Rogue Diamond

by Engels, Mary Tate

  Nick laughed roughly. "Don't worry, Jose. I won't let this woman get to me. But I'm making no promises that I won't get to her. She could warm a bed nicely."

  "Si, Capitan. You can take care of yourself." He chuckled deep in his huge chest. "Ready to go?"

  "Yep." Nick moved toward the door. "Let's see if there's a baby for sale out there. This might be just what we've been looking for."

  Jose followed Nick. "You think this one might be involved in a baby ring?"

  Nick nodded, his expression turning grim. "Selling Mexican babies is a big business. Let's hit the street and check with some of our contacts. Somebody, somewhere, knows about this kid."

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Nick called Alex the following afternoon. "Meet me in an hour," he said. "Our Lady of Guadalupe. Bring the newspaper clipping, along with your list of suspects."

  "What suspects? They're friends! Why?"

  "I'll explain later. Just be there."

  Alex was on time. Nick Diamond was late. She sat alone in the church, nervously twisting a handkerchief. Maybe he wasn't even coming. Maybe he just wanted to get rid of her today by sending her to the church. Maybe he had no intention of finding Jenni. How did she know if he was trustworthy? She had been foolish to disregard the rumors. Maybe they were true.

  She bent her head and looked at the row of empty wooden pews, then let her eyes travel to the rear of the church. Her gaze moved along the Stations of the Cross, where brightly colored murals decorated the walls. The biblical figures in the ancient pictorial, including the Christ, were portrayed as dark-skinned Mexicans.

  Two robed figures moved silently to prepare the altar for the next mass; an old woman knelt in prayer near the front. A constellation of candles flickered, projecting shadows on the somber murals.

  Although her attitude was one of supplication, and her heart repeatedly cried out one particular prayer, Alex's mind raced in many directions.

  Was she too trusting with this man she hardly knew? Yet she had to trust someone. She had reached a dead-end in her search very quickly and knew she needed help. Both Sam and Padre Ramon knew it too. Did she think that just because Nick Diamond was an American, she could trust him? Or because he had been recommended by a priest? There had been qualifications, even then. What if the things they said about Nick were true?

  He didn't look like someone working outside the law, but that's what she had heard. After only one meeting, she decided he wasn't a man just out for money. What kind of man was he, though, this Nick Diamond? A local hero? Or a criminal in exile? Neither? Both? Someone to fear or revere? Well, now was not the time to doubt her decision to seek his help. He was already involved. Already hired.

  Maybe it was the undeniable physical attraction between them that swayed her opinion of him. Perhaps his devastating smile made her think he would find her darling Jenni.

  Alex's heart wrenched every time she thought of the little girl, alone and frightened now for three days. Nothing would deter her from finding Jenni. She wouldn't stop until the little girl was back where she belonged—in Alex's arms.

  "Alex . . ."

  She jumped at the sound of the low masculine voice and opened her eyes to the tall dark-haired figure of Nick Diamond. He wore a pale blue shirt tucked into tight jeans and looked devastatingly masculine. Maybe she should have prayed for restraint. "I ... I thought you'd changed your mind about coming," she mumbled.

  "I thought you were praying." He looked different without the Mexican sombrero to hide his dark hair and canny eyes. Now, thick sable curls capped his head, and daring golden-flecked eyes assessed her boldly.

  She shivered involuntarily. Even seated next to her in church, he reminded her of a strong animal ready to spring. Alex could only hope he would apply that energy toward finding Jenni. "I was thinking . . . about what to do if you didn't show."

  "Sorry I'm late. Something came up." He wouldn't tell her he had to have time to scout the place out and make sure she was alone. He couldn't trust anyone, especially strange women with beautiful blue eyes. Seductive blue eyes.

  "I have a list of Teresa's friends for you, and another picture of Jenni." She fumbled in her purse. "Here's the newspaper clipping of the accident."

  Nick watched her carefully, his well-trained eyes observing the knotted handkerchief she stuffed in the corner of her purse. He inhaled the faint flower fragrance of her freshly washed hair, and noticed the way her casual blouse and skirt hugged her slender, very feminine body. His hand brushed hers when he took the items she offered, and he wanted to clasp it and pull her closer.

  "Good. This is exactly what I need. Okay. Ready to talk to the priest?"

  "P-priest? What are we doing, confessing before we get started?"

  "No," he chuckled. "Gathering a little information."

  "From Padre Ramon?"

  "Yes, do you know him?"

  Alex held back. "He conducted Teresa's services. But he, uh, can't help on Jenni's disappearance." What would Father Ramon say if she trailed in with the notorious Nick Diamond, especially after he had warned her not to tell anyone about this man?

  "How do you know? Have you talked with him about it?"

  "Why, yes, as a matter of fact, I have. He was no help."

  Nick nudged her with his hand at her back. "He's the only one I know who can answer my questions."

  Against her better judgment, Alex moved along the aisle with Nick. He was nothing if not determined. Strangely, though, his light touch on her back felt reassuring and she found his dark, dominant presence comforting.

  Alex preceded Nick into the priest's office and fumbled with the introductions.

  Padre Ramon glanced into the hall before quickly closing his office door. "Did anyone see you come in?"

  "What's wrong, Father?" Nick laughed. "Don't want to soil your good name by entertaining the likes of me?"

  "I do have a certain reputation to maintain, you know," Padre Ramon countered with a twinkle in his brown eyes. "What can I do for you?"

  Alex had the distinct feeling the two men knew each other well. Maybe she was being conned by one or both of them.

  "We need some information." Nick spread the news photo on the desk. "Can you tell me the names of the people in the background here? They were all witnesses to this accident that claimed Teresa's life. Maybe they saw something that will give us a clue to the child's disappearance."

  Padre Ramon spent the next half hour relaying individual names, relevant data about families and where they lived. Nick was right. The priest was probably the only one in town who could have given so much information about a group of apparent strangers.

  When they left the office, Nick seemed satisfied. "Now I have a place to start. Perhaps these people saw more than you did, Alex. After all, you were personally involved and were definitely distracted."

  "Makes sense," she said, pausing outside the church.

  "Come on. I'll drive you home." He motioned her toward a battered gray Volkswagen van.

  Alex followed him but had other ideas. As she climbed into the passenger's seat, she commented drily, "Father Ramon knows you, doesn't he?"

  Nick hopped easily into the driver's seat and revved the motor to life. "We've met."

  "Knows you well."

  "We've worked together a couple of times."

  "I feel like an absolute fool. You probably know that he sent me to you for help."

  "I'm not surprised."

  "With instructions not to mention who sent me. What is he? Your referral agent? Do the two of you split fees?"

  Nick's eyes cut sharply to her. "It's imperative that you not mention it to anyone, Alex. You haven't, have you?"

  "Well, no, but—"

  "Then, don't! Don't even say that you and I went to see him today. He shouldn't be associated with me."

  "Might sully his reputation?"

  "Something like that."

  "Or break up your racket?"

  His dark eyes flicked with a gleam of wickedness
. "There is no racket, Alex. And we don't split fees."

  "You know something, Nick?" Alex's indigo eyes flashed fire. "I don't even care about that. I don't care what kind of racket you run or if the rumors about you are fact or fable. I only care about one thing. Can you find my child?"

  "No guarantees, Alex. All I can do is try."

  She stared at him steadily for a long moment. It wasn't even a question of trusting him. She had no alternative. "Then that's enough for me."

  "You'll keep quiet?"

  "I won't breathe a word to a soul."

  He nodded curtly. "Let's get you home."

  She reached out and touched his arm. "This may sound presumptuous, but I'd like to go with you, Nick. To interview these people."

  "That isn't necessary, Alex." He turned the next corner and drove directly to her small white stucco house.

  "But I want to go." She frowned when she realized that he'd known exactly where he was going. "How did you know where I live?"

  He grinned and cut the motor. "Jose is very handy to have around. He's persnickety about details, especially regarding the company I keep. And, he and I do split fees. We also share the work load, like this interviewing."

  "In other words, you don't want me interfering in your business."

  "Actually, I'd like to talk to you about this list." He dug into his pocket for the list of names Alex had given him. "Do any of these people live around here?" He motioned to the pleasant tree-lined street.

  "Yes. Most of them do."

  "Nice neighborhood."

  "Too nice for someone who wants to hide a baby," Alex said bitterly.

  "You can never tell someone's innocence merely by looking at them," Nick warned. "Although I agree with you. These people probably had nothing whatsoever to do with Jenni's disappearance. Can we go inside and talk? I'd like to go down the list with you anyway."

  "Sure." She led him into the house with no reservations. Regardless of his sullied reputation or what an association with him might do to hers, Alex's only concern was furthering the search for Jenni.

  Nick followed her, knowing Jose would be pulling at the curly end of his mustache when he saw them disappear into her house. But Nick needed to know more about this woman, and more about this child she sought. At least that's what he told himself.

  Alex motioned toward the tile-floored living room. "Have a seat. I'll have the coffee ready in a minute."

  Nick made no move to sit where she indicated but followed her into the kitchen. "Can I do anything to help?" His glance swept through the small, neat house as they walked down the hall.

  Alex tried to ignore the tall man's domineering presence and went about her task in mock casualness. "No, thanks. I can handle it."

  Nick leaned easily against the door frame. "Nice house."

  "Nice house, nice neighborhood," Alex mocked. "What is this? An analysis? Do you have to report my social status to Jose?"

  He shrugged off her testiness. "It was just an observation. Do you rent?"

  Alex nodded, instantly regretting her sharpness. But this man set her on edge, and she wasn't sure what was going on with him or if she could trust him. Even Father Ramon looked suspicious to her now. She sighed and tried to take a more amiable approach. "The University provided it when I came here to work. It's only a few blocks from school or town, close enough to walk to either. They also helped me find Teresa." She halted and chewed her lip.

  "You have a pretty good set-up here."

  "Had," Alex amended. "Teresa was an excellent housekeeper and a good friend—" Her eyes clouded and she lost count of the number of dips of coffee she had already put in the basket.

  "You said you were present at Jenni's birth," Nick probed. "How did that happen?"

  "Not by choice, believe me." She smiled softly, remembering her near panic at the time. "Teresa was pregnant when I hired her, although no one knew it. When it became apparent, some of my friends advised me to fire her, said it was too much trouble to train a maid then have her leave when she had a baby."

  "Why didn't you let her go?"

  Alex shrugged and turned up the flame beneath the coffee pot. "I don't know. I liked Teresa from the start. She was a good worker. And she wanted to stay on after the baby was born. She even talked about going back to the States with me. You see, she wasn't married and had no family. I became the family she didn't have."

  "And she became yours?" he posed.

  "Yes, I suppose. Working in a foreign country can be a pretty lonely business."

  "You're all alone? No friends or, uh, anything?'

  She smiled directly into his eyes. He was asking, rather awkwardly, about her personal life "No one. I left everyone and everything in the States."

  Nick watched her steadily without raising an eyebrow. "Had you ever lived in Mexico before?"

  She shook her head and chuckled softly. "I was so naive; I didn't dream Teresa'd have the babe right here. In the States one normally goes to the hospital. That's what I assumed she'd do."

  He smiled, understanding. "But she insisted on a midwife."

  Alex nodded affectionately. "Jenni was born right in there." She motioned to the small room in the back of the house that Teresa and Jenni had shared. Abruptly, Alex changed the subject "While the coffee's brewing, let's go down that list."

  Nick read a couple of the names and Alex responded with whatever information she had.

  "Dominga lives here in Hermosillo during the week. She works for an English professor at the University. She goes home to her village or weekends. Maria and her mother live about four blocks away. Her mother is always sick. Cecelia has a little boy and works across the street in the pink house. It's all she can do to feed herself and her son. I feel sure that none of these people have a desire for another child. They're all struggling." She hoped her explanation convinced him that Teresa's friends couldn't possibly have taken Jenni.

  "What about Dominga, who goes away on weekends?" Nick asked stubbornly.

  "She goes home to her village where she has six children of her own!"

  Nick nodded silently.

  The rich aroma of fresh-ground coffee beans filled the room, signaling the coffee's readiness. Alex turned to set out two cups for their coffee. "Cream and sugar?"

  Before Nick could answer, her phone rang.

  "I'm okay, thanks Rosemary. I made it through the night. It seems strange and lonely without them here, but ..." She paused. "Yes, I'll be back at work tomorrow. No, I won't be able to make it tonight, but thanks for the invitation. Maybe tomorrow we can have coffee and talk? Fine. See you then." Alex flipped the phone shut. She had purposely saved this afternoon and evening in case Nick changed his mind and let her tag along to interview the witnesses.

  When she returned to the living room, Nick was not in sight. Where could he be? She moved swiftly, following the shuffling sounds that came from an area where Nick Diamond had no business. Teresa's room!

  She halted in the doorway with a slight gasp. There he stood in the middle of the room, his broad back to her as he examined the place where Teresa and Jenni had lived for the last two years, where Jenni had been born.

  "What are you doing in here?" Alex demanded resentfully. She hadn't been inside the room since the accident. It felt a little strange to walk in, almost a sacrilege.

  Nick turned around, a small brown teddy bear clutched guiltily in his hands. "Just looking. You say Jenni was born in here?"

  With a clumsy lurch, Alex took the teddy bear from him. "You have no business in here! This was . . . is . . ." Her voice trailed away to a croak as she looked down at the frayed, well loved teddy bear in her hands. The brown, lumpy object blurred. "Dear God, I didn't want this to happen. Get out of here! Just get out right now!"

  "Alex . . ." His voice was a gentle urging, but she wanted none of it. "I was only—"

  She turned away, hiding her tears. Damn him, anyway. Just when she thought things were moving forward smoothly, he had pushed her to the edge of emot
ional disaster.

  Nick's large hand reached out to her, a force of strength on her shoulder. "Alex, I need to know as much about them as possible." And you, he almost added. "You'll just have to trust me."

  Alex tried to jerk away from his touch but he remained steadfast. He felt secure and strong, and oh, God, she needed that right now. She fought the tears and tried to gather her depleted emotional reserve.

  All she had left of the little girl she loved was this stuffed teddy bear, along with other childhood toys. And memories. The police had all but dismissed the case. Now she had nowhere else to turn. Nick was right. She had to trust him, whatever his reputation or racket. At this point it didn't matter if he were involved in illegal activities. She was so desperate for his help, she didn’t care.

  "This is all I have left of her, Nick. And she's so little . . ."

  Nick wanted to pull her into his arms and feel her feminine softness around him. "Alex . . ." he whispered.

  She lifted her chin ever so slightly. It was just enough to crumble the wall of restraint he had been struggling with all afternoon. His arms went around her and he pulled her to his chest.

  She relented and slumped against him, letting the tears flow. When she finally raised her head, she looked at him directly. Her eyes were filled with sorry, but her lips invited him with desire.

  Nick had watched those lips the last two days as they railed and pouted, smiled and quivered, until he thought he would die if he didn't taste them just once. But the taste was a seduction, a feast of honeyed sweetness which tempted him beyond reason. His tongue twisted lazily against the sensitive inner edges of her mouth and Alex gasped at the brazen intrusion.

  Her response was one of surprise—surprise that she actually enjoyed the kiss, this intimacy with the man who jolted her senses so incredibly. Although she tried to push him away from her, she could feel her body growing limp against his.

  Her lips allowed his entry and her breasts rose to be crushed against his chest. His hand pressed the small of her back, thrusting her body against his, and she felt his rigid maleness straining between them. Wildly, she wished there were no clothes separating them, just flesh against flesh. She could feel the heat of him and wanted to know the fire.