"I’m hoping it won't come to that. I know you spent a lot of time with Tobias…" Zach trailed off as Ella's face filled with fury.
"You think I care about that son of a bitch?" Her face was mottled red with anger, and Zach thought to himself that she was both terrifying and gorgeous at the same time.
"Well, I just thought…"
She breathed out a huge sigh. "Zach, I’m worried about you. And Marcus and your friends. I couldn't care less about Tobias. I want him to pay for what he did to me. What he did to those girls. He deserves to die a slow and painful death. But not at the expense of your safety."
Zach pulled her close and wrapped his arms around her, loving how she felt against him.
"I'll be fine. I promise."
She looked up, tears hovering on the edges of her eyelids. "I'm going to hold you to that promise."
Vivienne walked over to them. "Lunch is ready, ya'll. Come eat. You can plan after."
The chicken noodle soup was the type that nourished not only the physical body but also the soul. Warm bread, crusty on the outside with a soft middle, was the perfect complement.
"You're a lucky guy, Marcus," Zach said. "I could eat Viv's cooking anytime."
"She definitely spoils me."
"It really is delicious," Ella commented. "I need to get the recipe from you."
"Ya'll are too much. But thanks. I'm glad you like it."
The conversation around the table was lively, full of humor and good-natured ribbing. Marcus and Zach traded stories of their time in the Army, and it was good for his soul to remember the good times and not just the terrible ones.
When lunch was finished, Marcus and Zach popped open a couple of beers and sat down to further lay out the plans for the following evening's meeting with Tobias. Vivienne left to get Lilliana up from her nap.
"We'll leave around four in the morning and drive to a motel. I'll secure a couple of rooms for us so we can use one for prep work and communications. I can't imagine we'd want to spend the night, but we'll have them just in case," Zach said.
"I'll follow behind. I'm going to stop on the way and pick up Rico. Joseph is going to meet us in Phoenix, along with Noah."
"My guy in Phoenix has all the necessary weaponry we need to do this right."
Ella came over and slipped her arm around his waist, resting her head against his chest.
"You ok?" he asked her softly, placing a kiss on the top of her head. He inhaled her scent, savoring it.
"Yeah, just nervous. You sure your guys can get my mom out unharmed?"
"I’m positive."
Ella squeezed him more tightly. "I don't want anything to happen to you."
"For the first time in my life, I have something to live for. I don't plan on going anywhere."
Chapter 22
Four a.m. came too quickly. Ella wished that they'd had time to go into the town of Roswell and do a little sightseeing. Aliens and UFOs fascinated Ella, but by the time they had finished getting everything squared away for the meeting with Tobias, it had been time to get some rest.
Zach and Ella had curled up facing each other on the big bed, their hands clasped tightly together. They'd talked a little about their childhoods, and about Ella's mom, when Zach had paused, his next words not at all what she'd expected to hear.
"Vivienne said she thought you might have experienced a miscarriage in your past."
Although he didn't state it as a question, she could hear it in his voice nonetheless.
"I did. It was at the beginning, when I'd first started with Tobias. I found out I was pregnant and was terrified to tell anyone. I knew what Tobias would make me do, and there was no way I was going to be forced to terminate the life growing inside me. I was so worried, Zach. And then one night, I woke up in the middle of the night. The cramping was terrible, and the blood…there was so much of it. No one ever knew. I've never told anyone about it."
For months, Ella had cried herself to sleep. She'd dreamed about what that little baby was going to be like. The baby had been conceived under terrible circumstances, but it had been her baby all the same.
"I'm so sorry, Ella."
"It was a long time ago."
"And yet you still carry the pain."
She’d nodded, content just to be in Zach's presence. The pain of the past was fading away now that he was a part of her life. She'd just have to make sure that he stayed a part of it. They'd lain there in comfortable silence for a bit, then fallen asleep, their hands still clasped together.
Now, Ella watched as Marcus said goodbye to Vivienne, saw him go into Lilliana's nursery and bend over her bed to kiss her tiny cheek.
Nothing could happen to Marcus or Zach tonight. Nothing. And Ella had a plan to ensure that nothing would.
The drive to Phoenix was uneventful. Zach played loud Southern rock as they both rolled the windows down and sang at the tops of their lungs. It all felt so normal, as if they were on their way to a fun vacation or a simple visit to her mother's house. It felt nothing like they were on their way to meet a madman and ambush him into giving himself up.
He wouldn't. Ella knew that. He'd go down fighting, or, better yet, try to slip away quietly while his lackeys died on his behalf.
"What are you going to do with the files?" Ella asked the question that had been plaguing her for two days.
"I’m going to call Sully when we stop for gas and explain it all to him."
"He won't believe I'm innocent."
"He will. Because he trusts me."
Ella wished that she were the kind of person that Sully would trust. She was so fond of the whole Castle team, and grateful for the way they'd rescued her and protected her. They were the best kind of people. One day, she'd earn that trust. When this was all over, maybe she could help them go after The General.
After all, she knew his identity.
The stop for gas came all too soon, and Ella sat across from Zach at the table of the adjoining diner while he dialed Sully.
"Hey, man, I'm going to transfer those files to you now, but there's something I need to talk to you about first."
The butterflies in Ella's stomach took flight, and she felt like she was going to be sick.
"Quita's real name is Fiorella Flores…just wait. Yes, I know you want to ask questions, but I need to get the story out first. Anyway, her father's name is Guillermo Flores, and her mother's name is Alannah Flores. Guillermo is dead. He died when she was seventeen…I’m getting to that."
Zach paused and rolled his eyes at Ella. She wanted to laugh at the silly expression on his face, but her nerves wouldn't let her. It was important to her that Sully not think badly of her. She wanted a new life. One that didn't include taking her clothes off or having sex with men in order to survive.
"Ella…Quita, she goes by Ella. Will you shut up and just listen? Ella was there when her father died. In the files, I found pictures and incriminating evidence pointing to her as the killer. I also found evidence that her father was involved in some shady things. But they're both innocent. She didn't do it…I just know. Trust me…"
There was a pause as Zach listened to whatever Sully was saying.
"All I'm asking is that you wait before you send that information to anyone. Let me figure out who really killed Guillermo Flores and clear both of their names…thank you, Sully. I owe you one…yeah, yeah."
Zach ended the call on his phone and put it in his pocket. Ella waited for him to say something.
"Sully says hi."
Ella burst out laughing as Zach's handsome face split into a carefree grin. The smile faded, and he took her hands. "He said he'll wait until we get back to do anything with the files. You're safe for now."
Tears threatened to tumble out of her eyes and down her cheeks, but Ella blinked them back. "Thank you," she said softly.
"You're welcome. Let's eat and get out of here."
They ordered some food and ate quickly. Soon they were back on the road. Sometime around two o'clock, they rolled into the
parking lot of the Cactus Motel. Very original. Ella gave an inward eye roll. The entire sign was shaped like a giant green cactus, and the word Vacancy was lit up at the bottom.
Zach disappeared inside the motel office and came back shortly with three room keys.
"Two in each room. Ours is a king size bed, so we'll use that room for the meeting room. Is that ok with you?"
"Of course."
"Good. Let's get unloaded and give you time to freshen up before the guys roll in. Once we're all here, that room will be loud and crowded."
"Whatever it takes," Ella said.
Two hours later, she sat on the side of the bed surrounded by eleven huge, hulking men. The testosterone level was through the roof. They each held an air of confidence and danger, but as she shook each one of their hands, they were complete gentlemen to her.
There were four from Zach's Army days—Marcus, Rico, Joseph, and Noah. Plus, there were six guys from the security firm that Castle partnered with, including the contact who had been watching Ella's mom. Nathaniel Jones shook her hand.
"Your mother is safe," he said quietly. "I have one of the other team members watching her house while we put the plan in play to rescue her."
"Thank you," Ella said, trying to keep her emotions in check.
"My pleasure. Tobias has tried to engage her several times, but she's stubborn. Hasn't opened the door to him once," Nathaniel said with a gleam in his eye. He was a tall man with a runner's build. Long, lean muscle. His dark brown hair was cut military-short, and his gray eyes seemed to see more than she wanted him to. "I can't wait to meet her."
"She's one hell of a firecracker," Ella agreed, a smile tugging at her lips. She was proud of her mama. She'd been through so much in the last ten years. Ella wanted her to be able to put all of that behind her.
Alannah Flores didn't know the extent of what Ella had been doing during the time she'd been with Bruno and Tobias. But Ella knew that she suspected things weren't quite right. Ella had kept as much from her as she could. The cancer had been a distraction, though. Ella just wished that she'd been able to be there more often to hold her mom's hand through it all. One of these days, she'd be able to explain to her mother that she hadn't abandoned her.
Zach took control of the meeting, allowing Nathaniel to explain exactly what would happen first.
"We're going to surround Mrs. Flores's house just before twilight, assuming Tobias will want to do the drop just after dark. Has he called yet?"
"Oh, no! I haven't had my phone on in case he was tracking it. Just a minute," Ella said as she reached into her purse and took out the phone she'd been using earlier in the trip. When she turned it on, she had seventeen missed calls. When she looked at the caller ID, they were all unknown.
"Dammit!" she said under her breath.
"Just listen to the last one," Zach said, looking over her shoulder.
Ella clicked on the last message and put it on speaker.
"Quita, I'm growing very impatient. If you don't answer when I call at six p.m., I will assume you are not coming and will take action accordingly. You’d better answer."
Ella looked at the clock. It was four-thirty. Thank God she hadn't missed the next call.
"We have an hour and a half before he calls. We need to get you guys in place," Zach said. They were running out of time.
"We're about thirty minutes from Mrs. Flores's house. We'll establish a perimeter, get in, and take her to the safe house at six sharp. It will take us approximately three minutes to extract her and get her to safety. Another fifteen to get to the safe house. Once we have her, we'll send you a message, as well as another when we arrive at the safe house."
"Perfect. We’ll need to let her know that she's safe somehow and that Ella is looking out for her. A code word, something."
"Love you for always," Ella said softly.
Zach looked up, puzzlement clearly lining his features.
"That's what my dad always said to my mom. You should tell her that Fiorella says she loves you for always. She'll know I sent you."
Nathaniel nodded. "Ok, then—we're out of here."
Nathaniel shook Ella’s hand, and she couldn't help but wrap her arms around him in a hug. "Thank you," she whispered.
He just nodded, looking too embarrassed to respond.
The tough ones were always softies on the inside.
After the security team left, Zach addressed the remaining team members. Nathaniel had procured a map of the mine for them, and Zach laid it out on the motel room table, using Reese’s Pieces to identify where everyone would be positioned.
"Rico, you and Joseph will be stationed here"—Zach placed a piece of candy on the map—"and here," he said, placing another piece of candy down.
"Noah, you and Marcus will be here." He placed two more pieces of candy on their location.
"Ella and I will approach from this angle," he said, pointing to a spot on the map, "and will try to corral them here." He looked up, his face serious. "I imagine that Tobias will be well-armed with thugs. They're hired killers. They enjoy it. Just know what you're going up against."
The men all nodded. "Marcus, you guys go on out and get the lay of the land. You'll need to park out of sight and go in on foot."
"Roger that."
"Ella and I will stay here to wait for Tobias's phone call. We'll keep him talking for as long as we can while we wait for Nathaniel to extract Mrs. Flores. Then we'll change the terms on him."
"How do you know he'll go along with it?" Noah asked.
"He wants the files too damn bad. There'll be no other way. Once his bargaining chip is gone, he'll have to do it our way or miss out on getting the files."
"What if none of this works according to plan?" Ella asked.
Zach smirked. "It never does. But I trust everyone involved. We'll roll with the punches. You just stay by my side at all times. Is that clear?"
Ella couldn't make any promises. She would not let Zach sacrifice himself for her. Once she knew her mom was out of danger, she'd ensure Zach was safe as well.
"Ella?"
"I understand," she said, fully aware that she wasn't agreeing to his terms, just acknowledging them. Thankfully, Zach didn't notice.
"Ok, everyone, stay safe. Take care of yourself. Let's get in and out."
The men grunted and pounded their chests. At least, that's what it seemed like from Ella's perspective. Nathaniel had brought an arsenal with him, and all the guys loaded themselves up with armor and weapons. He'd also brought along a van they could use. The guys would go out first in the van, while Ella and Zach would follow later in their rental.
Once the men were suited up, they left with handshakes and manly hugs. Ella sat down on the bed, pulling her knees up and curling herself around them. Zach sat down behind her, wrapping his strong arms around her chest.
"You ok?" he asked.
"I guess so."
"Need to talk?"
"No. Just hold me."
Zach lifted her onto his lap, and Ella rested her head on his shoulder. She sighed in contentment. She could stay here in his arms forever. She wished she actually could. Life was too crappy sometimes. But in Zach's arms, the whole world faded away, and it was just the two of them.
Ella lifted her head and found Zach's gaze. She saw the desire there. Felt it coursing through her own veins as well. She tilted her head up and brushed her lips against his. The heat from his lips melted her from the inside out. Her tongue traced the seam of his mouth, and he opened to her. Twisting in his lap, Ella straddled him to gain better access to his lips.
Zach's hands pulled her closer as he devoured her, his hands raking over her body. He trailed a line of kisses down her neck and across her collarbone, and then up the other side, pausing in spots that Ella hadn't realized were such turn-ons.
Desperate to feel his skin, Ella leaned back and pulled his shirt off over his head. Her hands wandered over his back, feeling the skin there puckered from his scars. He also had scar
s on his sides and front. She traced them lightly with her fingers and then pressed her lips to them, as if healing them with her touch.
Zach's head fell back as a soft groan was torn from him.
"Ella, I'm not a saint."
"I never asked you to be one."
As if suddenly it was all too much for him, Zach picked her up and tossed her lightly onto her back, covering her with his body. His mouth found hers, hot and hungry.
Ella had been with many men. None of them had been by choice. The whole experience was different with Zach. He was cherishing her. Loving her. There was nothing demanding or predatory in what he was doing to her. Instead, his mouth was telling her with every kiss how much he loved her, how deeply he felt for her.
It was tempting to toss away her promise to herself. After all, if she was able to get out of all this alive and well, she’d never want another man. Only Zach. He would be her husband one day. Why not?
The ringing of her phone made the decision for her. Zach lifted his head, his eyes glazed over with desire and passion. Then realization dawned, and he sat up quickly, grabbing her phone off the bedside table and handing it to her.
Ella drew in a deep breath and answered the call, keeping the phone on speaker.
"Hello?"
"Quita, my darling. There you are."
Tobias's voice filled the room, and Ella couldn't help the shudder that ran through her. Zach squeezed her hand, his eyes telling her that he was there with her—every step of the way.
"Hello, Tobias. What do you want?"
"Now, is that any way to greet me? I've been trying to reach you for days."
"Yes, well, I was tired of being accosted by goons on the road while trying to get to you. You didn't exactly keep your end of the bargain."
"Whatever are you talking about, my dear? I didn't have any goons, as you say, following you. I was here. And all my men were accounted for."
Ella didn't believe him for a second.
"Fine, sure. Whatever. What's the plan, Tobias?"
"Do you have the files?"
"Of course I do. Do you think I'd drive across the country without them?"
"I’m not very fond of your attitude right now. If you were still mine, I'd teach you a lesson."
Castle Investigations Box Set Page 95
