“You won’t believe it,” Emery said. “Three blocks from your current location.”
“Here? In Little Havana?”
“Yeah. Bad news? Guess who Isabella’s brother is.”
Gabriel’s stomach twisted up so tight he could taste bile in the back of his throat. This was worse than bad.
“Shit.” He squeezed his eyes shut. “Don’t say Miguel Vargas.”
“Yup.” From the grim sound of Emery’s voice, they both knew what this potential tie might mean for them. This operation, and their own, was about to get a lot more complicated if all of the pawns were connected to the same major players in the crime scene of Miami.
“Where are Julian and John? What kind of place is Isabella holding the kid at?”
Nikki stared at him, her brows drawn down and a frown pulling at her lips. She didn’t understand the implications yet, but she would. And then they were going to need every FBI gun they could get in the field.
“Tori is calling Julian and John now, then she’ll wake Roni up. I’m still digging into the house she’s holed up at.” Emery would have that information in no time. Gabriel wasn’t concerned about that.
“Damn it.” He sighed. “I was hoping Hillary and Andrew were the only Cuban connections. If Wilson is working with Miguel, this is going to go to hell fast.”
“You’re telling me,” Emery said. “We’ll want to leverage what Matt knows about them. I’ve noted the increased activity since Evers left town, but nothing specific. They are actively growing their reach since there’s no one to compete with them directly at the moment. Not since the Eleventh went away.”
“I know. Shit. Send me the address. We’re going to drive by. Have the others meet us at . . .” Gabriel rubbed the side of his head, dredging up the address for a twenty-four-hour diner outside the Cuban neighborhood. He rattled it off and hung up on Emery.
“I’m guessing this is bad?” Nikki pulled the sheet up under her arms and leaned against the wall, her legs crossed.
“Yes.” Gabriel tossed his phone down onto the bed. “See, when Evers moved into Miami, he eliminated a lot of the competition. Quietly, but once you knew what to look for, it all pointed back to him. Little Havana used to have a lot of gangs, and he effectively cleaned them up. A couple years ago Miguel was just a drug dealer, but he’s become more. Especially with Evers out of the way and no competition. Miguel pretty much owns this area. Stores and families pay him a security deposit to ensure their property is safe. His foot soldiers deal drugs to the kids, who in turn get hired or recruited into his organization. He’s building. Fast. And no one has been able to curb that yet. Not even the cops.”
“If he owns this area, so to speak, why are we staying here?”
“We aren’t anymore. Come on. I want to be leaving in five. We will not be coming back here.” This safe house was officially off their list. At least until someone did something about Miguel. Which, if he was involved with Wilson, might mean their crew would be the ones to take care of it.
Gabriel got out of bed, making way for Nikki to crawl out after him. As much as he wanted to spend a few moments admiring her, they were in a dangerous situation. God willing, there would be more time together. Later. For now, they got dressed in a matter of moments, shoved clothes and supplies into bags, and were packed up in less time than it usually took him to brush his teeth.
“Ready,” Nikki announced.
His phone vibrated. He glanced at the screen and the address.
“Let’s split. I’ve got the location.”
He flashed his phone at her as they strode to the door.
They locked up the house and stepped out into a balmy early morning. It was peaceful, the houses dark at this hour and no traffic on the street. They entered the garage without a word, each snagging the few things they’d left there during their interrogation and other activities.
“What are we going to do with the GTO?” Nikki grabbed the clothing he’d torn off her earlier.
“Leave her here for now. I’ll tow her back to the garage later.” After the memories they’d made on that hood, he was never getting rid of that car.
He opened the passenger door of the Skyline and held it for Nikki.
“Isn’t this vehicle too recognizable?” She frowned when he closed the door instead of answering.
He quickly opened the garage door and unlocked the gate before getting into the car.
“Yes, the Skyline is a flashy car. Yeah, someone like Jesse will recognize me in it. But it might save our asses. Miguel has a couple of guys that race, and those are some mean sons of bitches. I’m faster than they are. I’ve beaten them before. Plus, Hillary is still out there. I’d rather be behind the wheel of something I can trust to outrun them than something that might blend in.”
“Okay.”
“That’s it? Okay?”
“You’ve got reasons. They make sense, especially after yesterday. I don’t want to be in a heavy, slow-moving SUV around these people. I’ll trust your judgment. Where are we going?”
He locked the garage and gate behind them before easing out onto the deserted street. Four a.m. was always quiet, but now the silence had an eerie feel. What if Miguel knew where they were? What if he was involved and they were being watched? Gabriel hated that Nikki might have been in danger when he’d told her she was safe.
“What’s our objective?” Nikki fired up her tablet, no doubt familiarizing herself with Emery’s latest finds.
“Just scoping the place out. Seeing what’s around it. If there’s any activity.” He draped one arm over the steering wheel and reached across to grasp Nikki’s hand for a moment.
“Do we know what kind of relationship Isabella and Miguel have?” She glanced at him, and he wished there was more light so he could see her eyes. Her ice-queen routine was gone. Now when she looked at him, he saw volumes she wasn’t saying. That he’d never before been able to understand.
“I didn’t know about Isabella until now, so I’m guessing they aren’t tight.” He lifted her palm to his lips and kissed her knuckles, then released her back to her studies.
“You know Miguel?” She pulled her hand back and curled her fingers against her palm, but didn’t go back to the tablet just yet.
“He likes cars, so our paths have crossed a few times.” Gabriel shrugged.
“Does he race, too?”
“No, he’s not the type.”
“What type races?” He saw her tilt her head to the side and could imagine her expression, one side of her mouth screwed up into an amused half-smile, her eyes dancing with what amounted to mischief.
“Adrenaline junkies,” he replied.
“That makes sense.” Nikki chuckled. “What type is Miguel?”
Just the mention of Miguel’s name squelched any stray happy thoughts. Miguel had gathered enough power right now to be a threat, and they’d let him because they were too focused on other things. “The corporate criminal type. He’s smart. He’s young. And he’s made a lot of money. He’ll want to protect that. The car he drives is for show. Sure, it’s kind of fast, but for him it’s a statement of his wealth, power, and ability to protect those in Little Havana from gangs who want to move up and take Evers’s place.”
“But if they want to take Evers’s place, doesn’t that mean they’d have to knock your crew off the top?”
“Yes.”
“Gabe, this is . . . this is a mess. What if stopping Wilson starts a gang war?”
“Then we deal with it. Fast. The Feds would have to step in and stop it. I’m pretty sure the only reason they haven’t is because the people getting killed are the bad guys and us.”
“I’m going to do some digging later. Nothing about what’s going on with your crew is proper procedure.”
“It never has been.”
“What’s Isabella’s address?”
“It should be up here on the right.” Gabriel slowed down and leaned forward, arms draped over the steering wheel.
The white house in question was by far the worst-kept house on the block. The paint was peeling, part of the brick wall surrounding the property was crumbling, and the landscaping was worn down to dirt.
Gabriel breathed a small sigh of relief. “I’m guessing from the looks of things Miguel and Isabella are on the outs. If they weren’t, he’d have his guys clean this up. He wouldn’t let family live like this. Not when it would reflect badly on him.”
“That’s good, right?” Nikki glanced at him, but he kept his gaze on the house. There had to be something going on here.
“Yeah, it is.”
Gabriel took a right at the next intersection, then a left, and parked the Skyline behind another car lining the street of houses.
“What are you doing?” Nikki asked.
“I’m going to have a look around.” He pulled his Desert Eagles out from under his seat and checked the chambers.
“Not without me.” She popped her seat belt and groped on the floorboard, probably for her bag.
“Nik—”
“Gabe.”
He didn’t need the light to see her glare. He could hear it.
“Fine.” He sighed. There was no fighting her on this. “We do it together, but let me take the lead. Sound good?” He hated this. For all they knew, Isabella wasn’t living in the house and a handful of Miguel’s gangsters were. Having Nikki at his back meant making her a target as much as himself, but he knew better than to expect her to stay behind. It was a constant battle he wasn’t sure how to navigate.
“Good.” Nikki popped her seat belt and got out of the car before he did.
She was the love of his life and she could be pregnant with his child. He wanted to shove her in the trunk and lock her up, but then she’d probably make too much noise and ruin his stealth approach. Besides, she was probably the best person to have covering him if shit went sideways. He still didn’t have to like it.
He locked up the Skyline and joined Nikki on the sidewalk. She’d left the tablet in the car for once, but he could make out the bulge of her SIG Sauer pistols under her shirt at the small of her back. He did appreciate a woman who showed up prepared.
Hand in hand, they strolled down the palm tree–lined walk. An occasional car rolled down the street or one of the crossroads, but otherwise it was quiet. In another hour or two people would be getting up, the sky would lighten, and they couldn’t do this.
“I’m thinking we approach from the back. The rear neighbor’s fence looked low enough to vault over, and I didn’t see any floodlights. Thoughts?” He pitched his voice low, for her ears only.
“They had a Beware of Dog sign. Might not be the best in case the dog is out.”
“I totally missed that.”
“I saw it in the mirror when we turned. My suggestion?”
“Shoot.”
“Go through the backyard on the two houses next to it.”
“I like the way you think.” He grinned at Nikki and was rewarded with a smile. “One condition?”
“What?” The smile vanished.
“I go first. Let me look through a few windows, make sure we aren’t walking into a trap or anything. If it’s clear, I’ll whistle. Before you argue, I’d make the same deal with anyone else. It’s—”
“I wasn’t going to argue,” she said over him.
“Seriously?”
“Yes.”
“You’ve got to be kidding. Arguing with me is your favorite activity.” He squinted at her and pulled her closer.
“Is not.” She stared straight ahead, but tipped her chin up a bit.
“You sure?” He leaned down until he could smell the hint of whatever fragrance she’d worn yesterday.
“Yes.”
“Then what is your favorite activity with me involved?”
She shrugged his arm off, or tried to. He wrapped an arm around her back, keeping her close to his side.
“Let’s focus on work.” She chuckled and pushed at his chest.
“I am focused.” He grabbed her hand again. “Let’s see, what do I think you like best?”
“Gabe, be serious.” She squeezed his hand.
“I am being serious.” He tugged her closer again and pitched his voice lower. “I’m also making us look—and sound—less suspicious.”
“By talking about activities?”
“Yes.”
“You’re crazy.” She shook her head.
“And you love me.”
Nikki sputtered, and damn if his heart didn’t do a little flip. She wasn’t denying it, though she wasn’t yet comfortable with the declaration. There was always the chance she was professing love as some sort of a ploy to use him, but that wasn’t the Nikki he’d come to know. She’d changed, but not that much. Deep down, she was the woman he’d fallen for years before. The deck was still stacked against them, but he’d figure out how to make it work. There had to be a way.
“Everything looks quiet. I’ll wait there for you.” Nikki gestured to the darker shadows cast by several tall palm trees up against the corner lot’s fence.
They slowed as they reached the agreed-upon spot. Getting over the fence would be a quick leap, then a fast dart across the yard.
“I don’t see any motion detectors or lights,” Nikki said.
“Me either. See you on the other side.” He turned and captured her face with both hands. He kissed her, hard, fast, and quick. The sound of her gasp spurred him on as he vaulted the wrought iron and landed in thick grass.
This was the best night ever.
* * *
Nikki followed Gabriel’s movements through the shadows, but her mind was mush. He couldn’t kiss her like that anymore. At least not when they were in the field. Now all she could think about was the way her body tingled, remembering every place those lips had been lately. Her head really needed to be here, now.
She glanced up and down the street, but all was clear.
It was too easy. And she didn’t like that. She couldn’t shake the sense of unease, that something wasn’t right about it all.
For one, she and Gabriel had been just down the street. She didn’t like coincidences. In her line of work, coincidences meant someone had screwed up and the bad guys were closing in.
Gabriel leapt into Isabella’s backyard and hunched, hands on the ground. She held her breath.
Nothing happened.
Her lungs began to burn, but she didn’t draw breath yet.
Gabriel rose and crossed to the side of the house, peering into a window. He reached for his gun and she wanted to grab hers, too. She tore her eyes from him and turned, taking in the still-quiet street. A few houses had lights on now, rising with the sun as it cast the horizon a dark gray.
A bird call startled her. She turned and Gabriel gestured, waving at her.
That was her signal.
She stepped up onto the brick retaining wall and vaulted over the wrought iron sticking out of the masonry into the first yard. The grass cushioned her steps, muting them while she made her way to the next fence. A light switched on deep inside the house, casting the outer rooms with a bit of illumination.
Crap.
Nikki hustled over the fence, crouched low, and ran across to the second. She used a flower box to boost herself up over the mostly brick wall into Isabella’s backyard.
Gabriel had his face pressed up to the sliding glass doors, hands on either side of his eyes.
“What is it?” she asked.
“Looks empty.”
She glanced into the windows as she crossed to him, and sure enough, the rooms weren’t furnished much, if at all. In fact, dust and cobwebs covered most of the glass, and what she could see inside was mostly overturned.
“I’m going to try to get a window open. Think you can get in there and let me in?” Gabriel asked.
“Easy.” Granted, they didn’t have a warrant or any so
rt of legal reason for being there, but she was fast learning how Gabriel’s crew operated.
“Cool.”
He went to the next window that looked into what should have been an eat-in kitchen. Even the refrigerator was gone. It was clear no one had lived here in some time. He grabbed the bottom of the window and hoisted it up. The window groaned in the casing, but rose slowly. He got the window up most of the way before it refused to budge anymore. It was plenty of room for her to squeeze through.
Nikki bent double and leaned through the opening with her phone out and the flashlight activated, searching for traps, a trip wire, anything, but there was nothing. At least in this room.
“How’s it look?” he asked.
“Good. Hold this.” She gave him her phone and maneuvered her leg through the window. She rolled her weight onto her right foot and stood up, only partially in the house.
Still nothing.
She held out her hand for the phone and pulled her other leg through the window.
“I’m going to look around. Stay there,” she said.
To Gabriel’s credit, he didn’t protest the order, despite it being contrary to what he’d said before. There was something off, and before they both entered the premises, she wanted to be sure that there wasn’t a trap waiting for them.
She drew one of her pistols, and armed with her light, she edged through the open archway into the rest of the house. Each room was more of the same. Dusty. Haphazard furniture arrangements, mostly on their side or turned over. No personal touches. And most importantly, no traps waiting for them.
Nikki holstered her gun in her waistband and let Gabriel in through the sliding glass door.
“It’s clear.” She nodded over her shoulder. “I’d like to do a room-by-room check, look in the closets, see if there’s anything I missed. This doesn’t feel right.”
“I know. Let’s do it fast.”
He strode to a hall closet and opened it.
More nothing.
“Emery said the phone was routed here,” Gabriel said. “It’s a landline, but that still doesn’t mean they’re here. Besides, if I were Wilson and if I wanted to blackmail highly trained solders into doing my shit, I’d be careful, too. I get the feeling Nico wouldn’t mind killing Wilson.”
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