Alejandro (8 page)

Audrey shivered, the thought chilling her to the bone. She understood what he meant. Always on alert, never trusting yourself to be safe anywhere — at any time. Penny’s letters came to mind. Miguel knew where she lived. Did Penny know she was being watched? Her last days on earth must have held little peace.
Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death…

“I know she must have been scared, but she had the presence of mind to write me, her sister, whom she hated.” Ale frowned, watching her. “She wrote instructions for the care of her son. She enlisted Mrs. MacGruber to watch him until I arrived.” Audrey hiccupped, her chest tightening as her emotions threatened to overtake her again. “She trusted me with her most precious charge. She knew she wasn’t going to make it. That’s why she made all of these arrangements. She had peace about it.”

“I seriously doubt she wanted to die.”

“No.” Audrey shook her head. “I’m not saying that. But she had a responsibility to guard her son’s life and she fulfilled it.” Audrey glanced down at her trembling hands. “Now he’s my responsibility.”

Oh, how those words frightened her. The last child she cared for ran away from home, got mixed up with drug runners, and died a horrible death. Did Penny make the right choice? Choosing her to raise Angel? What if he, too, ended up hating her and leaving home? How could she live with herself if she failed again?

“Both of you are
my
responsibility.”

Audrey’s eyes snapped to his. Unyielding determination warmed her to her core.

Crossing the room in long strides, Ale stood on the opposite end of the lounge chair. “Martin Alba is
my
fugitive. Trujillo’s Repair is
my
operation. Lana was
my
source.” His hard gaze wavered slightly, his features softening into despondency. “Your sister was
my
responsibility. Her blood is on
my
hands.” A granite fist slammed into his chest. “Mine.”

Audrey’s breath hitched. Compassion surged through her, sending her from behind the lounge to grasp the hand tunneling into his chest. Taking it between her own, she shook her head vigorously. “Please don’t blame yourself,” she whispered fiercely, her eyes clinging to his.

“Audrey—”

“No! It wasn’t your fault. I
don’t
blame you,” she pressed, hoping he believed the words as much as she did.

He turned his head away, as if unable to accept her clemency. He was judge and jury and he’d found himself guilty. If he sought punishment, she wouldn’t give it.

“I blame Trujillo,” she continued. “He’s the one who killed my sister.”

Still unable to look at her, Ale spoke. “I asked Lana…” His soft voice faded.

“And I’m happy she turned out to be someone who was willing to sacrifice herself for someone else. Believe me, when she left home, she was nothing more than selfish.”

Ale pulled his hand from her gentle kneading and backed away. Finally, his eyes rested on her, but the emotion she’d witnessed earlier in them had vanished. He was cool, composed, and professional. “I meant what I said.” He put his hands to his hips. “You and the kid are my responsibility. Until we shut down Trujillo’s operation, you and the boy will remain here where I can keep you safe.”

No discussion.

No vote.

No argument.

Chapter Five

YOU’VE got to keep your hands off her
.

Ale worked the wrench, tightening a bolt in an engine compartment holding a package of pure grade cocaine bound for Monterrey. As planned, this shipment would be stopped at the border by Border Patrol and DEA agents. Ale gave one last tug and jerked the instrument free.

Keep holding her, keep offering a shoulder to cry on, and you’ll want to give her something more
.

Unable to shut his eyes and sleep, Ale had returned to the garage late last night. The building had been dark — he’d missed his chance at questioning Carlos, the transplant from Guadalajara. Ale had driven back to the safe house, hoping to find Audrey still awake, but she’d been fast asleep in bed next to the kid. Another sleepless night; his mind had lingered on the beauty across the hall from his room.

“José!” Ale called over one of Trujillo’s most loyal and longtime drug runners. “This one is ready for transport.” The hood closed with a slam. Ale gave it one final tap. José nodded, taking the keys Ale handed him to place with the legitimate paperwork in the front office for a trusted driver.

Even with the workday in full swing, Ale was completely distracted. He couldn’t get involved — not with Audrey. She was grieving the loss of her sister, who was intimately connected with his investigation. He could just… No. It would be a breach of protocol. If the temptation became too great, he’d call Ruby. A numbing encounter with a willing woman was an acceptable alternative. The only alternative. Besides, he couldn’t imagine a meaningless affair with Audrey — and he had tried. A woman like Audrey would require more — was worth more.

“Ale!”

Ale turned to a worker pointing to a late model muscle car two lanes over.

“Trujillo said that one as well.”

Ale nodded in acknowledgment. The DEA would get lucky this time. Twice the product. He moved to begin installing a compartment.

Not normally working the floor, Ale chose a day of hard labor, forcing him to concentrate on what was important: the mission. Being around the guys after the arrival of Carlos, he might overhear plans of a gathering at one of their apartments, or at any one of the nearby bars. Unaware of how long Carlos intended to stay, any opportunity to talk to him couldn’t be wasted. The man wasn’t scheduled to work in the garage. Where was Trujillo hiding him?

Ale’s mind conjured up image after image of Audrey’s big blue eyes, calling out to him for aid. Not paying attention to the screwdriver he was using, he applied too much pressure to the screw and it slipped, sending Ale’s hand forward into a jagged edge underneath the vehicle’s dashboard. Ale cursed, throwing the screwdriver down and leaning back against the seat. Against his will, his thoughts loitered in forbidden territory.

Audrey didn’t blame him for Lana’s death, but she would once she knew the facts surrounding her murder. Lana had begged Ale not to send her to Trujillo the night she was murdered. “He knows,” were two of the last words he’d heard her say. Knew what? Lana had refused to tell him, saying she had to protect him.
Him who? Angel?
Ale now believed she hadn’t meant to protect him, but her son. Trujillo knew the child was his.

Angry that she would keep something from him, Ale ignored Lana’s pleas and told her to bring him something concrete, and then he’d let her off the hook. He never saw her again.

Ale groaned, the bile in his stomach from self-loathing making him utterly sick. What would Audrey say when she found out that he had a chance to save Lana’s life, and he’d chosen the other option? He had ordered Lana to her death.

“
Oyé, Alejandro. ¿Estás bien?
”

Ale slanted his eyes to his right. José’s solemn gaze assessed him. If only José wasn’t running drugs for Trujillo. Ale figured the two of them could be friends if they knew each other under different circumstances, but in the end, José would be sitting in a jail cell beside Trujillo and hopefully, Martin Alba. Ale nodded his response.

“Trujillo wants to see you.”

Ale’s eyes drifted upward to see Trujillo standing in the window overlooking the garage, staring at him. After exiting the vehicle, Ale slapped a hand on José’s shoulder. “
Gracias
.”

Taking the steps two at a time to the office, Ale halted at the door. Peace. He needed peace. Trujillo was a master manipulator, his skills of perception keen. If he didn’t keep his mind centered on the goal, Trujillo would attack without hesitation.

God, help me
.

He wasn’t accustomed to praying — in fact, the last time he attended church was when he was seventeen and forced to go by his mother, and even then, he didn’t pray. Not since a boy in Sunday school. Yet, after spending all morning consumed with thoughts of Audrey, prayer couldn’t hurt.

“Alejandro,” Trujillo greeted him as he entered the office. “You’re not busy tonight, are you?”

Ale stood in front of Trujillo’s desk, crossing his arms over his chest. “No. Do we have another order?”

Trujillo shook his head. “Carlos is coming in tonight, and he has word on one of our suppliers coming to San Antonio.”

Martin Alba.

****

Although his coloring was a bit darker than Penny’s, Angel had her nose, and her pointy chin. Audrey had been standing near the bed of her sleeping nephew, staring at him, for more than five minutes. Today they’d spent the entire day getting to know each other. After playing upstairs in the gym, they fixed sandwiches for lunch, watched cartoons on the television, and read from a few books Mel had bought from a local bookstore and brought by the safe house earlier in the day. Angel even drew Audrey’s portrait — a severely angled circle with stringy hair, lopsided eyes, and a long, wavy nose. The masterpiece hung proudly on the wall near the bed.

Just before bedtime, Angel had grown quiet, his round lips droopy; even his posture curved dejectedly. When Audrey inquired as to what was wrong, Angel said he’d missed his mommy and asked if it was okay that he go to Heaven and see her. Audrey cried with him as she explained that he couldn’t see her — not for many years. Whether the child fully comprehended her meaning, she wished she knew, for he fell asleep with cheeks still wet with tears.

“Audrey!”

Ale’s booming voice shook her out of a daze. She hadn’t heard the metal door open or close. What if it were Trujillo, or one of his men? A safe house didn’t guarantee their safety.
You have to be vigilant now, Audrey. You have a child to care for. You can’t let Penny down, not this time
. A sob escaped her lips before she could stop it.

“Hey, hey, hey…” Alejandro came around and stood before her, gentle hands on her shoulders. “Are you okay? What is it?”

Audrey shook her head. Her eyes not leaving Angel’s form, her fingers stuck to her trembling lips. “I… I,” she sniffed. She turned her eyes on Ale, seeing him through the blur. “I didn’t even have a chance to say good-bye.” The last of her resolve broke and the floodgates opened. She closed her eyes as hot tears streamed down her cheeks.

Ale drew her forward, the side of her face resting against his solid chest. He wrapped his arms around her, and whispered something in Spanish. The words soothed her. She felt his body sway with her, his hand gliding over her hair.

“We… when she left… she was so angry.
I
was so angry,” she muffled into his chest. She angled her neck back, her eyes seeking his, and when she found them, she searched for sympathy for her plight. Compassion, and perhaps a bit of empathy, stared back at her. She shook her head again. “I shouldn’t have let so much time pass. I was the older sister.” Her fists formed against his chest. “I should have reached out to her. Instead I let my anger and my pride… I never apologized.” Fresh tears streamed down her cheeks. With both hands, she cleared them away. “Alejandro, the thing I can’t get past is… is that I let her die hating me!” A sob escaped her lips, and she put a fist to her mouth, her eyes cutting to Angel. He still slept, his breathing slow and steady.

Two warm hands swiftly made their way from her shoulders to her cheeks. Alejandro held her firmly; she had nowhere to look but his eyes. “She didn’t hate you. She didn’t. Look at what she’s asked you to do — to raise her son.” He paused, searching her eyes for comprehension. “She could have let him stay with Mrs. MacGruber, but she didn’t. She trusted
you
. She reached out to
you
. She wanted
you
to raise him.” His lips cracked a slight smile. “Probably because you were so good at raising her.”

Audrey snorted. If only he knew. Those months of adjustment right after their parents’ deaths were the hardest she’d lived until now. Some days they were at each other’s throats, and others they barely spoke two words to each other. Their power struggle continued until Penny moved out. Audrey couldn’t help the chuckle. “Oh, she used to hate it when I grounded her. Said I wasn’t her mother.”

“That was love talking. All teenagers know they need boundaries.”

Boundaries? Since when did a Santiago recognize a boundary? Audrey raised her brows. “Did you know you needed discipline?”

Alejandro wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close, as though they spoke this way often. He raised his eyes to the heavens before settling back on hers. “More than you know.”

His gaze was somewhat veiled, but his slick grin told her he’d agree he was quite a delinquent. Did he remember her from school? The Santiago trio made such an impression; she hadn’t forgotten their antics even to this day. Audrey giggled, remembering a younger Alejandro. The eyes of a very grown Alejandro warmed as they held hers and her giggles abruptly stopped. She swallowed, suddenly aware of his nearness: of thick, defined biceps that held her tiny body captive, of how if he angled his head just a bit — and if she raised herself to her toes — their lips would be touching. Audrey involuntarily put her weight on her toes. His head dipped, but his eyes weren’t on her face, but her palms. He looked up, arching a brow. Audrey found her hands, rising and falling with his torso. Hadn’t she noticed how her palms were molding into the muscles of his chest? Audrey bit her lip and pulled her hands back, clasping them in front of her. “Sorry.”

“I’m not,” he said in a husky whisper.

Audrey couldn’t pull her eyes away from his. His lips curved up slowly, and his cheeks colored. Hands clasped in the small of her back. Her mouth dried when his gaze dropped to her parted lips.

Angel moaned in his sleep. Alejandro’s arms fell away, freeing Audrey. She rushed to kneel at her nephew’s bedside, silently thanking the boy for her escape. She brushed wisps of dark hair off Angel’s forehead before planting a soft kiss on it. Did he smile in his sleep? Audrey blinked back new tears, hoping her nephew would be happy in her care.