“I just think we should be honest about where we all stand. We are both too personally involved.” She glanced around the table. “Maybe that’s what it takes to break into something this big. We’re more inside the cartel than the task force working on this for years. The one insider close to Alvarez the feds had went missing three months ago.”
“You don’t think the feds will see the value in that?” Luke asked.
“I went off the radar,” Kara said. “I’ll be considered a risk.”
“She’s right,” Royce said. “The feds will be concerned. I’m not sure that means they’ll shut her down, but they might.”
“I can’t take that risk,” Kara said. “Not with my sister on the line.”
“The FBI and the ATF will both be all over this,” Royce said. “They won’t throw away an opportunity to take down Alvarez.”
“That’s the point,” Kara said. “They will get involved and they’ll red-tape everything. My sister won’t live long enough to go through the crossed T’s and dotted I’s. I need her out of this thing, and then I’ll hand over everything I’ve discovered.”
Royce gave Blake a pointed look. “It won’t matter if Alvarez is already dead and my brother is either dead or behind bars from killing him.”
“If he’s dead,” Blake said tightly, “then we won’t need to waste taxpayer money on a trial, now will we? And give me a little credit for protecting my own ass.”
“I haven’t seen you act like it’s worth protecting in two years,” Royce bit out.
“Stop pushing me, Royce,” Blake said softly. “You and I both know it won’t take us to good places.”
They glared at each other and Kara cast Luke a pleading stare. He sighed and scrubbed his clean-shaven jaw. “We have a team of men and two scared women upstairs waiting for us to tell them what happens next,” Luke stated. “What do we know about the kidnapped women?”
“How they profile and who’s working this end of the operation,” Kara said, eager to get everyone talking again. “We don’t know who the buyer—or buyers—are, or where the girls are being taken.”
“Human trafficking is second only to drugs as far as profit goes,” Royce said. “It doesn’t surprise me the cartel is into this.”
“Yeah, well,” Blake inserted, “funny thing about that. Mendez hired me to find out who is stealing drugs from him, but he left this part out. Something about that smells fishy to me.” He glanced at Kara. “And you’re too exposed to work this from the front line, Kara.”
“Don’t start, Blake,” Kara warned. “You know I’m staying in this.”
“Hear me out,” he argued. “I’m not suggesting you get out. I’m suggesting you work with our team and let me handle the up-close-and-personal with Mendez and his crew.”
“I have access to documents that Mendez might not give you.”
“He is suspicious of you being more than a secretary. Add to that we came face to face with someone from accounting tonight, who is also working with Eduardo in the trafficking operation. They’re going to worry that you’ll put the pieces together and know who has been doctoring the reports Mendez gets. You’re not only a target, you’re female, and a perfect candidate to get sold off like the other women. It’s too risky.”
“He’s got a point,” Royce said. “All good agents know there’s a time when you pull out of a cover. We have a team of ten men here. We’re going to find out where the women are being taken. You can be right here with us, making that happen.”
Blake’s cell phone rang and he pulled it from his belt. “Mendez,” he reported, and then answered the line. Kara would have tried to read the conversation but it lasted all of thirty seconds. Blake set the phone on the table. “Mendez wants me and Kara in his office in an hour.”
“Did he say why?” Kara asked.
“Just to be there,” Blake said.
Luke shook his head. “I don’t like it. We don’t have anything in place yet.”
“Kyle has surveillance set up on the main headquarters for Mendez’s cover-up operation, which is where we’re going,” Blake informed them.
“He does?” Kara asked. “How?”
“He’s a tech genius,” Luke said. “And so is Blake.”
This was news to her. It seemed there was a lot she didn’t know about Blake. She’d confessed her heartache to him, and he’d confessed absolutely nothing. He’d promised nothing, not even a desire to stay alive. He was the wrong man to count on, he’d told her. He was certainly the wrong man to fall in love with. And yet, she had.
***
Blake pulled the truck into a space near Mendez’s offices, and while he wasn’t happy about taking Kara with him to this meeting, he took comfort in it being a work day and mid-morning with plenty of people around. He texted Kyle and confirmed they had several men nearby and glanced at Kara. “We’re officially on the Walker clan’s radar.”
Her brows furrowed. “Walker clan?” She shook her head. “Never mind. I get it. Blake Wright is a cover. Blake Walker is the real you. I guess it’s time to go face the firing squad.”
“Mendez is going to question your ability to handle a gun.”
“My fisherman father would be proud of how well I defended myself. I’m sure Mendez will agree.”
Her father. Damn, just thinking about her being a young girl forced to hide while her parents were gunned down ripped a new hole in his heart. He shoved away the thought and focused on their cover stories. “You’re fucking me.”
She gaped and laughed. “Now?”
“I’m serious here, Kara. It’s part of you keeping your cover. You’re now my woman. I want him to know that. There’s a certain level of respect for a man’s woman with these people. It makes you less of a target for the trafficking operation.”
Her eyes met his. “If you want me to act like your woman, Blake, I’ll act like your woman.”
A hot, possessive fire lit in him and it took all that he was not to drag her against him, declare she was his woman, and kiss her. He’d known standing in that shower with her this morning that he wanted her to be his. They stared at each other and he sensed she wanted him to say something, to put meaning to their relationship. He just wasn’t ready. It wasn’t fair to her. He didn’t deserve her yet. He had to get the past behind him and see this mission through. For Whitney. For closure. To be a better man for Kara.
“Let’s go get this over with,” Kara said, cutting her gaze sharply and reaching for her door.
Blake fought the urge to reach for her again, feeling her hurt, knowing she expected something he hadn’t given her. But he would, damn it, and soon. He caught up with her at the front of the truck and when she wouldn’t look at him, he couldn’t take the idea of causing her more pain than she’d already felt this morning. He grabbed her and pulled her close, planting a kiss on her mouth. “One day not so long from now, I’m going to make you my woman, Kara, even if I have to tie you up again until you agree.”
A slow smile slid onto her lips and warmed his heart. “I love this soft, romantic side of you,” she teased.
He laughed and set her away from him when he really just wanted to hold her for the rest of his life. “There’s plenty more where that came from, I promise.” He motioned to the door and they fell into step together, their laughter fading, tension crackling in the air as they headed into what could be a trap.
A few minutes later, they exited the elevator into the lobby of Mendez’s offices. Kara greeted the receptionist with a wave and they headed straight past her desk and down the hall towards Mendez’s office. “Wait!” the woman said. “I’m supposed to buzz Mr. Mendez when you arrive.”
Blake curled his fingers on Kara’s elbow. “Just keep walking.”
“I planned on it,” she assured him.
Once they cleared the hall and found Kara’s desk, there was yet another roadblock. A twenty-something brunette was sitting behind Kara’s desk, her spine stiff, her expression puckered and high and mighty. “Hel
lo, Kara,” she said, a snide bite to her voice.
“Hello, Evelyn,” Kara replied. “I guess they pulled you from payroll to cover my desk?”
“Something like that,” she said, and the inference was that she’d replaced Kara. “I’ll let Mr. Mendez know you’re here.” She picked up the phone and dialed.
Blake didn’t like the feel of this, and a shared look with Kara told him she didn’t either.
“You can go in,” Evelyn said, waving a hand at the door.
Blake motioned Kara forward, reaching around her to open the door, intentionally wrapping her body in his, silently telling her they were in this together, before he pulled it open. Kara walked into the office and Blake followed, shutting the door behind him again.
Mendez sat at his desk, elbows on top, fingers steepled. He gave Kara an up-and-down, lingering on her cleavage in a way that made Blake want to rip his eyeballs out. “I see Mr. Wright’s sense of style has rubbed off on you, Kara,” Mendez commented. “Apparently his skill with a gun has as well.” He motioned to the chairs in front of his desk. “Both of you. Sit down.”
“My father taught me to shoot when I was a young girl,” Kara explained as they moved forward and she settled into a chair. “He believed a woman is supposed to look like a lady but be capable of biting like a shark. He was a fisherman.”
“I read that in your file,” Mendez commented, glancing up at Blake, clearly noticing he hadn’t sat down.
Mendez arched a brow. “Problem, Mr. Wright?”
Hiking his hip on Mendez’s desk, Blake crossed his arms in front of his chest. “Yeah. I tend to get testy when people send me out to the sharks to get eaten. If the same people you suspect of stealing drugs from you are running your trafficking operation, you don’t think that it’s important to tell me?”
“I hired you to find out who is skimming drugs from me. Have you?”
“Funny thing about that,” Blake commented dryly. “The same people I suspect of stealing your drugs almost got you put behind bars last night for trafficking. They’re greedy with your drugs and careless with your business. This shit is way deeper than the pig hole I thought I was wading in. I need facts to continue forward, and I need more money.”
“You do have a profound way with words, Mr. Wright,” Mendez observed, disdain in his voice.
“So I’ve been told,” Blake commented and the only disdain he had was for this man and his cronies. “More money and more information, or I’m out.”
“What did you do with the women?” Mendez asked, shifting the conversation.
“I sent them far away and told them that everyone they ever knew or might know in the future would be slaughtered if they ever said a word about what happened to them.”
“And why not kill them?” he queried.
“I don’t do bloodbaths. Dead bodies come with complications I don’t need.”
Mendez pursed his lips. “I want them dead.”
“Find them and kill them. And good luck. I’m damn good at hiding what I don’t want to be found. Almost as good as I am at finding what others don’t want discovered.”
His eyes bored into Blake’s for several seconds before his attention turned sharply to Kara. “You aren’t offended by the females being sold off by our organization?”
“It’s not my job to judge,” Kara replied coolly. “It’s my job to protect the organization.”
“And why would you be that loyal?” he questioned.
Impressively, Kara didn’t so much as blink. “Because I’m tired of being poor and struggling. I want more.”
Mendez leaned back in his chair, his expression unreadable. Seconds ticked by, which Blake used to envision slamming the man’s head against the desk. He couldn’t help it. He believed dreams could come true if you visualized them often enough.
Finally Mendez spoke. “You’ve caught the attention of my boss, Mr. Wright. He’d like you to meet with him this evening, and since Kara has proven so effective by your side, she’s to attend as well. You’re to be at the docks at nine o’clock. A boat will be there to pick you up. The location, as you can imagine, will be undisclosed. Please dress appropriately. My boss is a very powerful man. He deserves to be treated as such.”
By the time Mendez shut his big yap, Blake had enough adrenaline pumping through him to fuel a jet liner. He was a hair from Alvarez, so close he could taste him, but he had to play this cool. “My time is money,” Blake said. “Why would I attend this meeting? What’s in it for me?”
“More money and more opportunity than you ever dreamed possible, Mr. Wright.” His phone buzzed and Evelyn said, “Your lunch appointment is here.”
“Send her in,” Mendez replied, pushing to his feet, and addressing Blake and Kara again. “Nine o’clock. Be there.” The door opened. “And now, if you’ll please be on your way. I have another meeting.”
Blake pushed off the desk. “Maybe your boss will shoot straight with me.”
Mendez’s lips twitched. “He definitely shoots straight, Mr. Wright.”
Unease slid through Blake at the subtle threat beneath the words he couldn’t let go. “I guess that’s why he’s had a long and prosperous life.” Blake turned away from Mendez, ending the conversation, following Kara toward the door. A twenty-something blonde in a red dress, with deep cleavage, entered before they could depart, sashaying toward them, a “come and get me” look in her eyes. Apparently Mendez’s lunch didn’t involve food.
Blake and Kara exited the office and headed toward the lobby. When they entered the elevator neither of them spoke. Blake stood there, thinking of how close he was to killing Alvarez and he expected the hunger for vengeance to expand and grow inside him, but it didn’t. This meeting with Alvarez that should be a long desired victory was a bittersweet triumph for one reason and one reason only. Kara. Everything he’d been living for the past two years, everything he’d thought he wanted, had transformed. Those things had become her. He wouldn’t lose her to Alvarez. He couldn’t let her go to this meeting.
Once they were inside the truck, Blake knew he had one shot to get her to agree to stay behind. Staring straight ahead, unable to look at Kara and control the emotions the past created, he said, “Her name was Whitney. We were on a task force together targeting Alvarez. Word came that Alvarez wanted a trilingual translator and there were only a handful of agents that met the criteria, and only one of those was available.”
“Whitney,” she whispered.
“Yes.” He forced himself to look at her. “She was a new agent and scared, but brave. So damn brave. She’d seen the horror that was Alvarez and she wanted him to go down.” He leaned against the door. “Once she was inside the cartel, Alvarez was taken with her, too much so, and…I try not to think about what she might have done to stay alive.” He glanced up at the ceiling, thinking about how many times he’d lain awake wondering if Whitney was in Alvarez’s bed. “She traveled everywhere with him.” He drew a deep breath and leveled his gaze back on Kara to find tears streaming down her face. She knew what was coming. Of course she knew. “About six months into her cover, Whitney was sure she had something big that would take Alvarez down. I was meeting her to pick up the data, but we got word her cover was blown before I got here. I tried to call her and get her to run but she didn’t answer. I arrived at the hotel where we were meeting at and…and her throat was sliced and she was bleeding out. She…” He squeezed his eyes shut. “She died in my arms.”
“Oh God. I…” She moved across the seat and cradled his face in her hands. “I don’t know what to say. I know sorry doesn’t make it better. I know that so damn well.”
“Say you won’t go to this meeting. Say you’ll stay behind and you’ll let me handle this.”
“No,” she whispered. “No.” She shook her head. “I can’t do that, Blake. Remember. I have your back and you have mine.”
Emotion burned in his chest. “I didn’t have her back, Kara. I let her die. I let her live the hell of having her throat
sliced open, and drowning in her own blood. I let that happen.”
“You didn’t let her die. She did her job. And you’re right. She was brave. And damn it, we’ll take down Alvarez. We will. We’ll let her rest in peace. But we have to do it together. We need each other.”
She was right. He needed her. That’s why this time, he really was going to make her hate him because he was going to do whatever it took to keep her off that boat.
Chapter Seven
With only an hour until they headed to the docks, Kara paced the new hotel room she and Blake had rented close to her apartment, waiting for his return. After seeing the girls off to the Oakland airport and New York, where Walker headquarters was, they’d both agreed they didn’t dare risk going back to her place, or his hotel—even for clothes. By the time they’d returned to San Francisco and shopped, it had been six o’clock, three hours until they were to meet at the docks. Blake had gone to meet Kyle and his brothers to show them certain surveillance points. She’d called him twice and he assured her he was headed back soon, but she was getting nervous. He’d been withdrawn ever since she’d insisted she had to go with him tonight. Had he left without her? Surely he knew she’d show up at nine at the docks on her own.
The door to the room jiggled and Kara rushed forward as Blake walked in, and she let out a breath of relief. He was still in jeans and a leather jacket. He hadn’t left without her. Kyle followed him in and her relief faded inside the crackling tension in the air.
“What’s wrong?” Kara asked.
Blake settled his hands on her arms. “Kyle’s going to stay with you while I go to the meeting.”
“What? No. I’m going.”
“No, Kara—you aren’t.” His hands came down on her shoulders, his brown eyes hard, determined.
She wet her lips, knowing two big men weren’t a battle she could fight. At least, not head on. A good agent—and she was a good agent—used smarts. “If you do this—”
“You’ll hate me,” he said. “I’d rather you hate me alive than bury you like I did Whitney.”
Beneath the Secrets Part 3 Page 5
