Desire & Deception (Entangled Ignite) (5 page)

While Kris was disconcerting, he made her feel safe. She’d much rather be up here with him than downstairs with them. Whatever his reason for helping her, she was grateful he did. Most horror stories about kidnappings didn’t have a happy ending. Fear kept pinging off the thought of calling Moni. But they’d provide the money, end up on the cartel’s radar, and there was still no guarantee she’d make it out alive.

The lock clicked again, startling her. She clutched the bedspread, praying it was Kris and not the next guy expecting “a turn”.

Kris returned, bare chested, leading another man into the room. The doctor’s head was lowered, showing a thinning spot in his gray hair. Navy blue scrubs hung loose on his rounded shoulders and narrow hips.

“This is the patient.” Kris let the doctor step around him before he shut the door. He crossed his arms, leaning against the wall like he didn’t have a care in the world.

“Good afternoon,
señorita
.” Laugh lines fanned out on the doctor’s face, setting her at ease. He placed a weathered black bag beside her on the bedspread. “Let’s see here, my girl.” He pulled back her hair and studied her through the lower part of his bifocals. “I understand you were in a car accident.” He spoke as though she was a child, seemingly oblivious to the fact she wore a man’s shirt and nothing else. Definitely not someone who’d help her.

She gave a quick glance over his head at Kris and nodded in agreement.

“Talk to me, girl,” the doctor instructed with an encouraging smile. He retrieved a glove from the bag then slipped it over his right hand.

“I was in an accident a few hours ago.” Her statement held all the necessary details without making the situation any more awkward.

“Not from around here, eh?”

She shook her head and tried her best to paste on a smile.

“Do you remember what happened?” He doused a cotton swab in antiseptic before dabbing her wound.

“We went down an embankment. I landed against the side of the car and got this.” She pointed to her forehead.

Kris’s inscrutable expression made her do a double-take. Why did she care what he thought about her explanation?

The doctor discarded the cotton. His hand hovered in front of her. “Keep your head still and follow my finger with your eyes.” After a satisfied grunt, he held his arm out. “Squeeze my forearm, first with one hand then the other.” He nodded as she complied with his instructions.

“Let’s check your reflexes.” He searched the bag and returned with a rubber hammer. “Move closer for me.”

She shifted forward, pulling the shirt along with her to preserve what little modesty she had left.

After tapping her knees, he continued in the same peaceful tone, “Any headache, nausea, or dizziness?” He ticked off each symptom on a finger. “Irritability or sensitivity to light?”

“It hurts where I got hit, but not a general headache. I had some dizziness and sensitivity when I…first woke up. If you’ve spent any time with him,” she indicated Kris, “you’d understand my irritability.”

The doctor chuckled. “Strong girl with no slurred speech, no headache, or nausea. I believe the only problem with concentration is due to this fine young man standing behind me.”

She tossed her head, refusing to acknowledge Kris.

“Show him the bruise,” Kris’s gruff voice instructed from behind the doctor.

She pushed the sleeve up. “I can move without too much pain.”

He examined her arm, folding her hand back to gauge her reaction. The abrasions on her wrists drew a frown before he released her. “Anything else I need to check?”

“No, that’s all.”

“You did much better than your friend downstairs. He got a nasty compound fracture I had to set before sewing his skin.” The doctor chatted away while he repacked his instruments. “I keep telling these boys to watch the road and not the pretty girls, but they’re young and don’t listen. Well, the pain in that arm will remind him of his distraction from now on.” He patted her shoulder and nodded. “Good thing you Americans wear seatbelts. Otherwise, you might not have fared so well.” He inspected her forehead. “You’ll end up looking like a piñata after a birthday party with your fair skin, but the bruises will fade in due time. Take care, my dear.”

He approached Kris, shaking his head. “She shouldn’t have been allowed to sleep,” he chastised. “With that bump on the temple she might not have woken up again. She was very lucky.” He removed his glasses and put them in his breast pocket. “While I don’t think she has a concussion, you need to check on her throughout the day. If you notice memory or concentration problems, sensitivity to light or noise, sleep disturbances, irritability, or depression, you need to let me know immediately so we can get her to a hospital.”

“I’ll keep that in mind, Doctor.”

“Keep her awake and talking today. She may need a pain reliever, but rest is the best medicine either way.” The older man gathered his bag and started for the door. “Keep her in bed, but make sure she gets some rest tonight.” He winked as he stepped out. A steady breeze plastered the scrubs to his frame before he disappeared down the stairs.

Kris remained, leaning against the wall, obviously comfortable in his shirtless state. His intensity enveloped her from across the room.

She was hit with the same shock of awareness she’d felt when he’d stepped into the shower. Her fingers curled around her thumbs, squeezing. He didn’t need to know about the prickle of desire she got from having his attention centered on her.
What could be going through his mind?

He glanced around the miniscule room for a moment. “Can you stay awake?”

She nodded.

“This room is separate from the house, so you won’t be underfoot. The only way in or out is through this door. You have a working bathroom over there.” He nodded toward a narrow doorway at the corner. “And a half-decent bed. I’ll bring food when I come back later in the day.” He stopped at the exit. “I’m locking up behind me.” His shoulders squared then he added, “Don’t try to run, Tessa. There’s nowhere to go and nobody to help you.
When
you’re caught, you’ll be dragged back here to be beaten and raped.”

Tessa folded her legs under her as she contemplated the consequences. It
had
crossed her mind to try sneaking downstairs and around the house.

“Just sit tight for a few days, and everything will work itself out.”

“Heather?” she asked tentatively.

“Don’t worry about Heather.” He collected her scattered belongings and left without another word.

Tessa wrapped her arms around herself. No matter how tight her hold, she couldn’t smother the ache building in the center of her chest.

CHAPTER FOUR

Cruz stood in the kitchen, head tilted back, a family sized bag of spicy potato chips tipped over his mouth.

“What did I tell you before I went upstairs?” Kris asked with cold detachment.

Cruz hesitated before he brought the bag down to the table. “You’d make sure the girl pays her dues.”

Kris speared him with a dark stare as he dropped her boots on the counter. “The
last
thing I said to you.”

“Not to disturb you.” Cruz’s features tightened. “I’m sorry, Boss, but she incapacitated one…” He stopped, his face taking on a dark, ruddy tinge. “I didn’t think. I’m not used to you…taking a cut.”

“When I give an order, I expect it to be followed,” Kris said, bringing home the fact he was a boss in the organization. While he wasn’t a leader to the enforcers, Cruz enjoyed using the title when Felipe was around. “You remember what orders are, right, Cruz?” He crowded him, staring down with open contempt.

“Yes, Boss.” His jowls jiggled with an enthusiastic nod. “You can count on me. I’ve been in law enforcement for over a dozen years. Never had a problem. No, sir.”

Kris didn’t move. He needed Cruz to understand the consequences of his failure to comply. Getting a reaction wouldn’t take much. He could already feel the tension in the older man. Cruz swallowed hard, taking a step back.

Kris suppressed a satisfied smile. “What’s the latest on the blonde woman?”

Cruz cleared his throat. “She’s talking a lot, but not saying shit.”

He’d expected as much. He remained aloof as he motioned toward the second floor. “Don’t go near Tessa.” His voice was sharp and precise. “I don’t want her riled up when I get back.”

“I’ll make sure everyone stays downstairs, Boss.”

Kris rummaged under the sink until he found a plastic bag large enough to hold Tessa’s belongings. The lacy bra taunted him from atop the pile, reminding him she remained upstairs, naked under his shirt.

“Find anything of interest in the girls’ car?”

Cruz’s eyebrows shot up. “I-I don’t know. I got here right before you.” He sprinted to the window and searched the yard. Muttering an oath, he skittered around to face Kris. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he licked his dry lips.

“Cruz.” Kris squared his shoulders. “Tell me Oscar didn’t leave the car on the road.” He
did
not
have time for this crap.

“Oscar! Idiot!” Cruz checked the back room and the one across from the vault. “Where the hell are you?” He returned, rubbing his chest.

Kris clamped his jaw. “He mistakes the target and runs the vehicle off an embankment. He gets his ass kicked by a five-foot-nothing girl then has her run head-first into the car. He leaves her knocked out when she might have a concussion then goes after her while she’s tied up.” Kris waved his hand in the air. “Now this.”

Cruz grabbed a discarded napkin and mopped his brow. He peered out from under the damp piece of paper and slowly shrugged. Damn, if he didn’t look like a dog that had wet the carpet.

Tension ran along Kris’s back and shoulders. This was the worst possible time for anyone to screw up. Oscar had been an occasional enforcer, not here every day like the others. “How did he end up on this job?”

“H-he’s been working with us for a while, Boss.”

“I’m aware of that, but how did he end up
here
?”

“I promoted him.” Cruz rubbed his forehead. “He’s done good ’til now. He’d never screwed up like this before, nothing this bad.”

“Running them off the road could’ve killed them. We don’t need a dead American leading the authorities back to any of the safe houses.” He tried to pop his neck to relieve some of the strain stiffening his muscles. “He may do well putting a bullet in someone, but this part of the business takes more finesse. The stakes have risen with this one.”

“Right, Boss. Moving him up was a stupid mistake,” he said, chagrined.

“Who’s his
padrino
?”

Cruz hesitated for a second. “Felipe.”

Kris scoffed. “Some damn godfather he turned out to be.” Great! Another show of questionable judgment from Felipe. “He needs to get his ass in here to clean up this goddamn mess. He’s responsible for everything his boy does.”

“I’ll fix this mess immediately.”

“Yes.” His voice was lined with steel. “You will.”

Furious, Kris stalked over to his 4x4. He tossed the bag with Tessa’s things in the back of the double cab. The car might have been towed by now. If the girls’ documents were found, they might be reported to the authorities. That meant problems, big, expensive ones. If he hadn’t been distracted by Tessa, he might’ve gotten the blonde to leave the club with him. Money or drugs worked with that type of woman and he had both vices in spades. Damn it. No use worrying about it now. He was already running late for breakfast with Moni and he still had to stop at the hotel for a shirt.

He started the powerful vehicle and hit reverse before slamming on the brakes.

Felipe pulled up in front of the safe-house. Jaime was behind the wheel of the battered compact he was towing with his SUV.

Frowning, he got out of the SUV and strode toward the car, barely sparing Kris a glance as he approached. Jaime edged out of the girls’ rental. He gave Kris a tentative tug of his cap, averting his eyes. A flush crawled up the lanky teenager’s face, leaving his complexion as red as the acne marring his chin.

Felipe knelt on the unpaved street and loosened the nylon tow strap from the undercarriage. “I figured I’d better get this thing out of sight.”

“About time one of you did something right.”

Felipe clenched his jaw as he stared at the radiator. “Yeah, why didn’t you—”

“Bring me a Coke,” Kris called out to Jaime. “Make sure you get the coldest bottle in the refrigerator.”

Felipe tensed. He pointed his foot and jammed it against the ground. “Goddamn!” He shot up, checking his new boots for any damage to the snakeskin.

Kris waited for Jaime to go past them, leaning away from his bruised ankle, before continuing. “Why was Jaime with you?”

Felipe ran his finger along the embroidery, clearing off any offending specks before starting on his jeans. “I got the Doc a ride to town, Oscar’s out of commission, the guys are still out on a delivery, and Cruz is watching the house. Who else did you expect me to take?”

Kris stared at Jaime’s retreating form. “How often are you taking the kid with you on jobs?”

Felipe shrugged. “I don’t. Not normally.”

“He shouldn’t be mixed up in this.”

Felipe cocked his head, the muscles along his jaw twitching. “All he did was steer.” He sniffed. “Besides, he’ll eventually have to do more than wash my truck and keep watch.”

“You didn’t tell Cruz where you were going.”

Felipe’s upper lip curled. “He knows I’m on the direct connect. What’s the matter, you think he can’t handle his shit?”

“Cruz can handle himself.”

Felipe cocked his head, the muscles along his jaw twitching. “Then why do you have a wild hair up your ass about leaving him here alone?”

Kris scowled. If his jaw got any tighter, his molars would implode. Dust swirled around them as the wind picked up.

One of the perks of living at the end of the neighborhood was the lack of neighbors. The dirt road ended in cacti and purple sage in full bloom. A tall cinder block fence surrounding the property kept people from poking around.

“Soon as the kid gets back, we’ll stash this piece of crap.” Felipe plunked down in the car, jamming his shin in the process. He reached between his knees, releasing the lever before shoving the driver’s seat far enough to give him some room.

“Put the damn thing in gear.” Kris strode to the rear of the car and braced his hands against the trunk, preparing to push the vehicle out of the way.

Felipe’s eyes shot to the rearview mirror. He did a double-take.

Every muscle on his arms and shoulders bulged. “Turn the wheel!” Kris snarled. They maneuvered beside the vehicles in the drive, past the side of the house, to the back yard.

Felipe put the gearshift in park and got out.

Kris walked toward him, looking into the car.

“I didn’t clean out their things.”

“I’ve got it,” Kris said in trite dismissal.

Felipe’s nostrils flared. “Keys are in the ignition.” He headed to the house, his steps stiff and choppy.

Kris opened the compact rental car and peered in. He pushed back the driver’s seat to accommodate his longer frame. A collection of pamphlets littered the backseat from the girls playing tourist the past few days. The glove compartment offered up their permits and passports. The center console held an iPOD, camera, English to Spanish translator, and lipstick.

An insistent buzz sent him searching every corner. The back floorboard yielded a pink phone covered in rhinestones. The buzzing continued elsewhere. He reached under the seats, returning with a plain black smartphone still attached to the charger. A message popped up announcing the missed call below the picture of a familiar brunette with hazel eyes.

He leaned back, dropping his head against the rest. “Son of a bitch.”
How did Monica end up tangled up in this?

Jaime arrived with a Coke and a bottle opener.

Kris popped off the bottle cap before returning the opener to Jaime. No man in his position would ever take an open container. This business brought a lot of enemies, most of them dangerous. “Go back to your post and stay there.”

Jaime hobbled away.

Kris collected the girls’ belongings, locked the car, and then headed to his truck.

Holding Tessa was supposed to be simple. Keep her out of trouble for a couple of days then hand her off. Suddenly, things had gotten complicated. The cartel had kept under the radar for so long by not involving innocents. Everyone came through for a reason, except maybe Tessa Marshal.

Normally, people only stayed a day or two while families collected ransom money. There’d been a couple of deaths over the years, but they’d been double-crossing drug dealers or murderers. People who lived hard and expected to die harder.

She shouldn’t matter, but she did. Now he had to find out about her. Well, not just Tessa, both women. What the hell were they into?

He drove down the mountain, taking care with an elderly couple trying to catch a bus. He reached the edge of the neighborhood before pulling into a parking lot. A sign at the entrance announced the building would be closed until noon. Commuters drove past on the main road, oblivious. Kris pulled out his phone and punched in the number he’d memorized long ago. No contacts were programmed in case the worst happened.

“Hello, my love.” Ida’s hoarse voice made him grin. His handler at ICE was older than his mother would have been if she was still alive. They’d both sputtered and stumbled and turned all shades of red when they’d run through the code they’d be using. Their conversations guaranteed any overheard communications would be dismissed as nothing more than an ongoing flirtation—and you never knew when someone might be listening. Felipe had aspirations of moving up in the organization. The easiest way was to learn what everyone was up to then take out the competition. “This is a surprise.” She yawned delicately into the phone. “Miss me?”

Working undercover in the cartel didn’t exactly allow for days off. This was supposed to be one of the few times he was stealing an hour to spend with family. “Always, baby. You up and dressed?” Her long-suffering sigh didn’t deter him. In this case, he needed her “ready” to do some research. “I have two pigeons in the coup. I need anything and everything you can find on them.”

“Now that sounds like something worth getting out of bed for.” She gave a throaty laugh. “I’m ready.”

Kris unfolded the travel permits and dictated the information on the girls. Technology in the U.S. was a wonderful thing. A person’s entire life could be found online.

“I’ll get right on it, lover,” she said with excitement.

Kris stared at the permits. His eyes narrowed. Why did Tessa say she didn’t have anyone to provide a ransom? What was she hiding?

“You coming by soon?”

He and Rio, his counterpart in the Mexican government, were preparing for a direct blow at the heart of the cartel. On his part, he still had a lot of locations to check on so Rio’s people wouldn’t walk into any surprises. “After I wrap up a few things, I’ll be by to see you.”

“I can hardly wait,” she purred.

He attempted a lighthearted tone. “Now get to work on that for me.”

“I’ll call you, but I might be late.” She sighed. “You inspired me to get my hair done.”

Kris stashed the documents in the glove box. “I’ll be waiting.”

Now to cancel breakfast with Moni.