“Where is it? The product?” Hector asked.
“She wouldn’t tell me.”
Hector laughed. “I’ve always been impressed with Blair. Smart. Soft.”
Holt wanted to punch the smugness off his face. Instead, he balled his fist and clenched his back teeth, gun in hand.
“You don’t like me talking about her fondly.” Hector laughed. “You are fascinated by her, too.”
“No. I’m in love with her.”
Hector grunted. “You say Joseph might be hiding here. Alejandro wouldn’t put his son’s life into just anyone’s hands.” Stroking his chin, he leaned on the counter. “That must mean one thing.”
Holt stared him down. Everything inside him told him this was wrong, fraternizing with the enemy. But Blair’s life was at stake. And he’d do whatever he had to in order to save her. “What?”
Hector shook his head and laughed. “Smart. So very smart. La Mujer is here. I thought she’d gone back to Mexico, but—”
“La Mujer?” The woman? “Who is La Mujer?”
“You don’t know, Agent?” Hector tsked him. “Of course you don’t. You’re all pathetic. Running around with guns trying to eradicate all the bad men and their drugs from the earth. Such false hope. You will never be able to rid the world of men like me. Businessmen. We evolve. Find new avenues. Stay steps ahead of you.”
Holt burned to end this man. But he was speaking the truth. For every cartel member they put away, a new one arose. For every pipeline they uncovered, ten more emerged as fast as the authorities could throw the book at them.
But they couldn’t stop trying.
And that...that was hope. Hope for a better future. For a future in general. “What is it I don’t know?”
“The head of the Juarez Cartel isn’t a man. She’s a woman.”
Holt stepped back, stunned. “A woman?”
“She traveled to the States for education many years ago, where I met her. Came back home to Mexico and murdered her half brothers when her father got sick in order to rise to power. She’s even more deadly than Gonzalez. I should know.” He pointed to his cheek. Underneath the day-old growth, a faint scar ran the length of it. “And that was when we were lovers.” He inhaled as if remembering fond but dark memories.
“Why is she here?”
Hector’s eyes hardened. “It’s not your concern right now. Getting Blair back is.”
Hector was withholding information. Holt knew he was lying. Fernando Juarez was dead and his sons had been murdered via coral snakes. “Juarez never had a daughter. Why are you lying?”
Hector wagged a finger at Holt. “I am many things, but I am not a liar. You don’t listen. Fernando had a daughter out of wedlock. Not a Juarez. A Menendez. He gave her the madre’s surname to protect his baby from rival cartels and other enemies. I said she murdered her half brothers.”
Menendez. Why did that name sound familiar? Holt sniffed. “Do you smell that?”
Hector frowned. Followed the scent and opened the oven. “Enchiladas.”
Enchiladas.
Sophia Menendez. The Drummonds’ housekeeper? She’d be around the same age as Hector, or a little younger. It was hard to tell. They both looked very young. But it fit.
No. Way.
“I know where Blair is.”
“And so do I, Agent. So do I. You think I’ve been sitting here talking to you for fun? Because I might like you? Foolish.”
A diversion.
Why?
“Hector, what have you done?”
THIRTEEN
Blair’s arms cramped and burned from struggling and having her hands behind her back. There had to be a way out of here. She’d only been to Doc Drummond’s house a couple of times, but she knew that Mitch Rydell’s home was maybe ten minutes away by four-wheeler.
If she could get ahold of one of those, she might be able to mimic what Holt did the other night. She looked over to see Ronnie’s head hanging to one side. Either he’d passed out or he was asleep. How could anyone sleep knowing death was coming for them?
“Ronnie...Ronnie!”
He lifted his head. “Leave me alone, Blair. Dawn left me anyway. This was all pointless.” His voice rang with defeat.
“Don’t give up yet, Ronnie. We’ve got to get out of here.” He might have had a hand in everything, but he didn’t deserve to be killed. Let the justice system dole out his punishment. “How many people are on the grounds?”
“Two or three stable hands. I’ve seen Sophia out here and her brother, Manny.”
Sophia! If she could get to her, maybe she’d help them. But how often did the housekeeper come to the stables?
“Ronnie, after you won those other storage auctions, what did you do with the drugs?” If she could break the chair, she could slide the ropes off and free her legs. If she could run, she could handle having her hands bound. She rocked the chair back and forth, psyching herself up for the crash against the side of the stall.
“I brought them here.”
“Why not have Keith bring them here from the trucking terminal? Why the storage unit?”
Blowing out a breath, Ronnie shifted. “I’m not sure, but Doc Drummond said that the DEA was watching closely. One agent had even been in town.”
Could that have been the guy in the lake? Jeremy’s friend?
“Keith rented a unit at the storage facility. He’d slip the merchandise to the manager, who would put it in a unit later. Keith would go to his personal storage space and take things out. Put things in. It looked legit. Then I’d come for the auction once a month. Nothing out of the ordinary there. And Keith wasn’t part of that, so we couldn’t be linked.”
All the hands transferring drugs and money would keep law enforcement dazed and spinning their wheels. Sounded exactly like something Hector would do. Grief washed over her anew. Her brother was dead. Gone forever.
How would she tell Gigi and Dad? It was as if drugs dogged her at every turn.
Noises sounded outside the stable.
“Get her out! Move her. Take her to the cabin. We can’t let him get to her. Not without finding where she’s keeping the drugs.”
Not Doc Drummond’s voice. Female.
But she knew it well.
The stable door opened and Riella Drummond stood at the threshold. “Change of plans.” She pulled out a gun as a wicked grin spread across her face. “However, you’ve been nothing but trouble to me, Ronnie. I told you to fix the mistake you made and you made things worse.”
Pop!
Ears ringing, Blair jolted in the chair, gaping at the blood-spattered stable wall. Ronnie slumped over, one trickle of blood running down his brow. Her heart pounded and sweat slicked her back.
“Riella? You’re working for that man who kidnapped me, too? You and Doc?”
Riella’s eyes hardened. “You have it backward. He works for me. They all do. Now shut up!”
A string of pops reverberated like firecrackers on the Fourth of July. The sound of a car speeding came closer.
Riella’s nostrils flared. Alejandro Gonzalez bustled inside, his face etched with worry. “Hector’s here. His men took out the guards at the main house. We have to go. Now. Before he makes it out to the stables.”
Hector!
“You saw him?” A flash of panic raced through Riella’s eyes, and Alejandro’s concern couldn’t be missed. They were afraid of Hector. As they should be.
“No, just four of his men. But I’m not sure how many more they have, and he won’t be far behind.” He glared at Blair and raised his gun, aiming it at her head. “Looks like you get to keep your fingers.”
Riella slapped his arm. “She comes with us. She’s leverage and I want my product. Where is it, Blair?”
Blair�
��s pulse hammered and her throat turned dry. “I—They’re on my pond. The ducks. As decoys.” Maybe she could buy herself some time. Send them on a wild-duck chase.
“Send Javier.”
“Javier is dead,” Doc Drummond said as he rushed toward them, laying a hand on Riella’s shoulder. “We’re holding them off, but we don’t have much time. We’ve got to go. Kill her. Keep her. Your choice.”
“You are supposed to help people, not poison them! How could you?” Blair screamed at Doc. He ignored her.
“Send someone to check out that pond. Now!” Riella ordered.
Doc Drummond nodded and ran.
“I’m getting Joseph out of here,” Alejandro said. “If Hector finds him...”
Riella grabbed Blair’s hair and jerked her head back, putting the gun under her chin. “Don’t lie to me. Are those ducks on that pond?”
“I promise. The ducks are on the pond. Eleven of them. One was sold and someone stole it.” Blair trembled; her teeth chattered while Riella cut the ropes at her feet. “You’ll come with me. Ronnie got me back one kilo and that’s why I killed him quickly. You, on the other hand, if you’re lying...”
The sound of vehicles outside the stall had Riella’s head snapping up. Sophia’s brother, Manny, entered the stables. “Sophia’s dead. He slit her throat. Hector slit her throat!” Pain flashed over his face. “I loved her.” Venom filled his eyes. “And I’m going to kill Hector Salvador.”
“Get a grip. He’ll gut you like a pig before you ever think about making a move. Now go on, Joseph. Get in the car with your father. He’s waiting.”
“That’s all you’re going to say? She’s your cousin and my fiancée!” Joseph howled.
Riella’s eyes turned to slits. “People live and people die, Joseph. Which would you rather be?”
Manny was Joseph? Joseph was Alejandro’s son? And Sophia wasn’t his sister but...his fiancée?
Joseph glared at Riella, then stormed from the barn.
Blair’s mind swirled with confusion.
Nothing made sense anymore. Except Holt. But where was he? Did he even know she was in danger? Please, God, show me mercy. Keep Holt safe.
Shots were fired. Glass shattered. Someone must have hit a car window. Which meant... Hector was here!
Riella grabbed Blair and urged her forward toward the other side of the stables. “Run.”
More gunfire ensued.
Hector was coming for her. Part of her rejoiced and part of her was scared out of her mind. Doubtful her safety was his chief concern. They ran down the length of the stables and stopped at the wall. Riella pointed her gun. “Sit.”
Blair studied the gun. Riella would shoot her in the back if she ran. She did as she was told.
Riella pulled the handle of a rake. The wall opened. A secret door. “Get up. Get in. Now.”
Blair scrambled to her feet and slipped inside the hidden room. Guns and piles of cellophane-wrapped money and drugs lined the walls. In the corner sat a glass tank filled with three snakes. Identical to the one from her bed. Riella opened a black briefcase and dug through it, taking a passport and a set of keys.
The woman motioned for her to sit down in the chair. She tied Blair’s legs to it and grabbed a roll of duct tape, securing it across Blair’s mouth.
Cursing, she marched to the hidden door and put her ear to it.
Someone yelled. Another pop sounded.
Then it was quiet. Eerily quiet. Riella cursed. “I should have ended Hector when I had the chance years ago.” She tapped her finger to her lips. “I won’t make that mistake again.”
Blair listened. All she heard was her heart pummeling her ribs. She couldn’t get a deep breath. The musty smell of hay and horses clogged her senses.
Riella lifted a rug from the floor and opened a small, square wooden door. “Sit tight.” She gave her a sickening smile. “I’ll be back.”
Blair wasn’t sure where the door led or where Riella was going. Would Hector know about this secret room? How did Hector know she was here? Where was Holt? God, please let him be okay. Let Gigi be okay. Blair was going to die if she didn’t break free. She needed one of those weapons.
If she could move her chair. She jerked and jumped until she had it turned toward the table. She worked on moving it backward. Sweat rolled down her face and spine. Her arms ached.
But she couldn’t sit and do nothing. She’d escape. Run to town. Find Beckett.
Find Holt. If they hadn’t gotten to him already.
Hunching from the weight of the chair attached to her body, she made it to the worktable. Groping around, she found her chance at escape. A knife! She worked it into her grasp, and then slowly, with little finesse, she started sawing the rope that secured her hands to the chair. At this rate, she’d never free herself, but she forged ahead.
Her hands trembled. Riella could come back at any time.
Another liar.
Right under her nose. Hidden among the hardworking, decent members of her town. A cold-blooded killer. And Doc Drummond, Sophia, Manny, too. Was anyone who they said they were? The rope thinned and she continued to saw.
She heard the sound of stall doors being kicked. Someone was hunting for her. She only hoped the lesser of the two evils found her, and right now that was Hector. Had to be. Anyone in the Juarez Cartel would know about the secret door.
If she could get the ropes off, she could rip the tape from her mouth and call to him.
Kicking continued outside. Someone was feeling along the wall, moving things. She strained to listen for a voice.
“I expected you sooner.”
Hector! But who was he talking to?
“I got tied up.”
Holt.
No! No. No. No. No. He was working with Hector?
“I take it you haven’t found Blair yet,” Holt said.
“No, but I know there’s hidden rooms around here.”
Blair heard continued knocking and groping against the wall. But she didn’t want to be found. By Hector, Riella or Holt. Her insides crashed. Once again, she’d fallen for a liar. She’d finally given up her trust only to be betrayed again.
Tears stung the back of her eyes as she worked through the rope. It seemed pointless. She could barely move her hands.
“Everyone in the main house is dead,” Holt said.
A murderer, too! That kiss, the way he protected and made her feel safe... How could he be a killer? A cold-blooded killer? How could Blair be so stupid?
“Good.” Another tap. Another kick.
“Hector! Alejandro and Joseph got away,” a new voice she didn’t recognize hollered through the barn. “But Ricco and Tomas have intercepted them.”
Hector roared, “Where are the Drummonds?”
“I’m not sure.”
“Find Blair. She’s behind one of these walls, I assure you. She won’t be harmed until the drugs are found. Unless it gets down to the wire.”
“Where are you going?” Holt demanded.
“I have business to attend to.”
A few beats passed and Blair had no clue what was going on out there.
Hector laughed. “That’s what I thought. See you soon, Holt.”
Holt cursed and a huge boom sounded against the wall. Blair jumped, dropping her only weapon. She heard a scraping noise.
The door opened and Blair stared at Holt. The venom in his eyes turned to cool relief as he rushed to her and knelt. “Did she hurt you? Did anyone hurt you?” Holt touched her cheeks and she jerked away. Confusion dotted his expression.
“I’m going to take the duct tape off. I’ll be gentle, but it’s going to hurt. I’m sorry.”
Sorry. He was sorry?
Holt removed the tape with a wince. Blair’s skin stung, t
he removal leaving burning and rawness in its wake. “How could you?” She didn’t want to cry. Tried not to. But tears came anyway. “You lied to me. You’ve been pretending this whole time.”
Holt’s eyes softened. Then he sighed as he cut her ropes free. “I wanted to tell you the truth, Blair. I did. But I couldn’t. It’s my job.”
Working for a drug lord. “A job? And me? I’m a job?”
He touched her cheek and she slapped it away.
“At first. But when I knew you had nothing to do with Jeremy’s disappearance—”
“What does Jeremy have to do with you working for Hector?”
Holt’s eyes widened, then narrowed. “I don’t work for Hector.” He glanced behind the doors and must have realized she’d heard his conversation with her former brother-in-law. “Blair, honey, I’m the good guy. I’m undercover DEA. I’m looking for Jeremy.”
The puzzle pieces clicked into place as confusion and hurt turned to unbridled rage. “Jeremy’s dead! You killed him!”
* * *
Holt’s hope and heart shattered into a million jagged pieces. Jeremy was dead? Grief. Shock. Helplessness ripped through him. He hadn’t saved Trina. Was too late for Bryan. And now he’d failed Jeremy and Blair. No, Holt was no one’s superhero.
“Ronnie Lawson’s cousin murdered him because of you. How could you get him roped into such a dangerous situation! He’s not a cop. He’s a recovering addict!” Blair struck him across his cheek with such force it whipped his head in the opposite direction. He deserved it and then some.
“And then you used me! You used me!” she sobbed. “You knew my trust issues. You may not sell drugs, but you are...not...the good guy.”
Holt swallowed the fiery knot in his throat and worked his jaw to try to gain some composure. She was right. One moment he believed God might be giving him a second chance, and now it was clear that Holt’s dreams were once again dead in the water.
Concealed Identity Page 17