Chapter Twenty-Four
“I ’m gonna crush your skull.” Taller by several inches, heavier by thirty pounds, Rio gripped Tim’s shirt collar and shoved him up against the warehouse wall. The fabric bunched in his fist and was gripped so tightly the older man’s face turned red.
Choking, Tim wheezed.
Becca stood in the shadows of the open doorway where Tim couldn’t see her. At his obvious pain, she grimaced, but kept her arms tightly crossed.
Tim held both hands high. He was already sweating. “No, don’t—”
“Then I’m gonna break your arms.”
“Stop—I—”
“Next comes knee-capping.”
“Who are you—”
“Then I’ll sell you into sexual slavery. How’s rape every day and all night sound? Your life will become just like those girls you’re hauling at night.” Rio shook the other man. “Sex slaves.”
“No, no, they’re not!” Tim tried and failed to dislodge Rio’s fist from his neck. “They’re going to work as maids and kitchen help.”
Rio banged Tim on the stucco wall. His face close enough to Tim’s that their noses nearly touched, he bared his teeth. “Maids and cooks don’t need to be shackled. Now before I beat the ever-lovin’ shit out of you, tell me where they’re going. And the drugs and guns.” He shook Tim again. “Where?”
“To Juarez,” Tim babbled. “We deliver the stuff—pick up more girls.”
“Where do the girls end up?”
“I don’t know! Some here in the U.S. Some in other countries, I guess. People want maids—”
Rio grabbed Tim’s throat and smashed the side of his head into the wall.
Tim’s head wobbled and his eyes fluttered shut. He began to sink down the wall, but Rio hauled him back up. “Don’t,” Rio said through gritted teeth, “Say. Maid. To. Me. Again. I don’t like liars. Tell me another whopper and I’ll smash your teeth so far back into your head they’ll end up chewing up your brain.”
Semi-conscious now, Tim moaned. Blood ran down the side of his face onto his shirt. An egg-sized contusion rapidly rose on his jaw.
With clenched teeth, Becca watched it all and felt conflicting emotions roiling inside her. Many years of good memories of Uncle Tim now fought with the reality of his illegal, immoral activities. The mix was both bewildering and enraging. Keeping her arms tightly crossed, she was determined not to interfere because now everything had changed. Her past memories counted for nothing.
“No, you don’t,” Rio told Tim. “You don’t get to pass out.” Hauling him over to a three-foot concrete ledge beside the dock, Rio shoved him into a sitting position, and kept his hold on the other man’s shirt.
Becca came out of the shadows. She touched Rio’s sleeve and he straightened, but didn’t let go of his prisoner.
“Hey, Tim.” She moved close. “Surprised to see me?”
With effort, Tim raised his head and looked into her face. His eyes widened. “Rebecca? You’re alive?”
Grimly, she met Rio’s frowning gaze before accusing Tim, “So, you are surprised. You wanted me dead!”
Rio gave the other a rough shake.
“No!” Tim cried out.
Rio got into the man’s face. “People have been shooting at Becca. Somebody made her a target. All fingers point to you.”
“No, I’d never.” The man held his bloody face. “They were just supposed to hold her for a few days, not kill her.”
“So you could do your dirty work here and I wouldn’t know?” Becca demanded. “What for, Tim? Just money? What’s all the money for anyway?”
In spite of his injuries, a sly expression overtook Tim’s face. “Since you’re here, I guess you already have it figured out.”
Again, Becca met Rio’s gaze. She couldn’t speak.
“The political campaign?” Rio demanded. “That’s it, isn’t it?”
“Does my dad know about this? About the guns and drugs and the girls?” Becca’s question was anguished.
“He doesn’t want to know, but his new position will be so unique, so formidable.” Tim’s knowing look deepened. “Without me, he’d never have gotten this far.” He held out his hands. “Think about it, Becca. Think how important this senate race is. If Daniel can get into office, imagine the influence! He’s close to the President. He’ll pass so much legislation, he’ll make amazing deals.”
“Deals.” Rio spat the word as though it were an epithet.
“My life is worth more than that,” Becca said. “More than your deals .”
“Don’t you see?” Tim entreated her. “This is bigger than all of us. More important than any one person.”
“Want to ask those stolen girls if they agree?” Rio asked. He raised a fist as though to do further violence. “Maybe they won’t like their sacrifice.”
Becca nodded. She noticed Rio didn’t tell Tim that it had taken only moments on their way over for them to buy a burner phone and call in the truck’s description and license plate. As soon as the report was made, Rio tossed the phone into a trash can. That particular batch of girls and guns wouldn’t make their destination. By now, the authorities would have stopped it and arrested the driver, and freed the captives.
Abruptly, from behind them both, a man’s voice rang out. “Move away,” the man said.
Becca whirled, and a stranger with a drooping mustache appeared in the open doorway, his handgun aimed at her and Rio. His eyes were cold. She shrank behind Rio. In a lightning fast move, Rio pulled Tim up and held him in front of their bodies. He crammed his Glock into Tim’s temple. For an interminably long moment, they faced off. “Sure you want to take this chance?” Rio asked. His voice was calm, nearly casual.
The man’s gaze went from Rio to Tim. He didn’t move.
“Carlos,” Tim said, “put your gun down before this guy shoots my head off. Go back outside.”
With obvious reluctance, Carlos backed through the doorway, lowering his weapon.
Rio let go his hold on Tim and took Becca’s arm. He kept the gun on Tim.
Tim stood, swaying and holding his jaw. “Remember what I said, Becca. This isn’t just about you or me. It’s more important than any of us. Can’t you see that helping get control of the legislature and thwarting the powers that be is essential? Now, if you’re smart, you’ll keep your mouth shut—you and your boyfriend.” He let his gaze cut to Rio.
When she might have responded, Rio squeezed her elbow. As she’d told Rio, she didn’t consider herself a political being. But she didn’t like Tim’s argument. People should be able to do what they wanted. She didn’t like the idea of people being controlled.
“You want your dad to succeed, right, Becca?” Tim asked. “You care about him? He’s going to do good things for the electorate, better things than most senators even dream about.”
“And kill me in the bargain,” she said. “Anyway, how does all this help my dad? I’d gladly work for him, but—”
“But nothing,” Tim cut in. “You don’t need to do anything, Becca. Nothing beyond looking the other way. That’s all. You can do that, right?”
When she opened her mouth, Rio squeezed her again. She knew enough to stall. “Is it worth what you’re doing, Tim? Is it?”
“Of course it is. You know it is. Just think about all the good that can come from your dad’s incredible ascension up Washington’s hierarchy. Just keep focused on that.”
Becca dropped her gaze.
Tim backed carefully out the open doorway, joining Carlos outside to drive away.
“Shit,” Rio said. “It was hard to let him go.” He shrugged. “Guess it’s better I did.”
“At least they didn’t kill us.” Becca folded her arms around her waist.
“Two dead bodies in America are a lot harder to hide than one small female in Mexico,” Rio said. “They were smart to let us go.”
“Not really. For all they know, we’ll go to the police, have Tim arrested, stop all this.”
“Tim doesn’t know me. He thinks I’m just your boyfriend. Fact is, he’s counting on you caring more about your history with him and your love for your father to stay quiet. Remember, he’s already had you kidnapped and nearly caused your death. He can always revert to that.”
Becca shivered. “You think you know someone. But you don’t. Tim’s different. He’s not the man I’ve known.”
Rio shook his head. “Come on. We’re out of here.”
He drove Becca’s car as they headed back to her condo. She remained silent, processing the difficult scene.
Finally, he interrupted her thoughts. “How far do you want to push this thing, Becca? There are several felonies being committed here and your Dad, like it or not, is up to his neck in this shit. Even if he’s exonerated, his business ties to Tim will destroy his campaign.”
As he turned the wheel to pull into her carport, Becca didn’t answer right away. She needed time to think.
Getting out, they moved together up the walk.
Only thirty yards from her door, Rio went rigid. “Get down,” he said, low and harsh, and he threw himself in front of her.
Shots rang out, and in a tumble of arms and legs, they both fell behind a block wall.