by Shauna Allen
Grace’s gaze pinged back and forth between us. “Yes. Her father was a diplomat to my country, though he was very much affiliated with the cartel.”
“What’s her last name?” Tex asked, speaking for the first time as he pulled out his laptop.
“Kennard.”
He typed a few keys and scrolled. “There he is.” He turned the screen so I could see. “James Kennard. Attaché, US Consulate, Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, now retired and living in . . .” He scrolled down a bit farther. “A gated community in Puerta Vallarta with his third wife. Sweet deal.”
Grace paled a bit. “Bri and her father were never close. He’s not a nice man.”
Tex kept clicking. “This your friend?”
Her face softened. “Yes.”
I studied the epitome of the all-American girl on the screen. Big, bright, baby-blue eyes, powdery platinum blonde hair that cascaded down to her waist, big Colgate smile, killer bikini body. Damn beautiful. And still, I’d seen her on every corner back home, or some version of her. As lovely as she was, she didn’t do anything for me. Not like her dark, mysterious counterpart, whose begging gaze sliced right through to the heart of me, making me feel things I hadn’t felt in years.
Grace crumpled up what was left of her granola bar in the wrapper and turned to face the window, her body language sad and exhausted.
We landed and only Tito was there to pick us up. After a quick greeting, my team leader’s gaze raked over our unexpected guest, sizing her up, but giving nothing away.
He held out his hand with a wide smile, ever the fucking Romeo. “Miss Trevino. I’m Gunnery Sergeant DeAndre Johnson, but everyone calls me Tito.”
“Nice to meet you. And please, call me Grace.”
He tipped his head. “Grace.” He indicated the Hummer. “Please. I’m sure you’re tired after last night and the flight.”
Her eyes caught mine and she lifted a brow, silently comparing our manners and letting me know I came up lacking.
I shrugged it off and moved to shove our bags in the back of the Hummer. Tito could sweet-talk her all he wanted. I just wanted a burger, a beer, and my own bed. In that order. The rest could wait a hot minute.
Tito stopped me before I could climb inside. “Have you interrogated her yet?”
I raked a hand through my hair and glanced at the back of her head in the passenger seat as she chatted with Tex. “Not yet. Not really a good time with Esteban’s men on our asses.”
“Any idea what she extracted from her computers and brought with her?”
“Not a fucking clue. You’ll have to hit Tex up with that.”
He crossed his arms and leaned against the back fender. “So, we can assume Esteban knows she’s gone by now.”
“I’d say that’s an affirmative.”
“They’ll be looking for her.”
Our eyes clashed. “With guns blazing.”
“And her friend?”
“Not sure yet. She is insistent we help save her, but it’s hard to say how we can do that just yet. Maybe whatever she has in her files will help. Who knows?”
He nodded. “Well, Tex is gonna get on that right away. In the meantime, we have to keep her safe. I want you to take her to the safehouse by the beach. Question her. Find out what you can. Keep an eye on her until we know more.”
And there went all dreams of my king-sized bed and feather pillows. Shit. “Why me?”
“Because she knows you. Barely, but at least it’s a start. I can’t have one of the other guys, who are absolute strangers to her, starting from scratch, trying to form some kind of relationship with her.”
I nearly choked. “We don’t have a relationship.”
“You know what I mean, Lucky.” He nudged the toe of my boot with his own. “Fuck, bro, you’re the ladies’ man around here. Turn on that famous Lucas Moore charm and see what intel you can gather that might not be on those computer files. We don’t have much time here, man.”
I heaved a sigh. “Fine. But we’re stopping for burgers first.”
Four
Grace
I honestly had no idea what to think or feel anymore. The past several hours had been a whirlwind to say the least. I had no clue where we were going, what time it was, or even where I was exactly, other than California. I had put my life in the hands of strangers, and I could only hope and pray that I could trust them.
I glanced over to the man they called Tex. His profile was strong and serious. I’d gathered enough from his conversations with Lucky to know he was a computer genius and he had my files. Something cold tickled in my stomach, hoping I’d given them enough to save Brianne and maybe, just maybe, they wouldn’t throw me right back into the lion’s den.
Behind me, I could feel Lucky’s anxious energy as we drove. I knew he didn’t trust me. I’d been as honest as I could be, but I needed them, and I’d do anything for their help. For Brianne. Still, I knew, one wrong move, and these men could kill me, cut me up into tiny pieces, and scatter me into the ocean, and nobody would be the wiser. Not even Marco Esteban.
My eyes grew heavy and I became too exhausted to care about much of anything anymore. I needed some sleep, and as we turned into a fast food restaurant, I realized, some food.
Tex glanced over at me. “Hungry?”
“Yes.” My last meal seemed to be ages ago.
Behind us, Lucky and Tito gave him their order. He lifted a brow in askance. I shrugged.
“You’ve never been to In-N-Out before?”
“No.” His shocked stare made me blush.
“Damn, sister. Well, we will rectify that right now. I got this.” He turned to the speaker and ordered what sounded like enough food for at least ten people then pulled up, shaking his head, mumbling something about feeling sorry for me.
The food was delicious and seemed to lighten everyone’s mood considerably. The guys laughed and talked, obviously at ease with each other. It was almost as if I weren’t there. Almost. Once, when Lucky laughed a little too hard, he caught my gaze in the rearview mirror and his smile dropped almost instantly, making my chest hurt. Why did he have to hate me so much? Distrust, I could understand, but outright malice? I had done nothing to earn that from him. Not yet, anyway.
Eventually, the guys grew quiet as we neared the beach. The air filled with the tang of saltwater, reminding me of a distant memory. I closed my eyes and remembered being about eleven years old, playing on white sand beaches and pretending to be mermaids in turquoise waters with Brianne while her father and my uncle smoked cigars and drank whiskey from crystal tumblers and talked business. We were young and innocent to the ways of their world, lost in our own imaginations. Life was perfect then. That was before we were jaded by the ugliness of this world.
A few minutes later, we turned into the driveway of a small bungalow-style house that was right on the water. It was small and non-descript, with nothing to distinguish it from the other houses around it. The street was dark and quiet when Tex killed the engine.
Tito stepped out first, his gaze zipping around the periphery. He nodded once, then Lucky got out.
“Sit tight with Tex,” Lucky said to me, not waiting to see if I obeyed.
I swallowed my sudden nerves and watched as they made their way to the house, letting themselves inside. Lights flipped on. I focused on the trill of the cicadas and the faint sound of the waves in the distance to calm myself. There was no reason to be anxious. Nobody knew I was there or even where this place was. No way.
A couple of minutes later, Tito reappeared with a smile. “Come on. It’s all good.” He offered me a hand and helped me out into the warm California night.
I glanced up at the stars for a moment then we all made our way up the small walkway.
“It’s nothing fancy,” he said, “but you’ll be safe here with Lucky.”
“You’re not staying?” I blurted, less than thrilled at the idea of being left alone with the man who’d been staring holes in my skull all night.
&nb
sp; He laughed. “No, Miss Trevino. That would be a little too cozy since there’s only two bedrooms and Lucky’s not much of a snuggler.”
I blushed hotly, thinking of snuggling Lucky, and moved to examine the bungalow. It was clean but sparse in its furnishings. A simple couch, coffee table, and television in the living room. A tiny dining table in the kitchen area. Down a short hallway I could just make out two open bedroom doors with beds and nightstands.
I swallowed and faced Tito again as Tex made his way back outside, his cell phone pressed to his ear, obviously talking to his wife. “Um, what about . . . Lucky said something about . . . I don’t have any personal items. We left before I could pack.” I suddenly wanted to cry. I was tired, and I didn’t even have clean panties.
His beautiful, light eyes softened. “Don’t worry. There’s a twenty-four-hour Walmart not far from here. Just tell me what you need, and I’ll pop out and grab it.”
“You will?”
“Sure.”
Relief and gratitude made me teary all over again. “I can pay you back.”
He waved me off. “Just tell me what you need for a few days.”
I jotted down a list of the bare necessities.
He took it and stuffed it in his pocket. “Okay. I’m going to go drop Tex off so he can see his family who flew in to visit then get to work. Then I’ll grab this stuff and be back in an hour or so.”
I nodded. “Thank you.”
He faced Lucky. “You need anything, man?”
“The usual.”
“Fritos and Tab soda?”
“Fritos and Tab.”
Tito nodded once then headed out.
I saw Tex outside, still on the phone, so I waved. He waved back, then clambered up into the Hummer with Tito, and they drove off.
Lucky closed the door with a quiet click, the finality of it echoing through the air like a boom. He stood there with his hand to the door for a long moment, not facing me, as if he were afraid to be alone in the same room with me.
Finally, on a breath, he spun around, his hazel eyes dark and troubled as he studied my face.
Before I could think of anything to say, his expression closed me off. “It’ll be a bit before they get back with stuff for you, so I’m gonna go ahead and take a shower first, if that’s okay.” He didn’t wait for me to reply. He brushed past me and closed himself in the bathroom, leaving me to my tortured thoughts.
It dawned on me as the shower hissed to life that he’d left me to my own devices. They didn’t know me, I didn’t know them. Not really. We’d chosen to trust each other in this twisted circumstance we found ourselves in. Still, I could run and be long gone before any of them knew where I was and we both knew it. But, where would I go? I supposed he knew I wouldn’t dare. I needed them, and that made me a willing prisoner of sorts.
On a sigh, I moved to the back door and slid it open to let the night air kiss my skin. My eyes adjusted to the dark and I watched the white-tipped waves tap at the shore, letting the rhythm soothe me. The moon had risen high in the sky, chasing away the sun’s warmth and bringing on a faint chill. I leaned against the doorframe and stared up at the sky, thinking of home. Not that there was much for me there. I didn’t have any family to speak of with my parents gone, no brothers or sisters, and now with Bri—
I blinked away the threatening tears, determined to see this through to protect her. I had nothing to lose at this point. I’d rather die today or tomorrow trying to save her than die slowly under the thumb of Juan Esteban and this damn cartel.
Behind me, the shower stopped, reminding me that I was alone with a man.
A very strong, virile man.
He could hurt me in any number of ways physically, torture me, force me to talk, I was sure, yet there was something about him that made me equally as sure that he was too honorable to do any such thing.
I was also woman enough to understand that there was something else about him—something that made the blood in my veins spark and sizzle. I’d been around powerful men all of my life. I’d had love affairs. I’d known chemistry, the push and pull of pure animal attraction. But this . . . this was not that. This was . . .
I jumped when he cleared his throat behind me. I spun, my hand to my chest, and took him in—low-slung, faded jeans, plain white T-shirt, wet hair, bare feet.
No, this was not that, by any stretch of the imagination.
This was so very much more.
I swallowed against my suddenly dry throat as I felt his eyes rake over me with a thousand questions. “It’s beautiful here,” I managed to say, hoping to ease some of the tension between us.
His eyes roamed over my shoulder toward the empty beach. “Wanna go for a walk?”
“Now?”
He gave me the tiniest of smiles. “Sure. Why not?”
“You just took a shower,” I observed.
“So what?” He took a couple of steps my way. “A little sand on my feet won’t hurt anything.”
I hesitated.
He tilted his head in an open invitation.
“Okay.”
On the back porch, he looked down at my shoes. “Might wanna leave those here.”
“Oh. Right.” I sat and tugged off my tennis shoes and socks then rolled my pants up above my ankles.
We headed down the steps and right into the sand. I immediately felt some of my anxiety whoosh away in the breeze as it whipped my ponytail around my shoulders and rushed over my face. I couldn’t help but smile as I rushed toward the water. I sensed him right behind me, but he gave me my space to stretch my legs. I squealed when I hit the water’s edge, surprised at the coolness. I spun around to find him grinning at me, which made my breath catch and my heart thump against my ribs.
Then his gaze caught mine in the moonlight. I expected him to close off to me and the shutters of aloofness to slam shut as they had all day, but he simply stared at me, his hands tucked into his front pockets, his expression thoughtful but pleasant as I smiled at him, the water lapping at my toes.
We walked a bit farther down the beach, passing other small bungalows like the one we were staying in, making me wonder at the lives being lived behind those doors.
Lucky was quiet as we strolled, apparently lost in his own thoughts, and I let the silence soothe me. I couldn’t help but wonder what he thought of me. Did he feel the same chemistry that I did? Would he ever trust me?
After a while, by silent agreement, we circled around near an old pier and began to make our way back to the house.
I glanced up to his profile, painted in moonlight, suddenly desperate to break through his armor, if only a tiny bit. “So, why Fritos and . . . Coke?”
He looked at me like I’d grown a second head. “Not Coke. Tab.”
I frowned and sidestepped a piece of seaweed. “What is Tab?”
“Oh, my God. Seriously? You don’t know what Tab soda is?”
“Is it new?”
He grabbed his chest like I’d mortally wounded him. “No. Definitely not new. It’s a classic, Grace. A classic.”
I couldn’t help but giggle at him. “I apologize.”
He just shook his head as we neared the bungalow and began to climb the steps.
“So . . .” I waited until he glanced over at me. “Why Fritos and Tab the classic? Or is it a secret?”
“No secret.” We sat on the two deck chairs that faced the ocean. “It’s just my thing. My grandpa and I used to eat that every time we came to the beach, so I’ve kept up the tradition.”
I sat back and soaked in his words, secretly thrilled that he’d shared something personal with me. “You must love your grandfather very much.”
“Yeah. I did.”
I turned to look at him, but his eyes were closed as he leaned back. “Did?”
He opened his eyes and looked at me. “He died a few years ago.”
“Oh. I’m so sorry. You must miss him.”
“More than I can say.”
A beat passed as we s
tared at each other in the darkness and a hint of something real arced between us. But it was so fleeting, it might’ve been only my imagination, but it felt so . . .
But when Tito slammed through the front door calling for us, it died a quick death, if it ever even existed at all.
Five
Lucas
I hate to admit it, but I could’ve cursed Tito for his impeccable timing just then. Everything on the surface screamed at me not to trust this woman, that she was tied to the enemy and hiding secrets, and yet, something deeper seemed to connect with her in a way I couldn’t understand.
Tito poked his head outside and found us on the back porch. “Hey.” His gaze caught Grace’s. “The selection wasn’t great, but I got you some stuff if you’d like to clean up.”
Her eyes found mine in the darkness before she stood and offered him a soft smile. “Thank you.”
After a moment, he returned and sat in her empty chair and reclined back to study me in that eerie way of his. “Your stuff is in the kitchen. I got you guys some other groceries, too.”
“Thanks, man.”
“Don’t mention it.” His foot began to tap a restless rhythm as he stared me down.
“What?”
“I’m not sure.” His gaze narrowed. “What’s with you and the witness?”
I huffed out a frustrated breath. “Nothing.” Something. Definitely something. “Besides,” I shot back, “how do we even know she’s a witness? She could be just as dirty as Esteban.”
His brows rose. “You believe that?”
I shrugged, still hesitant to tell him about the wolf painting for some reason I couldn’t name. Stupidity, probably. And blue balls. I gave myself an internal bitch slap and faced my team leader. “I don’t know what to believe. All I know is this fucking cartel has been one step ahead of us for months and I don’t like it. I trust no one outside of our teams until they prove themselves. Period.”
“Fair enough.” His eyes darted toward the door. “Still. Something tells me she’s legit. Plus, Tex said the intel on her computer files looks promising and he’s just getting started. If she was dirty, why would she just hand that kind of gold over?”