by Debra Webb
Her eyebrows reared upward. “Seriously? You’re not going to find a way to put me off again or to change the subject?”
His last attempt to distract her had taken an unexpected turn and he’d ended up on his knees. Who was he kidding? He’d dreamed of savoring all of Eva from the moment he saw her again. For years he’d kept thoughts of her—the memories—locked away in a place in his heart that refused to let go of her. He’d ignored those memories for years, unable to touch them. Then he’d returned to Chicago and he’d seen her by complete accident for the first time in more than eight years. She hadn’t seen him so he’d followed her and his entire being had ached with the need to touch her...to know her again. If he was honest with himself, he would admit that he’d been trying hard to work up the nerve to talk to her for more than a year. He’d followed her enough times that he felt like a stalker.
Gotta get your head straight, man.
Right now he had a job to do. One of the most important of his life; he had to keep Eva safe. As he walked toward the office he called Michaels to see if there was any news on the agency’s investigation into Robles.
Michaels said, “I was about to call you.”
Not a good sign. “I take it you’ve found someone willing to talk.”
The agency had concentrated on finding evidence of the gang leader’s crimes while Todd focused on protecting Eva. Victoria wanted to do what the police had not been able to—find someone willing to testify against Robles.
“We have and that source warned that Robles is about to make a direct move against Eva. Since her sister is her only family, I’ve contacted a colleague in DC to put eyes on her. That’s a considerable reach for Robles, but at this point he’s likely feeling desperate to avenge his brother. More than a week has passed and he hasn’t managed to follow through with his declaration of vengeance.”
“Never a good thing for the minions to see.” Todd agreed completely. Robles was no doubt damned desperate by now. He’d probably exterminated every member of his gang who’d failed to bring Eva to him.
“If our source will testify against Robles, we may have a starting place for Gang Intelligence to build a real, prosecutable case. Until now, they haven’t had a source willing to speak out against Robles. But his credibility is in question now. Every day he fails to honor his brother, his followers grow more restless.”
“Maybe the world will get lucky and they’ll start killing each other.” As crazy as it sounded, it happened. Someone inside could decide Robles was too weak to continue to be their leader. It was a long shot but a guy could hope.
“Until then we keep Eva and her sister safe and we continue pursuing potential sources.”
They discussed the various avenues for further infiltrating the True Disciples as well as Victoria’s urgent requests to her higher-level resources. If anyone could find a way to Robles, it was Victoria.
“Thanks for the update.” Todd was grateful for every step that brought them closer to ending the danger to Eva. “Keep us posted.”
He ended the call and put his cell away. Now if he could convince Eva to be patient a little longer—
“What update?”
He did an about-face and produced a smile. Eva was the only person who had ever been able to sneak up on him. He’d decided back when they were together that it was because she was such a part of him. They were one. His senses wouldn’t alert him to her presence any more than they would warn his right arm that his left was nearby. They began and ended together.
Evidently his instincts hadn’t realized that wasn’t the case anymore.
Whispers and glimpses of last night’s urgent lovemaking echoed through him. Maybe in some ways it was still the same, which was a blessing and a curse at the same time.
“We have a source who may be willing to testify against Robles.”
Her eyes widened with anticipation. “Would that be enough to get him off the streets?”
“Depending on what information he has and how much of it he can back up, it’s possible. If we’re really lucky charges could be brought and the judge would deny bail.” He resisted the urge to reach out and touch her in reassurance. “It’s a starting place.”
He decided not to tell her about Michaels’s other concerns. Michaels was on it. Lena would have protection ASAP if it wasn’t in place already.
Eva moved into the room, her arms folded over her breasts in a protective manner. “Do you believe he can be stopped this way? I don’t understand why that hasn’t happened already if it’s so simple.”
His hands twitched with the need to pull her close and hold her as he explained what Michaels had told him. “He’s swiftly losing credibility. Power and fear are the two main ingredients of a dictator’s reign and that’s what gang leaders like Robles are. He has hundreds of followers and they do as he tells them for various reasons. Some idolize him. Others are too afraid to do otherwise. The life—meaning their membership in the gang—is all they’ve ever known.”
“Afraid?” She frowned. “Why would coldhearted killers be afraid of anything?”
“Those who have second-guessed the life are in too deep to turn back now. Leaving isn’t an option. They’d be hunted and killed as would the people they care about. For others, they might be fearless when it comes to fighting, maiming and murdering, but they’re terrified of not having the unity they find in the gang. In some cases, it’s the only family they’ve ever known. If their leader fails, someone worse or someone who might not want them could take over. For those guys, protecting the life is all that matters.”
“Either way it seems like the empire Robles has built might be on shaky ground.” Hope glimmered in her eyes.
Todd was grateful the news had given her something to hang on to. Maybe it would be enough to keep her smart about how to proceed. “Every day that you’re breathing, his credibility weakens. Someone else could step up and go for a takeover.”
“How can I help make it happen faster?” She turned her palms up in question. “I could go on the news. Speak out about what a coward he is.”
Todd managed a stiff laugh that came out more like a cough. “I think we’ll hold off on that avenue for a bit.”
“This is good news, though.” She hugged herself again, rubbed her hands up and down her arms as if she were chilled. “I should call Lena. Let her know I’m okay. We haven’t spoken since early yesterday.” A frown furrowed her brow. “She hasn’t answered that text I sent from your phone last night letting her know I was okay after what happened at the church.”
He dug his phone from his back pocket and offered it to her. “She hasn’t. Why don’t you give her a call? I’ll have a new phone brought to you, if you’d like.”
She accepted the phone. “I’m guessing that means we’re staying in today.”
Before he could answer, his cell rang. Eva jumped and almost dropped it.
She passed it to him. “Geez, that scared the hell out of me.”
Todd didn’t recognize the local number. “Christian.”
“Christian, this is Detective Marsh. We have a problem.”
“I’m listening.” Todd moved to a desk and awakened a computer monitor just to put some distance between him and Eva without being too obvious about it.
“Someone broke into Lena Bowman’s townhouse last night. They tore the place apart and left a vic in the bedroom. We’re going to need Eva to come over here and make an identification.”
Todd’s heart stumbled. “Can you give me a few more specific details?”
“The vic is female. We can’t be sure whether or not it’s her sister. The general height and weight, hair color are right, but there’s too much facial damage to be certain.”
Fear snaked around his chest and tightened like a vise. Lena was out of town. Couldn’t be her. Still, his gut churned with worry. “We’ll be right there.”
“Why?”
He kept his gaze forward. Making eye contact right now he feared would show her what he didn’t want her to see—not yet anyway. “Someone broke in and ransacked the place.”
“Okay,” she said, the word thin.
He wouldn’t mention the rest until they were there. Having her get hysterical while he needed to watch for a tail could get them both in trouble.
As if she sensed there was something more he wasn’t saying, she didn’t ask anything else as they loaded into the black Camaro. The next forty-five minutes were some of the longest in his life. Eva tried four times to call her sister. Each time the call went to voice mail. His tension rocketed higher. Thankfully, Eva didn’t start asking questions.
By the time they reached Lena’s townhouse on East Elm Street, Eva was quietly falling apart piece by piece. Her hands were trembling and she stared out the window. He roared right up to the police perimeter and two uniforms shouted orders for him to move and that this was a crime scene. Like the strands of yellow tape weren’t sufficient evidence it was a crime scene. Pedestrians and neighbors stood on the sidewalk across the street and behind the tape. A couple of news vans were already on the scene but they had been held back a full block.
“Detective Marsh is expecting us,” Todd said to the officer who marched up to him.
A sharp whistle sounded from the townhouse steps. Marsh motioned at the officer. “Let ’em through.”
Todd put his hand to Eva’s back and guided her to the steps. Her shoulders were square and her stride was firm, but he felt her body trembling. Marsh waited on the sidewalk to walk up with them. Lena’s place was the upper of the two units.
“I’m sorry I had to call you over here, Ms. Bowman,” Marsh said as they walked through the front door.
“Can you give us a minute?” Todd asked when they stood in the entry hall with the front door closed, blocking out the prying eyes on the street.
Marsh gave a knowing nod. “Sure. I’ll wait in the living room.”
Todd turned to Eva and he would give anything in the world not to have to tell her the part he’d been holding back.
As if she suddenly understood what he was about to say, Eva shook her head. “She isn’t here. Lena’s in DC. You know that.”
“I know.” He wished his heart would stop pounding so hard and that his hands would stop their damned shaking. “There’s a woman, Eva. She was murdered in the bedroom.”
Eva fought to keep her expression clean of emotion but her lips trembled and she made this hiccupping sound that ripped his thundering heart right out of his chest even as she shook her head adamantly once more. “She’s not here.”
He tried to take her hand but she dodged the move. “You’re right,” he said, the two words uttered out of sheer desperation. “Marsh thought maybe it was one of her neighbors. He hoped you might be able to help them with the identification.”
More of those painful sounds wrenched from her throat. “Liar.”
“Come on.” He closed his hand around hers before she could snatch it away from him this time. “Let’s do what we can to help Marsh and then we can get out of here.”
She nodded, the movement jerky.
He held on to her small, trembling hand and prayed like he had never prayed before as they went into the living room to catch up with Marsh. The furniture had been turned upside down. Drawers and their contents were strewn over the room. The kitchen and dining room were the same. Broken china and silverware flung across every surface. Chairs were overturned.
They passed the first of two bedrooms, which was Lena’s office. Like the other rooms, it had been ransacked, furniture overturned. Files and papers were scattered across the hardwood as if a hurricane had blown through the space.
In the final bedroom—Lena’s room—the dresser drawers were tossed in every direction. Framed photographs of the sisters that once sat on the dresser had been crushed on the floor. Lingerie was tossed from one side of the room to the other. The bed covers were torn from the mattress.
Bare feet were visible beyond the end of the bed.
Eva yanked free of his hold and ran to where the victim lay on the floor. She dropped to her knees. His entire body vibrating with fear and tension, Todd crossed the room and crouched beside her. The woman had long brown hair...like Lena. The height and weight were right, as Marsh had said. She wore yoga pants and a bra-like top. Her face was beaten beyond recognition.
Damn these bastards.
For ten full seconds Eva stared at the woman, tears flooding down her cheeks. Todd held his breath and prayed some more.
“It’s not her.”
Relief rushed through his veins even as regret that someone else’s sister or daughter or wife had been murdered tugged at his gut. “You’re sure?”
“Look closely,” Marsh urged.
“Her hair is too long. Her fingers are thicker than Lena’s and her fingernails are too short.” Eva drew in a shaky breath. “Lena gets her nails done every week.” She gestured to the woman’s bare midriff. “Lena has a birthmark on her right side. It looks like a little white cloud.” She looked up at Marsh, a shaky smile on her lips even as the tears continued to flow. “She always hated it.”
“Okay.” Marsh nodded. “Does your sister have a friend or a neighbor with long brown hair?” He looked to the victim. “One who fits what you see here.” He shook his head then and looked away.
Eva moved her head side to side. “Lena has so many friends. I’m sorry. I don’t know.”
Todd helped her to her feet and asked the detective, “We done here?” She’d been through enough. Whatever else Marsh wanted to know he would need to ask Lena.
He nodded. “For now.” To Eva he said, “I really am sorry we had to put you through this, Ms. Bowman, but we didn’t have a lot of choice. Every minute we waste with red tape is a minute we can’t get back. Waiting for the medical examiner to come and remove the body before we let you have a look down at the morgue would have eaten up hours.”
Eva took a deep breath. “I understand. I’ll let my sister know what’s happened.”
Marsh had one of his officers bring the Camaro right up in front of the townhouse. Todd ushered Eva into the car as quickly as possible.
Somewhere amid the crowd, Robles’s men would be watching.
Chapter Thirteen
Colby Safe House, Noon
Eva paced the living room. Ian Michaels had delivered her new phone. She had finally reached Lena’s boss who called a point of contact in DC that confirmed Lena had an early morning interview. According to the contact in DC, she should be finishing up soon and be available to return Eva’s call. Lena’s boss assured Eva that it was common for a reporter to shut off his or her cell phone during an important interview. She understood that part—Lena had told her as much on numerous occasions—but the knowledge did nothing to alleviate Eva’s mounting concern. She couldn’t possibly relax until she heard her sister’s voice.
Another woman was dead. Eva couldn’t pretend that the woman’s life or Mrs. Cackowski’s mattered less than her own. She possessed the ability to stop the bloodshed, and putting off that necessary step was unequivocally wrong.
She summoned her courage, folded her arms across her chest and said as much. “I want to meet the person the Colby Agency found who might be willing to speak out against Miguel Robles.” She met Todd’s startled gaze with lead in her own. “He might be able to help us end this now.”
“First,” he countered, “leaving this house is growing increasingly dangerous. It’s my job to protect you and I take that job very se
riously.”
When she would have argued, he held up a hand and continued, “Second, allowing you to even know the name of the man who’s talking to the agency much less speak with him could shut him down. Even if for some strange reason he agreed to meet with you, some small thing you say or do might change his mind. We can’t risk rocking that particular boat right now. He’s far too potentially valuable to the investigation.”
“You promised we’d talk about what I can do.” She checked her new cell phone, willing it to ring and growing all the more frustrated when it didn’t. “I can’t stay hidden forever. I thought you understood my feelings on the matter. So let’s stop going over what I can’t do and discuss something I can.”
Maybe it was wrong to lay a guilt trip on him but she was desperate. If she didn’t hear from Lena soon she might just lose it. It was either that or fall apart and she’d done that once already today. Going there again wasn’t an option. She needed to be strong and focused. Two people were dead and another was in the hospital because of her. Eva had to do something besides hide and wait.
He opened his mouth to answer and her cell rang. The number for the television station where Lena worked flashed on the screen. A new stab of worry sliced deep into Eva’s heart as she accepted the call. “Hello.”
“Eva, this is Scott Mason from Channel 7.”
Lena’s boss. Eva’s fingers tightened on the phone. “Did you hear from Lena?”
“Not exactly.” He hesitated and Eva’s heart fractured. “I spoke to the cameraman who was supposed to be at the interview with her this morning. He said Lena cancelled the interview because she got word that her sister had been in an accident. She left DC around eight this morning. No one has heard from her since.”
Eva’s world tilted and the crack in her heart widened. “Thank you, Mr. Mason.” He was still speaking when Eva ended the call. She couldn’t listen to more of his regrets and offers of comfort. She turned to Todd. “Lena came back to Chicago.” Outrage roared through her. “I have to find her. Now.”
