by Cate Beauman
He muttered a curse as a guard moved, blocking his view. He waited patiently, eager to get more pictures, but Jeremy and the two men came back out not even five minutes later. Austin took more pictures of Jeremy carrying a black duffel bag. Jeremy popped his trunk, shoved the bag in the compartment where he kept his spare tire, then replaced the carpeted panel.
Any lingering doubts about Jeremy vanished. The kid was up to his eyeballs in gang and drug activity. Austin snapped more pictures until Jeremy got in his car and drove away.
Austin sighed as he set Ethan’s surveillance camera on the passenger seat. “What a fucking mess.” He turned the ignition, thought of Hailey. She’d been so happy when Jeremy walked back into her life a few weeks ago. What would it do to her when she found out her brother wasn’t who she thought he was? From the small snatches of conversation he’d overheard, Hailey was nothing but proud of Jeremy. Austin imagined the truth would wound her deeply.
Austin blew out another breath and released the parking brake as his driver’s side window smashed in fragments around him and the cold barrel of a 9 mm was pressed against his temple.
“Sweet ride, man. I want it. Get the fuck out.”
Son of a bitch. “I’ve gotta engage the break.” Austin tried to keep his voice easy as his heart rate accelerated.
“Don’t try anything funny. Real slow or I’ll fucking ax you, punk.”
“Real slow, just like you said.” Austin glanced down at his gun he couldn’t reach, yanked up the break, and placed his hands on the wheel.
“Now get out.”
“I’m getting out.” The banger holding him hostage couldn’t have been any more than seventeen, but that didn’t make him less dangerous. The gleeful power radiating in the kid’s voice made it worse. There was no value of life here. The same scenario could’ve played out over a pair of shoes. This was just a bonus.
“Bet your ass you are. Now, move.”
He put his hands higher in the air as the kid with the green bandana knotted around his head reached in and unlocked the door. Austin unfolded his powerful body from the driver’s seat and stood.
“Man, oh man, you’re a big mother fucker.” The banger licked his lips, radiating with nerves as he aimed at Austin’s face again.
Austin kept his hands half raised as four other men, older, their eyes more brutal, moved in to surround him. Well, shit. As the odds quickly turned against him, he focused on staying steady, on keeping calm. He’d been in worse situations, but this one sucked pretty bad right now.
As long as he allowed them to think they had the upper hand, he would stay in control.
“Move forward.” The kid gestured with his pistol.
Austin took two steps closer to the gun aimed at him.
“What we got here, Little G?” one of the men said as he continued to advance. “This your new ride?”
“Hell yeah.”
Little G took another step toward Austin, cocky now. Austin saw his opportunity.
“We gonna—“
Before Little G finished, Austin grabbed the gun and put the kid in a sleeper hold. He was unconscious before the four gangsters could draw their knives or pistols from their pockets. He held the gun to the kid’s temple. “I’d hate to have to shoot your pal here. Go ahead and back yourselves up.”
“You’re outnumbered, homie.”
“Maybe.” He aimed the pistol between one of the banger’s feet and pulled the trigger. A bullet sparked less than an inch from his foot, landing in the dingy yard behind him. Austin repeated himself three more times, aiming within inches of each man’s sneakers. “Or maybe not.”
Two backed up, two turned and ran away.
“We just want your car, homie.” The kid drew his gun, challenging.
“Yeah, but I want it more.” Austin aimed at the kid’s saggy jeans. “I bet you want to keep your balls, so I’m gonna suggest you drop that and stay back while I get in my car, or I’ll shoot and I won’t miss. I promise.” He wiggled his finger on the trigger to send his point home, and the kid dropped the pistol.
Austin loosened his grip on Little G, sending him crumbling to the ground, still unconscious. He eyed the two remaining gangsters as he walked to his car, got in, and peeled away, ducking as a stray bullet shattered the glass of his back window. “Damn it.”
He took the first turn, then another and another, until he was sure no one followed. Sweat beaded on his forehead, dripped down his back, as his sheen of calm vanished and adrenaline took over. He brushed the dampness away with his forearm, stretched his tensed shoulders as he drove closer to the 110 onramp. He accelerated onto the interstate, swearing profusely as wind surged through the broken windows.
This whole situation was a fucking nightmare. He glanced at the glitter of glass littering his floor, his seats, and clenched his jaw.
Enough was enough. It was time to get to the bottom of this, get a good look at the pictures he’d taken, and find out just what Hailey knew.
Chapter 4
AUSTIN PULLED AROUND THE CIRCLE of Ethan’s large driveway, stopping next to Hailey’s car. The dark green compact had seen better days. The rust spot above the bumper had grown since the last time he’d parked behind the secondhand Ford.
He got out of his own damaged vehicle, swore again at the lack of glass in his driver’s side and rear windows. He circled the car, running his fingers over the body, searching for bullet holes. When he didn’t find any, he relaxed a fraction.
Luckily Sarah’s sedan was parked in the garage. He would have to borrow it until he could get his windows fixed. With one last glance at the mess, Austin grabbed the camera through the gaping hole and let himself into the house with the key he’d been given.
Bear and Reece didn’t greet him, nor did Hailey. They were somewhere among the ramble of rooms in the spacious home. Austin took advantage of going unnoticed, heading straight for Ethan’s office. He shut the door, locked it, and booted up the state of the art computer system. Computer Forensics was Ethan’s game. His equipment was top notch.
Austin sat in the comfy leather chair and uploaded the card of photos he’d captured. He flipped from one shot to the next, stopping on the picture of the intricate red ‘ZU’ inked into both of the men’s arms. He turned his chair toward the second computer, called up information on the S-1 gang until he found a hit on the suspected affiliation between the S-1s and the Zulas—one of the most dangerous players in the Mexican Mafia. As he advanced his search, he discovered image after image of the same red tattoo, confirming that the symbols inked into the men’s arms indeed held importance to the gang and cartel itself.
Austin flipped through the next few pictures, paused, staring at the grainy image of the man in the black suit. He played with the computer functions until he had a crystal clear picture of a surprisingly good-looking guy who couldn’t be much older than he was. Who the hell was he, and what about him warranted bodyguards with assault rifles? Austin pressed a button on the keypad and the computer began a photo identification scan. Within twenty seconds a flashing green box popped up telling him a match was found.
Austin’s heart froze as he scanned INTERPOL’s information, realizing he stared at Donte Rodriguez, the Zulas second highest-ranking man—or rumored to be, anyway. Only one other person ranked higher; he was so elusive, INTERPOL had nothing more than a handful of scattered details about the most powerful figure in the Mexican drug cartel.
Donte Rodriguez was known and feared throughout the drug rings for his brilliance and ruthlessness—speculatively, of course. He was so well guarded, so well connected with corrupt officials, he had little fear of being apprehended. And Jeremy had shaken his hand.
Sitting back, Austin rested against the plush chair, closed his eyes, rubbed his hand over his chin. How the hell had this happened? Even in his wildest im
agination he couldn’t have come up with a bigger worst-case scenario.
Jeremy was hanging around with frontrunners of the Mexican Mafia. How was he supposed to tell Hailey that? Now that the men knew Hailey existed, she would be the bait used to keep him in line.
Hailey’s trip to Cozumel couldn’t come fast enough. They needed to get her away from her brother. Hailey’s need to honor her family was going to cost her her life.
Austin stared at Donte’s unsmiling face for several more minutes before he shut down the computer. There was nothing he could do for Hailey until he knew what she knew. At least she would be safe behind the walls of Ethan’s estate for the next few days.
Austin got up and wandered through the house. He followed the murmurs of music pumping from the speakers in the massive game room. Hailey sat curled in the corner of the couch, reading, with Bear and Reece flanking each side. Their heads shot up and tails wagged when they spotted him.
Hailey did a double take before she set her book on the arm of the couch and stood. “Um, hi.”
Austin tried to ignore the hitch in his pulse as he took in her snug blue jeans and a form-fitting black turtleneck over the subtle curves of her compact body. “Um, hi yourself.” He smiled.
Smiling back, she ran long, graceful fingers through the mane of her ponytail. “I’m not sure if Ethan told you, but he and Sarah decided to leave early.”
He couldn’t stop staring. Whenever she pulled her hair back like that, her big, almond-shaped eyes looked impossibly huge. They were her best feature, hands down, and she had plenty of amazing attributes. The fun and energy in the depths of golden honey captivated him. “Yeah, Ethan called me earlier this afternoon. Kylee better hurry up and have fun. Emma’s going to be here before we know it.”
Hailey grinned fully, beautifully. “I can’t wait.” She sat down on the edge of the cushion.
He took the cushion next to her, breathing in her peach blossom scent. “What are you reading?”
She looked at her book, feathering the pages. “Oh, I want to learn to snorkel while I’m in Mexico. I’ve always wanted to scuba dive, but since that’s way out of my budget, I’ll have to be satisfied with snorkeling.”
“I could teach you.” The offer was out of his mouth before he’d thought it through.
Her gaze whipped up to his. “You could?”
He couldn’t back out now, not when excitement brightened her eyes. “Sure.”
“I imagine you did a lot of diving as a SEAL.”
“I did my fair share.” He all but lived in the water for seven years of his life, pulling off top-secret missions for the Department of Defense.
“How would we do it? I mean practice?”
He glanced out the window toward the heated pool. “I see a perfectly good pool right out there.”
“But I don’t have any equipment.”
“I have some stuff we can use.”
“This is really great, Austin. I can’t wait to get started.”
“How about tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow sounds good.” She pressed her lips together, fiddled with her book again.
It was time to get down to business. “I saw your brother this morning. He looks pretty banged up.”
The light dimmed from her eyes. “Someone beat the crap out of him—mugged him for his tips.”
“That’s what he said. What did the police say?”
She frowned. “What do you mean?”
“Did the police come by and get his statement?” He felt like a dick for asking questions he already had answers to. “He’ll want to call and do a follow-up on his report. Hundreds of people are mugged everyday in L.A. If he doesn’t stay on top of his case, he’ll get lost in the shuffle.”
“I don’t know. The cops never came by while I was there. I’ll give him a call later and find out. He was planning to work the lunch shift today, even with his injuries. I threatened to talk to his boss myself, but he insisted I back off. Sometimes it’s hard being the big sister.” She flashed him another smile.
She didn’t know the half of it. “Where does Jeremy work again?”
“Yoshoris.”
“Nice place.” He nodded his approval. “Trendy. Have you ever been there?”
“No. The menu’s a little on the pricey side.”
“Yeah, I guess it is, but I thought…” he trailed off frowning. “No.” He shook his head, hating himself for playing this game.
“What?”
He shook his head again. “Hmm. I just thought Yoshoris was a dinner spot. I didn’t think they served lunch.”
She shrugged in an “I don’t know what to tell you” manner. “They must. Jeremy works the lunch shift all the time.”
“Hmm.”
She firmed her lips, stood. “Another ‘hmm.’”
“Well, yeah. I’m pretty sure they’re all about dinner.”
“Austin, it kinda sounds like you’re questioning me. Like you don’t believe me— or more like you don’t believe my brother.”
He’d hit a nerve. “I didn’t say that.”
“Your ‘hmm’ did.” She paced away, heating up. “Why do I feel like my brother’s always under attack? Why do I constantly have to defend him?”
Austin got to his feet. “Hailey—“
“I know my brother’s had some trouble in the past,” she interrupted. “I know that you’re all aware of it and are keeping an eye on me, but you don’t need to. It isn’t necessary. He’s changed—Jeremy’s changed,” she said again, as she rounded back his way. “He’s made his mistakes and is working hard to fix them. He doesn’t have to keep paying for them.”
“Okay,” he said, hands up, letting her know he was backing off.
“You don’t get to judge him. You don’t know what his life has been like, what it’s like to grow up a victim of the system—being tossed here and there at the whim of someone’s generosity…or lack thereof. So you go ahead and keep your ‘hmm.’” She started toward the door.
He snagged her elbow. “Whoa, killer. Take it easy.”
“Don’t.” She freed her arm, crossed them, stood hipshot, her eyes shooting daggers at him. “Jeremy hasn’t been able to catch a break. I’ll do everything I can to make sure he gets one now.”
From the little he knew of Hailey’s childhood, she hadn’t been able to catch a break either, but she wasn’t selling crack for the Mexican Mafia. She’d made something of herself. He seethed to tell her this, but bit his tongue instead.
This whole situation was going to be even messier than he thought. It was going to take time to crack through her knee-jerk habit to stick up for her brother. Her love and loyalty ran deep here. He wouldn’t get anywhere or convince her of anything with her hackles up. “I’m sorry if you thought I was judging Jeremy. I have no idea what it’s like to grow up in foster care. It can’t be easy.”
Her gaze left his. Hailey stared at the floor as she gave him a jerking shrug. “Yeah, well, it’s over for both of us.” Her voice became gentler. “Let’s forget it. I have some stuff to do, so I’ll see you later.” She turned to leave again.
“Hailey, wait.”
She kept walking.
“Please.”
She stopped.
“I really am sorry.” Not for raising questions about Jeremy, but that she loved someone who clearly didn’t deserve it. He walked to her, hesitating before he ran his hand over her soft ponytail.
She turned to face him. “You’re forgiven.” Sighing, she closed her eyes. “I’m sorry, too. I know everyone’s trying to help.”
Although she said everything was okay, her rigid stance told him otherwise. He glanced at the pool, and inspiration struck. “Are you up for your first lesson now?”
“Now? It’s c
old and almost dark.”
“I’m pretty sure the pool has a light, and I’m positive the water’s heated. It’ll only suck when we get out.” He scanned the vintage arcade games placed throughout the room before he looked at Hailey again. “Or I can kick your butt at Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, or skee-ball like I always do.”
The guard she’d put up vanished as she smiled slowly. “Do you have a swim suit?”
“I’ll borrow some trunks from the pool house.”
“I’ll meet you in ten minutes.”
As she left, Austin rubbed his jaw. Yup, this was definitely going to be a goddamn mess.
Hailey wandered to the pool in her gray sweats. The lights were on in the twelve-foot depths, casting a blue tint to her skin. Austin had turned on the outdoor speakers, filling the brick and potted palm space with the same jumpy beat playing in the game room. She sat on one of the lounge chairs, waiting for him to emerge from the small changing area in the pool house.
She was finally going to learn to scuba dive. A childhood dream was about to come true. She’d always been drawn to the water, fascinated by what lived in its boundless depths. And how lucky was she that Austin offered to teach her? He would be endlessly patient, and it never hurt that he was fabulous to look at—a bonus for her.
Hailey sighed smugly, perfectly content with the world around her. She stared into the distance, watching the lights of the city wink while she listened to the waves crash against the cliffs below. Life didn’t get any better than this. Ethan and Sarah’s house was a testament to beauty with a fair share of luxury. When Sarah and Kylee moved in several months before, Sarah and Wren did a lot of redecorating, adding more feminine touches, but Ethan’s spaces had remained the same—masculine and full of toys.
She loved the game room, with its pool and foosball tables, arcaded games, and home theater that rivaled any of the megaplexes downtown. When Sarah asked her if she would mind watching the dogs a couple weeks before, Hailey had jumped at the chance. Staying here was like living in a miniature resort—not that she didn’t stay here most of the time anyway.