Chapter 2
“I’m not doing it,” Drew declared. It had taken her the best part of a year to pick up the pieces after Cross walked out on her. She was not going back there. Not now. Not ever.
“You don’t understand,” Dunlop whined. “My life kind of depends on it.”
Drew gritted her teeth. “How does your life depend on it? And how did you find out this anyway? I can’t see Octavio—Octavio Rodríguez—casually telling you this, even if you are his cousin.”
“Nah, he didn’t say it out loud, like to tell me,” Dunlop said, “but he was talking with other guys. He keeps me around, and I do stuff for him.”
Drew cocked an eyebrow. “Not that kind of stuff.”
“I clean for him and stuff like that. And I listen. Octavio doesn’t know I understand,” he finally blurted out.
“Ah, I see. He speaks in Spanish, right?”
“Yeah, of course.”
“And he thinks you don’t understand?”
Dunlop nodded.
“But you do?”
“Yeah, mostly. I get most of it. It’s just because I can’t speak Spanish, that everyone assumes I can’t understand it.”
“So how is this going to save your life?”
“Because if Octavio finds out that I’ve been busted by the cops, he’s gonna kill me.”
Drew shook her head. “Highly doubtful. I mean, are you guys really that close? Why is he going to care?”
“No, no, you don’t get it. That’s it—we’re not close.
He feels he has to do something because he’s my cousin, but we are not close.
Since I got busted by the cops, what’s gonna happen is he’s gonna think I ratted him out.
I’m around there all the time. I see stuff. I don’t say anything, but I see stuff.”
“The cops know you’re Octavio Rodriguez’s cousin?”
“No! No way I’d tell them something like that. I ain’t that stupid.”
It took everything she had, but Drew bit back a comment about his stupidity thus far. “But you’re afraid if Octavio finds out, he’s gonna think you ratted on him,” she clarified.
Dunlop nodded. “I know he will.”
Drew stared at Dunlop. He wasn’t wrong. If Octavio Rodriguez found out that Dunlop had been busted, chances were good he’d put Dunlop six feet under—just as a precaution.
“Wait, how did you make bail in the first place if you’re broke and your cousin didn’t bail you out?”
“I called my ex. She owed me for helping her kid get a job at one of the bars Rodriguez owns. The bail wasn’t too high, and I had to promise her I would never ever speak to her again”
Drew blew out a breath. Not surprising that his ex didn’t ever want to see him again. This man was a walking disaster.
“You’re not afraid that the kid might say something to Rodriguez?”
Dunlop shook his head. “No, the kid doesn’t work at the bar anymore. He stayed about six months to get some experience and now he works over at one of the nightclubs on South Beach. He’s making a lot of money, so I guess my ex is grateful.
Drew frowned. “So, if I take you in, you’re afraid that eventually Rodriguez will find out and he’ll kill you on principle, but if I go after”…she didn’t want to say his name…“the other guy, then you go free, I’d save your life, and still get money.”
Dunlop’s nod was more enthusiastic this time. “Yes, exactly.”
“You really fell into a pile of shit,” Drew commented as she studied the man before her.
He hung his head. “Don’t I know it.”
There was nothing about this that Drew wanted any part of.
Before, she had felt sorry for Dunlop. Now she just wanted to get as far away from him as possible, but she was in a quandary.
If, scratch that, when Octavio Rodriguez realized his cousin had been busted by the cops, he would kill Dunlop, no doubt.
But not before he questioned him. And once that started, Dunlop would sing like a canary and mention her name.
She did not want to be anywhere near Rodriguez or his business, but once her name was mentioned, he would check her out, and things could go downhill quickly if Rodriguez realized she knew about his wanting to kill… Cross.
Her gut rolled queasily. There had to be a way out of this mess. “Stay right there,” she said, pulling out her cell phone as well as her stun gun. She hit a number on her phone.
“Billy? Yeah, I need you to come pick up someone for me.”
The voice on the other end asked, “Where are you, and who am I picking up?”
That’s what she loved about Billy—he didn’t ask questions other than the absolute necessities. But this time, she was going to give him details, because it was a big ask.
She proceeded to tell him the whole story.
Billy grunted after she finished. “So, this guy—Dunlop?”
“He’s like a Muppet. We leave him to his own devices, and he’ll be dead within forty-eight hours, I’m sure. It only took me a few hours to track him down—he’s just not going to last. Not if Rodriguez is after him.”
“Understood. And now Dunlop knows your name, which Rodriguez will find out.”
“No flies on you.”
Billy grunted. “Where are you?”
She gave him the address of the gas station. “Come pick him up, take him to our safe house. Call Jorge, the lawyer from the other thing, and bring him around. Maybe he can help this guy. And then I want you to call Maddie.”
“Doctor Maddie?” Billy asked. “She wasn’t pleased last time she helped us out.”
“Yeah, I know. But I think I smoothed it over with her. I just want her to give this guy a once-over—he wasn’t looking so great earlier.”
“Okay. Will do. I’ll be there in about twenty.”
“Sounds good.” Drew clicked off the call.
She hadn’t told Billy about Cross being the man Rodriguez was hunting.
She could already hear his comments. Billy was one of her closest friends.
He knew what she’d gone through when Cross had dumped her.
He would tell her to let Rodriguez kill Cross.
He deserved nothing less. She smiled grimly.
Everyone should have a best friend in their corner the way Billy was in hers.
“So… you’re not going to turn me in?” Dunlop asked.
“I’m not gonna turn you in,” Drew agreed. “Yet. But you’re going to stay in the safe house, and someone is going to keep an eye on you. We’re bringing in a lawyer to help you sort this mess out. And we’re also going to get you checked out medically. And then we’re going to figure all this out.”
Dunlop cocked his head. “Why are you helping me?”
“Because someone’s pulling your strings, and you’re just dancing to their tune.
You have a lot of bad people in your life.
I know what that’s like.” She didn’t mention the rest. Avoiding Rodriguez was motivation enough for anyone, but telling Dunlop would just offer him leverage over her, not that she thought he would be smart enough to spot that, but sometimes it was better to be safe than sorry.
She’d learned that the hard way more times than she wanted to admit.
Anxiety curled in Drew’s chest. She remembered what it was like to be frightened, feeling like she had nowhere to turn.
She’d left her sister and brother behind and had done her own thing, which meant working odd jobs until she’d finally landed on bounty hunter, or rather a bail bondsperson.
It was a good living and kept her far away from her sister’s world. The two criteria she’d had at the time.
Twenty minutes later, as good as his word, Billy showed up. Drew walked Dunlop out to the parking lot just as Billy came around the side of his pickup truck.
“Holy…” Dunlop said as he looked up.
It was the response most people gave when they met Billy for the first time.
William Washington Drysdale stood six feet seven, a solid wall of muscle, skin the color of midnight.
He was also one of the best-looking men Drew had ever met.
It was only too bad that he was spoken for—and she really loved his partner, Wallace.
Billy eyed Dunlop up and down. “You’re not going to give me any trouble, right?”
Dunlop rapidly shook his head. “No, sir. Not a chance,” he said. “Not a chance.”
“All right then.” Billy opened the door, and Dunlop got into the pickup as quickly as possible. Billy slammed the door after him, then turned to Drew. He gestured with his head, and they moved to the back of the pickup truck.
“I thought you were done saving puppies.”
“Yeah, me too. But you’ve seen him.”
“Yeah, I know. I can’t believe he’s related to—”
“Yeah, and I don’t want the head of the Cuban mob in Miami putting me on his most wanted list.”
Billy nodded. “That would not be good. Rodriguez will definitely kill him if he finds out he’s been busted by the cops.
On principle alone. He can’t have somebody close to him in any manner be arrested and then let him back into the inner circle.
It’s one thing for the street dogs to get picked up—it’s a whole other ballgame when it’s this guy. The target on his back is massive.”
Drew let out a breath. “Okay, well, you know the drill. Call the doc and the lawyer, get everybody on board to see if we can help him. And then we’ll have to figure out where we can stash him permanently. Let me know if anything else comes up.”
“Will do. I got some ideas. I already got Wallace working on it. You know that man is thorough.” His smile was soft. “We’ll let you know what we come up with.”
“Thanks, Billy. I owe you.”
“You always do,” he said, giving her a wink, and then went around the side of his pickup and climbed in.
Drew got into her SUV and let her body relax into the Porsche’s leather seats. She blew out a long breath.
Cross Morgan.
It was a name she hadn’t let herself say, let alone think, since he’d broken her heart a year and a half ago.
He had told her she was just too much to deal with.
Too fucking much—that’s what he’d said. He couldn’t be overseas on his ops while still worrying about her.
She’d told him he didn’t have to worry about her; she’d take care of herself.
But he’d said no—she was just too freaking much, and he needed to focus.
So, she’d broken up with him.
Rather, he’d broken up with her.
Drew pulled up her sleeve and glanced at the tattoo she had on the inside of her wrist.
Enough, it read.
Just enough.
And that was her message to herself. She was enough in every way that mattered. Never too much. Never not enough.
Exactly enough.
She yanked her sleeve back into place, rolled the car into gear, and headed for home.
Whatever problems Cross had, they had nothing to do with her. She was staying adamant.
He could take care of his own damn self.