“So you’re not going through with it?” she asked, her voice hopeful.
Ramos shook his head. “Knowing he’s out to kill me isn’t going to stop me from going ahead with the deal, but it will make all the difference in the outcome. I’m sure of that.”
Shelby let out her breath, clearly unhappy with his decision. Then she glanced up at him with a gleam in her eyes. “Maybe I should come with you. I could warn you.”
Ramos’s brows rose. Was she out of her mind? Not only would he have to worry about getting killed himself, but he’d have to keep her from getting killed, too. “I don’t think that’s a good idea, but I appreciate the thought.”
Her gaze dropped, and she shrugged like she didn’t care, but he knew he’d hurt her feelings. Still…he didn’t want her to get hurt, and he hoped she knew that.
“I know…it’s okay.” She caught his gaze and her lips tilted into that sweet smile that always caught at his heartstrings. “I understand. Besides, you’ve got a back-up plan, right?”
“Yeah,” he agreed, careful not to think about his plan. “I’ll be fine.”
“Good.”
“So…what did you pick up from Sloan?” Then he couldn’t help adding, “Besides her ulterior motives to get me in the sack?”
Shelby rolled her eyes and shook her head. “Uh…she’s honest about catching these guys, so that’s good. But she’s worried that Carlos might try something. I picked up that she’s really gone out on a limb to catch him, so I think there might be more to it. It’s almost like she’s out for revenge for some reason. But maybe that’s how she feels about all the bad guys.” She caught Ramos’s gaze. “Except for you, of course.”
He grinned, and she shook her head, then leaned her shoulder next to his and kept her gaze on her bottle of water. “She’s also worried about her team and how they might react toward you if something goes wrong.”
Shelby pulled away and glanced up at him. “So, now it looks like you have to worry about both sides coming after you. This is terrible. It’s like you’re in this totally alone. You really should consider calling the deal off.”
He hated dashing her hopes, but he wasn’t about to do that. “You’re forgetting something.”
“What?”
“I’m used to people wanting me dead. That’s the kind of life I lead…remember?” He’d never forget the day he’d met Shelby, and he’d killed a man to save her life. She shouldn’t either. “So what else did you get from Sloan?”
Shelby let out a disappointed sigh. “Uh…she seemed genuinely relieved that she could be by your side during the exchange, not just to watch her men, but to keep an eye on you, too. As far as the money goes, she doesn’t have a problem with you getting it, as long as she doesn’t lose the weapons.”
“That’s good.”
“There’s one more thing.” Shelby glanced away and chewed on her bottom lip.
“What?”
She let out a breath and caught his gaze. “She’s hiding something from you. I’m not sure what it is, but I think it’s something that might be important to you personally. And it’s…something from your past.”
Ramos nodded. “I already knew that. I found some papers at her place with my former last name on them. And get this; they came from the Orlando police department. I’d like to know why she’s looking into my background.”
Shelby’s eyes widened with surprise. “Yeah…no kidding. Do you think she’s trying to find some dirt on you so she can set you up?”
He chuckled. “Babe. She wouldn’t need to look into my background for dirt.”
“Oh…right,” she said. “Well, then I hope she’s not trying to build a case to put you in prison or something.”
“We have a deal,” Ramos said, needing to come to Sloan’s defense.
“Yeah…well…then I hope she sticks to it.”
Ramos frowned at Shelby’s skepticism, mostly because it mirrored his own. He knew he couldn’t trust Sloan, even if he wanted to. Still, something about her begged him to try. But was it worth the risk? Probably not. “I’ll make sure she can’t touch me…at least in that sense.”
Shelby rolled her eyes, picking up his hint. “Yeah…whatever.” She opened her mouth to say something, then just as quickly closed it.
“What?” Ramos asked.
“Nothing.”
“There’s something else you picked up from her. What is it?”
“I’m not sure I should tell you,” she said.
“Is it about the deal?”
“No.”
“Oh…so it’s personal?” He grinned, picking up Shelby’s discomfort. “After Mexico, I never thought I’d see her again. Did she miss me?”
“I’m not talking to you about that, so you’ll just have to figure it out for yourself. Just make sure she doesn’t double-cross you. And don’t let Carlos kill you, either.”
“I have a plan that neither of them will know about, so I’ll be fine.”
Shelby lifted her brow. “You can say that, but we both know you only sort of have a plan. That’s not the same thing.”
Ramos narrowed his gaze and held hers until she squirmed. He didn’t need her telling him what to do. He had it under control. Sure, he had some loose ends to tie up, but now that he knew what Carlos intended, he’d work it out.
“Okay. Fine,” Shelby said, picking up his thoughts. “Then I guess you don’t need me anymore.”
She stood to leave, and a stab of remorse rushed over him. “Shelby,” he said, catching her arm and standing beside her. “Thanks for coming tonight. I mean it.”
She kept her gaze averted, then slowly turned her face toward his. Their gazes met and something unfurled in Ramos’s heart. He knew Shelby truly cared about him, without any strings attached. It filled him with warmth.
“Just…promise me you’ll be careful,” Shelby said.
“I will.” Ramos’s gaze drifted to her lips. This close, it would be so easy to lean down and kiss her.
With a small gasp, Shelby pulled away, breaking the spell. He shook his head and shrugged. Knowing she was probably listening to his thoughts, he tried to cover how much she rattled him by giving her a sexy grin. “Hey, give me a break. I might die tomorrow.”
She shook her head at his attitude and kept backing up. “Uh…I’d better go.” Her back foot caught the chair leg and knocked it sideways. She reached out to grab it and then shoved it toward the table between them. “Uh…good luck tomorrow.” She grabbed her coat from the coatrack and pulled the door open.
Ricky straightened from his stance on the other side of the door and stepped inside the room. “Ready to go?”
“Yeah,” she answered.
“You should go out the back way, in case anyone’s watching,” Ramos said.
“Okay,” she agreed. “Bye.” With one last glance at him, Shelby disappeared out the door.
Ramos blew out a breath, knowing he walked a fine line with her. As much as he liked teasing her, he didn’t want to let his emotions get involved. She meant more to him than someone to toy with, so even though it bolstered his ego that he could get under her skin, it wasn’t something he should take advantage of. She was a good person and deserved better.
From the beginning, Shelby had treated him differently. She always looked at him as a good person first, where most everyone else always saw the bad. At least for her, he wanted to be a better person. Because of that, he needed to treat her right and not step across the line.
But none of that applied to someone like Carlos. Ramos knew he wouldn’t hesitate to kill Carlos if he had to. Now that he knew Carlos’s true intentions, it was time to figure out a plan to make sure Carlos didn’t get the chance to kill Ramos first.
Despite the late hour, he called an old friend, who was happy to sell him what he needed, and left the club to pick it up. For the first time that day, something settled inside him. With a grim smile, he even looked forward to the confrontation with Carlos. It might be tricky to put h
is plan into action, and he might not even need it if Sloan was true to her word, but it would still be there just in case.
Chapter 4
The sun was shining bright at three-thirty the next afternoon. But, with the temperature in the mid-thirties, it was cold enough to see his breath. Ramos parked his car about a block away from the paint factory and pulled out the burner phone. He wanted to make sure Sloan knew he was coming so none of her people would take a shot at him.
“It’s me,” he said. “I’m here. Is it safe to come in?”
“Yes, of course. We’ve been expecting you.”
He disconnected and, with his lips pressed into a grim line, he turned down the street and onto the property. It had taken him most of the morning to gather everything he needed for his plan. He’d also taken extra precautions with his equipment, wearing his high-grade Kevlar vest under his black utility jacket. His cargo pants held all kinds of hidden compartments where he kept a small supply of knives, wire, and money.
But nothing compared to the guns he had strapped to his side and ankle, or the AK-47 in the trunk of his car, along with the crate that held his biggest surprise. He figured Sloan would have a gun or two for him, but he wasn’t about to leave his survival up to her.
He’d spent a small fortune on his black utility boots, which he’d had specially made a few years ago. They contained all kinds of places for sharp-edged knives, razors, and wires, things that no one would ever find. He’d learned from experience that it never hurt to be over-the-top when it came to being prepared, and today was one of those days.
Sloan stood in front of the big truck, and he pulled up beside her and stopped. She wore all black, with a warm jacket and a beanie hat pulled over her head. A rifle hung from her shoulder, and her smile reminded him of the first time he’d ever seen her.
She’d been dressed the same way then, only with her hair in a ponytail. That same fierce smile brought back all of his memories of working with her, and the torrid affair they’d had. Now, here they were again. Only this time was different, and he had to remember that.
He got out of the car, noting the four men and one woman that stood together around the truck. That was one more than she’d told him. They glanced his way with suspicion as well as curiosity, sizing him up.
Sloan came to his side and introduced him to her team, making sure to mention that, without him, none of this would be happening. They nodded, but didn’t offer to shake hands or get too close. “We’ve unloaded a few of the crates and opened them for Carlos,” she said.
At the back of the truck, Ramos looked them over, a little amazed that she had managed to get her hands on these military-grade weapons. “That’s quite the arsenal. I can’t believe your superiors let you take these.” He caught her gaze. “If Carlos manages to get away with them…”
“That’s not going to happen,” she broke in, then glanced at her team. “We know the drill, and we’re ready. We’re not going to blow this chance to catch him.”
Ramos raised his brow. He’d never understand why someone like Carlos had to be caught when killing him would do just as well. “So you’re trying to make an example of him?”
“Yes. We’re sending a message to the cartels.”
Ramos nodded, glancing at her team for their reaction. Most of them seemed straight out of boot camp, but an older man with a shaved head held the hard gaze of someone who’d killed before. Ramos sent him a nod and got a small acknowledgement in return.
Satisfied, he glanced into the truck. Several crates were stacked on top of each other, and he knew that would never work. “I can guarantee you that Carlos will want to look through all of those crates. You’ll have to take most of them out, and leave the rest uncovered so he can look inside of them. It will save time to do it now, and we can keep the weapons fairly close to the truck.”
“All right,” Sloan agreed. With the others, she got to work unloading the truck. Ramos took that opportunity to pop open his trunk and snag his rifle. He slung it over his shoulder and waited until no one was watching before unloading the small crate he’d brought. He discreetly set it on the ground beside the others.
His crate matched the others perfectly, although it was a little smaller. If anyone opened it, they’d find it filled with ammo for the M16’s, and never give it a second thought.
Ramos got to work helping unload several more crates until they were all accessible. Then he turned to Sloan. “Have you got a tracker in there somewhere?”
Her eyes widened. “Uh…yeah, I do.”
“Good. While you pry a few of the crates open, I’m going to move my car.”
“You can park it by mine over there.” She pointed to the other side of the office building.
After moving his car, he rejoined the rest of the team at the truck and checked his watch. “It’s time to make the call. Are you ready?”
“I think so,” Sloan said.
Ramos pulled out his cell phone and sent Carlos the text with the address. Carlos responded saying he was on his way. Sloan’s team members dispersed to their positions, with one going to a spot on the warehouse roof, and another to hide behind some barrels closer to the truck. A third person hid inside the office building.
That left four of them beside the truck, all armed and dangerous. Ramos took the extra time to glance inside each of the crates, making sure all of the promised weapons were accounted for. He admired the rocket launchers, and pulled one of them out of the crate, hoisting it to his shoulder with ease.
“You ever fire one of these?” he asked the soldier standing beside him.
“Yes sir,” the man said, his lips curving in a smile. “About knocked me off my feet.”
Ramos chuckled, knowing that feeling well. He put the weapon back in the crate and faced the group. “I have it on good authority that Carlos might want me dead, which I’m afraid could include all of you, so I’d appreciate it if you’d keep your weapons handy.”
None of them showed any surprise at his remark, and he glanced at Sloan. She came to his side and motioned him away from the others. “What makes you think that?” she asked.
“Just something he said last night. Did you ever meet him?”
“Me? No.” She shook her head and glanced away, leaving Ramos suspicious that she was hiding something.
“What’s going on?” he asked.
She opened her mouth to respond, but was interrupted by one of her men. “Here they come.”
Ramos clenched his jaw in frustration, then took his position in front of the group and lowered his rifle. A black SUV, just like the ones favored by the feds, entered the property, and dread coursed down his spine. A moment of sheer panic that Sloan had set him up nearly overwhelmed him, then just as quickly retreated once the car came closer, and he could see Carlos sitting in the passenger side of the front seat.
Swearing in his mind, he couldn’t ignore the irony that he was more relieved to see a Mexican gun dealer who wanted him dead than a federal agent.
The SUV pulled to a stop several feet away, and Carlos, along with four other men, got out of the car. They all had rifles slung across their shoulders and approached him warily. Ramos waited for them to get closer before he eased his finger off the trigger of his rifle.
“They’re all here, just like I promised,” Ramos said to him. “Go ahead and look them over.” He turned to his team and motioned them back. “Give these guys some room.”
After moving a respectful distance, Ramos watched Carlos, along with his second in command, inspect each crate. The other three men kept their gazes glued on Ramos and their rifles ready. It took several minutes before Carlos was satisfied, and the strain between the groups grew. It was enough to fill Ramos with foreboding, and he tensed under the pressure.
At last, Carlos and his men backed away. Ramos relaxed slightly, and moved toward Carlos to meet him halfway between their groups to finish the deal. “Are you satisfied?” Ramos asked.
“Yes. I believe it is all t
here. I just have one favor to ask. As you can see, we have no way to transport them. Would you be willing to include the truck in the transaction?”
“I think so,” Ramos said. “For an extra fifty grand.”
Carlos took a breath and frowned, then he gave Ramos a quick nod. “You drive a hard bargain, but I will add the money. The crates need to be reloaded. I hope you don’t mind if I wait to pay you until the truck is ready to go.”
Ramos couldn’t find anything wrong with that, so he motioned to his team to get started and kept a close watch on Carlos and his men, nodding at Sloan to do the same.
After the truck was reloaded, and the back locked and secured, Carlos took out his phone. “Let me access my bank account, and then you can give me your account number.”
Ramos took out his phone and, at Carlos’s nod, repeated the numbers. Carlos asked for clarification on a couple of numbers. Ramos repeated them again, but unease washed over him. Was Carlos stalling?
Finally, Carlos told Ramos that he’d made the transfer and the money was on the way. Relieved, Ramos watched his screen for the transfer, but after more than a minute, it still hadn’t come.
Suspicion washed over him, and he glanced at Carlos. In that unguarded moment, Ramos caught a gleam of triumph in Carlos’s eyes, and he knew he’d been had. Just as Ramos brought his gun up to fire, Carlos lunged behind one of his men. The bullet hit the man in the chest, and Carlos got a shot off that caught Ramos in his ribs.
The force knocked him back, and he lost his grip on his rifle. Shooting broke out, and two of Carlos’s men went down. Three more came out of the SUV to take their places, and Sloan yelled to take cover.
Huffing with pain, Ramos grabbed his rifle and staggered to a crouch, taking a couple of shots. Under fire, he rushed to take cover behind a group of barrels, grateful he’d worn his bullet-proof vest. He might have a couple of cracked ribs, but at least he wasn’t dead.
Devil in a Black Suit: A Shelby Nichols Adventure Page 5
