Dangerous Choice KO PL

by Barbara Freethy

  "But eventually you figured out Michael was in with the cartel," Tara said, wanting to bring Bethany's attention back to what had brought them all to this point.

  "Yes, it changed when I went to Cascada. I was there for a couple of days before the party and everyone was really nice. They were very curious about my relationship with Michael and why he hadn't brought me there himself. But they didn't ask too many questions. Vanessa and I went hiking and horseback riding; it was fun. I think in retrospect, Michael wanted to keep me away from the compound, because he knew I'd figure out what kind of business they were all in."

  "What happened at the party?" Diego asked.

  "It started out great. I met a lot of fun people. There was tequila being poured every time I turned around, and I was just having fun. But later in the night, I overheard some of the guys talking. They were wasted, and they were trashing Michael. I was shocked, and I stopped to listen."

  "What did you hear?"

  "They were bragging about a plan to take Michael out."

  "Kill him?" Tara asked.

  "I wasn't completely sure. But they were saying that Michael didn't deserve to be Caleb's favorite, that he wasn't even blood, that he shouldn't be getting all the money and the opportunity. They were the real Salazars. They should be in charge." She paused. "I moved a little closer, and I saw Pablo waving a flash drive in his hand. He said it was going to take Michael down, that once Caleb saw all the evidence they'd created, he'd realize that Michael was stealing from him, betraying the family, working with their competitors, and Caleb would destroy him for that." Bethany blew out a breath. "My heart was pounding so fast, I thought they might hear it. I crept away, trying to figure out what I should do. I knew I had to save Michael."

  "What did you do?" she breathed.

  "I started flirting with Pablo. He had the drive in his pocket. He was so drunk and stupid. I kept plying him with tequila and eventually he passed out. I stole the drive, and I replaced it with one I had in my purse. You know, Tara, the ones we give out on the tours for people to store their photos. It looked pretty similar. I figured Pablo might not notice the difference for a while, and then I left town."

  Tara shook her head at her friend's deception. "Were you out of your mind?"

  "Crazy in love," Bethany answered. "I realized once I left Cascada that I needed to get out of Colombia fast. Father Manuel got me a ride to Medellin. Then I took a private plane to Cartagena and I got Rosa to hook me up with her cousin Reggie who flew me to Panama City. I thought I had covered my tracks. But when I got to the airport, Pablo was waiting for me."

  "Why didn't you run? You had to know you were in trouble when you saw him," Tara asked. "But you got into his van."

  "I had to. He had a gun. And I was hoping he wouldn't kill me until I handed over the drive, which I had stashed at the airport."

  "I was just going to ask," Diego muttered. "Where in the airport?"

  "In a locker. I put the key in my shoe. Pablo tried to search me when we got to his apartment, but I hit him over the head, and I ran. Unfortunately, I didn't get too far. I ended up getting hit by a car. I woke up here three days after the accident. The nurses called me Laura. I decided to go with it."

  Tara shook her head, amazed and bemused by everything Bethany had done. "You did all this for Michael?"

  Bethany met her gaze. "I'm in love with him. He's not like anyone else. I know I've said I was in love before, Tara, but this is different. This is real. I know he's not perfect."

  "Not even close," she muttered.

  "But he didn't have a lot of choices growing up. He lost everyone he loved, just like I did. We both know what it feels like to be alone."

  "I understand."

  "I have a question," Diego interrupted. "Why didn't you call Michael and tell him what was going on? Why didn't you ask him to help you?"

  "I didn't think he would believe me. He always told me the Salazars were the only family he had, that they had raised him and supported him, and they knew what loyalty was all about. He would never have believed what Pablo and some of the others were trying to do to him. I felt like I had to show him proof."

  "He told us you blew him off."

  "I was supposed to meet him last Monday. I had texted him from the airport, but then, of course, I didn't show up. I've been going crazy here, wondering if they were able to put their plan into motion without the drive, but I didn't feel strong enough to call Michael."

  "Or maybe you weren't certain he'd believe you and take your side," Diego said.

  "That, too," she admitted. "I also didn't know what Pablo might have told him. I thought I needed to wait until I could leave here, get the drive, and meet Michael alone."

  It all made sense in a crazy, impulsive, Bethany kind of way. She was a loyal person to those she loved, but she definitely made questionable choices.

  "Where's the key now?" Diego asked.

  "It's in the bag of personal items in the cupboard," Bethany said. "I finally got out of bed yesterday and I saw it. I put it in the toe of my sock."

  Diego went over to the cupboard and brought the bag containing Bethany's clothes back to the bed. He pulled out a sock and slipped his hand inside, then removed a key. "Well, you weren't lying about this."

  "I'm not lying about anything," Bethany said with annoyance. "And since you're both here, I need your help to get the drive and see Michael."

  "I'll get the drive out of the locker," Diego said. "It will be less conspicuous for me to do it. Why don't you wait here with Bethany, Tara? There's a guard outside. You two can catch up. Then I'll come back, and we'll figure out our next move."

  "No," Bethany said. "I have to be the one to get the drive. I don't know you. I don't trust you."

  "I know him, and I trust him," Tara said. "Now you have to trust me." While she didn't particularly want Diego to go on his own, she thought it would be safer than for all three of them to trek to the airport. Pablo might even suspect that Bethany had stashed the key at the airport and have someone watching for her to return.

  "Well, I guess I don't have a choice," Bethany said.

  "Did you actually see what was on the drive?" Diego asked.

  "No, I didn't have a computer with me. But I heard what they said was on it."

  "Well, let's find out for sure." Diego gave her a questioning look. "Are you okay with this, Tara?"

  "Yes. We'll be fine here."

  "It shouldn't take too long. The airport is only about ten minutes away. Where are the lockers, Bethany?"

  "They are outside of United baggage claim, near the bus terminal. The number is on the key."

  "Got it. Keep your phone on, Tara. If I can't find it, I'll call you."

  "Okay."

  As Diego left, she pulled up a chair next to Bethany's bed and sat down. "That's quite a story you told. Did you leave anything out because Diego was listening?"

  Bethany gave her a guilty look. "You know me too well. I did look at the drive."

  "And?"

  "They made it look like Michael was skimming money off the top, and there were photos of him and Alan Pedroza. His drug cartel operates out of Cartagena. I'm sure Michael was not working with him. There were also inventory lists. I think the Salazars might be shipping drugs in the wine bottles that go through Michael's bar."

  Tara blew out a breath at that piece of intel. "Well, that's damning for your boyfriend."

  "He became an orphan when he was twelve. He had no choice but to live with the Salazars. They made him do bad things."

  "He's a man now, Bethany. He can make his own choices."

  "But they would kill him if he ever went against them. That's another reason why I took the drive. I was thinking that if I showed him what was on the drive, he'd agree to get out of the business. We could run away together. The world is a big place. We could live anywhere. We could change our names. We could make it. I don't want to lose him, Tara."

  "Oh, Bethany," she said with a sigh. "Couldn't you pick a be
tter man?"

  "You can't pick who you love. And Michael is a good man at heart. I know I have a track record of falling for bad people, but Michael treats me so well. He's the only one who's ever filled the hole in my heart. I just…" Her voice drifted off.

  "What were you going to say?" Tara asked.

  "I just don't know if he'll hate me for bringing him the truth. I think that's why I've been stalling. I'm afraid he'll blame me as much as them for ruining his life, for destroying the love he has for his family." She paused. "You said you saw him earlier. What did he say about me?"

  "Not much. He didn't want to talk to us. But he did break Pablo's nose trying to find out what happened to you."

  Bethany's eyes lit up. "Really?"

  "He also made us get out of the apartment, and Diego thought it was because someone else might be coming back, and he didn't want us there. Michael wants to figure out what's going on himself and take care of it."

  "Rico lives with Pablo. I think he's far more dangerous than Pablo."

  "I guess it's good we left when we did."

  Bethany stared at her. "What's Diego going to do with the drive, Tara?"

  "I don't know. We'll figure that out when he gets back."

  "Will he want to help save Michael from the Salazars?"

  "I'm sure he will. He still thinks of him as his little brother, Mateo. But Michael tried to give him the brush-off earlier, so I'm not sure if Michael would take his help."

  "He's very independent and strong-willed."

  "Like his brother," she muttered.

  "And then there's the fact that Diego is an FBI agent. Can he really walk away from Michael without trying to arrest him?"

  She saw the worry in Bethany's eyes. "I want to reassure you, but I honestly don't know."

  "Would he put his brother in jail?"

  "Earlier today, Michael pulled a gun on Diego, and there was a moment there when I wondered if Michael would shoot his brother."

  "But he didn't." Bethany paused, her eyes bright with new ideas. "If Michael and I disappeared, started over, and weren't part of any criminal activities, maybe Diego could let him go, look the other way."

  "I'm sure Diego would like to find a way out of this," she said carefully. "But he's also a man with integrity, and he's a patriot. He was a soldier before he was an FBI agent. He has spent his entire adult life fighting for other people, working hard to take down criminals, to protect the innocent. I don’t know what he'll do, but I do know he'll be incredibly conflicted. Because he still loves Michael."

  "Maybe that love will win out."

  "Maybe."

  Bethany gave her a thoughtful look. "Let's talk about you for a minute."

  "What about me?"

  "You like Diego. He's not just helping you as an agent or a friend—you have feelings for him. Did you sleep with him, Tara?"

  "That's kind of personal," she protested.

  "Which I'll take as a yes," Bethany said with a surprised smile. "And you only met him a few days ago?"

  "I know it's fast. The circumstances have been rather extreme. We had to steal a plane and then we crashed it in the jungle."

  "And then had sex?"

  "Stop. I am not talking about that with you."

  "Why not? We always used to talk about boys and sex."

  "We're not teenagers anymore."

  "I know. I'm really touched you went to Colombia to look for me, Tara. I had no idea you would do that. Do your parents know?"

  "I didn't want to worry them. They think I went to Mexico for an extended spring break."

  "What about your job?"

  "I took a leave of absence."

  Bethany shook her head in bemusement. "You did all that for me?"

  "You're like my sister, Bethany. You know that."

  "But still…"

  "There is no but. I love you."

  "I love you, too, Tara. So, do you think this thing with Diego will go the distance?"

  "Probably not. He travels all over the world for his job. He's based out of DC. I don't see how it could work."

  "You're talking about geography. You can't let that stop you."

  "It's not the time to think about any of that."

  Bethany winced as she shifted position.

  "Are you in pain?" Tara asked.

  "My ribs hurt, but I can tolerate it. My head is a lot better now." Bethany swung her legs off the side of the bed. "Before Diego gets back, help me into my clothes."

  "I don't know if you should leave the hospital. You were in a coma."

  "That was days ago. The doctors have been talking about discharging me soon anyway. I don't want to stay here any longer. I'd rather be with you and Diego. It will be safer."

  Seeing the determined look on Bethany's face, she knew arguing would be a waste of breath. Fortunately, Bethany wasn't hooked up to any IVs so all she had to do was help her out of bed.

  It actually took a good ten minutes to get Bethany into underwear, jeans, a bra, and a camisole top. While Bethany's jeans showed spots of blood, her sweater was completely stained, so Tara tossed it aside and took off her own jacket and handed it to Bethany. "Wear this. I'll be fine."

  As Bethany put on the jacket, Diego entered the room, his brow arching in surprise when he saw them both on their feet.

  "Did you get the drive?" she asked.

  "I got it," he said. "What's going on here?"

  "We're leaving," Tara told him. "Bethany will feel safer back at the apartment. I know you went to a lot of trouble to set up the guard, but she doesn't want to spend another night here. Now that we've found her, she's afraid someone else will, too."

  "All right. We can leave."

  Relief ran through Bethany's eyes. "Thank you."

  "Don't thank me until we get you out of here," Diego replied. "I'm going to talk to the guard. He can walk with us out to the parking structure. By the way, I haven't looked at the drive yet. I hope you're not lying about what's on there and using us to get you out of here."

  "I wouldn't put Tara in danger," Bethany said.

  "Everything you've done has put her in danger," Diego returned.

  "Well, I'm not lying about the drive."

  "I believe her," Tara put in.

  Diego gave her a measured look. "I hope you're right."

  "He doesn't trust me," Bethany said, as Diego stepped out of the room.

  "He doesn't know you the way I do."

  Bethany gave her a somewhat sad look. "Oh, Tara, I'm not sure you know me as well as you think you do."

  Nineteen

  Bethany's foreboding words rang through Tara's head as they made their way down the stairs and into the parking garage. She hoped Bethany had told her the whole truth behind the flash drive, but Bethany did have a way of telling a story that put her in the best light.

  At least Diego had found the drive. That was a good start. She was very curious to see what was on it.

  The guard escorted them to the car, then waited nearby as Diego started the engine and pulled out of the lot.

  Bethany was in the backseat, and as they drove away from the hospital, Tara glanced over her shoulder, seeing shadows in her friend's gaze. "Are you doing all right?"

  "I feel so weak," Bethany said. "I didn't realize."

  She frowned at the pallor of Bethany's skin, hoping they hadn't made a terrible mistake taking her out of the hospital. She looked at Diego. "Are we doing the right thing?"

  "We'll make it right. If she needs medical care, we'll get her some."

  "I'll be fine," Bethany piped up. "I'm just tired. It will be nice to sleep in a real bed. Where are we going anyway?"

  "We're staying at an apartment not far from here," she told her, as Diego drove through the dark and somewhat empty city streets. It was after eight and the commute traffic was gone. She should have been glad that there weren't many cars on the road, but it also made her nervous. Every shadow seemed like a possible threat and when a car raced by them, she almost ducked, thinkin
g someone was coming up next to them to take a shot.

  "Easy," Diego told her, giving her a smile.

  "I'll feel better when we're inside the apartment."

  "Almost there."

  "Are you sure no one followed you to the airport or back to the hospital? Or is following us now?" she asked, turning to look over her shoulder.

  "I've been keeping a close eye on the traffic. I think we're in the clear."

  Ten minutes later, they pulled into the garage under the apartment building. After the gate swung closed, Diego parked, and then got out of the vehicle first, his weapon drawn in case they ran into trouble. There were no other cars in the garage and nothing to hide behind, so she helped Bethany out of the car, and they took the elevator up to the apartment.

  Once inside, Diego locked the doors, while Bethany flopped onto the couch.

  "You need to get into bed," she told her.

  "I want to see what's on the drive first. You have a computer, right?"

  "We do." Diego grabbed the laptop off the table that Wyatt had left there the night before. He brought it over to the coffee table and plugged in the flash drive.

  All three of them huddled on the couch together. She sat in the middle, with Bethany on one side and Diego on the other.

  The first thing that came up was a list of files.

  "We've got something," Diego muttered. He clicked on a folder labeled Photos.

  The first picture showed Michael standing by a bar. Facing him was a dark-haired man with a moustache.

  "That's Alan Pedroza," Bethany said.

  "How do you know that?" Tara asked.

  "I met him once at a party Allende Tours threw in Colombia. Alan and Tony are friends."

  "Are you saying there's a connection between Allende Tours and the Pedroza organization?" Tara asked in astonishment.

  "I didn't know at the time that Alan was anything more than a banker in Medellin. But since then I've learned a lot," Bethany said. "But that photo is a fake. I was with Michael at that bar, and we were not talking to Pedroza. We were talking to Pablo."