She looked at him. It had been a while since she’d seen a man without his pants. She hadn’t thought about that when she’d been digging the bullet out, but now… she thought about it. He had nice legs, not too hairy. Though, she had shaved around his wound before she’d gone in for the bullet.
He rose up.
“Let me help you.” She took his hand. “Are you dizzy?”
“Not anymore.” His hand wrapped around hers. The touch seemed different now. Her heart raced, but not from fear. His closeness, his scent, it surrounded her.
She reached for his jeans folded on the counter. She shook them open and leaned down for him to put his legs in.
“Now ease off the table,” she told him. “Don’t put weight on your leg.”
His warm palms came against her shoulders, and they weren’t just holding on, they were touching her. He slipped off the edge of the examining table. She pulled his jeans up, reached for his zipper, then realized the back of her hand pressed against some private body parts.
She yanked her hand away and rose up. His hands remained on her shoulders. His eyes on hers. “I’m used to dressing Brian. But you’re not Brian.”
He smiled. “You’re blushing.”
That made her blush more. “I’m blond, we blush easy.”
His grin widened. “It’s pretty.” He zipped his pants and eased back up on the table.
They stared at each other. Awkwardness slipped into the moment, but not so awkward that she wanted it to end. The ring of his phone brought it to an end. He picked it up from the table and looked at the number. “It’s Austin.”
Sara stood there, not even pretending she wasn’t listening. She was in this too deep to pretend.
“It’s Leah.” Roberto handed her his phone. Their hands met. His thumb brushed over the top of her hand.
She brought the phone to her ear. “Leah?”
“Yeah,” her boss answered. “Are you okay?”
“Fine.” Other than I just pulled a bullet out of someone’s leg. She wasn’t sure she should tell Leah that. “It’s you I’m worried about. Roberto said Luis is hurt. Are you okay?”
“Roberto? The guy who brought in Spooky?” Leah sounded confused.
Sara glanced at Roberto. “Yeah. He said he’s been working with a private investigator. I think Austin is—”
“I know,” Leah said. “Look, you shouldn’t be at the office now. We should shut down for a week. Forward the client list to your home e-mail, or to Evelyn’s, and cancel appointments.” She paused. “We just have one patient in the overnight clinic, right?”
“Yeah, just Boots; he belongs to the Petersons.”
“Can you call Eric Taylor and see if Heartbroke Veterinarian Clinic will take the cat in? E-mail him the file on the cat. Then let the Petersons know and that I won’t be charging for my services. Tell Eric I said I had a personal emergency and I’ll call him tomorrow. Tell him I’ll agree to his business proposition and sign the papers when I get back.”
“You sure about the business proposition?” Sara asked.
“Yeah. And put a sign in the door that says there was a family emergency and we’ll open soon.”
“You sound upset. You okay?” Sara asked.
“Just worried about Luis.” It was more than worry, Sara thought. Leah sounded angry.
“Okay, I’ve got things here. You just take care of Luis.”
“Thanks.” The line went silent.
Sara handed the phone to Roberto. “The only other time I’ve heard Leah sound like that was when someone brought in a cat with cigarette burns on it. I think Austin’s in deep shit.”
Roberto shrugged. “Austin can handle it. Let’s get you out of here.”
“I have to do a few things first. Oh,” she said. “My car’s in the shop. My mom brought me.”
He frowned. “I’ll take you home, but hurry, and give me my gun. Please.”
She eased it out of a drawer. Not chancing it would go off again. “Do you really think they’ll come back?”
“I hope not.”
Austin rolled his shoulders, completely uncomfortable. Looking at this from Leah’s point of view right now, he was nothing but a guy trying to use her to get some information. Guilt filled his every pore and made him itch—guilt for not coming clean with Leah from the beginning. It didn’t matter that if he’d been honest, she’d never have flashed one dimple at him.
She leaned against the car door as if not wanting to breathe the same air as him. Seeing a fast-food sign up ahead, his stomach grumbled.
“Hungry?” he asked.
“No.”
“You have to eat.”
She didn’t answer. He swerved off the freeway and went to the drive-thru. He ordered himself a sausage biscuit and hash browns, then asked, “What’s the lowest-calorie breakfast item you have on the menu with cheese?” He knew she liked cheese.
The female clerk spouted out a sandwich. He ordered it, then added two coffees, one with extra cream and sugar.
When the meal was delivered, he put their coffee in the cup holder, placed her sandwich in her lap. Then he drove off.
He half expected her to knock her food onto the floorboard. She didn’t. But it took five minutes before she started eating.
“Your coffee’s there,” he said.
She nodded.
He should be good with the nod. It was too much to expect an actual thank you, or maybe, I totally get why you did this. Even with the guilt, he knew he’d done the right thing making her come with him.
His phone rang. Dallas.
“Yeah?” he said, and watched Leah add cream and sugar to her cup.
“Rick’s at the hospital. The kid is going to be okay,” Dallas said.
“That fast?”
“He was on his way up to Heartbroke and rerouted. He played the cop card and said he was friends with the sister who couldn’t get there until later. The kid’s conscious and worried about his sister. The local police have spoken with him. He pointed right to DeLuna.”
“Good,” Austin said. But then again, it could also mean DeLuna would run back into hiding. “Rick’s staying there, right?”
“Yup.”
“Any signs of trouble?” Austin asked.
“Not yet. But whatever you do, don’t bring her there.”
Austin frowned. Taking her to see Luis seemed to be the only thing that would make her happy. But not if she was in danger. “Have Rick video him and send it to me for her.”
Leah swung around, surprise in her eyes.
“I don’t know,” Dallas said. “Rick said the kid looked bad.”
Austin stared at Leah. “I’m sure he’s better than what she’s imagining.”
Leah nodded.
“I’ll see what he can do,” Dallas said.
Leah blinked, and Austin could swear he saw reason in her eyes. Would she see he wasn’t the bad guy?
“You still there?” Dallas said.
Realizing he’d gotten lost in her gaze, he asked, “Who’s getting the cats?”
“Tyler and Nance are on their way.
And I’m going to come to the cabin to talk to her,” Dallas said.
“I got this,” Austin growled.
“You could do time for this, Austin,” Dallas said.
“I know.”
Dallas made a deep, discontented sound. “Has she calmed down any?”
“Some,” Austin said. But not nearly enough. He wanted to see her smile, to see her dimples winking at him again. He wanted her to lean on him like she’d leaned on him the day she’d gotten the bloody package. He wanted to be her hero, but he was pretty sure that ship had sailed.
Roberto watched Sara run around the office preparing to leave. His gut told him he needed to get her out of here. Every time he tried to help her, she refused.
“You just had a bullet pulled out of your leg.”
He hadn’t forgotten; it still throbbed, though not as much as it had. Then again, it could be th
e doggy pain pills Sara had given him.
“I’ll sit here.” He dropped into a chair.
“You need your leg up.” She sounded like a worried someone who cared. He remembered his mom, and then Anna, fussing at him like that. He hadn’t had anyone care in a long time. It felt nice. Then again, it could just be the pain pills.
He set his leg up on the counter. “Happy?”
“I’d be happier if you hadn’t gotten up.” She pressed her palm to his forehead. “Do you feel feverish?”
“No.” He allowed himself a second to enjoy her touch, then…“We need to go.”
“Almost done. I need to get Boots in a carrier.” She popped up. “Stay here.”
He followed her. Her hair shifted across her shoulder blades as she moved. He wanted to touch it. His gaze lowered to her ass. He wanted to touch that, too. Things in his jeans tightened. Oddly enough, he didn’t feel guilty about those feelings.
Definitely the doggy pain pills.
She swung around. “You’re a bad patient. You don’t follow orders.”
“You are a bad nurse. You shot me.” He laughed.
She grinned, and damn if he didn’t want to stop worrying about everything and tease her. See how many smiles he could coax out of her. Was that due to the doggy pills, too? Not now, his gut said. He needed to get her out of here. “Get the cat.”
Minutes later, she had a cat carrier and her purse. He unlocked the back door and cautiously peered out.
He didn’t see anyone, but his gut felt knotted. Pulling out Luke’s car keys from his pocket, he unlocked the doors to the sedan. The taillights flashed in the hazy morning light.
“Let’s go.”
The door shut behind them. They’d only gotten a couple of feet when Roberto heard the car coming around the side of the building.
He swung to Sara. “Run. Get in the car now!”
CHAPTER THIRTY
THE CAR ROARING around the back wasn’t another black sedan. The tension in Roberto’s gut lessened, but not by much. Especially when the gun appeared out the driver’s window. He pointed his Glock, then turned to see if Sara had gotten in the car. She had.
The car squealed to a stop.
The door to the Saturn opened. Brad climbed out. “Stop pointing that gun at me!”
Roberto didn’t move, but everything around him seemed to. Brad, his car, the parking lot. Roberto fought to remain standing. “Have you forgotten you shot my ass?”
“That was a mistake.” Brad looked toward the sedan. “Who’s the chick?”
“She works with Leah Reece. And was kind enough to undo your handiwork. What are you doing here?”
“I lost Cruz and thought they’d come back here. I saw the sedan and thought it was them.” Brad moved in.
Roberto lowered his gun. “Does Cruz know you’re after him?”
“He does now,” Brad said. “I helped that blond guy get Leah Reece away. The same guy at her apartment the other day.”
“Good.” Roberto thought about Brad’s wife, Sandy, and what DeLuna might do to her and her girls. “Your wife?”
“She’s taken off with the girls.”
“What are you going to do now?” Roberto’s head spun again. He swayed.
The big bozo stood there as if thinking. “That blond guy, you know him, don’t you?”
Roberto nodded.
“He’s one of those cops DeLuna set up, isn’t he? DeLuna flashed his picture around once.”
“Yeah.” Roberto didn’t see any reason to deny it.
“You’re working with them? That’s what you were doing the whole time?”
“I helped them, but I have my reasons for going after DeLuna,” Roberto said.
“He hurt someone you cared about?” Brad asked.
Roberto didn’t answer, but Brad must have read his expression. “Figured,” Brad said. “It’s the only thing that could make people like us do this.”
Roberto shifted his weight off his left leg. Another dizzy spell hit.
Brad’s gaze lowered. “How bad is it?”
“Bad enough.” Roberto frowned.
“Sorry.” The big guy’s gaze shifted to the sedan. “Go take it easy.”
“You’re not the only one with an ax to grind,” Roberto said.
“But I’m the only one who’s not about to fall on his ass.” Brad started to leave.
“Damn it, Brad. What are you planning on doing?”
“The only thing I can do. Finish what I started.”
Roberto remembered how Sandy had looked, tears and love in her eyes. “If you walk away now, you might live through this and be there for your family.”
“If I walk away now, I’ll be running the rest of my life. Alone.” He sighed. “Sandy’s parents are in a nursing home. She wouldn’t abandon them.”
“If you keep this up, you’ll wind up behind bars.”
“I might. But I might’ve started this whole thing stupid… I don’t plan to finish that way. I gotta plan. The only people who know I’m behind this are you and that blond ex-cop. The car was borrowed and the guns I’m using belong to my dear ol’ brother-in-law. Actually that ex-cop probably has my gun. And I saved his and DeLuna’s sister’s ass, so I’m hoping he’ll keep his mouth shut.”
“You gonna try to make this all fall back on Cruz?” Roberto asked, and glanced back to see Sara peeking over the edge of the window. He waved to let her know it was okay.
“It’s a long shot,” Brad said. “But I’m kind of lucky sometimes.”
Roberto hoped Brad was right. “Where do you think Cruz and DeLuna are now?”
“If they aren’t here, they’re probably worried about not being able to reach Luke and Don. I haven’t seen any news out about anyone finding bodies at the warehouse, so they might go back to Austin to check on them.”
Roberto tried to think. “Let me drop her off at her place and we’ll go together.”
“Nope. You look like shit. Lay low. I’ll update you when I find Cruz or DeLuna. I’m not even sure they’re still together. But when I know something, I’ll call.”
Roberto nodded. Brad held out his hand.
Roberto nearly missed it when he reached out. “Take care.”
“You, too,” Brad said. “I’m going to overlook the fact that you’ve been lying to me all this time.”
“And I’ll overlook the fact that you shot me.”
“Deal.” Brad smiled.
Roberto watched Brad get back in the Saturn before he limped back to the car. He almost fell getting in. Not from pain, but from the dizziness.
Sara popped up in the front seat, fury in her eyes. “Why did you tell me to run and make me believe the guy was going to kill us and then stand there talking with him while I’m sitting here thinking we’re dead?”
“I didn’t know if I could trust him. He’s the one who shot me.”
Sara’s mouth dropped open. “He shot you and you just had a civil three-minute conversation with him? Are you nuts?”
Roberto grinned. “You shot me and I’m giving you a ride home.”
She huffed. “That’s different.”
“Yeah, it is. You’re a lot prettier than him.” He dropped his head back on the headrest as his world spun again.
Sara stared. “I think I’d better drive.”
He started to argue but realized she was right. “I think it’s the pills.”
“How many did you take?”
“Four before the surgery and four after. Like you said.”
She frowned. “I told you to take four. Two before and two after.”
“Oops.”
Thirty minutes later, Austin parked in a Walmart parking lot. Leah hadn’t spoken to him again since he’d hung up with Dallas. She’d leaned her head back, her eyes closed, but he didn’t think she’d slept.
His phone dinged with a text. From Rick. The text read: looks bad, but he’s doing good.
“Is it the video?” she asked.
“Yeah.”<
br />
She held out her hand, her eyes moist again.
He handed her the phone.
She hit play. Tears slipped off her lashes as she watched. Shit! He’d messed up. Maybe she shouldn’t have seen this. The sound kicked in.
“Hey, Sis. Don’t go freaking out. I’m fine. Black and blue, but the doc says I’m fine. Listen, I’m told you’re with a PI that works with the guy who’s here. You do what he says. I know you don’t like counting on people. But please don’t go doing anything stupid. Rafael told me he was coming after you. And if something happened to you…” The kid’s voice wavered. “Just listen to him, okay? I’m fine. And I’ll see you as soon as I’m out of here.”
She wiped her cheeks.
He wanted to touch her so badly it hurt—to offer comfort. But he didn’t.
Without looking at him, she handed him his phone. He felt a thousand watts of emotion run through his hand straight to his chest when their hands touched.
“I need to see him.” She stared out at the parking lot.
“I know it’s hard,” Austin said. And deep down, he wished that was completely true. Wished he knew firsthand the kind of family loyalty she had with her brother. Sure, he had his partners, and if one of them was hurt, he’d walk through fire to get to them, but there was something about real family ties that he felt he’d missed out on. As if not having family made him less human and somehow damaged. Just like your ol’ man. Candy Adams’s words played in his head.
Another silence filled the car. She looked out the window as if seeing it for the first time. “What are we doing here?”
He ran his hand over the steering wheel, relieved she sounded sensible now. “The cabin’s just up the road. I figured we’d grab some supplies.”
She looked in the backseat. “I didn’t bring my purse, did I?” She shook her head as if remembering how she’d gotten in the car. “Of course, I didn’t.”
“You won’t need it.”
She looked up. “I’m paying you back every red cent.”
He wanted to argue, but she had that look in her eyes again. Anger.
She opened the console between the seats and pulled out a pen and pad. She was actually going to keep a tally. But damn, she was hardheaded. Then a stray tear slipped from her lashes and rolled down her cheek, and he forgot about her being difficult and wished he could find a way to give her want she wanted—a visit with her brother.
Texas Hold 'Em Page 27
