The Sacrifice

by Peg Brantley

  Mex moved to his right where he gauged a more direct line to Dia. If he needed to move quickly, he wouldn't have to power through one of the adults from this angle. But it was a small space. Things—obstacles—could shift quickly.

  He heard more raps on the door. Good. He could use some friends.

  The man Mex recognized as Chavez, head of the La Familia cartel, moved forward, blocking the door. “Don’t answer it. What the hell kind of coincidence would it be for more people to approach a fucking crypt in the middle of a hurricane?”

  Mex shrugged. “I’m sorry. That’s probably my wife and a friend. They’re kind of freaked because of the storm.”

  Dia spoke up. “And they probably don’t like being in a cemetery with a bunch of dead bodies.”

  Mex smiled at her. “Probably not.”

  One of the young men opened the crypt door. Before Cade or Darius could say anything, Mex went into his role. “Hey, honey. I told you to wait. Ever since we got married you quit listening to me.”

  Cade flashed a look around the room. “Yeah, that’s because you have so little to say.” She slipped deeper into the tiny space.

  Mex moved closer to Dia,

  blocking her deeper into the corner. He turned into the room and, as if

  choreographed, he, Darius and Cade all drew their weapons. With his gun pointed solidly toward Chavez, the cartel leader, Mex reached behind him to the young girl. “We’re going to leave now. You’ve missed your sacrifice, but at least you won’t be sacrificing your own lives. I don’t care whether or not you’ve broken any laws.” He grabbed Dia. “We’re done here.”

  He forced her to his back gripping her with one hand and made his way carefully to the door.

  “Stop! You can’t take me!” Dia struggled away from him.

  He twisted toward her. “Don’t you understand what was about to happen?”

  Cade stepped forward, cupped her hands around Dia’s face, and whispered something in her ear. Mex saw Dia’s face change. She gave a weak nod and meekly allowed Cade to escort her toward the entrance.

  Mex nodded to Darius. “Go.”

  He looked around, knowing that if they really wanted to kill him they could. He was backed into a far corner. “So, we’re done here?”

  A move toward the exit drew an answering move and the head of the La Familia cartel produced a weapon. It looked like a 9mm Glock. In his

  peripheral vision, Mex saw one of the other men and both women each draw a gun.

  This wasn’t going to end well.

  Mex took a rolling dive just as Chavez got a shot off. Cade shoved Dia out the door, then she and Darius both spun around, weapons firing.

  When the dust had settled,

  literally, in the small space, Mex, Cade and Darius were still breathing in various positions of crouching. Dead or bleeding out were four of the five other adults. The young man, the one who had opened the door initially and whom Mex decided wasn’t Luis, shoved his gun aside. “This was wrong from the beginning. She’s only a little girl.”

  Mex kicked the gun farther out of reach. “You made some bad choices.”

  Sad brown eyes met Mex’s hard stare. “Don’t we all?”

  CHAPTER FIFTY-SIX

  After all of the police reports were complete, Cade walked to the doorway that separated the adults from where Dia waited. Vicente Vega stiffened in his chair and opened his mouth but Cade froze him with a glare that said “Fuck you.” He fell back, a hand rubbing his forehead.

  Dia was curled into the corner of a sofa while a uniformed cop sat in a chair tilted against the wall. Cade looked at the girl and pushed her own breaking heart aside. She plopped herself into the opposite corner of the sofa, legs tucked under her.

  “Hi, Dia. I thought I’d introduce myself. My name is Cade.”

  Dia fixed a narrowed stare in Cade’s direction before visibly dismissing her.

  “Do you understand what was happening tonight? What almost happened to you?”

  Dia’s eyes drilled Cade. “You killed my friends.”

  “Why did your friends bind your hands?”

  Silence.

  Cade was ready to go all night, all week if necessary. Dia Vega Arroyo would not become another Delphine LeBlanc.

  * * * It was good to be home. Aspen Falls had never been so perfect—the exact place Mex was supposed to be.

  The awareness of Sedona’s role in the horrific deaths of his family—her family—haunted Mex. Her affair with Vega shocked him. Her desire for wealth at any cost shocked him even more. And then her hatred of him for paying her way all of these years almost broke him.

  Sedona met Vega when she and a girlfriend took a week of from school and went to Monterrey. With Vicente, she felt like a queen—a fairy tale come true. She left her meager life in Agua Prieta behind her. It didn’t matter that Vicente was married. It was understood that a powerful cartel boss would have a mistress.

  Designer clothes, lavish parties… and drugs. She loved them all. Almost a second mother to the Vega children, part of her loved them as her own. Months went by and she thought the fine life would never end.

  It didn’t take long for the drugs to take over. When they did, Vicente Vega wanted nothing more to do with her. She was willing to do anything to get that life back.

  Anything.

  For her next fix, and the promise of a flight back to Monterrey, Sedona agreed to make sure their entire family was in one place at one time. She even called in the false B&E report to take Mex across town. It wasn’t easy to get everyone on the little farm at once, but she’d done it. Afterward, she tried to convince herself she thought the cartel underling who had promised her the drugs and her return to Vicente only intended to frighten her family. To convince Mex to accept a very favorable business proposition.

  Mex felt angry for a long time after learning about the role Sedona had played in the deaths of his family. He didn’t know if they’d ever be able to come back together. Still, she was his family. People make mistakes. Horrible mistakes. He was working hard to forgive her. It would take a while. In the meantime, he would continue to support her.

  Then there was Cade LeBlanc. Damn, that woman was a hotbed of potential. And attitude to avoid at all cost. He hadn’t quite decided what to do about her.

  But they’d scheduled some time for her to leave her beloved Louisiana and share some Colorado wonder.

  He’d asked her later what it was she’d whispered to Dia in the crypt that had such an immediate effect on her. Cade had laughed. “All I told her was that she belonged with the living, not the dead.” He didn’t ask her the details about the four days she spent with Dia before reuniting her with her father— who had left the cemetery in his rental car before anyone knew he was gone— and the hours the three of them had spent together back in Monterrey. Although their future wasn’t up to Mex, he hoped it would be one filled with

  communication and mutual respect. He doubted whether they would ever have much of a relationship, but Cade seemed to think Dia would be able to hold her own. Having the phone number of the woman in her corner would hopefully provide Dia the kind of support she needed.

  Hurricane Claudette was a mean one, but nothing compared to Katrina. By the time they’d made it back to the hotel, it had moved on. Cade called her friend in the sheriff’s department and

  everything was expedited in the only way Louisiana could expedite things.

  Darius was busy working the last few weeks into the grist of his book. True crime or novel, he hadn’t yet decided.

  Darius had also gone to the safe deposit box. He'd offered to retrieve the sealed envelope and bring it to Mex. It didn't take Mex long to make a decision. He told Darius to destroy it. Whatever details or names it held, Mex knew the murders of his family wouldn’t have happened without Sedona’s help. Darius said he’d hang on to it just in case, but wouldn’t open it.

  Mex sat at his booth in Juan’s and felt peaceful for the first time in weeks. A couple in t
he front of the bar began arguing.

  Mex smiled.

  He was home.

  <<<<>>>>

  Characters

  Anderson, Mex : A former lawman in Mexico, Mex is now trying to make a life for himself in Aspen Falls, Colorado in spite of a devastating loss.

  Anderson, Sedona : Mex’s sister. The only survivor of a mass-murder meant to send a message to her brother. She’s financially dependent on him.

  Arroyo, Dia Vicente : The young daughter of Victor Vicente who is searching for a place to belong after the death of her mother.

  Johnson, Darius : Mex’s journalist friend who knows how to find

  information. And who is married to Pamela, a pregnant wife trying to hold her family together.

  LeBlanc, Cade (Arcadia) : The exit counselor in New Orleans who knows how to extract people from cults.

  Vicente, Victor : The head of the Senora Ciento drug cartel. Someone in the cartel ordered the murders of Mex’s family.

  Vicente, Victor Jr. (VV) : The son of the drug cartel leader. He has elected not to retain his mother’s name and takes steps to procure the safety of his sister, Dia.

  Acknowledgements

  I’ve read a lot lately that

  acknowledgments pages in novels is no longer de rigueur. So, to those who agree, skip this page. It’s okay. My feelings won’t be hurt.

  But the truth is, putting a book together that’s worthy of your time takes a village, and acknowledging the people in this village makes me feel good. Please indulge me with a few warm fuzzies.

  Early encouragement came from Marianne Franklin, the Executive Director of the Shaka Franklin

  Foundation. Both as a friend and

  someone who wants to get the message out about depression and suicide, she gave the nod toward my attempts to show that depression can be managed. If there are errors in my depiction, they are mine and not Marianne’s.

  My thanks extend to author Lala Corriere, who not only loves and supports me because she has to as my sister, but also provides great feedback as an early reader. Author Polly Iyer fell into my life with all of the ribbon and glitz a gift can have. She was more than an early reader for me, she was an early editor. I’m in her debt.

  Patty G. Henderson outdid herself with this cover. If you hadn’t noticed, the badge on the cover bears the words, “Agua Prieta” which is the tiny town in Mexico where Mex was in law

  enforcement. It’s all about the details. Not only is Patty a talented and intuitive cover designer, she’s an author as well. She’s also become a friend.

  This book was edited by an enormously talented woman. Much like Polly Iyer, Peggy Hageman fell into my life as a gift when I was flailing and desperately searching. Peggy pushed and pulled and tugged and questioned and expressed her opinion almost to the point of distraction. If this book hangs together, it’s because of Peggy’s

  attention to detail and nuance. If you take issue with anything, it’s probably something I chose to ignore.

  Two good friends provided the copy editing for me. Kel Darnell (with whom I also had a blast brainstorming in the early planning stages) and Kathleen Hickey—who in the past have each demonstrated the beautiful detail

  orientation one needs in a copyeditor— offered their time and talents to the village. I promise, Kel, to never jump the publishing gun again without first getting your input.

  The support from my husband, George, is so steady and perfect I sometimes take it for granted. Thank you for loving me.

  And then there are my readers who keep me sitting on clouds, trying not to giggle. My goal is to never disappoint you. Your faith that I can come up with a few hours of entertainment one more time keeps me going. I know it’s cliché, but it’s true: you are the wind beneath my wings.

  About the Author

  A Colorado native, Peg Brantley is a member of Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers and Sisters In Crime. She and her husband make their home southeast of Denver, sharing it with the occasional pair of mallard ducks and their babies, snapping turtles, peacocks, assorted other birds, foxes and deer named Cedric.

  You can learn more about Peg at http://www.pegbrantley.com or meet up with her on Facebook at

  http://www.facebook.com/pegbrantleyauthorpage

  From Peg: I absolutely adore hearing from readers. You make my day when you take the time to contact me, and I make every effort to respond. When you leave a review on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Goodreads, or some other place readers like to gather, you help a reader decide whether or not to give me a try. I treasure every one of your words.

  Books by Peg Brantley

  Red Tide

  http://www.amazon.com/Red-Tideebook/dp/B007OWQ5F6/

  The Missings

  http://www.amazon.com/THEMISSINGS-ebook/dp/B009R3T2FU/

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Welcome

  Dedication

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE CHAPTER THIRTY

  CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE CHAPTER FORTY

  CHAPTER FORTY-ONE CHAPTER FORTY-TWO CHAPTER FORTY-THREE CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE CHAPTER FORTY-SIX CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT CHAPTER FORTY-NINE CHAPTER FIFTY

  CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE CHAPTER FIFTY-SIX Characters

  Acknowledgements

  About the Author

  Books By Peg Brantley Copyright

  Copyright

  The characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real

  persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

  Copyright ©2013 by Peg Brantley Cover design by Patty G. Henderson at Boulevard Photografica,

  http://www.boulevardphotografica.blogspot.com Edited by Peggy Hageman Formatted by LiberWriter and Patty G. Henderson

  All rights reserved. In accordance with the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, the scanning, uploading, and electronic

  sharing of any part of this book without the express permission of the author

  constitutes unlawful piracy and theft of

  the author’s intellectual property. If you would like to use material from the book

  (other than for review purposes), prior

  written permission must be obtained by contacting the author through her

  website, http://www.pegbrantley.com

  http://www.pegbrantley.com

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