Hidden Agenda

by Lisa Harris

  They made their way through the yard of a vacant house toward their parked car. Michael hit the button on his key fob, and all three men jumped into the car. Michael took the wheel, zigzagging through the narrow streets for a good ten minutes, until he finally pulled into the back of a deserted parking lot.

  “You going to be okay?” Michael said, as Jinx opened the car door.

  “Yes, but just don’t forget one thing,” Jinx said before getting out.

  “What’s that?”

  “After this,” Jinx said, “we’re even.” He took off running and disappeared.

  Michael stepped out of the car onto the pavement, anger from the encounter still seeping through him. “If the arrest warrant was just a ruse, how did they know we were there?”

  “I don’t know.” Mason walked around the car, then leaned against the front. “I was sure we weren’t followed.”

  “Me too.”

  He’d driven using every trick in the book to lose any tails. Either he’d lost his touch, or they’d found another way to track them.

  “They used a tracking device on Gizmo’s collar to find us the first time,” Michael said.

  “You think they’re tracking my car?”

  “If they were tracking your car, they wouldn’t have bothered going to Jinx’s house. They’d have been waiting for us when we got back to the car.”

  “What about Jinx’s parole officer?” Mason asked. “It wouldn’t be the first time when one had been bought to look the other way. Maybe if we found that list, his name would be on it.”

  “Or maybe the visit was legit.”

  But from the look on Mason’s face, neither of them believed this was simply a coincidence.

  “I’ll call Tory,” Mason said, as he took his phone from his pocket. “She’ll be able to find out if there’s a warrant out for Cawley.”

  A minute later, Mason hung up the call. “She can’t find any official record of anyone being called to that address, but she’s going to keep looking into it.”

  “So they were either dirty cops or men posing as cops, which means they had to have found out where we were going from a dirty cop.”

  “These guys are smart, Michael. We thought the leak had been plugged with the death of Charlie, but this goes much deeper.”

  Michael scuffed his shoe against the pavement, knowing exactly what his partner was thinking. Somehow they’d managed to land smack-dab in the middle of a turf war.

  “We need to get ahold of that list,” Michael said. “Because people are going to die if we don’t stop this.”

  “I know.”

  “What about the hotel room?” Michael watched a line of starlings congregating on the power line. The worry in his gut was growing. They needed that list. “Do you think they’re safe?”

  The intensity of his emotions surprised him. Especially surprising was how Olivia was included in the same, intense concern he felt for his family. Working undercover might have taught him to control his emotions, but Olivia had managed to cross his boundaries, something no other woman had ever done before. Taking risks with his own life was one thing. He wasn’t willing to risk hers. Not even if it meant losing Valez.

  Mason shoved his hands into his pockets. “We could change locations, but we run the risk of being found no matter where we are.”

  “I know.”

  “Which is why I think the hotel is probably the safest place right now. Tory’s made sure all of our electronics are clean, and she’s swept for bugs and tracking devices. I don’t know what else to do.”

  Michael would have preferred to keep the team limited to just his family and Mason, but he trusted Avery, her judgment, and her team’s expertise. And he wasn’t sure they had a choice. He couldn’t keep them all safe on his own.

  “What now?” Michael asked.

  Mason shoved his phone into his pocket. “For now, let’s get going. You shouldn’t be out here.”

  Michael tugged on the edge of his cap. “I can’t stay holed up in that hotel room, either. I promised Olivia I’d take care of her and her brother. Because of me, their lives are in danger.”

  Mason turned to get into the car, then stopped. “What about Olivia?”

  Michael’s defenses rose. “What about her?”

  “You know I have to ask the question before we go any further. Do you believe she’s telling you the complete truth?”

  “What?” Michael frowned. “You think she’s in on all of this with Valez? You think she let him know we were coming to see Jinx?”

  “Honestly, I don’t know, but neither do I think we can overlook the possibility. She is his daughter.”

  “Who saved my life, risking both hers and her brother’s in the process. She didn’t have to do that. And now you want to start pointing fingers at her?”

  “All I know is that someone knew we were coming. We’re out here risking our lives to find out the truth, and if she is involved in this—”

  “You’re wrong.”

  Mason held up his hands and moved around to the front of the car to where Michael stood, his voice rising. “Before you start blaming me, don’t tell me you haven’t at least considered the idea. Or are you so caught up in her irresistible charm that you’ve simply accepted everything she’s told you at face value?”

  Michael clenched his fists. “This has nothing to do with how I feel about her.”

  “It has everything to do with how you feel about her. You’re attracted to her. I get that. But you can’t let those feelings get in the way of the truth. You of all people know that.”

  “She saved my life—”

  “I don’t care if she saved the president of the United States’ life. She’s the daughter of a cartel leader, yet you’re telling me she knew nothing about his involvement. So forgive me if I’m not on board a hundred percent, but I’m starting to have a few doubts about your girlfriend. How does someone that close to Valez not know the truth?”

  Michael took a step back, fighting the urge to slug his friend. “How many cases have you dealt with where friends and family were the last to know? How many women are shocked when their husbands walk out on them? Shocked that they’ve been having an affair or gambling away their savings? The truth is that we see what we want to see.”

  “Exactly.” Mason looked up and caught his gaze. “I need to make sure that you’re not seeing what you want to see instead of the truth.”

  Michael bit back a sharp response as his defenses began to fall. As much as he wanted to deny it, Mason had a valid argument. It was telling that neither man was worried about Ivan’s trustworthiness. They both knew that Olivia was the weak spot in Michael’s professional armor.

  “We have to look at everyone,” Mason continued. “And if you’re wrong about her, you’re putting us all at risk.”

  Michael stared across the empty lot where weeds had popped up through the broken pavement, between shattered glass and empty bottles. The problem was, Mason was right about some things. This had gone far enough. It was time to put an end to it.

  “Maybe it’s time I turn myself in.”

  “I’m not asking you to do that,” Mason said. “You know I’d do anything for you. I’d do anything for your family, but we’re all putting our lives and our jobs on the line here. We have to be able to trust each other. And just like I have to trust you, I have to be able to trust her as well.”

  Michael slumped against the car, his emotions drained. “I know that she risked her life to save mine. She could have walked off the island without me. She could have dumped me off somewhere that first night, but she didn’t.”

  Mason caught Michael’s gaze. “Do you trust her completely?”

  Michael nodded. “Yes. Completely. Have Tory look into her background and check her out for yourself—”

  “She already did.”

  “Did anything come back?”

  “Except for a speeding ticket fourteen months ago, no. She doesn’t seem to be close to her father beyond a vis
it once or twice a year and the support money he sends her that seems to go primarily to her brother’s schooling.”

  “I trust her, Mason. And it’s not because she’s somehow managed to make her way into my heart.” Admitting it out loud made it seem real. “Am I crazy?”

  Mason shot Michael a smirk as he headed for the car. “Love has a tendency to make you feel like you’re crazy. I know. Emily’s managed to turn my world upside down, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I just wanted … needed to make sure.”

  “In the meantime,” Michael said, “we need to find that list.”

  Olivia dumped the last swirl of coffee down the sink and started a fresh pot. At the rate they were going, they’d run out of coffee before the afternoon was over. But a potential coffee shortage was the least of her worries. Michael still wasn’t back. Avery and her team might not fully trust her, but she needed to do something to keep from worrying about him.

  She marched into the living room and stopped in front of Avery, who was writing on the white board. It was time to prove she was trustworthy.

  “I want to be a part of this investigation,” she began. “I can’t sit around making coffee and reading the hotel directory while the rest of you work. In case you’ve forgotten, I’m a reporter. I know how to search for information, follow leads, and investigate. I might not be a detective like the rest of you, but I can dig up information with the best of them.”

  Avery nodded. “Okay.”

  Olivia paused. “Okay?”

  “I do have something you can do, actually.” Avery grabbed a laptop from the desk where Ivan was still working with Michael’s father and handed it to her. “I’ve got a name for you. I need to know everything we can find out about Julio Salazar. Mason told Tory that according to Michael’s informant, the man apparently has his sights on taking over Cártel de Rey. We need to know exactly what we’re up against.”

  Olivia breathed out a sigh of relief. She didn’t care if they were only placating her, she needed the distraction. Needed the chance to focus on anything besides the fact that Michael was out there, risking his life, and that Felipe’s body was missing. Doing something productive was the only way she was going to make it through the next twenty-four hours.

  “I’m on it.”

  She found an empty armchair in the corner of the room and went to work.

  Tory picked up her phone across from her, read the text message, and frowned.

  “Something wrong?” Olivia asked.

  “It’s nothing.” Tory swept back a strand of dark hair behind her ear. “I just had to cancel my dinner plans for the third time this week.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “We’re both used to it, so there are no expectations other than my mother’s for grandbabies. She doesn’t understand how it can take me weeks just to get that first date.”

  Olivia chuckled as she clicked on the first link with Salazar’s name. At least she wasn’t the only one with relationship issues.

  The information on Salazar was limited, but there was enough for her to put together a basic background that alluded to a connection to the cartel. She grabbed a pad of hotel stationery along with a pen someone had left on the table beside her. This might be the twenty-first century, but sometimes a pen and paper worked best.

  Olivia started jotting down notes, trying not to worry about Michael. Trying not to think about his kiss. She’d spent so much of her life being the protector to both her mother after she got sick, and then to Ivan. Michael had made her feel protected, and she liked that feeling. But when this was over, things between them would change. And besides that, she had a pretty strong feeling that his southern-born mama wouldn’t exactly welcome the daughter of a cartel kingpin into her family with open arms.

  Still, as crazy as it seemed, part of her wanted to hold on to the dream fantasy, even if it was nothing more than a grand illusion that would vanish at the stroke of midnight like Cinderella’s carriage turning back into a pumpkin.

  Fifteen minutes later, she signaled to Avery that she’d found something.

  “What have you got?” Avery asked.

  Olivia started to answer when the hotel door opened and Michael and Mason walked in.

  The men hung their coats on the coatrack, then walked into the room. Michael tossed his cap onto the table, fatigue masking his expression.

  “You’re limping,” Olivia said.

  “I’m fine.” He shot her a smile. “Just the normal chasing down a suspect and scaling security fences. Though I admit, it made me wish I was Ivan’s age again.”

  Avery laughed. “Well, while you were out gallivanting, Olivia’s been researching the name you sent us and was just about to tell me what she found.”

  “That’s great.” Michael turned to Olivia. “Did you find anything?”

  “I did.”

  “Good,” Mason said. “Because according to Jinx, Salazar is moving up the ranks and has plans to take over.”

  “Salazar’s father had known ties to the cartel,” Olivia said, “though most reports say that Julio never wanted anything to do with the drug empire. He’s smart, well educated, and has somehow managed to stay so low profile that even his digital footprint is light. He has a squeaky clean bio.”

  “Too clean if you ask me,” Michael said.

  “You might be right, because I did find one interesting fact.” Olivia glanced down at her notes. “According to one source, six years ago, Salazar’s father was brutally murdered by La Sombra, and at the time, Salazar promised revenge.”

  “So Salazar killing La Sombra becomes a win/win situation,” Michael said. “Not only does he avenge his father’s death, but he gains new territory.”

  “Exactly.” Avery grabbed her coat off the rack. “I’m leaving you all on your own for a bit. I’m going to talk to Jackson about looking through Michael’s file at the medical examiner’s office. In the meantime, Mason, see if you can track down Longhurst, the ME who signed off on Michael’s death. I want to talk to him again as well. If he was paid off, like I’ve always suspected, it could help us connect the dots.”

  “You got it, boss.”

  23

  Avery rubbed her hands together. She’d chosen to meet Jackson in the town center—still decked out with Christmas decorations and lights—and now wasn’t at all certain the ambiance was worth having to face the dropping temperatures. She needed to talk to him on a professional level, as a medical examiner. But she also needed to talk personally with the man she’d fallen in love with.

  A minute later, Jackson approached the bench where she waited, carrying two cups of coffee.

  “Hey.” She took one of the paper cups, smiling as he brushed his lips across hers, lingering just long enough to set her heart racing.

  “We might have to do this more often,” he said, smiling back.

  “I agree, plus you’re a lifesaver. I needed this.” She took a long drink of the coffee, letting its heat spread through her chilled body, thankful for the distraction. And even more thankful for Jackson.

  “When you told me where you wanted to meet,” he said, “I thought you might be able to use warming up with a bit of pumpkin spice.”

  “It’s perfect.” She nodded toward the empty sidewalk lining the shops and businesses. “I thought we could walk while we talk.”

  “Sure.”

  He matched her stride as they started down the sidewalk. Most of the stores, with their brick-face buildings, were decorated in holiday garlands and lights, but with the cold weather, the number of shoppers was minimal, making the setting quiet for now.

  She offered him another smile, hoping he didn’t notice the fear in her eyes. “Thanks for coming.”

  “You’re welcome, though as a born-and-bred Texan, I have to admit, it’s a bit too cold for me out in these lower-than-normal temperatures.” He slipped his free hand into hers and laced their fingers together. “Why do I have a feeling you’re about to cancel our dinner date?”

 
She shot him a weak smile. “I promise to make it up to you.”

  “Yes, you will, with one request attached.”

  “Anything.”

  “Hmmm … I was thinking of dinner, just you and me, and with no talks of motherin-laws or wedding plans.”

  “Are you saying you don’t like my mother?” she teased, throwing out the question more as procrastination than anything. The inevitable storm had already hit, but she knew if she didn’t find the answers soon, the swells would eventually take her under.

  “I love your mother almost as much as I love her fried chicken,” Jackson said. “But I miss you. Since moving up the wedding—and all the work that’s entailed—I don’t think I’ve seen you alone for more than ten minutes.”

  She smiled back at him. “In about six weeks that will all change.”

  She’d much rather focus on the two of them and put aside everything else, but that wasn’t possible—not with all that was happening.

  “Married to the most beautiful woman in the world with seven days in the Caribbean.” Jackson took another sip of his coffee. “Just you and me and a cruise ship … I’m already counting the hours.”

  Avery’s mind longed to follow Jackson there, but instead, Michael’s face kept flashing in front of her. Memories from the crime scene after the explosion. His funeral. And now … seeing him again. The distraction wasn’t working.

  “As soon as I wrap up the case I’m working on, I’m all yours. I promise. With no talk about cake flavors, flowers, or appetizers.”

  “Just so you don’t forget I was right. Eloping is sounding better every day.”

  They slowed down in front of an open bakery, the scent of fresh-baked bread and pastries reminding her she’d skipped breakfast again.

  Jackson reached up to stroke her cheek. “But we both know you didn’t call to talk about wedding plans. What’s wrong?”

  Avery hesitated, wishing there was a way to delay the inevitable conversation. Talking about Michael’s death was only going to make what had happened today feel all the more real.

  “What is it?” he asked.