Alejandro (3 page)

Audrey’s lower lip trembled, and her teeth chattered as if cold.
You’re fine, alive… don’t go into shock.
“Anything?”

“Nothing. The street is quiet.” He sheathed the weapon in his back holster. His gaze narrowed on her, and in two strides, he had her arms in a tight grip. Audrey winced at the force. “Does anyone know you’re here?”

“What?”

“Who knew you were coming?” he whispered harshly.

“I… no one!” She fought against his hold until he released her. She rubbed her forearms. “Well, I told my friend, Genie, but she’s a police officer. And she’s not connected to the cartel,” she spat.

“Look, grab your stuff. We need to get out of here. It isn’t safe.”

Audrey didn’t move from her spot. Shreds of paper accented the broken glass scattered across the living room rug. Puncture holes patterned the once smooth couches. The shade of the lamp lay upturned on the carpet. “I don’t understand. Who was shooting at us?”

“I’ll explain that later. Get moving.” He gave her a little shove and then squatted and shifted through a few of the files on the floor.

“I don’t get it.” Her heavy feet dragged her to the spot where her purse sat. “If Penny is already dead, then why would someone come here? Why would they be shooting at us?” She knelt and grunted. The impact of Marshal Santiago’s tackle would leave a few bruises on her legs and hips.

He didn’t answer. Slinging her purse over her shoulder, she peered through the darkness until she spotted the file labeled “Angel.” She picked it up and stuffed it into her bag. A large hand circled her arm, and she was dragged back toward the kitchen. Seeing the picture of her sister and her son on the windowsill, she protested, yanking herself from his grip to snatch the frame and stuff it in her bag.

When they reached the back door, Santiago stopped. He faced her, so close she saw the green of his eyes even in the dark. They stared at her for immeasurable moments. “Are you going to be a problem for me?”

She barely heard his whisper. Opening her mouth, but not understanding exactly what he meant, she didn’t respond. He shook his head, his smirk forming deep dimples — the Santiago dimples. Audrey’s breath caught in her throat. He took her arm again, opened the door, and pulled her into the night.

Chapter Two

“WERE you blown?”

Ale looked into the worried eyes of his boss, Special Agent in Charge Cord Phillips. “No.”

He leaned over on his desk, his eyes searching for the truth. “Are you sure?”

Ale licked his dry lips. He wasn’t, but his boss didn’t need another heart attack, especially after what happened to Lana. “Not a chance.” He hadn’t been followed to her house, but he couldn’t be sure of anything anymore. Phillips stared back evenly, unwilling to let him off so easily. Thinking of Lana, Ale averted his gaze.

Phillips sighed heavily, but didn’t press the issue. “So this Audrey Hughes… she’s Lana’s sister?”

Ale’s line of sight went through the clear glass walls of his boss’s office to the open investigative area where agents sat at desks, working on their respective fugitive cases. Audrey stood chatting with another marshal, Melody Lewis. “According to her, Lana’s real name is Penny.”

“Penny? What?”

Ale stared at Audrey, ignoring the voice of his boss.

The tension between them on the drive to the headquarters manifested itself in their silence. He needed to ask her about Lana — what she’d told Audrey, why Audrey had decided to come to Texas at this time — but he couldn’t open his mouth. The lips of a woman he’d met only moments before — their warmth and the silky feel of them beneath his own mouth — had paralyzed the breath in his lungs. His throat had been too dry to even speak, let alone question the woman.

“Alejandro!”

“Huh?” Tearing his gaze away from a more alluring muse, Ale reluctantly eyed his boss.

“I know Ms. Hughes is better looking than me, but I’d appreciate a little attention when I’m speaking to you.”

Ale shifted uncomfortably in his chair under Phillips’s irritated glare. “Sorry, sir. What were you saying?”

“What does the woman have to say for herself?”

“I, um…” Ale rubbed his goatee. “I haven’t had a chance to question her.” Phillips flicked his teeth with his tongue before his lips twisted into a scowl. Ale rushed to explain. “Ms. Hughes hadn’t spoken to her sister in a while. It’s possible she doesn’t know anything about Miguel Trujillo or how her sister was involved with him. I brought her here for questioning, of course.”

“Of course,” came a sarcastic reply.

Ale sighed. He might have kissed her, but that wasn’t proof of some partiality he had toward the woman. “Look, for all we know, Lana could have told Miguel she had a sister.”

“Did Lana ever mention that fact?”

“No, but we can’t assume Miguel doesn’t have a clue about her past life.”

“We can’t?” Phillips came around the desk and leaned against it, crossing his arms over his chest. Ale sat up straighter. “Ale, we didn’t even know the girl’s real name. It’s likely she didn’t reveal it
or
her past to Miguel.”

“True, but sir, we were shot at.”

“Because they came by and saw the lights on in the place!” Phillips threw up his hands. “They probably also saw your shadows—”

“But shoot first and ask questions later? Lana was hiding something from Trujillo. Last I checked, he didn’t know what that was. If someone knew Lana, Trujillo would want to question him.”

“Unless he already knows.”

Ale slumped, jabbing the crooks of his hands under the opposite armpits. His pride had already dismissed that as a possibility. He was Lana’s handler and should have known everything about her. If she lied about her name, what else did she keep from him? Secrets like these got people killed — and Lana was dead. Did she talk before Miguel blew her away?
The shooters didn’t enter the house, so they weren’t conducting a search for information. It was a hit.

“You said it yourself, Ale, a drive-by.”

“Yeah, I know,” he mumbled, wishing he could be proved wrong just this once.

“If Trujillo knows, then how come you don’t?”

Phillips’s accusatory tone left Ale unable to answer. Did Miguel find a reason to distrust him? His cover couldn’t be jeopardized — not now. Not when Trujillo was their only lead to Martin Alba.
I’ve gotta play my cards right.
His gaze found Audrey’s at the same time she locked eyes with him.

Sometimes the dealer dealt a hard hand.

****

The urge to look at him was strong, but she didn’t dare. In fact, Audrey glanced everywhere in the conference room except at him, and he sat right across from her. Alejandro’s eyes were on her from the moment he stepped in the room, and they hadn’t left her. His intense look made her blush from her neck to the roots in her hair and the heat hadn’t let up. Mel gave him a few updates about some safe house, and although he acknowledged Mel with a word or two, Audrey knew his eyes were on her.

“I’ll go see what’s keeping the boss,” Mel suggested, leaving the two of them alone.

Audrey swallowed thickly before letting out a quick breath. Alejandro remained silent. She couldn’t stand it any longer. She cut her eyes to him. Dark green, framed with long lashes — and frustratingly unreadable — they continued to stare at her. What was he thinking? About their kiss? The more the memory of his firm but gentle lips plagued her, the heavier the weight her guilt settled on her conscience. Didn’t Penny deserve more from her at this moment than for this marshal’s kiss to suck any more of her focus and energy? Audrey cringed, remembering how his touch had dictated her response. It was enough she moaned like a desperate, needy woman.

And she wasn’t.

Desperate.

His eyes continued their assessment. Audrey hugged her purse to her stomach — tightly — as though it could hide her from his appraisal.

Phillips burst through the door with Mel on his heels. “Okay, sorry, folks.” He walked to the head of the long table, dropped a thick, rusty-colored case folder on it, and took a seat. He cleared his throat. “Now, I know it’s late, so I thank you for your patience, Ms. Hughes.” He gestured toward her and she nodded. “I understand Santiago has already told you about your sister.”

“Um, yes, he has.” She meant to steal only a quick glance at Santiago, but her gaze lingered when she saw a shadow of sympathy cross his features.

“You have our condolences. Well, we—”

“I’m sorry, Agent Phillips,” Audrey interrupted. His sharp eyes bore into hers while waiting for her to continue. She swallowed. Penny’s green eyes, her flowing blonde hair, and her bright smile manifested before her. To imagine her sister pale, the life out of her eyes… “Can I see her?”

“Ah, er,” Agent Phillips stumbled, glancing at Alejandro, who briefly met his gaze and then looked away. Audrey turned to Mel, who also kept her gaze averted. “That probably isn’t a good idea.”

The space between Audrey’s eyes tensed. “Why not?”

“Well, her head wasn’t—”

“Her head!”

“Sir, I haven’t told her,” Alejandro started.

Audrey’s eyes volleyed between Agent Phillips and Alejandro. “Told me what?” A chill swept through her, causing her heart to shudder. She wiped her clammy hands on her skirt as she worked her tongue around her dry mouth. “What are you talking about?” Her eyes came back to Agent Phillips. “What do you mean,
her head
?”

Agent Phillips ran a hand through his thick, silver hair. He groaned, his eyes going to the ceiling before they settled back on Audrey. She held her breath.

“She was shot before her head was severed.”

Audrey gasped, her hands covering her mouth. Her sister’s head severed! Bile shot up her throat, and Audrey launched from the chair and ran from the conference room.

“Audrey!”

Ignoring Alejandro’s voice, she wove around desks, not sure where her feet were taking her, not stopping when Alejandro called out to her again. Audrey threw herself into the door of the women’s restroom, rounded a wall, and slumped against one of the sinks. She heaved, yet the sink remained clear. After swallowing a bit of saliva, she inhaled deeply before slowly exhaling.

The loud slam of the door against the wall caused her to jump, the nausea in her stomach threatening to send her to the sink once more. Her eyes widened when Alejandro came into view. “This is the women’s restroom!”

His eyes were filled with worry. “Audrey,” he breathed.

The closer he came, the more her knees buckled. She collapsed in his arms, tears flowing freely. His hands stroked her back as she quietly sobbed into his chest. He whispered in her ear what she thought were Spanish phrases meant to calm her. Whatever their translation, soon the tears dried, her breathing normalizing.

Unaware of how long she stood cradled against his solid chest, the warmth of his arms creating a haven of refuge, suddenly self-conscious, Audrey sniffed loudly and backed out of his embrace. Alejandro snatched a paper towel from its dispenser and handed it to her. “Thank you,” she whispered, dabbing the rough paper to her eyes before quietly blowing her nose.

“Audrey, I…”

Her eyes clung to his, wondering why she saw her own sorrow in them. He knew her sister, perhaps more than he was willing to admit. She had a mind to ask him about his relationship with Penny on their ride to the marshal headquarters, but there didn’t seem to be a good time to broach the subject — or any subject. The silence had choked the words in her throat, and his voice seemed lost beneath the restlessness between them.

A sudden anger in his eyes caused his entire countenance to change. His lips thinned and his jaw hardened. Had she upset him? She opened her mouth to speak until he masked his gaze. A wave of humiliation hit her. He probably questioned why, for the second time this evening, she was in his arms. Why did she let him see her tears?

“There didn’t seem to be a good time to tell you how the cartel treated your sister’s body.” His rough voice echoed loudly in the small restroom.

Audrey turned back to the sink, only to frown when she viewed her reflection in the mirror. What little mascara lengthened her lashes now ran in ghoulish streaks down her cheeks, her pale skin holding little color despite her tears and the constant dabbing of the paper towel against the bottom of her nose. And the curls in her hair were officially flat.
I look terrible.

Through the haze of moisture in her eyes, she glanced at Alejandro’s reflection. Dark, brooding, and his full lips… Audrey closed her eyes in frustration. Why had she let him kiss her? They hadn’t spoken about it, and Audrey feared asking him during their drive, assured he’d forgotten all about a burst of passion in the heat of the moment. Or a heated moment.

Penny
.

Was he telling the truth? He and Penny hadn’t been involved? Audrey groaned as thoughts of him and her sister shouted at her in her head. Pain shot from the back of her head to that sweet spot between her eyes, a telltale sign her brain was done processing the truckload of information dumped on her in the past few hours.

She heard him take a step closer. Her eyelids fluttered open. They both jumped at the sound of the door slamming against the wall.

Mel came around the corner. She stopped short, her eyes darting from Alejandro to Audrey and then back to Alejandro. She cleared her throat. “Um, Ale, how ’bout you let me handle this, considering we
are
in the ladies room.” She stood with her hands on her hips, her brows raised, ready for him to depart.

“Sure.”

Audrey watched his hand rise to touch her back. He must have thought better of it because halfway up, he dropped his arm to his side. Turning, he squeezed Mel’s shoulder and exited the room. Audrey let out a huge sigh.

“I know. He has that effect on women.”

“What?” Audrey whirled.

Mel shrugged, offering her a sheepish smile, her eyes twinkling. “You know, that suffocating feeling? It’s scary because you feel like you’re drowning, but if you don’t give in then, well, you’re still drowning.” She laughed lightly.