyes.
Wrong. Carlo was off on the night in question. He’d helped get Damian out the night after he’d discovered Paloma’s body. Both then and tonight he’d been with Monica. Would she be willing to confirm they were together? Would he even be given a chance to provide an alibi?
“This is ridiculous.” Dr. Treviño scoffed. “I saw the boy leave last night, and Alex saw him arrive. Besides, he was heading to the house, not away.”
Carlo smoothed his slicked-back hair, at a loss for words. He looked from one man to the other, knowing he had no support. “You mark my words, someone’s out to get every one of us.” He set his jaw, trying to jut out his slanted chin.
Susana shifted the baby again. “Ah. Why me?” she whined at the guard. “I just got here and I have nothing to do with Mr. Guerrero.”
“Neither did the cop.” Carlo narrowed his eyes at him. “But someone took him out, too.”
“Carlo,” Dr. Treviño interrupted. “Go collect Pablo and bring him out to the truck. We must go, it is no longer safe here for him.”
Andres stood in stunned silence.
Susana backpedaled before turning to follow Carlo to the house. He’d seen that calculating look on her face before. He wished he could feel sorry for the guy, but he’d just accused him of murder. Somehow it seemed they both got what they deserved.
“You’re leaving?” A thick lump settled in his throat.
“Let’s go inside.” Dr. Treviño led them into the stable, looking around at the chipped paint on the wooden planks. “While I’m sad to leave this place, it’s time you had your home back. I know how much Rancho del Sol means to you and that you’ll do right by the Calderons.”
&n
bsp; Andres drew a deep breath. It couldn’t be this easy. “What if he decides he doesn’t want to leave?”
Dr. Treviño slid an arm around his shoulder and lowered his voice. “Would you stay at the place your daughter had been murdered, especially in such a fashion? He is a very ill man, and cannot get better here, haunted by memories. You understand.”
Andres nodded, still dazed. Thoughts crowded his mind. What about all his other patients? Monica wasn’t going to stay. Her time in Copas had always been temporary. She had a life to return to. He’d witnessed the love she had for the guy with his own eyes. But that didn’t matter. None of it mattered. He had his heritage back. So why did it feel so hollow now?
“Thank you,” he said hoarsely. “I can’t express…but where will you go?”
“I’m taking him down to the coast. He mentioned having a beachside property he hasn’t visited in years.” The doctor squeezed his shoulder, his features softer, like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. “I’ll ask you not to share that information.”
“Of course.” The enormity of the situation took a full second to filter through his brain. The doctor had just given him the biggest gift he’d ever received. Freedom. There was nothing he could do to stop the grin spreading across his face. He turned to Alex, expecting the same pleasure or at least relief at the news. Instead, his friend’s smile was tight. Andres’s joy dissipated. “You’re going, too?”
“Yeah.” He shifted his weight to one hip. “I guess I’ll stick with the doctor for a while longer. I’ve got some stuff to figure out before I can decide what to do.”
Even with everything that had gone wrong with their friendship, he couldn’t imagine the ranch without Alex. They’d spent most of their lives running around together, exploring every cave on the property. Andres had made life-changing decisions based on Susana’s lies. Coming between Alex and Susana, however unaware he had been, had driven a permanent wedge between the two men.
He turned to Dr. Treviño. “Would you mind if I talk to Alex privately?”
“Go right ahead.” He took a few steps away.
Andres tipped his head toward the other end of the stable. Every step tightened his gut a little more. Alex took them out the other door. A couple of dogs followed at their heels. He waited until they were clear of the building to reach for a nine millimeter from his back. “I grabbed this off a night table, thinking you might need it.”
“Thanks, bro.” Andres took the weapon, checking the magazine and safety before sticking the barrel into the back of his belt. Even with all the shit between them, Alex still looked out for him. How did a guy start a conversation about how big of an ass he’d been? “Hey. You don’t have to go.” Tension rolled off Alex in a thick wave. “I may not be able to pay you what you’re making now, but you’ll have a roof over your head.”
Alex shifted his weight, looking out across the property. Could he be thinking about the work it would take to get the ranch going again? An extra pair of hands would be welcome, but his reason for wanting Alex around went beyond help. They were family, even though they didn’t share the same blood.
“Shit.” Andres slapped his hand against his thigh. “I’m doing this all wrong.” His breath rushed out. “Man, I’m sorry.” He shook his head, not knowing how else to approach the subject. “About everything. I never should have believed Susana over you.” Alex’s features lost all emotion. Good or bad, he should get the words out. Tell him the truth and admit how wrong he’d been.
“I didn’t love her.” He wet the corner of his lips, his mouth suddenly dry. “Not like you did.” His heart pounded, more for the grief his friend had endured than for the woman who’d come between them. Truth be told, he hadn’t known what love was until recently. Until Monica blew into his life with her long black hair and fiery determination.
“I got tangled up in wanting to…save her. And I couldn’t see what was going on around me.” Alex remained silent, like he had back then. He should have spoken up, told him the score. “Why didn’t you tell me you two were together? If I’d known, I never would have gotten involved with her to begin with.”
Alex rubbed his hand along the back of his neck. His mouth flattened into a grim line. “You were home from college. You had a degree, and a future in front of you.” He finally looked him in the eye. “You could have given her a hell of a lot more than I ever could. And the truth is…maybe…looking back, I’m not sure I ever really loved her, either.”
Andres wondered if Susana had jumped a sinking ship. He’d just been stupid enough to ignore his parents’ warning. Only after everything had gone wrong had Lourdes told him about Susana having dated Alex…
“Still, I didn’t expect you to be such a bastard.” Alex’s face twisted with anger and disappointment. “How could you leave her over there? She was all alone and pregnant in a country where she didn’t know anybody else.”
Andres met Alex’s gaze. It was past time to be honest and stop playing hero…and martyr. He’d screwed up, and it was time to own it. Andres cleared his throat. “I didn’t leave her, she left me. She told me the kid wasn’t mine and just like that”—he snapped his fingers—“she was gone.” He took a deep breath. “I’m not gonna lie, I wasn’t sorry it ended, I just wasn’t happy about having to slink back home like a dog with his tail between his legs.
“I was pissed, but to tell the truth, bro, I was mostly goddamned embarrassed. Still am.” His gaze returned to Alex. “I can tell you how sorry I am from now till hell freezes over…and I know it doesn’t excuse anything. I just want another chance.” He glanced at the smoldering remains of his family home. He swiped a hand over his face. “I’m not sure that’s even possible now.”
Alex nodded, his expression turning thoughtful. Andres had to ask. “Did she tell you the baby was mine?” Alex frowned. “No, Dr. Treviño told me. I figured it was true, because he kept going on and on about family and sacrifice.”
It made sense. Dr. Treviño had given him a similar talk. But at the time he’d thought he meant Susana and the sacrifices she’d have to make as a single mother. “It’s not. We hadn’t been around each other until yesterday.”
Alex blew out a breath. “She asked me to drop her off in town with the money Dr. Treviño sent. When I said no she got pissed and got out of the truck.” He spit, turning back with a scowl. “Now that I know she’s not your baby mama, I can tell you I found her at my place when I got back. She tried a different tactic to get the money I’d been given to go shopping.” Alex shoved his hands in the back pockets of his jeans and kicked at a dirt clod. “I’m sorry about the crap she put you through, brother. Once you were gone there was no denying she was only with me to get to you. Guess that’s where my pride kicked in and kept me from owning up.”
Andres released a long slow breath. A knot of tension he’d had sitting in his chest finally released. “Now it looks like she’s going for Carlo.”
Alex sobered. “And that guy’s stupid enough to fall for it.”
One dog growled then another joined in. In the stable, Dr. Treviño was milling about. Andres frowned. Who was he talking to? Rayo? He shook his head. Trust the doctor to make a crazy moment look dignified. The damn horse was probably giving him lip for standing there without grabbing a brush and making himself useful.
A shadow fell across the far entrance as the wind picked up. Andres’s shoulders stiffened. “You bastard.” Carlo’s voice rang out as he stared at them through the stable. “—his kid?” Half his words were drowned out by a sudden gust and the dogs’ wailing.
“Not all of them died, doc-tor.” Carlo stood at the doorway, seething.
Medical training ingrained the need to avoid emotional involvement during a crisis. Reynaldo Treviño thought he’d mastered the skill years ago, so it surprised him when his pulse kicked up as Carlo interrupted him saying good-bye at the memorial for Rey Calderon. The father he’d never known. Over the past few months he’d imagined being caught working against Guerrero.
Mostly he’d expected the cold finger of fear at his neck, but he was clearheaded, his muscles tensing as he waited for Carlo to act.
In the split second it took for the gun to travel from Carlo’s waistband to point the massive barrel in his direction, time slowed to a crawl. Dispassionately he noted the barrel seemed larger now that he was staring down it. His gaze fixed on it. The bullet would rip through his flesh, muscle, and organs, maybe ricochet and cause additional damage. If it was a hollow point…
The wind whooshed in behind him, picking up dirt and debris in its wake. Carlo’s hateful glare disappeared with the dense cloud hitting him full force. Blinded, he pulled the trigger, sending the bullet on a wild trajectory.
Gunfire erupted around him, echoing from both sides of the building. Somewhere behind him Alex and Andres were yelling. A burning lash sliced along his external oblique muscle, sending him crashing against the wooden planks. Horses screamed in terror, high-pitched squeals punctuated by hooves pounding against the unyielding wooden enclosure. The resulting shock waves reverberated along his wrist and shoulder.
When Reynaldo opened his eyes the dust cloud had cleared. Carlo blinked incessantly, looking down at the splotches staining his dark shirt. He stumbled, and his finger tightened on the trigger, sending a bullet into the doorframe, earning himself another shower of gunfire from the doorway behind him. The most skilled trauma surgeon would not be able to repair the damage in time. Carlo’s limp body hit the ground with a deep, resounding thud.
Boots pounded against the earth. “Doctor.” Andres’s eyes, so dear to him, were wide and concerned. “You’re bleeding.”
“We’ll get you to town,” Alex assured him.
“Yeah.” Andres pushed at his side, putting pressure on the wound. “Monica will fix you right up.”
“Let me see,” he rasped, needing to gauge the extent of his wound. Andres pulled the shirt away to rip the material apart. “This is barely a scratch. Adrenaline will keep the pain at bay for a little longer.” He dragged in a breath. “I need to get Pablo away from here immediately.” He leaned in, putting pressure against the wound. “He’s been so distraught I had to administer sedatives so he’d rest.” If everything had worked correctly, Pablo would have been sedated during the explosion, and they could have avoided all of this.
Secrets and Seduction (Dangerous Desires) Page 13