Cold Day In Hell

by Jerrie Alexander

  Only a purebred ass would've forgotten her experience. Kidnapped, beaten, and offered up as a trade for evidence, she'd struggled getting back on her feet. She and Kay were best friends, and the two were like family to him. They'd helped fill the void his sister's death had left.

  Back in the States for three weeks and all he'd thought of was getting a clean bill of health and finding Ana. He'd worried about her. After all, she'd been his responsibility. He had to follow through and make sure she was okay.

  "Holly's still in therapy. But she's coming along. I think being around Kay and me served as a constant reminder of the kidnapping. Holly's a strong woman. It might take awhile, but she'll work through the trauma."

  "She's a city girl. What's she doing living in the boonies?"

  "Making a new life for herself. She's thirty minutes outside of Fort Worth."

  "I need to see them both."

  "I know. It was my job to ensure you were a hundred percent before I unleashed you on the world." Nate grinned, sounding more like Ty's friend than his keeper.

  "I'm ready."

  "Good enough. I'm hitting the shower." Nate picked up his towel. "How about we grab a beer before I go home?"

  "Yes" was on the tip of Ty's tongue, but he quickly rethought his answer. He had to make good use of his time here. He was cleared for duty, so Nate could assign him a new case Monday.

  "Rain check on the drink." Before he started something new, he had to close the door on Ana's case. Make sure she was settled and moving forward with her life.

  Odd how often she'd popped into his mind over the past few weeks. Not only her beautiful face and smartass mouth, but he also seemed to remember tears running down her cheeks when he'd regained consciousness in the hospital. Late at night, he had almost felt her hand on his arm. The next thing he'd known, Jack Fury had been escorting her to America.

  Why had she cried? Had she cared whether he lived or died? Why was he curious?

  Showered and ready to go, he promised Nate he'd stop by for Sunday lunch and headed out Interstate 75 toward Hill Top.

  Time to rejoin the living.

  October weather in Texas was nothing like the damp heat of the jungle. The day was warm, the sun was shining, but the sky? Damn, he'd never seen it so blue.

  Happy to be on his own, he turned off the air conditioner and rolled down the windows. The wet summer, a phenomenon in Texas, had painted the trees and pastures a brilliant green. Not quite as vivid as the jungle, but under the cloudless sky the scenery was breathtaking. Fat cattle grazed, calves nursed, and Ty tuned out every sound except the hum of his tires on the open road.

  He pulled into the parking lot at the library, killed the engine, and sat staring at the colonial-style brick building. The weird stirring in his heart confused him. His dogged interest in seeing Ana ate away at his stomach lining.

  He'd served with women in Iraq and Afghanistan. Some had caught his interest, but afterward, he'd never actually missed any of them. Yet, here he sat reluctant to go inside. Hell, he was acting like a pimple-faced schoolboy.

  He gritted his teeth and shook off the case of nerves. He had nothing to worry about. After all, this was a friendly how-are-you visit to Ana and Holly.

  He got out and crossed the lot to the entrance where a sign indicated closing time was at six. He started up the steps. Stopped. He wanted to go inside. No doubt, Holly would be glad to see him. But Ana? She'd moved on. Started a new life.

  Fuck. He hated indecisive people. Now he was one.

  He spotted a wrought-iron bench in the shade, so he sat and waited.

  Chapter Nine

  Holly's shriek startled Ana. Loud noises and car backfires still frightened her. Would the fear last forever?

  Holly took off in a run. Ana whirled. Her lungs seized. Eyes burned. Chest squeezed.

  Ty Castillo walked across the lawn, a big grin spread across his face. He opened his arms wide, and Holly jumped into them. His laughter rolled toward Ana, music to her ears. It was a side of him she'd never seen.

  Pain flooded her soul at the sight of him holding Holly in his arms.

  His gaze lifted for a second and laser-locked on Ana. Intense heat flowed from his eyes through her system, melting her from the inside out. He abruptly broke eye contact and turned his attention to Holly. He leaned down and kissed the smiling woman on the forehead. Ty picked up a lock of her short brown hair and ran it through his fingers.

  Ana held her breath. He was her rescuer, her bodyguard, and nothing more. So why'd his tender gesture send a shard of jealousy knifing through her heart?

  "Where's the ponytail and my wild-haired blonde?"

  Holly's expression shifted from ecstatic to deadpan. "It was time I grew up."

  Suddenly, he and Holly were talking nonstop and at the same time.

  The scene felt too intimate to stand around and watch. Ana felt very much like a voyeur. She closed her eyes while the breeze cooled her flushed face.

  Regardless of what Holly had indicated, there was more between her and Ty than just friendship.

  Ana ran different scenarios through her head, trying to come up with a tactful way to walk away. None came, so she stood her ground and waited for him to take the lead.

  God, what a sight he was with his shaved head and face. Even the mustache and goatee were gone. His shoulders were still broad, and the pullover he wore gave testament to his rugged condition. His cheeks seemed to be thinner, giving his sharp jawline a more refined edge. He'd lost weight, not that it detracted from his looks. With his heritage of Latin and African-American blood, his caramel skin and piercing dark eyes would attract any number of women. Holly included.

  Ana opened her eyes and discovered Ty headed her direction.

  In long, purposeful strides, he covered the distance quickly. The corners of his mouth lifted slightly. Ana tamped down the urge to wrap her arms around those broad shoulders and tell him just how damn glad she was to see him. Instead, she extended her hand.

  He recoiled. His smile disappeared. What had he expected? To his credit, he recovered quickly, and his fingers closed around hers with a strong grip. Tugging her a couple of steps closer, he used his free hand to cup her cheek.

  "How are you?" He inspected her as he had in the jungle, tilting her head to check her neck.

  "Fine, thank you." She held back a shudder as his thumb stroked her skin.

  "Really?" He made one of his exasperated-sigh sounds, exactly like the ones that used to piss her off. Today, it made her smile. The tension eased.

  "Okay," she began again. "I'm a work in progress."

  His gaze raked over her from top to toes. "I'd say the outside doesn't need tampering with."

  She didn't know how to respond to his comment, so she changed the direction of the conversation. "You're well?"

  After all they'd been through in the jungle, she wanted to talk to him. To see how he really was. Or if he had news about Ortega. Truthfully, she wanted to jump into his arms just as Holly had done. Yet here she stood, jaws locked, tongue-tied. The right words were hard to come by. Apparently, she needed bullets flying past their heads to have a conversation with him.

  "I am." His eyes grew darker, if that was possible. It felt as if he looked inside her soul. "What have you heard from home?"

  "Nothing except what I see on television or read online." She swallowed the lump crowding the back of her throat. Being isolated without friends, she hadn't gotten her footing yet. Or she'd have fought harder for news. Now the need swamped her with a hunger she couldn't shake. "I hoped you had some kind of update."

  His eyebrows dipped as he frowned. "I'll look into it. You deserve to know what's going on with Ortega."

  She nodded. "Thank you. I contacted the FBI, but they aren't very responsive."

  He understood. "They're not into sharing."

  Movement caught her attention. Holly had moved and was sitting on the bench. Waiting. She and Ty had history. Exactly what, Ana didn't have a clue. But the joy
ous reunion appeared to have been sincere, and Holly probably wanted to catch up.

  Ana opened her purse, scribbled her cell number on the back of a receipt and handed it to Ty. "Anything you learn and share will be appreciated." She nodded toward Holly. "Go. She's waiting."

  Unwilling to get in the way, Ana forced herself to turn away from Ty. Holly had been kind, befriending Ana without question. No way was she intruding.

  A strong hand gripped her shoulder from behind. "You're not leaving."

  It was a command not a question. A command something deep inside wanted to obey.

  "I have plans," she lied.

  His hand dropped to his side. Before he saw through her deception, she waved at Holly, and hurriedly walked to the car. She drove out of the lot without checking her rearview mirror. Too many emotions were churning through her. Her insides felt as if she'd been caught in a whirlpool. She understood none of it.

  Along with being close friends of the owners of Lost and Found, Inc., Holly had been good to Ana. So had Kay Wolfe, who'd met Ana and Jack Fury at baggage claim the day they'd arrived. Kay and her husband had signed on as Ana's sponsors, making the transition easier.

  No way would she let a little hero worship hurt the few people in the US who'd been kind to her. The sexual pull she felt for Ty was just hormones made worse by loneliness. She'd pushed him out of her mind once and could do it again.

  Confused by Ty showing up at the library and her internal reaction to him, she parked outside her apartment and released the seat belt. The driver's side door jerked open.

  Ana looked into eyes filled with hate.

  Carlo Medina sank his fingers into her hair and dragged her from the car onto the ground. Her head hit the hard pavement, and rockets exploded inside her skull. Her mind froze for a split second before a blast of adrenaline roared through her system. Every ounce of training she'd received in self-defense classes kicked in.

  First rule? Scream. So she did. Loudly and continually, while she fought to stay conscious.

  The sun glinted off the blade of a knife.

  "Puta. Uno se muere hoy," he growled.

  No. She didn't intend to die today. A horn honked. Over and over. Over the racket, a woman's voice yelled something about calling the cops.

  Medina's attention shifted, and Ana seized the opportunity. She pushed with all her strength. He stumbled and fell. The knife hit the pavement and slid under a parked car. He scrambled to his feet, slammed the toe of his shoe into her ribs, and grabbed for her hair.

  "The cops are here," a woman screamed.

  Carlo raised his head to look, and Ana kicked straight out. The blow didn't seem to bother him, but he turned and ran.

  She stood, stumbled into the driveway in time to see him drive away in a black SUV. Ana clung to the side of her car, trying to steady herself and gather her thoughts. Something warm ran down the back of her head. A finger test confirmed her suspicion. Blood.

  The horn silenced. A woman got out of a car and ran to Ana.

  "Let me look at you." The stranger frowned as she inspected the injuries. "Hang on." She hurried to her car and returned with an infant in one arm and two diapers in her hand.

  "Where are the police?"

  "I lied," the woman said. "They'll be along soon. In the meantime, hold this on your head while I wrap this one around your arm."

  "My arm?" Ana hadn't realized her elbow was bleeding. "Thank you for helping. You saved my life." Ana moved to the stairway and eased down to the first step. The percussion band marching in her head dwarfed the throbbing in her arm.

  "Muggings in this area are unusual." The woman shifted the curly blonde baby to the other hip. "I'm Claire Bingham. Apartment 1216. I called 911. The cops and an ambulance should be here in two shakes."

  Ana battled back tears as fear lashed through her veins. The harder her heart pounded, the more her head and arm throbbed.

  This was no mugging. Manuel Ortega wanted revenge bad enough to send a killer to America. That Carlo Medina had come himself meant the target on her forehead would remain until her death.

  What should she say to the police? In her home country, more than a few officers were on Ortega's payroll. Who could she trust?

  She wished for Ty. Wanted his strength. Needed his support. Instead, she decided to call Kay Wolfe. Maybe Lost and Found, Inc. helped people disappear.

  A tear broke before she could pull it back. Again, she'd have to run as if she were the criminal. What kind of life would she have living in constant fear?

  She started to stand, but Claire's hand stopped her. "You're better off staying put."

  "I need my phone from my purse."

  "I'll get it." Claire laughed. "I'd lend you mine, but the 911 operator said not to hang up, so I left it on the seat."

  Sirens blared in the background. Ana's vision narrowed. Kind of like she'd entered a foggy tunnel. She took her phone and pushed Kay's number. Despair gripped Ana, taking the will to fight out of her. She didn't have the strength to talk.

  Handing the cell to Claire, Ana asked, "Will you tell her where they're going to take me? Please."

  ****

  Ana's heart did that funny clench when she heard the argument outside her cubbyhole in the ER. She'd been poked and prodded, stitched and X-rayed. She'd have a new scar, courtesy of Ortega. She hadn't known what to say when the police had questioned her. Feigning confusion, she'd put off talking until Kay had arrived. She'd filled out the paperwork giving the barest of facts, and the two cops seemed to have accepted her mugging story.

  The debate continued over Ty's admittance to see her. His tone dropped to that low octave he used when angry, but Kay's voice remained steady and calm. Ana's blood pumped faster at the sound of his concern, which made her headache worse. Still, he'd come and that meant a lot.

  "Let's make sure the doctors are finished first," Kay insisted. "You can wait your turn."

  Kay sounded as if she spoke to a petulant child, but Ana hoped he'd insist. She had to tell him the truth. Right or wrong, they had lied to the cops, and it was too late to change the story now.

  "The hell you say. I'll push back every curtain until I find her."

  Shoe heels clicked on the tile floor and got louder as the dispute drew closer. Ty walked in, followed by Kay.

  "Sorry. I probably shouldn't have called him." Kay's apology sounded sincere, but her grin hinted otherwise. "He insisted on seeing you."

  "Damn right I did." He crossed the room and leaned over the bed. His hand rested on hers. "You're okay?"

  "Slight concussion. Another scar for this arm."

  Ana motioned Ty to come closer. A frisson of fear raced across her skin at what she was about to say. Memories of her parents' deaths and her stabbing drew tears to the surface. She willed them away. Today's assault meant she had to leave. Hide. Again.

  "Carlo Medina attacked me."

  Ty's gaze turned cold. His grip on her hand tightened. "You're positive?"

  Ana nodded. "Carlo told me I would die today."

  A nerve in Ty's jaw twitched. His dark eyes closed for a second. When they opened, the pain in them cut right through her. "The son of a bitch must have been watching me. I led him to you."

  "It's possible." Kay rested her hand on Ana's leg.

  "What did the police say?" Ty asked.

  "Nothing," Kay answered. "We let them believe it was a mugging."

  Ana saw the puzzled look on Ty's face. "I asked Kay not to tell them about Carlo." Ty's puzzlement turned into a frown, so Ana continued. "I don't know that they can be trusted. In my country, talking to any official could be dangerous."

  Ty's head moved forward in a slight nod, agreeing with their decision. Guilt clouded his gaze. Could she get him to help her now?

  "We have to move you right away." Ty raised his gaze to meet Kay's.

  Kay nodded. "He's right."

  Reality crashed in around Ana. The throbbing in her head worsened. She should've known she'd spend the rest of her li
fe in hiding. Jumping at shadows. Moving from place to place. Afraid to leave her apartment.

  "Where would I go? Carlo knows where you live and probably every place you've been. I'll bet he knows you're here."

  "We'll take you to a safe house. You'll be okay." Ty sounded convincing. His eyes disagreed. "Will Marcus be home tomorrow?"

  Kay pulled her phone from her pocket and scrolled through. "In the morning."

  "He can protect Ana while I hunt for Carlo. But first, call Nate. He needs to contact his friend with the feds. Dalton can provide me with a secure place to take Ana."

  "I'll call Nate right now."

  "While you're at it, the FBI needs to be told Carlo Medina is in the country. No doubt they or the DEA would like to get their hands on him." Ty's gaze narrowed to slits. "If I find him first, they can have what's left after I'm finished."

  Kay started toward the exit, her phone already to her ear.

  Up until now, Ana had kept her comments to herself. If he thought she intended to sit around and hide behind a bodyguard, he was wrong. "I'm not hiding somewhere until you catch him. I told you I'm trained in military tactics. I want to help."

  "This is my fault." Ty leaned over her, his mouth inches from hers. "And I'll fix it."

  He still didn't get it. She had to persuade him to help her.

  If she failed, she'd return to Colombia alone.

  Chapter Ten

  Ty crossed the lawn, stopping just off the porch of the safe house. Isolated at the end of a narrow winding road, the cabin offered solitude and the ability to monitor the exterior and spot intruders. The place was solid, homey, and defensible.

  Ty dragged a hand over his head. If he'd had hair, he'd have ripped it out by the roots. His gut knotted. Everyone would have been better off if he'd honored Ana's original request and helped her kill that bastard Ortega.

  How many people would die because her pleas had fallen on deaf ears? Guilt for the deaths of Santiago and his people weighed heavily on Ty's shoulders. They had provided shelter, a little food, and a lot of kindness. That kindness had cost them their lives. The villagers' only sin had been to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.