Her knees nearly gave out and Brent quietly assisted her back to the chair at the table. Brent couldn’t believe the venomous words Garcia spewed.
“This is what I will give you and no more,” she said. “If I am to meet you there alone, then you, too, must be there alone. We will face each other for the last time. Just you and me. I will bring no one from law enforcement, and you will bring none of your men. Agreed?”
A second ticked by. Then two...
“Agreed,” Garcia finally said.
Adriana sagged with her release of breath. Then she gave him instructions on where to head. “And while you are driving, I will text you the rest of the details. I’m willing to bend, to negotiate, Rio. Let’s see if you can do it, too. Show me that you are the great businessman everyone says. We will meet one last time in this life. And the way you are going, my brother, I doubt I will see you in the next.”
Garcia cursed.
Admiration for Adriana surged in Brent. Even though hundreds of miles stood between them, Rio Garcia was a terrifying force to be reckoned with, even over a cell phone. And yet Adriana stood up to him. The only problem would be when she ended the call. They could not let her go and meet Garcia.
When it was over, she collapsed against the table.
Brent crouched next to her in the chair, lifted her chin. “Are you all right, honey?” He couldn’t help himself. He’d meant to put a hard, cold wall between them, but at the sight of her distress, it disappeared like it had been nothing but smoke.
She barely lifted her chin for him.
“Okay, he’s on his way, Adriana,” Colt said. “Now, tell us where we can find the goods so we can be waiting for this brother of yours. We’ll take him down, and then you’ll have your life back.”
She shook her head. “No. You—the Texas Rangers—will take my life then. You will bring me up on your charges and put me on your witness stand and I will never have my life back.”
Brent took one of her hands in his. “Not for long. It won’t last forever, just long enough to help us put him away, and then you are free to live your life.”
Her warm brown eyes found him and what he saw there—the utter terror—nearly did him in. “What’s wrong? What is it?”
“You know that’s not true. Rio’s henchmen will forever search for me. He will conduct his business from behind bars, if necessary. My only real chance to get away would be if I could actually trust Rio to give me my freedom, but I can’t ever trust him.”
Brent wasn’t sure if he’d ever seen such complete hopelessness. He lifted her up from the chair into his arms. “Aw, honey. That’s just not true. We can help you change your name and identity, and you can move far from the border and forget this life ever existed.”
She burrowed her face into his shoulder as her own shook.
Colt’s expression remained dire and serious. He gestured toward the woman in Brent’s arms. “We need the location before it’s too late.”
“Now, Adriana, you have to tell us where to find the goods. You have to cooperate. I want that freedom for you just as much as you do. So tell us what we need to know.”
“I can’t.”
“What?” Frustration built in his chest. He gripped her arms and put enough distance between them to look her in the eyes. “What do you mean, you can’t?”
“I will not put you in harm’s way. I will not send you or your Texas Ranger brothers to face off with my brother.”
“You think we’re going to let you go there to face him alone? You know he won’t keep his word. He’ll bring his men and he’ll take you and then torture and kill you.”
Adriana lifted her hands and ran them through his hair and down his cheeks. His stomach twisted into a tight knot. “I will not risk your life. Bad enough he’s after me, but his vow to kill you... If something happened to you, I would always blame myself. I cannot work with you in this.”
“Well, you’re not going. You can’t go alone, and you can’t give the drugs to him. So, now you have him driving up the road to meet no one.”
“I’m sorry. None of it has worked out like I wanted or hoped.”
“Look.” Colt approached them. “We’re running out of time. You are now officially obstructing justice. You need to tell us where you have hidden the drugs and the money. Now.”
Brent glared at Colt, his message clear. Back off! “Can you give us a minute, please?”
“You have three.” Colt exited the room.
“We’re not going into this intending to get hurt. We’re going to capture and arrest your brother for his crimes and put him away. Don’t you want that? You can’t go alone. That’s not even in the equation. And I promise you, even your brother doesn’t believe for a second that you will. But we’ll give him the impression that you have.”
She blinked up at him, lines creasing between her brows. “What are you saying?”
Brent blew out a breath. If he’d learned anything about this beautiful, stubborn and determined woman, it was that she could negotiate with the best of them. She’d just negotiated with her brother without losing her nerve, and she had no intention of backing down against the Texas Rangers, either.
“I’m saying that nothing will be accomplished if no one goes. If the only way for us to get Garcia is for us to go together, then so be it. I’ll be there close, but not where he can see me. The others will be too far for Garcia or his men to see, but close enough to act. I’m asking you to trust me, Adriana. I’ll take them all down. I’ll take down your brother and his henchmen.” And now he was just blathering pure bravado.
A small smile lifted her lips. “It seems the only way for us to do this is together. We will either live together or we will die together.”
FIFTEEN
Adriana never thought she’d be this vulnerable with anyone, but she knew her face revealed everything that was in her heart. Brent knew all of it now, and why shouldn’t he? Considering they were both putting their lives on the line to end this.
“I never thought it would come to this,” she said.
He leaned close, and she thought he might kiss her again. She inched toward him, wanting that kiss more than life itself at this moment, because it could very well be her last kiss. Her last moment alone with this man.
The door behind them opened. “Your time is up,” Colt said. “Now, where have you hidden the goods?”
Brent stepped back, putting more distance between them. He nodded, reassurance in his gaze.
“I’m trusting you, Brent, to keep our agreement,” she said.
“What agreement?” Colt said.
“She’s giving us the information we want, but she’s going,” Brent said. “We’re all going. I’ll be close so I can take Garcia out. And the rest of you will be off-site, but close enough to act.”
“What are you, crazy?”
“It’s the only way, Colt. Enough. Time is wasting. Go ahead, honey, give us the coordinates.”
“The llama ranch. Down a tunnel in the barn. Inez said the tunnel was there before she and her husband owned the ranch.”
“What?” Colt paced the room. “This whole time you’d hidden the drugs, the cash, right there beneath our noses?”
Respect shone in Brent’s eyes. “I figured.”
“I need to text Rio the information.”
“Not yet.” Both Brent and Colt spoke at the same time.
“Not until he’s closer. We don’t want him calling in forces that might already be near the ranch. Let us get into position, then you can text him.”
“But he’s going to won—”
“Let him wonder, then. Let him sit in his vehicle and wait for your text. Let him fume. He wants that money and his product. He’ll wait for it. You don’t need to apologize. Right now you hold all the leverage. Rem
ember that.”
She had known that all along, in fact, and didn’t need his reminder. But her brother terrified her, so maybe she did need to hear those words.
Brent ushered her out the door and into the SUV. Calls were made and orders were shouted. Guns and ammo and body armor were piled into vehicles.
“We’re going to have to book it to get there today.” Colt’s tone left no doubt he was not pleased at her news. “Even if she does make him wait.”
In the middle seat, Adriana watched out the window. While Colt drove, he and Brent talked strategy without her, but she absorbed it all.
What have I done?
They were going to die today. She just knew it.
The trees and farms and small towns raced by the window, and it was as if she were watching the last moments of her life pass her by. If she hadn’t saved Brent that day, or maybe if she hadn’t taken the watch, then she wouldn’t be in this moment, traveling down the road at a high rate of speed to meet a man who had thought about nothing but finding and killing her for months.
But so many of the factors that had led her to this moment had been out of her hands. She had no control over the fact she’d been born into a family that eventually evolved into a cartel. And she’d wanted another life.
Brent reached over and gently squeezed her hand. He leaned closer. “Are you all right?”
She shook her head and turned to him. “No, I’m not.”
His strong jaw twisted with the same pain she saw in his eyes. “You don’t have to do this. You can go back. We can take it from here.”
“I’m surprised that your Major Vance agreed to let me come at all. But I suppose getting Garcia is that important.” More important than my life, any one person’s life.
Brent might have thought he’d hidden that truth away, but she saw it plain in his eyes. She also saw that he didn’t want to let her go, despite his earlier words of agreement to the plan.
“If it were up to me,” he whispered, “I’d take you far away from here. Take you away from it all.”
She laughed a little. “I don’t believe you, but it’s a nice sentiment.”
“No, I mean it.”
“What? That you’d give up your life and job as a Texas Ranger for me? It’s who you are, Brent. I wouldn’t ask that of you.”
Had she hurt him with her words? She reached up and palmed his cheek. This beautiful, rugged man had stolen her heart. Somehow she had to crush what she felt for him before it crushed her. They could never be together. And he was talking nonsense now. The fear he felt for what they were both about to face was getting to him.
“I need you to promise me something,” she said.
“I will if I can.”
“Focus on getting my brother. He’s murdered so many people. Others have lived under his brutality for far too long. Get him and take him down. Don’t think about protecting me. Because if you’re too busy thinking about me and what we can’t have together, you’re more likely to fail us both.”
* * *
“Truer words have never been said.” Regret lodged in his gut. But he knew she was right.
And with those words, Brent focused his attention back on the road, though Colt was driving, until finally they stopped the SUV a few miles outside of the ranch and switched to another vehicle. Now Adriana would drive and Brent would remain hidden, hunkered down in the front seat as much as possible. Colt would take the SUV to meet the other Rangers near the back of the ranch. They were scheduled to get there ahead of Garcia, in case he suspected the ranch, but they couldn’t be certain about anyone or anything. The intel they’d received via the two caretaker agents they’d put in place on the ranch after the explosion reported that they’d seen no sign of Garcia or his men.
If their intel was correct, then maybe they would have a real chance of pulling this off. But before they drove away, one thing remained.
Colt handed the cell phone over to Brent. “Don’t text him until you’re in position.”
Brent watched Colt climb into the SUV, then just before he drove off, he gave Brent one last look and nodded—Brent understood his silent message. Be safe, my brother.
The next part of their plan was now in play. He rested against the seat and watched Adriana drive.
Unbelievably, she smiled. “You’re not going to stare at me the whole drive, are you?”
“Maybe.”
She swatted him with her right hand. “Come on, you’re distracting me.”
She hit a pothole that jarred him and laughed.
“You did that on purpose.”
“Maybe.”
He chuckled. “Crazy that we’re laughing.” But it felt good.
“Well, maybe we need some levity to survive this. I won’t lie to you, Brent. I’m scared.”
“I know.” So am I. “But we both believe we’re doing the right thing, and this is the only way. And we have to trust in God. You know your Inez is praying for you.”
“Don’t kid yourself. She’s praying for you! She believes God sent you as my protector. So she’s putting all her prayer power behind keeping you safe to protect me.” Adriana’s soft laugh held her affection for the woman. “I’m turning onto the main road that leads to the house now.”
Brent called Colt on his cell. “Anything?”
“The ranch is still clear. Across the river is clear. We’re almost in position here. Once you get there, she can text him. And, Brent?”
“Yeah?”
“I’m sorry I had to be so hard on her.”
“I know. You’re just doing your job.”
“Yeah, about that...my job, that is. I want to keep it and I want to keep working with you. Please be careful. I heard what she said about not thinking about her because it will distract you. She’s right.”
“I know that. You don’t need to tell me. So get your own focus back. This is for keeps.”
“Right. For keeps. I’m out.” Colt ended the call.
“I’m pulling up to the house now,” she said.
“Pull around back to the barn, close enough I can sneak out in case we missed it and someone’s watching.”
“Where are you going to be hiding?”
“Inside the barn makes the most sense. Whatever happens, Adriana, don’t let him lay a hand on you. I don’t want him to use you to protect himself, do you understand?”
She nodded. He squeezed her hand again.
“You said you would meet him. Didn’t mean you have to stand close. He’ll expect you to be on your guard—probably won’t even be surprised to see you’re wearing a protective vest.”
When the vehicle came to a stop, he handed the cell over. “You can text him now. We have Rangers and other agencies in place, but not close enough to scare off Garcia or any men he brings. Any sign of trouble, you run for cover. All we need is to get him here and out in the open so we can arrest him.”
Brent watched her slender fingers type in her message to her brother. She stared at the cell and waited for a reply and got none.
He shrugged. “He’ll be here. He’s probably angry that you are playing games with him.”
“He probably suspects something.”
“He’s willing to risk a battle with us to get his goods back.” And Garcia was probably glad for an excuse to hunt Brent down and kill him. It was Adriana whom Brent was worried about.
He wanted to wish her well, and hug and kiss her again, but he had to stay focused. He nodded and she climbed from the vehicle. He slipped out the passenger door. Before he took off, she caught his attention.
He hesitated.
“Please make sure Kiana and Maria are not in the barn.”
“Okay. I will. Now, don’t talk anymore.”
He sure hoped the llamas weren’t in
side, because that would complicate matters. But surely the caretaker agents had understood to clear the barn of the animals.
He sneaked into the barn and relief flooded him when he found it empty. He hiked up to the loft and located a window, along with a few cracks in the slats from which he could watch and shoot if necessary. If Garcia ended up in the barn, if he made it this far, then Brent would be here waiting to take him down.
Adriana leaned against the truck, hugging herself. At least the weather had inched into the high fifties today, but if she had to stand there too long, she’d get cold. She turned around and looked at the barn as if searching for him.
Oh, no, honey don’t do that. Don’t look around for me. That’s telegraphing that I’m here.
Fear for her gripped him.
How can I let her do this?
But there was no going back.
Maybe he wasn’t the best marksman, the best man for this job, but he needed to be close because he wouldn’t trust anyone else with her life. No, Brent had to be the one Ranger, the one law enforcement officer on the llama ranch close enough to protect her.
If gunfire erupted, the others would swarm the ranch and it would be over.
The only thing Brent wasn’t sure of was who would walk out alive.
Father, please, protect us. I can’t go through losing a woman who risked her life for me—the woman I’m in love with.
Why, oh, why had it come to this situation where he would fall for her? And she would have to be here to bait Garcia? He’d known, they’d all known all along, that Adriana was the key to Garcia. But he hadn’t imagined that it would all come down to the absolutely worst scenario he could think of.
She pushed off the truck and came into the barn.
“I’m cold, sorry. Came inside to get warm.”
“You could sit in the truck.”
“I feel exposed out there.”
He didn’t blame her. “I’ll let you know if I see—”
“What is it?”
Texas Christmas Defender Page 16
