by Misty Evans
Lexie, not seeing the sadness of Sophie’s face, must have still heard it in her tone. The little girl placed a hand on Sophie’s arm. “Why did she leave you?”
The pain on Sophie’s face was too much for Nelson. He faced front again, focusing on the road ahead of them.
“Our mother died. Angelique was very sad and very angry.” Nelson heard Sophie’s soft sigh. “She took drugs and”—
“Drugs are bad,” Lexie said.
“Yes. Drugs are bad. You must promise never to take any.”
“I promise.”
Nelson shook his head at the window. Leave it to Sophie to tell a drug cartel leader’s little sister to stay away from drugs.
“It wasn’t enough,” Sophie continued. “She had so much pain, even the drugs wouldn’t dull it.”
“So she ran away?”
Sophie’s voice came out stronger. “She was trying to escape the pain.”
“Do you think she did?”
Another pause. Then, “No, I think she found more trouble, and with trouble comes more pain.”
“I wish she would come back. I bet she’d like my bracelets.”
“She would love them.” Sophie’s voice took on a forced brevity. “Have you made any more for me?”
“I’m going to work on new ones tonight,” Lexie said. “Rodrigo said he would pick up thread for me today after his meetings.”
Nelson frowned. Were these the same bracelets Sophie had shoved in that boy’s pockets at the bingo hall?
He heard shifting on the leather seat and glanced back. Sophie was putting a rolled up stack of bills into Lexie’s free hand. “Payment for the last set. Keep ʼem coming. My friend with the shop says they’re selling better than her gold bangles.”
The kid’s face lit up. “Really?”
Sophie licked her ice cream, not meeting Nelson’s eyes. “You’re very talented.”
“You always lay out which colors I should put together. You should get some of the profit.”
“Oh, no. You’re the artist. I could never weave them in such interesting patterns.”
Nelson faced forward again. What was Special Agent Diaz doing with a little girl’s homemade bracelets? Giving her an ego boost or something else?
“You should ask my brother for help finding Angelique,” Lexie said.
Nelson’s insides froze. No way. Surely Sophie hadn’t told Lexie her sister’s real name.
“There’s nothing he can do, I’m afraid,” Sophie said. “But I appreciate you trying to help. If I learn anything new and think Rodrigo might be able to find her, I’ll certainly ask him.”
Chapter Ten
Nelson completed his report to Morales and was leaving his office when Lexie caught him in the hall.
“Who’s there?” she asked.
“Nico Raines.”
She stroked the top of her dog’s head, her too-big glasses turned toward his face. “Thank you for ice cream today, Nico.”
“You’re welcome.”
“Are you on your way to see Maria-Sophia?”
He was, but decided this was an opportunity to find out more about the bracelets. Besides, last he’d checked, Sophie was still holed up with Morales’s books. “I’m on my way to check the grounds. Would you and your dog like to go with me?”
“Do you know Latin?”
“Only enough to get by as an altar boy.”
“Your church didn’t do the Mass in English?”
“They did both Latin and English up until I was a teenager.”
“So you could help me with my Latin homework?”
“Only if you want Sister Leslie to fail you.”
Lexie grinned. “I really hate Latin.”
“It’s the root language for Spanish, French, and Italian, and many English words derive from those languages. It’s like the grandfather of the big three. I’d say it deserves some respect.”
She pondered this a moment, her tiny brow scrunching. “I can see that.”
And then she giggled, her hand coming up to cover her mouth. “Get it? I can see that?”
The kid was cute. No wonder Sophie had fallen for her.
Nelson bent down in front of her. “So you’re a joker as well as a bracelet maker, huh?”
Her dog wagged his tail, his mouth opening so he could pant. Lexie giggled again. “Do you want to see my room? I have lots of cool stuff.”
“Sure.” He could check her security while he was there. “What kind of cool stuff?”
She talked nonstop as she led him down the hallway and to her room on the opposite end of the house. “I’m a big fan of Frozen. Harry likes it too.”
Lucky for Nelson, he knew about the movie since his niece loved it too. “Who’s Harry?”
She stopped and gave him an exasperated look. “My dog? Duh.”
She wasn’t lying. Her bedroom looked like a giant Barbie had vomited in it. Pink walls, pink bedspread, pink rug. Sparkly pillows and throws. A large dollhouse dominated one corner. Dozens of stuffed animals covered her bed and an oversized upholstered chair. The four-poster bed was white with pink tulle hanging from the posts. A white desk with a computer and braille keyboard rounded out the furnishings.
Carly would have loved it. Being socially awkward and intensely shy, Nelson’s niece spent many hours in her room, singing Disney songs over and over again and stroking a favorite stuffed bear.
“Where’s Señor Chavez? Is he sick?” Lexie released her dog’s harness and felt her way along the edge of the desk. “Is that why you’re taking his place?”
Nelson stopped in the doorway. How to explain? “Sort of.”
Lexie plopped on the bed and patted it for Harry to come lay beside her. A pile of brightly colored threads lay in the center.
“So tell me about the bracelets. How long does it take you to make one?”
“I usually make two a night unless I run out of thread.” She ran her fingers through the pile of colors. “I could make you one. What’s your favorite color?”
Um…he’d never really thought about it. “Black?”
Her brow knit again. “That’s boring. I don’t have black. How about purple?”
Purple. Yeesh. “Got any blue?”
“Three shades! I could use all three if you like.”
“Need me to lay them out for you?”
“I know the dark blue one.” She pulled a ball of the blue from the pile. “It feels different than the others. It’s Maria-Sophia’s favorite. She gave me a whole bunch of it. I use it in all of the bracelets.”
There was something odd about that but Nelson couldn’t put his finger on it.
Or maybe he could. “Can I feel it?”
Lexie held out the ball of thread and he ran his fingers over the smooth strands. “See?” she said. “It’s super smooth.”
He touched some of the other colors and found she was right. They were all soft, but the dark blue thread seemed to be coated with a waxy substance.
“Did you find the other blues?” Lexie asked.
He handed her two other balls of lighter blue. “Here you go. Need anything else?”
Lexie tipped her head toward her desk. “Are you sure you can’t help me with my Latin spelling words?”
Nelson sauntered to the desk, found a page of braille that he assumed was the Latin. “Only if you can teach me braille.”
“Maria-Sophia knows it. She can teach you.” Lexie started pulling threads. “She knows everything, except…”
“Except what?”
Lexie’s fingers stopped. She reached for the dog and patted Harry’s head, her face turned away from Nelson. “I like her a lot.”
“I’m pretty sure she knows that.”
“I want her to stay here. Forever.” She cautiously turned her face toward Nelson. “I want her to marry Rigo.”
Ah, shit. How was he supposed to respond to that?
Luckily, he didn’t have to. Lexie went back to her threads. “It’s a secret, though. You won’t
tell her, right?”
Nelson was glad she couldn’t see his face. “Mum’s the word.” He tousled her hair and headed for the door. “Goodnight, kid.”
“Goodnight, Nico.”
When he glanced back, Lexie was hugging the dog as Harry’s mournful gaze locked with Nelson’s over the girl’s shoulder.
It was shortly before midnight by the time Sophie finished balancing all the ledgers and made the corresponding wire transfers to the offshore accounts. She’d avoided Nelson all evening—he was thankfully tied up with Morales—and she hoped now, as she made her way to her apartment, that he would already be fast asleep in his.
A storm had moved through and left the trees dripping with heavy rain. Morales would want a full report in the morning about the day’s profits and she had left a copy of the ledger on his desk before she’d left.
She hadn’t gone far when a broad shadow emerged from behind a palm tree and made her catch her breath. “Finally calling it a day?” the man said. “Or were you avoiding me?”
Of course, Nelson would be waiting for her. “You startled me.”
He fell into step beside her. “When were you going to tell me about the kid?”
Pulse already jumping, she picked up her step. The garden outside the guesthouse was in sight, a night-blooming cactus showing off under the tender moon. “Tell you what?”
“The real reason you’ve been stalling this operation.”
He knew.
Or thought he did. The truth was, what he believed wasn’t half of it.
“Can we not discuss this out here?” she half-whispered, hustling for the safety of her apartment.
He would follow her. She had no doubt about that. And being inside her tiny apartment talking about Lexie wouldn’t slow her pounding pulse, but at least she could escape into the bathroom or bedroom and lock him out if necessary.
Passing the cactus with its white flower, she hated Nelson all over again for intruding into her op, her world. She’d had everything under control until he’d arrived.
Under the portico, the stairs were dark. Nelson’s hand brushed her elbow as if to steady her in case her footing slipped on the stairs. His touch unnerved her and she nearly sent herself tumbling anyway.
Before she could protest, he put an arm around her waist, guiding her up the stairs and into the apartment in silence.
Once inside, he locked the door and turned on her, putting a finger to his lips. As she watched, he went around the living room, examining the tables and lamps and running his fingers along the edges of all the furniture.
Bugs. He was checking for listening devices.
She’d found a couple when she first came to work for Morales and had left them alone. After a few months, they’d disappeared. She still routinely checked, but had never found one since, confirming that Morales did indeed trust her to a certain degree.
But now, Nelson was here. A newcomer. Someone who’d been vetted to a certain degree but had yet to prove his undying loyalty.
While Nels moved into the kitchen, Sophie took up his search, checking the bedroom.
They met back in the living room, both having come up empty.
Nelson shrugged. “Someone new inside my territory? It’s the first thing I would have done.”
“Me, too,” Sophie agreed, hoping that maybe he was going to drop the previous discussion. “I’m bushed. I’ll see you in the morning.”
She got two steps away when he said, “You’re compromising the mission because you have a soft spot for Alexa. That’s why you keep refusing to wrap up the op, isn’t it? You think you can save the girl.”
Damn. Facing him, she kept her face stoic. “I never get emotionally involved. You know that.”
His eyes were dark with emotion. Bitterness? “You did once.”
Once. She would never live it down, not if he insisted on constantly reminding her. “And I blew it. Is that what you want to hear? I screwed up. With you, with Chica Bonita, with finding my sister. Because I got emotionally involved.” She drew a deep breath, lowered her voice. “I haven’t done it since, and that includes this operation.”
“You deny you care for the girl and that she’s not the reason you’re dragging out the arrest of her brother?”
“She’s innocent in all of this, and who wouldn’t have a soft spot in their heart for that child? All that proves is that I’m human. It doesn’t mean I’m not doing my job.”
“What’s the deal with the bracelets?”
Oh, shit. He’d caught on to that too?
She looked down at her copper bangles and a vintage Coro bracelet that had belonged to Little Gran. Inexpensive costume jewelry that was priceless to her. She’d removed the friendship bracelet Lexie had given her and hidden it in her pocket, hoping not to call further attention to it once she’d seen Nelson eyeing it in the car on their way back to the compound that afternoon. “What’s wrong with my bracelets?”
“Why are you buying a bunch of friendship bracelets from Lexie and lying to her about the shop that’s selling them?”
“She’s good with her hands and it gives her purpose. I wanted to instill some confidence in the child. Between the boarding school and the convent, she can’t do anything but tie her shoes and dress herself. She’s learning obsolete and useless things like Latin and they make her pray for an hour a day. She’s not a nun, and just because she’s blind doesn’t mean she can’t do normal things. I taught her to cook and bake and make things, like the bracelets. She’s a natural.”
“She loves you, Sophie. She wants you to marry her brother and the three of you to live happily ever after.”
“What?”
“That’s what she told me a few minutes ago when I went to talk to her. She sees you as her surrogate mother, a big sister, whatever.”
“That’s ridiculous. I’ve never given her a reason to believe I have feelings for her brother.”
“She’s a kid, living in a fantasy world.”
This had to end. “You’re living in a fantasy world, too. Yes, I may have taken the girl under my wing while I was here, but in no way is it affecting my judgment about wrapping up this operation.”
He didn’t say anything for a moment. His usual silent treatment tactic, hoping if he kept those dark eyes locked on her, she’d suddenly confess all her sins.
She stared back with the same intensity, as stubborn as he was.
“What’s the boy do with the bracelets you give him? Sell them?”
Oh, no, something much more damning. To her, anyway. “I told you. He and his mother are penniless.” It wasn’t a lie. “Anything they can do to raise money is welcome.”
“I can’t imagine he makes much money from selling friendship bracelets.”
Their street value was nominal, but their value on a young, homeless, runaway’s arm was priceless. “I imagine not.” Time to go on the offensive. “Did you buy me any extra time before the warrants are issued?”
“Not necessary. After today’s commotion, I convinced Morales to leave for his beach house early. He and Lexie are taking off tomorrow at noon with a security detail of my picking. Once they’re gone, you and I will comb the snake pit for that ledger.”
“Tomorrow?” That was too soon. She needed to finalize her replacement to take over helping the girls reach sanctuary across the U.S. border. She also had yet to find a good home for Lexie. “Doesn’t he want his head of security to go with him?”
“He seemed more concerned about you. Apparently, his meeting this afternoon had to do with an important deal going down on Sunday. He wants to make sure you’re healthy and alive to handle the exchange of money. He insisted I stay here and continue my bodyguard duties.”
“The meeting Sunday is to buy another exotic snake for his collection.”
“Whatever.” Nelson shrugged. “It works for us. He leaves early, with no plans to return until Sunday. By then, we’ll have found the ledger and he’ll be under arrest.”
If she complaine
d or begged him once again to buy her more time, it would only confirm his suspicions that she had indeed put the operation in danger because of her emotional involvement. For tonight, she had to go along with the plan. By morning, she’d figure out how to sabotage his efforts and buy herself the necessary time she needed.
“Okay, then.” She headed for the bathroom. “I don’t suppose locking my bedroom door will keep you out of my bed tonight, will it?”
No response except silence. Sophie sighed. She’d have to rig up a new lock system if she was going to keep Houdini away from her.
Nelson had two text messages from Cooper Harris. Once he heard the shower kick on in the bathroom, he pulled out his phone and called his boss.
It was nearly one in the morning, and Cooper answered on the third ring with the voice of a hibernating bear unhappy to have his sleep interrupted. “’Bout time, Cruz.” Nelson heard bed springs groan as Cooper shifted to a sitting position. “Hold on a sec.”
In the background, he heard Cooper shuffling from his bedroom to another room, probably so he wouldn’t wake Celina. “What’s going on with Diaz?” he finally said.
Nelson’s gaze automatically eyed the bathroom door, behind which she was no doubt already naked and under the shower spray. “Agent Diaz is safe. We’ll have things wrapped up by this time tomorrow night if things go according to plan.”
“There’s been a change in orders. The Bureau’s been told to stand down on serving the warrants. Word came today that the CIA is after a European player named Kronos who’s making contact with Morales in the next few days for an exchange. Diamonds for missiles. Heard anything about that?”
Nelson walked to the window, staring out at the dark grounds. Rain had once again started and the palms tree in the courtyard blew back and forth in the wind. “There’s a meeting scheduled for Sunday. Agent Diaz says Morales is buying a new snake for his collection. Nothing’s been said about diamonds or missiles.”
“Hmm.” Cooper didn’t sound happy. “The missiles are a prototype of surface-to-air that can operate 24/7 in all weather conditions and simultaneously destroy up to four aerial targets. Made by a Syrian company with ties to Isis. China and Russia have already placed heavy orders for them. Venezuela and Iran want a few too.”