by Linda Conrad
The next thing she heard was the man's voice that had plagued her nightmares for over a month. Bella put her hand over her mouth to keep from screaming.
"I don't know what you want me to say," the dreaded male voice roared in protest to an unheard command. "What?" A muffled conversation took place at the other end of the line.
"Fine. Whatever." The mumbling out-of-body male voice on the phone changed languages. "Jesus Cristo. Encuentre esa mujer," he muttered in a deliberately flat tone.
Bella gasped and put her hand to her throat. Find that woman! It was the man she'd heard that night, right before she'd slipped out of the truck with the migrants. He'd been the one giving orders to the coyotes.
Cal saw Bella's face pale. And he was out of his seat, kneeling by her side before he could blink. Slipping his arm around her, he threw a wicked glare over his shoulder at Cinco while trying to find the words to comfort his Bella.
"Easy there, darlin'," he murmured in her ear. "It's just a voice on the phone. He can't hurt you. You're safe."
She was trembling and breathing hard. Cal couldn't stand to see her like this. His proud, strong Bella was reduced to a whimpering mass of nerves.
He hated it. Hated seeing her so vulnerable. But at the moment she needed his help. Needed him.
That last thought seemed like an important change. But he ignored it for the moment as he barked out orders to his brother and sister-in-law.
Meredith scurried to bring Bella a glass of water. While Cinco snatched up the phone and growled out a few choice orders of his own.
Cal used his thumb to wipe away the tears that streamed down Bella cheeks. "It's okay," he murmured over and over.
A few minutes later her breathing had evened out and Cal began to relax. The golden color was returning to her face, and her eyes no longer held that frightened-deer look.
"Ray has to ask you a question, sugar," Cinco said quietly. "Can you answer him now?"
Bella scooted to the edge of her chair and nodded.
Cal's heart was so full of her, he thought he'd burst. He placed a firm hand on her shoulder to give her strength.
"I take it you've heard that voice before, Bella," Ray said over the speakerphone. "That was Dr. Domingo. Is he the man you told the FBI about? The one whose face you never saw, but who you overheard issuing orders to the coyotes?"
"Yes," she replied. "That is the same voice I heard."
"Thank God," Ray murmured. "After all this time. It's finally over."
Cal was curious when he heard the very real relief in the family attorney's voice. The old friend of the Gentry family seemed unusually emotional about the FBI making a case against their suspect. He started to ask why it concerned Ray so much. But before he could say anything, Ray's voice came through the speaker once again.
"The FBI has been trying to make a case against Dr. Joe Domingo for years. They knew he led a large ring of alien smugglers, but they didn't have enough evidence."
Ray's voice grew more determined. "Two of the coyotes we captured named him as their boss. In fact, they've implicated his Mexican-national brother in an even bigger operation then just human smuggling.
"Their gang has been into drugs, gunrunning and slavery. Nasty stuff. The Mexican police have arrested the brother. And the Justice Department intends to request extradition to the U.S."
Ray cleared his throat, while Cal tried to take it all in. "Bella, your testimony is the last piece of corroboration they needed to charge Domingo with ordering the murder of those Mexican migrants," the elder man told her. "He'll be facing the death penalty."
Ray's voice grew tentative once more. "Better yet, he and his brother will be off the streets and rendered impotent … at last."
"Ray," Cal interrupted. "We need more information. What else is going on?"
The elder man gave him an easy laugh. "I don't have time to go into it at the moment. But believe me, the Gentry family has reason to celebrate with Bella."
A muffled sound cut off his words for a second. "Right. I have to get off the phone now. But I'll be out tomorrow night with the whole story. Make sure Abby and Gray are there. I'll be around after supper." With that, the phone went dead.
Cal hadn't felt much like celebrating. Oh, he'd been relieved that all of the danger surrounding Bella was gone. But he was troubled by the fact that now it was over and he was well again, it was time for him to leave the ranch.
He'd been planning for this time and reaching for his old life for so long that he knew he should feel ecstatic. But he wasn't. What he still felt was confusion about what Bella wanted. About how to convince her to marry him.
She'd said she would consider coming along with him to be Kaydie's nanny. Well, if that was all he could get at first, he'd take it. But he would never give up on getting her to say yes to marriage. He had to be sure she'd be with him always.
Cinco brought out a bottle of wine to celebrate, but Bella declined the offer and went upstairs to check on Kaydie. Cal figured this was a good time for him to go to Abby and Gray's ranch. He needed to get out of the house for a little while to think.
By tomorrow night he'd have to find the key to Bella's heart. Or he'd be forced to accept her terms and agree to having her be merely the baby's nanny. He was positive that would ultimately be an intolerable situation for everyone.
What did she really want? And more—what was he really lacking? Sighing heavily, he walked out into the cold, dark night.
For the entire next day, Bella was groggy and tired. Something was wrong with her body. She'd never slept this much, cried this much or felt so weak in her entire lifetime.
Tonight she'd helped with the big family supper and then put Kaydie to bed before it was time for Ray to come by with his news. Cal hadn't said more than two words to her since he'd walked in the door with Abby and Gray.
Bella wondered if he'd changed his mind. Things were too confusing. All she knew for sure was that she loved both Kaydie and Cal. But knowing that meant she would also very likely get hurt in the end.
She came down the back stairs just as Lupe let Ray into the kitchen from the outside. It seemed late. The dishes were all put away. The overhead lights had been dimmed, and the night was black and starless against the windows.
Bella held back outside the kitchen doorway as Ray came into the room. Neither Lupe nor Ray spotted her there.
"Well, Lupe, my old friend," Ray said as he tugged at his coat. "It's all over. Are you ready to face the ending? I'm shaking like a leaf, myself."
Lupe narrowed her eyes. "We did what we had to do." She crossed her arms over her chest. "They're good children … loving adults. They will understand."
"I'm most worried about Cal," Ray told her. "He's never made peace with himself. He's always been a hothead. Still…" Ray turned to throw his coat over a chair and saw Bella hesitating in the doorway.
"Oh, hi, Bella." He brightened. "Is everything ready for our family meeting?"
She was curious and guilty about being so nosy, but she managed to keep her questions and feelings inside. "Sí. Everyone is in the great room in front of the fire, waiting for you. Uh … except Kaydie. I put her to bed."
Ray waved a hand in front of his face. "Oh, that's fine. We can get her up when we need to."
What an odd thing to say. Bella's curiosity grew.
Ray walked to her side and slipped her arm through his. "After this is all over, I have something to talk to you about, Bella. I've been thinking about ways for you to stay in this country, and I've talked to several people. I believe I've come up with a terrific idea."
He guided her down the hall to the great room as Lupe followed behind. "Um … you'd better sit beside me, young lady," Ray whispered as they entered the room. "Things might get a little intense."
After Ray pointed Bella to a small sofa, he went to stand in front of the fire. He looked as if he was ready for a speech—and maybe a fight.
Bella braced her hands against her seat and let her gaze wander over the others in th
e room. Cinco sat on the other long sofa with his arm around Meredith. They looked so content with each other that tears filled her eyes.
Abby sat in an overstuffed chair, looking as curious as Bella felt. Her husband stood behind her chair with a protective hand lying lightly on his young wife's shoulder. Gray's face held his usual wary expression. You could tell he'd be ready to kill anyone who tried to hurt Abby.
Cal sat stiff and upright in a straight-backed chair next to the fireplace. He'd thrown a curious glance at Bella as she and Ray entered the room, but he sat quietly, waiting for Ray to begin. Lupe took her place behind him.
"First of all," Ray said. "I'd like for all of you to keep an open mind … and an open heart … until you've heard everything tonight."
He sent a pointed stare Cal's way, and Bella wished she could move closer to the man she loved. She had a feeling he was going to need her strength tonight. But Ray had already begun and it was too late.
"I have a long story to tell you," Ray said slowly.
"Just say what you came to say and get it over with," Cal muttered.
That brought a smile to Ray's lips. "I'm afraid you're going to have to sit through this whole thing, Cal. It's important for you to hear it all."
Ray shifted, then began. "Uh … once upon a time…"
"Oh, brother," Cal groaned.
"There was a happy family," Ray continued as if he hadn't been interrupted. "A mom and dad and three kids all lived on a big Texas ranch. Everything was great until one day the mom and dad flew off on a short vacation to go hunting at their lodge in Mexico."
Bella watched as the whole room sat up in their seats and stared quietly at Ray.
"Their small plane developed engine trouble and they had to land a few miles short, on a neighboring ranch's airstrip in Mexico. To make a very long story a little shorter, the mom and dad discovered there was a gang of international thugs using the neighbor's ranch as a hideout. They saw drugs being readied for transport … bound and gagged young women being pushed into vans … and crates full of rifles and ammunition sitting in a hidden warehouse."
Ray stopped to swallow against an obviously dry throat. The room was hushed. No sounds dared to break the stillness—except for the crackling fire at Ray's back.
"Well," he began again. "They spotted a powerful Mexican official as his limo drove into the compound. They knew who he was. Knew about his connections in the U.S. But unfortunately, he'd spotted them, too."
Bella glanced quickly around the room. Cinco had leaned forward, his eyes narrowed and dark. Abby's eyes were wide and she looked frightened. Cal had slouched down in his hard chair and his eyes were closed as if he was taking a nap.
Bella knew Cal was awake. Knew he was listening carefully. But the man she loved seemed to be trying to protect himself by pretending not to care. It was a revelation.
"Well, the mom and dad made it back to the U.S. and went straightaway to the authorities." Ray kept on with his story. "But within a few days, they began to receive threats and warnings. At first they thought they could protect themselves against the danger, but soon the warnings centered on their children. It was too big a risk for them to take.
"The FBI wanted their testimony but they didn't have enough evidence to make any arrests. They offered to put the family into a protection program and hide them away until they could fully investigate and convince the Mexican government to cooperate on wiping out the gang."
A log broke in the flames and crashed against the grate. Ray stopped for a second and took a breath before continuing.
"One huge problem with the offer of protection for the family centered around the children," he told them. "Five was too large a group to hide together. The authorities wanted the family to split up. Two children with one parent, one with the other. But one of the kids had already gone off to college. His parents couldn't ask him to totally change his life and hide indefinitely.
"And leaving him behind alone was out of the question. If the gang thought he knew where they'd gone, he'd be in the ultimate danger. So the mom and dad agonized for a week over what to do. Finally it was decided that they would go into the protection program by themselves. They would pretend to be killed to throw off the bad guys. Leave all their children at home … ignorant of the dangers … and with the family housekeeper and their best friend to care for them."
Chaos erupted in the room. Abby gasped and jammed her fist against her mouth, while Gray came around the chair to pull her into his arms. Cinco fisted his hands but hung his head, shaking it sadly as Meredith spoke softly in his ear.
Cal jumped up, grabbing the front of Ray's shirt. "Where the hell are they? Are they alive? Tell me!"
"We're alive, son." A tall older man quietly entered the back of the room, but spoke forcefully to be heard over the noise. "And we have been in hell. But we're home at last."
Every head in the room turned to him, gaping in silence.
An elegant-looking, gray-haired woman stepped out from behind the man, tears streaming down her cheeks. "We're so sorry for the lies and the pain, my darlin's. But we thought … thought it was for the best. We were positive the most important thing was keeping you children alive. We never realized how hard … how many years … how much pain…"
"Mommy! Oh, God, Mommy. It's really you."
Abby tore out of Gray's grasp and ran to her mother's waiting arms.
The elder Gentry hesitated a second, then moved toward his sons. Cinco stood, stunned and disbelieving, and waited for his father while Meredith kept hold of his hand. But Cal growled low in his throat, then stormed from the room.
"Cal!" Bella jumped up and started after him.
"Give him a few minutes to himself." Cal's father held up his hand to stop her. "It's a lot to absorb at one time. I'll go to him after a while. As soon as he cools off."
Bella watched the reunions swirling around her, but her heart ached for Cal. After Ray introduced her to Cal's parents, she sneaked upstairs to sit quietly in Kaydie's room.
She knew Cal needed her right now, but she couldn't think of a way to help him. And what's more, she was sure he wouldn't let her into his heart.
More frustrated and confused than ever, Bella lightly put a hand on Kaydie's fuzzy head and let the tears fall.
After thirty-six hours of no sleep, Cal's body had begun to droop. Groggy and tired, he sat alone on the hillside where his parents' empty graves had languished for the past thirteen years. The late-afternoon sun threw lengthening shadows against the mesquite and cottonwood, and cast the headstones into a gray shade.
Incredibly, he wasn't angry. In fact, after the first flash of temper last night, Cal had begun to think clearly for the first time since he'd been a kid.
He turned his head as the sound of a truck making its way up the hillside pierced the silent scene. When the engine died, his father climbed down out of the cab, nodded in Cal's direction and made his way to the bed of the truck.
Cal got to his feet and went to see what he was doing. "What's up … Dad?"
T.A. Gentry jerked his head around and smiled. "I can't tell you how it makes me feel to hear someone call me that again after all these years." He reached into the truckbed and pulled out a pick and shovel. "I'm going to dig up your mother's and my gravestones. Want to help?"
For the first time in days, Cal broke out in a smile. How fitting, he thought. The only thing that might've been better would be digging new graves for Joe Domingo and his brother. But his mother, father and Bella would be doing about the same thing with their testimonies—and that was almost as good.
The two generations of Gentrys set to work destroying the marble monuments. After a moment's struggle with himself, Cal spoke first. "Dad, do you remember the last time we talked before you…?"
"Uh … disappeared," T.A. supplied. "It's been a long time. What'd we talk about?" He took another swing, and the crack of breaking marble filled the autumn air. The remnants of so many hurt lives crumbled to dust.
; "We had an argument," Cal told him. "I wanted to try racing full-time, and you wanted me to get a college education first." He leaned on the shovel. "I was so mad at you. I wished you'd just disappear from my life."
Cal's dad looked up and shook his head. "Son, I'm sorry. The guilt you must have carried all this time. I was so sure what we were doing was right. I didn't stop to think about all the consequences."
T.A. swiped a hand across his eyes. "I remember thinking that your real calling was to be a lawyer. To go into politics. You'd been dreaming about that for such a long time. I guess I didn't realize how much you'd come to love driving too." He cleared his throat and put a hand on Cal's shoulder. "But, son, you have to see that I would've never left you behind if I'd known how much you'd be hurt by it. My heart breaks when I think of what you've been through."
A third gate finally opened in Cal's heart. "I, uh, think I want to stay on the Gentry, Dad. I want to raise my daughter here. I talked to Cinco this morning about moving into Granddad Teddy's little cabin permanently. Bella has helped me see that I still love this ranch. I belong here."
"That's a right smart little gal, that Bella. Pretty too." T.A. grinned. "She reminds me of your mom back when she was letting me think I was chasing her. And she seems to love my granddaughter too. That makes her real intelligent in my book. You say she likes it here on the Gentry? Then where's she rushing off to? I'd have thought you'd want to keep that one roped down."
"Rushing off? Leaving?" Cal choked. He hadn't talked to her since last night, but he'd been soothed by thinking she was safe at the ranch and taking care of Kaydie—waiting for him. The fear and panic smacked him hard in the gut.
"Yep. Cinco helped her down the stairs with a suitcase. And I believe it was Ray she drove away with."
"How long ago?" Cal was already out of breath and hadn't moved yet.
"'Bout twenty minutes, I'd say. Didn't you know she…"
Cal jumped into the Suburban, slammed the door and cranked the engine. "Dad, I can't lose her. I've got to go. We'll talk more later. Leave the rubble of the headstones. I'd just love to be the one to shovel off those old nightmares." He put the truck in gear. "Maybe I can catch Bella before they reach the main gate. I need her, Dad. Wish me luck."