by Linda Warren
Usually Valerie was very understanding about his work. But today, her understanding didn’t stretch to him spending time with an old love. He flipped onto his side, knowing he could control the situation, but that was hard to explain to Valerie. This was just a case and he would treat it like all the rest. There was no need for his emotions to get involved.
He closed his eyes and let the world drift away. He needed rest to cope with tomorrow. As sleep tugged at him, he saw Valerie’s beautiful face and his body relaxed. The image was quickly replaced by Myra’s darker features, and blood pounded through his veins in remembered passion. He hated that he couldn’t control his reaction. He hated that he couldn’t completely erase her from his mind.
* * *
LEVI AWOKE AT four and headed to the kitchen to make coffee and soon realized there was no coffee or a coffeemaker. He’d forgotten. Myra always drank Starbucks. Damn it! He needed coffee.
He grabbed his clothes and headed upstairs to take a shower. The bath downstairs was only a half bath. The house was dark but he could find his way. A small night-light lit the hall. The tougher-than-rawhide prosecutor needed a night-light? Go figure.
After locating the bath, he took a quick shower and slipped into his clothes. He didn’t shave because he wanted to be as scruffy as possible. Leaving the bath, he walked down the hall to her bedroom and flipped on the light. The only color in the big white bed was her dark brown hair splayed across the pillows.
“Wake up. We need to be on the road. You have five minutes. No makeup and old clothes.”
A moan came from the bed.
“If you’re not downstairs in five minutes, I’m leaving without you.”
Taking the stairs two at a time, he thought he should go alone. She was only going to slow him down, but if he left without her, he knew her well enough to know she would follow. And he didn’t need any sudden surprises in a dangerous situation.
He folded the sheet and the blanket and left them neatly on the sofa. As he put his iPad in the backpack, she came downstairs in jeans and a multicolored blouse. He’d forgotten how good she looked in jeans, all curvy, all woman.
She sat in a chair to put on her hiking boots. Her hair was all over the place, hiding her expression. He placed his hands on his hips and watched, not sure she was even awake. After lacing up the boots, she whipped her hair into a ponytail without even brushing it. Her olive complexion, dark eyes and eyebrows showed she had no need for makeup. She looked beautiful without it. Maybe too beautiful for his peace of mind.
“I’m ready.”
“Do you by any chance have coffee hidden somewhere in this place?”
“I always go to Starbucks before work. There’s one just around the corner.”
“It’s 4:20 a.m. We’ll have to stop at a convenience store. Let’s go.”
“Wait.” She darted for the stairs. “I have to get my bag.” She came back down with a bag and a pillow.
“Do you have your passport and driver’s license?”
“Yes.”
He didn’t say anything else, just held the door open. The warm September morning embraced them. The landscaping lights lit their way. He walked to his truck and they crawled inside.
She clicked her seat belt, stuffed the pillow against the window and laid her head against it. “Wake me when it’s daylight. Oh, turn right at the corner and, once you run over the sensor, the gate will open.”
“Thanks.” He drove out of the apartment complex and found a convenience store as fast as he could. While she slept, he went inside and ordered a large coffee and two tacos. Back in his truck, he slipped in a Zac Brown Band CD and headed for Brownsville. Sipping coffee and listening to the music, he was at peace with the world for a brief moment.
Myra woke up before they reached Victoria and was immediately on the phone checking on Natalie and Stu.
“How is she?” he asked when she put her phone down.
“The same.”
“How did she get mixed up with someone like Marco Mortez?”
“She and some girls from the office went to a car show at the George R. Brown Convention Center. Marco was there and they hit it off. They went out and then he started coming back to see her. She was so in love she couldn’t see the real Marco. The next thing I knew, he was staying at her apartment when he was in town. It was all downhill from there. He was very controlling, especially after the baby was born.”
“Why didn’t they get married?”
“She kept waiting for him to take her to meet his family, but he always made excuses.”
“Maybe he’s already married.”
“Yeah. I thought of that, but I couldn’t find any record of a marriage.”
“He probably has a Mexican wife.”
“Mmm. Could we please stop at a Starbucks? I really need coffee.”
“We’re about twenty miles from Victoria. We’ll stop then, but only for a few minutes. Why don’t you have coffee in your apartment?”
“I get a latte on the way to work.”
“What about when you have a man over? Every man I know wants coffee first thing in the morning.”
“Not all,” she said with a teasing note in her voice. “I’m all the stimulation they need.”
He kept his eyes on the road and refused to react to the taunt. It brought back too many memories of waking up in her arms and needing nothing but her kisses.
His cell beeped, indicating he had a message. He opened it to read: I’m just worried about you. That’s all. I love you. V.
He relaxed. Everything he wanted waited for him in Willow Creek. Now he had to get Myra out of his life forever.
Pulling into Victoria, he stopped at a red light and searched on his cell for a Starbucks. “Not many Starbuckses in Victoria. The only one I can find is on Navarro and out of our way.”
“Please.”
He tried to ignore that pleading note in her voice and failed. He turned off the highway and zoomed toward Navarro. Myra went inside for coffee and then they were on the road again.
“I heard that Jessie got married.” He thought it best if they kept the conversation on neutral ground.
“To Cadde Hardin. They have two boys a year apart. She’s happy.”
“And doesn’t need you to mother her anymore.”
“I didn’t mother her,” she snapped.
“You called her at least twice a day.”
“Jessie had a very sad life. I just wanted...”
“To mother her,” he finished, and glanced at her to see those dark eyes boring into him like hot coals. But it didn’t stop him. “Just like you’re doing with Natalie now. You say you don’t want children, but you sure have a lot of motherly instincts.”
So much for neutral. Everything came back to the two of them and their relationship.
She twisted the coffee cup in her hand. “Could we talk about what happened between us?”
He froze for a moment, not expecting her to take the conversation further. “No. The past is done. We can’t go back and change a thing, so it’s useless to talk about it.”
“Sorry, I can’t accept that. I need to talk about it. Since we’ve both moved on, I don’t see the problem.”
He wasn’t having this conversation. He’d put it behind him and he wasn’t dredging up those old feelings of pain and disillusionment.
“All I have to do is concentrate on the job ahead of me. That’s it. I don’t need you doing a number on my head.”
“Levi...”
He swung into a parking lot. “This is what we need. A resale shop.” He looked at the sign on the door. “It’s open. Maybe we can find you some grungy clothes.”
“This isn’t over, Levi.”
“It is. You get one favor from me and going into Mexico is it
.” He turned off the engine and got out of the truck. She trudged after him.
The place smelled old and mothy. A big sign hung from the ceiling. All Clothes Have Been Washed. Clothes were stuffed onto racks and were stacked on top of them, too. Two women at the counter were tagging more for sale.
“We’re looking for women’s jeans and shirts,” he said to one of the women.
She pointed to a rack and he and Myra went to look. He pulled out a couple of pairs that looked worn.
Myra frowned when he held them up. “What?”
“A size fourteen. Do I look like a size fourteen?”
“Oh, I didn’t check. Pick a size.”
She said something under her breath he didn’t catch, and reached for a pair. They were worn with holes in both knees and frayed at the cuffs. “Will these work?”
“Perfect,” he replied, and pulled a faded blue chambray shirt off a rack. “And this.”
While she tried them on, he found an old hat for himself and a pair of sneakers for her.
Myra came out and twirled around. “How’s this?”
He could only stare. How did she manage to look so attractive in old rags? The blue of the shirt brought out the smoothness of her skin and the brightness of her eyes. The jeans emphasized her curves just as the other jeans had.
“Maybe we should have gone with the size fourteen and a belt.”
She lifted an eyebrow and he knew she knew he hadn’t forgotten a single curve on her body. That threw him. He loved Valerie and was planning a life with her. How could he remember Myra so vividly? For the first time, he wondered how deep his feelings were for Val.
Just as quickly as the thought shot through him, it disappeared. He wouldn’t let Myra get to him.
CHAPTER SIX
THE REST OF the way to Brownsville was made mostly in silence. Myra was on her phone and Levi stared broodingly ahead. The land wasn’t much to look at, mostly flat, but the nearer they drew to the big city, the more the landscape was dotted with lush palms.
Myra insisted on washing the clothes and Levi didn’t object. They found a Laundromat and then had lunch at a hamburger place next door.
Even though she was hungry, Myra picked at her food.
“Eat. You’ll need your strength for later,” he said in that I-couldn’t-care-less voice.
She took a sip of her tea. “I’m just nervous about what lies ahead.”
He looked up. “Are you changing your mind?”
“No, but I would like to know what to expect. You have a plan, so what is it?”
He wolfed down the rest of his burger, took a swallow of tea and wiped his mouth. His movements were sure, confident. He did everything that way. She could watch him all day, which she should avoid doing for her own peace of mind.
“I’ve been in contact with a used car dealer and I’ll be picking up an old truck. I’d rather not take mine, which is too new. I’ll leave it in his lot. When we cross the border, our story will be that we’re husband and wife.”
Her heart gave a little jolt at that.
“We’re hiding out in Matamoras because I’m running from the law.”
“What did you do?” She knew he had it planned out to the last detail.
“Stabbed a man in Corpus Christi.”
“Why am I with you?”
“You’re my wife. Why would I leave you behind?”
“Usually people running from the law don’t take family members with them.”
“You do if you’re afraid the police might arrest them since they were at the scene and might have information about the crime.”
She nodded. “Okay. That should work, but who’ll be that interested?”
“Once we’re there, I’ll have to buy a gun and we’ll need a place to stay. They’ll ask questions.”
“Oh.”
“But we won’t ask questions.”
“How will we find out anything?”
“I’ll handle the conversations. You just stay close to me. Mortez is well-known in the town and we don’t want to throw up any red flags.”
She glanced at her watch. “I better put the clothes in the dryer. I’ll be right back.”
It didn’t take her long and soon she slid back into her side of the booth. Levi was on the phone. She could hear his side of the conversation.
“Do you have my location?...Okay. We’ll be crossing the border about two. I’ll let you know if we run into any trouble....Today should go fine. It’s tomorrow I’m worried about. I’ll stay in touch....No.” Levi chuckled. “I’m not interested in a trip to Monterey. I got all I can handle right here. Thanks, friend.”
“Who was that?” she asked.
Levi slipped his phone into his pocket. “Turner Pettibone. His family has a charter service and flies people everywhere. He flies into Mexican resorts and I thought he might come in handy if we run into trouble and can’t get back to the truck. It’s just a backup plan.”
“You mean he’ll fly in with a helicopter or something to pick us up?”
“Yes.”
“Is that legal?”
“I’m not worried about legal. I’m worried about surviving, but I do have to have my phone for that plan to work. That reminds me, I need to buy a map of Mexico. I have a GPS on my phone, but I want to back it up with something analog.”
He really had thought of everything. She felt better, but this was only the beginning.
She changed into the old clothes in the bathroom at the Laundromat. The sneakers were much more comfortable than the boots. She didn’t argue about wearing them. She had faith in Levi’s instincts.
They spent time at the car lot while they changed trucks and filled out paperwork. Levi wanted to take make sure the 1990 Chevy truck would get them there. After that, they found a coffee shop that allowed computer usage. Levi filled out the forms online to cross the border and paid a fee to use the printer to make copies. They were set to go.
Levi went over again how careful they had to be and soon they were on U.S. 77 and headed for the Veteran’s Bridge. Her nerves were jiggy, but that was understandable.
Cars and trucks waited in line to pay the toll to cross the bridge into Mexico and they followed them through, paying when it was their turn. Once they drove over the bridge, the Immigration and Custom checkpoints were easy to spot.
Levi pulled into a parking area and walked to a small bank branch to get pesos if they needed them. He said American cash was welcome, even preferred, by many Mexicans, but he wanted to be prepared. Finally, they left Immigration for Matamoras.
The highway was much the same as in Brownsville. Almost immediately the landscape changed to narrow streets and conjested traffic. In a market area vendors were selling Mexican crafts, trinkets, clay pots and everything imaginable. Tourists milled around. Levi drove slow so as not to hit anyone.
Houses were jammed together in the brightest colors she’d ever seen—pink to blue to yellow to purple and red and everything in between. With the small streets and so many people out and about, she had a claustrophobic feeling.
Most of the buildings were run-down and some were boarded up. People were dressed much as they were, and small children ran around in nothing but shorts. Stray dogs were everywhere. Levi pulled into a store parking area, looking at his phone.
“Mortez’s home is north of here.”
“We’re going there now?”
He glanced at her. “I just want to get a feel for the place.”
They drove through a residential area of more small, colorful concrete houses. As they turned a corner, the Mortez house rose up out of nowhere. It looked exactly like the picture, except much scarier. It was set on more land than the other houses and the stone fence really made it stand out. A guard stood sentry at the gate.
“What are they hiding in there?”
“Drugs,” he replied. “Drugs people kill for. Some of those boarded-up buildings we saw are drug houses. Mortez probably supplies them.”
“I wonder if Daniel is there?”
“Tomorrow we’ll cautiously watch the house, but we don’t want anyone catching us at it. Before I came to your apartment yesterday, I blew up a photo of the security cameras and was able to identify the manufacturer. If I can get close enough, I might be able to turn them off with my phone.”
“Really? Do you ever get arrested for this kind of stuff?”
“Nah.” His lips curved into a smile and her heart knocked against her ribs. “I’m sneaky. Now—” he looked over his shoulder “—we better find a place to spend the night.”
“I saw a hotel when we crossed the border, and there’s a Holiday Inn here, too. I was planning to stay there.”
He turned the truck around. “We’re not staying at a Holiday Inn. That will blow our down-on-our-luck story. It has to be someplace seedy.”
“Oh, God. Did I ever tell you I hate cockroaches?”
“Just think of them as pets that need love, too.”
She made a face at him and thought how handsome he was when he let down his guard. The five-o’clock-shadow thingy gave him a Blake Shelton look. His brown hair had a slight curl to it and it was longer than she’d ever seen it. It curled against his neck, giving him a roguish appeal.
He drove into an older, busy part of the city. Mexicans were everywhere trying to sell goods to anyone who would stop. A few bars or cafés had open patios where customers drank and talked loudly. Some of the patrons were a little frightening with their unkempt appearances and somber expressions. On every corner something was happening.
Levi parked the truck. “I’m going to do a little listening. Keep the doors locked.” He reached for the old hat he’d bought and settled it on his head. “What do you think?”
“You’ll fit right in. Do you speak any Spanish?”
“What I learned from you.”
“I didn’t teach you any Spanish.”
