by Linda Warren
“It’s bad. The doctor said he must have banged her head repeatedly against the wall or a table. They operated to stop the internal bleeding. Now they’re dealing with the swelling of the brain. The doctor said she will either wake up or she won’t. She has a fifty-fifty chance. The baby has to be there when she wakes up or she will be devastated.”
Levi felt himself being pulled into Natalie’s plight, but then, he was always a sucker where a baby was concerned. Still, he wasn’t relenting.
“If the police are on the case, I don’t see why you need a private investigator. And like I said, Stu still has a lot of pull in the police department.” Stuart Stevens had been the police chief in Houston, but he’d retired after a bout with cancer.
She bit her lip again.
“You’re not telling me everything, are you?”
“It’s complicated, Levi.”
He folded his arms across his chest. “Oh, really. I don’t do complicated anymore, Myra.”
“Okay.” She shoved her hands into the pockets of her black slacks. “When the police couldn’t locate Marco, I did some checking on my own. His family might have connections to a Mexican drug cartel.”
“Might?”
“I don’t have any evidence to back it up. Only what people in the apartment complex told me about Marco and the people who visited with him. I’m waiting on a report from the FBI to confirm.”
“Well, then, I’d say it’s safe to say that baby is in Mexico.”
“Maybe not. Marco’s parents have a home in Brownsville. The police there checked it out, but they said they hadn’t seen their son in weeks. They could be hiding him, though.”
“If he’s wanted in Houston, he’s not hanging around in Texas.”
“Levi, please,” she begged, her eyes dark with emotions he remembered too well. “I know you can track Marco down and find him when no one else can.”
“You have a lot of confidence in me.” Confidence that came just a little too late.
“I always have.”
He lifted a hand. “Let’s not go there.”
“Levi, just check into it. Stu is willing to pay your fee plus expenses and a five-thousand-dollar bonus if you bring his grandson back.”
“You’re asking me to get involved with the drug cartel in Mexico? That’s like signing my own death warrant.”
“All you have to do is locate him. The police will take it from there.”
“In Mexico? I doubt it.”
“I can see you’re not eager to go into Mexico.”
“No. Valerie and I are talking marriage and I’m not going to do anything to jeopardize that. I’m ready to settle down and have a family. Putting my life in danger is not going to happen.”
She stepped forward and a heel sank into the ground, almost toppling her over. “Good grief, it’s like quicksand in here.”
“You’re in a barn, Myra. It’s called dirt. No one wears high heels in a barn.”
She yanked the heel out and managed to stand upright. “I thought you would be in your office. I didn’t plan on driving way out here to the middle of nowhere.”
He pushed away from the saddle. “You wasted your time. I’ll give you the names of some investigators in Houston. They can do just as good a job as I can.”
“I work in the D.A.’s office. I know investigators all over Harris County, but it’s going to take someone willing to go the extra mile to flush out Marco. I thought that man would be you. So did Stu.”
“Sorry.” He remained firm.
“You’re one stubborn asshole. Do you think it was easy to come out here and face your wrath once again? It wasn’t. A little boy’s life is at stake. You may be able to ignore that, but I can’t.”
Myra was getting revved up, like he’d seen her do in a courtroom. When she was passionate about something, her Mexican lineage came out and she was unstoppable.
“And since you don’t care one way or the other, there’s another sad twist to this story. Did you know Stu had part of one lung removed?”
“Yes. I went to see him at the time.”
“The cancer has spread. He’s very ill. If I have to go to Mexico myself, I will. Stu and Natalie need a break and I won’t turn my back on them.”
Her heels sank into the dirt again and she reached down and yanked them off. “I’m not going to rehash the past with you again. It’s done. It’s over. I was young and stupid. I’m not sure what your excuse was other than being a total asshole with a high and mighty attitude. I’m human. I made a mistake. Get over it.”
She swung toward the door, heels in her hand, and just as quickly swung back. “Good luck with your marriage. I hope she never disappoints you, because you’re one unforgiving bastard.”
Levi drew a sharp breath and slung his hat across the barn. It landed softly on a bale of alfalfa. His horse skittered away and he stroked her to calm her, but nothing was going to calm the churning in his gut. Myra made him madder than anyone. She knew how to push his buttons. Damn her!
He removed the bridles and saddle blankets from the horses, and then opened the door to the corral so they could eat the sweet feed he’d put out earlier. They trotted through and he closed the gate. He always liked to rub them down after a hard ride, but today he feared he might rub through their hides. He was that angry at her.
Leaning on the gate, his thoughts turned inward. Seeing Myra again was like someone touching him in the middle of the night when he was alone. It was startling, jarring and frightening. And he’d responded badly. He was struggling to figure out why.
When they’d met seven years ago, he was a cop with the Austin police department and she’d just joined the D.A.’s office. They’d worked a murder case and theirs was an instant attraction. They’d slept together on their first date and, by the end of that week, he’d moved in with her. Their need for each other was insatiable.
At first, he’d thought it was just about the hot sex, but as the weeks passed, he realized it was much more. He admired her drive, her determination to succeed in a man’s world. And her devotion to her friend Jessie was admirable, too. He liked everything about Myra. Her Latin looks were an added bonus.
He wasn’t a dreaming man, but she’d had him dreaming about a future, babies and a home. And forever. He just hadn’t counted on how much her career meant to her. More to her than he ever would. That’s what hurt the most.
Things had blown up so fast they’d never had a proper goodbye. One wasn’t required. Maybe that’s what bothered him. Maybe he needed closure. Closure? Hell, that wasn’t a word men used. He didn’t. Men just moved on. And he planned to keep on moving. He’d found the woman for him and Myra Delgado was just a bad memory.
CHAPTER TWO
MYRA WAS FURIOUS and she had to let off some steam. The only way to do that was to talk to Jessie, who understood her better than anyone. Myra had never told her why she and Levi had broken up. There was a reason for that. She wasn’t sure her friend would understand.
Jessie firmly believed in love and everything it encompassed, so how did Myra explain to her that she’d screwed up? Myra was angry enough to lay it all on the line this time and be honest. Mainly because Jessie would love her no matter what. She was that type of person.
Jessie was the motherless daughter of Roscoe Murdoch, the oil tycoon. When Roscoe’s niece had been kidnapped and murdered, he became paranoid about Jessie’s safety. He’d hired guards to watch over her, and Rosa and Felipe Delgado to care for her. Myra was two years older than Jessie and they’d grown up as best friends in the Murdoch household.
Since Jessie was guarded twenty-four hours a day, her life was a living hell. She rebelled numerous times, but Roscoe was always in control. Jessie gained her freedom the day Roscoe passed away. She fired the guards and went after what she wanted out of life
—a man named Cadde Hardin. She was now happily married and living in High Cotton, Texas.
Myra set the GPS for the small town and sped down U.S. 290. When Jessie had lived in Houston, they saw each other all the time. But since she lived so far away now and had two babies, they had to make time for those special occasions.
As Myra drove, she thought of her next course of action. She wasn’t giving up. She’d promised Stu she’d do everything she could to bring the baby home and she intended to do that with or without Levi. Like he’d said, there were other investigators and she just had to find a capable one.
The urge to pull the car over and have a pity cry was strong, but she was stronger. She didn’t do the weak female crying bit. But, oh, God, she wanted to. However, she wouldn’t waste one more tear on Levi Coyote.
She’d never dreamed it would be so hard to see him again and to reexperience all the anger he still carried from her betrayal. It was time to let it go—for good. There was no going back and there was no more apologizing. She had begged Levi for the last time.
Taking the cutoff to the county road that ran through High Cotton, she soon pulled into the driveway of the two-story colonial. Jessie’s Suburban was in the garage, so Myra knew she was home. She glanced toward the house a short distance away. Cadde had built Myra’s parents their own home as a way to repay their service over the years. They wanted to be close to Jessie because they loved her and had taken care of her for more than twenty years.
Myra didn’t see her dad’s truck. That meant they were out. She was hoping to see them, but considering her state of mind, it probably was best if she didn’t. Her mother had a knack for ferreting out her moods as if she were five years old.
The back door was open, so she went inside. Childish giggles and laughter echoed through the house. “Jessie,” she called.
“We’re in the den,” her friend shouted back.
Jessie sat on the floor playing with four little kids, three boys and one girl. Jessie’s hair was in a ponytail and her eyes were bright with happiness.
“Hey, friend, what are you doing out this way?”
Myra squeezed into the little group on the floor. “I was out this way and thought I’d drop in. You know, unannounced, like my mama told me never to do.”
Jessie hugged her. “I’m glad you did.”
Myra looked at the shining little faces. Jacob, who was two and a half, toddled over to her and plopped into her lap. She hugged him a little tighter than she should have because she needed to feel loved today. Cadde Thomas, twelve months younger than his brother, also fell into her lap and she held them close.
“I think they remember me.”
“Of course they do.” Jessie reached over and kissed her sons. “They know Auntie My.”
Myra glanced at the other two children. “Are you running a kiddie day care now?”
“No.” Jessie poked her in the ribs. “There’s a problem with the oil well on the property. They’re fracking it or something, and the Hardin boys of Shilah Oil are keeping a close eye on it. You know how Cadde and his brothers are about the oil business. They have to personally supervise everything.”
Cadde had worked for Roscoe for years, and on his deathbed Roscoe had made a deal with Cadde: marry my daughter and keep her safe and I’ll give you half of my oil company. It was a dream come true for Cadde and he gladly took the offer. He just didn’t know that Jessie had put her father up to it because she’d been in love with Cadde since the first moment she’d met him. Luckily, it had all worked out, but not without a lot of heartache and pain. Myra wondered if real love had to be tested first, put through the bowels of hell before it could survive.
“That’s Cody,” Jessie was saying, “Chance and Shay’s son, and the blonde cutie is Carly, Kid and Lucky’s daughter.”
“She’s adorable.” Blond curls covered her head and a pink bow was clipped to the side.
The back door opened and Myra heard a rumble of deep voices.
The three boys jumped to their feet. “Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!” they chorused, and took off running for the kitchen.
Carly stood up and Myra was surprised. She didn’t think the little girl was old enough to walk. Cadde and Chance came into the den with their sons in their arms. Carly looked past them, her bottom lip trembling, and fat tears rolled from her eyes.
Jessie immediately gathered her into her arms. “Sweetie, Daddy’s coming.”
Kid burst through the door about that time. “Hey, what’s wrong with my baby?”
Carly smiled, slipped from Jessie’s arms and waddled to her father. Kid scooped her into his arms and everyone was happy.
Myra and Jessie got to their feet. Jessie hugged her husband and her boys and she seemed to melt right into them. It was clear how much love they shared, and it made Myra very aware that there was real love in the world. Jessie had been lucky enough to find it. For Myra, that would never happen, which made her a little sad. But only for a moment.
“Hello, Hardin boys,” Myra said with her hands on her hips.
“The wicked lady’s back,” Kid quipped.
“You better believe it.”
Kid grinned. “Always a pleasure, but I’ve got to run. We’re meeting Lucky for lunch and that’s a big part of our day.”
“Me, too,” Chance added. “Nice seeing you, Myra.”
“I’ll take the boys outside so you two can visit,” Cadde offered.
“Thanks, honey.”
Myra and Jessie sank onto the sofa. “What’s wrong?” Jessie asked.
Myra made herself comfortable. “Why do you think something’s wrong?”
Jessie sat cross-legged in shorts and a tank top. “Because you’re here in the middle of the day when you should be at work. And you look a little stressed.”
“Thanks.”
“You’re beautiful when you’re stressed.”
“I saw Levi today,” Myra blurted out.
“Levi Coyote?”
“Yes. There’s only one Levi.”
“I always loved his name. He was just so big and strong and indestructible and I liked to see him smile. He reminds me a lot of Cadde. You know, tough and unbending. It takes a woman to soften them up.”
“Levi’s found someone to soften him up. He’s getting married.”
“That bothers you?”
“I... No.”
“I think it does.” Jessie touched her arm. “Tell me why you saw Levi today after all this time.”
“You remember I told you about Natalie.”
“Yes, how is she?”
“Still in a coma and the police haven’t been able to locate the boyfriend or the baby.”
“How sad.”
“Stu, her father, and I had this insane idea that Levi would be able to find them.”
“So you asked him?”
Myra took a breath. “Yes, and the response was a big no with capital letters and an exclamation point.”
She could feel Jessie’s eyes on her.
“You never told me why you and Levi broke up. At the time, you said you didn’t want to talk about it. Do you want to talk about it now?”
Myra stood up. She couldn’t remain still any longer. “I didn’t tell you because I knew if I did you would look at me differently.”
“What do you mean?”
“You’d think I was a horrible person.”
“Not likely.” Jessie lifted an eyebrow. “Nothing on this earth will ever change my opinion of you. You were the only bright spot in my dismal childhood and I know you as well as I know myself. If you did something you’re not proud of, then it was just a bad choice.”
Awkward silence followed and that was new for them. They could always talk about anything.
“Tell me what happened,” Je
ssie said softly.
Myra resumed her seat on the sofa and gathered her thoughts and courage. “You remember when that serial rapist was released from prison and, a week later, he followed a mother and her sixteen-year-old daughter home from the mall?”
“Yes. Levi was involved. The story was everywhere, but I don’t remember much of the details.”
“A neighbor was looking out her window when the guy forced them inside the house with a gun. She called 9-1-1. Levi was in the area and the first to respond. He was ordered to stand down until the situation was assessed, but as soon as Levi heard who the truck in the driveway belonged to, he knew the man was dangerous. He’d arrested him before. He parked down the street, out of sight, and walked to the house. Hearing a scream coming from the upstairs, he acted quickly, disobeying a direct order.
“He got in through one of the downstairs windows. The father had been shot in the living room. The screams and sobbing continued as Levi made his way to one of the bedrooms. The mother was tied up and the guy was ripping clothes off the teenager. His gun lay on the carpet. Levi burst in and the guy immediately went for his gun. Levi shot him.”
“I remember Levi received an accommodation for his bravery.”
“Not at first. He was immediately suspended for disobeying a direct order. But the father survived, and when he heard what had happened, he was livid that Levi had been suspended for saving his wife and daughter. He had political connections, and once he got through making phone calls, the suspension was lifted immediately and the accommodation awarded.”
“I don’t understand what this has to do with you and Levi.” Jessie’s face scrunched into a frown.
Myra wrapped her arms around her waist as if to ward off what she had to say, but she had to tell Jessie. She had to tell someone.
“Before the father woke up, the cops and detectives were all behind Levi, especially Stu, who was assistant police chief, and they supported his choice to go into that house against a direct order. They got a petition going so everyone could sign to show their support, and it was to be given to the chief of police and higher-ups.”