You are safe here in Nogales.”
A chill danced across Alex’s spine. What a lunatic. Spouting veiled threats and then trying to pass it off as a joke. He was probably too paranoid to be truly dangerous, but there was something about him that tweaked her internal alarm. She didn’t trust him.
A young Mexican waiter appeared at the table, filled their water glasses, and provided menus.
“Please, forgive my attempt at humor. Enjoy your meal.” The owner bowed his head as he backed away, turned, and disappeared into the kitchen.
Nate dropped into his chair. “Well, that was interesting. Can’t leave you alone for a minute, honey .” His teasing tone was in direct contrast to his rigid posture. “He’s a wildcard if I’ve ever seen one. If I knew who that was, I’d have Joe check him out.
She’d forgotten the man’s business card. Alex picked it up and handed it to Nate.
He glanced at the card and then frowned. “Did you see this?”
She shook her head. Everything had happened too fast.
“Diego Vasquez.”
Alex gasped. “The man holding Marco?”
“Yeah. What are the odds of walking into the same establishment our bad guy owns?”
“Should we call Joe?”
“Not until we get to the campground like he said. As far as Diego is concerned, we’re just tourists in the area to do a little fishing. He’s got no reason to connect us to Marco. If that changes in the future, we’ll deal with it then. The worst thing we could do is appear to be in a hurry to rush out of here.” Nate picked up his menu.
“The guy gives me the creeps.” Alex rubbed the skin of her bare arms to ward off the sudden chill.
“Why did he come over to you?”
She shrugged. “I thought he was hitting on me, but then he just got weird.”
Nate leaned back and studied her. His anger obviously still simmered, but she couldn’t be sure whom he was annoyed with. After a moment, he sat forward, smiled, and opened his menu.
“Well, our friend Diego has good taste. Let’s order.”
A flush of warmth crept from beneath her collar, and she slowly raised her menu until her smile was safely hidden.
Chapter 5
“M ORE WINE?” N ATE held the bottle poised over her glass. “Might as well finish what we started.”
Was he only talking about the wine, or was there a bolder suggestion in there somewhere? Alex leaned her elbows on the table and studied him. No crooked grin . . . no laughter . . . not even a smirk appeared to give away some hidden meaning. He seemed totally sincere. In any case, she was already feeling a buzz from the alcohol. She’d had enough for tonight.
“I’d better not. The rest is yours.”
Nate shook his head. “One’s my limit when I have to drive.” He upended the bottle and dumped the last of it into her glass.
“You’ve only had one? This is my third.” Alex narrowed her gaze at him. “Are you trying to get me drunk?”
“Would I automatically be on your shit list if I admitted to that?” He sat back and crossed his arms.
“ Yes . . . yes, you would . . . unless I was too hammered to care.”
“Maybe I better order another bottle then.” He raised a hand to signal the waiter, a look of serious concentration not quite covering his try-to-stop-me grin.
She jabbed him in the chest with her index finger. “Belay that, Detective.” Dissolving into laughter, she tipped her wineglass in salute, and amusement sparkled in his eyes.
Alex cleared her throat and forced herself to be serious. “Okay, where were we?” She placed a slender index finger along her cheek and tapped her temple. “Oh, right, you were telling me about Uncle Leo.”
Nate leaned forward and rested his elbows on the table. “What else do you want to know?”
“Mother’s or father’s side?”
“Neither.”
“Excuse me? Uncle Leo isn’t related to you? You almost got your ass kicked the other night, and Uncle Leo isn’t even related?”
Nate drummed his fingertips on the table and waited
A chill danced across Alex’s spine. What a lunatic. Spouting veiled threats and then trying to pass it off as a joke. He was probably too paranoid to be truly dangerous, but there was something about him that tweaked her internal alarm. She didn’t trust him.
A young Mexican waiter appeared at the table, filled their water glasses, and provided menus.
“Please, forgive my attempt at humor. Enjoy your meal.” The owner bowed his head as he backed away, turned, and disappeared into the kitchen.
Nate dropped into his chair. “Well, that was interesting. Can’t leave you alone for a minute, honey .” His teasing tone was in direct contrast to his rigid posture. “He’s a wildcard if I’ve ever seen one. If I knew who that was, I’d have Joe check him out.
She’d forgotten the man’s business card. Alex picked it up and handed it to Nate.
He glanced at the card and then frowned. “Did you see this?”
She shook her head. Everything had happened too fast.
“Diego Vasquez.”
Alex gasped. “The man holding Marco?”
“Yeah. What are the odds of walking into the same establishment our bad guy owns?”
“Should we call Joe?”
“Not until we get to the campground like he said. As far as Diego is concerned, we’re just tourists in the area to do a little fishing. He’s got no reason to connect us to Marco. If that changes in the future, we’ll deal with it then. The worst thing we could do is appear to be in a hurry to rush out of here.” Nate picked up his menu.
“The guy gives me the creeps.” Alex rubbed the skin of her bare arms to ward off the sudden chill.
“Why did he come over to you?”
She shrugged. “I thought he was hitting on me, but then he just got weird.”
Nate leaned back and studied her. His anger obviously still simmered, but she couldn’t be sure whom he was annoyed with. After a moment, he sat forward, smiled, and opened his menu.
“Well, our friend Diego has good taste. Let’s order.”
A flush of warmth crept from beneath her collar, and she slowly raised her menu until her smile was safely hidden.
Chapter 5
“M ORE WINE?” N ATE held the bottle poised over her glass. “Might as well finish what we started.”
Was he only talking about the wine, or was there a bolder suggestion in there somewhere? Alex leaned her elbows on the table and studied him. No crooked grin . . . no laughter . . . not even a smirk appeared to give away some hidden meaning. He seemed totally sincere. In any case, she was already feeling a buzz from the alcohol. She’d had enough for tonight.
“I’d better not. The rest is yours.”
Nate shook his head. “One’s my limit when I have to drive.” He upended the bottle and dumped the last of it into her glass.
“You’ve only had one? This is my third.” Alex narrowed her gaze at him. “Are you trying to get me drunk?”
“Would I automatically be on your shit list if I admitted to that?” He sat back and crossed his arms.
“ Yes . . . yes, you would . . . unless I was too hammered to care.”
“Maybe I better order another bottle then.” He raised a hand to signal the waiter, a look of serious concentration not quite covering his try-to-stop-me grin.
She jabbed him in the chest with her index finger. “Belay that, Detective.” Dissolving into laughter, she tipped her wineglass in salute, and amusement sparkled in his eyes.
Alex cleared her throat and forced herself to be serious. “Okay, where were we?” She placed a slender index finger along her cheek and tapped her temple. “Oh, right, you were telling me about Uncle Leo.”
Nate leaned forward and rested his elbows on the table. “What else do you want to know?”
“Mother’s or father’s side?”
“Neither.”
“Excuse me? Uncle Leo isn’t related to you? You almost got your ass kicked the other night, and Uncle Leo isn’t even related?”
Nate drummed his fingertips on the table and waited
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