Resolution (Trackers #3)

Chapter Ten

MIGUEL

I didn’t know what kind of accommodations to expect from FBI protection, but a luxury two-bedroom suite at the Sheraton Universal Hotel in Universal City wasn’t it. I’d been a little surprised and had clearly been watching too much TV myself, thinking that the FBI would stick us in some dusty, cramped safehouse. The FBI convoy had arrived at the house exactly four minutes after we’d been ordered to pack up whatever we could carry. The seriousness of the situation was finally beginning to sink in.

Two black SUVs with tinted windows along with the three LAPD squad cars were sitting outside when Beth and Kindness whisked us off to the hotel and pulled into a subterranean garage, then up to a high floor. As soon as we were let into the spacious suite, I walked past the luxurious furnishings to the windows and noted the lack of other high rises in the immediate area. I let out a relieved breath. Of course, there wouldn’t be a sniper perch anywhere in the vicinity. Lincoln Snow was a smart man.

“Miguel?”

I turned to see Raven coming over. When he got to me, I reached up and squeezed the back of his neck affectionately. “Nice, right?”

He put a hand around my waist, pulling me to his side. “I didn’t expect this. I’m pretty sure this suite is bigger than Nana’s house.”

“Take your pick of the bedrooms.”

Kindness stood behind us, and I was all ears.

“Two agents from the team will rotate in shifts and be here in the suite at all times.” She looked toward the door when someone rang the bell. Beth walked over, checked the security, and answered it, letting Lincoln, Mac, Perez, and two other men into the suite. Lincoln immediately smiled when he saw us, coming over.

“Raven…Miguel,” he said, shaking our hands. “Glad you took us up on our offer.”

“Well, it really wasn’t an offer, Snow.” I smiled to take the bite out of my words. I had a splitting headache and just wanted to lie down again.

When a plaintiff meow came from the cat carrier, Raven let out a tiny gasp and ran over to the cardboard box he’d put down on the floor in the foyer. I watched him open the carrier and Stanley jumped out, meowing as he ran across the floor to me. I bent to pick up the little, white furball then immediately regretted bending over when I suddenly got lightheaded. Our kitten blinked up at me with orange eyes and mewled like a baby. I couldn’t help but laugh as the fleeting dizziness ebbed and snuggled down into his fur.

“Put him down so he can explore,” Raven said. He glanced at Perez who walked over to join us. “I’m sorry but we’re going to need a fresh litter box.”

“Gotcha,” Perez replied, looking at the kitten. A little smile crossed his face as he reached out to pet Stanley, although he looked a little sheepish. “I’m afraid of mean cats, but this little guy is sweet. I’m more of a dog guy myself.”

Raven chuckled. “You’re afraid of mean cats but not killers?” he teased.

Perez smiled again. “They come with the territory. What can I say?”

I leaned down to set Stanley on the ground but swayed as my headache hit full force. Feeling suddenly nauseous, I recognized the lingering effects from the concussion and made a conscious effort not to bring up the coffee and cake I’d nibbled on back at the house. Raven’s arm was around me in an instant as he frowned at my face.

“You need to sit down while I get some pain pills. Come over here.”

We headed to a comfortable looking white sofa and I sank down onto it as the other agents came over.

“Hi there. I’m Leo,” one of the agents said, reaching for my hand. “Please, stay seated,” he said, as I started to rise. We shook hands and I realized that this had to be the doctor…Snow’s profiler, Dr. Leo Reeves.

“Max,” a second agent said, also offering his hand.

I took it, nodding. “Nice to meet you both.” Lincoln and Mac were suddenly in front of me. Raven came over, handing me a bottle of water, and some pills as he sat down on the couch, and Lincoln began talking.

“You okay?” Snow asked, frowning just a bit.

I nodded, drinking half of the water.

“Okay, I want to go over FBI protection protocols if you feel up to it,” Snow said. “I’ll try to keep it short.”

I waved at the chairs clustered around the living area. “Have a seat, Lincoln.”

He sat in one of the chairs near the couch. “Okay. In an abundance of caution, we’re treating this as a step up from a normal FBI protection detail. Think of it as WITSEC without all the paperwork.” He flashed me a toothy grin which looked bright in his dark face. “You’ll have two agents with you at all times. Special Agents Rayburn, Michaels, Perez, McCallahan, Prince, and Dr. Reeves will rotate in two-person shifts. You are not to leave this room.

“As far as meals, you don’t need to worry about them. They will be brought in. They’re prepared in the hotel kitchen under the supervision of agents. If you have any dietary restrictions, let us know and we’ll make sure those are followed to the letter.” He turned to the small kitchen area before looking back. “There’s a full-sized refrigerator. We’ll stock it with whatever you want and it will all be checked before it comes into the room. Are we clear on everything so far?” He waited for confirmation that we’d understood. Raven and I both nodded.

“Good. The freezer makes ice so you won’t need any from the ice maker in the hallway. If you need laundry done, an agent will take care of that.”

“That’s a lot of eyes on our food,” Raven said. When I glanced over at him, he shrugged. “It’s like the FBI is afraid that we could be poisoned.”

“It’s been known to happen, Raven,” Snow said solemnly. “That’s why we take all these precautions. The ventilation system in the hotel basement has a security detail on it. No one will be able to get to you using a chemical or biological agent.”

I just had to ask. “A lot of this sounds like what the Secret Service does when the President is being threatened.” I searched his face. “Is there an active threat, Lincoln? I mean, something…”

“Specific?” He nodded. “There’s a contract out.”

I digested that as I heard Raven’s gasp. I glanced over at him, reaching for his hand at the same moment. He stared at me as he squeezed my hand. “It’s gonna be okay. Listen to Snow.” He nodded and turned back to Lincoln.

“Raven, we’ve learned that the Sanchez Cartel knows who you are. If they don’t already know, very soon they’ll learn you’ve been taken into FBI protective custody, but we don’t want you to worry. We’re here to protect you. Are you clear on what I’ve said so far?”

“Yes, but—”

“Let me finish and then you and Miguel can ask questions, okay?”

Raven and I nodded.

“Good. Let’s continue,” he went on. “We’re working on the threats to your safety as we speak. We know the cartel is looking for you but as far as we know, at this point, Alex Filmore and whoever else he has working with him, don’t know about your protection. But I can assure you, if the rogue CIA cell finds out about it, we’ve got that covered with the wall of protection around you. Got that?”

“Yes,” Raven said, heaving in a shaky breath. It sounded like he was about to hyperventilate. I squeezed his hand.

Snow nodded. “The cartel doesn’t do things in a sneaky way but that doesn’t mean they haven’t hired someone to do their dirty work for them. Any number of contract killers could be hunting you. We’ve covered every angle we can think of. We’re getting help from Homeland Security and the U.S. Marshals office. We’re going to do our part but that doesn’t mean you don’t have to do your part too.”

“What does that entail, Lincoln?” I asked.

“No phone calls on the house phone,” Max Prince said.

I glanced at the tall man who stood beside Dr. Reeves with his arms crossed over his chest. I remembered that Prince was a former Marine like me, and he looked the part. Short hair, wide shoulders, fit body, and a serious glint in his light eyes. He was obviously very capable, which just confirmed that Lincoln Snow had hired the right guys. They were a solid team.

“What if I want to call and check on my grandmother?” Raven asked. “She’s in bad health.”

“Then you’ll use one of the phones we’ll provide for you, Raven,” Snow replied.

“What if we need something? More groceries or a refill of Miguel’s medication or—”

Snow held up his hand. “Everything will be brought to you.” He sighed. “Look, we know this isn’t going to be easy for either of you. Sitting around and waiting for something to happen or someone to get to you is going to be hard but until we put a stop to the threats, we all have to stick together and make sure that both of you make it through this. Can I count on you to listen to these agents?”

I glanced over at Raven. He was biting his lower lip, looking upset and raw. I knew it had to be killing him not to be able to take matters into his own hands and just solve it all. I also knew I had to be strong for him. Most of all, I just wished there was something I could do to help him understand how serious the situation was, especially since all I wanted to do was sleep and hope my body healed faster. I hated being down for the count.

“Raven,” I said, “Lincoln asked you a question. Are you going to be able to listen and follow orders because right now, Sunshine, I’m not completely sure I can do this alone,” I said. “These are our friends, and they’re going to take care of us for the foreseeable future.”

His eyes looked haunted and I knew he was scared. I’d been to war and seen horrible things. Compared to me, Raven was an innocent.

“But we have a business to run, Miguel. What are we going to do if we can’t get back to the office?”

“Raven?”

We both turned to Dr. Reeves. The man had kind eyes and when he walked around the coffee table to take the other chair close to the couch, we both paid attention.

“Listen. You have a job to do but so do we. Our job is to protect you and that’s what’s important here. You and Miguel have to be alive in order to get back to your lives. People are hunting you and…” He looked over at the rest of the agents, waving at them before turning back to us. “Me and the rest of these people know how to hunt them right back. That’s what we’re trained to do.” He pointed at Max.

“My husband came from the U.S. Marshals Service. His job was to track fugitives and bring them to justice.” He pointed to his chest. “I’m a criminal profiler and a psychologist. It’s my job to get into the heads of the worst of the worst…people who want other people dead for whatever reasons. This team is more than the FBI. If you allow us to not only protect you, but work with us in doing so, I will promise you that we’ll get you back to work alive and well as soon as we possibly can.”

He held up his hand when Raven opened his mouth to argue. I could see it on his face but Dr. Reeves went on.

“Raven, I promise that we know what we’re doing. You and Miguel are not going to get lost in the system. We won’t let that happen. Yes, the job you were hired to do is to find the missing gems. But in a way, the work we’re doing here, will accomplish the same goal. But your recovery cases have turned into way more than finding diamonds and rubies. An insurance investigator was brutally murdered, a vicious Mexican drug cartel is involved, and former CIA operatives want you out of the way because the moment you arrested Lyle Trench, you became first a nuisance and then a target. Alex Filmore and probably others, are still out there. Do you get how dangerous things have gotten? You and Miguel need to be taken off the board so that we can put all these men behind bars.”

Raven nodded, and I could see that the kind doctor had finally gotten through. He’d made a lot of good points. “Okay, Dr. Reeves. When you put it like that, of course, I’ll cooperate.” He looked around at all the agents before glancing at me. “You need to lie down. You’re green around the gills.”

I nodded, grateful that he was always on my side. I squeezed his hand and then said to Dr. Reeves, “Thank you, Doctor. We understand and we’ll help you any way we can.”

Lincoln stood. “Okay then. Why don’t you get some rest, Miguel. We’ll meet again tonight to let you know what kind of progress we’ve made in hunting these fuckers.” He smiled, and again I was reminded how good and true all these FBI agents were.

I stood on shaky legs, and Raven got off the couch with me. “Thank you for having our backs.”

Snow stepped forward and held out a hand to me. “Get some rest, Miguel. Raven’s right. You look like you’ve been run over by a truck.”

“I feel like it,” I said, shaking his hand.

“Thanks again, Lincoln,” Raven said. “We promise to be no trouble at all for you.”

We left the room then, heading down one of the hallways to a massive bedroom at one end of the suite. The room was furnished with heavy, polished cherry wood furniture and a huge four poster bed covered by a pale yellow comforter with small light green flowers of some sort. It looked so soft and inviting, all I wanted to do was crawl under the covers and sleep for a year. Instead, Raven led me to a bench at the foot of the bed and then pulled me down on it.

I reached for him but instead, he squatted to pull off my shoes and socks, putting them aside. “Stay put,” he said, going to one of the large suitcases and pulling out my favorite plaid, flannel sleeping pants and the oversized Abba T-shirt he’d bought me for Christmas. I wore it to run practically every morning and then threw it into the washer soaked in sweat afterward. It had been washed so many times, the cotton felt like heaven when I put it on. Raven knew me so well.

“Let me help you into these,” he said, walking over.

I stood to pull off the sweatpants and grudgingly let him help me into the clothes. Before he could walk away to start the unpacking I knew he was itching to do, I wrapped him up in my arms and kissed him.

“How’s the head?” he asked, breaking the kiss and looking me over critically as he leaned back.

I kept him in my arms and offered him a smile. “I’m good but I’m more worried about you. Are you scared?”

He shrugged, looking deeply into my eyes. “Oh, I don’t know. There’s a contract killer hunting us, we’ve been forced to flee our home after stashing my nana at her nurse’s house, and FBI agents are our new roommates. Shouldn’t I be a little scared?”

I had to concede that. They were facts. “Yeah, just a little, but Snow’s on it. With not only the FBI, but also Homeland Security, and the U.S. Marshals Service searching for our would-be killer, I think they’ve got it covered, Raven, just like Doctor Reeves said. He made a good point. All those agencies are in essence doing what we were doing. And don’t forget, the CIA is pissed as hell that Alex Filmore, an operative that they trusted, is caught up in war profiteering on a massive scale. They’re no doubt hunting him not only overseas where they have the mandate to do so, but here in the States too. They have egg on their face and they can’t have that. It makes them look like total fuckups.”

“I’d argue that the CIA is full of total fuckups already,” he said, letting me go. “Now, get in bed. You need a lot more sleep to combat your head injury and I need to get these bags unpacked before everything wrinkles. Four minutes wasn’t long enough to neatly pack everything we needed.”

I sighed, letting him go. He was right. I was fucking exhausted. I walked over to the bed, threw off the decorative pillows in the center of it, and slid between what felt like 1000-count sheets that were as soft as butter. I’d have to write a letter to Sheraton to tell them how lovely my stay was. I closed my eyes, listening to the love of my life walking around the room, putting things away, and a few minutes later, I’d drifted off, safe in the knowledge that Raven and I were protected, at least for now.

I opened my eyes sometime later and glanced at the clock, noting that several hours had passed. I was lying in a comfortable bed in the darkened hotel bedroom, but when I rolled over and reached for my better half, the other side of the bed was cold. Sitting up, I looked around for Raven. He was nowhere to be found. I threw my legs over the side of the bed and stood, swaying just a bit. Tentatively touching my forehead, I noticed most of the swelling was gone.

I blew out a long breath, knowing Raven would be relieved, and I considered playing down how fucking miserable I felt. However, my head was killing me again. I needed more meds even though I hated taking them. I’d had several concussions during my years in the Marine Corps, but I’d never had one like this. This was going to be a much different recovery, so it was probably a good thing I didn’t have to work. The pain was making everything difficult and I knew that drawing a weapon to defend myself or worse, Raven, would be tricky with slowed reflexes.

I headed toward the bathroom on shaky legs just as the bedroom door opened, letting light flood into the room. I squinted instantly.

“Miguel!”

Raven rushed over and grabbed me by both biceps. “Sit down. You’re not steady on your feet.”

I took a few steps to the bench where I’d been sitting before, hating the fact that my overprotective partner was right. He squatted in front of me.

“Look, baby, I know you hate thinking of yourself as an invalid but you’re not. You are the strongest person I know.” He let out an exasperated sigh. “At the moment, though, you’ve had a traumatic brain injury which is going to take time to heal. You need to take care of yourself.”

I wanted to protest but he held on tight. “Look at me, Miguel. I’m not letting up on this.” His cobalt blue eyes were beautiful in the dim light. “Take it easy, that’s all I’m asking.”

I nodded, saying nothing.

“Did you get some rest? Do you need pills? Are you hungry?”

I smiled. “So many questions.”

He frowned. “Answer me.”

I sighed. “Yes to all. Now, can I please go to the bathroom before my bladder bursts?”

“Oh!” Raven instantly straightened, stepping back.

I got to my feet and he was right there, arm around my middle, walking with me to the bathroom. Thankfully, he let me do my business alone. I was standing at the sink washing my hands, when he knocked and came in before I could reply.

“How’s it going?” Raven walked over with a handful of painkillers and a cold bottle of water.

“I hate that I need those,” I said, drying my hands on a soft, white towel.

“I know, but it only makes sense for the time being.”

I took the pills from him and downed almost the whole bottle of water with them. “Thanks, Sunshine.”

He smiled. “It’s my job to take care of you just like you took care of me when I got shot, so think nothing of it.” He kissed me. The feel of his soft lips was heavenly. When we separated, he took my hand. “Come on. Kindness and Beth went out and got the most wonderful food for us. You haven’t eaten much since breakfast, just a slice of cake, so I know you must be starving.”

Food sounded good even with a headache. He was right. My stomach was empty. As soon as we walked out of the bedroom, the scent of garlic and something delicious hit my nostrils, making my stomach growl. We headed down the hall and Raven pointed to the suite’s dining room. I looked around the place as we walked through the living room. I hadn’t really taken the time to notice all the luxurious appointments until now. The suite had not only two bedrooms—one on either side of the suite—but a huge living room, an enormous wet bar with a raised marble countertop and four barstools, and a dining room as well as the small kitchen.

“Hey there, sleepy head,” Beth said. “I hope you got some rest.”

“I did, thank you.”

Kindness walked into the room, carrying dinner plates and silverware. She smiled as soon as she saw me. “I really hope you like Thai because that’s what you’re getting. Raven said you would.”

“Are you kidding? It’s my favorite. Thank you so much.” Remembering that Snow had said he’d be by the suite this evening, I had to ask. “Where’s Lincoln? I thought he was coming by.”

“He’s come and gone,” Raven said. “No update as of yet,” he continued, reading my mind.

“He’ll be back in the morning,” Beth said. “He didn’t want us to wake you up.”

I nodded then took in the spread on the table. Everything from pad Thai noodles, red and yellow curry, chicken satay, garlic pepper shrimp, to pineapple fried rice, spring rolls, with deep-fried pot stickers and wontons were laid out temptingly. Just the sight of a steaming pot of Tom Yum soup made my mouth water. It was a huge amount of food. The feast looked incredible.

“Our partner Max is a total foodie and knows all the best restaurants,” Kindness said. “This is from a place called Good Thai Kitchen.”

“Oh my God, this is amazing.” I sat down at the table as the others took seats around me. I noticed Japanese eggplant with tofu and veggies in a fragrant sauce. I glanced at Raven, knowing it was his favorite. He smiled back, piling my plate with pineapple fried rice, one of my favorites.

“Raven said you like your curry spicy,” Beth said, picking up the Styrofoam container and passing it to me.

“Oh, God, yes,” I said, taking it from her. “Everything on the table are my favorites.”

“We let Raven order,” Kindness admitted, breaking chopsticks and picking up one of the wontons.

Beth ladled some of the soup into a bowl and passed it to me as Raven filled my plate to overflowing with everything else on the table. The minute I tasted the lemongrass in the soup, I was in heaven. I watched the others eat as I devoured my food, noting that Kindness ate like there was no tomorrow.

“How do you eat like this and stay as tiny as you are?” I asked, unable to stop smiling at her.

Beth snorted. “Disgusting, isn’t it? The girl never gains a pound and she eats like this all the time.”

Kindness shrugged. “Every morning I spend two hours working out in the FBI gym and when I get off at night, I generally spend another hour or two sparring at a boxing ring near my house.”

“Every day?” Raven asked.

“Well, I gotta stay in shape, so I do what I do.”

I laughed. She said it like it was normal for everyone to train like they were an Olympic athlete. “And here I thought putting in a five-mile run and an hour at the gym was excessive.”

“I bet you don’t have an extra ounce of fat on you, Huerta,” Beth said.

“He doesn’t.” Raven looked at me with such devotion, it took my breath away.

“I’m envious,” Beth said. “I have to work out for an hour every morning just to feel like I can eat an extra bite of pasta at lunch.” She pointed at Kindness with chopsticks. “I made the mistake of trying to keep up with Kindness at the gym one time and threw up for fifteen minutes.”

“I told you to hydrate,” Kindness replied with a grin.

“I drank three bottles of water,” Beth said, sounding incredulous. “Honestly, what kind of person kickboxes for two and a half hours? I swear I had to pinch her to make sure she wasn’t an AI generated robot.”

I laughed and so did Raven. I really liked these two women.

When we finished eating, I sat back in my chair, positive I’d put on two pounds as I patted my stomach. “That food was incredible. Thank you.”

“Our pleasure,” Kindness said. “There’s more where that came from.” She stood and reached into the pocket of her slacks, producing a credit card. “Snow gave me his FBI issued Amex. He never uses it unless we’re out of town on a case, so he figured why not make good use of it.” She sat back down with a grin on her face.

I grinned at Raven. “I’m beginning to think being protected by the FBI is going to be better than I thought.” I heard a meow and turned to see Stanley running into the room. The second I moved my chair, he hopped into my lap and stretched up to sniff my plate. “Where have you been?” I asked the kitten.

“Keeping you company at the foot of your bed,” Raven replied. “He couldn’t be parted from you for even a minute. Didn’t you see him there?”

I shook my head as I stroked his back. “I totally missed him.” Stanley took that moment to jump up on the table and dash over to a skewer of chicken satay, grab it, and jump off the table.

Kindness and Beth burst into laughter as Raven and I jumped up to catch him. I’d taken no more than ten steps before a bout of dizziness hit me like a ton of bricks. I fell to my hands and knees halfway between the dining room and the living room.

“Miguel!” Raven cried, running over to my side where I’d barely caught myself with both hands. Hitting my already bruised face on the tiled floor wouldn’t have been fun. He was squatting beside me when I looked up.

“Sorry. Got dizzy all of a sudden.”

Raven reached for me with both hands as Kindness and Beth appeared at our sides. I felt a wave of embarrassment wash over me as Beth reached for one bicep and Raven the other. I struggled to my feet, half in shock that I’d fallen and because the dizziness wasn’t going away. When I was standing, Beth dropped my arm but stood close.

“You’re going back to bed right now,” Raven said, still holding onto my arm.

“I feel really stupid,” I grumbled.

“Well, you shouldn’t,” Kindness said. “You just got out of the hospital, Miguel.”

“I really hope that agent loses his job,” Beth said. “FBI agents can’t kick anyone in the head, especially with a steel-toed boot.”

“Well, he’s on administrative leave and his case is in the hands of OPR. Who knows?” Kindness added.

“Thanks, guys,” I said.

“Come on, Miguel. You need to lie down.” Raven started pulling me toward the bedroom but I resisted, stopping to turn back to the agents.

“I’m really sorry for spoiling things after you were so thoughtful to order dinner.”

“Don’t be silly,” Kindness said, smiling. “Like I said, I have Lincoln’s card so there’s plenty more where that came from.”

“Thank you, and in the future, we’ll make sure Stanley is locked in the bedroom when we eat.” I smiled at them and then let Raven take me back to the bedroom.

I let him hang onto my arm the whole way but pulled free as soon as the bedroom door was closed.

“Miguel, please let me—”

“Thanks, Sunshine, but really, I can walk all by myself. I’ve been doing it for many years now.”

I headed for the bench and sank down on it.

He came over and sat beside me. I slid him a wry look. “Will you let me call the doctor, Miguel? I think you were released too soon.”

“Baby, they did a CAT scan. I don’t have a brain bleed, just a bad concussion. I stood up from the table too fast, that’s all.”

He stared at me with worry etched all over his face then leaned in and kissed my cheek, resting his forehead there. A minute later, he leaned back and frowned. “I hate this. I hate that you were injured. I hate the cartel and I hate Alex Filmore.”

“That’s a lot of hate, Raven. I notice you didn’t add Gregory Aston and the guys locked up at Quantico.”

He glared at me. “Don’t make fun of the situation. It sucks.”

I sighed. “I know, but it’s only temporary and you cannot get caught up in all the bad stuff. I call you Sunshine because that’s who you are and I promise you, there really will be a happy ending to this where all the bad guys get their comeuppance.”

He grinned. “Comeuppance? Jesus, you really are brain damaged.”

I laughed.

“Okay, up with you,” he said, standing. “Let me put you in bed.”

“Okay, Sunshine.” I circled his waist and pulled him close, loving how his body felt pressed up against mine. The oversized Abba shirt covered my groin but still the material of both my sleeping pants and the T-shirt wasn’t thick enough to disguise the feel of his cock inside his jeans. “Come to bed with me.” I kissed his neck because I knew it was one of his erogenous zones.

He pulled out of my arms and smiled at me. “I’ll join you later. I want to find that kitten and whatever’s left of the chicken, then I’ll join you, okay?” He pulled me to the side of the bed and waited for me to get in before pulling the covers up around me, leaning down to kiss me. “I’ll be back, sweetheart.”

I sighed, watching him straighten and walk out the door, before closing my eyes and going back to sleep.