watering, she stared
at him. “And how will you know?”
Despite the fact that her future, no, their future
depended on his reply, he met her gaze without blinking. “I’ll ask Enrique. He’ll know and he’ll tell me, one way or
another.
If more tequila wouldn’t send her into fiery
oblivion or dizzy drunkenness, she would finish the bottle. “You’d rely on the
word of a gang banger?”
“ Si,” he
answered without hesitation. “He’s the jefe,
chica. ”
The room wavered as she struggled to focus. I never
could hold much liquor, damn it to hell. “And he’ll tell you because….”
Santiago’s eyes turned to stone. “He owes me his
life, many times over. And he’s trusted
me. If I can talk with him, maybe he
still will. It’s risky, yes, and hard to trust someone like this, but I’m out of options.”
Her head whirled in dizzy circles. “I don’t
understand. If the FBI agent outed you
as an officer, as Santiago Ruiz, why would Enrique believe you if you tell him
you’re not?”
“I can be very persuasive.” His low pitched growl
carried more repressed violence than if he’d shouted. “He’ll listen if I can get to him.”
“Can you?”
His lips curled into a wolf’s grin. “Oh, si, I can if anyone can.”
Sara sighed. “I hope to hell you know what you’re
doing, Santiago.”
“So do I .”
If he didn’t, she realized they’d be screwed. Worse than that, they’d be dead.
Deep in her bones, she knew they faced a long night,
together.
Chapter
Ten
Santiago’s plan, sketchy as it was, notched her
tension up to intense levels. The
situation required more tequila, another round of mind blowing sex, or another
diversion. Otherwise, she’d be crawling the walls. Or she’d scream or maybe scratch her eyeballs out. Neither of the options appealed, so she paced
the floor while Santiago lounged on the bed.
“You’re going to wear out the carpet,” he said
observantly after half an hour.
She shot him a mean glare, but it didn’t dim his
grin one bit. “No, I think the stress will kill me first. Are you going to call him or not?”
Arms tucked beneath his head, he shrugged. “I don’t
know – maybe around two-thirty or three. He’s a night person, la muñequita. I need to catch him at the right time,
when he’s alone or almost alone.”
Her jittery nerves couldn’t stand it and she told
him so.
“Then let’s go gamble awhile,” he said as if he made
a reasonable suggestion. “We’ll play a few slots, have a little fun, and pass
the time.”
Sara paused, hands on hips. “You’re kidding, right?”
He sounded amused and maybe stifled a snicker. “No,”
he said. “I wasn’t. Let’s go down and
play.”
“I don’t want to.”
Without irritation, he got up and put on a clean
black T-shirt. In their time apart, he’d
apparently learned the patience of a saint, she thought. “Then what would you
like to do? We can watch television or go back to bed.”
His gaze shifted to the rumpled covers and he
grinned. Since he’d come back into her
life, desire could be kindled with any spark, but right now Sara was wound too
tight for sex. But, her taut muscles
eased a little. “Do you really want to go downstairs? Is it even safe?”
“ Si, Sarita.
Casinos have excellent security in place. It should be crowded and we’ll blend. Besides, I don’t mind a little gambling once in a while.”
“I can tell.” As far as she could tell, he took big
risks with life and death. Compared to
that, what was a little money spent in pursuit of a jackpot? “All right, let’s
go. Maybe you’ll win.”
“If I do, it’s all yours. You already have my heart
and soul.”
Her emotions twisted into a knot. Santiago could make her angry, but then he
could make her want to cry with simple words that expressed so much. “ Te amo
Santiago,” Sara told him. “I’m sorry I’m bitchy, but
at him. “And how will you know?”
Despite the fact that her future, no, their future
depended on his reply, he met her gaze without blinking. “I’ll ask Enrique. He’ll know and he’ll tell me, one way or
another.
If more tequila wouldn’t send her into fiery
oblivion or dizzy drunkenness, she would finish the bottle. “You’d rely on the
word of a gang banger?”
“ Si,” he
answered without hesitation. “He’s the jefe,
chica. ”
The room wavered as she struggled to focus. I never
could hold much liquor, damn it to hell. “And he’ll tell you because….”
Santiago’s eyes turned to stone. “He owes me his
life, many times over. And he’s trusted
me. If I can talk with him, maybe he
still will. It’s risky, yes, and hard to trust someone like this, but I’m out of options.”
Her head whirled in dizzy circles. “I don’t
understand. If the FBI agent outed you
as an officer, as Santiago Ruiz, why would Enrique believe you if you tell him
you’re not?”
“I can be very persuasive.” His low pitched growl
carried more repressed violence than if he’d shouted. “He’ll listen if I can get to him.”
“Can you?”
His lips curled into a wolf’s grin. “Oh, si, I can if anyone can.”
Sara sighed. “I hope to hell you know what you’re
doing, Santiago.”
“So do I .”
If he didn’t, she realized they’d be screwed. Worse than that, they’d be dead.
Deep in her bones, she knew they faced a long night,
together.
Chapter
Ten
Santiago’s plan, sketchy as it was, notched her
tension up to intense levels. The
situation required more tequila, another round of mind blowing sex, or another
diversion. Otherwise, she’d be crawling the walls. Or she’d scream or maybe scratch her eyeballs out. Neither of the options appealed, so she paced
the floor while Santiago lounged on the bed.
“You’re going to wear out the carpet,” he said
observantly after half an hour.
She shot him a mean glare, but it didn’t dim his
grin one bit. “No, I think the stress will kill me first. Are you going to call him or not?”
Arms tucked beneath his head, he shrugged. “I don’t
know – maybe around two-thirty or three. He’s a night person, la muñequita. I need to catch him at the right time,
when he’s alone or almost alone.”
Her jittery nerves couldn’t stand it and she told
him so.
“Then let’s go gamble awhile,” he said as if he made
a reasonable suggestion. “We’ll play a few slots, have a little fun, and pass
the time.”
Sara paused, hands on hips. “You’re kidding, right?”
He sounded amused and maybe stifled a snicker. “No,”
he said. “I wasn’t. Let’s go down and
play.”
“I don’t want to.”
Without irritation, he got up and put on a clean
black T-shirt. In their time apart, he’d
apparently learned the patience of a saint, she thought. “Then what would you
like to do? We can watch television or go back to bed.”
His gaze shifted to the rumpled covers and he
grinned. Since he’d come back into her
life, desire could be kindled with any spark, but right now Sara was wound too
tight for sex. But, her taut muscles
eased a little. “Do you really want to go downstairs? Is it even safe?”
“ Si, Sarita.
Casinos have excellent security in place. It should be crowded and we’ll blend. Besides, I don’t mind a little gambling once in a while.”
“I can tell.” As far as she could tell, he took big
risks with life and death. Compared to
that, what was a little money spent in pursuit of a jackpot? “All right, let’s
go. Maybe you’ll win.”
“If I do, it’s all yours. You already have my heart
and soul.”
Her emotions twisted into a knot. Santiago could make her angry, but then he
could make her want to cry with simple words that expressed so much. “ Te amo
Santiago,” Sara told him. “I’m sorry I’m bitchy, but
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