Immediately, he pushed the Call Back button.
It rang twice, before someone answered with a garbled hello.
“Finn?” Tucker said, continuing without waiting for a reply. “Are you all right?”
“Listen carefully, you American idiot,” a heavily accented voice said. “We will find you soon and then you will die.”
Not Finn. Definitely not Finn. He must have dropped his phone when he’d gotten hurt. And now someone in the cartel had it and was using it to call Tucker. Worse, the voice didn’t sound like Miguel Gonzalez. Which could mean nothing, or everything.
“I don’t have your money,” Tucker said. “And killing me isn’t going to help you find it.”
The other man cursed in Spanish, the angry tone virulent.
“I don’t know why you think you can get away with stealing from us,” he spat. “But we will find you and we will make you pay.”
“For the last time, I don’t have your money,” Tucker told him. “I don’t even know who has it, or where it is. You’re wasting your time with me.”
“That’s not what you said before. You told Miguel that you were willing to work a deal. There will be no deal! We won’t pay for what is already ours.”
With Finn out of commission and no idea if anyone else in the DEA was working this case, Tucker figured it would be best to try to come clean, though he wouldn’t give away the undercover operation and endanger any agents still in the field.
“I lied,” he said, well aware there was no way in hell they were going to believe him. “I don’t have your money. I don’t even have any idea where it might be.”
But he was speaking to dead air. The other man had ended the call.
Immediately, Tucker switched his phone back off. “Hell.”
“I take it that wasn’t the DEA?” Lucy asked dryly.
“No. And that guy—whoever he was—wouldn’t listen to reason.”
“Did you really expect him to?” she asked. “From the sounds of it, these cartel people seem pretty determined to believe you have their money.”
“I know. And I really don’t understand why.”
“Then maybe we need to think about this. Who else could have stolen their money?”
“I’m not sure. I’m completely unfamiliar with these drug cartels and how they operate.”
“Well, maybe we need to try and find out. From the sound of things, that might be the only way out of this.”
He stared at her, his heart swelling with love and pride. “You know, with the DEA so focused on setting up a sting to capture the leaders of the cartel, I never thought about finding the real thief. You might just have something there.”
Caramel eyes shining, she smiled. “Thanks. The question is, how do we go about it?”
Chapter 9
Lucy felt, irrationally she knew, that if she were to let Tucker out of her sight, something horrible would happen. Whether to him or her, she didn’t know or really care. There was no reason involved with this feeling, just an impending sense of doom that felt completely at odds with her normal sense of optimism.
So when they pulled up in front of the large, extended-stay motel, she insisted on going inside with him. With Eli in her arms, she watched while he procured them a room for a week, using his DEA-issued credit card. After all, he figured they were still monitoring his whereabouts.
Then, after checking out their room, which was basic, double bed, bland colors, worn shag carpeting, they lay side by side on the bed, intended only to rest for a few hours. Instead, when Lucy opened her eyes again, bright sunlight streamed through the grimy window. And the spot on the bed next to her where Tucker had been was empty, though she could hear the sound of the shower running.
Eli, also awake, smiled at her from his makeshift bed. Picking him up, she changed him and then nursed him while waiting for her turn in the bathroom.
When Tucker emerged, his hair damp and slightly wavy, the sight of him made her stomach clench. “Your turn,” he said, smiling. “I’ll watch Eli while you get ready.”
Unable to find her voice, she simply nodded. She hurried through her shower, brushed her teeth and then lightly blow-dried her hair. Then, dressed and feeling a hundred times more awake, she opened the door to find Tucker cradling the baby, who’d fallen sound asleep. This time, she felt a hitch in her heart, as well.
“Let’s grab a bite to eat,” Tucker suggested, apparently oblivious to the perfect domestic picture he made. “It’ll be another hour or so before the car dealers open.”
Car dealers? That made perfect sense. They needed to ditch their stolen vehicle, but they’d need a replacement to drive.
After going through the drive-through at McDonald’s restaurant down the street, they parked and devoured their breakfast sandwiches and steaming coffee. Then they drove back to the southeast side of Longmont. There, they ditched the car on a back street near the old turkey slaughterhouse. They made a small ceremony of it, only half joking, thanking the car for its service above and beyond the call of duty.
Tucker removed the car seat, which converted easily to an infant carrier. Once she had Eli buckled back in, Tucker took him from her and they walked, side by side like a real family, all the way back to Main Street. Luckily, clouds had rolled in from the mountains and the temperature was bearable.
A few blocks north, they found a large used car dealership.
Together, they picked out the oldest, most battered car on the lot, a faded red Honda that had definitely seen better days.
The gum-chewing, balding salesman could barely tear his gaze away from the old I Love Lucy rerun on the television to inform them he wanted fifteen hundred.
Moving around to partially block his view of the flat screen, Tucker talked him down to twelve. Doing the math, he figured he had barely enough, so again, he paid with his credit card. Once the charge went through, the salesman handed over the title and the necessary paperwork they’d need to get the license plate at the local tax office.
Though she tried to appear cool, calm and collected the way Tucker appeared to be, she felt like a jittery bundle of nerves. She had to stop herself from constantly glancing out the window to make sure they weren’t being followed. She supposed she’d feel slightly better once they were in the car, but these people were so ruthless they didn’t seem to care that Eli was an innocent and shouldn’t be targeted. She couldn’t let anything happen to her son.
“Mission accomplished,” Tucker told her, grinning as they walked out to take possession of their new ride.
She somehow managed to smile back, wondering why she felt way more alive in these moments with him than she’d felt in the entire year he’d been gone from her life. It crossed her mind to wonder what this said about her future with Sean, but she put that out of her mind as quickly as she could. No doubt it was merely adrenaline due to her heightened sense of danger.
It took a few minutes to get the car seat set up in the back and Eli buckled in. Then, Lucy climbed in the passenger side and Tucker started the engine.
“And we’re off,” Tucker said with a laugh.
“Thank goodness.” Lucy found herself smiling back. “Though this has, without a doubt, been the weirdest few days of my entire life, I finally feel like this is the first time I can relax. Things sure have been crazy since I ran into you at the Pearl Street Mall.”
He shot her another one of those half smiles that made her heart skip a beat. “Sorry about that. I was expressly told to stay out of Boulder.”
She wasn’t sorry, though she didn’t voice the thought out loud. Instead, she asked a question. “Why were you there in the first place?”
“The cartel sent somebody to the BBB offices. I almost intercepted him once. The DEA had an agent shadowing me, too, I guess to make sure I didn’t get hurt or captured. I wanted to try and talk to the guy in a public place. I was hoping to catch him by surprise. Though it was unlikely I’d get that lucky twice, I thought it was worth a shot.”
Unsurprised, she looked at him. “Sean said the guy was with the Mexican Consulate. But he thought the same as you, that the cover story was a lie.”
“Yeah.” Drumming his fingers on the steering wheel, he seemed lost in thought. “I’d really like to know how I got involved in all this mess. One minute I’m a normal guy visiting Mexico to buy coffee beans, the next, I’m being held prisoner by a drug cartel and suspected of stealing ten million dollars. It doesn’t make sense.”
“And in the process, your life got ruined.”
He turned and stared at her. “Yours did, too, Lucy Knowlton,” he said softly. “And I dare you to deny it.”
She had nothing to add to that, so she merely nodded.
After hitting the drive-thru of a fast food place to pick up some drinks, they headed back to their temporary abode. When they reached the motel, Tucker parked and she got Eli out of his car seat. This time she carried him and Tucker carried the tray with their drinks.
Her stomach growled loudly, making her smile.
But once they were inside, her nervousness came back full force. She didn’t understand why she was so on edge—she believed she had enough self-control to resist Tucker. She had to, if she didn’t want to get her heart broken again. Plus, she had Sean to consider. Her fiancé. She needed to remember that, especially if Tucker kissed her again.
She’d never been the kind of woman to cheat. She hadn’t even been able to bring herself to be intimate with Sean yet. Even though she’d believed Tucker to be dead, each time Sean tried, she’d resisted. It felt too much like cheating.
Again, she had to wonder what that meant about her future.
To distract herself, she fed her son, overly conscious of Tucker’s presence. He stood there, devilishly handsome, trying not to watch as their baby nursed. Then, once Eli had had his fill and fallen asleep, she buttoned up her shirt and looked up to find Tucker looking at her with so much longing in his gaze that she gasped, feeling like she’d been punched in the stomach.
Eli yawned and she gently placed him on the brand-new sheets in the bassinet.
Then, because Tucker seemed to be waiting expectantly and because she ached for his touch, she said the one thing that might have a chance of dousing the heat that was building up between them.
“I think I need to call Sean,” she said quietly.
Her words had the expected effect. Tucker’s expression shut down, the tenderness in his eyes turning to stone.
“Why now?” he asked, reminding her how well he knew her. “Are you having second thoughts?”
Because there’d always only been honesty between them, she gave him the truth. Even though she wasn’t sure which situation he referred to. “Yes.”
He nodded. “Take your time. Just remember, you don’t have to do anything in a hurry.”
Again, she couldn’t tell if he meant with him or Sean, so she lowered her gaze in confusion.
Uncertain how to react, she went into the bathroom to freshen up. Once inside, she realized she wanted a long, hot shower, so, poking her head out into the other room, she asked Tucker if he would keep an eye on Eli.
Barely looking up from the television, he readily agreed.
Stepping into the shower, she stood under the hot water and let it wash away the last few days. She hated this. Indecision made her stomach ache. Maybe she needed to forget about both the insane need for Tucker and her obligation to Sean and focus on what was important—keeping Eli safe.
Easier said than done. Her thoughts kept returning to the man in the other room and the incredibly passionate kiss they’d shared. The moment they’d touched, it was like the past year had simply melted away.
Obviously, she still had feelings for him. She’d never been one to lie to herself, and the kind of love she felt for Tucker would not be easily discarded. Once, she’d known without a doubt that he was The One, her soul mate, the only man she’d ever love. In her heart of hearts, she knew twelve months hadn’t changed that.
Could she keep those emotions at bay? Should she? She was engaged to another man. How did that factor in? If she still loved Tucker, then what about Sean? She loved him, too, of course. Just in a different way. Was that enough? Not for her. And she suspected not for him, either. He’d already made it clear that he didn’t want to be second best.
Ah, so much turmoil. She thought of the year she’d spent on her own. She’d carried Eli to term while mourning Tucker. Sean had made sure she’d never been lonely. He’d been there whenever she’d needed him, but she’d managed to function well on her own, birthing her healthy baby with Sean as her coach.
After she’d come home from the hospital, she’d taken care of Eli completely by herself. Oh, Sean had popped in frequently and been her biggest supporter, but she’d been proud of how self-sufficient she was as a brand-new mother.
She’d honestly thought she’d spend the rest of her life single. After Tucker, she’d known she’d never want another man.
Through it all, Sean had made no secret of his feelings. He told her often he loved her and wanted her to share his life. At first, she hadn’t been able to hide her surprise, as she’d always thought of him as a friend, nothing more.
She’d turned down his first marriage proposal and each subsequent one after that, always being careful to explain, even if it sounded like a clichéd line, that it wasn’t him, it was her.
He’d vowed never to give up. And he hadn’t. Instead, he’d doggedly continued his pursuit. When he’d proposed for the third or fourth or fifth time a few days after the one-year anniversary of Tucker’s so-called death, she’d actually hesitated before turning him down.
Taking advantage of the first crack in her armor ever, Sean had pressed his point, bringing flowers, a bottle of wine, even though she couldn’t drink it since she was nursing, and pouring out his heart to her.
He said he’d always loved her, even though she’d had eyes for no one but Tucker. This made her sad. Because, while she loved him like a friend, she didn’t feel the same way about him.
He wasn’t Tucker. Plain and simple. Worse, she knew there’d never be another Tucker for her.
Wanting to be honest, she’d told Sean this. Though hurt had darkened his eyes, he told her he didn’t care. He still wanted to marry her.
This surprised and humbled her. Suddenly, she saw her choice quite clearly. She could marry Sean, a man she’d known nearly all her life, or stay single, raising her son on her own.
Sean was a decent man, a good man who happened to love her. Accepting his proposal would make him happy. Watching him interact with her son, whom he so clearly loved, she made a decision. Eli would need a father, especially as he grew older. She would marry Sean.
Once she’d accepted his proposal, Sean had been ecstatic. He’d produced the ring—one he’d purchased before the first time he’d proposed, and joyfully placed it on her finger. Branding her as his.
If she’d felt pangs of unease, she’d buried them. She would do what was right for her son. But she’d soon begun to have the nightmares again. The worst part of the entire thing was that she suspected she was marrying Sean because he, too, had been close to Tucker.
She loved him like a friend. Eventually, she believed that would be enough.
And then…she’d answered her doorbell and everything changed.
Tucker, larger than life. One look from his sapphire eyes and she’d been lost.
Still was, as a matter of fact. She sighed, letting the hot water sluice down her body. Tucker was back. His kisses still seared her soul, but he didn’t appear to have changed. She’d loved him so much before and his reluctance to commit had hurt so badly. She wasn’t sure she could put herself through that again. Did she really want to let herself love him again, only to watch him vanish once more on his expeditions for days or weeks at a time?
Did she even have a choice?
Rinsing the shampoo out of her hair, she turned the water off and grabbed a towel. Best to keep her distance�
��at least emotionally—from Tucker while she figured out where her heart belonged.
Clean and feeling invigorated, now that she’d reached a decision, she put on some of her new clothes and emerged from the bathroom. She stopped dead at the sight of Tucker grinning at her from where he’d sprawled on the bed, waiting. Even in the dim lamplight, he looked so masculine and beautiful it made her heart ache.
“My turn,” he said, jumping up and disappearing into the bathroom. A moment later, she heard the shower start.
Despite turning the TV on in an attempt to distract herself, she couldn’t stop imagining Tucker, naked under the running water. Before his disappearance, she’d often slipped into the shower to make love with him. It had been one of her favorite things to do. Remembering this now aroused her more than she could believe.
She wondered if Tucker remembered, too, and if he did, if the memories would stir him as much as they did her.
The thought sent heat through her. Disgusted with herself and her train of thought, Lucy climbed up in the bed and closed her eyes, trying to sleep. But, even though her body was exhausted, all she could think about was Tucker and how badly she wanted him.
Over him? Apparently not.
“I’m not that kind of woman,” she said out loud.
“What kind of woman do you mean?” Tucker asked, emerging from the bathroom in time to hear her.
Blushing, she sat up and lifted her chin as she decided to be honest. “The kind that sleeps with one man while engaged to another.”
He stared at her, the silence making her want to squirm.
“But you were thinking about it?” he finally asked. “Sleeping with me, that is?” She nodded.
“Well, that’s progress, at least,” he said, surprising her. “Because I’ve thought about that a hell of a lot.”
“Don’t—”
Ignoring her interruption, he continued on. “Now, though I hate to change such an interesting subject, are you hungry? For food, I mean. Do you want to go grab something to eat?”
Completely and thoroughly embarrassed, she actually had to think about whether or not she could eat. She’d been obsessing over her inappropriate desire to the exclusion of anything else.
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