by Shauna Allen
“He’s not hungry,” Lucas grumbled.
I ignored him and moved to the door. I didn’t see Tanner at first in the blackness of the front porch, but he spun toward me right away.
“Everything all right?”
“Yes. I just thought maybe you’d like some dinner.” I offered him the plate and a bottled water.
“Yes, ma’am. Thank you.” He accepted it like a gentleman then sunk back into the shadows.
I waited a moment, but he was obviously not inclined to speak to me, so I slipped back inside and locked the door. I found Lucas sitting patiently, his hands next to his plate, his food untouched. I froze. “You waited for me?”
He lifted a brow. “Get your dinner and sit with me, Grace.”
I realized that I’d offended him, assuming he had no manners, so I hurried and served myself then sat across from him.
We ate and had a pleasant conversation. For a little while, it was almost easy to forget where I was, who I was, why I was there. It was almost as if I was a normal woman on a date with a handsome man, who might kiss me goodnight at the door and ask to take me out again if I was lucky—no pun intended. I smiled at the thought.
“What?” He caught me grinning.
“Nothing. I was just thinking that I’m having a nice time with you. That’s all.”
His lips curled into a matching smile. “Oh. Same here. And dinner is delicious. I can’t remember the last time someone cooked for me like this. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. I’m glad you liked it. I enjoyed having someone to cook for.”
Our eyes clashed as a thousand unspoken possibilities of a future that could never be passed between us. Dating, dinners, nights together as a normal couple, marriage, a family . . . normalcy. Our lives were anything but normal, and a pang of grief hit my heart like a boulder at all that I’d missed, and not because I’d given it up willingly, but because my father’s choices had ripped my own choices away. In another life, in another time, had I met Lucas under different circumstances, could we have had a relationship? Perhaps. I’d like to have thought so, at least. But as it was, he was an American Marine and I was a runaway Mexican cartel princess. What kind of future could we have?
None.
“Tell me more about your family,” he said once he’d finished his dinner, sitting back to study me.
I swallowed. “What? Why?”
He shrugged. “Why not?”
“Are you interrogating me?”
“Should I be? Do you have something to hide?”
“No.”
“Then no. Answer the question, don’t answer the question, it’s up to you. Just making conversation. As you said, we’re stuck here together, might as well get to know each other, right?”
I fought to relax and ignore every instinct that had been ingrained in me from childhood to distrust outsiders who questioned the Familia. Instead of focusing on cartel business, I shared with him some of my memories of my parents before they died. The good ones. Then a couple of my favorite ones with Brianne before we truly understood the ugliness that surrounded our lives. “Bri had a crush on this boy named Pedro, who worked for her father, tending the grounds. So, one day, we climbed a mango tree and waited for him to come, then we ‘accidentally’ dropped a mango on his head so she could talk to him.” I laughed. “It totally backfired. He figured it wasn’t an accident and got so mad at her, he wouldn’t speak to her and told on us to his father.”
Lucas grinned. “How old were you two?”
“Ten.”
“Such rebels.”
“Not really. We did try to steal my uncle’s car when we were sixteen though. But we didn’t even get off the grounds.”
Now he belted out a laugh. “I’m dealing with a full-blown criminal here.”
“You would’ve thought so to hear my uncle ranting, but we just wanted to go to a party.” I lifted my brows playfully. “At Pedro’s.”
“He forgave you?”
“Oh, he forgave us. He and Brianne dated hot and heavy as teenagers for a while. She nearly ran away with him just to get away from . . .” I let my words die off.
His hand found mine across the table. “What happened?”
“The cartel made an example of him. He was murdered execution-style, his body left in the street in front of her house for her to find the day they were going to run away together.”
His gaze turned stone cold. “Why? She’s not a part of the cartel.”
I turned just as cold. “And that’s where you’re wrong, Lucas. She may be an American, but her father is bought and paid for with cartel cash, so the byproduct of that is he also sold his family. Including her. It’s the way of things.”
I could practically see the gears turning in his mind, digesting what I said. I knew he believed me. I was sure he’d seen the ways of this world, probably seen much worse. “And you were going to marry into that?”
“Not willingly,” I reminded him.
“Still. You were going to marry Juan Esteban. The leader’s brother.” It was a statement. Not a question.
“To save my best friend’s life. Yes.”
“But you took a chance on me instead.”
I met his gaze head-on. Tried to decide if there was more to that simple statement. “Yes.”
The air stood still.
My pulse vibrated in my veins, reminding me that I was very much alive, but that I owed it all to the man sitting across from me, and he could snatch that away at any moment.
I licked my lips and his eyes tracked the movement.
“Why a wolf?”
I blinked at his abrupt question. “Excuse me?”
“The painting. In your office. Why a wolf?”
I sensed a question within the question. It was a test, but I couldn’t think clearly through my muddled thoughts to decipher what it might be. “I have always loved wolves,” I explained honestly, my eyes pinned on his. “They symbolize freedom and loyalty.”
“And the painting?” He cleared his throat, his body language screaming that as much as he wanted to get close, he was holding back. “Did you paint it?”
“No. It was a gift from—”
His cell phone rang from the counter.
He cussed the interruption and jumped up to grab it. “Yeah?” He listened for a moment, then his eyes shot to mine, his entire body suddenly rigid and on alert. He grunted his assent, then mumbled a “Roger that” before hanging up.
I stood and faced him. “What is it?”
“Nothing we didn’t already know was coming,” he said, his voice gruff as he made his way to the door to find Tanner. “Your cartel buddies have officially crossed the border into Texas and it looks like they’re headed for a little California sunshine.”
Nine
Lucas
All that night, I was wrapped up tighter than a seaman’s knot, and it had nothing to do with a Mexican drug cartel, but everything to do with exotic, dark eyes and the allure of something much more dangerous.
I tossed and turned, unable to sleep, as I tried to stay focused on the mission at hand, yet I couldn’t seem to keep my mind off the woman a few feet away from me, sleeping just down the hall.
Her kiss was intoxicating, and she’d scrambled my brain. That was my only excuse. But I knew I was just as guilty. More so. I was a big boy and could admit I’d played my part and put my hands where they shouldn’t have been. Where I was afraid, yet fairly fucking certain, I’d put them again. But it was more than her sex appeal, though there was plenty of that, that had me running in circles. It was her mind. She was smart. Brilliant, actually. She’d found a way to survive in a world full of violence and corruption by using her brain, and she made no apologies for it. She was kind and brave and spectacularly beautiful—plus the woman could cook. A deadly combination.
When I made my way out to the kitchen the next morning, I was reminded of this very fact when I found Grace at the stove in a short lavender robe, her hair piled high on her head in a messy pon
ytail, the heavenly scents of bacon and coffee all around.
“Morning,” I said, my voice still gruff from lack of sleep.
“Good morning.” She smiled and offered me a mug of coffee. “Tanner already ate. He said to tell you that the team will be here in a little while.”
“Oh?” I glanced down at her bare legs then back up, stupidly possessive, though I had zero right to be.
Her caramel cheeks flushed adorably. “I, uh, I’m going to eat then go get dressed.” She bit her lip, lost in thought. “I wanted to go for a run, but I didn’t think . . .”
“I’ll go for a run with you when we’re done. No big deal.”
Her face brightened. “You will?”
“Sure. I’ll take you to run on the base track. It’s safe there and it’ll get us out for a bit. Will that work?”
“That will work. Thank you.”
And she showed her appreciation with a breakfast of bacon, eggs, pancakes, and fresh fruit. I was going to need to go running if she kept feeding me like this. That, or marry her. When I said as much, her eyes snapped up to mine so fast, I think she nearly got whiplash.
“It was a joke, Grace. Relax.”
She said nothing and jumped up at voices outside.
“It’s just the guys,” I reassured her.
She nodded and grabbed her plate. “I know. I’m done anyway. I’ll go change while you all talk.” She offered me a weak half-smile then rushed out of the room just as Tito gave a cursory knock before letting himself in.
I was left puzzled, but I stood and greeted my team.
Well, most of them.
“Where’s Kid?”
Tito glanced around. “He’s not here?”
“Nope.” I looked to Maverick, who’d been keeping watch all night.
He shook his head. “All quiet.”
“He said he’d be here,” Tito said, frowning down at his phone as he shot off a text.
The thing was—the thing we all knew—Kid was never late. Like never. As a general rule, when Tito told the team to arrive at a certain time, we all got there right on the nose. Kid got there ten minutes early or he was stressing it. This was not like him. At all.
I moved to the front window and glanced outside toward the street. No movement.
Tito’s phone chimed with a text, breaking the silence. “Says he’s on his way. He overslept.”
“Overslept? Bullshit,” Bubba deadpanned.
“Yeah. Something’s up with that,” Red chimed.
Tito just shrugged, but he didn’t look convinced either. I figured he’d ask Kid about it in private, or maybe just let it go since it was a one-time deal. Instead of saying anything more about it, he helped himself to the leftover bacon on my plate.
“So, uh, I hate to even mention it . . .” Red fidgeted where he stood, his eyes dancing between Tito and the ground. “. . . But Danielle made me promise I’d ask.”
“What is it, brother?”
“She’s worried about the wedding this weekend.”
Tito frowned. “What about it?”
Red stuffed his hands into his front pockets, his gaze darting to mine then back. “She’s concerned, given our history with the cartel and past missions, that something will come up and—”
Tito held up a hand. “Say no more. You tell your pretty lady that the wedding will go on as planned, and that you will be there, guaran-fucking-teed. I’ll see to that. And I’ll do everything in my power to make sure the rest of us are there, too, you have my word on that.”
Red nodded once, emotion heavy on his face. “I appreciate that, man.”
“You’re our brother. Don’t sweat it.”
In the background, I heard Grace puttering around in the back bedroom, but that may have been because I’d grown so attuned to her in the short time we’d been together. I’d learned her scent, her voice, the way she took her coffee, the little tells she had when she was aggravated or excited. The little things I was afraid I’d miss when all this was over.
I glanced over and caught Maverick staring me down with a curious stare, and I’d never been more thankful for Kid’s late entrance.
“Sorry, guys.” He tried to act like nothing was amiss, but his disheveled appearance gave him away at two clicks. Plus, the giant purple hickey currently in residence on his throat was like a neon sign that he hadn’t simply “overslept.”
“Dude. What the hell?” Bubba laughed and kicked the toe of his boot. “What bar bunny kicked you out of bed looking like that? I hope she was worth it, because—”
“Shut the fuck up!” Kid glowered, his cheeks mottled as he bolted from his chair to get right in Bubba’s face. “You don’t say one more goddamned word! You hear me? Not one!”
“Check yourself, Kid.” Bubba got right back in his grill. “Or I will do it for you.”
“Whoa, guys. Settle down.” Tito got between them, shoving them apart. “This isn’t the time or the place. Bring it down a notch, Kid. Bubba was just kidding. Right?”
Bubba took a few moments, but finally visibly relaxed. “Yeah. Right, man. Sorry.”
Kid nodded and sucked in a breath. “Yeah. Me, too.”
“Good.” Tito moved back, and they simmered down. “We have a lot to discuss and no time for drama.”
“What’s up?” Kid asked, focusing as he sat down and steepled his hands.
“Well, we all knew the cartel was on the move.” He glanced around. “Tex let me know that as of oh-four-hundred this morning, satellite imagery shows them heading from Texas into New Mexico and moving west. We can expect them to hit California within the week most likely, and so far, they’ve managed to keep chatter to a minimum, so we have no idea what they know or what they’re planning, so we have to keep our eyes and ears open. No fuck ups.”
“Any change to the plans?” Red asked.
“Not as of this moment. We’re keeping Grace on lockdown and Tex is still working through her files to find a way to Esteban and our wolf friend. Once we bring him down, we can get her home and get back to business as usual and hopefully start working these breadcrumbs he’s finding that are leading toward Shadeek. But one thing at a time, and that means keeping our assets safe, and that’s her and those files until we have more.”
“What about Tex’s guys?” Bubba asked.
“Yeah,” Maverick seconded. “I thought they were working with us on this clusterfuck of a mission. Why do they get a pass to go do fun shit in South America?”
Tito grimaced. “Well, I doubt they’re having much fun. Tex tells me they’ve taken some heavy fire and their mission has been extended. Looks like, other than Tex, we’re going it alone for a while.”
“The reinforcements would be nice,” I said. “This cartel is a shit show.”
“True that, but we can handle it until they get back. We have no choice in the matter. Plus, I refuse to have my team whining like a bunch of spoiled girls that they need any help from the SEALs. Suck it up, gentleman, and do what you were trained to do. Oorah.”
“Oorah!” we echoed, earning a smile from our fearless leader.
“That’s what I thought.”
We finished up our meeting, going over a few more of the details that Tex had found in Grace’s files, making it even clearer the ties between the cartel and not only Shadeek, but several other high-ranking terrorist organizations in the Middle East. Information we might never have had if not for her contacting me.
Something Tito reminded me of as they made their way out later and he clapped a hand on my shoulder and spoke in a low voice. “You take care of that woman, you hear me?”
“Roger that.”
“I’m serious. We wouldn’t have this solid intel without her.”
“I know that.”
His eyes never left mine, as if he was searching for some truth.
“What?”
“You feel something for her.”
It was not a question. I did not lie to my leader, so I remained silent.
“Just be careful,” he warned. “We have no idea how this all is going to end. I don’t want to see you hurt.”
I opened my mouth to argue, but he held up a hand to stop me.
“I don’t mean physically hurt.” He stepped out the door. “You have a good day. And enjoy Kid’s company.” He was smirking as he stepped off the porch, leaving Kid to take an extra-long turn on watch as punishment for being late.
Kid ignored us all, his back to me as he studied the neighborhood from his post on the far end of the patio.
I shook my head and closed the door. Could Tito be right? Could a woman I barely knew hurt me? Was she already that deep under my skin?
Yes.
Shit.
I pivoted and raked a frustrated hand through my hair. How the hell had this happened? How could I have let it happen?
Still, there was no denying he was also right about the fact that we wouldn’t have the intel we had about Esteban or Shadeek without her, and we would be able to save countless lives thanks to her help. I owed her.
“Grace!”
She appeared a moment later, her expression concerned. “Lucas?”
My chest warmed. I’d never admit it, but I loved it when she said my name. “Get your shoes on.” Yes, I owed her, and I always repaid my debts. I couldn’t do much, but I could make her happy today, and I intended to do just that. “We’re going for a run.”
Ten
Grace
Over the next week, things became somewhat routine for us in that beachside safehouse. Well, as routine as it can be when you’re locked down with one sexy Marine, under constant surveillance by five others, working with a Navy SEAL on cartel secrets you used to protect with your life, and in constant fear that every night might be your last. Because, try as they might to keep it from me, I knew the cartel hitmen were in the states and headed our way. They might not know my exact location, but it was only a matter of time until they found me. Marco and Juan would see to that. It was a matter of pride, more than anything else for them. I was to be Juan’s bride. There would be no way they’d let my treachery slide, much less risk the cartel secrets I could spill.
I was a dead woman walking.
