Hidden Prey

by Cheyenne McCray

  The doctor gave a slow nod. “Sounds like you could use a break.”

  “A really long break.” Tori rubbed her temples. “With all of the terrible things that have happened, there are no words to convey how truly awful it all is.”

  “It’s horrendous.” Dr. Fallon looked at Landon who still slept on the billiards table. “As far as something to wear, Landon’s a big man and my husband’s clothes would be too small for him.”

  The woman glanced at Tori as she continued, “I’m a lot taller than you and I have a larger bone structure, so you’d drown in anything I have. The best bet is the twenty-four hour Walmart. Ted can go while it’s still early and pick up a few things for Landon and you to wear for now.”

  “You said Landon hotwired a truck. I’ll pull it into the garage too.” Mr. Fallon raised a cracker. “Just as soon as I finish these crackers and cheese and the juice.”

  The doctor gave her husband a fond look. “Thank you, dear.”

  “I don’t have any money to buy clothes or other things.” Tori hated this feeling of not having anything. She’d always been so independent and proud to pay her own way. “All my ID and bank cards were stolen.”

  “Landon and I go way back.” Dr. Fallon brushed away Tori’s words with a wave of her hand. “We can work it out later. There’s a notepad and a pen on the bar you can use to make a list of everything you need.”

  “Thank you.” Tori gave Dr. Fallon a grateful look. Tori scooted off the stool she’d been sitting on, grabbed the notepad and pen, and jotted down the bare necessities. She refused to have Mr. Fallon go on a complete shopping trip for her. They could make do with the minimum for now. The doctor told Tori to add dressings for Landon’s wound so Tori could change it frequently.

  “Here’s the report.” Mr. Fallon drew Tori’s attention to the TV as he turned up the volume.

  Tori stared at the TV, which was showing the replay of firefighters dousing flames last night, followed by this morning’s devastation, nothing but the smoldering remains of the former two-story house left.

  A female reporter stood near the scene, in front of the mass of law enforcement and emergency vehicles. “Police are not saying what caused the explosion or if the house was occupied at the time.”

  So no one knew if the other two who had been helping protect her were dead. Not yet.

  Were they? She thought about the two agents, her chest squeezing with fear for them and sadness for their families if they had died.

  The station flashed back to the news anchor and Mr. Fallon muted the TV once again. “I’ll get your things.” He pushed himself up and out of his chair. “In the meantime, you can shower. You’ll probably feel a lot better once you do.”

  “Most definitely.” Tori gave him a tired smile. “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome, young lady.” He took the list Tori had written then approached his wife and put his hand on her shoulder before giving her a quick but firm kiss on the lips. “I’m off on my quest.”

  Dr. Fallon reached up and squeezed her husband’s hand still resting on her shoulder. “Why don’t you bring home breakfast?”

  He nodded. “How about something from that fancy French bakery you love so much?”

  “Thank you, dear.” She patted his hand. “See you when you return.”

  When Mr. Fallon left, Tori turned to Dr. Fallon. “Thank you both so very much. Landon could have died if you hadn’t saved him.”

  The doctor smiled. “It wouldn’t be easy to bring down a man like Landon Walker. Stubborn and determined as hell.”

  Tori’s mouth curved into a smile too. “How do you know each other?”

  For the first time, Dr. Fallon’s cool appeared shaken, but she straightened and masked it almost at once. “My little sister was his fiancée.”

  “Stacy.” Tori hadn’t meant to say it aloud, it just came out.

  The doctor looked surprised, likely because she hadn’t expected a witness to know something so personal. Still, she continued, “Stacy was almost thirty when she died.”

  “Landon mentioned her.” Tori thought about what Landon had told her. “He’s blamed himself for her death.”

  “I know.” Dr. Fallon glanced at where he still lay sleeping. “And I’ve told him countless times he’s not at fault.”

  Tori shook her head. “I’m so sorry about your sister.”

  “Yes.” The woman continued to study Landon. “So am I.”

  Landon stirred and groaned.

  “He’s waking.” Tori hurried to the billiards table and gripped the side as she leaned over and stared at Landon who blinked at the bright sunlight coming through the window. She smiled at him as he turned his head and looked at her. “Welcome back.”

  He reached out his hand and grasped hers. For a moment their gazes locked and he said nothing. He finally spoke in a hoarse voice. “Thanks to you we made it.”

  “I just busted your butt to get you out of there with me.” She gripped his hand in both of hers. “How are you feeling?”

  “Like hell.” He moved his shoulder and grimaced. “But the pain means I’m still alive, so that’s what counts.”

  She lowered her head and kissed him without thinking twice about it. When she raised her head, her cheeks burned and she glanced over her shoulder at Dr. Fallon.

  “I—” Tori started but fell silent.

  “So you’ve finally found someone.” Dr. Fallon’s smile seemed genuine as she moved to the opposite side of the table. “It’s about time.”

  Tori shook her head. “We’re not—”

  This time, Landon cut her off. “It took the right woman to come along.”

  Tori opened her mouth and closed it. She couldn’t think of anything to say, so she chose to say nothing.

  “Why don’t you go take a shower while I examine Landon?” Dr. Fallon gestured to the stairs. “There’s a clean robe hanging on a hook inside the guest bathroom. It will be big on you, but it’ll be fine until George gets back with your clothes.”

  “Thanks.” Tori smiled, grateful for the reprieve as Landon gave her hand one last squeeze.

  She turned and left the room, Landon’s words echoing in her mind. “It took the right woman to come along.”

  Had he meant what he’d said?

  She shook her head. In her exhausted state, she had no business analyzing what feelings might be developing between her and Landon. It was definitely not the right time.

  Chapter 20

  Such a fine day. Diego leaned back in his lounge chair beside the swimming pool, the sun warm and pleasant on his bare skin as his granddaughter swam with his great-nephews and nieces, his brothers’ grandchildren. The crystal clear water shimmered in the sunlight while ripples splashed lazily against the edge of the pool.

  Yes, it was indeed a fine day. His men had eliminated Tori Cox and he had ensured Alejandro’s safety. A smile creased Diego’s face. Thanks to the man who had installed a tracking chip in the woman’s phone, Alejandro’s men had found her.

  Diego had wanted to smuggle the woman into Mexico and teach her a lesson, but eliminating her had a certain satisfaction to it as well.

  He scowled. The American agents had arrested Pablo and John, who remained behind bars. The federal agents no longer had a witness to Alejandro murdering the federal agent—except for Pablo and John. However, they wouldn’t be released due to the large amount of illegal substances found in the home they had been occupying at the time the warrants had been served.

  Pablo and John were loose ends and he didn’t tolerate loose ends.

  But for now, Diego allowed himself to relax in the heat beating down on him. He had not relaxed for days. Today he could celebrate. Life was good.

  Angelina climbed out of the pool, water rolling down her slender form. She grabbed a towel and wrapped it around her shoulders to walk toward him then sit on the edge of a nearby lounge chair. Her hair hung in long wet ropes around her pretty face, tiny water droplets clinging to her dark lashes. His
little girl was growing into a fine young lady, yet he still found it difficult to believe her party approached so quickly.

  She smiled at him. “You are in a very good mood today, Grandfather.”

  He raised his sunglasses. “Who could not be on such a beautiful day?”

  “It is beautiful.” She tilted her head to the side. “Something has happened to make you so happy. What is it?”

  “I have the greatest granddaughter in the world.” He tucked a small outdoor pillow behind his neck. “How could I not be happy?”

  “As I have the greatest grandfather.” She looked at the long tables set up on the lawn not far from the pool. The staff had placed one table apart from the rest and covered it with a cloth and serving pieces. “Josephina said everything is ready. It is time to eat.”

  Diego breathed in the pleasing smells of their dinner. “Let us not disappoint her.”

  He eased his legs over the side of the lounge chair and got to his feet. He clasped his hands behind his back as Angelina accompanied him to the tables.

  When they reached the table with the food, Josephina, his cook, gave him a deferential bow. “I hope you find everything to your liking.”

  He let his gaze drift over the spread before he glanced at her again. “It looks and smells fabulous, my dear Josephina.”

  She bowed again. “Thank you, Señor Jimenez.”

  Platters filled with grilled fish, pork, and chicken were at the center of the table. Tortilla warmers held freshly made corn tortillas and there were also tamales, empanadas, soup, frijoles, and rice. Bowls overflowed with mango, papaya, and pineapple. To the side, containers held diced avocados and pico de gallo, along with a variety of Diego’s favorite peppers.

  “Excellent.” He picked up a colorful plate. Local artisans made all his dishes and serving pieces.

  Soon children and adults sat at the tables, which had been laid out on the lawn. The only person missing was Alejandro, but he would be returning to Mexico soon, where he belonged. Diego would be pleased when his son arrived. It had been foolish of Alejandro to go to the U.S. to kill the federal agent himself. Diego would not allow such a thing to happen in the future and his underlings would handle such tasks as usual. Alejandro was not expendable. They were.

  Diego enjoyed the laughter and chatter of his large extended family. He wished his daughter could be here to see her beautiful daughter. He missed her as only a father could.

  When Diego looked at his own four brothers, he found himself wanting to frown. They worked for him and were in line to run the family business if anything should happen to Diego and Alejandro. Unlike his son and himself, two of Diego’s brothers were weak men. Diego did not like the idea of the family business falling into their hands. The youngest brother reminded Diego of his own son and he would have preferred he be next in line than the three older brothers.

  His throat grew tight as he thought about his mother. She had disowned Diego and her other four sons many years ago, denouncing them when she learned of the cartel they had established. She had lived in Arizona for some years now, in that troublesome town of Bisbee. Diego still loved his mother and it crushed him she had turned her back on her five sons.

  But enough of that, he told himself. He focused on the here and now. Soon Alejandro will be home.

  Life is good.

  Chapter 21

  They passed few cars. Tori drove the rented white Camry on the rural two-lane highway with Landon in the passenger seat. She had finally stopped shaking from that morning’s insanity.

  The late afternoon sky was the color of the famous Bisbee blue turquoise—a beautiful blue without the greenish hue of traditional turquoise. Grass hugging the sides of the highway remained still beneath a warm sun.

  George Fallon had rented a car in his name at a car rental agency after they’d wiped down the truck and parked it at a campground in the Huachuca Mountains. The truck would be found soon enough, but at a place where no one should have noticed them leaving it.

  Tori glanced at Landon, whose left arm hung in a sling, as they left Bisbee’s town limits. “How far is it to your ranch?”

  “Twenty miles from Bisbee and twenty-five from Douglas.”

  She looked back to the road. “You think we’ll be safe there?”

  “Right now it’s the safest place I can think of.” He watched her while he spoke. “The phone with the tracker has been destroyed, so I think we’ll be fine. How are you holding up?”

  “I should be asking you that.” Her stomach twisted. “You’re the one who’s injured.”

  “I’m asking you.” He focused his intense gaze on her, repeating repeated his question. “How are you holding up?”

  Tori’s dark hair swung around her face as she shook her head. “There are too many dead and now you’re injured, just because I saw a man being murdered by the cartel.” A bleak feeling settled over her. “How much more is going to happen before I testify against Alejandro Jimenez and those two men?” She stared directly in front of her at the yellow centerline flashing past on the two-lane highway. “If I live long enough to testify.”

  “You’re going to be fine.” Landon gave her a reassuring smile. “You’ll be safe at my ranch. No one knows you’ll be there. No one. Not even my superiors.” He looked grim when she glanced at him. “It should be impossible for the cartel to find you at my place.”

  Should be echoed in her mind.

  Landon added, “And as far as the cartel is concerned, we’re dead from the explosion.” He blew out his breath. “At least until they identify bodies and body parts, but that should take at least a day, if not longer.”

  Tori shuddered. Dead. She and Landon could have died in the explosion like O’Donnell and Danson likely had.

  When they reached the turnoff to his ranch, she pulled the car off the paved road and onto a dirt road. In the distance, she saw sunlight glittering off metal. As they grew nearer, she realized the tin roof of an outbuilding had caught the light. The building stood a good distance from a nice-sized ranch-style home. Other buildings populated the ranch as well.

  They reached the house and Tori parked next to a large black truck then killed the engine. Despite his injury, Landon still managed to climb out of the car with a smooth masculine ease. She liked to watch him in action, his movements so decisive and purposeful.

  A windmill behind Landon’s ranch house creaked as the wheel turned from the strength of the wind and the pump moved up and down. Tori looked up at the tall structure and watched it for a moment. She hadn’t grown up on a ranch like Landon had, but she’d seen windmills such as this one before. They made her think of times long since past, days in the Old West when they’d been widely used to pump water for personal use and for livestock.

  She walked by his side up a pathway leading to a porch. Landon had landscaped both sides of the pathway with native desert plants and red rock. When they had walked up the steps and reached the big front door, he unlocked it before turning the knob and stepping aside so she could walk past him.

  His open-floor plan had a breakfast bar separating the kitchen from the living and dining rooms. The vaulted open-beam ceiling gave the house a large and airy feel.

  The place looked like a bachelor’s pad with mostly bare walls and not much in the way of décor, but she liked the simplicity of it all. The coffee-colored leather couches were overstuffed and bound to be comfortable and he also had a recliner and a big wooden rocker. A hat rack rested beside the door with two cowboy hats and an assortment of ball caps. A long black duster and a leather bomber jacket hung from coat hooks on the wall near the hat rack.

  A messy pile of magazines lay on one end table, two stacks of books on the other. Most of the paperbacks were Westerns, but she also saw a hardcover biography of President John F. Kennedy, as well as a hardcover on World War II.

  A tablet lay next to a travel mug on the coffee table. It must be his personal device since he’d used another one for work. Did Landon read news and books o
n the tablet too, or stick with print? A lot of people hadn’t embraced the digital age, but Landon clearly worked well in both electronic and print media.

  He tossed his keys into a hand-woven basket on a table near the front door and she added the car keys to the basket as well.

  When he abruptly turned to face her, she almost ran into him. With his good hand, he took her by her upper arm, catching her off guard. Her heart thrummed as she looked up into his eyes. They were so green, so beautiful, she couldn’t look away.

  He slid his hand over her shoulder then cupped her face in his palm. “I’ve been wanting to kiss you all day.” His words were a sexy rumble that sent a shiver of excitement through her. He lowered his head and brushed his lips over hers, back and forth in a slow, easy motion.

  She breathed out her sigh of pleasure against his lips. He brought her closer to him, his arm around her waist. His kiss was slow and sensual and she never wanted it to end.

  He drew away, rubbing his thumb over her cheek and smiling into her eyes. He spoke softly. “I’ve been looking forward to it.”

  She gave a wry smile. “Running for your life can sure put a damper on things.”

  He pressed his lips to her forehead. “I could use a beer.” He nodded toward the kitchen. “How about you? I have red or white wine too.”

  Mind still reeling from the kiss, she followed him to the kitchen. “It’s a little early for me, but after last night I do believe a glass of red would be wonderful.”

  Sunshine from a skylight filled the kitchen, throwing light on to the stainless-steel appliances and the dishes in the dish drainer. She couldn’t call the place spotless—more like man-clean—but it seemed fine.

  “I have frozen dinners.” Landon looked apologetic. “I’ve never been one for cooking.”

  “Well, I am.” She glanced around the kitchen, taking in what he had. “Cooking is one of my favorite things to do. I often do it just to relax.” Her gaze returned to him. “Why don’t I fix an early dinner?”