CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
The next morning, I walked over to the B this isn’t a competition. ”
He scoffed. “Not a fair one.”
“Wait! Your CI is in town?” Aaron asked disturbed. “He shouldn’t be around.”
“Why not? He has his own agenda against the cartel and he’s been very helpful.”
“That was not the deal!” Aaron stressed.
I shrugged. “What deal? I didn’t make a deal with him. He’s free to do as he pleases, as long as he doesn’t interfere with our investigation.”
“Him being here is interference enough!”
“Maybe it’s time for him to start working with the team, Scott,” Ben said, suddenly grave—not to mention angry.
“Or maybe it’s time for you to grow a pair and finish what you started, Walker,” Aaron barked, so out of character for him.
“Are you two going to start with the testosterone match again?” Mia asked, annoyed. “We don’t have the luxury of wasting time with petty disagreements. Isn’t that what you were saying earlier, Scottie?”
His nostrils flared as he controlled his breathing. “You’re right. I’m sorry. I was waiting for Ethan to arrive. I also have some news. I just found out this morning that Tequila was murdered in his cell last night.”
We were all startled, and Ben voiced my thoughts, “At least we’ve got some great news. ”
Aaron rubbed his lips. “I hope so. That was to be expected after what the cartel learned about him, but that forces them to shift their dynamics. So, we need to be extra alert. Let’s brainstorm about what they might plan.”
Ben grabbed a baby monitor. “Do you mind doing it in the playroom? I don’t want to leave Teddy alone for too long.”
“He’s not alone, Hugo is with him,” Mia countered.
Pff. Hugo .
“Yeah, like I’d trust that beast,” he mumbled. See? Ben gets it.
“Stop calling him that!”
I adjusted the strap of my laptop case, grabbed a box of files, and followed Ben to the room two doors down, as the others separated what they wanted to bring. I found a beautiful boy sitting on the floor and playing with a multitude of colorful toys.
“Have you met my son?” Ben asked with pride clear in his voice. “That’s Teddy.”
“Hey, Teddy.” We sat down on the floor next to the kid, who soon smiled at me, said something unintelligible, and handed me one of his stuffed friends. As he placed more of his toys in my lap while his father watched him with unrestrained love, I couldn’t help envying Ben a little.
I was so lost playing with the kid and his myriad of toys that I didn’t notice the figure approaching me from behind .
Out of nowhere, I felt a warm breath followed by a lick at the back of my neck. “ Jesus !” I jumped on my butt and looked around to find a very happy dog smiling at me and waving his lazy tail. I petted his soft fur as he sniffed every single item Teddy was still adding to my lap.
“And the annoying and nosy thing is Hugo. Mia’s furry beast.”
My eyes jumped at Ben, and I was sure he couldn’t understand my relieved smile. Neither could I. And if I petted the good boy with more gusto, it was only because I liked dogs. Especially dogs who weren’t a man named Hugo.
The others joined us in the room, and Mia scrunched her nose, annoyed at the sight of me playing with Teddy and my good friend Hugo. “You just had to be good with kids and dogs, didn’t you?”
“One of my many secrets, I guess.” Maybe a dog would help me not feel so lonely. That was when I remembered I couldn’t have a dog because I didn’t even have a room anymore. Oh, yes, I forgot I was mad at her.
“Do any of you know a place for me to stay? I’m not very fond of sleeping on the street.”
“Why? What happened?” Mia asked.
“Well, since our little adventure last night, the B at least until we have a better idea of what the Alacráns are planning. The last thing we need is a superior officer ruining our operation before we even started it.” He said his goodbyes, “Ethan? Can I have a word, please? ”
I ruffled Teddy’s hair and tapped Hugo’s belly one more time before getting up and following Aaron to the stairs.
He looked around and asked quietly, “What was exactly what your CI told you?”
“What I said. He’d heard rumors about Pablo and warned us to keep an eye on him, the cartel, and Keyes.”
“What else did he say? Did he ask any questions? Did he say why he was around?”
I frowned. “He asked about the company, if the guys and Mia were safe. He said he had a few things to fix around town, and since he knew I was coming, he thought it’d be good if he came as well. Also, he told me he intended on getting Carlos Gomes.”
Aaron cursed under his breath, rubbing his lips. “Under no circumstances are you to meet him with anyone from the company, understand? If you ever need to contact him, do so when you’re alone.”
“Why so much secrecy?”
“Because it’s important!” He squeezed his eyes and hung his head, his hands on his hips. “I’m sorry. Just trust me on this. He’s your CI for a reason. His contact should be limited to you.”
“Then why are you feeding him information?” He looked at me surprised. “He knew things I hadn’t told him, so I’m guessing his contact isn’t limited to me, but you two talk as well, right?”
“On occasion, yes,” he admitted. “Let’s just leave it the way it is. The stakes are too high for us to mess it up right now. It’s not just our jobs. All our lives are on the line. One wrong step, and it all crumbles. For our sake, I need you to trust me on this. For Mia’s sake.” I eyed him warily, not knowing how to respond. “Oh, come on, Ethan. I’ve known you for a long time. To be honest, whatever is happening between the two of you doesn’t come as a surprise. I just need to warn you. Your situation is very…delicate. I can’t get into details just yet, all I can say is that…some things…if something blows up in your face, I’ll intervene in your favor. I assure you. But some things needed to be done. For the safety of all of us. For the success of the whole investigation. For Mia’s life.”
“What the hell are you talking about? And why are you and he so worried about her? Is there something happening that I don’t know about?”
He sighed and looked around us at the building as if watching a movie. “First, she arrested Pablo Salazar years ago. Then, remember that Santiago Cruz thing we talked about a few days ago? Well, a while back, Mia and Ben were working away, and she pestered me and him to stop a truck in the middle of nowhere because she was just so sure it had illegal stuff in it. We ended up apprehending over two hundred bricks of cocaine from the cartel. The Alacráns and Ben’s father were in cahoots and not pleased with the financial loss. Later on, they ran Mia and Izzie off the road while Izzie was pregnant. They did so intending to hurt Mia. Months after that, they invaded this very building and…a lot of things happened that day. One of the things was that Mia almost died. She also played a hand in eliminating Matias, and now Pablo is on the loose. We’re worried.”
“I’ll protect her. Nothing will touch her while I’m around.” I vowed. And I meant it.
“I trust you for that. But I wonder…is our protection enough?” He rubbed his eyes again, visibly tired, not to mention defeated.
He turned on his heel to leave when I remembered something Mia had said to one of the Alacráns when I thought she was one of them, while she was trying to score a meeting with Matias.
Before Aaron went down, I called his name, “Who is Carlos Gomes’s son and who is the woman he’s been looking for?”
The color drained from his face as he rounded his eyes before he could school his features. He cleared his throat. “Call me if you need anything.”
Then he marched down the stairs, leaving me with more questions than answers. And with a desire to protect Mia at all costs. Even if she drove me mad in the process.