by Karen Anders
“Well, his troubles are over. Don’t fight me and your death will be painless and quick. Weapon?”
“I lost it when you chased us out of the hotel.”
“I don’t believe you.”
“Search me, then.”
He smirked. “Take off your clothes.”
She reached for the buttons of her shirt just as a shot rang out from behind the cartel member. He whirled, bringing his gun up, but it was too late. Derrick had already gotten the drop on the pilot and he was dead, slumped in the seat. Emma went for hers and Derrick fired just as she pulled the trigger. The guy dropped to the ground.
Then she was up and running, rushing over to his clothes stuffed with brush. The ploy had worked perfectly. Derrick had concealed himself beneath their blanket, disguised it with rubbed-on mud, while Emma had placed brush around it. He’d looked like a rock mixed into the desert landscape. Then she’d assumed her “I’m unconscious” position on the ground. She gathered the clothes up with a relieved breath and shook them out. Then she turned and raced for the chopper. Derrick had already pulled the pilot out of the seat and was ready to take off.
She climbed into the passenger’s seat and the chopper lifted into the air. “So you can fly, too?”
“Yeah, and in a pinch, I can make a mean lasagna.”
“I might hold you to that.”
They flew for about twenty minutes until Derrick spied a dilapidated gas station below them with access to the highway beyond. He landed and when they got out, the owner, clutching his old, beat-up hat, came up to them. In Spanish, Derrick offered him the helicopter for a vehicle.
He gave them a toothy grin and led them over to a pickup truck. After shaking on the deal, they exchanged keys and Emma and Derrick were soon tooling down the road. As the truck let out a belch of noxious black smoke and backfired, Derrick shifted and said, “I think, even with the cartel connection, he got the better part of the deal.”
Emma laughed.
They drove back to the hotel and Derrick parked the truck behind some vegetation off the side of the road. They walked back on foot and when they reached the manager’s office, Emma had to hold back her bile. There was dried blood splattered against the back wall with no one in sight.
They must have killed him for giving them shelter and information. “Poor old guy,” she murmured. Derrick didn’t even pause. Under the cover of darkness, he made his way to where they had parked their first vehicle. It was gone.
“Looks like we’re going to the next city in the pickup. Nothing here to salvage.”
“I would love to get my cell phone. It was in my bag.”
“Let’s check inside.”
They entered the hotel room and Emma was glad to see her bag was there, the contents ransacked, but her phone was in amongst the debris. She snatched it up and they hightailed it back to the truck.
Derrick called the office and, from the one-sided conversation, she could tell he was touched by his boss’s concern. When he hung up, he turned to her and said, “She wants us to head to Hermosillo, a much larger city located almost two hours from Santa Ana, where we can blend in and lie low. Our original plan to catch up to the kidnapper took a direct hit, as he now has a much larger lead. We need to recover and restock. She’ll be in touch with instructions.”
“I bet everyone was relieved to hear from you.”
“They were glad we were both alive and well. They feared the worst when we didn’t check in.”
“I bet.” She was aware of every move he made and ever since she’d met him, she couldn’t shake it. He was so masculine, the heavy growth of facial hair only adding to that rugged quality he exuded without even trying. “That was a great idea. Risky, but it paid off.”
“Yeah, it was lucky we grabbed my bag instead of yours. I think he would have just put a bullet into me. But with your beauty, that guy didn’t have a chance.”
She turned to look at him. His profile was tense, but she was sure he was quite aware of what he had said about her being beautiful. This could so easily get out of control with this man.
“Derrick?”
He looked at her and she said, “I was right about you.”
“Oh yeah? That I’m a crazy son of a bitch?” he said roughly.
“Well, that and...you’re one of the heroic ones.”
He slipped his hand over hers where it rested on her thigh, squeezing. She tightened her hold on him. He said nothing, just held her gaze for the longest moment. Then he brought her hand to his mouth, all the while holding her gaze. He closed his eyes and placed a soft, quick kiss on her knuckles. Wrapping his hand around hers, he looked up into her eyes, his an almost impossible indigo blue through a thick fringe of dark lashes. Experiencing a flurry of emotions, a thickness in her chest, he gave them both a minute then eased his hold, but didn’t let go.
Knowing she had to maintain a balancing act, Emma managed a smile.
“Considering it’s late and we’re both completely exhausted, I say we get some food and sleep in the truck. Safer.”
Pleasantly full and hydrated for the first time in two days, Emma watched as Derrick dropped off immediately. Her knuckles still tingled from his mouth and she thought immediately about that disrupted kiss, wondering where it would have gone if they hadn’t been interrupted. That thought sent a flood of tingles sizzling through her.
There was something building between them, but even more still left unsaid. And if she couldn’t get her mind around what exactly this was, then it was going to spell disaster for both of them. A fling wasn’t out of the realm of possibility, but would be so damn stupid on her part. To get involved with a man she was working with, who was her ticket to this venture in the first place, seemed even dumber. If things went south or didn’t...she couldn’t even contemplate that. Best to keep her mind on what they were here to accomplish.
She closed her eyes, absorbing his closeness. She thought his appeal would diminish once they were safe, but it was clear that her attraction to Derrick was much more grounded than hero worship. Much more connected than hormones. When she was this close to him, all she could feel was safe, and that only seemed as dangerous as hell.
NCIS Headquarters
Camp Pendleton, California
“It’s late, Austin and Amber. Go on home,” Kai said from her desk.
Austin’s relief after Derrick’s call was subsiding as he looked over at Amber. She nodded and they rose together. Derrick might be a pain in his ass, might be hard as nails and twice as wily, but the thought of losing him made Austin’s throat contract. He’d been with Derrick on most of their cases and dammit, they’d bonded. As much as Derrick would allow them to bond, that is. He was one tough son of a bitch.
Austin turned back, then he and Amber said in unison, “We could back up Derrick down in Mexico.”
Austin smiled and Amber laughed.
“It’s not like we aren’t all thinking this,” Kai said. “We can serve him better here, giving him backup. He can handle himself. He’s already proven that by being resourceful. Go home, get some sleep.”
Amber grabbed her bag and Austin jingled his car keys. They headed for the elevator. “Thanks for offering. Both of you,” Kai said as she turned off her desk lamp.
Austin and Amber entered the elevator. They rode down to the lobby in silence. Amber said as they exited the elevator, “He is smart as hell.”
“He is,” Austin agreed. “Brilliant and slick.” He squeezed her shoulder. “He’ll be fine. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Amber smiled and waved as she walked away.
As Austin got into his car, his cell phone rang. When he looked at the display, he activated the call. “Derrick. You all right?”
Derrick’s soft puff of air on a laugh eased Austin’s nerves. “Yeah, worrywort. I’m fine.”
“And t
he PI?”
Derrick’s voice softened. “She does have a name. Emma’s asleep.”
Oh, that was new. They hadn’t been the best of friends when they’d left to go on this mission. Now, it was Emma. Interesting, that inflection of affection in his voice. Derrick was usually more guarded than that, so did that mean he wasn’t aware of it? Hard to believe, the man was so self-possessed. “Why aren’t you?”
“I was, but I woke up. It’s occurred to me that we are probably compromised. The Ortegas probably know we’re coming. I don’t know what that means for the kid. It’s got my gut tied up in knots just thinking about it. What’s going on there?”
“Kai is talking with the Mexican government. They aren’t very happy about what happened to you. Los Equis is considered the most dangerous of the cartels in the area. They would like to see Gilberto Ortega, his son and the rest of that drug outfit eradicated.”
There was the sound of crunching as if Derrick was walking on gravel. “Yeah, and why haven’t they accomplished that?”
“Corruption.” Austin started his car. “So watch your back and don’t trust anyone.”
“I never do.”
“Derrick—”
“Except you guys. You know that, right? I know you’ve got my back.”
That eased some tension in Austin’s gut. “You going soft, Derrick?”
“No, I’m going to kick your ass when I get home.”
Austin chuckled. “You can try. Hey, be careful, huh? Amber and I don’t want to have to break in a new guy.”
“Yeah? All right. I’ll talk to you later.”
Somewhere near Caliche, Mexico
Gilberto Ortega took one last drag off the Cuban Montecristo cigar. It had a marvelous fragrance, fruity, the smoke curling above his head. He sat on his balcony overlooking the beautiful valley. His domain. He’d fought and bled for his business. Suffered untold loss.
He crushed the stub of the cigar into the ashtray sitting on the small table, his heart heavy. It always was when he thought of his beautiful and fiery Maria. She’d been gone for three years, but his love for her had never diminished and his revenge had been both brutal and bloody. Not even when he’d met Arturo’s beautiful Americana, who looked more like a tiny, blonde fairy.
And now Matthew St. John, Mateo, had been born, and that little fairy had proven to have a spine of steel when it came to her son. But Gilberto wasn’t about to let her keep him. He had plans for the boy, plans for Arturo, as well.
A car rushed down through the compound gates, the sound of the powerful engine purring like a cat in the night. It came to a squealing halt in front of the hacienda. Drunken laughter filtered up to him on the balcony and disgust twisted his gut.
Arturo.
The sound of a female’s laughter mixed in with the deeper sounds of his son’s amusement traveled from the driveway into the house, where it reverberated in the downstairs hall. Then up the stairs. Gilberto didn’t move. This was a nightly occurrence: different female giggles each time. The laughter and murmurs were cut off as a door opened, then closed.
Yes, he had plans for Mateo and Arturo.
He rose and stood at the banister. He wasn’t about to let some American cops disrupt those carefully laid plans. No matter. Santa Muerte would answer his prayers in both blood and design.
He was certain of it.
Chapter 8
Just outside Santa Ana, Mexico
After waking, getting some chilaquiles—eggs, pulled chicken, and salsa over quartered corn tortillas—and using a gas station’s questionable facilities, they drove in companionable silence. It was amazing to him how luminous Emma was first thing in the morning. They both still looked a bit worse for wear with their dirty and ripped clothes. Derrick had switched out his bloody shirt for the still dirty, but blood-free one that they’d used to lure the chopper in. He itched a bit and his arm still hurt, but both had lessened quite a bit. He was thankful for Emma’s quick thinking in grabbing their bag of supplies. It could have ended a lot differently without the water and much needed first-aid supplies.
When they got to the outskirts of Hermosillo, the capital city of the state of Sonora, Derrick drove to the nearest junkyard and sold the truck for scrap. On his way out of the facility, he dropped the plates into a metal shredder.
“You think that’s enough to make sure they don’t follow us? I’m starting to get a twinge of remorse for duping that gas station owner. What if the cartel takes out their frustration on him like they did with that poor hotel owner?”
Derrick snorted. “He looked like he knew the score. He’ll probably sell both the helicopter and information back to the cartel. Who do you think tattled on us?”
She sighed, tidying her hair and without a mirror, pulled that mass of red hair into a ponytail. “You’re probably right.”
It was hard to believe she looked so good after two days in the same clothes and after being chased through the desert by murderous thugs. A closer inspection would reveal the wrinkled cargo pants, the smudged shirt, the tiny lines of fatigue feathering the corners of her eyes and tugging at the edges of her mouth. But all he could see was how pink and inviting those lips were and the rosy glow flushing her cheeks. “I know you want to think the best of people. But it’s easier to think the worst. At least, that’s kept me alive.”
It was a cynical way to look at the world, but Derrick really hadn’t had a different view. “I’m not naive, Derrick. I just like to think there are good people in this world.”
“There may be, but there are also plenty of baddies.”
She gave him a look that said she couldn’t argue with that. “Let’s grab a cab. Find a nice hotel. Rest and recharge a little.”
She lifted one eyebrow but said nothing as she took his hand, making Derrick smile. “I wasn’t implying anything...physical,” he said.
The corner of her mouth curved. “It has been more than physical enough for me. Thank you very much.” But her rebuttal came out in a breathless rush of air.
It’s never been...whatever this is, he wanted to say. Not this overwhelming attraction. He’d fallen for Afsana, but it had been in a more subdued, understated way. Emma made him feel...reckless. But when she looked down and dusted at the tails of her shirt, as if suddenly thinking about that, as well, he opted to leave it alone.
“A hot shower, a hot meal—”
“Oh, yes. Please,” she said instantly, her blue eyes sparking to life.
“Let’s go, then.” He took her hand, and they went around to the front of the building, grabbing the next cab. “I’ll check in with Kai and from there, we’ll figure out our next move. I’m sure she’s had time to confer with the government agents assigned to us.”
“I do realize that we’ve probably tipped them off that we’re searching for Matty. But they don’t really know that for sure. There were two murders in La Mesa, after all.”
“All that is true, Emma. Doesn’t mean we’re going to stop just because we have targets on our backs.” He got them both settled in the backseat. “The nearest hotel, please,” he instructed the driver. “A good one,” he amended.
The driver smiled as he glanced back at them.
“Plenty of stars?”
“Sí,” Emma piped in.
He nodded and pulled into traffic.
“What time does the mall open?” she asked the cabbie. When he told her ten o’clock, she said, “Change of plans,” as she glanced at her watch. “Take us there.”
Derrick groaned and the cabbie laughed.
She nudged him with her elbow. “I want clean clothes to go along with that shower. We don’t have a stitch left. I had some expensive clothes in my luggage. Not to mention my sister gave me that suitcase for Christmas.”
He did, too, but it was the cost of finding her
nephew.
He dropped them in front of the Galerias, a typical mall. “We should split up. It will be faster. You get what you need, and I’ll do the same. We can meet back at this information kiosk,” Emma said.
He hesitated. The idea of them separating didn’t appeal to him. And he had to admit to himself it had more to do with personal reasons than anything to do with her safety. He doubted the cartel had trailed them here. But that did nothing to diminish his need to keep her close.
“Derrick?”
Emma wasn’t exactly fragile or helpless. Which was a great part of why he was drawn to her. But that didn’t make him feel any less conflicted. He wasn’t used to feeling so proprietary or giving so much thought to a woman of late.
Partnerships could be tricky at times; he knew that from working with Austin and Amber, discovering their boundaries and limits, as well as developing trust and faith, especially for a former spook who didn’t really trust a soul. But with Emma there was the added emotional element, which was as huge as it was confusing. It was the part that wasn’t rational or reasonable, more like a primal directive to protect and defend. He snorted at himself. Had he just gone back in time millions of years? Neanderthal.
“Sure,” he responded. “Good idea.” He stared after her as she disappeared among the racks of clothing, thinking about that, which led him to think about what would likely happen if they were in the same hotel room. Realizing he was wasting time, he headed for the closest upscale men’s store and started shopping.
Two hours later all the new clothes, underthings and toiletries were stashed in their newly purchased luggage—a suitcase for Emma and an easy to carry bag for Derrick. The cab eased into a circular drive in front of a modern-looking hotel. It stopped at the entrance, and several bellmen immediately moved in their direction. “I can’t decide whether I want food or a shower first. Maybe I’ll just eat in the shower,” she said as she took the bellman’s hand and slid out of the vehicle.
He smiled at Emma as his door was opened. He could see the fatigue etched on her face quite clearly now, and knew he didn’t look much better. He put his hand on her lower back as the bellman held the lobby door for them. Once inside they headed for the registration desk, the clerk looking askance at their dirty and sweaty appearance.