It wasn’t long before Rip was in the car en route to his brother’s first stop. Lela had worn her disguise without any reminders. She hadn’t complained.
Although the scheme was a bit elaborate, Rip expected it would work. He didn’t approach Axel yet, but stayed close enough. It might be a long day. His brother had been at the station, then out on his beat. After work, he stopped by the gym.
A good opportunity didn’t present itself until Axel headed over to the park for a jog, still suited up from the gym. Rip parked up ahead. “You stay in the car,” he said to Lela. “Keep the doors locked. You’ll be able to see me, and I can be here in a flash if you need me.”
Rip jogged over to the path and leaned against a tree. Axel kept his dark hair short, but otherwise the similarity was striking. There was no question they were brothers.
Axel came by, breathing hard, but slowed when he spotted Rip.
“What the hell? You ever heard of calling?” Axel said. “I didn’t know you were in Houston.”
“It’s kind of a long story. But I need your help. And I don’t have a lot of time.”
“Is this about one of your clients?”
Rip stepped close. “It’s confidential. I don’t want to get you involved any more than I have to. But I’m hoping you’ve heard something.”
“About what?”
“You’re aware of the criminal case against Senator Ortiz?”
Axel considered that then nodded. “That case is a big deal, and I have a feeling that I know where this is going. And I heard something a couple of days ago that might shed some light on things for you.”
Rip watched his brother, pretty sure that he’d guessed who the client was.
“It seems that Ortiz is anxious to learn the whereabouts of his escaped paralegal,” Axel said. “And rumor has it that Morris, an officer at another precinct, hauled Ashlee Vidal in for questioning.”
“What was that about?”
“Ashlee is a paralegal at the senator’s firm, and also good friends with Lela Cabelo. It’s assumed that she knows where her friend is hiding out.” Axel crossed his arms. “But she claimed that Lela hasn’t contacted her.”
“Was the senator there while Ashlee was being interrogated?”
“No one saw him,” Axel said, “but that only means…”
“That no one spotted him.”
“That’s what I think,” Axel said. “The guy’s cagey. Rumor has it that he’s got a couple of dirty cops on his side.” He held up his hand. “I have no idea who they are.”
“Fair enough.” Rip rubbed his jaw. “So Ashlee was let go?”
“There are no charges against her. What else could Morris do? I heard he didn’t get much out of her.”
Rip put the pieces of the puzzle together. Ortiz couldn’t afford to give up his pursuit of Lela. And if he thought his best bet was Ashlee, he’d have her tailed. “Thanks, Axel. Do me a favor, will you? If you hear anything more about this case, call me.”
Rip handed over a burner phone, so any call wouldn’t be traced. “Use this phone. I can’t run around the city tracking you every time we need to talk. My phone is secure…just don’t call from home or the station.”
Axel smirked. “Yeah, you never know. Okay, I’m your man. I’ll keep my ears open.”
“And when I’m free, I’ll stop by for a real visit.”
Rip jogged back to the car, and Lela unlocked the door for him. “Well?” she said. “You were out there for a while. Was Axel helpful?”
“I’ll tell you when we get back to the hotel.” Rip wasn’t anxious to break the news to Lela that the senator had been harassing her friend.
Rip drove to the hotel and parked in the covered lot. He took Lela up to the room, and she promptly shed her disguise. “This hat is okay, but these contacts bug me. I’m not used to them.” She sat on the sofa and bent her legs underneath her. “All right, let’s hear it.”
Rip repeated what his brother had said, relaying it as matter-of-factly as he could, without emotion. If he took the news in stride, then maybe she would too.
When he finished, Lela stared at him. Then she rocketed up from the sofa. “That asshole Ortiz is after Ashlee now?”
“My brother didn’t say that. You’re assuming.”
“Assuming what? No, I’m not. Ash gets hauled in and interrogated. That’s no assumption on my part.”
Rip watched her. When Lela was angry, her cheeks flushed and her brown eyes were fierce. It was that Spanish blood; she could really get furious. He was glad that he wasn’t the target of her ire.
“Ash must be freaked out. Oh my God, hauled in for questioning?” Lela said. “She’s under scrutiny. Ortiz won’t let up. She works at his firm…Jesus.”
“It may not be as bad as you fear.”
“How do you know? Some seriously bad people are after me, so what’s next? First my friends, then my family.” Lela paced over the carpet. “I’m worried. What about my family? My mother…she’s by herself.”
Rip stood up and put his hands on her shoulders. “Take a breath. I understand your concern. Let’s do what we can.” He looked into her eyes. “Count to ten while I make a call. I’ll get some security for your mother.”
While Lela wore a hole in the rug, Rip called his boss. “I need someone to protect Lela’s mother. Yes, day and night. The cartel’s modus operandi is to go after the family. I hope that’s not the case, especially since there’s no way for Lela to be blackmailed…not as long as they don’t know where she is.” He added, “And ask Cooper to do a risk assessment on the mother’s place. We need it secure.”
Lela stopped pacing and sank onto the sofa, then put her hands over her face. “This isn’t good. Not at all.”
“Your mother will be guarded; she won’t be alone. Travis will make sure the security is discreet, so she’s not frightened.”
Lela uncovered her eyes, and her pleading look tore at Rip’s heart. “I’m glad, because I can’t even tell my mom what’s going on. She must be frantic about my disappearance. But if anything happened to her…”
“No one is going to hurt her.”
“But what about Ashlee?”
Rip didn’t get a chance to offer a bodyguard for her friend.
“She must be scared to death. She’s on her own, with Ortiz pressuring her. She doesn’t know where I am, or if I’m okay.” After a beat, Lela said, “I have to go to her.”
“No, that’s a bad idea.”
“I have to.” Lela glared at him. “She’s my friend. I’m not about to allow these bullies to harass her, or even go so far as to hurt her. I’m involved. I can’t just run. Or sit and hide. Not while someone I care about is being threatened.”
Rip shook his head.
“What would you do if she was your friend?” Lela stabbed a finger in the air. “I tell you what you’d do: you’d go to her, make sure she’s okay. And don’t tell me you wouldn’t.”
“I’m not telling you anything. I’m just saying that it’s dangerous,” Rip said. “You’re safe here. You need to keep out of sight. What’s happened to you so far should be a warning. The guys who are after you mean business.”
“All the more reason I have to go,” Lela said. “I don’t care how risky it is. I won’t let Ashlee down. I have to contact her.” She took a breath. “She’d do the same for me. I know she would.”
Rip strode over to the window and looked out. It was hell trying to reason with an emotional woman. He turned to face her. “You’re making it awfully difficult to protect you.”
“I don’t care. Maybe my safety isn’t my top concern,” Lela said. “And besides, you signed on to be my bodyguard. That means following me wherever I go. It doesn’t mean that you can run my life.”
Rip let out a long breath.
“So I’m going, whether you are or not.” Lela crossed her arms.
“What do you think?” Now Rip was pissed. “That I’m letting you waltz out of here, straight into the tiger’s lair
, while I sit in this damned hotel room and drink margaritas. Not on your life.”
“Okay, then. Help me figure out how to make contact with her,” Lela said. “I’m not going to shy away from trouble, but I don’t want to get my friend killed in the process. Calling her cell phone would be foolhardy.”
Rip shifted gears. He was annoyed that he’d lost his temper. But Lela had gotten to him. He wasn’t going to let any harm come to her. Since she refused to be talked out of this rash plan, he’d better come up with a practical strategy fast.
*****
Since Lela couldn’t set up the meeting, Rip had to. He risked leaving Lela alone, long enough to make the connection. She was locked in the hotel room with the deadbolt flipped. The Hilton had security cameras, one more layer of protection.
Plus, Rip was certain that Lela’s location was unknown to the cartel for the time being. Word was out that she was in the company of a male, but without a name, it was difficult to trace. With her as safe as she could be, he ventured out to connect with Ashlee.
Lela had shared the details of her friend’s routine. Most mornings, she attended an early Pilates class, but Rip couldn’t interrupt that. Likely it was a room full of women, so he’d stand out. After class, she dressed for the office and liked to stop at her favorite coffee shop for a vanilla latte.
That could be his chance. Rip dressed like a businessman, in white shirt and slacks minus the tie. He was less likely to startle Ashlee if he fit with the downtown look. He tied his hair back into a ponytail and carried a leather pad to give the impression he was headed to a meeting.
Right on time, Ashlee entered the shop. She was easy to recognize: tall, thin, blond hair, blue eyes, and supermodel beautiful. Rip had been studiously scribbling on his pad, meaningless scribbles, just to look busy. When Ash walked toward the counter, he strode toward her, looking down at his notes.
He collided with Ashlee, and his pad flew out of his hands then hit the floor. “I’m sorry,” she said, and stooped to retrieve the pad. Rip knelt beside her, doing his best impression of being flustered.
“The pier at Sylvan Beach Park,” Rip said in a low voice. “Your friend wishes to meet you at six.”
Ashlee stood up and handed over the notepad.
“Thank you. I was distracted,” Rip said. “Be sure you aren’t followed.” Then he nodded and faced the door. There was a chance that she wouldn’t show without assurance that the message was from Lela. “Your friend still has a craving for her mom’s lamb barbacoa.”
There was a slight change in Ashlee’s expression, enough that Rip was certain she got the message.
“Again, I’m sorry.” Ashlee faced back toward the customer line, and Rip left.
*****
Lela hated waiting. It seemed to take forever for Rip to return to the room. What if something had happened?
She dreaded to think that Ashlee might be in real trouble, or that Rip might be hurt. It took all her self-control to keep from unlocking the door and going to find them. Various scenarios came to mind, and all ended in disaster.
She’d wait longer, but she wasn’t going to sit there indefinitely. If Rip wasn’t back before lunch, she was going after him. From now on, she’d refuse to be separated from him. He’d gone to extremes to protect her. But being in the dark and not knowing what was happening was worse.
With Lela’s frustration at a peak, she stared at the door, willing it to open. And finally it did.
“Where were you?” Lela rushed over to Rip and put her hand on his arm.
“It worked just like you said. Ashlee showed up at the coffee shop, but she didn’t show any reaction that would give away the true nature of our encounter.”
“I told you. She’s been expecting contact from me. She knows I wouldn’t just disappear.”
“The personal message seemed to do the trick,” Rip said. “I’m confident that she’ll be there.”
“The hours can’t go by fast enough. How did she look?”
“She looked fine,” Rip said. “I didn’t get the impression that she’s been hurt. But I’m sure she’ll be glad to see you.”
*****
Rip had suggested a meeting late in the day, so Ashlee wouldn’t have to leave the office early. Any behavior out of the ordinary might arouse suspicion.
Plus, the beach park was a thirty-minute drive from downtown, so Ashlee would need time to get there. And it could take a little longer. If she suspected that she was being followed, she’d need to detour and lose the tail.
Rip took Lela in the rental car, arriving early to avoid any chance of missing the meeting. He also wanted to be there in advance to make sure the area was secure. He’d chosen a public place away from downtown, as it was better to be out of gang territory as much as possible.
It was still light out. Lela scanned the area but didn’t see any sign of her friend. She was excited to talk with her, but a little afraid, too. She regretted that Ashlee was involved, but that couldn’t be avoided. The senator had seen to that.
A few minutes before the hour, Lela saw Ashlee drive up and get out. She had her hair in a ponytail, stuck through the opening of a baseball cap. And she wore jeans with an oversized jacket. Dressing down had been a smart idea.
Lela nodded to Rip. He watched from the edge of the bathroom building. She’d asked him to stay back, give her a little space. Ash would be freaked out enough, so it would be better if Lela explained the situation alone.
Ashlee met her at the edge of the pier and gave her a hug. “You’ve had me scared to death.”
Lela moved out onto the boardwalk, relieved to see that her friend was okay. “And what about you? Has Ortiz been giving you a hard time?”
Ashlee laughed. “He thinks I don’t see him ogling my body. What an imbecile. And then some cop invites me to the station on false pretenses. He actually expected me to believe that you had committed crimes, like I’d ever believe that.”
“I didn’t want you in the middle of this. I had to see you, to see for myself that you’re fine. I don’t trust anything I hear.”
“Yeah, you probably shouldn’t.” Ash smiled. “You’ve done a good job of vanishing. Ortiz is dying to know where you are.”
“I’ll bet.” Lela handed her a phone. “That’s a safe line. It calls my bodyguard. You met him at the coffee shop.”
“Yes, you mean that hunk leaning against the wall over there?”
“That’s him.”
“He’s quite the looker.”
“No arguments,” Lela said. “Anyway, I’ll feel better if you have a way to contact me, but we have to be very careful.”
“I’ve been keeping my eyes on the senator for you. I figured if he thinks he’s safe that he’ll mess up. And I found something out.”
“What’s that?”
“He has direct contact with a cartel boss, not just the street-level guys.”
“That’s news. I knew about his drug connections, but not how high up in the organization they went.” Lela wrinkled her brow. “How did you find out?”
“I monitored his phone.”
Lela widened her eyes.
“It wasn’t that hard. These days, so many people want to know what their spouses, or even their kids, are doing. Software exists for that. And Ortiz got a new phone when he returned to the office. I spotted that it was a new model.”
“I’m impressed. You’re good to have on my side.”
“So one of those times when he was coming on to me—you know, when he’s in the zone and all he can see is ass and cleavage—I found an opportunity to install the software.”
“What did they talk about?”
“Mostly about getting their hands on you. It seems that’s the senator’s main focus these days,” Ashlee said. “The only thing is that the cartel guy didn’t give a name. Ortiz just calls him jefe.”
“Yeah, boss…that doesn’t narrow it down. But it’s very incriminating that he has such a connection. It’s more to go on.”
Lela hugged her. “You’re the best. I’m so relieved to see you.”
Then Ashlee stepped back to the sidewalk, and Lela escorted her toward the car. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Rip vigilantly watching.
An unmarked cop car slowly cruised toward Ashlee’s vehicle. It caught Lela’s attention. The last thing she needed was to be recognized by the cops. She put her head down and let Ashlee go ahead of her. “You’d better get out of here. I have a bad feeling about that car coming down the aisle.”
Chapter 10
While Lela talked to her friend, Rip stood guard. It was early in the evening, so the park wasn’t busy. A few late afternoon swimmers lingered, and several couples strolled down the beach. The sun hung brightly in the distance for a few minutes, then dipped below the horizon.
The shadow of dusk lowered visibility, but it was still light enough to see. Rip kept an eye on the area from outside the restrooms. He checked out every car in the lot, and any person in the vicinity. He’d stressed how risky the liaison was, so Lela had promised not to talk for too long.
Ashlee and Lela appeared to be just two friends sharing the details of their day. No one looked their way, or took special note of the encounter—except Rip. And he did so without attracting attention. For a while, no other car pulled into the lot, so he assumed that Ashlee hadn’t been followed.
But Rip didn’t relax, and he wouldn’t until Lela was back at the hotel.
It would have been better if Rip had been allowed to observe from a closer vantage point, but he’d acquiesced to Lela’s request for a few minutes alone with her friend. Watching from the shadows did have the advantage that he could spot any threat before his presence was made known.
Ashlee had parked her car in the far corner of the lot, probably for a quick exit if needed. A paved road paralleled the lot, and she’d followed it to the lot then parked. No other cars were close to hers. The few vehicles that remained were several rows up, nearer to the water.
Then the situation changed. An unmarked police car rolled along the paved road to the far end of the lot. There were two men inside, and Rip noticed the driver looking a bit too intently at Ashlee’s car. Shit, he hadn’t considered that her vehicle might be tracked.
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