A hundred thoughts went through my head, beginning and ending with the fact that Jack had nearly died tonight because of me. “You helped me solve the case,” I said. “I wouldn’t have come to the marina if you hadn’t left me a message and—”
“And I’d probably be fish food,” he finished.
I looked up at him, not liking that image. “Funny man.”
“I took a bullet. Think you can make me feel better?” he asked. “After I get a Band-Aid and some pain meds.” He gave me a little squeeze with his good arm.
“Definitely.” I slid my hand up his chest, tangling my fingers in the spattering of hair spread across it. God, he felt good, too. My hands trembled against his skin, and my body went cold, the adrenaline letdown starting. “And now you’ll be able to write a killer article about the body art industry, right? And maybe one on psycho killing-mistresses?”
He managed to crack a smile as he leaned against me. “I might need to look at that piercing again to make it really compelling.”
Detective Seavers reappeared from belowdeck and stepped onto the dock. He glared at me. “What happened here, Ms. Cruz?”
I shivered. An ambulance wailed in the distance. “We had a little bit of a showdown.”
He frowned at me, pulled out a notepad, then turned to Jack. “And you are?”
“Jack Callaghan.”
Seavers’s sparse hair was moist around his scalp. He looked back at me. “You brought a civilian to help you?”
I held on to Jack. “He was a hostage.”
Flashing lights cut through the darkness as the ambulance pulled into the underground parking lot. Seavers, Jack, and I stepped out of the way as the paramedics raced by us and into the boat’s cabin. Four minutes later, they came back up. They carted Bonatee off the boat on a body board, a police officer by his side. Mary brought up the rear.
Manny strode across the dock, the uneven clip of his boots tapping against the wooden planks. Sadie, her gray blouse and black slacks stuck to her body, was just behind him.
Manny gave Jack a once-over.
“Camacho,” Jack said, his teeth clenched.
“Callaghan.” Manny’s lips were pulled tight. Then he turned to me. “So it was Joanie Case?”
“Yes.”
He lowered his chin. “You take her down?”
I nodded.
“And it almost got her killed,” Jack said.
Manny looked at me. “Her life, her choice.”
Sadie gave me a look that seemed to say good choice. Then she scowled at Manny. I hadn’t figured out what was going on with those two, but I was pretty damn sure Sadie wanted to throttle him, and I had a suspicion her anger had to do with that history of theirs that she’d mentioned.
“I’m going to need a statement, Ms. Cruz.” Seavers’s stern voice cut through me.
Manny gave Seavers a hard look. “Give her a few minutes.”
The detective grumbled something under his breath, but he walked away.
Impressive. Camacho had power.
Then he turned his stern look to me. “Didn’t I tell you not to investigate alone?”
“Sadie was with me.” Whose side was he on, anyway? “And we called you, like, ten times. You didn’t pick up your cell phone.”
“Personal safety is the number-one rule. You can’t solve a case if you’re out of the game.” He put his hand on my back, letting it linger there for a second. “You have to be careful, sarge—” He paused and looked at Sadie, then at Jack. “Dolores.”
Jack tensed beside me, possibly from the bullet wound in his arm, but I didn’t think so.
Sadie had grown very still. She suddenly turned to me. “Dolores, I have some things I’d like to share with you.” She shot a look at Manny before turning back to me. “Next week, when we’re back in the office.”
Manny scowled, but I smiled and nodded. Had Sadie and I reached some unspoken level of camaraderie? Were we really a team now? The idea made me happier than I thought it would.
But I relegated my curiosity to the back of my mind as she walked away and as Detective Seavers came back toward us.
“Camacho,” the detective said. “There’s an Angelina Jolie look-alike waiting for you in the parking lot.” He handed Manny a folded slip of paper. “Wanted me to give this to you.”
The hairs on my neck stood up, and I felt my eyebrows raise in surprise. He’d brought his girlfriend here—to a crime scene?
The paramedic finally returned and pulled Jack aside to look at his arm as Manny opened the message from Tomb Raider girl. I’ll be damned if his lips didn’t quirk into the tiniest grin.
Okay, I was seriously out of the loop. He had the dark princess, Isabel, waiting in his truck. All that was missing was the ex-wife, and the soap opera would be complete.
A voice came from behind me. “We’re taking him to the hospital.”
I turned around. It was the paramedic. “What?”
“Mr. Callaghan’s arm needs attention.”
I forgot about Manny and focused on Jack. He’d taken a bullet for me. Well, not really, but it was still sexy as hell.
Jack wound his good arm around me. “Come with me.”
Warmth spread through me, the chill finally gone. I smiled. “I’ll be right behind you, Callaghan.”
He pulled away and gave me an expressionless look that I couldn’t decipher. Without him next to me, the chill was back. I watched as he was led up the dock and into the underground parking garage. It hit me then. I’d done this to him. It was going to take some serious work to make it up. But the man did things to me, so it was work we’d both enjoy.
Manny started down the dock. “Let’s go,” he said tersely.
He stood to the side and let me go first up the rickety stairs. Yikes. Yoga pants. Formfitting. My ass at his eye level.
I tried to be confident as I marched up. This was not how I wanted my boss looking at me. “What kept you, Manny?” I asked over my shoulder.
I turned around the second my foot hit flat ground.
His smoldering eyes jerked up to my face, and my pulse skittered. “Family business,” he said, his voice tight.
I was usually the one with family things going on. “Everything okay?”
“Fine. My wife—”
“Your ex-wife?”
He hesitated, and then ground out, “Never mind.”
I tried to be cool and went into detective mode. “Everything doesn’t sound all right.”
Manny’s eyes narrowed. “Not your concern.”
“Huh.” Okay, then, end of that conversation.
The uneven clip of his boots against the wooden planks thundered in my head. I asked the burning question. “How’d you get that limp?”
He slowed and looked at me. “I was shot.”
No kidding. I probably could have guessed that. “Who shot you?” The spouse?
He didn’t answer.
We finally made it to the parking lot. I did a double take when I saw Isabel. Reilly had been right. She put everyday people to shame, including me and my curves. I’d never seen such perfection. I seriously thought people might go to war over her.
She sashayed toward Manny. “Finally, baby.” She kissed him—kissed Manny. “You got my note?”
He nodded and gently guided her back. She noticed me. “Oh. Manuel, are you going to introdu—?”
I raised an eyebrow. Manuel? Ick.
He hesitated for a beat then said, “Dolores Cruz. Isabel Martinez. Isabel, Dolores.”
“Mucho gusto,” I said, holding my hand out to shake. Maybe some of her ethereal beauty would rub off on me.
She took it, her perfect red lips parted seductively. She blinked slowly, and for a second made me think I’d said “pleased to meet you” in some alien language instead of in Spanish.
“Nice to meet you, too,” she finally said. “You work with Manuel?”
“I work for him,” I said.
She looked at me for an extra-long beat. �
��Uh-huh. So you know his—”
Manny suddenly grabbed Isabel by the elbow. “Come on,” he barked, and steered her to the cab of his machismo truck.
Isabel thought I knew Manny’s what? Or who? Something tickled at the back of my brain, but I ignored it. Focus, Lola. Jack—the man who’d put his life on the line for me—was in the hospital. He was the only person I wanted to deal with right now.
I saw Sadie waiting at my smashed car. I started toward her. I still had to give Seavers a statement, but I could do that at the hospital.
“Dolores,” Manny called.
I stopped and turned around. Dolores. No nickname in front of Isabel. Good move, boss. “Yes?”
“Buen trabajo.”
My eyes bugged. Good job? A full-blown, unsolicited compliment? Holy cow. And all it had taken was two men getting shot and my single-handed apprehension of a killer. Okay, apprehension of a killer with a lot of help, but still…
“Gracias,” I said. I was filled with pride. “I learned from the best.”
He nodded, and I thought I caught the smallest hint of a satisfied smile. He opened the driver’s door of his truck and threw a quick glance in Sadie’s direction. “You did good,” he said when his eyes settled on me again.
Thank God he got into his truck, because I couldn’t control the goofy smile that erupted on my face. He pulled away, and I heard his words again in my head. I’d done good.
Chapter 24
The quinceañera was going off without a hitch—if you didn’t count the cold shoulder I was getting from my family.
Mami glared at me as she walked by, squeezing Tía Marina’s hand.
“It’s perfect,” my mother said to her sister. “Look at her.”
I followed their gazes and saw Chely boogying in the center of the dance floor. She was a star.
Antonio sauntered by. His goatee was trimmed, his skin was browned, and his ribs were bandaged under his black guayabera. He gave me half a smile, but his eyes twinkled. He’d forgiven me for endangering his life. The question was, had I forgiven myself?
I really had to figure out a way to keep my business separate from my family.
“My Antonio!”
I turned to see Reilly skipping through the crowd toward him. Her halter dress looked a couple of sizes too small, but her emerald green hair looked fabulous.
Antonio shot me an I’m going to get you for this look and darted off, clutching his ribs, just as Reilly reached me. “Where’s he going?” she asked.
I shrugged, not knowing which one of them to root for.
She giggled, then started after him. “Silly boy.”
Antonio didn’t stand a chance.
I ran my hands down my sides, looking around for Jack. We hadn’t had much chance to talk since the marina. He hadn’t made it to the Mass this morning. Maybe he’d had second thoughts about us. Maybe there was no us. And I’d been willing to bear his passel of kids.
The DJ put on my favorite Juanes song, and I moved my feet, my hands pressing against my stomach. My eyelids fluttered closed. God, Juanes had a great voice. Maybe he could help me forget about everything for just a little while.
My body quivered as someone pressed up against my back, hands slipping around to my stomach. Mmm. I knew that body. “You made it,” I breathed.
Everything slowed as I dropped my arms to my sides and turned to face him. The contact between our bodies never broke.
An enticing smile crossed Jack’s lips. His hands slid up the sides of my body, finally resting on my lower back. He drew me in closer and edged one of his legs between mine. “I wouldn’t have missed it.”
I hadn’t thought his showing up was a given, but I kept that to myself. “Good.” I gently ran my hand over his bandaged arm. I was shameless. I’d take any excuse to touch him. “Don’t I get a little thank-you?”
He gave me that you need a straitjacket look again. “Thank you for what?”
For what? Was he serious? I pulled back and put my hands on my hips. God, didn’t I get any credit? Men. “Um, for saving your life?”
“Here’s a little news flash, babe,” he said, pulling me close again. “My life wouldn’t have been in jeopardy if it weren’t for you.”
Minor detail. I changed the subject. It was time to set those ground rules. “Who’s Sarah?” The question, along with whom he’d used the missing Trojans with, was going to bug me till the day I died—or until I tortured the answer out of him. Which, come to think of it, might be a lot of fun.
I thought I saw him hesitate, but then he smiled. “Nobody.”
I grinned coyly. “I’ll find out eventually. I’m a detective, after all.”
He put one hand on the small of my back, interlaced the fingers of the other hand with mine, and pulled me closer. “Yes, you are. And bellísima.”
I shuddered as he held me tighter. La vida Lola. Secrets or not, it was a good life.
Melissa Bourbon Ramirez - Lola Cruz 01 - Living the Vida Lola Page 27