“No,” Cade said, “but we know they’re in town. And in their minds, they were here first.”
“What about Katie? Will Garcia try to kill her? She’s a witness.”
“I don’t know. Let’s hope Katie can give us some details. I’m sure this happened so fast, so unexpectedly, she won’t remember much. These cartels strike hard and fast.”
Joe cursed and walked down the berm, away from the activity. What were his options? He jerked his phone from his pocket and dialed Hager in Washington, D.C. This time, he got him. Joe rapidly explained the situation.
“I’m glad you’re working with the sheriff’s department,” Hager said after hearing the information. “And Katie, we hope, will give us an eyewitness account.”
Frustration funneled up through Joe. He paced, unable to stand still. “Look, this has put Katie in jeopardy. I want to tell her what’s going on and get her into protective custody.”
“You can’t do it. Not yet, Joe.”
Rage flared through him, his eyes burned with anger as he halted on the graveled berm. “Like hell I won’t. You’re not leaving her as a target a second time.”
“Listen to me,” Hager said, “you’re new at this, Joe. This is your first undercover mission. Katie is our only connection to Bergstrom and Los Lobos. We can’t just make her disappear. If we did, Los Lobos would know something is up. And then, we’d get nothing on them. She has to stay and play.”
“Not a chance,” Joe ground out, his lips lifting away from his teeth. Joe knew he was putting his career on the line. He didn’t care. His breath harsh, he added, “You are not going to put her in danger again.”
Hager was silent for a long time.
Joe felt his world tilting but he knew he had to protect Katie at all costs. He’d find another job.
“Okay, okay, settle down,” Hager snarled. “We can do this. It’s obvious from everything you’ve reported that Katie doesn’t know her mother is aligned with Los Lobos. You can tell her everything, Joe. The deal is she has to go back into that office and get the computer information off the company machine. We can’t crack the codes. We have to get a thumb drive to copy the entire software and then, we can go to work.”
Joe began to pace again. “Tell Katie the truth, right?”
“Yes.”
“She’s going to be pissed off, Roger. She’s trying to make an emotional connection with her mother When I tell her this...that her mother’s a drug runner...” He felt the world begin to collapse and didn’t say the rest. When Katie found out he’d lied to her, used her, what would she do? What would she think of him? His heart ached with real fear. Katie had every right to tell him to take a walk. She could sever the powerful ties built between them, once and for all. Oh, God, what a mess. Joe had to do the right thing. Katie had to know the truth. What would she do?
“Look,” Hager warned, “you have to get Katie to agree to go back to the office. She’s got to get the info. Without it, we’re blind.”
Joe knew he was right. Fear for Katie’s life rose, even with the real possibility she was going to tell him to leave. “Okay, okay. Let me time this. She’s on her way to the hospital to get examined. I’ll explain everything to her after the doctor releases her.”
“She’s going to take it hard,” Hager warned. “You have to persuade her to squeal on her mother.”
“Yeah, I know that.” Closing his eyes, Joe felt as though he was sinking into quicksand, his life with Katie dissolving. “Okay, I’ll get back to you. I have a lot of work ahead of me.”
“Good luck,” Hager said, “because you’re going to need it.”
* * *
“KATIE! OH, MY GOD! Are you all right?” Janet Bergstrom flew through the partly opened curtains in the cubicle at the Jackson Hole hospital emergency room.
Dr. Jordana McPherson turned, surprised. She had just finished stitching the cut above Katie’s head.
Katie was sitting on the side of the gurney when Janet burst through the green curtains. “Mom!” she cried, opening her arms.
Janet rushed to the gurney, hauling her daughter against her. “Oh, my God! You’re safe!” She sobbed, holding her daughter hard against her. She kissed Katie’s dirty, smoke-filled hair. The metallic scent of dried blood cloyed her nostrils. Gripping her daughter’s shoulders, Janet wildly searched her blue eyes. “Are you all right?”
“Y-yes, I’m fine.” Katie felt hot tears welling in her eyes. Jordana moved aside. “It was just an accident....”
Tears leaked into Janet’s eyes as she studied her wan-looking daughter. It was no accident. There was a doctor standing nearby and she knew better than to say anything. “No broken bones? No surgery? You’re really okay?” She intently studied her daughter. Her uniform, once so nicely pressed and clean, had spots of blood across the front of it. Katie’s blood.
The terror made Janet choke. She knew this was the work of the Garcia cartel. And she knew they usually killed the driver as an added warning to get out of town—or else. Tears coursed down her drawn cheeks, making two trails through her thick makeup. She hugged Katie hard. Her daughter felt so thin and fragile to her as she released her. Janet peered at the doctor.
“Is she okay, Doctor?” Janet fumbled and found Katie’s hand, gripped it and held it hard.
Jordana nodded. “Luckily, she suffered only scratches and bruises. I just stitched the cut over your daughter’s eye, Ms. Bergstrom. Right now, Katie is in shock. And she’ll probably need a day or two to come out of it. Otherwise, she’s fine.”
Katie’s world was spinning out of control. Her mother was here, had come to see how she was. Janet had hugged her. Calling her “Mom” didn’t seem to adversely impact her mother. Her concern made Katie feel much better. If the accident had driven them closer, Katie was glad it had happened. The look in her mother’s eyes was one of tenderness. Janet loved her. A warmth spread throughout her and, self-consciously, Katie wiped the tears out of her eyes. “I think if I can just go home and rest, I’ll be okay,” she told Jordana.
“Yep, take the day off. You’ll find yourself a lot more tired than usual. Shock does that to us. By tomorrow morning, you should be feeling almost normal.” Jordana pointed to the bruises on Katie’s right arm. “You’re going to look pretty colorful with those bruises for a week or two, but they’ll fade with time. Do you need anything to sleep? I can write you a prescription.”
Shaking her head, Katie gazed over at Janet who stood close to her. “No, I’m fine. I am tired. I feel like I could sleep for a week.”
“You’ve probably got a bit of concussion, but nothing showed up on X-ray,” Jordana said. “I think taking it easy for the next week is in order. Joe is helping you out at the facility, right?”
“Yes, he is. I know he’ll pitch in. I need to get hold of him....”
“Our radio traffic picked him up. He’s at the accident scene along with Deputy Cade Garner.” Looking at her watch, Jordana added, “I heard they were coming our way shortly. I’m sure Joe will be coming to see you here at the hospital before I can discharge you.”
Love moved through Katie’s heart and she whispered, “I’d like to see him.” The world had suddenly opened up and given her the greatest gift. Katie felt emotionally overwhelmed. She desperately needed Joe. The realization that she could have died in the accident made her anxious to be with him.
“I’ll tell my staff to send him directly to your cubicle. Just stay put for about twenty minutes. Your blood pressure is a little low. I’ll release you when it comes back to normal.”
Katie watched Jordana disappear, then turned to her mother. “Thanks for coming over. I— It means a lot, Mo— I mean, Janet.”
Squeezing her hand, Janet said in an emotional tone, “It’s okay to call me Mom. I don’t mind.” She searched Katie’s bloodied face. “I want you well. I’m so
rry this happened.”
Katie felt more tears rush into her eyes. She wiped them away, hanging on to her mother’s ring-laden hand. “I’m so sorry, Mom. It all happened so fast. The van is a total loss. I didn’t mean for this happen.”
“Shush! It’s not your fault.” Janet felt rage mingling with her fear for Katie. “Vans can be replaced. You can’t.” She managed a tender smile. “No insurance company can replace you, Katie. You just remember that, okay? The van was covered and so were the contents.” Her mind turned violently with scary options, but Katie couldn’t know it. “Listen, I gotta get back to the office. Can Joe take you home? I’ve got to call the insurance company.”
“Oh, absolutely,” Katie said. Janet wasn’t going to blame her for the accident. Relief shimmered through her. “I can still work for you, right?”
“I don’t know,” Janet said. Seeing the stricken look come to her daughter’s face, she quickly added, “Oh, of course you can. You can handle the front desk. But no more driving for you.” She waggled her finger in her daughter’s face. “I know this accident wasn’t your fault, but dammit, I want you safe.”
Katie gulped. “For a moment, I thought you were going to get rid of me. I really want to work for you, Mom. I do....”
“You will,” Janet promised. She quickly hugged and released Katie. “We’ll talk later.”
Katie watched as her mother bustled out of the cubicle. Her head was beginning to ache in earnest. A nurse came in and she told her about the pain.
“I’ll tell Dr. McPherson,” the nurse said, taking her blood pressure and marking down the results on a clipboard. She put it aside and brought over a bowl with water and handed her a washcloth. “I thought you might want to clean up a bit.”
Grateful, Katie took the cloth. “Yes, I feel grungy.”
The nurse smiled. “I’ll be back,” she promised.
The water was warm and Katie sat on the gurney wiping off the blood from her face and neck. The water quickly turned pink. Wrinkling her nose, she slid off the gurney. Her knees felt mushy. Standing for a moment, she remembered Jordana warned her she might feel wobbly for a bit. Holding on to the gurney with one hand, she transferred the metal bowl and cloth to the nearby cart.
“Katie!”
Gasping, she looked up. Joe walked quickly through the half-opened curtains, his face etched with fear.
“Joe!” Katie fell into his opened arms. He swept her against him. Within seconds their mouths met and clung hungrily to one another. Joe’s moist breath flowed against her cheek. She wanted to drown in his mouth, his kiss.
Far too soon Joe relaxed his grip and reluctantly eased his mouth from hers. “How are you? I’ve never been so worried.”
She swayed a little and Joe cupped her shoulders. The power of their kiss dizzied her senses. “I—I’m fine, Joe. Can you help me sit on the gurney? My knees are feeling a little wobbly.”
Joe guided Katie, placed his hands around her waist and gently lifted her onto the gurney. Her eyes were dark and it pained him to see the stitches above her eye. There was blood splattered all over the front of her blue shirt. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
Laughing a little, feeling suddenly silly and euphoric, Katie brushed the shirt with her fingertips. “Don’t I look awful? I can hardly wait to get out of these clothes.” She held his burning gaze tinged with anxiety. Joe loved her. He seemed to hold back a barrage of emotions.
“You’re alive,” he growled. Joe couldn’t keep his hands off her. He touched her mussed hair and saw dried blood. He trailed his fingers across her cheek and jaw. There was serious bruising on her right arm. “Are you in pain?”
Holding his hand, she closed her eyes for a moment. The headache was intensifying. “I have to lie down, Joe. The bruises are nothing, but my head is killing me.”
Alarm swept through Joe. He helped maneuver Katie to the gurney and made sure the pillow was positioned beneath her head. “I’m going to get the doctor,” he rasped. “Who took care of you?”
“Jordana McPherson. She said my head would start to hurt. It’s nothing, Joe.”
“I’ll be back.” He left the cubicle to hunt down the doctor. He had personal experience with head injuries and he was leaving nothing to chance. At the nurses’ desk, he asked for Dr. McPherson. She was at the other end of the emergency room just coming out of another cubicle. Joe strode down the highly polished green floor to meet her.
Katie was almost asleep when she heard Joe’s voice. Opening her eyes, she smiled up at Jordana who came to her side. Joe walked to the other side, his hand coming to rest on her shoulder. “You were right,” she told the doctor, “my head feels like it’s splitting in two.”
Jordana nodded and took a small flashlight and passed it across Katie’s eyes. “Yep, and it’s going to hurt for a while. Your pupils are responsive, so this is just a headache, nothing more serious.” Placing the light in the pocket of her white lab coat, the doctor looked at Joe. “Not to worry, she’ll have a headache for a day or two, is all.”
Relief sped through him. “Okay, good to know.” He gently ran his fingers across Katie’s shoulder. “Can I take her home? Or should she be with someone who can watch her for the next twenty-four hours? I have a house on my parents’ property. I could watch over her. Having had traumatic head injury myself, I know the signs and I know what to look for.”
“Katie? Would you mind having Joe as a babysitter? The X-rays didn’t show a concussion, but sometimes a person’s brain gets so rattled in the skull it’s a good idea to have another set of eyes around just to watch out for you.”
“Sure, no problem. Right now, all I want is some aspirin.”
Jordana nodded and patted her hand. “We’ll get you some.” She turned and glanced at the clipboard. “Looks like your blood pressure is normal, too. I’m going to discharge you and Joe can pick up the prescription and take you to his home.”
Katie gazed up into Joe’s drawn features. She saw how scared he was for her. “Great, thanks, Dr. McPherson.”
Jordana left and silence settled in the cubicle. “I’ll be okay, Joe. I promise.”
“Are you feeling tired? Sleepy?”
“Oh, I feel like a doll whose stuffing got knocked out of her. All I want to do is go home and rest,” she said, giving him a wry look.
Joe leaned down and lightly caressed her lips. “There’s a second bedroom at the house. Let’s get you home and get a hot bath ready for you.”
Katie cherished his swift kiss, her lips tingling in the wake of the unexpected caress. “That sounds great. I feel pretty grimy.”
“It’s only fifteen minutes to home.” He studied her shadowed eyes. “I’ll take good care of you, Katie. I promise.”
Joe’s deep voice reverberated through her like healing balm. “I know you will, Joe. You’ve always been there for me.”
Wincing inwardly, Joe knew what was coming. Would this be the last kiss, the last warmth, they shared? Fear gutted him like a sharp knife; his stomach curled with anxiety. The last thing he wanted was to lose Katie. He could lose his job and everything else...but not her. God, please help me find the right words. Let her realize I love her even though I’ve lied to her from the start...please...
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
KATIE EMERGED FROM Joe’s home office. She’d slept a good part of the day after he’d made her lunch. After waking up just before dinner, they’d shared a meal. She’d wanted to connect with friends to let them know what had happened. Word got around fast in Jackson Hole and she didn’t want them to worry. “I think I’ve called everyone and told them I’m all right,” Katie told him. She stood in the doorway of the living room, wrapped in his blue robe after taking a second hot bath. He was sitting on the couch reading a book.
“I’m sure you’re tired of talking.” Joe closed the book and set i
t aside.
She hitched one shoulder, arms wrapped around herself. Joe’s blue bathrobe was long and hung to her ankles. “Sort of. At least I can think now. After the accident, I couldn’t put two coherent words together. I slept most of the day, and now I’m tired and want to go to bed.”
Joe walked over and placed his hands on her shoulders. “I understand,” he murmured, looking into her weary blue eyes. The bath had flushed her cheeks but her flesh was still pale. He touched her cheek. “Come on, back to bed. What you need is a good night’s sleep and you’ll feel a lot better in the morning.” He didn’t add that tomorrow he would tell her the truth.
“Joe...I don’t want to sleep alone tonight.” Katie searched his shadowed expression. “I want to sleep with you.” Her voice raspy, she added, “If you could just hold me?” Her heart swelled with love for him as she saw tenderness cross his expression. Joe’s fingers grazed her shoulders, as if to soothe her.
“Anything you want, Katie. Anything...” Joe slipped his arm around her. He led her down the hall to the master bedroom. After he turned on a stained-glass lamp sitting on the dresser, there was enough light in the room for them to see. This was possibly the last night he’d ever be with Katie. It wasn’t about making love with her tonight. Rather, she needed to feel safe. He wanted to give her that—and so much more. Would she be able to separate his job from his love for her? Fear jagged through him as he led her to the king-size bed, the covers already thrown back.
“I’ll be in later,” he told her, kissing her brow. She had used his shampoo earlier and now her hair smelled sweet and clean.
“Thanks, Joe. Good night...” Katie said and watched him quietly close the door behind him. Joe had given her a pair of his dark blue cotton pajamas. The top hung on her. She slipped out of the oversize bathrobe and laid it on the end of the bed. Tiredness swept through Katie as she climbed onto the inviting mattress.
Joe had driven over to the facility and closed it earlier this evening. The raptors would be fine. She knew he would go over in the morning to feed them while she rested. As her head nestled into the goose-down pillow, the warmth of the covers quickly lulled her into a deep, healing sleep. Her last thoughts were of Joe joining her. He would keep her safe in a world gone crazy.
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