Rafael (The Santiago Brothers Book One) (22 page)

He faced her, nodding. “Yeah, I think
so.”

“By a blue sedan?”

Rafa’s brows burrowed. “No, a green
hatchback, I believe.”

“Green hatchback?”

“Why did you think it was a blue sedan?”

“It could be nothing, but I’m sure a blue
sedan followed me to church a little while ago.”

Rafa’s appreciative gaze roamed over her
form. “Is that why you’re in a skirt and heels?”

Genie answered with a roll of her eyes. “You
look like you spent some time in front of a mirror.” She eyed his
pressed khakis and crisp, blue polo shirt.

He smirked. “Just another day at the office.”
Then his look grew serious. “No, I was on my way to meet you in
class when I received the doctor’s call. Halfway to the hotel, I
noticed a green hatchback keeping pace a few cars behind me. I lost
it on a side street.”

“Did you happen to get a plate?”

“No, too far away. You?”

Genie frowned. “I didn’t either. Do you think
Huera and Montenegro are the only ones here from California?
Perhaps more have arrived to finish off Cera considering he proved
to be difficult.”

Rafa shook his head. “Not likely. It would
draw too much attention to them and take more resources away from
their operation in California. Two men as experienced as Huera and
Montenegro should be able to handle a few targets. But I wouldn’t
put it past La Cocina Dulce’s owner to have a few people tail us,
just to see if we would lead them to Cera.”

“We should pull their DMV records. Perhaps
one of their employees slipped up and used their own vehicle for
the surveillance.”

Rafa pulled his phone out of his pants
pocket. As he read the screen, Genie saw the color drain from his
face.

Rafa backed up a few paces. “You’ll have to
run that one on your own. I have something I have to take care of
first.”

Genie was taken aback. “What do you mean?
What’s more important than this case?”

Rafa gave her a long look, and Genie didn’t
dare break the silence first. She almost wished she hadn’t asked
the question. Something between them had shifted.

She edged forward. “Rafa? Who was that missed
call from?”

She watched the knob in his neck bobble. “No
one,” he answered in a hoarse voice.

Rafa kept his gaze averted. He shoved the
phone in his pocket. Did he just lie to her?

“I’ve got to go. Meet you at the station in a
few hours?”

Genie blinked. What did he have to do? What
was so important he couldn’t tell her? After what they’d been
through, she’d thought he could trust her by now. If he couldn’t,
then perhaps she shouldn’t trust him either.

“Rafael—”

“Look, Genie, there’s something—” He stopped,
his gaze roaming over her face. He had a look in his eyes she'd
seen just moments before when she asked what was more important to
him than the case. Was it desperation? “Just go to the station,
now. I have to go,” he pressed.

Then she’d let him go. “If you need me…”

He nodded. “I’ll call. I promise.”

Genie watched him jog to his vehicle. A
couple of weeks ago, if he had left her standing there — alone in
the parking lot — she’d have been furious. But she only felt
concern. Was someone hurt? His mother? Bad news about his
assignment with the FBI?

Genie let out a breath of resignation. She
cared about him. A lot. No use in denying it.

When she reached her car, she sat back
against the driver’s seat, watching the scene of agents and
paramedics through the rearview mirror. Poor Diego. The Snakes had
accomplished their mission — unless they had planned to target his
sister Flores. With the way the FBI was handling the case, Genie
put her money on the Snakes to snuff out Flores as well.

RAFA
still
couldn’t believe what he was seeing. He sat in the living room of
his mother’s house, staring at his cell.

Join us, or else.

He didn’t have to speculate who it was
from.

Rafa rushed home to check on his mother,
worried the Snakes had gotten to her. The threat insinuated someone
would be hurt. Bursting through the front door, he called out to
her, and she rushed from the kitchen, worry lines etched deep in
her face. She was unharmed, and no one had been by the house all
day.

Rafa spent the next hour calling every
relative in California, trying to get a number to Enrique — the
only one who’d have any answers. Each number provided was
disconnected or not in service. Frustrated, he collapsed onto the
couch and stared at the text he’d received.

Join us…

They had to be kidding.

He was a
cop. He couldn’t just leave his position and pick up where he left
off as a member of the Snakes. Why would they even want him? They’d
just kill him and continue on as before.
Lord, what am I supposed to
do?
He pulled out his
cell and dialed the number of his closest friend.

“Jones.”

“Mike? It’s Rafael.” He didn’t know whom else
to call. The man who led him back to his faith, Officer Mike Jones,
was the one man who Rafa trusted above all others. Whenever he
needed advice about his career, women, anything — Mike was
solid.

After Rafa briefly explained the case and the
text he’d received, Mike sighed heavily. “What do you expect they
have on you?”

Rafa rubbed his forehead, racking his brain
for answers. “I’m not sure. I thought perhaps my mother was in
danger, but she’s safe.”

“What’s the timeline for your response?”

Days. Hours. Minutes. Rafa didn’t know. His
best bet was to get in touch with Enrique. “Not sure. You remember
me telling you about my cousin, Enrique? He’d be the one—”

“He’s been turning state’s evidence for
years.”

Rafa’s
jaw dropped. State’s evidence? His cousin was on the
right
side of the law? “Wha— How do
you know?”

“I was having a meeting with the district
attorney for one of your cases when he got the word. Rafael,”
Mike’s voice sounded heavy, “Enrique’s missing.”

Missing!

“He missed his last scheduled communication
with the DA and that was over forty-eight hours ago.”

“He could be dead,” Rafa whispered, more to
himself than to Mike. As Mike briefly filled him in on a few of the
details, Rafa darted to the kitchen and told his mother to pack a
bag. In situations like these, he had to assume the worst. Enrique
had been discovered, which meant the Snakes knew he’d been in
communication with his cop cousin. Rafa needed to get his mother
out of town.

After thanking Mike for the information, Rafa
hurried his mother into the car. He wouldn’t give her specifics
except the organization he used to be involved in had him on their
hit list. He didn’t know why he expected a lecture from his mother,
because all she did was cast cries of mercy and pleas for help to
heaven. Rafa echoed her prayers in his heart.

Rafa dialed Genie’s number. She responded on
the first ring. He asked her to run the number of whoever sent him
the text, telling her he was sure it was from either Huera or
Montenegro. “I’m sorry I didn’t say something sooner.”

“I’m your partner, Rafael. I have your back,
no matter your past.”

His heart beat wildly, emotion clogging his
throat. She didn’t judge him. Neither did his mother. They accepted
him for who he was now: a cop, and a changed man. It was time to
end the self-condemnation.

He cleared his throat. “I’m bringing my
mother in. We need to talk strategy.”

“Right. I’ll let the lieutenant know.”

Ten minutes later, with Mrs. Santiago
comfortably situated in the conference room, Rafa, Genie, and
Franco argued strategy in the lieutenant’s office.

“That text could have been from anybody,
including Enrique!” Franco exclaimed.

Rafa shook his head. “No. Enrique wouldn’t
give me an ultimatum. We’re on the same team.”

“What if he had no choice?” Genie asked in
defense of Franco.

Rafa was silent, considering the possibility.
Enrique had been off the grid for two days. If the Snakes had him,
he could’ve been tortured and forced to send the text. But his gut
told him otherwise. “He would’ve worded it differently. If the
Snakes wanted me to believe it was from my cousin, the one man who
could convince me to go along with whatever they were planning,
then I’d have to know for sure it was from him.”

Genie nodded in agreement while Franco threw
up his hands in concession before taking a seat and crossing his
arms over his chest.

Having not said a word in the last few
minutes, Winters cleared his throat. “The one thing we need to
focus on is the meaning. What is it you think they want, Rafa?”

Moving to stand near the corner of the
lieutenant’s desk, he spoke in a hushed tone. “My guess is to
return to the Snakes.”

“
You
can’t
do that!”
Genie rushed to stand by his side. She grabbed his arm, turning him
to face her.

“I may not have a choice,” he said
grimly.

She stood close, her eyes burning with
determination. “You don’t even know what, if any, leverage they
have on you.”

“You got a suggestion then, Green?” Winters
asked.

The spark of an idea lit her eyes. She nodded
vigorously. “Yeah, I do, in fact.” She faced the boss. “We draw
them out like before. Get them to meet Rafa on our terms. Then we
can control the takedown.”

“Rafa will have to agree to return to the
Snakes,” Winters said.

“But I’ll have Huera and Montenegro bring me
in. Then we’ll arrest them and—”

“Make them talk,” Genie finished with a
wicked grin and triumph in her eyes.

A loud, single clap came from Franco. “That’s
what I call a plan!”

Rafa smiled. He liked the idea too. With his
mother safe, he could only hope Enrique hadn’t been captured if
this plan was going to work.

His cell rang. “Santiago.”

“
Rafa?
It’s
Enrique.”

“
Enrique?” Rafa tensed.
Winters leaned forward in his chair, and Franco shot up
from his own. Genie fixed him with a worried gaze.

“Look, man, I had to call you—”

“
Enrique,
dónde estás
?”

“I can’t tell you where I am.”

“But you’re alright?”

“I’m okay. A hit’s been ordered.”

“Enrique—”

“I tried Rafa, you know I tried! I could get
killed for just telling you. Huera recognized you in Virginia. The
boss here wants you out. I can’t do nothin’ about it, bro.” And the
line went dead.

This changed everything. He was the target.
He always expected his cousin’s influence to run out
eventually.

Rafa swallowed. So he was being followed… but
so was Genie. Their gazes locked. If anything ever happened to
her—

“What did he say?” she asked eagerly.

Rafa broke eye contact, his heart
constricting in pain at the thought of her lifeless brown eyes.
“I’m the target.”

“
So the
text was sent to draw
you
out,” Franco reasoned.

“The plan could still work,” Genie urged.

Rafa squeezed the space between his eyes,
producing a small pain that quickly spread to his entire skull. His
life had altered too dramatically over the last several hours, and
his mind whirled at the responsibilities he now had to consider.
His mother, Genie … Enrique?

He pushed
the Reply button on his text.
When and where?
He pushed Send.

“It’s done.” He slipped his phone into his
back pocket. His hand shook, so he kept it in his pocket.

Franco moved to the door. “I’ll go check on
that number trace. Perhaps they got stupid and didn’t use a burner
phone.”

Not likely
, Rafa
thought as Franco left the office.

“What about the FBI?” Genie asked, looking to
her boss.

Winters huffed. “What about them? They can
catch up when we’ve caught the guys.”

Rafa and Genie exchanged knowing grins.

“But,” Winters continued, “I’ll give them a
courtesy call about our updates … tomorrow.”

The next few hours were spent mobilizing SWAT
and narrowing down possible locations Huera and Montenegro would
choose to meet Rafa. No new text messages.

Rafa
gazed at his mother, who lay sleeping on a comfortable couch in the
officer’s lounge. Rafa glanced down at his watch. It was after ten
p.m. He’d have to wake her soon and move her to a hotel. He knew
the life he had led a long time ago would eventually catch up to
him, but did it have to be now? All at once? His mother’s peaceful
expression calmed his anxiety.
God, please be with us now.

A light hand on his arm had him facing his
partner. She smiled, her gaze on his mother.

“She’ll be fine, Rafael.”

“I know. God will take care of us. He always
has.”

Staring into his eyes, she nodded. “He has,
hasn’t He?”

Rafa’s gaze traveled downward, settling on
her lips.

“Rafa?”

His eyes shot up.

Her cheeks colored, but her voice was firm.
“I got a call from my neighbor. Looks like that punk is trying to
break into another house again. That's the third one on my block —
including my own. I need to pick up a change of clothes anyway, so
I’m going to check it out and reassure her. I’ll have the officers
dust for prints and maybe we can match this perp to the other
break-ins.”

She began to turn away. He took her elbow,
halting her steps. “Not alone. I’m going with you.”

GENIE
cautiously
moved the curtains from the living room window facing the street.
She dipped a blind down and squinted her eyes. The streetlamps
provided little light and made it difficult for Genie to make out
the color of the cars on the street.