9 Ways to Fall in Love

by Caroline Clemmons

  “Hell no, I didn’t steal a man’s horse. The padre offered me the use of the animal. I promised to return her.”

  Brody had never felt as good as he did at that moment. He’d gotten both of them to safety. A.J. would need tending to, and Kate looked banged up, but they were alive.

  He reached over and hugged A.J. “I’m glad to see you.”

  “The feeling is mutual.”

  “This reunion is so sweet,” Kate said. “But what do we do now?”

  “Right now Chavez’s men are busy trying to figure out who blew the hell out of their wall. But it won’t be long until someone investigates the tunnel.”

  “We walked right into a trap,” Kate said. “There was accelerant on the floor, and we couldn’t get out.”

  “That gate is a new addition. I think Chavez was hoping you two would die like rats down there.”

  Kate rubbed her hands on the sleeve of her shirt, and blew on her palms. Already blisters appeared, and he feared they’d grow worse.

  “Did the fire reach you?”

  “My shirt caught on fire. She put it out with her bare hands. I imagine she’s sporting a few burns.”

  “Let me see.” Brody took her hands in his and squinted for a better look. Her hands were soft and smooth, but angry red welts covered her palms. An ache shot through his heart. She was the last person he wanted to see hurt. He looked into her eyes and smiled at the knowledge that in a weird and unfamiliar way he and Kate shared something special. How special would have to wait

  “Maybe when we get to the village they’ll have something to put on them.”

  She pulled away, and Brody felt the loss immediately. He reached over and tucked her blond locks behind her ears and then skimmed her face lightly with his palms. He touched a large bruise on her cheek. “What happened in there?”

  She sat back, out of his reach. “A gift from Oscar.”

  “Well, we need to get back to the village. It’s not as far as you think. Less than seven miles. I only took the horse because I was in a hurry to get here.”

  Kate stood and brushed off the pants she’d stolen then she reached down for A.J.’s arm and helped him stand. Brody brought the horse around.

  “A.J, you mount up, and Kate and I will walk.”

  “That wouldn’t be very gentlemanly of me, now would it?”

  Kate’s laugh danced on the gentle breeze and stirred Brody’s heart.

  “Don’t worry about me, A.J.,” she said. ”Let’s get you someplace safe.”

  “It would be best if we could travel under the shield of darkness, but we don’t have that luxury,” Brody said, helping A.J. swing into the saddle.

  A.J. took up the reins, while Brody fitted A.J.’s foot in the stirrup. “Anything happens, the village is due north. You take off in a dead run and don’t stop until you get there.” Brody reached into his bag and pulled out a gun and handed it to A.J. “Take this and don’t look back. I can take care of Kate and me.”

  A.J. pulled out the guard’s revolver. “You keep it, I have this.” A.J. said. “And just so you know. She might end up saving your ass.”

  Brody looked at Kate and fought the urge to wrap her up in a big hug. “That would be fine, too.”

  They traveled through some brush before coming to a small pond that served as the only watering hole for miles. The horse drank and then they set out into the hot, empty desert.

  Brody disliked traveling in daylight, but he had little choice. To stay calm, he kept reminding himself that A.J. and Kate were alive. That’s all he wanted.

  Jake would be picking them up later that evening. They only had to make it back to the village and hole up until then.

  They’d barely gone a half a mile when vehicles sped toward them. From nowhere guns hammered away the desert silence. Brody pulled his weapon and tucked Kate behind him. Shoulder to shoulder, they returned fire.

  The jeep had a mounted 50mm machine gun that chewed up the desert sand, flinging it around like a dust devil. That and the wheels of the vehicles made it difficult for Brody to keep tabs on what went on around him.

  The horse whinnied in a panic. She reared, and A.J. slid off the back and landed hard on the ground. Before Brody could reach him, another vehicle cut him off.

  Brody and Kate found cover behind a large boulder, but he’d no more settled in than the Jeeps sped away. They’d left the horse behind but taken A.J.

  The killer had his best friend again.

  Chapter 10

  Silence returned, empty as Brody’s canteen. A.J. was gone. They’d taken him from right under his nose.

  Jarred by his senses, the faint scent of honeysuckle taunted him. He looked at Kate and his heart squeezed mercilessly. From the look of her beautiful face, Chavez had enjoyed beating her. That pissed Brody off more than he wanted to admit, because the anger came from his heart instead of his head.

  At least now their black eyes matched, except for hers being a deeper hue. That twisted his gut as self-loathing set in. From the puffiness of her bottom lips he knew Chavez had busted her mouth.

  Her bruises told a tale all by themselves. That motherfucker had a beating heading his way and Brody fully intended to give it.

  Fury saturated his brain before melting down into him, his tight muscles straining from the iron-hot rage surging through his body. Brody wanted to rip out the son of a bitch’s heart for hurting Kate.

  Kate being captured by Chavez, A.J.’s recapture and the living hell they experienced left him so angry he feared what he might do. But at the same time, sadness overwhelmed his thoughts. Regardless of anything else, Brody had to get Kate safely home.

  “Dammit, they took A.J.,” he said. “Damn.”

  “Why would they recapture him?” Kate looked around and shrugged. “Why not kill us all? God knows they have the gun power?”

  “What kind of game is Chavez playing?” Brody slumped onto the sand and pulled Kate with him. Sitting with her so close, he propped his folded arms on his knees and let out a frustrated sigh. Rarely in his career as a Falcon agent have his options been so limited.

  A dark mood settled over his shoulders with the weight of an elephant.

  His analytical mind struggled to come up with Chavez’s next move. So far Brody’s scheme had been a bust from the beginning. Even Kate had landed exactly where he’d promised her she wouldn’t. And after they went through so much to rescue A.J., Chavez had recaptured him in less than an hour.

  “So,” Kate said, threading her arm through his. “Do you want to explain your brilliant plan now?”

  Elbows on his knees, Brody propped his forehead on his threaded fingers. Slowly he shook his head in despair. When he gathered the courage to glance at Kate again, her narrowed blue eyes and the tightness of her mouth let him know she had something on her mind. For starters, she wasn’t any happier about A.J.’s recapture than he was.

  Dejected, he scrubbed his gritty face and blew out an exasperated breath. His weapon holstered, he pulled a blade from a clump of tanglehead and put it in his mouth. Staring into the barren landscape, he slowly chewed on the native grass.

  Perplexed by Chavez’s maneuvers, Brody wondered what to expect next. His gut told him the Mexican drug lord had something serious planned, and A.J. somehow played a big part.

  “My idea sure the hell didn’t end this way.”

  “They never do.” She resettled closer to him with a groan. “How do we save A.J.?”

  “I’m going to have to go in.”

  Kate frowned. “He’ll kill you on sight.”

  “He didn’t last night or today.” Brody continued to chew on the bitter blade of grass.

  “You might not be so lucky the next time.”

  “I have to question why they didn’t kill us all, considering he’d already tried to French fry you and A.J. in the tunnel.”

  “I’m puzzled by the whole thing, too,” Kate said. Her silky brows drew closer, and her smooth skin begged him to touch her. “Oscar knows I had
knowledge of the tunnel. Why pour gasoline in it, seal the only exit then set fire to the floor?”

  “Maybe he didn’t think you’d leave. He could’ve thought you’d get A.J. to safety and stay behind.”

  “I don’t think so. In the basement, those guards were surprised. Only a few people know about the tunnel. And someone had to set that fire. If Oscar wanted me and A.J. dead why didn’t he shoot us?”

  “None of this makes sense.”

  Kate stood. “Let’s get out of here. We’re too exposed.”

  He stood and walked calmly toward the frightened mare. The horse sniffed Brody’s palm, and danced sideways, her brown eyes wide and fearful. Soothing the mount, Brody rubbed his hand over her coarse hair looking for signs of injury.

  Assured the horse suffered no harm and had settled considerably, Brody swung into the saddle and reached for Kate. “We’ll ride double. The village isn’t far.”

  Kate put her foot in the stirrup, and Brody pulled her up behind him with a moan. She settled in nicely and wrapped her arms around his waist.

  Brody imagined he smelled to high heaven, and her body against his only made him sweat more, but he wouldn’t change a thing. Knowing, for a while, at least, she was safe buoyed his sprits.

  Brody kicked the horse into a steady walk as Kate’s cheek pressed into the back of his shirt. He’d been trying to ignore everything about her since he’d begun watching her two weeks ago.

  Now he couldn’t.

  No one had mentioned her beauty. How her long, smooth blond hair reflected the sunlight at noon. Those damn eyes weren’t mentioned either. Not just blue, but a bold cerulean that reminded him of a still lake right before sunrise. He couldn’t imagine anyone more beautiful. All of it made him want to possess her in a way he’d never considered.

  Soon she relaxed against him, and her soft breathing kicked up his heartbeat yet soothed him. Exhaustion had won out. He doubted she’d had much time to rest in the last eighteen hours.

  Guilt cut a wide path across his heart and into his conscience. He’d been a damn fool to ever involve her in this mess. What if Chavez had killed her? Then what? Here he’d thought this would be so easy.

  Fate had proven him wrong again.

  Brody refused to think of the consequences waiting for him back at the office. He severed all that shit from his mind. The only thing he cared about was keeping A.J. and Kate safe. So far he’d done a miserable job.

  Behind him Kate stirred. “We close to the village?”

  “Not far.”

  “When are we going back to get A.J.?”

  “I’m getting you settled and then riding out.”

  She stiffened. “I’m not staying behind.”

  “Thanks to me, you’ve been put through enough hell. I want you to stay at the village. Jake will be here to pick us up in about six hours. If I’m not back, you get on that plane and go home.”

  “I won’t do it.”

  Brody reined in the horse then looked at her over his shoulder. “There is nothing you can do here but get killed. I brought you against your will. Now I’m insisting you go home...where you belong.”

  “But since I’ve met A.J, I want him back as much as you do. I’m going to help you get him out, or we’ll all die here in the desert.”

  “Are you crazy?” Brody couldn’t believe her words. “You’re going home.” What person in her right mind wouldn’t want out of here? Away from the danger.

  “No, I’m not.”

  Finished with the conversation, Brody turned and gently tapped the side of the horse, which had become restless, and pulled toward home. “We’ll see about that.”

  “I’m sure we will.”

  ***

  A.J. Roddio’s world crashed down quickly after being recaptured. Rough men shoved him into a vehicle, returned him to the La Hacienda, and tossed him back into the dungeon. His battered body ached with renewed pain, while the bullet wound in his side burned like fire. There had been no medical treatment since his first capture.

  Luckily infection hadn’t set in. However, A.J. was no fool. He’d been at this game too long. His well-honed instincts told him they weren’t keeping him alive because they enjoyed his company. No, something was on the wire, and he had to find out what before it was too late.

  Slumped in the back of his cell, A.J. thought of Kate and Brody. He wondered if they’d made it out alive. By all appearances, he was the target. They weren’t after the others. Yet earlier the guard alleged their boss had big plans for Kate tonight. So, why leave her unscathed?

  Chavez’s biggest mistake was leaving Brody free. The Falcon agent was a trained killer with the instincts of a man who lived on the edge. Brody had pulled off stunts other agents wouldn’t even consider. Given the right circumstances, he could bury a man in a heartbeat. A.J. had witnessed a few of those times and it wasn’t pretty. Brody Hawke was one of the most dangerous men alive.

  Exhausted and struggling to stay awake, A.J. groaned as footsteps pounded down the stairs. A glowing lantern chased away the darkness and sent the rats scurrying for cover. Squinting against the glare, A.J. staggered to his feet and braced his back against the wall.

  Oscar Chavez stood outside the bars of his cell, alone. A.J. met his gaze and would have paid anything for the chance to wrap his hands around Chavez’s neck and squeeze.

  “I see you are our guest, again.”

  “Not by choice.”

  “No, I can imagine the discomfort you must be feeling now.”

  “I’ll live.”

  “Let’s hope that is the case.”

  A.J. chuckled. “You concerned about my health?”

  “You are a guest in my home. Your welfare is important to me.” Chavez smiled wickedly.

  “Bullshit. If Brody doesn’t get me out of here, the government will eventually come for me.”

  “Ha. Don’t you know most American diplomats want to believe what people like me say?”

  “You mean killers, drug lords and arms dealers?”

  Chavez laughed. “No. Men of great wealth and power.”

  “I think some of that great wealth is now in the hands of the United States government.”

  The smile slipped from Chavez’s face faster than snow sliding off a hot roof. “You think your little Falcon Securities team hurt me? You are mistaken.”

  A.J. shrugged. “Okay, if you say so.”

  “I do.”

  “So why am I here? And why didn’t you take Brody and the girl? You had the manpower.”

  “Do not worry about your friends. Their time will come. I promise. I have plans for them. But you are the one I have to be careful with. You came on a mission for your government. Those other two are here of their own accord. No one even knows they are in Mexico.”

  “Why are you keeping me alive?”

  “You will learn soon enough. And since I keep telling Frank Hamilton I don’t know about your abduction, he probably thinks you are dead.”

  A.J. spat. “While I find it hard to believe, I think you’re a dumber asshole than I first imagined. You seriously think Frank doesn’t know exactly where I am? Well, he does. Brody Hawke being here proves that. And if anything happens to one of us, Hamilton will storm in here and destroy your whole fucking world.”

  Chavez’s face glowed red and his lips tightened. “My government has refused to even communicate with your people about obtaining any kind of release. Even your Department of Defense has been shut down.” Chavez stepped closer. “No one can confirm you are even here.”

  A.J. folded his arms. “Frank isn’t sitting on his hands. You can bet your ass he’s working on getting me out of here.” A.J. shrugged. “When he does, I’m not sure I’d want to be you.”

  “Nobody can touch me.”

  “You’re a cold blooded killer, Chavez. And one day Brody Hawke will put a bullet right between your eyes.”

  Chavez laughed. “I don’t think so.”

  A.J. straightened. “Tell me, Chavez, what k
ind of man sets fire to a tunnel with two people trapped?”

  The drug lord straightened and stepped forward, his eyes wide. “What fire?”

  “Don’t pretend you didn’t try to kill Kate and me in the tunnel.” A.J. turned and showed his burned shirt and back. “If Brody hadn’t blown the exit you sealed, we’d be extra crispy.”

  Dark brows pulled together. “I don’t know what you are talking about.” Chavez’s eyes darted around the cellar, and then he shook his head

  “You’re a liar and a cold-blooded murderer.”

  “I...”

  “The boogeyman is coming for you, Chavez.”

  “But...”

  A.J. shoved away from the wall and grasped the bars. “Boo!”

  ***

  Late that evening, with the sky overhead a sapphire blue, Kate ate a small serving of beans. When they’d made it back to the village, Salina invited them to share her home.

  After Kate ate, Salina spread aloe Vera on her palms and wrapped them with strips of clean cloth.

  Beating out the fire on A.J.’s back had left her palms red, and strewn with small angry blisters.

  As Kate tried to flex her fingers, pain sucked out her breath and the stinging agony spread across her hands. Her stiff, swollen fingers refused to move.

  Gritting her teeth and swallowing tears of pain, she forced her fingers to bend, to curl and uncurl at her command. Brody needed her fit and able to help with the defense of the village and to free A.J.

  If Brody smelled one hint of weakness from her, it would boost his insistence she leave. Kate couldn’t let that happen. Not again.

  As crazy as it sounded, Kate had to stay and fight to help get A.J. back. He would eventually die at Oscar’s hands if they weren’t able to rescue him, and Kate couldn’t live with the stain of another man’s blood on her conscience.

  She glanced out the door at Brody talking to the padre. She wondered what they were planning. A teenage boy wandered up to them and joined the conversation. Soon the sound of a vehicle rousted the villagers. Kate stood, and darted outside.