A Texas Child

by Linda Warren

  “What are you saying?”

  “I’m saying we have to be very, very careful.”

  She took a long breath and knew this was the most dangerous thing she’d ever attempted in her life. She could turn around now and go home to Texas and leave Daniel with his father. Clarence had said she couldn’t stand it when the bad guys won. He was right. She couldn’t. Marco deserved to be in jail. A sane person would go home. She looked at Levi, whose eyes were boring into her.

  “It’s your call, counselor.”

  “Do you think you can get in undetected?”

  He shrugged. “I’m almost certain, but getting out is another question.”

  She stared into his eyes. “So we have to trust each other.”

  “Now that’s a hell of a mouthful.”

  Myra wiped her hands down her jeans. After coming here, she couldn’t make herself leave. She kept seeing Natalie’s bruised face. She’d put men in prison for lesser crimes.

  “Okay.” She blew out a breath. “Let’s do it. I trust you to get us out.”

  He looked at her as if he was seeing her for the first time since they’d met again. “I could say something scathing here, but I’m not.”

  “Thank you.” She swallowed at the heat in his eyes. “Uh, this may be a moot point since they may not choose me.”

  “Oh, Myra, you really need to look in a mirror.”

  “This isn’t about looks, Levi. And I think I’m beginning to smell.”

  He shook his head with a glint in his eyes. “Have you noticed that most of the women here look tired and beaten down? They’ll definitely pick someone young and fresh, even if she smells a little.”

  “Do I?” She raised her arm and sniffed.

  “Oh, God. Focus, Myra.” He started the truck. “It was your choice not to shower. You do know once you turn on the water, the roaches scurry down the drain?”

  “Eww!” She made a face.

  “Get a grip. You don’t smell. Let’s go back to the hotel and discuss the details, and I don’t mean your fear of roaches.”

  Easy for him, she thought, but if they were still there tonight she might brave it. She wondered what he would say if she asked him to go to the bathroom with her. The urge to laugh out loud was strong. She wouldn’t put him in that position.

  In the room, they went over and over their options. “You’ll have to have another identity other than Myra Delgado. Marco will recognize the name.”

  “Okay. I’ll be Maria Gamez.”

  “People have already seen us together so we’ll have to stick to my story. Hopefully, they won’t ask questions, but you have to be prepared.”

  “So I should go by your last name?”

  “I don’t think that’ll be necessary. You can just say we’re not legally married, just living together, but we don’t want to alert anyone by telling different lies.” He reached into his backpack and pulled out a cell phone. “This is small enough that you can slip it in your sock or your bra just in case they take yours. Or you can tape it to your ankle. It’s a way to stay in touch. Which would you prefer?”

  “Ankle.”

  When he pulled tape out of his backpack, she knew he was prepared for anything. It took a moment to get the small phone situated on the back of her calf above her ankle, but she was ready.

  “Let me have your ID and passport. We don’t want them to have a way to identify you. Once you get in, I can track you at all times. Be sure to turn off your phone so it won’t buzz. If you’re feeling uncomfortable, turn it on so I can hear what’s being said. As soon as it gets dark, I’ll make my way to the house and do my best to turn off the security system. Once I’m in, I can locate you and, with a little luck, we can find Daniel and get out. If we can leave without being detected, we can make it to the border. But if they’re on our tail, we’re going to have a big problem. I’d better talk to Turner.”

  While he was on the phone, she took everything out of her bag that could identify her and placed it on the bed. Her hands shook and she realized this was the beginning of a harrowing day.

  “One more thing,” Levi added as he ended his call to Turner. “If you find out Daniel isn’t there, make an excuse like you’re ill or don’t want the job and get out of there.”

  Within minutes, they were ready to go. Levi still had the bandanna tied around his head and looked dark and dangerous. Thank God he was on her side.

  “Let’s go,” he said, but she hesitated.

  “What’s wrong?”

  She shrugged. “I’m very grateful for what you’re doing.”

  “I don’t want your gratitude, Myra. And we have a long way to go before this is over.”

  “I know, but—” She stepped forward and wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed into his hard frame. She expected him to push her away, but he didn’t. His arms held her tight. His body was strong and muscled and hers reacted to that. It always had. They had this powerful sexual connection. She kissed the warmth of his neck, breathing in the masculine scent of him. Still, he didn’t push her away.

  His beard was rough against her skin and it only egged her on. She touched his lips gently, but the fire was lit and she knew there was never a stopping point for them. He groaned, deepening the kiss with a wild, uncontrollable desire. She floated with the moment, giving, taking, enjoying the taste and feel of him again.

  Finally, he tore his lips away and took a deep breath. “I...”

  “It’s okay, Levi.” Her voice was hoarse with raw emotions churning inside her. “I just had to do that. Sorry if it upsets you.”

  He seemed at a loss for words, but quickly regained his composure. Picking up his backpack, he said, “We better go. The hour is almost up.”

  They drove in silence to where the van was parked. Several Mexican women stood waiting. The men were already talking to them.

  “I better go. I don’t want to be left out.”

  Before she could get out of the truck, he grabbed her arm. “Be careful and—”

  “What?”

  His eyes were dark and it was obvious he was troubled about the kiss. She shouldn’t have done that, but she had to reexperience his touch to sustain her through the dangerous ordeal ahead.

  “I’m...I’m not angry with you anymore.”

  Her body sagged with relief. It was exactly what she needed to hear and he knew that. She climbed out and ran to the women. She glanced back to see Levi leaning against the truck, watching, making sure she was safe. But how long could he do that? Soon she would be on her own. Now she had to put Levi out of her mind and concentrate on the job ahead of her.

  The man was asking questions in rapid-fire Spanish. He pulled a woman aside and waved others away. Myra waited patiently in line.

  When it was her turn, the Mexican looked her up and down. “What’s your name?” he asked in Spanish.

  She stood straight and looked him in the eye. “Maria Gamez.”

  “Can you take care of a baby?”

  A baby? Daniel? Were they looking for someone to care for him? Myra almost cried out in relief, but she couldn’t give herself away. She swallowed and shrugged.

  “Sure, of course. What woman doesn’t know how to care for a kid?”

  “Do you have children?”

  “No.”

  He pointed to the side and she joined the other woman standing there. Actually, she looked more like a girl not more than sixteen. And she seemed frightened to death. Maybe that expression was on her own face, too.

  With two women left to question, the men stepped aside to talk. Myra listened closely and it was hard because they talked so fast.

  “He said someone young and pretty. He doesn’t want an old hag.”

  “Take the one in the shirt. She’ll do. Anyone can take care of a baby.
”

  “I like the young one.”

  Myra frowned. Was she the old one? Okay, not the time to take offense.

  “We’ll take both. Gloria needs help in the kitchen and she’ll be around for our entertainment, too.” The man laughed and Myra shivered.

  One of the men held the door open and gestured for them to get inside. Before she crawled in, she glanced at Levi. He took a step toward her and then stopped. In that moment, she wanted to run to him, but she was in too far and she had to see it through.

  “I’m José and this is Lupe. We’ll be seeing a lot of each other.” They laughed again as if it was a private joke. Jerks.

  The van rolled toward the big house. When they reached the gate, it opened and Lupe drove around to the back. There were several buildings, and Myra noticed men in combat boots and cargo pants. They carried guns. She didn’t have time to look too closely, as they were ushered inside a large kitchen with Mexican tile on the floor.

  A short, plump Mexican woman met them. The same woman she and Levi had noticed going to the grocery store. A large apron covered her dress. “What took so long?” she demanded in Spanish, and Myra had the feeling she was head of the household.

  “We had to talk to the women,” José said, and grinned. “Everyone wants a job.”

  Gloria eyed Myra and then the young girl. “Why you bring someone so young?”

  Lupe snorted. “Maybe I bring her for me.”

  “You sick bastard. Señora Ava will hear about this. She will not like it. Señor César will hear about it then, and you may not have a job tomorrow.”

  “Shut up, Gloria. You’re just a lot of hot air and you better not get us fired.”

  Gloria pointed to the door. “Out, bastards.

  “Come with me,” Gloria said to Myra and the girl, and they followed her to some stairs off the kitchen. The wood in the house was dark and tile covered the stairs, as well.

  As they went up, the young girl whispered to her, “What are they going to do to me?” She spoke in Spanish.

  “Stay close to Gloria and everything will be fine. She’s our ally. What’s your name?”

  “Calida. I just want a job.”

  They entered a long hall. “These are the servants’ quarters,” Gloria told them.

  As they turned a corner, they heard a baby crying. “Bitch,” Gloria said under her breath. She opened a door into a nursery and there sat Daniel in the corner of a baby bed, wailing loudly.

  Myra’s heart lifted with happiness. He was alive and unhurt, except he was missing his mommy. She had to force herself not to run to him.

  “Lupita!” Gloria shouted.

  A woman maybe in her thirties ran into the room. “What?”

  “Why is baby crying? Señor Marco will be much upset.”

  Lupita waved a hand. “Baby cries all the time. I can’t make him be quiet.” They started speaking so rapidly in Spanish Myra struggled to keep up.

  She couldn’t stand the pitiful wails any longer. “I’ll try to comfort him,” she said in Spanish, and walked to the bed. Daniel quickly crawled to the rail and pulled himself up, holding his arms out for her. Tears welled in her eyes, but she didn’t react. She only lifted him from the bed and patted his back. “There, there, little one.” He rested his head on her shoulder and the cries stopped.

  Gloria pointed to them. “See, that’s how to take care of a baby. You’re an idiot. Go back to the kitchen.”

  Lupita hurried away.

  “You will take care of the baby,” Gloria announced. “What’s your name?”

  “Maria.”

  Gloria nodded. “Good. Easy to remember. Everything you need is in here and you will sleep on the cot. You are not allowed in the main part of the house. If you need anything, you come to the kitchen. Señor Marco will call when he wants to see his son and I will take the baby to him. Do you understand?”

  “Sí.” That was a load off her mind. Marco would not be bursting into the nursery, but she had to wonder why the nursery was in the servants’ quarters and not the main house. It could work to her advantage, though. It would be much easier to slip out with the baby than having to go through the main house.

  Gloria turned to Calida. “You will work with me in the kitchen and I will keep those bastards away from you.”

  “Thank you.” Calida’s relief was evident. Myra felt better, too.

  “Gloria.” Someone was calling the housekeeper, and from the nervous look on the woman’s face, she knew it was someone important. Gloria hurried to the door, but it opened before she reached it and a blonde middle-aged woman stood there. Her hair was cut in a bob and diamonds hung from her ears and around her neck. A slim-fitting dress showed off her figure. Myra couldn’t imagine who she was.

  “Señora Ava, there’s no need for you to come up here.”

  Marco’s mother. Myra stared at the woman and the thing that struck her the most was that his mother was white. Marco had black hair and eyes and she would have never suspected that. She was sure Natalie hadn’t, either.

  “I heard the baby crying from my quarters. You know how this upsets Bonita. This has to stop.”

  “Sí, señora. I just hired this woman and the baby has taken to her. She will make sure he does not disturb Señora Bonita anymore.”

  The woman stepped close to Myra. “Take care of my grandson.”

  “Sí.” Myra nodded her head, averting her eyes and bouncing Daniel in her arms.

  “I will take care of everything, señora. Do not worry,” Gloria tried to reassure her.

  “See that you do. Bonita’s mental state is very delicate.” The woman walked out of the room. Myra wondered why she didn’t hold her grandson or even attempt to touch him. A lot of questions raged in her head, but she had to focus on getting Daniel out of the house.

  “Who is Bonita?”

  Gloria turned on her. “Do not ask questions!”

  From the woman’s tone of voice, she knew she’d made a big mistake. She should have kept her mouth shut and just observed.

  “Sí.”

  As soon as Gloria and Calida left, she sat on the floor and reached for her phone in her bag while juggling Daniel on her lap. He smiled at her and her heart melted. “Don’t worry, little one. I’m taking you home to your mommy.”

  She had to let Levi know she’d made it inside the house and that she’d found Daniel.

  * * *

  LEVI PACED IN the hotel room, waiting for a message from Myra. His nerves were wound tight and he tried to relax. It would take time for her to get settled in, so he just had to be patient. Under the circumstances, though, it was difficult.

  He sat on the bed and studied the Mortez security system on his iPad. This he could work on and maybe not think so much about what was happening at the big house. But his thoughts were troubled. Not only because Myra was in a dangerous situation, but because of what had happened earlier. He’d kissed her back without one thought of Valerie. That bothered him. He wasn’t the cheating kind. He believed in love and forever. He wasn’t sure why, since his parents had had such an awful marriage. Maybe it had to do with his grandparents. They taught him about life, love, honor, respect and about never giving up and being true to oneself.

  Kissing Myra felt right and he couldn’t explain that feeling to himself. She had a wildness about her that he craved and he could never seem to get enough. He wanted to kiss her. It was that simple, yet so complicated. There was no future for them because he couldn’t trust her. Once they were out of this place, his priorities would resurface and those old feelings would disappear.

  But at this moment, she was his number-one priority. If anything happened to her, he wouldn’t be able to get over it. That was like a slap of reality in the face. He’d told her he wasn’t angry at her anymore and he meant it. For
someone who knew what he wanted out of life, he was feeling as wishy-washy as a fourteen-year-old.

  He put the computer back in his backpack and headed down to a small cantina. Listening to the locals might prove beneficial. He sat at the table and ordered bottled water. There were very few patrons this time of the day. The lunch crowd was over. The waiter looked to be a man in his fifties and Levi thought he’d try his luck at getting some answers.

  The waiter set the bottled water on the table. “Do you know of any work around here?”

  “No, señor.”

  “Earlier there was a black van down the street and the men were looking for maids. They were from the big house. Do they hire men, too?”

  “I don’t know, señor.” The man spoke English and was visibly nervous now, wringing his hands.

  “They hired my wife as a maid and it would be good if I could get a job there, too.”

  The man’s brown skin paled.

  “What is it?”

  “The women who go there, they don’t come back.” The man looked around to make sure no one was listening. “I got to go.”

  “What do you mean?”

  The man shook his head.

  Levi took some bills out of his pocket and laid them by the water bottle. The waiter wiped the table and scooped up the money into the cloth.

  “Bad hombres live there.”

  “What do you mean, the women don’t come back?”

  The man leaned close and whispered, “A girl from a nearby village went to work there and a month later her body was dumped on a dirt road. She’d been beaten and raped. About two months ago, it happened again. The young girl was only sixteen. Another one, her family is still looking for her. Women don’t come back alive from that place. Please be very careful.”

  Son of a bitch. Levi was on his feet. “Thank you.”

  “Señor, evil lives there. Stay away.”

  Levi slipped on the backpack and hurried down the street. Staying away wasn’t an option. He had to get Myra out of there and he had to do it in daylight. He wasn’t leaving her in danger one more minute.