He chuckled. “Alright, I’ll get us started. Where did you grow up, Evie?”
“So you’re going to begin with questions? I thought we were going to tell each other stories.”
“Asking each other questions allows us to pull out more details and figure out which one of us is more inventive. It’s an extra challenge to the game.”
“Tell me… Do you play this game often?” She raised an eyebrow at him. “I can see this going over very well with any woman you try to pick up.”
“You’re asking out of turn, but I’ll answer. I don’t pick up women. Occasionally I go on dates with someone I’m curious about. But I’ve never played this game. I just thought of it tonight.”
“Hmm. So are you already telling your story or are you telling the truth?”
“That’s part of the fun of the game, don’t you think? Though it’s the truth I’m curious about you.” His eyes sparkled as he watched her, and her heart kicked against her ribs.
“Very well, then. I’ll answer your question now. I grew up all over the place. We never stayed anywhere for very long. Staying at A&M and now Hebbronville—my parents think there is something wrong with me. They don’t understand how I can stay put for so long.”
Santo raised an eyebrow as he took a sip of wine. “Four years is a long time?”
“In my family it is. You see, I come from a long line of Romani. Yes, yes, I can tell by the look on your face you are trying not to laugh at me. I know most Romani have a dark complexion. My great, great grandmother was Swedish, though. Blonder than me. It was a forbidden romance, and they ran off together. But when my great, great grandfather returned to his family with his babies in tow, some as blond as me, they couldn’t turn him away. So the blond runs in my family, though it is very rare.”
“You have brothers and sisters?”
“Have you ever heard of a small Romani family?” She asked him, smiling broadly. She took a sip of her wine, watching him speculatively. “I have many cousins that are more like siblings. Some are as fair as me while others have the incredible olive complexion and dark hair most people think of for Romani families. Then there are a few blessed with the best of both worlds… Light hair or eyes and a dark complexion making them look delightfully exotic.” She took another sip of her wine, trying to read his expression, and she felt sorry for anyone who ever tried to play poker against the man. “And what about you, Santo? Where did you grow up?”
His lips twitched. “Venezuela. It’s where I was born, at least. I spent my early years running around barefoot all the time, causing ruckus and mayhem everywhere I went. Then my family decided we would have a better life in America. I’m sure you know of all the turbulence Venezuela has faced over the years. Fortunately, we got out before it got so dangerous. We moved here when I was still in grade school…to Austin.”
“Austin is a beautiful city. But a huge place to be.”
“Try learning how to drive there. Austin traffic rivals some of the worst traffic I’ve seen, and I’ve seen a lot.”
“So I take it you must travel rather extensively if you’ve seen so much.”
Santo lifted his glass to her in a mock salute. “Good catch, Evie. Though do I travel willingly, or by force?”
Her eyes narrowed in thought. “Both, I think. Though we can circle back to that.”
“Slow it down there, ace detective. You’re not letting me ask any questions.”
“Oh, is that so?” She raised an eyebrow at him. “It just seems to me you haven’t been quick enough to ask one.”
His laugh drew the attention of a couple other diners who smiled at them, obviously thinking they were on a date. And for all intents and purposes, it was a date. She just hadn’t expected to find it so entertaining.
“Very well, then. What brought you to Hebbronville?”
She pondered the bizarre path her life had taken since graduating A&M and wondered how to answer him without revealing too much of herself. “The people. The town. The feeling of being part of something special. Small towns are disappearing. They are being eaten up by the larger cities. By being a part of Hebbronville, I almost feel as if I am part of history.”
“The big cities are part of history, too. You could be making your mark there as well.” He watched her closely, and she realized he seemed mesmerized by her answers. She nearly felt like gloating that she had most assuredly already won the game.
She scrunched up her nose and shook her head. “No. Big cities aren’t for me. Maybe it goes back to my Romani roots. Maybe it’s because my navigations skills are a joke and I always get lost in big cities. Hebbronville is home for me. I’ll stay as long as it wants to keep me.”
Their food arrived at that moment and they were silent briefly as they tasted their plates. Then, at almost the same moment they offered a sample of their plate to each other and laughed. Carefully balancing pasta on their forks, they fed each other, and Evie couldn’t remember a better date she had ever been on, even the ones with her former fiancée. She had thought those dates had been magical at the time. Over time the memories had faded or turned bitter, and she did her best not to think of them at all.
“So, now the tough question for you. Why Hebbronville for the man referring to himself as the saint of death?”
* * *
Santo nearly choked on his pasta and took a large swallow of his wine. He hadn’t expected the question to come up so soon, though he had known it would come up. They were supposed to be playing a game, right? She wouldn’t believe the truth, even if she heard it.
“It’s quite hush-hush about me being here,” he said, lowering his voice to a conspirator level. “I’m a Navy SEAL. I’ve been sent here undercover to handle some covert operations down south. I just pretend to be a wealthy rancher.”
Her lips were moving as she tried not to smile, and she placed her napkin over her mouth and he was fairly certain he heard a soft chuckle. She took a few moments, swallowed her food, then drained the rest of her wine glass. She seemed to have gotten her chuckles under control when she looked back at him.
“That’s fascinating. Will you get into any trouble for having told me such a thing?”
Oh, if only you knew. “I could. But you aren’t going to say anything, are you? I mean, I was under the impression that this conversation is purely confidential.”
Her lips twitched again. “Oh, yes, of course. I wouldn’t say a thing. I mean it isn’t as if we’re spying on one another—Oops. I wasn’t supposed to say that, was I?”
“So you’re spying on me, eh?” he asked, deciding to go with whatever direction the conversation took them. “I’ll have you know I’ve been spying on you, too, and I’ve learned some valuable information about you already.”
“Oh? What could you have possibly learned about me?”
“You’re obsessed with structure. Everything has to be in the right place for you to be comfortable. You’ve created a false history of your past to explain all of the crazy moves you’ve made over the years simply as a cover story as you are continuing the family’s spy business. The only reason you dropped out of law school was so you could get into the system faster, helping to facilitate the release of your notorious family and friends.”
“Yes? And what else? You thought you would learn about my boss tonight, but obviously, your attempts have been foiled.”
“My attempts have been foiled?” He broke out into laughter. “Do people actually talk that way?”
“In the old spy novels they do,” she laughed along with him. “That and ‘curses!’ are used frequently in those books.”
“Well, before my attempts are completely foiled, I do want to ask you seriously about Judge O’Connor. Is she happy?”
Evie tilted her head as she looked at him, a smile still playing on her lips. “I think she’s as happy as she can ever let herself be. She’s wound very tight, you know.”
Santo sighed. “Yes. She’s always been like that. Always had to do everything per
fectly. I imagine that’s why she likes you so much.”
Evie’s eyebrows lifted in surprise. “Why?”
“Because you are as close to perfect as anyone I’ve ever met.”
A blush stole up to her cheeks and she looked down at her near-empty plate. “Santo… I-I can’t thank you enough for tonight. You’ve made it wonderful. I can’t remember the last time I’ve laughed this much.”
“We’re not finished yet. We have to determine who wins, and then they get dessert.”
“Well, it’s obvious I win. My story was far more entertaining.”
“Hold up, now! I think mine was quite the performance.”
“Yes, but part of the requirements was that it had to be believable. And I’m sorry, Santo, but yours was too far out there.”
“As if you come from a gypsy family. How believable is that?”
Evie smirked at him. “It’s the truth. I’m the only blond gypsy in the family.”
Santo looked at her through narrowed eyes. “Are you being totally honest with me?”
She made a slashing motion across her heart. “Cross my heart.”
“Well, I’ll be damned. Never would have believed that in a million years. To the victor go the spoils.” He flagged down the waiter and she ordered a slice of cheesecake that they ended up sharing.
He didn’t want the night to end as he drove back to the courthouse. They chatted about small things as he drove, and he wanted nothing more than to reach over and grab her hand and hold it in his. What is it about her that makes me want more?
The realization that he wanted to make further progress with her startled him. Something was intoxicating about being around her, about her laugh, and her innocent joy. He didn’t want this to be his last time with her.
“Thank you for tonight, Santo. It has been wonderful.” They had arrived at the courthouse and stood near her car.
“I’d enjoy seeing you again.”
“Another pretend date?” she teased.
He shook his head. “No. I think I’d like the real thing from now on.”
Her eyes widened slightly and her breath caught. “I think I’d like that, too.”
He lowered his head slowly, giving her plenty of opportunities to push away from him, but instead she leaned into him and stood up on her tiptoes, meeting him halfway. Their lips brushed together softly, sweetly, and he forced himself to pull back before he took it any further. Drawing a deep breath, he took a half step away from her, needing the distance so he could think clearly.
“I need your help with something, Evie. It’s very important.”
She blinked rapidly. He liked that their kiss seemed to have affected her as much as it had affected him. “Help with what?”
“I’m concerned about Francis. I think she’s involved in something and may be in over her head. Do you know of any type of work she could be doing that isn’t part of any of her cases?”
Evie swallowed hard and backed away from him a half step. “I don’t talk about her business with anyone.”
“Even if it means life or death?”
She visibly paled in the faint moonlight and he hated scaring her, but he needed answers. From the way Francis had reacted to his mention of Evie being involved in whatever mess she had gotten into, he knew she could be a source of vital information. He didn’t like putting her on the spot, but it truly could be a matter of life or death, not only for Francis but for Evie as well.
Evie fiddled with the zipper on her purse. “Judge O’Connor is simply trying to be proactive. She has some very important connections in many areas of the government—ours and other countries. She’s just making sure to stay ahead of things before they become more serious.”
“Things? What things?”
Evie shook her head. “Is this why you wanted to spend time with me? To get answers you couldn’t get from her earlier?”
The look of betrayal on her face hit him hard. “No. Absolutely not. Evie, I like you. I want to get to know you better. You. I’m making a mess of this.”
“I think we’re probably both a lot stronger than you’re giving us credit for.” Her expression had hardened, and she looked away from him to dig through her purse for her keys. “Thank you for dinner tonight. I’ll see you next Thursday.”
“Evie, stop. Please.” He reached out and touched her arm lightly and her gaze shot up to his. “I’ve made a mess of this. Look, if the only reason I went out with you tonight had been to get information about Francis, I would have asked a lot of different questions, wouldn’t you agree?”
He could tell from her expression she didn’t know what to believe. “Either that or you’re very good at playing a long game.”
You have no idea. “That’s not what I’m doing. Just—forget everything I’ve said the last few minutes. All I want to ask of you is to watch out for her. Please. She counts on you for a lot, and if there is any way you can get her to move on from whatever she’s doing, you’ll both be safer.”
Evie gripped her keys so tight her knuckles turned white. “You don’t need to worry about us. She’s an incredibly smart woman, and is braver than anyone I’ve ever known.”
“You’re right. You’ve amazed me today, Evie. And every moment I’m with you, I want it to last a little longer. I don’t want to end a wonderful night because I’ve been a jackass.”
“You seem incredibly gifted at doing just such a thing.”
He wanted to touch her. He wanted to pull her into his arms and absorb her sweet scent and warm essence. He didn’t want the date to be over. “Can I ask for a do-over for the last ten minutes?”
She bit the corner of her lower lip as she studied him, then seemed to make a decision. “I’ll make sure Judge O’Connor stays safe. Thank you for letting me know something may be wrong.” She drew a deep breath as if trying to pull in courage for her next words. “And I’d still like to see you again, too. Though if I get even the faintest idea you’re using me—”
“I’m not. I wouldn’t. I couldn’t. There’s something special about you, Evie, and I’d like to spend more time with someone who can make me forget about all my cares in the world.”
Her gaze softened. “I’d like that, too. You do the same for me.”
He smiled and fought the temptation to kiss her again. “Good. Because I don’t think I can wait long before seeing you again.”
Chapter 5
Santo had him. His technique had been flawless, and he nearly laughed out loud. Suddenly, his opponent hooked his right leg around Santo’s legs in an awkward move, forcing Santo to the ground. He grunted as his shoulder plowed into the dry, hard soil, but quickly threw himself forward to escape.
Rolling, he kicked out with his legs, and he heard the air push out of his opponent’s lungs from the impact to his chest. Santo surged to his feet and didn’t slow his momentum. He plowed into the man, intent on taking him down, and drove him backward until he shoved him up against a mesquite tree.
The man he fought wasn’t willing to go down easy, he had to hand it to him. Again, in a move Santo didn’t think a man’s body could contort, his opponent swept his leg around and out, taking Santo’s legs out from under him and he once again landed hard on the packed earth. He knew he would be sporting some colorful bruises come morning.
“Are you ready to give up, old man? Just admit that I’m too fast for you and we can go get a cold beer.”
Santo let out a bark of laughter. “Old man? Who are you trying to fool, Buzz? You’re only a couple of years younger than me. Your only advantage is that you’re a giant.” Using Buzz’s technique, he swept his leg out and brought Buzz down to the ground with him. “And if you remember correctly, I taught you most of these moves during BUD/s training.”
“Yeah, but now you’re the one being schooled,” Buzz retorted as his fist connected hard against Santo’s ribs.
Damn it! That hurt! Time to put an end to this playtime. With a growl, Santo lunged over Buzz, grabbing his arms and twisting
him around so that he lay face down in the dirt. Holding one of his arms high between his shoulder blades, Santo wrapped his free arm around Buzz’s neck, slowly tightening. Buzz bucked and twisted, trying to use his size in his favor, but Santo had the advantage. Buzz’s breath wheezed out of him from Santo’s heavy weight on top and the increasing pressure on his windpipe.
“Tap out, bro. You know I have you pinned.”
Buzz bucked hard again, and Santo nearly lost his grip. He frowned as he pushed Buzz’s arm further up between his shoulder blades, something he knew from experience hurt like hell. “Tap out before I dislocate your shoulder. Again.”
Buzz wheezed a few more breaths, his attempts to dislodge Santo becoming weaker and weaker. Finally, with his one free hand, he slapped the dusty ground three times. Santo immediately released him and stood, extending a hand out to Buzz.
One of his best friends and one of the first soldiers he had ever trained to become a SEAL grinned up at him with a dusty, sweaty face. He grabbed the offered hand and let Santo pull him to his feet. “You got lucky that time.”
Santo’s growl made the rest of the team, who had been watching the sparring closely, grin. “Luck had nothing to do with it. You should know pure, raw skill when you see it.”
The other men chuckled at his comment and he threw them sour glances. “You all saw it, too. Don’t try to deny it.”
“No offense, Santo, but Buzz has kicked your ass more times than I can count,” Stryker, their team leader said, shaking his head. “There’s no reason to be ashamed. Like you said—you taught him.”
Santo’s jaw dropped open at the comment, then clicked shut. “I’ll have you know that anytime he’s bested me was entirely because I let him. You all know how delicate his ego is—I can’t just constantly crush him into the ground. But today, he needed to be reminded who’s the expert when it comes to fistfights.”
That comment earned a roaring round of laughter from the group. “Keep telling yourself that, buddy,” Phantom said. “I’ve heard if you think it enough, you can make your fantasies come true.”
Protected in His Arms: Elite Texas SEALs Page 4
