Oh, God, now what?
****
Kate was in the kitchen wearing one of his shirts when Quinn walked back into the house. The sight of her made him hard as a rock. She looked so damned sexy, stretching up to reach a mug, the shirt riding up on those wonderful legs, the fabric sliding off one shoulder. He had to restrain himself from grabbing her up and hauling her to the bedroom.
Maybe afterwards, he thought. After he told her dinner was on.
He was still astounded by his need for her. It had grown inside until it clawed at him and filled every corner, body and soul. Somehow she had the key to open the core he’d kept locked up behind bars for four very long years. He guessed there was a lot to be said for chemistry, but it was more than that, and he knew he’d never be the same again.
Nor did he want to be.
When he closed the door she turned, and the smile she gave him went straight through to the center of his soul. Okay. He would get them past this nightmare. Then they could look at building a future together. A future that two days ago he would have sworn didn’t matter or even exist.
He wanted to smile back at her but the conversation with Jake was too fresh in his mind. He knew what was coming and he had to prepare her for it. Dinner might wear a friendly face but with a case as hot as the one against the Osunas, Jake would only cut them so much slack.
She caught the look on his face, then poured her coffee with hands that shook slightly. Quinn came up behind her, his sudden touch almost causing her to slosh the liquid out of the cup. She turned in his arms and searched his face, trying to read him, but he’d lived with a closed expression for so long...
“Refill?” She held out the pot, nodding at the mug in his hand.
He nodded. “Then we’ll sit down and talk about what Jake had to say.”
They sat at the bar, her shaking hands wrapped firmly around the coffee mug. She took a slow sip, then set the mug back down. Her body hummed with tension.
“Just spit it out,” she burst out. “Whatever it is can’t be worse than sitting here making myself sick with worry. I assume that was Jake you were talking to on the phone. He wants to do something you’re against, right?”
“Right. He called me before I could get back to him.”
“Did you tell him about dinner? What did he say?”
He would give anything to erase the fear that was thick in her voice.
“I told you last night I was sure Jake had talked to Dean Morgan, my former boss, about this.”
She nodded. “And?”
“He put Dean on the phone. Kate, this thing is so much bigger than either you or I realize.”
Her face turned so pale, Quinn was afraid she might faint. He held the coffee mug up to her lips.
“Drink. It’s okay. No one’s coming out here to drag you away.”
“Are you sure?” Her hands on the mug were still trembling.
“Positive. I made a deal with him. I told him we’d let Jake come out here and talk to you and assess your situation, and take it from there. I didn’t say a word about the flash drive. That’s our ace in the hole, to help us call the shots.”
She started to protest, but he held a finger to her lips. “It’s the best thing we can do, Kate. We talked about this, remember? He needs to hear what you have to say, and then you have to give him that flash drive. They’ll open it, get their information, and move forward with their case. Keep in mind, as long as you have it, you’ll still be a target for the cartel.”
“I’m not giving that drive to just anyone, Quinn.”
We pay people everywhere. Cops, prosecutors...
She couldn’t get the words out of her brain.
“And that’s why you’re going to give it to Jake. Because we can trust him. I swear it on my life.”
“I’m sorry. I know I’m just being paranoid because of what Peter said.”
He sighed. “All right. I can talk until I’m blue in the face, so let’s do this. Tonight you can meet Jake and judge for yourself. Fair enough? But keep in mind that stopping the cartel is the only way to keep you alive. And that flash drive is the key.”
“I guess that’s okay.” She dug up a tiny smile from someplace.
He brushed his knuckles along her cheek. “Remember, I’m with you all the way here.”
He bent his head and touched his mouth to hers.
She tried to put everything she was feeling into that kiss, then suddenly pulled back.
“Wait, wait, wait. What about Jake’s boss? And his boss? They know about me now, so who else does? Are they trustworthy? How do I know they aren’t...”
Quinn pressed his lips hard against her mouth again, holding her face between warm hands. Her fingers grabbed his wrists, but in a moment relaxed, and he lifted his head.
“They were also my bosses until I quit the office four years ago,” he told her in a calm voice. “I trusted them and you have my word that you can, too.”
“I have to believe in you,” she said. “You’re all I have.”
“I won’t let you down.”
He slid off his stool, taking her with him and leaning down for another kiss. Kate knew he meant it to be tender and reassuring, just the briefest of contacts, but as soon as his mouth touched hers she opened for him, hungry for more than the light contact.
Gripped by a desperate need to crawl into him where it was safe and warm and secure, she tasted him greedily. She shuddered as his tongue, now provoked, dueled with hers, and just like that, fire erupted between them. She was drowning, a whirlpool of sensation closing over her, drawing her deeper, pulling her in.
Lifting her in his arms, he carried her into the bedroom. In seconds he had them both stripped naked. Covering her with his body, he plunged them into a mating so ravenous, so savage, it left them breathless.
It was a long time before they thought about anything else.
****
They were lying naked on his bed, the ceiling fan cooling their sweat-slicked bodies, neither of them anxious to move.
She threw an arm over his chest, leaning her head on the hard wall of muscle, rubbing her cheek against the soft fur of his curls. “I’m so sorry about your family, Quinn. I can’t imagine the pain you’ve had to live with.”
His fingers trailed idly up and down her arm. “I think maybe some mystic force was ready to give me a swift kick in the ass and put you out on the highway for me to find. I never thought it possible, but when I hold you, the pain isn’t nearly as bad.”
“Too bad I had to come with such a truckload of trouble. I don’t want you to get hurt because of me.”
“I’m a big boy, Kate. I could walk away at any time. But I’m not, I’m here for the long haul, so hang onto that thought, okay?” He rubbed his lips over hers, his tongue just barely probing.
“Okay.” The panic was still hiding deep inside, waiting to be released again, but she was sure in her bones there wasn’t anything Quinn couldn’t handle.
“Tonight you’ll tell your story to Jake,” he reminded her. “Everything. Including the flash drive. He’ll help us figure out what to do next to get you out of the cartel’s line of fire.”
“What time did you tell him to be here?”
“About seven. Meanwhile, there’s something I want to do. A little extra precaution I want to take.”
“Precaution?”
“Uh huh. Now that I know exactly what kind of people are hunting you, I want you to be able to protect yourself. Just in case. So we’re going to buy you a gun and do a little target practice.”
“A gun?” Her voice squeaked. She’d never held a gun in her life.
“Yes. So let’s get dressed and get moving.”
Chapter Fourteen
Peter adjusted himself on his motel bed, pillows against his back, computer on his lap and cell head set in place. He’d just come back from dinner, booted up his laptop and finally, finally had something to report. The messages in his tracking folder gave him the first hope he’d h
ad since that godawful night. And eased slightly the headache that had been pounding at him for days.
He speed-dialed an all too familiar number, then put the phone on speaker so he could work while he talked. The call was picked up after only one ring.
“Esai?”
“Well, well. Pedro. Is that a positive note I hear in your voice? How nice for a change.”
Esai Osuna’s voice always grated on Peter’s nerves. And he hated it when he and Miguel called him Pedro. That was a part of his life he’d long ago buried and had no wish to resurrect, regardless of circumstances.
“Isn’t it, though?” Hold the sarcasm. He has no sense of humor.
“Have you found the car?”
“Not, not yet. But it’s just a matter of time. We have eyes on every kind of road in five states. We’re covered no matter which way she went. Besides, it’s only a little more than a week. She can’t have gotten far. But—”
“Dios! Are you crazy? She could be anywhere.”
“Not in the junker she bought,” Peter told him.
“How many men does it take for a simple job?” Esai demanded. “Do we not have enough cops on our payroll in enough states to make sure she doesn’t slip through?”
Peter was clicking keys on the keyboard. “Forget about all those idiots out there. I’ve found something else that may help us pinpoint her current location.”
Manuel came to stand before the desk, looming over him. “You’ve found something? And you are just now telling me? I want to know what’s happening right now.”
Peter ground his teeth. He had to get out of this whole situation. Somehow. But not before he killed these two arrogant assholes. Slowly and painfully.
“Remember those web sites I set up that you and Miguel blew off as a waste of time? Sites that would bounce back to me and identify anyone who logged onto them?”
“Yes, yes, yes.” Esai’s impatience bounced through the connection.
“You both were so sure that nobody who mattered would be stupid enough to Google us, right?”
Peter was working hard to keep the smugness from his voice. But didn’t he deserve at least one Gotcha?
There was a short pause. “Are you telling me you actually got results from them? Can you tell from where?”
“Yes. Despite a surprisingly sophisticated attempt to camouflage the source, I tracked it back. You’ll never believe to where.”
“Spit it out.”
“The library in San Antonio.”
“Here?” The man couldn’t hide his surprise and excitement. “In my town? So good fortune is smiling on us for a change.”
“I’d say it’s at least patting us on the head.”
“But can you be sure it’s her? We don’t need any more false starts here, Pedro.”
“I think it’s an unbelievable coincidence that Kathryn has ended up in San Antonio.”
“If indeed it’s her.” Esai’s voice was cautious.
“But who else would suddenly decide to search for information on me and the law firm?” Peter protested. “The feds certainly don’t use public computers, and no one else has a reason to be interested.”
“We’d better hope so,” the man warned.
“I’d say she’s stopped running, at least for a while. She obviously feels pretty confident she won’t be found out for her to risk something like this.”
“Do you think she’ll stay put? She’s been a step ahead of us every time we’ve had a lead. Why won’t she take off now?”
“It’s a chance we have to take. This is the closest we’ve come to her since our...miscalculations.” And, God, how he hated remembering those. “You should have someone check it out.”
“If she’s in the area, finding her car should be that much easier. I’ll put men on it right away, looking for the car and anyone who resembles the bitch. And you had better get yourself on the next plane here.”
“Me?” Peter sat up straighter, pain shooting through his head. “Come to San Antonio? What the hell for?”
“Listen to me, Peter.” Esai’s voice was deceptively soft. And calling him Peter rather than Pedro was not a good sign. “This is your mess. You need to be here to clean it up. And I’ll be watching while you do it. Send Mickey home and have Diego come back here with you. Let me know your flight details and I’ll send a car for you.”
Peter felt a trickle of sweat work its way down his spine. He wanted to see the last of Esai’s pet as soon as possible. Diego Salazar was a stone cold killer. Those two men had been together since they were teenagers in Mexico, scrabbling out any kind of living they could. When the cartel was established, Esai had made a place for Salazar and earned the man’s fierce loyalty. Peter knew that Miguel would get rid of Salazar in a heartbeat, but the killer’s cold-blooded, vicious streak made him valuable in his own way.
“Why don’t I leave him here to pick up the loose ends,” Peter suggested. “He can—”
“He can get on the plane with you and make sure you get where you’re supposed to be going.” The threat was boldly implied. Don’t think of running, or else.
“Listen,” he began again.
But he was listening to a dead line. He disconnected the call and swore steadily and colorfully.
Shit, shit, shit.
How much worse could things get?
****
When his phone rang fifteen minutes later, Peter had just finished confirming the plane reservations, telling Salazar to get a move on, and packing his stuff. He looked at the number on the Caller ID and his stomach clenched.
“I understand you aren’t too excited about coming to the city,” the ice cold voice said. “Consider it an order from me.”
“No problem. I’m all set.” Peter did his best not to shout. He didn’t need this particular call. He was capable of taking care of things. More than capable. “I just don’t understand what I’ll be doing there.”
“When you get here I want you to get in touch with Pendera at once. He’s your contact. See him in person. That always works best.”
“Has something more happened?” Peter massaged his temple with the fingers of one hand.
“We don’t know yet. That’s why we need information from him right away. If Kathryn’s in this area we need to find out if somehow she’s made contact with anyone in his office. He should know about it if she has. And if he doesn’t, he needs to get busy and find out.”
So far they’d paid a lot of money to Efron Pendera, an assistant prosecutor on the U.S. District Attorney’s staff for south Texas. They expected him to pass information on the strike force progress but so far had received little in exchange.
“Fine. I’d planned to get with him anyway. What about her car? Any word yet?”
“We have people out searching for the car,” the voice answered. “We’ve drawn a hundred mile perimeter and we’ve got people working within that circle. You are to call everyone on our payroll in the area that you recruited personally and enlist their assistance. If she’s passed along that data storage unit already...”
“If she had,” Peter pointed out in a tight voice, “you’d be talking to the U.S. Attorney instead of me.”
“You’re so damn sure of that, are you?”
“Yes, I am. She’s still got it.”
“Then find her. I want her, I want the drive, and then I want her dead.”
“Fine.” He fought to keep a controlled tone in his voice. “I gave Esai my flight information. And you’ll be happy to know he has Salazar sticking to me like glue.”
“I’ll be happy when this thing is resolved. Not before.”
****
The flight to San Antonio was bumpy, and sitting with Salazar next to him didn’t help his state of mind. The only thing that made it bearable for Peter was flying first class. He managed to consume enough scotch to smooth out the rough edges, then closed his eyes and pretended to sleep.
One of Esai’s henchmen waited at the airport to fetch them. His orders were
to bring the two men to Esai’s home in northwest San Antonio immediately.
“This is just temporary,” Esai told Peter when he arrived at the house. “You’ll be moving to the condo after tomorrow.”
Peter’s stomach clenched. “Why? What’s the problem? What’s wrong with me just staying here?”
Esai shrugged. “I’d say nothing, but it’s not my decision. Meanwhile I want to have the downtown library checked again in case she returns.”
“I don’t think she will,” Peter argued. “She got what she wanted. Or didn’t get it.”
It’s a stupid idea and will only cause another screw-up.
“I still think we can’t ignore the possibility,” Esai insisted.
“Well, I certainly can’t go. Send Salazar if you want to. On the remote chance she does come back she’ll recognize me and run like hell. Besides, I need to keep in touch with the people who are looking for her car. She’s here. Somewhere in this area. We’ll find her.”
“Fine. I’ll have your suitcase put in your room. You can set up shop in my den for the moment. Martha will bring you coffee. You smell like you could use it. Dinner is at eight.”
Peter dropped his jacket on a chair next to the desk, set up the laptop, and logged onto the Internet. Esai’s entire house was a wireless hot spot, so he was connected in seconds. Then he opened his cell phone.
From the hallway he heard the voices of Esai and Salazar drifting back to him. Then the door to the garage opened and a moment later a car pulled away.
And good luck on that, he thought.
He began his routine, calling everyone on the list who might have a lead on the car while searching his databases for a hit on the license plate. He had just finished a long and frustrating phone call with a state policeman on their payroll when his cell rang.
“This is Alfredo Morales,” a voice said.
Peter recognized him at once. A county sheriff’s deputy who’d been taking their money for years.
“You called because...”
“I found your car for you.”
Chapter One Page 13
