Hailey's Truth (15 page)

The heat of their breath mingled as he brushed his fingers down her neck and over her shoulder until she shuddered.

Hailey snagged his hand as his fingers wandered to her hair again. “I don’t understand. I thought you said you wanted to keep things simple.”

Her shaky whisper tickled his lips as he clasped his fingers with hers. Caught up in her honey eyes, Austin grazed her chin, his desire spinning out of control. “I don’t want simple, Hailey, anymore than you do.” He pressed gentle kisses along her jaw until her lids fluttered closed on a sigh.

Her hands wandered up his arms, over his shoulders. She brushed her fingers through his hair.

He had to taste her. Unable to wait any longer, Austin took her mouth. Soft lips met his, clinging, parting, as tongues touched and tangled. He held her cheeks in his hands, taking them both deeper as he pressed her to the door and plundered, drowning in the sweet flavor of Hailey.

She wrapped her arms around his waist, pulling him closer, until her small, firm breasts pressed against his chest.

More. He wanted more. He couldn’t get enough. Austin picked Hailey up and set her on the wooden beam of the tiny porch, nestling himself between her legs. He nibbled at her top lip as he’d fantasized doing since the moment he met her.

She moaned as he ran his palms up and over smooth thighs, under her blue dress, until he cupped her butt and scooted her forward, pressing heat against heat, causing her to whimper.

Austin moved his hands to her face again as his mouth grew hungrier.
This is too much, too fast
, he thought, but as he did, cool fingers tracked down his arms and gripped at his wrists, sending shivers along his skin as she pulled him closer in her eagerness. He needed this, needed her—wanted, craved. Why had he waited so long?

Austin’s mouth left hers with a trembling breath as he traced her ear with his tongue, breathing in the peach scent of her hair. “Hailey.” He nuzzled her neck, ready to ask her to give him everything, knowing she would. He eased one slim blue strap down her shoulder, leaving open-mouthed kisses in its place as Hailey tugged his shirt free of his waistband. “Hailey,” Austin said again, as he twisted the key she hadn’t taken from the lock. The door opened and he wrapped his arms around her, ready to pick her up, to bring her inside and take what he’d craved for too long.

A movement by the docks caught his eye. Instantly on alert, Austin pulled Hailey closer and wrapped his arms tighter around her, rubbing his cheek against soft curls as he scrutinized the dark.

Austin kissed Hailey’s forehead as he watched a figure fade into the shadows. He eased back, trying to ignore the discomfort of being watched.

Hailey stared up at him, eyes dark, full of passion. “I definitely wasn’t expecting this.”

Austin fought to stay in the moment. “Neither was I.” And he meant it. He’d fully intended to stick to the plan and keep his hands to himself, but now that he’d tasted her, now that he’d felt her soft skin against him, he knew he didn’t have the strength to resist her again. He twisted a curl around his finger. “Do you want to come to my place and watch a movie?”

She smiled. “Is that code for, ‘Do you want to have sex?’”

Austin smiled back. “No. It’s code for, ‘Let’s order in some snacks because I’m hungry and watch a movie.’ Something action-packed and funny, like usual.”

“Okay, but why don’t we just stay here?”

His gun was in his room. He wanted it. Although he no longer saw anyone by the docks, his gut told him someone was there.

Austin helped Hailey down from the wooden beam. “I want to change.”

“Me too. Go put on some shorts and meet me back here.”

Damn it. He didn’t want to leave her alone, not even for the time it would take to grab his gun and change his clothes. “Nah, I’m all set.”

“Austin, don’t be silly.” She poked him in the belly. “You can’t relax in slacks and a polo. Go change.”

He was stuck. “Okay, I’ll be back in five minutes.”

“Take ten, take fifteen. We’re on vacation. I’ll order us something to eat. What do you want?”

“Surprise me.” He hurried down the steps and started across the sand. “Lock your door. I’ll be back in a second. When Hailey shut her door, Austin rushed to his own cabana, let himself in and unlocked the padlock on his suitcase, taking his Glock from the small lock box he’d brought along. He took bullets from a box, loaded his clip, shoved the magazine in the weapon.

Austin secured the safety and put the box of bullets back in the lock box before he yanked off his clothes and pulled on gym shorts and a white t-shirt. With few options, he settled the gun in the waistband of his shorts. He couldn’t exactly wear his holster and not expect questions.

As he made his way back to Hailey’s, Austin scanned the darkened beach. The small patches of palm trees and tall grasses gave the cabana suites privacy from the hotel. He looked toward the docks, still not seeing anyone. But someone was there; his instincts told him he and Hailey were surrounded.

Vacation had just begun, yet Austin no longer shared Hailey’s enthusiasm for their six days in paradise. He wanted it over. He was looking forward to picking up Jackson at the airport—eager for the backup—and getting on with Project Mexico. But Hailey’s problems wouldn’t end in three months when everyone packed up and went home. They never would. Hailey was as bound to the Mexican drug cartel as Jeremy, and she didn’t have a clue.

Jeremy stood by Mateo, sweating, queasy, waiting for what he knew was to be his next rite of passage. When one of his buddies offered him a ‘prime opportunity’ two months before, he had no idea it would lead to this. Selling a little rock, a little dope was one thing, but this…

He wiped his damp palms against his jeans as he tried not to breathe in the rotting trash piled high in the shadows of the alley. Jeremy looked left, right, trying to think of a way out, but Señor Rodriguez showed him death was the only option. Because Jeremy didn’t see that as a choice, he kept his mouth shut, attempting to ready himself to do what he had to.

The junker pulled into the dark space, lights off, and rolled to a stop.

“Time to make him pay, homie. Let’s go.” Mateo walked to the vehicle as two men got out of the front seats.

Jeremy followed.

“Rio, you got him?” Mateo asked.”

“Fuck yeah, we got him. What kinda question is that?”

“Well, let’s see him.”

Rio, one of Donte’s hulking guards, opened the back door, reached in, and pulled a bound and gagged man, still dressed in his police uniform.

“Yeah, there you are, mother fucking pig.” Mateo spit in the officer’s face. “You don’t want to work for the Zulas? You too good for us?” He kicked the man in the balls, making him groan and crumble forward.

Rio chuckled, pulling the officer to his feet. “We’re just getting started.”

“Bring him inside.” Mateo opened the door to the crumbling two-story building. “You’re going to help us send a message to your little pussy friends, just in case they’re having second thoughts about whose side they’re on.”

Rio shoved the officer into a seat in front of a video camera while the other guard closed the door and stood outside.

“Here, put this on.” Mateo tossed a black mask to Jeremy as he secured one over his own head.

Jeremy pulled the wool hat over his sweaty hair and down his damp face while Rio tied the man to the chair.

“Hit record, Rio. Homeboy,” Mateo said to Jeremy, “you’re on, man.”

Rio pressed record and Jeremy swallowed hard.
There’s no way out,
he reminded himself, as he shoved the leather gloves on his hands, took the pistol Mateo handed him.

Jeremy read the officer’s tag. His name was Sanchez, and he was about to die because he refused to bend to the Zulas.

Sanchez tilted his head up, his eyes boring into Jeremy’s as Jeremy held the gun to his temple.

Mateo stepped in front of the camera, shouting to the lens in Spanish, pointing wildly.

Jeremy caught specific words: police, Sanchez, family, Zulas, death.

Mateo, still on his tirade, rushed to Sanchez, yanking his head back by the hair. “Beg for your life. Beg like the pussy you are.”

Sanchez remained stoically silent as he waited for death.

Mateo rammed his elbow into the officer’s face. “Beg, fucker.”

Silence filled the room.

“Fuck this shit. Do it, homie. Show them what happens when they cross the Zulas.”

Jeremy’s hand sweat on the handle of the pistol as he stared into Sanchez’s brown eyes. The drumming beat of his heart echoed in his head. He barely heard Mateo’s shout to ‘fucking do it now’.

He had to. Jeremy glanced at the madness dancing in Mateo’s eyes, at the gleeful smile on Rio’s face behind the camera.

“You fucking pull that trigger, man, or you’re next,” Mateo whispered harshly.

Jeremy swallowed again and pressed the barrel more truly to Sanchez’s forehead. He pushed his index finger against the trigger. The deafening pop echoed through the rundown room as blood and brains flew through the air.

Rio shut off the camera, laughing hysterically, as Mateo pumped his fist with a cry of triumph for the Zulas.

Staring down at what was left of Sanchez, Jeremy struggled to keep the pistol from trembling in his hand. That could just as easily be him if he didn’t man up.

“Here.” Mateo handed him an ax, before he handed one to Rio, keeping one for himself. “We’ve gotta drop off a few presents, courteous of Officer Sanchez.” Mateo kicked the half-headless man to the floor, the chair toppling with a crash, and began to hack off the officer’s foot. “There’s a lot of him to spread around. His wife will want a piece, his fellow officers, his mother.” He chuckled. “Come on, man, hack an arm. We’ve gotta get this finished before daylight.”

Jeremy stared at the gore, numb, as blood spurted and pooled on the scarred cement. He cut Sanchez’s hands free from their binding; the dead man’s arms flopped against the concrete. Jeremy glanced at Mateo, found Mateo measuring him through narrowed eyes. Jeremy swung the ax, biting into flesh, cracking bone, and ultimately severing a hand.

“That’s it, homie. Looks like you have the chops to be one of us after all. I had my doubts. I was starting to think you were a bleeding heart like that hot sister of yours,” he sneered.

“Fuck no,” he said, with as much disdain as he could muster.

There’s no way out,
Jeremy reminded himself again. He hacked into Sanchez’s elbow joint next, ready to do whatever he had to stay alive.

Chapter 11

H
AILEY BLINKED IN THE DIM light, staring at Austin. The TV murmured in the background. Dirty plates and glasses lay stacked on the whicker table by the bed. Austin’s cheek pressed against the pillow next to hers, his brown hair tousled from sleep.

Not even a week before, she’d given up any dredges of hope Austin would ever take notice of her, but he’d certainly done more than that. He’d kissed her silly in the lamplight, and here he was asleep in her bed.

When she sat down to dinner last night, realizing she’d been stood up, she had no idea the evening would turn out be one of the best in her life: conversation, a moonlight walk on the beach, Austin’s firm, inviting mouth pressing against hers, those big magical hands moving over her body, and a movie to top it off.

Hailey smiled, sighing with the memory. She’d loved hearing Austin’s deep chuckles mix with her own as they watched the action-packed comedy. He’d surprised her when he set the empty plates aside and pulled her against him.

As the credits rolled two hours later, Austin stunned her further when he curled her closer, whispering next to her ear, sending shivers down her spine, asking if she was up for a double-feature. She’d been exhausted from the day of travel, from the initial upheaval of the evening, but there was no way she could have turned him down.

Somewhere during the second flick, her eyes drooped and she’d dozed until the drone of action on the screen disappeared into silence. She’d slept soundly through the night, having no idea Austin lay there too.

Hailey studied the pale green comforter covering them both. They lay as if they were any normal couple, but she reminded herself they weren’t. They were pals, friends, but certainly not a couple. They had shared a molten kiss, a movie-and-a-half, and a bed, but that didn’t mean by any stretch of her imagination that Austin was ready to change his mind. In Los Angeles he’d said “friends.” “Simple.” Period. No gray area. Now, as she stared at his sexy face relaxed in sleep, nothing was simple. The line had definitely been blurred.

How in the world did this
happen
? Had Austin been caught up in the tropical atmosphere—a warm night, stars twinkling, the hypnotic ebb and flow of ocean surf?

Another thought occurred to her and she tensed, going cold. Had he felt sorry for her after what she told him? It would certainly explain everything.

Hailey closed her eyes. There was nothing she wanted less. Life hadn’t always been easy, but who needed easy? She was happy with who she was, pleased with what she’d made herself into—someone Harold and Loraine Sturgis would’ve been proud of. She didn’t want or need Austin’s pity.

Hailey pushed the covers back and sat up, building a wall of mad. Anger was better than hurt. She wasn’t some poor orphan child, she was an intelligent, strong woman who would and could do anything she set her mind to.

She huffed out a sigh of frustration. She
knew
she shouldn’t have told him about her past. Why did her childhood always come back to haunt her? She rarely spoke of it, but somehow, it came around. She lost out on two nannying positions before she met Sarah. The families had been ready to welcome her aboard until they ran background checks. Both couples had politely refused her services, saying she was an unacceptable candidate due to her “unstable” past. “Foster child” seemed to mean trouble, even years removed, even when she’d never done anything wrong.