by Theresa Hall
“Drop the gun! Drop it now.”
“What are you doing, you idiot?” Schmille sounded shocked.
“Let her go.”
Allison recognized Tex’s voice.
“Well, well. You mean all along you were working with the DEA?”
Allison opened her eyes. Schmille looked both angry and horrified.
“I’m not going to say it again. Let her go.” Tex took a step toward them.
“I guess that agent was a real good friend of yours, wasn’t she?” Schmille grinned. “Shame what they did to her.” He pressed the gun harder against Allison’s temple.
Schmille’s hand jerked as a shot rang out.
Allison felt her body sink to the ground. Seconds later, Jackson scooped her into his arms and held her to his chest.
“You’re okay. You’re safe now.”
She took a deep breath and blinked. “What happened?”
“I think you fainted when you heard the gun go off.”
“I’m not dead?” She felt her chin. “I didn’t get shot?”
“No, you’re not dead.” Jackson smiled, then brushed his lips across hers. He smoothed her hair from her face.
“Then who fired the gun?” She struggled to sit up.
Jackson helped her to her feet. The DEA agent stood over Schmille’s lifeless body. It was over. Memories flooded Allison’s head as she studied the other man holding a gun. Tex was really one of the good guys all along.
He shoved his gun into the holster under his shirt. “I’m an undercover DEA agent. They sent me to expose Rusty Schmille and the cartel he was working for.”
Allison turned to Jackson. “It was true?”
Jackson nodded. “Yes, he’s telling the truth. Schmille was the dirty cop.”
“I’m Agent Ross Lorenzo.” He stuck out a hand.
She still had so many questions. She shook his hand as she looked from the agent to Jackson. “But...you’re Tex.” She had no idea he was working undercover. “I’m so sorry I didn’t listen when you said you weren’t going to hurt me. I had no way of knowing. I mean, you were with the man who tried to kill me, so I didn’t know what else to think.”
“Well, I wasn’t expecting you to pull a gun on me. Mauricio, the man who was with me, would’ve killed you if I hadn’t let you go. Cartels aren’t forgiving.”
Allison nodded. “I’m positive he would’ve.”
“I was trying to get you to safety just like Jackson was. He wasn’t even aware of our plans. We didn’t know how many dirty cops Schmille had on the force working with him. The fewer people who knew about us, the safer we were.”
“This still isn’t making sense to me.” Allison stared at Schmille lying on the ground, then turned to Jackson. “Does this make sense to you?”
Allison looked down to see Jackson still holding a gun in his hand. He shoved it into his waistband.
“Yeah, it does now.”
Allison turned back to the agent. “But the man who tried to kill me was with you. Why?”
“Right, I know. I was arranging for an agent to get you to a safe house without him knowing it. I had to make Schmille think I was still working with him. If he had realized I was with the DEA, he would’ve killed me on the spot. It sounds complicated, but I had more than one objective. Take them down and keep you safe.”
Jackson interjected. “Schmille was a terrible cop. He lost his training when he lost his integrity. He was so far gone he didn’t know how to be anything more than a criminal. That’s why he finally got caught.”
“What did Schmille actually do?” Allison glanced at his lifeless face, then turned away.
Jackson spoke first. “Schmille was working with the cartel. He was selling drugs out of the tire shop in town. Our department did business with them for our vehicles. The cartel was using Schmille to keep the heat off the tire shop so they could sell the drugs.”
The agent interrupted. “Not to mention laundering the money. He also acted as an informant for the cartel. They were shipping illegal weapons out of the tire shop, too. I’m here because the cartel killed one of our agents. She was the woman in the truck that you ran off the road. Schmille knew she was an undercover agent because we told him. We usually try to work closely with the local agencies. But he tipped off the cartel and they had her killed. At the time, no one knew it was Schmille who was dirty. The DEA sent me in undercover. This time we didn’t tell anyone so Schmille didn’t know who I was.”
“Doesn’t it take a long time to work your way into the cartel?” Allison didn’t know much about the cartel, but she’d watched a few things on the news.
The agent grinned. “Smart girl. Yes, it does. We had some undercover guys working within the same cartel. They were trusted and had been for a while. I was trusted because they were trusted. No one was the wiser. In fact, Schmille didn’t know I was working on the inside to take him and the cartel down.”
The agent turned to Jackson. “I’m sorry, man. I didn’t know he’d killed your family. None of us had any idea about that. We’ll open an investigation and get everyone responsible.”
“Thanks, man.”
Allison noticed tears in Jackson’s eyes. She turned away to hide her own.
“I still can’t believe we got Calderón. This has been a long time coming. Hey, do you guys need a ride somewhere? I can get someone to take you home. I’m going to be out here for quite a while. Agents were going to move in right after they made the drop-off. Calderón should be in custody by now, but there’s a lot of work left to do.”
“No, my truck is parked about a half mile up the road. We’ll be fine.”
The two men shook hands. Allison watched the agent walk back to the barn where a frenzy of law enforcement officers and SWAT teams swarmed.
“Now what?” Allison waited for Jackson to tell her it was time for her to head back to Houston. It was something she’d wanted to do since this whole mess had started. But now, she didn’t know what she wanted.
He grabbed her hand and started walking.
“Let’s go see Devon.”
* * *
They rode to the hospital in complete silence. The sun peeked over the horizon and turned the night sky a beautiful shade of orange. Allison’s head rested on the back of the seat. Jackson stole occasional glances at her and noticed her dozing off. As hard as he tried to find the words to tell her what he was feeling, he couldn’t bring himself to say them.
A sigh left her lips, and she raised a hand to brush away the hair tickling her face. She was still wearing the sweat suit he’d bought her along with the slippers. He grinned as he remembered how he’d stood in the dollar store debating on the right size. The slippers were tattered and ripped, her clothes were dingy, and her left cheek had a streak of dirt on it. Even in the worst conditions, she still looked beautiful.
Out of nowhere, pain shot through his heart as Schmille’s words flooded his memory. It hurt him so much to know that there was nothing he could’ve done for Hope and Natalie, or his unborn son. But somehow knowing the truth gave him a sense of peace that he hadn’t felt in five years.
Allison lifted her head and looked around.
“Are we there?”
“A few more minutes.”
“I didn’t mean to doze off. I feel like I could sleep for years now that this is over. It will feel good to be home and in my own bed again.” She bolted up and stared at him. “I just remembered my car isn’t drivable.” She slumped back down in the seat with a look of defeat on her face.
“I’ll take you back to Houston if you need me to.” He smiled even though the thought of her leaving wasn’t something that made him feel like smiling.
“Oh, I couldn’t ask you to do that. I’ll get Maddie and Scott to take me home. I’ve put you through enough as it is.”
Jackson nodded. It was o
bvious she was looking for reasons to get away from him and go back to her normal life. Not that he blamed her. He’d dragged her through some horrible things trying to save her. Looking back, maybe he would’ve done things a lot differently.
“Jackson.”
“Yeah?”
“Do you think we’ll ever see each other again after today?”
A lump formed in his throat. After all these years, he hadn’t thought he was ready to move on. Now, looking at her sitting next to him, he couldn’t think of anything else other than a life with her in it.
“Sure, we will.”
Allison smiled, then turned to look out the window. They rode in silence until they reached the hospital. Jackson parked and they made their way to Devon’s room.
Jackson remembered the night he came to see Allison in the hospital. He’d held her hand as the doctor stitched her knee. He couldn’t have guessed their lives would become so entangled.
Jackson knocked on Devon’s door before opening it and walking in.
“Hey, guys.” Devon sat up and grinned at them.
The sight of his old friend in the hospital was more than he could bear. Jackson walked over and hugged him. Tears burned his eyes. He’d fought back tears since he’d first heard about Devon, but now in the safety of his friend’s room, he knew he could let it all go. After a few seconds, they broke their embrace and wiped at their eyes.
Devon laughed. “I’m not crying, you’re crying.”
Jackson shook his head and turned to Devon’s wife. “Karen, I don’t know how you deal with this guy.”
She reached to grab a tissue from the bedside table. “I don’t know, either. It’s good to see you, Jackson.” She turned to Allison. “I’m Devon’s wife. Would you like to come with me to get some coffee?”
Allison wiped her cheeks and smiled. Jackson waited until they left the room to tell Devon the whole story.
“How’d you get shot, man? Do you know how bad I felt leaving you back there?” Jackson sank down in the recliner by Devon’s bed.
“I was headed to the station after I dropped you and Allison off at your house. This car comes out of nowhere. I don’t know how they knew I was in Richard Maber’s truck. The department will have to replace it now. His truck is riddled with bullet holes.”
“I guarantee it was Schmille. I don’t know how you survived.”
Devon nodded in agreement. “They had eyes everywhere. It makes me wonder how many dirty cops we really had.”
Jackson suspected a couple of them. “I think the rookie was one of them. I haven’t heard anything official yet.”
“The smug rookie, huh? He wasn’t a cop. He was a kid on an ego trip. Rusty, on the other hand... I can believe he was dirty. What I can’t believe is that he was the one who killed your family. All these years we’ve worked with him and he knew what he’d done.” Devon slapped the tray sitting over his bed. “I knew we had a rat, but the rest of this is hitting me like a brick.”
Jackson stared out the window at the cars below. He was glad the nightmare was over. No one could be as blindsided as he was.
Devon’s tone lightened. “What will happen with Allison?”
“What do you mean? She’s going back to Houston.”
“Is that what you want?”
Jackson didn’t know how to answer that question. It was one thing to think something in his head, but it was another to admit it out loud.
“I care about her. It’s just, well, you know.”
“It’s okay, Jackson. You’ll know when it’s right. But you’ve got to stop living in the past. Life is too short. Matter of fact, this has changed me. I took things for granted a lot. But not anymore. I have a whole new appreciation for getting out of the bed in the morning. So, is that what you want?”
It hurt to hear his friend talk about his own death. “What? For her to go back to Houston? No, it’s not what I want, but life doesn’t always give us what we want.” He stopped talking to swallow the lump in his throat.
* * *
Allison walked into the hospital room with Karen to find Jackson and Devon in a somber mood. Her heart skidded to a halt. She prayed nothing else bad had happened.
“Did you boys lose your dog?” Karen sat two cups of coffee on the table.
Jackson grinned. “We need to get out of here and let this man rest so he can get back home.” He gave Devon a pat on the shoulder and hugged Karen.
“It was nice meeting you, Karen.” Allison turned to Devon. “I’m so glad you’re going to be okay. I’ll keep you in my prayers.”
Devon nodded. “Thank you. Looking forward to seeing you again, Allison.”
Jackson led the way to the elevators without saying a word. His quiet demeanor was a lot like when they’d first met. She’d hoped after all they’d been through that he’d open up to her more. But reading his moods hadn’t gotten any easier. Matter of fact, it only seemed to be getting harder.
Once they climbed into his truck, he turned to face her. “Are you ready to go to your sister’s house?”
“Sure. I lost my phone, so I can’t call them.”
Jackson sat staring out the front window. He was too quiet. Something was on his mind. She wished he would spit it out and get it over with.
“Okay.” He turned the ignition on but didn’t back out.
Allison’s nerves were on edge. She didn’t dare push him into talking right now. He’d been through as much as she had. If she was going to compare their experiences, it was safe to say he’d been through more. She knew it was hard for him to process everything. It only seemed fair to give him the time and space he needed.
Jackson pulled out of the parking space and headed for Maddie’s house. Allison watched him as he drove. His rugged features looked tired and haggard, but it didn’t take away from his handsome looks. There was no denying her feelings for him. But would he ever be able to move on? She didn’t expect him to forget about his family, but could he ever love again? She wondered if he knew how much God wanted him to be happy.
Allison longed to tell him how much she cared for him, but she couldn’t be sure of how he felt. She wondered if those moments they’d shared were because of their life-or-death situation. She’d learned a lot about him since they’d met. He didn’t pretend to care if he didn’t. Jackson Archer wasn’t the kind of man who got close to someone because of circumstances. He did it because he wanted to.
Going back to Houston wasn’t something she was happy about now. Life without him seemed wrong. After all they’d been through, saying goodbye would be the hardest thing she’d ever done. But would telling him how she felt push him away?
They turned onto Maddie’s street, and the knot in her stomach tightened. The quiet ride had been torture. She’d never seen him so deep in thought and she couldn’t take it anymore.
“Jackson, what’s wrong?”
He smiled at her. “Nothing. I’m fine.”
She wasn’t buying it. “No, you’re not. Would you like to talk?”
The words had hardly left her mouth and already she regretted them. She braced herself for what he was about to say. He pulled in to Maddie’s driveway. Allison reached for the door handle as soon as Jackson parked the truck.
“Wait.”
Her heart pounded in her chest. She stopped with her hand still on the handle. After a few uncomfortable seconds he finally broke his silence.
“I want to talk, Allison.”
She let go of the door and faced him. Her heart pounded her chest. “Sure.”
“I didn’t think I would ever find out who killed my wife and daughter. And my unborn son.”
She gasped at his shocking words. Allison had no idea his wife had been pregnant. Why was he telling her this now?
“Jackson, I didn’t know. I’m sorry.” Tears sprang to her eyes and fell to her cheeks
before she could make them stop.
“It didn’t seem like something I needed to bring up. But I wanted you to know.”
“I’m so sorry for everything you went through, Jackson.”
“I can tell. A lot of people say it, but you actually mean it. I’ve always seen that in you. You’re not like most women. You are the most patient woman I’ve ever met, other than my mother.”
Allison laughed. His mother was a great lady and she hoped someday she’d get to see her again. But that all depended on what Jackson was about to tell her. She could see the anguish in his face. This was hard for him. Not that it was any easier for her, but she was much better at expressing her feelings. If this thing between them was going to go anywhere, she would have to be the one to start. She took a deep breath and began to speak when he cut her off.
“How’s your knee?”
“What?”
He pointed at her leg. “Your stitches.”
She waved a hand. “It’s fine.” If she was going to do this, she needed to get it over with. She inhaled a sharp breath. “Jackson Archer, I fell in love with you. From your dry sense of humor and your mood swings, right down to your grumpy attitude. You not only protected me out there, but you risked your life trying to save mine.”
“Allison, it’s my job.”
“I know. Don’t misunderstand me. This isn’t about some infatuation. I’m old enough to know the difference. It’s not that. I can’t explain what I feel. I only know that it’s real.”
Shock registered on his face, and she braced for his reply.
“It’s my job. And even if it wasn’t, I would’ve done the same thing.”
“Maybe it is your job, but you didn’t have to try to do it single-handed. You could’ve turned me over to the feds from the beginning.”
“Schmille would’ve let the cartel kill you.”
Allison didn’t know why she was arguing with him about this. It was more than obvious he was ignoring what she’d confessed to him. “What are we doing, Jackson?”
His green eyes darkened. “Come over here.” He reached out and pulled her to him.
