that. Shit, I thought you were the smartest man I knew. And that’s saying something because the lot of you are hardly one step removed from apes to my way of thinking,” Khani rambled.
“I hate to drop the average down a notch, but I need clean up on aisle five,” he said.
“That’s not funny,” Khani growled. “If you’re bored, play solitaire. But you’re not getting out until I get some answers. And since you won’t let me question Ruez, I’m stuck going the long way around.”
“I am out,” he said simply.
A moment of silence hung in the quiet phone static while she tried to work things out. “Were you attacked?”
“I found a lead. I followed it,” he said by way of answer.
“By yourself? In your condition? Without getting my input or at least giving me a heads up?” Each question grew in volume.
Sophia’s brows rose with each raised pitch. “Are you in trouble?” she mouthed.
He thought about that for a moment, and then shook his head.
Her baby fat cheeks rounded as her mouth thinned in a look that said, Yeah, sure you aren’t .
“Hello,” Khani shouted, her irritation bringing the word straight from the top of Big Ben. “This is my job right now. Your only job was to heal.”
“I couldn’t just let it go,” he huffed. “Take a moment and put yourself in my shoes. Could you let it go?”
“Hell no,” she said with more than a hint of irritation. “Then you really do need clean up.”
“Yes,” he agreed.
“How many bodies? And do you want a team to stay with you?”
“Six and no. I may need one later, but not yet.”
“Why am I surprised?” Khani muttered to herself.
“I’ll send you the coordinates and be in touch.”
“Give us a ring, if you change your mind about back-up.”
“Will do.” He depressed the end button, sent a secure message with their location, and then slipped the phone into his pocket.
“Where are we?” Sophia had scooted back to the wall. Her small shoulders and the crown of her head rested on the dark wood. And still she surveyed him from the corner of her eyes.
“Northeast Kentucky.”
“Huh,” she muttered. “Even though my mom and I have dual citizenship, I’d never been out of Mexico. I don’t think she has either. She’s probably ripping the country apart looking for me, but she’d never think to look across the border. She’d never find me, if not for you.” She straightened her head from the wall. “Did she hire you?”
“Not exactly.”She opened her mouth to speak, but he spoke first. “I’ll tell you everything tomorrow. You’ve been through enough tonight. Sleep.” He stood and stepped to the doorway.
Sophia bolted from the wall. “Where are you going?”
“I’ll keep watch downstairs.”
“But…” She picked at the pillow's seam. “I…” Her cheeks puffed on a breath and she slumped back against the wall.
Vail sat back in the chair. “What is it? Truth goes both ways here, all right?”
“The truth hurts sometimes, but at least it’s honest. That’s what you said. It does hurt. I don’t want you to know I’m scared, but I am.” Moisture welled in her eyes.
“Of me?” Vail asked.
“No. Maybe I should be, but my gut tells me you’re a good guy.”
“You have smart guts, Sophia. Listen to them always. They’re smarter than your brain, which doesn’t seem too shabby either.”
She nodded at that and gave a half-masted smile. “Could you stay, for just a little bit longer?”
“You got it.”
12
C armen’s right arm reached high. Her back arched as she rose onto tiptoes. Like a rubber band set free, she snapped down with the force of her muscles. Whack! The racket connected with the tennis ball, deforming it for a split second before it sailed over the net and smacked high into the boxwood hedge.
“You’re destroying the bushes,” Carlos Hersio-Ruez’s rapid-fire Spanish chastised from the narrow opening behind her.
She didn’t turn. Didn’t speak to her father.
“I hate to drop the average down a notch, but I need clean up on aisle five,” he said.
“That’s not funny,” Khani growled. “If you’re bored, play solitaire. But you’re not getting out until I get some answers. And since you won’t let me question Ruez, I’m stuck going the long way around.”
“I am out,” he said simply.
A moment of silence hung in the quiet phone static while she tried to work things out. “Were you attacked?”
“I found a lead. I followed it,” he said by way of answer.
“By yourself? In your condition? Without getting my input or at least giving me a heads up?” Each question grew in volume.
Sophia’s brows rose with each raised pitch. “Are you in trouble?” she mouthed.
He thought about that for a moment, and then shook his head.
Her baby fat cheeks rounded as her mouth thinned in a look that said, Yeah, sure you aren’t .
“Hello,” Khani shouted, her irritation bringing the word straight from the top of Big Ben. “This is my job right now. Your only job was to heal.”
“I couldn’t just let it go,” he huffed. “Take a moment and put yourself in my shoes. Could you let it go?”
“Hell no,” she said with more than a hint of irritation. “Then you really do need clean up.”
“Yes,” he agreed.
“How many bodies? And do you want a team to stay with you?”
“Six and no. I may need one later, but not yet.”
“Why am I surprised?” Khani muttered to herself.
“I’ll send you the coordinates and be in touch.”
“Give us a ring, if you change your mind about back-up.”
“Will do.” He depressed the end button, sent a secure message with their location, and then slipped the phone into his pocket.
“Where are we?” Sophia had scooted back to the wall. Her small shoulders and the crown of her head rested on the dark wood. And still she surveyed him from the corner of her eyes.
“Northeast Kentucky.”
“Huh,” she muttered. “Even though my mom and I have dual citizenship, I’d never been out of Mexico. I don’t think she has either. She’s probably ripping the country apart looking for me, but she’d never think to look across the border. She’d never find me, if not for you.” She straightened her head from the wall. “Did she hire you?”
“Not exactly.”She opened her mouth to speak, but he spoke first. “I’ll tell you everything tomorrow. You’ve been through enough tonight. Sleep.” He stood and stepped to the doorway.
Sophia bolted from the wall. “Where are you going?”
“I’ll keep watch downstairs.”
“But…” She picked at the pillow's seam. “I…” Her cheeks puffed on a breath and she slumped back against the wall.
Vail sat back in the chair. “What is it? Truth goes both ways here, all right?”
“The truth hurts sometimes, but at least it’s honest. That’s what you said. It does hurt. I don’t want you to know I’m scared, but I am.” Moisture welled in her eyes.
“Of me?” Vail asked.
“No. Maybe I should be, but my gut tells me you’re a good guy.”
“You have smart guts, Sophia. Listen to them always. They’re smarter than your brain, which doesn’t seem too shabby either.”
She nodded at that and gave a half-masted smile. “Could you stay, for just a little bit longer?”
“You got it.”
12
C armen’s right arm reached high. Her back arched as she rose onto tiptoes. Like a rubber band set free, she snapped down with the force of her muscles. Whack! The racket connected with the tennis ball, deforming it for a split second before it sailed over the net and smacked high into the boxwood hedge.
“You’re destroying the bushes,” Carlos Hersio-Ruez’s rapid-fire Spanish chastised from the narrow opening behind her.
She didn’t turn. Didn’t speak to her father.
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