Texas Temptation

by Kathryn Brocato

  “Senator Daniel Ramirez left you in the hands of your drunk, sadistic mother while he lived in that estate in the hills with his perfect family.” He brushed the hair from her face. “Are you sure you don’t want to help me destroy the bastard?”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Lexie shoved at Ryan’s chest and headed toward the front door. Out on the porch, she stopped at the railing and choked down the bile in her throat as her nails dug into the rotten wood. Ten men dressed in desert fatigues spread out around the perimeter of the yard heavily armed with semi-automatic rifles looped over their shoulders. Their hostile glares at her slammed home that they would do nothing to help her, and there wasn’t any sign of life as far as she could see. Lexie was completely alone with a madman. While fear settled deep in her gut, it took everything in her to keep from slamming her fist into the bastard’s nose.

  She didn’t have to turn around to know he stood directly behind her with that sick smirk on his face. Like her mother, Lexie’s pain gave him pleasure. Part of the plan - keep her off her game and in such a chaotic emotional state, he could manipulate her to do anything he wanted.

  Fuck that. Lexie had her own mantra; Don’t cry, don’t show weakness. No way in hell was she going to fall apart in front of him.

  Ryan handed her the water bottle. “Everything I said is the truth. Deal with it and move on. I need you.”

  “Why should I believe a damn word out of your mouth? You’re nothing but a fucking terrorist.”

  He gripped her elbow and swung her around to face him. “I’m a Marine, lady, and we’re at war. Control your temper or I’ll control it for you.” He slammed his palm into the porch post. “The terrorist is your father.” He balled his fist to his side. “The righteous son-of-a-bitch built his reputation and power on a pack of lies. It’s bad enough Ramirez gained his seat in the Texas Senate using cartel money, but when he started lobbying for free trade and open borders between the United States and Mexico, something had to be done. No one is taking the threat seriously. I didn’t serve five tours in Afghanistan so Ramirez could invite the world’s most dangerous terrorists into my backyard through the fence.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  Ryan dug into his cargo pants and pulled out several photos, shoving them at her. “My best friend growing up lost both legs from an IED. The military may have dismissed him from duty, but he hasn’t stopped being the man they trained. He spends every night sitting at different border crossings and taking photos of who is entering into the United States.”

  He indicated one of the black-and-white photos. “That photo was taken at one of the unguarded border crossings.” He pointed to one of the men in the group. “This guy in the lead is a high-ranking member of one of the largest cartels on the border.” He switched photos. “He appears again here. Do you recognize anyone in this photo?”

  “Senator Ramirez.”

  “Which is proof that dear old Dad is getting cozy with known leaders of the cartel.”

  “Ryan, the man is just standing next to the senator.” She couldn’t make herself call Ramirez her father. “It could mean anything. I don’t understand how I am involved in any of this.”

  “Aren’t you just a little curious who the other three men in the photo are?”

  “No, I’m not.”

  “They are al-Qaeda. Mexico’s largest supply of heroin comes from Afghanistan.” Ryan glanced out over the landscape. He grew still, unnaturally quiet for a long time before he said, “Mexican cartel and al-Qaeda. Doesn’t that paint a pretty picture?” He focused his attention back on her. “My friend has hundreds of photos just like this one. But it doesn’t stop at drugs. Since the cartels have well-established smuggling routes, they have started moving Taliban remnants into the country, well-trained men and women who know how to blend into our lives.”

  “I have nothing to do with that.”

  He moved closer and took hold of her jaw. “This problem affects all of us. Ramirez has to be stopped, and you’re going to do your part.”

  Lexie took a good look into his eyes and shook her chin free. The craziness was too familiar. Like her mother, if she pushed him too far, he would unleash his anger all over her.

  “Until a couple of minutes ago, I didn’t have a clue my father was Senator Ramirez. I’m not my parents, but I have survived them. If Ramirez is doing what you think he is, then contact the Department of Homeland Security. I’m not going to stand in your way, but leave me and my son alone.

  “From what I see,” she said, glancing out at the yard where his men still glared at them, “you don’t need me, and I’m of no value to the two people who gave me life.”

  “You’re the bait to draw Ramirez out. He can no longer hide the truth about you. He will also tell me names and addresses of every fucking bastard he smuggled into the country so I can stop another 9/11 from happening in every major city.”

  Backing away from him, she couldn’t help urging, “Then show the world the damn paperwork, photos …”

  “You don’t understand, Lexie.” He crowded back into her personal space. “Ramirez really is a good father. He may have kept you hidden, but that doesn’t mean he didn’t care about you.” He placed his callused hand over her throat. “How much information will he spill if, say, I do this?” He pressed down on her larynx, cutting off her oxygen.

  “Stop,” she choked out. She twisted her neck and broke free only because he allowed it. Focus, don’t show weakness spread through her mind, keeping her breathing even. If she slugged the bastard in his sanctimonious face, she would quickly find herself eating dirt mix with her own blood. She had to find a way out of here in one piece.

  “My part of this insane mission is to allow you to torture me in front of my father to make him talk?”

  “I’ll do anything I must to get the information I need. You are the pawn to be moved wherever I need you.”

  She eased back onto the first step of the porch. “This isn’t honoring the Marine Corps or those who fought and died with you. You’re no better than the men in that picture. They will stop you, Ryan whatever the hell your last name is.”

  She jumped onto the hard dirt of the yard and began to walk. About twenty feet from the house, she stopped and scanned her surroundings. The sun in the western sky had begun its dip, painting a deep indigo blue at the horizon as fiery orange and red beams of light spread across the heavens. The sight was both breathtaking and terrifying. Lexie slowly turned in a circle, taking in the entire property. There was nothing, not a house, a telephone pole … civilization for miles.

  “There is no place to run.”

  “Then leave me alone.”

  “Can’t do that, but I’ll clear your name when I get what I need.”

  She glared at the man on the porch. How could she have ever thought he was eye candy?

  “Even if you make all the physical evidence disappear, you can’t erase impressions. People will always wonder.”

  “You mean your agent friend McNeil will wonder.”

  Just the mention of Mac’s name sent a jolt through her, making her knees weak. The expression on Mac’s face as she got into the van would forever be forged in her mind. She’d lost his trust− if she ever had it.

  If Lexie closed her eyes, the feel and taste of Mac would still be on her lips. And yes, he probably already had a warrant with her name on it burning a hole in his pocket.

  She didn’t care. What she would give to see Mac’s arrogant, know-it-all face right now! But any chance of him finding her here was as desolate as the landscape.

  She headed toward the rocky outcrops several yards away. After climbing to the top on the lowest formation, she placed her back to the homestead and allowed a couple tears to fall. Just as quickly as they slid down her cheeks, she swiped them away. In the span of twenty-four hours, her life might have been stripped back to appear as if she were that defenseless kid of her childhood, of no value to anyone except a madman. To hell with that. She was str
onger than Ryan, her mother or even Mac gave her credit. If she had to crawl her way out of this nightmare on her knees, she would, for Gabriel …and herself.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Mac inched closer to the rock formation, his heart pounding so hard he was surprised the men thirty yards away couldn’t hear it. He had spent the last two hours staring through a pair of binoculars, studying the movement around the ranch. As careful as Ryan had been to date, there didn’t appear to be any security other than the few men spread across the yard. The ranch must be the one place this asshole felt comfortable enough to relax his guard.

  Doubt coursed through him as he studied Lexie perched on a large stone only a few feet away. Her face was turned away from the ranch, the sunset drawing her focus. Even in this desolate place, she took his breath away. Could he have seen only what he wanted to see in Lexie?

  Mac turned his attention back to the porch and Mick Ryan. The closest lead since this nightmare began was in arm’s reach. He had two choices: get Lexie away from the bastard across five miles of rugged terrain to the rental car or leave her behind while he slipped away for reinforcements.

  If he wrongly placed his trust in Lexie, he would risk his life as well as allow Ryan to escape. It boiled down to priority. Grabbing Lexie meant losing Ryan. And something was making Ryan nervous. He kept glancing toward Lexie. Mac’s window was closing fast.

  Sarah’s words echoed in his head. Lexie’s the victim. That was what his heart wanted to believe, and his sister-in-law was rarely wrong. This was just the first time her advice didn’t quite mesh with his impressions. How could he dismiss all the evidence and disregard his loyalty to the job for a woman he might not know at all?

  One thing Mac never ignored was his gut, and his gut was telling him that Lexie was his priority. There was no way he could walk away and leave her in this desolate hell with Ryan.

  He’d spent hours preparing his escape plan. He even had an alternate route mapped out that would take them into the canyons if Ryan blocked his way to the car. But could Lexie make the trip? This was one of those moments when he had to be prepared for anything.

  With his stomach to the ground, he crawled to the backside of the rock formation. He glanced over the top of a jagged rock and watched Ryan move away from his men. In the stillness of the night, he had no trouble hearing Ryan’s shout.

  “Lexie, come in. You don’t want me to come out there for you.”

  The anger in Ryan’s voice cleared up one element in Mac’s mind. These two weren’t friendly.

  Mac stood and pressed his back against the still-heated stone, working his way underneath Lexie’s location. Just as he got into position, Lexie’s voice came from above in an irritating whisper.

  “Where the hell are you, Mac McNeil?”

  He didn’t know what he would find when he reached Ryan’s ranch, but a pissed off Lexie Trevena sure the hell wasn’t what he expected. Tears maybe, a little desperation in her voice would sure help ease his mind that she wasn’t setting him up. Could this be her way of permanently shutting the door in his face? Somehow he had to let her know of his presence without alerting Ryan or his men.

  “I’m right here.”

  “Mac?”

  Mac lifted his head over the rock and scanned the porch. In a low whisper, he said, “Shush! I’m under you.”

  “Did you bring help?”

  Loaded question. If he told her he was alone, she could signal Ryan and Mac’s life would be over. However, if he lied and told her he had an army backing him up, she could slip sides easy enough, pulling the wool over everyone’s eyes. It would be her word against a domestic terrorist. Neither option appealed to him. Hell, could he trust Lexie with his life?

  “Just me. Are you up for a run?”

  “Where?”

  “Across an old horse trail. It’s a little rugged, maybe five miles to the road. Can you make it?”

  “Yes, but how? He’ll spot us.”

  “We’ll stick to the shadows and outcrops for cover. I made it in. We should be able to make it back.” He glanced at the porch again. Ryan stood away from his men, staring right at Lexie. “He’s watching you.”

  “I know.”

  “Give him a wave, then scoot over my way. We’ll make him think you’re heading in.”

  “I’m not waving to that psychopathic asshole.”

  “Then shoot him the finger. I don’t care how you signal him, just do something before he comes off the porch.”

  “You need to get help, and you’ll move faster without me. Ryan won’t hurt me, but damn it, hurry back.”

  “For once, do as I say. Drop off the back of the rock. I’ll catch you.” He climbed up the side of the formation, reached his hand out, and placed it on her knee. She didn’t react. “I’m taking you with me.”

  “Ryan’s crazy, and I mean deadly crazy. This is about Senator Ramirez. Ryan believes the senator is helping a Mexican cartel smuggle al-Qaeda operatives into the country. I think he’s planning multiple attacks simultaneously at border crossings from the Rio Grande Valley to El Paso, and this time around, they’re coming from inside Mexico. You need to warn Díaz.”

  “There is only one drone.”

  “That we know of, Mac,” she said as she eased her legs over the ledge.

  “I’m not leaving you here. Scoot down into my arms. Now.”

  This time around, she didn’t hesitate but pushed off the rock base with her hands. He caught her and set her on her feet. Lexie grabbed his neck and hugged him hard.

  “You came,” she choked out in a hushed whisper.

  “So, you finally want to see me, Lexie? Not your usual response.”

  “Mac?”

  He dropped his arms to his side. He hated the doubt eating at him. If it wasn’t so dark, he would know what was going on inside her head with one glance at her expression. He had too much at stake to just blindly trust—like the continued beating of his heart. “We have to move.”

  “How do we do this?” she asked.

  Mac picked up a broken branch and brushed away the footprints in the soft dirt against the rock. “The first twenty yards are the hardest.” Removing his hoodie over his head, he handed it to Lexie. “Put this on. It will give you some protection from the cacti. Once we leave the shadow of this rock, we crawl fast, low to the ground. As soon as we reach the larger clusters of formations, we’ll run. Stay close behind me, and like on the roof, don’t look back. It will only slow us down.”

  Lexie reached for his hand and held it for an instant, her grip tight. “Set your pace. I’ll keep up.”

  The moonless sky hid their movements, but it also made it impossible to see what was right in front of them. It took a few moments to find the unused trail. Mac couldn’t make out any of the natural vegetation until he was right over it. Sharp cacti snagged through the fabric of his pant legs while sharp gravel scratched his skin from his elbows to the palm of his hands. Even plants that felt soft to the touch had hidden thorns that dug deep. The closer they got to the larger formations, the rockier the terrain. Lexie kept pace with him, never more than a couple of feet behind. She didn’t whisper one complaint even though he knew her legs, arms, and hands were getting as beat up as his.

  The moment he hit the shadow of the mesquite trees and large clusters of rocks, he stood and reached for Lexie’s hand. “Are you okay?”

  “Yes.”

  Mac didn’t have the heart to cuff her, at least not yet. She was cooperating, making their run easier than he expected it to be, but that didn’t erase why he was here.

  He pulled out a pair of night vision goggles and searched the porch. Ryan and his men were in the yard, heading toward the spot where Lexie had been. “Don’t let go of my hand.” Mac didn’t wait for a response but tightened his grip and started to jog.

  The route he mapped out earlier was etched in his mind, but he struggled to locate the landmarks in the darkness. By pure luck, they made it around the cluster of boulders without trippi
ng or stumbling over ruts and rocks in the path.

  He tugged on Lexie’s hand to keep pace. She was a jogger, and from the sound of her panting, the run was hard, but she was working through it. At his halfway mark, he slowed his pace. Lexie stumbled into him but regained her footing. She pulled her hand free and bent at the waist. “Why are we stopping?”

  “To listen. I’m hoping they think you wandered off. The longer they think they’re looking just for you, the easier this will be.”

  “They can’t use the drone to locate us. It’s not here, and there are only a couple of vehicles.”

  “That can reach us in about two minutes.” Mac held out his hand and glanced in her direction. “Ready?”

  This time, she grabbed his hand. “Move. I’ll keep up.”

  Damn, the woman had guts, and he admired her determination. He set his pace as before. The rugged rock outcrops were several stories tall and kept a large area around them in deep shadows. Once they made their way around the cluster, they’d placed enough distance between them and the ranch that the tension in his shoulders began to ease.

  A half a mile from the road, he again slowed his pace, coming to a stop under a ragged juniper tree. He leaned his back against it, drawing Lexie to him. As soon as he caught his breath, he said, “The path we’re on leads to the road. It’s not much of a road, and it circles the ranch. Ryan could cut us off if he believes you are not alone. So we have a choice to make. There’s a path to the right that runs through the group of rocks into a canyon.”

  “And the other option?”

  “We climb up into a higher elevation. Ryan knows this area well, but once we are in the canyon, it will be hard to find us. The higher we climb, the better chance at cell service.”

  Lexie didn’t say anything for several moments. Mac hadn’t forgotten her fear of heights.

  “What’s the quickest way to get you back to civilization?”

  His hand flexed into a hard fist. Were they really back to this? Maybe he should have cuffed her so there was no question of his motive.