Desire & Deception

by Sahara Roberts

  Kris laid on the horn. The irritated guy jerked around. Kris flashed the side of his gun so the other man could see its profile and put his finger on the trigger. Clearly, there would be no mistaking what he held. “I need to get in!” he yelled as he pointed the business end.

  The driver went pale, clutched the wheel, and slammed on the break.

  The mirror beside Kris shattered. The powerful engine roared as he sped across the street, barely missing the turning cars. He cut the rig off to continue along the boulevard. The van stayed at his heels, but rode too low to effectively rear-end them. He changed lanes and sped up. Some cars backed off, avoiding the drama.

  Oscar’s cast was clearly visible over the steering wheel as he came around the passenger’s side. Kris swerved toward him, aiming at the Bondo-covered, left fender. Oscar hit the brake. Kris went to the far lane, turning down a narrow street. In his mirror, he saw Oscar miss the turn and back up, causing a cacophony of blaring horns as he headed after them. Because of the parked cars, he would be forced to stay behind them, but he’d catch up.

  Another bullet bounced off the glass.

  “You okay back there?”

  “Yes.” Her muffled voice came from beneath the seat. “I’m fine. You?”

  “Doing great. Gotta get rid of this fool, fast. We’re close to the airport.” He slammed to a full stop. “Hang on,” he called as Oscar did the unexpected, stopping like any good driver. He must’ve realized he’d incapacitate the rust bucket if he rammed them.

  Damn. Kris did a quick scan. Tessa and Heather smiled back at him from posters taped on the light post. With a scowl, he quietly wished Heather in hell.

  Tires spun wildly as he pulled onto the next boulevard. He picked up speed as he cut through traffic. Behind them, the older van was slower to catch up thanks to an SUV. In his sideview mirror, Kris saw Oscar reach out the window and take aim at them, craning his neck as though trying to find Tessa in the taller vehicle.

  Kris swerved, causing the chase vehicle to veer sideways and hit a beat-up delivery truck. Undaunted, Oscar straightened the van and plowed forward, shooting at the truck’s door and window. When that had no effect, he trained his weapon at the tires and fired.

  “Brace yourself!” Kris yelled to Tessa. While his tires had run-flat inserts, he wasn’t sure how the truck would maneuver at high speed if Oscar managed to blow one. In the other vehicle, Oscar shook his weapon, his mouth contorted in rage. Either it was empty, or the firing mechanism had jammed. Kris thanked unnamed saints for the reprieve. He quickly ran through their available options, but found none favorable. If he dropped Tessa off anywhere in order to deal with Oscar, and Oscar got past him somehow, she’d be at the sociopath’s mercy. His mind raced as they neared the next intersection.

  In the van, Oscar switched hands and reached across the dashboard. His bandaged face disappeared as he fumbled with something. His cast is stuck. Kris laughed out loud, revving the engine and racing ahead while Oscar struggled to stay at his heels. At the last moment, he slammed on the brake and made a sharp left. The truck swung around, pulling the seat belt against his neck so he couldn’t breathe.

  On the floor behind him, Tessa screamed as she was tossed about.

  Grimly, Kris held onto the steering wheel as the truck’s tires screeched angrily then regained traction, and they were propelled forward again. He sucked in air, clearing his throat as he checked the rearview mirror.

  Behind them, a heavy horn blared as another driver made the turn, going too fast. The overburdened rig slammed into Oscar’s van, flipping it on its side. The dented metal skidded backwards along the street with a violent shriek. The rig, unable to stop, smeared the van onto a concrete barrier, flattening the roof and front end. Oscar wouldn’t be walking away from the wreckage.

  Kris didn’t slow down. “He’s gone, Tessa. You’re safe.” For now. He glanced at her reflection in the rearview as Tessa peeked over the seatback. “We’re heading into the airport. Grab the first flight out, no matter the destination. Get out fast then make your way to the U.S.”

  “Kris, come with me.”

  Dread slid down his throat, pooling in his gut. Within a few hours, the strike teams would swarm the airport hangar while other teams hit strategic targets he’d identified along the border and into the U.S.—numerous cartels would be crippled by the loss. Only then would his assignment be close to an end.

  “Kris, please! Don’t stay here.”

  They pulled up to the terminal. His hold tightened on the wheel. She was tearing him up inside with her plea. “You have to go, Tessa.” Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a bundle of bills and handed them to her.

  “Kris, I’ll tell them what you did.” His heart constricted while she choked on the words. She climbed over the seat, on the verge of tears, and tried to wrap her arms around his neck. “You can get asylum!” Giving in to his weakness, he brought her close, memorizing how she felt in his arms. He’d spent years cutting himself off from anything remotely personal. The beautiful woman fate had delivered into his life, had pulled at every heartstring he’d thought dead. She’d made him care and believe a person could love another to the point of sacrifice.

  Pain tore at his heart for the first time in over a decade. He never thought he’d be ready to drop everything and walk away. Or that there’d be a woman behind his decision. He’d hoped for a sliver of trust, but she’d surprised him again, offering him a life outside of the hell she’d survived.

  “You’re a good person, Kris.” Her hold tightened around him. “You’re a g-good person.”

  He pulled away, holding her face while his lips touched hers. “You can’t tell anyone about me or I’m as good as dead. You understand?”

  She nodded, fat tears rolling along her nose.

  He shoved the bills into her hand. “Once you’re home, you’ll be questioned. Authorities, news, friends…” How could he prepare her for the onslaught she’d face? “When they ask, say your friend paid the ransom and you were released. Make sure she knows that, ok?”

  “Please…” Screeching tires caught their attention. Dread constricted his stomach.

  He put the truck in park. “Go! Just keep your head down.” He flipped open the box she’d handed him and retrieved a second gun as the car sped up the drive. Stepping out of the truck, he took aim, heedless of danger. “Run inside! Go now!” he barked without looking her way.

  Quickly, she opened the side door, jumped down, and ran to the nearest terminal entrance. Once inside, Kris saw her peer out a window as the midsize car careened into the parking area. Its rear tires skidded before stopping across two spaces. Monica jumped out, struggling with her purse.

  Tessa ran out, waving both hands at her.

  Kris ducked into the vehicle before Monica saw him or he changed his mind about leaving with Tessa.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  Twenty minutes later, Kris pulled up to the rest area, a sense of foreboding anchored in his chest. He was taking a huge risk by showing up, but his instincts said to keep to the plan, even if it killed him—literally. Felipe wouldn’t tell anyone what happened. Not until after gloating in front of their boss.

  He stopped parallel to Cruz’s truck, weapon at the ready. He’d barely arrived in time for the briefing they’d scheduled. “Morning.” He tossed over a big bag of Japanese peanuts to keep Cruz’s hands busy and in sight.

  “Hey!” Grinning, Cruz caught the bag and tore the top with his front teeth. The plastic landed on his uniform, the dark blue of Mexico’s Federales. He tossed a handful into his mouth. “Did you catch the news?”

  “Yeah.” Kris leaned back against the headrest, keeping a cautious eye on Cruz from behind dark sunglasses. “What’s the latest?”

  “We were briefed on the kidnapping at the station. I went straight to Oscar’s house. His wife said he got an early call and left.” He shook his head, grimacing. “I checked a couple of his haunts, but I haven’t tracked him down yet.” He tossed back another
handful of peanuts.

  Kris nodded with a curled lip. So far so good. The pressure in his chest dissipated.

  “The girl?”

  He studied Cruz’s eyes but didn’t get a flicker of danger. “I set her up to be released today as planned. Didn’t hear about the video until after.”

  “Until after, huh?” Cruz asked with skepticism.

  Kris grinned. “I’ve been more interested in a different kind of entertainment lately, my friend.”

  Cruz’s gruff laugh sent bits flying out of his mouth. “I suppose so.”

  He squared his shoulders, giving Cruz a pointed stare. “If I’d known about the video, I would have made other arrangements, but it doesn’t matter now. This will work to our benefit.” He pretended to mull things over. “Focus on the meeting, because nothing can go wrong. Today will make us or break us.” He leaned in, pulling off his sunglasses to pin Cruz with a deadly stare. “If my ass is on the line, so is yours.”

  Cruz sat up, giving Kris his full attention.

  “When we arrive for the meeting, I have someone calling the number on the flyer Jaime brought in. That’ll keep everyone’s attention on the other side of town.”

  “What if she talks?”

  Kris scoffed. “The condition she’ll be found in won’t allow for conversation. By the time she’s able to communicate, everyone will be home.”

  Cruz raised an eyebrow. “You’re a cold-hearted bastard.”

  Grimly, Kris ignored the comment and slipped his glasses on. He’d be as cold-hearted as possible to keep Tessa safe. “What are you doing about Oscar?”

  “Every legal agency in Mexico is looking for him. I’ll be notified if he’s brought in.” He stared at his snack. “I’ll make sure this doesn’t go any further than necessary.”

  Kris scowled. “What a goddamn mess.”

  “The kid was too green.” Cruz exhaled sharply through his nose. “I shouldn’t have listened to Felipe.”

  “No. He wasn’t ready.”

  “I know you can’t see past him being a fuckup, but shit happens in a heartbeat.” Cruz frowned, lost in thought. “My first time…” His breath wheezed out. “I was riding shotgun. We lost a target that was on foot, found him again, and chased him into the Mercado Juarez. I got the son of a bitch, but mowed down half a dozen people in the process.”

  Kris could barely breathe as the anchor dug into his chest. His vision blurred for a second as he went back in time. He was a kid, sitting on the sidewalk in front of the shoe vendor trying on new cleats to replace the ones he’d forgotten. Screaming, running, bodies falling, his father’s arms around him…his mother’s blood.

  “Carlos flipped the car a few blocks away. He didn’t survive. I ran off, bleeding like a stuck pig.”

  Kris’s hand tightened on his weapon. Years of practice made his muscles ready. At this distance, he didn’t need to wait for his heartbeat to slow. One quick move, fourteen inches up, straighten his arm, and squeeze the trigger. Who was he kidding? All fifteen rounds of his .9mm would find the mark before he could put to rest the nightmares he’d lived with for half his life.

  “I made my bones,” Cruz continued, oblivious. “But almost lost my damn arm in the process.” He held up his forearm. “I couldn’t even blame the mess on being too young to know any better. Wasn’t more than fifteen years ago.”

  Anger, pain, and resentment raged inside him. He’d spent years with the man who’d changed the course of his life within reach. If he’d learned this a week ago, he might have allowed his emotions free reign. Not the time or the place. Patience. Breathe. Breathe. Kris concentrated on dragging in oxygen and keeping his wrath from overcoming his good sense. He punched down all the hatred and pain, knowing he had a job to finish.

  “Just goes to show you, shit can happen to anyone.” Cruz exhaled, fiddling with the bag of peanuts. “I guess I feel for the guy.”

  Kris clenched his molars. Cruz was talking about Oscar. Think about Oscar.

  Cruz faced him, lips thinned. “I’ll clean this mess up, Boss. No excuses.”

  Kris’s temple throbbed. Over the past couple of days, he’d learned about sacrificing what you thought was most important for the greater good. That didn’t make it easier to walk away. He had to get out of here before he fucked up everything even worse.

  “You on the way to pick up the governor?”

  “Yeah.” He nodded, stiff. “Don’t be late. I want you beside me when things start.”

  Cruz sat up straight, sobering. “I’ll be by as soon as I’m out of uniform.”

  …

  Felipe pulled up to the circular drive in front of the former governor’s mansion. He was five minutes early, his vehicle freshly washed and detailed at Jaime’s insistence. He smirked. The kid was probably trying to get into his good graces now that Kris had gotten the hell out. Having a personal errand boy was sounding damn good right now.

  Manuel approached the SUV, frowning. He gave a questioning nod.

  Felipe made a face. He wasn’t going to explain himself to this simpleton. “Last minute change due to this morning’s news.”

  Manuel nodded, tossing the toothpick he was chewing on. He scanned the backseat before he gave the ‘all clear’ to the doorman.

  The former governor stepped out, a picture of style in his designer suit and sunglasses. He held a cell phone to his ear, listening intently.

  Manuel escorted him over, seating him in the back before getting in beside Felipe.

  They were on the main road before Manuel’s curiosity won out. “The guy on TV was your buddy, Oscar, huh?”

  “Yeah.” He grimaced.

  “I can’t believe he got his ass kicked by a chick. What a damn loser!”

  Bile churned in Felipe’s stomach. The self-important nit-wit hadn’t realized he was the other guy in the video. Sheer luck kept him in the shadows, camouflaging his identity. One wrong step and he’d have started out the day with a bullet to the head. The best thing he could do was push Oscar into the limelight. The sap was as good as dead anyway. He just didn’t know it yet.

  “I know, man. Stupid son of a bitch didn’t know what he was doing. You had to see the guy to realize how bad she beat the crap out of him.” He’d never liked Manuel, but he wasn’t going to alienate someone who had the Boss’s ear. No way he’d jeopardize a chance at moving up in the organization now that Kris was gone.

  “I’d be too humiliated to show my face again.” Manuel laughed out loud, snorting. Felipe manufactured a smile.

  An impatient, manicured hand tapped the seat, reminding them the politico was on the phone.

  Manuel stifled his laughter.

  They drove in silence. Felipe checked the rearview mirror while the boss was still nodding and adding an occasional word of understanding to his conversation. What had Kris called him? Boss, Governor, Eliseo? Nah, the arrogant son of a bitch wouldn’t call him boss. Eliseo would do.

  They were coming up on the airport and Eliseo hadn’t asked about Kris yet. Felipe tapped his nails on the steering wheel. How could he bring up the subject? He couldn’t very well interrupt the phone call, not after Manuel had been shushed. But then Manuel was only a bodyguard, not the next man in charge of the operation.

  “I’ll be sure to set up a reminder to drop by the university on Monday, sweetheart.” He paused. “Daddy loves you, too.” The call ended—finally. “What happened to Kris?” Eliseo sat back, a hint of arrogance in his tone. “He was supposed to pick me up for this meeting.”

  A satisfied smile spread along Felipe’s lips. He’d been waiting a long time to push the Boss’s prince off his damn pedestal, face-first.

  “Kris left us this morning.” The sweet taste of victory gave him a high unlike anything he’d ever experienced.

  Eliseo sat forward, yanking off his sunglasses. Arrogance turned to mild disbelief. “How is that possible?” he asked Manuel.

  “A woman,” Felipe supplied.

  The former governor studied him with n
arrow-eyed disbelief. “Kris doesn’t tie himself down.”

  “Boss is right,” Manuel jumped in. “Hell, he blew off the Sotero twins. Any guy who’d turn them down isn’t playing with a full deck.” His breath hissed out. “Did you see the centerfold they did last year? Mm-mm.”

  “The girl on the news got to him. He kept her locked away from the moment she was brought to the safe house.”

  “I can’t believe he’d leave after all the work he put in to bring this meeting together.” The other man shook his head, adamant. “No. We just talked about how this would change his life, the things he’d have to look forward to.”

  Felipe’s eyes jumped to the traffic around them. “He…he ran off with her and some cash when the clip came on TV.”

  “And you let him walk out with the boss’s money?” Manuel cursed, slamming the flat of his hand on the dashboard. “Why didn’t you kill the bastard?”

  Felipe dared a glance in the rearview mirror, trying to feel out the boss’s mood. Fuck it. Come what may, he’d make sure he was the only guy the former governor would be able to rely on. “I sent him out with a little gift.” Keeping one hand on the wheel, he pulled a phone from the front pocket of his slacks. “We can take care of that problem in just a second.”

  He hit each digit, savoring the long-awaited revenge. He switched to speaker then put the phone down on the armrest as he took the exit to the airport.

  The muted ring of a cell phone sounded behind him.

  Felipe’s eyes bugged out. Time moved in slow motion as his mask of horror filled the corner of the rearview mirror. The Boss reached toward the floorboard. Manuel craned his neck over the backrest, his usual stupid grin plastered to his face.

  Felipe’s back arched, trying to pull away from the seat. “How the fu—” Jaime.

  The phone finished its first trill, detonating the explosive he’d added at the bottom of Kris’s bag. The vehicle disintegrated around them in a thunderous explosion.