“The Feds kept my record clean when I applied with Nina Bruno.” Ben grinned. “But don’t forget, Ben Hunter is straight as an arrow. It’s Adam Billings who isn’t a nice guy.”
Liz eyed him. “What is Adam Billings’ current criminal record?”
“Smuggling illegal weapons into the US comes to mind.”
“Illegal weapons?” she exclaimed.
“Easy, Liz. I’m not guilty of the charges.”
She nodded. “I know. It’s just this reads like a bad novel.”
“Not too bad of a novel, I hope. I was a pretty good escort the first half of the evening.”
“You were a terrible escort,” she replied. “You argued with me all night.” Liz recalled Adam Billings’ portfolio. “That explains why most of your work took place in Eastern Europe.”
Ben nodded. “It was the only thing the Feds did right.”
“What do you mean?”
“We aren’t seeing eye-to-eye with the FBI on this case. Speaking of the suits, have you spoken with them yet?”
She shook her head. “No, but your chief said he would set up a meeting. He doesn’t want me going to their offices here in El Paso, in case they’re being watched.” A ripple of fear clenched her stomach, but she kept her voice level, “He said they are particularly interested in Tanya.”
“We’re interested in her ourselves.”
Liz said, “He asked me about her.”
“What happened?” Ben asked. “Why did she ditch Nina Bruno Designs?”
“At first, we thought Jorge made her a better offer. But she seemed surprised to see me wearing the dress at the party, so I suspect it was more.”
“More?” he asked.
“Someone didn’t want us to show up with the dress. It could have been Jorge. Who knows?”
“Isn't her not showing a breach of contract or something?”
“It's not straightforward,” Liz replied. “Tanya's contracted for a movie and asked for a stipulation that allowed her to bow out of the event if a conflict arose.”
“That doesn't sound like a good deal for you,” Ben said.
Liz rose and picked up the chewing gum sitting on the bed and put it in the bag. “We wanted Tanya to model that dress and we’d never had any problems with her in the past.”
“Sounds to me like Tanya was keeping her options open.”
“I think that's exactly what she was doing.” Liz zipped up the bag.
“Come on.” Ben smiled and the butterflies made another pass along the insides of her stomach. “I'll take you to your hotel.”
She picked up her phone from the bedside table. “Is that necessary? Captain Medina said I’m registered under an alias. Mr. Sanchez can't know I’m here.”
Ben shrugged. “I have to protect you.”
She didn't miss the sensual note in his voice. A fuzzy feeling that came from knowing that an attractive man found her attractive sent a ripple of warmth through her. But she wouldn’t go there. Despite his skill in saving her life last night, a twenty-eight-year-old man was just too young for her forty-five-year-old brain—probably for her forty-five-year-old body, too, if she were honest. A mental picture flashed of him standing in front of her, naked, tanned shoulders going on forever. Did he have a smooth chest, or downy soft hair that trailed downward into—she broke from the vision and knew a moment of confusion when her gaze fixed on the patch of dark skin visible through the opening in his collar.
“Liz?”
She jerked her head up. He stared, eyes so intense her mouth went dry. “Ben, I—you would be better off with a woman closer to your age. Sheila Antonio, for example.”
Amusement appeared in his eyes and she realized she’d given away her thoughts—and he hadn’t said a word to solicit her response.
“I’m not interested in Ms. Antonio,” he drawled.
“She clearly found you attractive.”
“Yes, and she is nice,” he said with startling conviction. “But she isn’t my type.”
“Not your type?” Liz said. “She’s stunning.”
“Do you think that’s my only requirement? And by the way, if it was, you could give Sheila Antonio a run for her money.”
“She’s got to be twenty years younger than me.”
“Not quite,” he replied.
“So you two got to know one another well enough to discuss your ages,” Liz said. Why did that depress her?
“She offered plenty of information.” He shrugged. “Don’t fault me for being a good listener.”
The nurse appeared in the doorway, a clipboard in hand, and saved her from answering.
She smiled. “Am I interrupting?”
“No.” Liz squashed the urge to look in Ben’s direction. “Please come in. You’re here to sign my release papers?”
She nodded and approached. At the bed, she halted. “You ready to go home?”
“Never been more ready,” Liz replied.
“Good.” The nurse scribbled something on the clipboard. “Is your friend taking you home?”
“I am,” Ben said before she could reply.
Liz shot him a recriminating look.
The nurse smiled. “You’re all set. I hope we don’t see you anytime soon.”
“You and me both,” Liz said.
She nodded to Ben. “Take good care of her.”
“You got it.”
Liz waited until the nurse left, then faced Ben. “Let’s get something straight.” She didn’t miss the ghost of a smile that lifted a corner of his mouth. “I don’t date twenty-eight-year-old men.”
“No ma’am,” he said.
She narrowed her eyes. “Don’t patronize me. I’m old enough to be your mother.”
“You’re not my boss anymore,” he said, and she remembered his response last night about her being old enough to be his mother and being his boss: Two points we’ll discuss later.
“One out of two is enough to cancel a contract,” she said.
“So you won’t date a man young enough to be your son.”
“It’s icky,” she said.
He laughed. “Liz, somehow, I don’t think you find me icky.”
“No,” she admitted. “But it could get there.”
He grabbed her bag. “We’re good to go, then.”
“Mr. Hunter—”
He stepped closer. “Liz, I’m thirty-four.”
“What?”
Thirty-four? He was eleven years younger, not seventeen? That meant—that meant nothing. Thirty-four was still young, even if he was a too-smart thirty-four, who read every thought in her head.
She pinned him with a stare. “You lied on your application?”
He shrugged. “Would you have hired me if I’d said thirty-four?”
“Maybe.”
“Be honest, you wanted a young buck.”
“Thirty-four is a young buck!”
“Not as young as twenty-eight. Not even in the same league.”
“Wait a minute,” she said. “It’s more likely you’re lying now. You don’t look thirty-four.”
Ben grinned. “I don’t, do I? One of the reasons I was perfect for the assignment.”
Being drop-dead gorgeous didn’t hurt, either, she thought. And that smile.
“What was the other reason?” she asked.
“My need to stop Carlos Sanchez from enslaving more young men and women.”
Liz startled. “You? But you can’t be the only officer who can stop him.”
“I don’t work alone. I’ve got a whole team behind me.”
“A whole team?”
“Didn’t the captain tell you?” Ben asked.
“Tell me what?”
“I head the Ranger Reconnaissance Team.”
She stared. “The Recon Rangers?”
His grin widened. “You’ve heard of us.”
She recalled the article in the Fort Worth newspaper that reported on the new Texas Ranger team. They trained at Texas military bases and were as mu
ch Green Beret as Texas Ranger. The pictures in the newspaper showed men who had turned in their jeans and felt cowboy hats for camouflage, helmets, and bulletproof vests. They wore side-arms, shotguns, and assault rifles, and ranged from mid-thirties to mid-fifties. No twenty-eight year old men. This explained his skill in getting them out of Mexico. The man knew what he was doing.
“I thought the Recon Rangers were supposed to stop drug traffickers along the border,” she said.
Ben cupped her elbow. “We do.” He led her toward the door. “But we figure a human traffics dealer deserves a little of our attention.”
Chapter Twelve
When Ben glanced in the mirror of his Chevy Silverado for the fourth time, Liz said, “Is someone following us?”
His gaze shifted from the mirror to the road ahead, but she didn't miss the thinning of his mouth before he replied in a casual tone, “Nope.”
“I think you're lying,” she said. “Which makes me want to turn and look.”
His head whipped in her direction. “What makes you think I’m lying?”
“It doesn't take a mind reader to see you aren't happy I asked the question.”
“I have to remember how observant you are.”
“I guess that's a yes,” she said.
He shook his head and returned his attention to the road as he slowed for a car stopped at a red light. “No. I didn't lie. No one is following us. I just didn't realize you caught on to the fact I was watching.”
“I don't know,” Liz said. “Coming from a man who lies for a living…”
He laughed. “You have me confused with the FBI. Rangers are a more straight forward breed of law enforcement.”
“You've been lying to me since I met you.”
“Until last night, yes. But remember, I'm a Ranger, not FBI. I'm usually chasing the bad guy in real time. I did plan on telling you the truth face-to-face once that modeling gig was over.”
“If things went as planned, I wouldn't have known the difference,” she replied. “Until I tried to hire you again, I guess.”
He glanced at her, his smile lighting up his handsome face. “You would have hired me again?”
“I hired you once. Why not?”
His smile widened. “You like me.”
She rolled her eyes. “It would have been business.”
“What about now?” he asked.
“What?”
“Is it business now?” The light turned green and he accelerated behind the other car.
“I could easily throw some work your way,” Liz said. “There's good money in modeling for a man like you.”
Ben shot her a curious look. “A man like me, huh? Would it mean dancing with you again?”
She grimaced. “One night of modeling was quite enough for me, thank you very much.”
“Then I guess we'll both skip the modeling and go straight for the dancing.”
“Ben—”
“Liz, I planned on asking anyway.”
“You're talking nonsense,” she said. “I wouldn't have been around for you to ask.”
“El Paso to Dallas is a ninety minute flight. Piece of cake.”
She blinked, startled by the unreserved response. Youth, she thought. That's what it was. She remembered those days, when she'd fallen in love with Jack. She'd been twenty-seven—even younger than Ben—and jumping on a plane was easy. Not anymore. Shoot, the overnight stay at the hospital had required that Richard bring her a few essentials. Well, maybe not. He'd called and said they were coming, and asked if she wanted anything. She could have gotten by. But the idea of a long-distance relationship where she had to take a plane…was it the plane ride or the relationship that made her hesitate?
“I am sorry.”
Ben's apology drew her back from her thoughts.
“I knew I would have some explaining to do, but I honestly didn't think I'd see you again until I showed up on your doorstep in Dallas,” he said.
What would she have done if he had shown up in Dallas? “I barely have time for a relationship close to home, much less one separated by a nine-hour drive,” she said.
“A ninety-minute flight,” he corrected, then, “Is there someone at home?”
“No,” she admitted, knowing he'd interpret her answer as a green light, but believing she'd never get away with lying. She was bad at lying and he was good at detecting lies.
“I like Dallas,” he said. “I'd come to you.”
Liz wanted to say What then? but that was definite confirmation of a green light.
“Tell you what,” he said, “we'll start with an early supper. You're here, so there's no commitment in me driving a few miles to pick you up at your hotel.”
She was going to say no, then realized she had to say yes because she needed more answers.
* * *
Ben stepped into headquarters, spotted Sheila Antonio sitting in the chair beside his desk, and slowed. Her attention remained focused on her phone’s display. He checked a spike of frustration and continued forward. Sheila looked up as he rounded the desk. She tapped the screen of her phone and it went dark as he lowered himself into his seat.
She slipped the phone into her purse. “Interesting party last night.”
Ben tapped the enter button on his computer keyboard to wake up the machine. “I was surprised to see you there. I didn’t know you were into fashion.”
“You really know how to romance a girl.”
“I’m not romancing you, Sheila.”
“You once did.”
“We had a casual thing. Your words, if you remember.”
“In the beginning,” she said. “As you know, I changed my mind. As I’ve told you a dozen times.”
“And I’ve told you each time that had I known you were interested in more, I wouldn’t have begun even a casual relationship with you.”
“Am I that bad?”
“You know better than that, Sheila. There’s just nothing of substance between us.”
“Like there is between you and Liz Monahan?”
Ben jerked his gaze from the computer screen onto Sheila. “That was business. You obviously guessed I was undercover.”
“Adam Billings. I did a little digging. He’s a pretty shady character. Does he have anything to do with Carlos Sanchez?”
No one could accuse Sheila Antonio of being stupid. “It’s part of a federal investigation. I’m not at liberty to talk about it.”
She gave a nod that, to someone who didn’t know her, could be mistaken for acquiescence. But in the year Ben had known her, he’d never known her to give up on anything, including, getting him into her bed—again.
“Liz Monahan wouldn’t be part of that investigation, by chance? A woman with mob ties could come in handy when dealing with a human traffics dealer.”
“Mob ties?” Ben repeated. “You’re mistaken.”
“At twenty-four, she was arrested for racketeering, money laundering and illegal gambling. Sammy ‘the ice pick’ Grekhova, was the name of the mobster she was involved with.”
Ben was startled into silence. “There’s got to be more to the story,” he finally said.
She lifted a brow. “I thought she was just business.”
Bingo! She’d nailed him.
“It is,” he said. It wasn’t a lie. So far, their relationship had been strictly business. “But the woman didn’t strike me as mob material.”
Sheila shrugged. “All charges were eventually dropped, but you and I know the average woman isn’t involved with the mob.”
Liz Monahan wasn’t the average woman.
“This goes a little too far, even for you, Sheila.”
“You think so?” she said in a nonchalant voice that Ben didn’t believe for an instant. She didn’t like being taken to task.
“You figured you’d dug up some dirt on a woman I was interested in and would stir up trouble.”
“Don’t hate the messenger,” she said.
“You just have my best intere
sts at heart,” he said.
“I care about you. You know that.”
“Is there anything else you want to tell me?” he asked.
“No. Want to get together for a drink tonight?”
He shook his head. “I’m busy.”
“Liz Monahan?”
“Work,” he said.
Captain Medina stuck his head out of his office and called, “Hunter, I need to see you.”
Ben rose. “Keep last night to yourself, Sheila. This is a serious investigation.”
“I never talk about work. You know that.”
That was true. Ben nodded, then headed to the captain’s office.
Medina motioned toward the chair opposite his desk. “Close the door and sit.” Ben did as ordered, and Medina said, “The Feds are claiming you jeopardized the operation.”
“Look, Captain, I take full responsibility for what happened, but no one could have known Ms. Monahan would go looking for me—the Feds included. Let Braxton and Masters tell their boss back at FBI headquarters different, but it’s a hard sell.”
“You not knowing Ms. Monahan would show up doesn’t change the fact those boys are gunning for you,” Medina said.
“It's not the first time we've locked horns with the Feds. What can they do about it?” Ben asked.
“They can get Dendy to call for an investigation.”
That caught Ben off guard. “The Chief won’t cow tow to the Feds. He isn’t any happier about their interference than we are.”
“Maybe not,” Medina said. “But they've mentioned going above his head to the DPS Director.”
Ben considered that for a minute. “This is a grudge match, plain and simple. Braxton and Masters resent that I went undercover without them.”
“Would they go so far as to put you out of business over it?” Medina asked.
“Those girls' deaths made big news,” Ben replied. “The pressure's on to catch the animals who murdered them. We know catching the murderers isn’t that easy. The Feds know it's not that easy. But I think that if it takes blaming me for the killers not being caught, well…” He shrugged. “That would solve their public relations problem.”
“Yep,” Medina said. “And you made it easy.”
Ben studied him. “Do you agree with them?”
The captain released a breath. “No. But they're making a lot of noise about the fact that a murder charge has been brought against a Ranger. The fact that the victim is a Mexican law enforcement officer makes the crime worse.”
Abducted: Reconnaissance Team (Texas Rangers: Special Ops Book 1) Page 8
