by Elisabeth Naughton, Cynthia Eden, Katie Reus, Alexandra Ivy, Laura Wright, Joan Swan
“Who the hell are you?” he demanded.
One of her hands dropped into the pocket of her shorts.
Rio’s senses came fully online. He slid the gun out of his waistband another inch.
“Who the hell are you?” she said. “And where is Saul?”
Heavy attitude and lots of bite. No accent. American English. Who in the hell?
“I’m not playing twenty questions. I’ll get Señor Flores as soon as you tell me who you are.”
She took two steps forward, bringing her into the light. But that damn hat…
“Considering I own this house,” she said, “I think you should be answering to me.”
His mind stopped turning. Owned this…
Oh, for the love of God.
Cassie Christo.
Confusion and fear mixed with a burst of excitement until he was sure a swarm of bees had been let loose in his chest. Rio shoved his weapon back into his waistband and rested his hands at his hips as his memories of the sweet thing he’d held in the cemetery six months ago warred with the real woman standing in front of him.
He slid a look over her, starting at that hat and stopping on something dark dripping from her knee and trailing down her shin.
“Is that blood?” Alarm brought him a step closer. She dropped back the same distance. “Are you hurt?”
She looked down, made a negligent wave toward her leg. “It’s nothing.”
Saul entered the foyer. She turned and again stepped backward.
Rio’s worlds collided—fantasy against reality.
Cassie was his fantasy. She’d been the center of his dreams for months. Dreams that had been sustaining him since he’d last seen her.
Saul was his reality. The man he’d committed to build into Baja’s premier terrorist smuggler in hopes of tearing him down and turning him over to US authorities. A reality that had taken a very long year to construct. A reality that could kill him if he didn’t give it his absolute undivided attention.
“Cassandra.” Saul had his smile amped to its brightest setting. “This is a surprise.”
She realigned her shoulders like a soldier, her body one stiff line of challenge. “I don’t know how that’s possible, since we discussed my visit just last week.”
Rio crossed his arms. They’d spoken only a week ago? So, Saul was still keeping information from him. And here Rio thought he’d finally gained the man’s trust.
Saul slid his hands into the pockets of his slacks and rolled back on his heels. Even at the end of the day, the man appeared polished and pressed, every hair in place, every fold in his dress slacks crisp. “But I thought we decided that you would hire someone to finish the clinic.”
“No, Saul.” Cassie’s tone held something edgy, either hate or disgust. Rio couldn’t tell which. But as long as it wasn’t aimed at him, he liked it. “I was very clear. I told you I was going to handle this project myself.”
“Nonsense. There’s no need to take time from your busy schedule. If supervision is needed, I’ll find—”
“No, thank you. I’m here, and I’m staying.”
Rio’s muscles tensed. He pulled his inner cheek between his teeth and watched for Saul’s reaction. If this was how they were going to continue interacting, Rio would definitely have problems.
But Saul kept himself together. Kept the smile in place. Kept his voice smooth. “Of course, mija, of course. Whatever you want. I’m only trying to help.” He tipped his head, and the smile faltered a little. “Darling, you know how I feel about baseball hats. And in the house? Please, take that off.”
Cassie didn’t even acknowledge his statement. She shot a suspicious glance at Rio, then directed her question to Saul. “Is there something going on here that I should know about? Who is this, and why is he here? Is there anyone else in the house?”
Rio fought a wince. He hadn’t really expected her to remember him. Had he?
“No,” Saul said, “just Rio and me. You remember Rio Santana.”
“No, Saul. Since you fired Lorena, I don’t know anything about your employees.”
“I already explained, Cassandra, I didn’t fire Lorena.” The slight edge in Saul’s voice made Rio’s focus sharpen. “After Alejandra passed, she wanted to move on and take care of her own family. You and Santos were grown and gone. She wanted to find somewhere she could be more useful. Her granddaughters are still young.”
Rio watched Cassie tap her foot on the tile, expression blank.
“And Rio’s the head of my security.” Saul’s expression dropped into practiced grief. “He brought you home from the cemetery after the funerals, but, of course, you were too distraught that day to remember.”
Cassie’s foot stopped tapping. Her body went still. And Rio immediately sensed danger. Danger of the emotional kind. He didn’t know her. Didn’t know why he thought she would pitch a fit. But if their situations were reversed and he discovered he’d leaned on an employee of his enemy, yeah, he’d be livid.
Only, when she turned to look at him, anger wasn’t what he saw. Her face had opened. And with the tension gone, her cheeks were smooth, her lips full, her chin soft. And her eyes…her eyes lit with surprise, but also…affection? No. That couldn’t be right. But, he could swear that was warmth hiding in the shadows beneath the ball cap.
His heart didn’t beat quite right.
“You’re…” she started, her voice soft and unsure, so drastically different from how she’d been talking since she’d walked in. “You…?”
Christ, nothing like a roller-coaster ride when you weren’t expecting it. Now he felt nauseated, because what the hell could he do with that little window of opportunity? Nothing. He could do absolutely nothing.
“Yes, Ms. Christo.” He had no idea where he found this boy-Friday, I-was-just-doing-my-job voice. “I brought you home.”
Sometimes at night when he remembered that day, the memories of dragging her up from the dirt where she’d curled beside her mother’s open grave were so vivid he could almost relive the moment. He could almost still hear the sorrow in her sobs. Almost still smell her rose-sweet perfume as he’d helped her stand. Almost still feel her body pressed against his as he held her close. So close.
She fit him so perfectly.
He watched the memory of their tentative but compelling connection return. At least it had been compelling for him. Cassie had given him someone to grieve with. Really, truly grieve. Not all the fake tears people who’d barely known Alejandra and Santos had cried that day, but someone who’d loved them as much, or more, than Rio had. Of course, she hadn’t known that at the time. Still didn’t know.
But Rio knew. She was the first person he’d opened up to in years. The first woman he’d shared anything meaningful with in a decade.
Pathetic. Screwed. But true.
For the briefest moment, her features gentled. Emotion washed across her pretty face in miniature waves—shock, disbelief, confusion, gratitude, longing. That was when he saw the woman she’d been that day, the one who’d kept this hope burning inside him for months on end—the woman who’d needed him. She’d had her stepfather, her aunt, her cousins to lean on, but she’d turned to him. She’d needed him above everyone else.
As if she could read his thoughts, an unmistakable shot of embarrassment wiped all the other emotions away. And as quickly as those warm feelings opened her face, shame, disappointment, and hurt closed it off. Then her sharp gaze blazed with anger before she tightened her lips, twisted back toward Saul, and reset her shoulders.
“Why was someone handling security acting like a chauffeur at the funerals?”
“He was merely following orders.” Saul’s practiced performance didn’t waver. “I assigned him to your protection.”
Her brows shot up as if the idea were ridiculous. “Protection?”
“I didn’t tell you, because I knew you’d only fuss over the idea. But, mija”—Saul’s voice lowered in false grief—“after losing Alejandra and Santos, I coul
dn’t take any chances with you.”
“Was there a threat I didn’t know about?”
Rio should think of Saul’s stupid mouth as job security, but this entire mission could have been over by now if Saul wasn’t so impulsive. So distrustful. So secretive. Yet, if it had ended sooner, Rio wouldn’t have met Cassie. Then again, Alejandra and Santos would still be alive.
He couldn’t win.
Rio cleared his throat to interrupt the direction of their conversation. “Can I get anyone something to drink?”
Cassie’s gaze shot to his, burned there a second as if she were trying to decide whether to start a whole new fight with him or focus on the current one with Saul.
“Well?” she prodded Saul. “What happened that made you think we needed security?”
He shrugged. “At that point, we didn’t know what had happened, mija.”
“We still don’t know what happened.” She crossed her arms. “Unless you’ve received a settlement from the insurance company or word from the investigators that I don’t know about. Have you?”
Relentless. She was relentless. And that confidence and fire was off-the-charts sexy. While he’d found the fragile, sweet woman at the cemetery that day heartbreakingly precious, this one was far more exciting. This one, standing her ground and holding on to what was rightfully hers while taunting the devil incarnate with a filthy baseball hat and a nasty attitude.
The only problem was, now that she’d seen Rio with Saul, he would forever be one of Satan’s demons in her mind. His chance for anonymity had passed. That dream he’d had of finding her in San Diego when this mission was over, of getting a fresh start with a few normal dates…
Dead.
In the water.
“No,” Saul said. “Nothing has changed. I know you want answers, Cassandra, but life doesn’t always work out the way we want it to.”
She smiled, slow and cunning. “That’s a wise piece of advice, Saul. I hope you keep your own counsel.”
Something about that expression on a woman with her personality made Rio distinctly uncomfortable. Since she was obviously going to be trouble, he had to determine just how much. “What clinic are you talking about?”
Saul glanced his way. “Cassandra’s building a medical clinic downtown.”
“Really.” Rio pocketed his hands and fisted them until they ached. Saul had omitted far more information than a casual visit. “This is the first I’ve heard of it. So you’ll be here a few days?”
She fixed him with a veiled, cool look. “More like a few months.”
The wheels of Rio’s brain hitched. Months? Months? Hell no.
“Um…” He cleared his throat. “I don’t know what your plans are, but you need to realize it’s really dangerous here right now.”
“It’s always been dangerous here. Just because the American media is focusing on it now doesn’t mean it was any less dangerous when I was growing up here.” Her gaze never left Rio’s, its intensity making him feel as if they were alone. Or maybe that was just him, wishing they were alone. “Which is all the more reason this clinic needs to get up and running. Gang activity hurts the community. Tourism drops; people lose their jobs and can’t afford medical care. Or they get hurt or sick and don’t know who to trust to take care of them. Todos de Santos will fill those needs.”
Saul clapped his hands together and took a step forward. “I’m sure you’ll have everything done much sooner than you expect. You always were an overachiever. Why don’t you…?” He gestured toward the guest wing, then seemed to take his first good look at Cassie. “My dear, you look like you’ve been working the fields. What…?” He took a half step back. “Is that blood?”
She looked down at her legs. “I told…”—she glanced at Rio without looking up—“Rio…it’s nothing. There was an accident on the freeway. A truck turned over on the median. I stopped to help. At least one woman died for sure, but I suspect there were more.” She straightened. “In fact, the truck was filled with women headed toward the border, and at least one of the men driving had a weapon. Obviously a human-smuggling operation.”
She was the someone Tomás had told him about. Rio clenched his teeth when he really wanted to scream. Holy Mary, mother of God. What were the chances? Rio pulled one hand from his pocket to rub his neck. The thought of her out there on the highway, in the dark, with the likes of Pedro, made his blood simmer. Thank God Tomás had been there, or Cassie probably wouldn’t be here now.
“Of course.” Saul smiled. “You never could ignore someone in need. A heart twice the size of Texas, your mother always said. Get a nice shower and some well-deserved sleep. We’ll talk everything over at breakfast tomorrow. You must be exhausted.”
Ignoring her stepfather’s direction—again—she turned an agitated gaze on Rio. “At the funerals, you said you were a chauffeur.”
“I apologize for any misunderstanding.” He forced his voice steady and flat. The last complication he needed was Saul reading Rio’s interest in Cassie. “But I can assure you, I never said that.”
The softness Rio had seen in her face vanished, and refreshed determination tightened her lips. She turned away and hoisted all three bags over slender shoulders.
“You’re right about one thing, Saul—I’ve had one hellish day. But we’ll have to discuss things at dinner tomorrow night. I’ve got a lot to do, and I’m getting an early start.”
“Of course, whatever works best. The guest suite is all ready for you. Marta always plans for the unexpected.”
“Oh, yes, Marta, Lorena’s replacement.” Cassie’s heavy-lidded gaze lazed toward Saul again. “Where did you tell me Lorena went?”
“Lorena retired to look after her grandchildren.” Saul smiled, the tilt of his head indulgent as if drawing endless patience for a trying child. “Good night, Cassandra. We’ll talk tomorrow.”
Worry tingled in the back of Rio’s mind at the second mention of Lorena. She had financial incentive to stay quiet about the discomfort at the house before Alejandra’s and Santos’s deaths, but Rio also knew Lorena and Cassie were tight. Like loving grandmother-granddaughter tight. And if anyone could coax information out of sealed mouths, he had a feeling it would be Cassie.
She darted a glance between Saul and Rio. “How much longer will you two be…working?”
“We’re just finishing our business, mija. Not long.”
“You…aren’t expecting anyone else?”
“No one else, Cassandra,” Saul said. “I’ll make sure Rio locks up the house on his way out. I know how you worry.”
Rio held his tongue until the door at the far end of the hall shut, followed by the click, click of the suite’s double locks.
Rio crossed his arms and dug his fists into the bend of his elbows, holding back the need to pound some sense into Saul’s perfectly designed face. “We can’t have her here now. You know that. We’ve only got a week until the Syrians dock. That kind of transfer is complicated. We need all our lines of communications open. We can’t be sneaking around behind closed doors, worried about who will hear what.”
His boss turned from watching Cassie’s retreat. His smile melted into a grim line, his eyes hard and black. The familiar shift never failed to amaze Rio and sometimes still raised the hair on his neck.
“I tried to talk her out of coming.” Saul’s fingers contracted one by one like a spider’s crawl until his hands formed knots at his sides. “But that girl is just like her mother, does any goddamned thing she wants. Spoiled bitch.”
“There are other concerns.” He dropped his arms and blew out a breath, his frustration growing. Saul wasn’t seeing the magnitude of this problem. “We should talk about this in your office.”
“Fine.” Saul turned and started in that direction.
Rio looked down the hall at Cassie’s closed door. No way could he wait until tomorrow night at dinner to have another discussion with her about heading home. There was far too much at risk.
“Yes, I’m fine.
I wasn’t involved in the accident,” Cassie reassured her best friend back home in San Diego for the third time. The warm ocean wind buffeted the mouthpiece of her phone, and she turned to block the breeze. “I just want you to use your connections to get information for me so I can find the guys who were. What good is a friend who’s an attorney if I can’t use her once in a while? You’d be a royal pain in the ass otherwise.”
“You mean like you are every day?” Natalie Brogan asked, the sound of computer keys tapping in the background. “Which email did you send it to? My personal or the firm?”
“The firm. It’s a big file, and I was afraid to send to your Yahoo account.” Cassie stood on the beach, one hand pressed to the rough rock outcropping, and looked out at the dark ocean where whitecaps had just started to form. “I was also worried about security.”
“For God’s sake, Cassie, you haven’t even been there three damn hours.”
“You make it sound like I look for trouble.”
“I haven’t decided if you look for it or if it finds you. I wish you’d taken me with you. Or let Mike help you deal with Saul.”
Cassie smiled, thinking of Nat’s husband, Mike. He was bigger than two of Saul put together. And as a detective for the San Diego Police, he could be damned intimidating. Unfortunately, intimidation would only be a temporary fix where Saul was concerned.
“Mike did help me,” Cassie said. “He hooked me up with the PIs. Without that, I’d have nothing. And we both know you can’t take time from your practice right now.”
“I got the email. Opening it now.”
“Oh, Nat.” Cassie straightened. “Before you play that vid—”
“Oh my God.”
Too late. “Sorry. I should have warned you sooner.”
“What the hell, Cassie? Why did you stop?”
Cassie pulled the phone away from her ear as she lifted her hands in frustration and rolled her eyes. Into the phone she said, “It was a car accident with injuries and no medical help on scene. I’m a doctor. I know you can add two and two Nat. Do you think I would have stopped if I’d known?”
