I think I finally truly understand what Tomás told me all those years ago. I can never do right by my family if I’m without Juan. I’ll spend the rest of my life lost. No one wants a sister, a daughter, or a friend who is missing the very thing that makes her her. That’s what Juan is to me now. He’s part of what makes me Beth. I can’t move on without him. I won’t move on without him.
So I meet Max in a coffee shop over his lunch hour.
“You’ve been thinking about what we discussed?” he asks as he sits down with a large latte and a ham sandwich.
“I have. And I want to do it, Max. I want to ask for witness protection for Juan…and for me.”
I see sadness flit across his features before he controls it. Max is too good an attorney to let much show.
“Your parents, mija. They’ll be crushed. They might not ever forgive me.”
I reach out and lay my hand on top of his. “They will because I’ll tell them it was my choice. I don’t know what this will mean, when I’ll be able to see my family again, but I also know I can’t move forward without him. I have to believe this will work out and I’ll be able to see everyone someday soon. For now, I need to be with Juan however that’s possible.”
He clears his throat. “Okay then. I’ll get the ball rolling.”
Several days later, Max has spoken to the feds, gotten immunity for me, and shown them my deposition about the events during the week I was with Juan in Mexico. This is the first they’ve known that I was at the RH headquarters or with Juan. I’m now on their radar, and I notice that a dark sedan with two guys in suits has started following me around town. It’s scary, but really, nothing is as scary as living without Juan.
The feds take forty-eight hours to read my deposition and then they call me in. Max and I go for a three-hour-long meeting, and when we’re done, I walk out with a solution and a problem. They’ll offer Juan and me WITSEC, but Juan will need to turn himself in. They won’t contact him to tell him about the deal. That’s up to us to manage. They won’t extract him from Miguel’s compound. That’s up to him to figure out. Once he crosses the border, he needs to go straight to the feds, turn himself in, and only then will the WITSEC procedures kick in.
“How the hell are we going to get word to him that this deal is waiting and then figure out a way for him to get to the border without being killed?” I ask Max as we walk through the parking garage at the federal building in downtown Austin.
“They aren’t going to make this easy on either of you. They don’t want people in WITSEC who are looking for an easy out and might change their minds. They want you to work hard for it so you’ll stick with it once they sign you up.”
I get in the passenger’s side of the car, which Max has unlocked for me, and growl in frustration. “I can’t believe this. He’s under lock and key twenty-four-seven in that mausoleum his father owns. How will we ever contact him?”
“I don’t know, but I think it’s time for more brains on this than just yours and mine.”
“Like who?”
He starts up the car. “Let’s start where we always do. The family.”
Alexis, Gabe, and David come to Max’s office for dinner. Isabella orders a ton of Chinese takeout, and after everyone’s gotten a plate, we sit down at the big conference table and dig in.
It’s David who jumps in first. “So, I don’t want to sound like a suspicious older brother, but given our talk on the way back from Laredo, I’m guessing this isn’t just a friendly get together.”
Max chuckles. “You’re right. Beth and I have been working on something, and it involves Juan of course.”
David sits back, putting on his older-brother, CPA face. “Well, we’re all ears, Uncle Max.”
Max explains the legalities of what he’s arranged with the feds. Then he gets to the crux of the problem. “It’s up to us to figure out how to get word to Juan about the deal and then get him across the border.”
Everyone is silent when he finally pauses.
I see Alexis lean into Gabe, pinching the bridge of her nose. Gabe puts his arm around her and whispers something in her ear.
David is solemn, his brows knit. “Bethy, you’re sure about this? You’ll be sent someplace with a new name, no family, no friends—only you and Juan. If you try to contact us, you could lose the protection. They might kick you out of the program. It could be years, Beth.” His voice is level, but I can see the anguish in his eyes.
I struggle to keep the pain at bay, and I see that Alexis has lost the battle, quiet tears rolling down her cheeks as Gabe kisses her hair and rubs her shoulder.
“I know,” I answer, trying to sound sure of it all. “We have to believe it’s all going to work out. I won’t go years without you guys. That’s just not how things work for the Garcias.” I give them a smile, swallowing down my fears.
It’s Gabe, the guy who kept my sister safe from insurgents in Afghanistan, who put up with her rejections for years, who stayed positive and determined no matter what crap she threw at him, who comes through for me now.
“Look, it’ll be fine. We’ll figure out a way to stay in touch and see you no matter what the feds say. We’re not stupid. We can manage it without tipping off the Santos Mexicanos. They’re the Mexican cartel, not God. And if Juan’s testimony works, his old man will be in prison anyway. Whoever takes over after he’s locked up may be thanking Juan, not trying to kill him.”
Max shrugs as if to say, “Anything’s possible.”
David rubs a hand across his face. “So you’re saying we go along with this but use our own rules?”
“Damn straight,” Gabe answers. “I spent three tours in Afghanistan, and I can tell you that, in war, there are no rules. This is war, dude, and we’ve got to make the rules that work for us.”
David stands up and starts pacing around the room.
“But before anything else, we have to figure out how to reach Juan, right?” Alexis asks.
I nod at the same time that Gabe says, “I think I’ve got that one covered.”
Alexis looks at him with surprise.
He smiles at her. “Don’t worry, babe.”
“What’s your idea?” Max asks.
“I’ll go down there and get him,” Gabe says simply.
The room explodes. Alexis gasps and starts protesting, David is telling Alexis to quit bossing her boyfriend, and Max is trying to get everyone else to be quiet.
“I can’t ask you to do that, Gabe,” I say when things settle down.
Gabe leans forward with his elbows on the table. “Look, I’ve got the training. I was an MP in one of the most dangerous places in the world. I can put my hands on the right kinds of weapons, and I think I can even get a buddy of mine to go with me.”
Alexis is looking at him with utter horror, but I can tell that David is mulling it over.
Max looks amused and I hear him mutter, “If Lex doesn’t kill you first.”
“You’re seriously going to try to go onto the property of a Mexican mobster and kidnap his son, take him back to the border, and get him through customs all without getting killed or arrested?” Alexis snaps at him.
“Babe,” he says softly. “It’s for your sister, and you know I can handle this. I’m not going to do something stupid.”
Alexis rolls her eyes and snorts. “Yeah, right.”
“You’re going to need false papers for him,” Max tells us.
“I think I can take care of that too,” Gabe says. “My buddy, Nick, is a cop out in Hawaii. He’s got informants all over the place. I’m willing to bet he knows someone who can do up papers.”
David finally sits back down at the table. “How are you going to do it?” he asks Gabe bluntly.
Gabe runs a hand through his dark-blonde hair. “I’ve got a friend, Benji. He’s home on leave right now from the Middle East, and he speaks fluent Spanish. His cousin is my boss at the shop. I figure the two of us drive down to Leon then start talking to the local guys, saying we’re for
mer US military looking for security work. You know, the old ‘stick as close to the truth as you can’ deal. Someone’s bound to send us to Ybarra’s place before too long. Once we get on the property, we can figure out the best way to help him out from there.”
“I’ll pay for whatever you need and all the trip costs,” David says, getting into the whole thing now.
“Yeah, and my boss, Ramon, can help us outfit a car so we’ve got some hidden storage to put guns and other equipment in. Probably take us a week or so to make the modifications to one of his cars. And I’ll call Benji tonight—tell him to get his ass on a plane.”
“You’ll want false papers for you and your friend too,” Max says. “So if you have to show them to Ybarra’s men, they can’t connect you to Beth or Juan.”
Gabe nods then finally looks over at Alexis. “Babe?”
“I’m scared,” she says. “You can’t promise it won’t backfire.”
He puts his hand on the back of her neck and pulls her into his chest. “No, but I can promise that I’ll be very careful and I’ll get out at the first sign of trouble. I love you, babe. I’m not interested in a suicide mission.”
Alexis sighs with resignation and gives him a quick kiss on the lips. “Fine,” she says. “Go play cops and robbers, but so help me, if you get hurt, I’ll cut you off for a month.”
“Shit. I do not need to hear stuff like that from my baby sister,” David groans.
Gabe cracks up. “It’s an effective threat though, dude.”
After a few more minutes of timetables and details, everyone finishes up their food and prepares to leave. I corner Gabe as he steps out into the hall to throw something away in the trashcan.
“Hey,” I say.
“Hey yourself,” he answers.
“I don’t know if there’s any way to thank you for this.”
“Just be happy, Beth. That’s all the thanks I need.”
“You don’t have to do this.”
“I know. I want to. You’ve got to know that, when I was at my lowest with your sister, when I thought I was going to have to live the rest of my life without her, you were there for me. You kept me going and you kicked my ass when I needed it. You were always straight with me, but you also let me lean on you. This is my way of saying thanks to you. I want you and Juan to be as happy and your sister and I are. You both deserve it.”
“Who knew Gabe Thompson was such a romantic?” I tease.
“I’ve been in a war zone, Beth. It makes you realize that there aren’t many chances in this world to find that one perfect person and make a life with them. Juan’s your one perfect person, I could see that when you introduced us to him. I want to help you make a life with him like you’ve helped me make a life with your sister.”
I throw my arms around Gabe, tears running down my face. “Thank you so much,” I gasp out as I sniffle into his neck.
He chuckles. “Wait till I get him out. Then you can thank me.”
After I leave Max’s and head toward home, I realize that getting Juan back might just become a reality. I only hope he wants to be with me the way I want to be with him.
IT’S been nearly two months since Beth left, and the days blend into one another. I have meetings, I look over financial records, and I try to understand the complex network of mules, distributors, pushers, and manufacturers that make up the Santos Mexicanos. My father takes two brief trips out of town, but I’m not invited along. I figure that’s because he doesn’t want to risk my getting away. I’m still shadowed night and day by the security staff. It’s couched as being ‘protection,’ but I know they’re really just high-end jailers.
It’s late in the afternoon on a Wednesday, my father is in Guanajuato for the day, and I’ve been going over some records he asked me to review. When my eyes start to cross from all of the numbers, I leave the office and step outside to the patio, thinking about whether I want to take a swim and have an early dinner then go back to the work. I hear voices and see three men walk around the corner of the pool house. As they approach, I notice that one is Latino, but the other is blonde—and American. I watch, partially hidden by the pillar I’m leaning against under the pergola.
“My buddy here was one of the best mechanics we had in camp even though it wasn’t his job. He’d be happy to do some work on the cars on the property too. You’ll get double duty out of him,” the Latino says to Ryan, who leads them along.
“Señor will like that. He always feels more comfortable when things are done in-house. Less chance for security breaches that way,” Ryan tells the guy.
The American obviously doesn’t speak Spanish, so he’s not really participating in the conversation, but he’s watching, taking everything in. He’s casual about it, but it’s obvious he’s casing the place pretty carefully. I need to know who these two are and what’s going on. If they’re from a rival syndicate looking to raid the place they’ll be after me as well as my father. I don’t feel like dying today.
I step out from behind the pillar as they get within shouting distance and feel my heart stop when I realize that the American is Gabe Thompson, Alexis’s boyfriend.
I swallow the shock down and work very hard to pull on my mask. I remind myself that, just like with the RH, my ability to cover my emotions and responses could very well be the thing that saves my life.
“Señor Juan,” Ryan says, smiling as he leads Gabe and the other guy to me. “I want you to meet our two newest staff members. Señor hired them last week and they’ll be officially on duty starting tomorrow. This is Jorge and Nate. Nate doesn’t speak a great deal of Spanish, but maybe you’ll enjoy having an American around since you grew up there.”
I give a lukewarm smile to Ryan. “I had no idea we were hiring new staff. But welcome. I’m Juan Martinez, Señor Ybarra’s son.” I put my hand out to Jorge and then Nate.
Both men shake my hand, and Gabe holds my gaze for a moment longer than necessary. My heart races with thoughts of what the hell he’s doing here. Could it be that he’s been with the feds all along and they’ve sent him after me? I’m desperate to get him alone so I can find out. I don’t know if I can trust him, but right now, I don’t really care. I just want answers.
“So, will you be staying here on the property?” I ask Gabe in English. About half of the staff live on site in cottages my father’s built for them. The other half live in Leon and commute.
“Señor Ybarra has offered us a place here,” he answers. “My friend and I are former US military and heard there might be security work for some of the families in this area. We’re very grateful to be working for your father.”
I give him a quick smile, and Ryan moves the tour along. I watch them as they walk away into the house and wonder what in the hell they’re doing here. But my guess is that I’ll find out sooner rather than later. I just hope that whatever it is doesn’t involve me in a Mexican prison. I’ll take Huntsville over that shit any day.
It’s nearly midnight when I hear the light tapping at my balcony door. I turn the bedside lamp off and tiptoe to the door. I pull the edge of the curtain back a fraction and look directly into Gabe’s grinning face.
As I open the door and he slips in, I whisper harshly, “What the fuck, ese? Are you trying to get yourself killed?”
“Dude, I’m smarter than that. Benji’s down at the cottages running a poker game with all the guys. He’s managed to get half the staff distracted because they think he’s too stupid to understand Mexican money. They think they’re going to make a killing off of him. Dumbasses. He’ll take them all to the cleaners as soon as he knows I’m back safe and sound.”
“So you’re here, a thousand or so miles from home, why? And does Alexis know? And again, are you fucking trying to get yourself killed?”
He chuckles softly and shakes his head. Then he slowly strolls around the room. “You ever watch TV this late at night?” he whispers.
I nod and grab the remote, turning on a boxing match that’s pretty loud. I mot
ion to the sofa so we can sit.
“Are you okay, man?” he asks, looking concerned.
“Yeah, I’m safe and sound—as long as I keep playing my part. Who sent you? The feds? Are you here to take me in?”
He shakes his head. “Yes and no. Beth sent me—“
“What?” I exclaim before Gabe puts a finger to his lips, reminding me to keep quiet.
“Just give me a minute to explain. It’s complicated. Beth and her Uncle Max went to the feds. They got immunity for her and then she gave them testimony about everything you two went through with the RH and during the week she was here.”
“Oh fuck,” I say, raking a hand through my hair. “Madre de Dios. Why would she do that? No one knew she was involved at all. All she had to do was get home and go back to living her life.” I put my head in my hands and try to breathe.
“You do realize you’re talking about one of the Garcia girls, right?” Gabe looks at me, incredulous.
I sigh. “All right. What else?”
“She got the feds to give you a deal.”
“So I need to go back to Huntsville?”
“No, man. She got you WITSEC.”
“Witness protection? What do I have to do? Rat out the RH?”
Gabe looks at me like he’s examining a bug under a microscope. “No. You have to rat out your dad.”
I think my breath and my heart both stop for a full minute. There is nothing but empty air inside me. Then, like a light flickering before it turns back on, everything reboots. My brain sparks, my lungs inflate, and my heart pumps once, twice, three times.
Buried (Hiding From Love #3) Page 17
