by Terri Reed
Jimenez shook his head. “No. You got it all wrong.”
“Then enlighten me,” Ben said.
When Jimenez stayed silent, Ben said, “The killing of a Ranger is a capital offense. You know what that means, right?”
Ben leaned in closer. “Lethal injection.”
Jimenez flinched. Beads of sweat dripped down the sides of his face. He licked his lips. “I never met Pike,” he stated, his voice raising an octave.
“Until you killed him.”
“No, man. I promise. I’ll take a lie detector test and everything.”
Ben sat back digesting the offer. The test wouldn’t be admissible if he didn’t pass. But would still be damaging. Would Jimenez really submit to taking a lie detector test if he had killed Greg? He didn’t think so. “Why did you try to kill Corinna Pike?”
Jimenez’s gaze dropped to his hands. Silence stretched.
Ben decided to yank Eddie’s chain. He pushed back his chair, the metal legs scraping on the concrete floor making a hideous sound. “Too bad, Eddie. I guess it’s the needle for you.”
Jimenez’s chin jerked up, his eyes flashed with panic. “Hey, no. I’m telling you, I didn’t kill no Ranger. I was hired to do a job. That’s all. The girl saw me. I couldn’t let her ID me. But I didn’t kill anyone.”
Alarms went off in Ben’s head. “Hired? By who and for what?”
Horror flooded Jimenez’s face. “No one. I don’t know.”
Interesting. He was more afraid of the person who hired him than he was of jail time. Ben resumed his seat. “Come on, Eddie. It will go a lot better for you with the DA if you cooperate.”
Ben leaned back as if they were having a relaxing conversation. The posture was to put Jimenez at ease and hopefully make him feel more inclined to talk. “What were you looking for in the Pike house?”
Jimenez once again dropped his gaze to the table.
“Eddie. Eddie, come on.” Ben bent his head trying to make eye contact. “Did the Lions of Texas put you up to this?”
Jimenez’s body jerked and his eyes widened with terror. Ben’s shot in the dark hit pay dirt. “Tell me about the Lions of Texas. Are they a gang related to La Eme?”
Jimenez blinked then barked out a laugh. “No.”
Frowning, Ben said, “Then what?”
Turning his head away, Eddie didn’t say anything.
Remembering the rap sheet he’d read on Eddie, Ben threw out, “Is this your drug cartel?”
“Not mine,” Eddie said, then clamped his mouth tight with a stricken expression.
“So the Lions of Texas are running drugs.” Ben exchanged a glance with Anderson. “That’s a long way from murder, Eddie. Could be good for you, if you cooperate.”
When he didn’t reply, Ben slammed his palms on the table. Jimenez jumped. “Who’s in charge?”
“I don’t know,” Eddie mumbled. “I’m too low. I was just hired to see if there was anything incriminating on the Lions in Pike’s house. That’s all I was doing. When the girl saw me, I knew the Lions would kill me if I didn’t silence her.”
A blast of anger blew through Ben, but he maintained his composure. “So who hired you? Come on, I’ll put in a good word with the DA if you give me a name.”
“I don’t have a name. That’s not how it works,” Eddie said.
“Okay. Then how does it work?”
Eddie swallowed, hard. “Man, they’ll kill me if I say anything more. I took an oath.”
“You’ll get the death penalty if you go away for Pike’s murder,” Ben stated, watching the words sink in. “Right now, I’m the only one who believes you didn’t kill him.”
“This ain’t right. I didn’t kill him.”
“I know. But, hey.” Ben held his hands out, palms up as if to say “sorry.”
“You gotta give me something to take to the DA.”
A tick formed near Jimenez’s right eye. “I don’t know anything.”
“You said you swore an oath. What kind of oath? And to whom?”
“I never saw them. I was blindfolded.”
“That’s putting a lot of trust in someone you don’t know, Eddie. A little unbelievable.”
Jimenez shrugged. “I swore to support the Lions of Texas in their bid to open the Mexican borders. They pay me well.”
Ben leaned in with horror running roughshod over his anger. “Human trafficking?”
“Naw, man. Like you said, drugs. Llello. White gold. Cocaine.”
Ben sat back. On the one hand he was glad this wasn’t about human cargo. He didn’t even want to contemplate the various ways that scenario could play out. Yet, on the other hand…drugs. The bane of every law enforcement agency across the country. The war on drugs was a drain on society.
His fist clenched at his sides. And the Lions of Texas wanted to bring the poison in freely across the borders, infiltrating the schools and neighborhoods of America. Ripping more lives apart. Destroying families. “How were you contacted?”
Eddie blew out a breath. “You gonna protect me?”
Shooting another glance at Anderson and seeing in his eyes the same excitement at how close they were getting, Ben said, “We’ll protect you.”
Jimenez assessed Ben for a moment before saying, “I picked up my instructions at a drop site. I don’t see anyone and I don’t talk to no one.”
Shoving the pad and pen so that Eddie could use them, Ben said, “Write down the directions.”
Picking up the pen, Eddie paused. “You’ll talk to the DA. Tell him I didn’t kill anyone.”
“Is Corinna Pike still in danger?” Ben countered.
Jimenez pulled a face. “Naw. No reason for anyone to go after her now. I’m the only one she can identify. And that ship has long sailed.”
The weight of worry lifted off Ben’s shoulders, making him feel lightheaded. Corinna was safe. No one was coming after her again.
“Yeah, sure, I’ll talk to the DA.” Ben’s lip curled. He’d make sure the creep went to prison for a very long time.
A knock at the door brought Ben to his feet. Anderson opened the door and Daniel waved them out into the hall.
From the excited light in the Ranger’s eyes, Ben hoped they’d had a break in the case. Anticipation mounted.
“A man called saying he’d seen coma guy’s picture on the television. Says he saw him out by some animal rescue center up I-10 between here and Austin,” Daniel said.
“Get the witness down here,” Ben ordered.
“Already sent Oliver and Marvel to pick him up.”
“Good job.”
Ben motioned for the two Rangers to follow him back into the interrogation room. “You know anything about an animal rescue center?” Ben asked.
“Hey, that’s here,” Eddie said, stabbing the pad of paper with the pen indicating the directions he’d just written out. “Rodger’s Exotic Animal Rescue Farm.”
Ben didn’t believe in coincidence. The Lions of Texas and Captain Pike’s murder were connected. Greg must have discovered the organization and its operation. Now if they could just figure out how coma guy fit in and who was behind the Lions of Texas….
Energized by this new development, Ben motioned the Rangers back into the hall and closed the door to the interrogation room.
“Somehow this animal rescue center plays a part in Greg’s murder and the Lions of Texas. We need to keep Eddie under wraps so he can’t warn anyone off the site.” Ben’s mind raced. “Anderson, you up for a little covert operation?”
The big blond Ranger grinned. “You bet.”
With an approving nod, Ben said, “Find out everything you can about this animal rescue center and its employees. Someone there’s got to be involved. And whoever it is, I want them taken down.” Turning to Daniel, Ben said, “Help Anderson with his cover. I’ll call the Governor and the DEA. We’ve got to get ahead of this.”
“Will do,” Daniel said.
The two men turned in unison and stalked away. Ben had every f
aith that they would soon find the answers to the mystery of Greg’s murder. His team wouldn’t rest until the case was closed. No matter how long it took.
If only he were as confident about his relationship with Corinna. Unfortunately, it wasn’t a mystery. His and Corinna’s relationship was going nowhere.
Saturday morning rushed at Corinna, just as it had done every day for the past week. Now that she was no longer in danger, she and Gabby had moved back into the Pike family house and were readjusting to being home. Most of her days were spent either at the shelter or the dance studio and every night, she paced the rooms of her lonely house, alternating between missing Ben and being angry at him.
She’d told herself to let go of her feelings for Ben and her dreams of a future with him. He’d made his feelings clear. He didn’t want her. It was time to move forward with her life.
Except her heart was broken.
But what could she do?
Healing would come with time. Surprisingly, she’d found comfort in her Bible and in prayer. But loneliness seemed to be a constant companion.
The door bell rang. For a split second her heart jumped. Ben? Had he remembered they’d made a date for today?
Quickly, she squelched the thought. Ben wouldn’t be coming over ever again. She knew who was at the door. Gisella had called to say she was stopping by on her way to the gym. Their friendship had blossomed while Corinna had lived with the Ranger. Corinna jerked the door open. “Hi. Come in.”
“You okay? You don’t look too good,” Gisella said as she entered the house. She wore jersey shorts over a bright multi-colored racerback swim suit. Her dark hair was pulled tightly back into a braid. Her flipflops slapped against the hardwood as she followed Corinna to the kitchen.
“How long does a broken heart take to heal?” Corinna muttered as she moved to the coffee maker and poured the hot liquid into two mugs.
She’d confided in Gisella of her feelings for Ben and then promptly swore her to secrecy. Gisella had made excuses for Ben, saying he’d been stressed and hadn’t meant what he’d said. The man had just been shot, was trying to solve a murder and had been angry that Jimenez had gotten so close to Corinna.
Corinna would have liked to give him the benefit of the doubt. Except she was too afraid to let her hope rise. More heartache lay down that path.
Frowning, Gisella took the mug of coffee. “You really should try to talk to him again. Now that things have settled down some.”
“No. I know the score. Now that he doesn’t have to protect me anymore, he doesn’t want to have anything to do with me.”
She couldn’t help the self-pity worming its way through her. She’d lost so much in the past month. Her father. Now Ben. She mentally scoffed. She never had Ben to begin with. And who’s fault was that?
Her own. She hadn’t told him how she felt, though she doubted it would have made much difference. His feelings for her were set long before her father’s death. Ben had been in her life for over a decade and she’d never given him the time of day, until she’d needed him. How selfish and self-absorbed she’d been.
She’d been told often over the years that she was cold and closed off. He probably saw that as well. Could she really blame him for not wanting her? He’d fulfilled his promise to her father. He was done. He’d said as much.
She really should let go of her love for him. Just move on with her life. She would do fine without love.
The problem was she didn’t want to go forward without Ben. She loved him and longed for him to love her back.
She could think of a very good reason why a future with him seemed ludicrous. He lived a life of danger. Just like her father. She’d vowed to leave that world behind.
Did she really want to put herself at risk of going through that kind of agony again? Could she survive the death of another person she loved?
God hasn’t given up on you, so don’t give up on Him.
Her hand tightened on the mug. Did she dare trust God enough to take the risk?
Gisella’s hand on her shoulder drew her out of her thoughts. “You know, I’ve always lived by the adage that if something is worth loving then it’s worth fighting for.”
Arching an eyebrow, Corinna stared. “You think I should fight for Ben’s love?”
Mirroring Corinna, Gisella arched an eyebrow. “Do you love him?”
Suddenly finding swallowing difficult, Corinna slowly nodded. She did love Ben. With her whole heart.
Gisella grinned. “Then you know what you have to do.”
“But I’m afraid.”
“That he’ll reject you?”
Breathing deep and then letting the air out through pursed lips, Corinna said, “Partly.”
“And the other part?”
How did she explain to this woman who lived the same risky life? “How do you do it? How do you do this job knowing how dangerous it is?”
Dawning entered Gisella’s eyes. “I see.” She moved to the counter, her gaze taking on a faraway look as if remembering something that made her sad. “I do this because I want to make a difference.”
Turning to fully face Corinna, she said, “And yeah, it’s not safe. But life isn’t always safe. Or easy. Or simple. I’m careful and I depend on God.” She shrugged. “That’s all any of us can do.”
She pinned Corinna with a pointed look. “You just have to decide for yourself. Do you want to play it safe and live without love? Or is love worth the risk of facing an uncertain future?”
Gisella set her mug in the sink. “Search your heart, Corinna. Ask God. Only you can make that choice.”
With those words hanging in the air, Gisella walked out the front door. Alone, Corinna turned to stare out the kitchen window at the blue, cloudless sky. Her heart galloped like wild horses spooked by a rattler. Could she risk it all? Was her love for Ben big enough, strong enough, was her faith deep enough?
Dredging up faith from the far reaches of her soul, she lifted her voice toward Heaven. “I do love him. But God, I’m so afraid.”
She had a choice to make. Could she accept the risk in choosing Ben?
Only one way to find out.
Sunday morning the echo of a knock jerked Ben awake from a restless dream, reliving the moment on the stage when Jimenez took his shot. Sharp, stabbing pain in his side took his breath away. Only in the dream, it was Corinna who’d taken the bullet. A residual shudder of horror rocked through him as the remnants of the nightmare left to be replaced with reality.
He breathed in, filling his lungs as much as the pain would allow. Sunlight streamed through the skylight overhead, bathing him in warmth.
Sitting up, Ben pushed the sheet back and let out a wry scoff. He’d fallen into bed at 3:00 a.m. in his clothes. He glanced at the clock. Almost 10:00 a.m. Scrubbing a hand over his face, he told himself he’d have to thank Cade Jarvis for insisting he head home for some sleep. Obviously, he’d needed it.
But he had to get back to work. Anderson would be going undercover on Monday and there was still so much to put in place beforehand. He sensed they had a long way to go to crack the case, but each clue brought them closer to the Lions and Greg’s killer.
The sound of the front door opening and closing echoed through the quiet apartment.
His heart stalled. Only one person had a key to his apartment. Corinna.
Knowing the time had come to face the inevitable, he gingerly rose from the bed and padded down the hall in his stocking feet.
Corinna stood frozen in the middle of the living room hugging her purse like a shield. She was a vision in a soft pink dress that hugged her curves in all the right places and flirted with her knees, exposing her well-defined calves and slender ankles. Open-toed silver sandals revealed pink polish on her toes. She’d left her shoulder length hair down and flowing over her creamy shoulders exposed by the thin straps of her dress.
Her expression of uncertainty hit him like a sledgehammer, reminding him how fragile and vulnerable she was. Then her d
ark eyes flashed with anger and something else…relief or resolve? He wasn’t sure.
“Hi,” he said inanely.
“Hi, yourself. Hope you don’t mind that I let myself in. I wasn’t sure you were here so I was going to leave you this,” she said, pulling an envelope, the kind that housed a card, from her purse.
“That’s fine.” A knot of dread bunched up in his stomach. What had she written on the card? He held out his hand for the envelope.
She hesitated. “I guess since I’m here, I don’t really need to give this to you.”
Code for she wanted to talk. The living room seemed suddenly too small for the two of them, too close. “I’ll make us some coffee.”
He edged past her to go to the safety of the kitchen. He caught a whiff of Corinna’s citrusy scent and fought the urge to pull her close and bury his nose in her hair.
“I’ve already had some, thanks,” she said following him, blocking the exit. For such a petite woman, she made a formidable barrier.
“I haven’t.” He made quick work of starting the Brew Master.
When the machine gurgled and began spitting out dark java, he turned to face her. Wretchedness stabbed at him. The torment of her presence squeezed the air from his lungs. He’d tried so hard to stay away these past few days, hoping that time and distance would help them both realize the crazy attraction and emotional connection zinging between them was born out of crisis and grief and not something that could last.
But he was lying to himself.
And having her right in front of him, her gaze devouring him like she hadn’t eaten in a week, made his resolve to do the honorable thing by denying his feelings crack. But not break. He had to stay strong and not let himself give over to the love in his heart.
“Why didn’t you return my call yesterday?”
He blew out a breath. “It’s been a crazy time. We’ve got a lot going on.”
“Are you any closer to finding my father’s killer?”
“We’re on his trail. Anderson is going undercover to track down a good lead. Don’t worry though, I won’t rest until we have the person responsible for Greg’s death.”
