by Bella Juarez
“Babe, calm down,” he murmured.
Angry tears of frustration and defeat stung her eyes as she blinked her way back into reality.
“Danny?” Her voice was a ragged whisper.
Jax was gone, and Danny had taken his place in her field of vision.
“I’m right here, baby,” he reassured her softly as he ran his thumbs soothingly over her cheeks.
“Schotzie…”
“She’s fine and standing right next to you,” he said quietly. She closed her eyes and stilled to hear his words. “That’s it, take a deep breath, babe.”
Attempting to calm her racing heart and the pounding in her ears, she did as he commanded and inhaled deeply. Her feet touched the ground, making her look down at the arms around her midsection that had eased slightly. Agent Walsh. He’d been the one who’d grabbed her from behind and one of the few men that could have stopped her. She stood on rubber legs and Danny helped her to a chair. Schotzie put her head in Rio’s lap.
“Are you all right?” Gavin asked.
“Yes.” She stroked Schotzie’s soft neck.
“You put up a hell of a fight. I can’t have you harming my suspect. He’d walk for sure then.”
“I’m sorry,” she said.
“Sorry you didn’t kill that bastard?” Friday asked.
The three men surrounding her laughed, and she couldn’t help but smile. Rio’s men surrounded her, their worry evident. They joked with her, but she knew they were scared for her. She reassured them that she’d regained her self-control. Commander Alverez came in and gently scolded her for being on the premises, reminding her that she’d been put on medical leave. He then politely kicked her out of the station for the next couple of weeks.
Toward dusk, just as the desert began to cool, Dan and Rio took Schotzie for a walk. They stopped at an open field and played fetch.
“What happened today, babe? What made you lose your shit like that?”
“I’ve had enough. Someone has to stop Jax,” Rio said, hugging herself.
“Let Gavin do like he said earlier and have the FBI file a restraining order,” he suggested, throwing the ball for Schotzie. She took off like a shot and chased the ball into the brush. With her tail wagging happily, she pranced lightly as she returned and dropped the ball at his feet.
“Like that’ll do any good. Cochise County Sheriff’s Department has to enforce the restraining order.”
“It’ll be a federal order. Any federal law enforcement agency can enforce it. And it would certainly be taken into consideration when you pop a cap in his ass. I get the feeling you’ll have no problem enforcing that restraining order, if you have to.” He threw the ball again.
Rio raised an eyebrow in consideration. He had a point. The next time Jax or any of his buddies came around she could at least say she’d fucked them up because she feared for her life.
* * * *
Eli Reyes watched as Rio walked her dog to the empty field near her house. The hair on the back of his neck rose when he saw the man walking next to her. It was the same guy that had been with her at the hospital. While she’d been recovering, he’d watched her room and was frustrated that the guy never left her alone. Now, he watched and waited for the opportunity to get her alone again without killing anyone in the process. The orders had been clear. Do not draw attention to this mission. Bring the package straight to Mexico this time. For some reason, they’d wanted to keep her in the United States the first time. He’d been returning to get her out and move her from where he’d hidden her when he saw the black vehicles all over the neighborhood. From down the street, he seen them put her into an ambulance and take her away. When he’d found out about the condition she’d been in, he was furious. He hadn’t left her that way. In fact, he’d left strict orders for her safety and comfort. Mora had almost killed her and Eli would ensure he would pay as soon as he got out of lockup. Eli would take him back to Mexico and deal with him there. Failure wasn’t an option this time. Not only did his boss want her, so did he, and he had to get her back.
From where he sat, he could’ve taken one shot, and it would’ve all been over; she’d be alone and vulnerable again, his for the taking. He would’ve done it in a heartbeat; she had become the object of all his free thoughts. He remembered meeting her for the first time and how his cold professional world had been rocked when he tangled with CBP Jensen. His cock stiffened when he recalled her interrogation session with him. He’d allowed her to question him, and while she talked to him, he gotten to know her. She was unlike any woman he’d ever met, and he wanted to get closer to her to try to understand what fascinated him so much about her. If he’d had his way, she’d be over the border and at his private ranch far from here. He’d have kept her safe and comfortable, and with a little time he could make her happy. She put herself in too much danger for his liking. He would hate to turn on someone in the organization if they ended up hurting her again.
Sitting up a little straighter, he watched the man put his arm around her and kiss her while they walked. When they got to the field, they played fetch with the dog she worked with. She liked animals. Eli did, too, and he thought about his family’s ranch outside of Hermosillo. He could take her there, and given enough time, he’d win her over. He could tell by talking with her and from what he saw now, she was a good girl and thought about how much his family would like her. He couldn’t help but smile when her laughter rang out across the empty field.
Shifting his attention to the man with her, he dug out his scope to get a better view of the guy. It was clear by their expressions and all the little touches they shared they were in a relationship. As he looked longer, something about the man seemed familiar, but he couldn’t place him with any one group of federal law enforcement. This man would be a loose end he’d need to tie up because he could become a real threat. It didn’t matter. Soon he’d be taking Rio back, and this time, he would take her home and see to her needs himself.
The satellite phone buzzed, shifting his attention.
“Si?”
“Mission aborted. Return to base tonight. Go through the Nogales Crossing, second lane.”
“Understood,” he said.
In frustration, he tossed the phone on the seat and ground his teeth in aggravation. As soon as they were out of sight he cranked the engine and turned the SUV onto the road.
Another time, mi amour.
Chapter 12
1515 Santa Cruz St.
Bisbee, Arizona
June 29, 2010/2257 Zulu
Dan pulled Rio against his chest as they settled down after dinner. He lightly massaged her shoulders while they watched TV. This sort of activity had quickly become his favorite pastime. He loved being close to her, touching her soft skin, running his fingers through her long brown hair, and squeezing her firm body against his. It made him smile when she’d shiver every now and then as he stroked her.
“You’re driving me crazy!” She giggled as he played with the back of her neck.
“Good, you’ll be all ready for me.”
Halfway through the movie, he noticed she stifled a yawn. He adjusted himself, making her glance at him.
“Are you uncomfortable?”
He lifted her chin and kissed her. “No.”
Yawning again, he knew she still wasn’t 100 percent. Today had been an active day, a special treat for him because he got to watch her work with some of the dogs at the local shelter. It amazed him that she could get dogs to do exactly what she wanted within mere minutes. It was as if she and the animals she worked with had a special language all their own.
Today he observed as she worked to rehabilitate a large pit bull that had been rescued from a drug dealer. She didn’t hesitate unlocking the cage and walking inside the run with the dog. The dog growled, and Dan was convinced the damn dog would bite her, so he prepared himself to take on the dog and drag her out of there. Within thirty minutes, she’d earned the dog’s trust, and she’d leashed him. Seeing her in
her element made him realize how much he’d missed while he’d been gone. He’d lost out on the pleasure of watching her blossom into a woman. It made him a little jealous other men got the chance to watch her shine every day. He protectively wrapped his arms around her, and his heart melted when she snuggled against him.
A sudden inspiration struck him. It had been something he’d wanted to do when they were in school but never got the nerve to ask her.
“I want to do something.”
“I’ll bet you do.” She giggled.
“Put your shoes on.”
“Sorry, but I don’t have those kind of shoes.”
He lightly spanked her.
“Get your mind out of the gutter, and put your shoes on.”
* * * *
Rio relaxed into the passenger’s seat. It surprised her that he drove a truck. Whenever she’d listen to him and Davey talk, they’d always talked about driving some sort of souped-up muscle car. Danny’s favorite had always been the Ford Mustang. She remembered that because they’d argued about which car was the best. Her brother favored the Chevy Camaro. The standard had shifted for both men. Davey drove a Ford truck and Danny drove a Chevy Avalanche. Still weak from her ordeal, Rio wanted nothing more than to curl up in bed and sleep. But there would be no way she’d turn down spending more time with Danny.
When he took a familiar turn off of the main road, she frowned. She knew where they were headed—the hunting shack on her family’s ranch. The turn struck her as curious as she waited to see what he’d planned. When they arrived, he walked around to her side and opened the door.
“What are we doing here?” she asked as he helped her out.
“Come on.”
As he let Schotzie out of the backseat, he pulled out a blanket.
“What are we doing?” she asked.
“I’m taking you to meet my friend, Jason. Don’t mind the hockey mask. He cut himself shaving with a machete,” he said, taking her hand.
The comment threw her into a fit of laughter, and she marveled at how these random thoughts just popped into his head then rolled off his tongue. Schotzie ran off into the darkness to hunt and play as he led her around to the back of his truck. After he opened the tailgate, he lifted her and set her in the bed of the truck. He hoisted himself up, spread out the blanket, and seated himself.
“Come here, babe,” he said, holding out his arms to her.
Sliding next to him, they snuggled into each other. She closed her eyes and let his embrace relax her. At times like this, she felt as if she were walking through a dream. She gripped him a little tighter. This was so much better than she’d ever imagined.
“Look up. Do you see it?” he asked.
Rio opened her eyes and looked at the sky. It was brilliantly ablaze with millions of stars. Even though she worked outside, she rarely took the time to gaze at the sky and enjoy its simple beauty in this wide-open space. There were no lights from a big city to interrupt the spectacular display of diamonds in the desert night sky. He pointed at the Little Dipper. It was so clear and seemed close enough for her to reach out and touch the handle.
“Look, right over there, right above the Little Dipper. That’s Hercules.”
“Where?”
“Right there. His foot’s in line with the ladle.” He pointed to the tip he described and moved up, tracing the line in the sky. “See the line that goes up and meets a square? That’s his foot, and the square is his body. To the right, the line that goes up and then down, that’s him holding his shield.”
“That’s not a line. That’s a zigzag,” she said, giggling.
“It’s a line!”
“That’s the crookedest line I’ve ever seen.” She pointed to his left. “That’s a line. See how the stars line up in a line? Right there. I think it’s called Deni…something or other.”
“Denebola?”
“Yeah, that’s it.”
“No one knows that one,” he said dismissively. “Everyone knows Hercules.”
“He’s old and broken down. Look at him with his crooked arm and a broken shield,” she teased.
“What! Herc? No way!”
“Way!”
Moving too fast for her to react, in the blink of an eye he’d straddled her hips and attacked as he tickled her.
“Take back what you said about Herc!”
“No!” She screamed with laughter.
“Take it back!” He continued his assault on her ribs.
“No!” She laughed as she wiggled underneath him. “Schotzie! Help me!”
The big dog jumped into the bed of the truck to investigate, but instead of helping, the dog licked her and barked playfully, joining the laughter. He stopped, bent down, and came nose to nose with her, kissing her as he rubbed his nose against hers.
“Take it back,” he said softly with another kiss.
“You need to do better than that,” she whispered against his lips, wrapping her arms around his neck.
Danny captured her mouth with a kiss that rendered her boneless. The intensity and heat of his kisses matched the desert on a scorching day. She caught herself moaning as he nibbled her bottom lip and slid his tongue into her mouth, dueling with hers. With gradual deliberateness, he moved his hands up and down her ribs firmly as he kissed her. He kept her waiting, wondering if he’d go farther and give her breasts the touch she ached for. Her body shivered involuntarily with excitement as he continued his kisses and gentle petting. He knew exactly how to keep her on edge anticipating his next move.
“What’s changed? Why didn’t you ever want to do this before?” she asked, arching into his hands.
Wanting to grab his wrists and place them on her needy breasts, she wiggled hoping he’d take the hint. His hands stopped right beneath them making her suck in a frustrated breath.
“What makes you think I didn’t?” he asked, nipping at her chin.
“Sylvia Martinez.”
He chuckled as he moved his lips over her chest. “You’re here. She’s not.”
Biting her lower lip, she wondered why she kept bringing up his high school ex-girlfriend. The jealousy she’d harbored for so long seemed to still eat at her. He was right. Since he’d been home, he’d shown no interest in Sylvia. In fact he seemed to avoid her. She needed to let it go, but she had to make sure a relationship with her was really what he wanted and wasn’t a passing thing before she gave him her heart. Stopping him by cupping his face in her hands, she redirected his focus.
“Did you really want me?”
He kissed her. “Yes, I wanted you. I still want you. I didn’t know how to get you here until now.”
“All you had to do was ask,” she said softly.
Sliding next to her, he pulled her close. “You were one of my friends. I didn’t think you were interested in me like that.”
“Oh, God, Danny, you’ve never been so wrong about something in all your life. You’re all I’ve ever wanted.”
A long, tense silence came between them. It was almost as if they were back in high school, awkward and trying to understand what was happening to their minds and bodies. While they were growing up, they’d joked back and forth, and helped each other get through some rough times. Their lives had changed significantly since high school. Things had become more complicated and even dangerous for both of them. Something about the simplicity of the moment they were sharing struck her, and she realized nothing had really changed. They were still holding on to each other, trying to find their way. As much as she tried to hate him for leaving her behind, he was right. She hadn’t given him any indication that she ever wanted him for anything other than a friend. She’d been too scared of rejection from him. She placed her hand on his cheek and guided him closer.
“I love you, Danny. I’ve always loved you. Anytime you want something from me—whatever it is—all you need to do is ask. I’ve always been here for you, waiting.”
* * * *
Dan said nothing and suddenly found himself at a
loss for something witty to say. Instead he hesitated, scared to say anything at all. The last thing he wanted to do was seem flippant about her voicing her feelings. It would be natural that she’d be the first to say anything like that out loud; she’d always been so much stronger than him. It was one of the qualities about her that he’d always admired. It took everything he had to tell her about his crush on her in high school. He’d been afraid she’d give him some kind of snarky remark like she used to. A look of uncertainty crossed her face, and she pulled away. He realized his silence made her uneasy, so he grasped her wrist and stopped her. He thought about how scared he’d been when she’d gone missing. He remembered finding her in that awful attic and wanted to erase that memory forever.
He loved her, too. He’d always loved her and had almost thrown it away.
“I love you, too.”
Dan said the words without any thought or effort. It amazed him at how natural it felt to finally tell her he loved her. She was one of his best friends. At times, he’d been closer to her than to Davey. They completed and complemented each other. The constant joker needed someone to ground him and give him a purpose. He had no teenage hesitation as he wrapped his arms around her and knew nothing would ever separate them again.
“Let’s go home,” she whispered.
“We are home, babe,” he said, pulling her closer.
In that moment, he knew he’d never said anything truer or felt this close to anyone before. It was honest, and as long as they were together, he was home. She was his anchor, and he’d been lost and drifting without her since he’d left her behind. She was the reason he could never commit to anyone before now. It felt right to tell her everything, just as he’d been able to do so long ago. No woman he’d met anywhere could reach inside him the way she could.