Alejandro (The Santiago Brothers Book Two) Read online

  Ale’s eyes snapped up, his mind immediately replaying the kiss he’d shared with Audrey. Focus! “Trouble? I don’t have trouble when there’s no one to cause it.”

  Miguel threw his head back and laughed. “You don’t have trouble? Perhaps it’s because you don’t know how to woo a lady.”

  Ale worked his stiff jaw. Wooing a woman was a skill he’d perfected since high school. No, securing a woman’s attention was not the issue. His job left him no time to pursue any romantic relationships. He led a nomadic life, constantly on the road chasing fugitives or being undercover for months on end. If he allowed attachments — if he compromised his heart — then he’d be vulnerable, open to blackmail from his enemies all while emotions clouded his judgment.

  In that way, he was like his father, who’d abandoned Ale, his mother, and his two younger brothers when Ale was barely in high school. The answer to how a father could leave his family had always eluded Ale, but one thing was clear: the man had been emotionally detached from his family.

  Smirking, Ale indulged Miguel’s line of conversation, if only to keep the mood light. “When have I ever had a problem with women?”

  Miguel chuckled. “Okay, I admit, never. Whatever happened to that little puertorriqueña that was in here last week? The one with the long hair and short, red skirt?”

  Ruby. A stunning woman with golden brown eyes and lips as smooth as velvet. Undercover work was often lonely. Short bursts of uninhibited human interaction allowed him an escape from the constant tension of always being in character. A moment of release. He couldn’t keep sane without it. “She started draining my wallet.”

  “Already?” Miguel laughed. “Women. Always trying to spend our money. When do they ever concern themselves with our hearts?”

  Audrey. From the moment she kneed him in the groin, Ale knew she was a different breed of female. Her carefree style of dress told him she probably put little value in money. She was the type to settle down and raise a family. Something Ale wouldn’t — couldn’t — ever do. And her kiss… Ale forced the frigid, chunky coffee down his throat, although it did little to cool the heat searing his veins. A man could lose control to those lips. Compelling his thoughts back to his investigation, he steered the conversation in that direction. “Lana’s dead. Any news on your son’s whereabouts?”

  Miguel cleared his throat. “Not yet. But my men are watching the old lady. She may be the abuela. If Lana lied about my son, then she probably lied about everything else.”

  Ale went cold. Mrs. MacGruber. Audrey and Mel were supposed to be picking Angel up from her house today. Miguel’s men would see them both. He casually looked up at the clock on the wall above Miguel’s head. He’d been at the shop for hours. Audrey and Mel should’ve arrived at Mrs. MacGruber’s by now. He pulled his cell from his pocket, keeping it below the edge of the desk. No messages. Either Mel didn’t spot the team Miguel had sitting on the house, or something had happened. Ale shivered involuntarily.

  “Cold? You’ve been drinking coffee.” Miguel eyed him curiously.

  Ale glanced at his cup. “The coffee has been cold and stale for some time.”

  “Let me get you a fresh cup.” Miguel came around to Ale’s desk and reached for the mug.

  His eyes — their depths, dark and cold as steel — met Ale’s, and he resisted reacting to the jolt of fear coursing through him. He had to act natural; he didn’t know whether Lana had blown his cover. “Gracias.”

  Miguel came back to the desk with a steaming mug of fresh coffee. Ale forced a sip of the strong black brew down his throat, praying for Miguel to leave so he could call Mel. Instead, Miguel lingered, reading service orders, throwing grins Ale’s way, grins that didn’t reach his eyes. Ale busied himself with work, waiting for an opportunity to call Mel without looking suspicious. Meanwhile, he surprised himself with how much he prayed in his head. He hadn’t done that since he was a little boy when his mother would take him and his two younger brothers to church. He didn’t know what else to do; Miguel had trapped him, and they both knew it.

  The minutes ticked by slowly. Ale argued with himself about compromising his investigation. He weighed the options. If he left now to see about Audrey and Mel, he’d lose access to Miguel and subsequently Alba. If he stayed, Audrey and Mel could be hurt, if not killed, and his cover blown… and his access to Miguel and Alba lost. Ale cut his eyes to Miguel, who casually chatted on the phone. I have to risk it. He waved to get Miguel’s attention and pointed to his cell, as if needing a break to make a phone call. Miguel nodded and waved him off.

  Ale practically ran out of the office and out the back to the shop’s scrap yard. He passed junk car after junk car, weaving deeper into the twisted metal until he came to the steel fence enclosing most of the property. He grabbed the steel chain-link fence and looked across the street. A couple of teenagers sat on their car smoking and listening to loud music. An old woman with a humpback slowly pushed a cart full of her personal belongings down the dusty sidewalk. The teens watched her closely, but didn’t budge from their spots.

  Ale sighed. No new messages. He punched in Mel’s number. The call immediately went to voicemail. Groaning, he tried Audrey’s cell, only to be met with the same result. He phoned the office. His boss had received word from Mel when she and Audrey arrived at Mrs. MacGruber’s, but nothing since. He promised to send an unmarked car around to the house to get an updated situational report. Ale slowly retraced his steps back to the garage. He’d have to be content to wait for word from Mel. In the meantime, he considered Miguel’s words. I’ve never known you to be impatient, Ale. He was slipping. He’d been undercover so long his nerves were frayed, his patience thin, sleep elusive, and even more alarming, he didn’t know how much longer he could keep up the act.

  ****

  Audrey smiled at Mrs. Annabelle MacGruber. The older woman sat across from her and Mel with Angel at her side. Audrey shifted her smile to her nephew, who sat silently, his round green eyes, so like Penny’s, fixed on her.

  “Where’s Mommy?” he asked Mrs. MacGruber.

  “Oh dear, we talked about that, remember?” She squeezed his shoulders. “Mommy is in Heaven with Jesus. She’s looking down on you, so don’t you worry.”

  Heart clenched, Audrey’s mouth dropped, her eyes stinging with tears. Her sister in Heaven? Penny led a life that wouldn’t suggest a faith of any kind. Did she return to that faith before she died?

  Angel’s mouth dipped into a frown. Audrey would thank Mrs. MacGruber later for taking on the responsibility of talking to Angel about his mother’s death. Sure, the boy would have questions, and Audrey could handle them, but she was grateful she didn’t have to tell a five-year-old boy his mother had died. It was painful enough when she’d told Penny about their parents’ passing.

  Mrs. MacGruber rubbed Angel’s back. “Miss Audrey is your aunt, your mother’s sister. Your mother wrote Miss Audrey to come and take care of you.”

  Angel’s dark head turned to Audrey now. His eyes held fear — fear of a woman he’d never known existed. Audrey took a deep breath and slid off the couch, and kneeling in front of the boy, she grasped his tiny hands in her own. “I never knew I had a nephew.” She sniffed, tears brimming over. “I would’ve come to see you much sooner had I known. But I’m here now, and I can’t wait to be your friend.”

  “Social Services will be here soon.” Mrs. MacGruber spoke. “Penny did well to prepare the legal papers in advance.” Her voice softened to almost a whisper.

  A wave of sadness washed over Audrey as she glanced up at the lady, whose nose and eyelids glowed red. I’m not the only one grieving for Penny. “You knew my sister well?”

  Mrs. MacGruber nodded. “Oh, yes. I invited her to church a few years back, when she was pregnant with Angel. I’ve been like a den mother to her ever since.” She blew her nose softly into a tissue she held in her hand. “My children are grown and gone, and my husband died shortly before I met Penny.” Mrs. MacGruber smiled warmly, her tea
ry eyes on Audrey. “Your sister was such a comfort to me, you have no idea. Literally, an answer to prayer.”

  Her sister an answer to prayer? Audrey ducked her head to hide the frown forming. She’d missed out on so much of Penny’s life: the change in her sister, the love she showed to Mrs. MacGruber, and her son Angel. All this time, Audrey had thought Penny still behaved like an immature child, not willing to grow up and move past their parents’ deaths. Yet she had. She’d even become a parent herself.

  Audrey looked up at the handsome, well-behaved little man who had every right to question why she was there. Did Penny ever mention her to Angel? I can’t blame her if she didn’t. Angel eyed her curiously. Audrey smiled. The corners of Angel’s tiny mouth inched up ever so slightly.

  “Where will you be taking him?” Mrs. MacGruber asked.

  “Well, we’re going someplace safe, until our investigation is concluded,” Mel answered. “Hopefully it won’t be too long before he gets settled into some type of normalcy.”

  “And you’ll be free to visit whenever you like, Mrs. MacGruber,” Audrey rushed to add.

  Mrs. MacGruber’s brows rose. “Oh, so you are taking him away? Back to… where did you say you were from again?”

  “Virginia. And yes, I am.” Audrey glanced at Angel, who looked around the room, unaware of the discussion about his future. “I still live in my parents’ home, so he’ll be able to see where Penny grew up.”

  “I see.”

  Audrey bit her lip. Mrs. MacGruber had lost Penny and now she’d lose Angel, who Audrey was sure looked up to her as his grandmother. Audrey glanced from Mrs. MacGruber to Angel and back. Why did she feel as if she was tearing apart a family?

  All heads turned at the knock at the front door. Mel went to the door and looked through the peephole. She eyed them with a concerned expression on her face. “Are you expecting two men?”

  Mrs. MacGruber’s brows rose. “I beg your pardon?”

  Mel jumped at the bang on the door. With a finger to her lips, she ordered them into silence. Quickly, she moved back into the front room and ushered them to the kitchen at the back of the house. “We need a way out of here,” she said, looking at Mrs. MacGruber. “Where does your backyard lead?”

  The older lady seemed calm and collected as she walked to a nearby kitchen drawer. She removed a key from her skirt pocket and unlocked the drawer. At the sound of a loud pop near the front door, Angel let out a squeak and darted to Audrey, wrapping his arms tightly around her right leg. She reached and pulled him up and into her arms. If they had to run, it’d be easier if she carried him.

  “Mrs. MacGruber!” Mel entreated.

  The woman produced a large revolver. Audrey guessed it was a .45, but only because that was the only name of a handgun she knew. Mrs. MacGruber checked the chambers. Seeming satisfied, she addressed Mel. “I’m not going anywhere.”

  “Nana Gruber, you have a gun?” came Angel’s inquiring voice, full of a young boy’s amazement.

  “Honey, this is Texas. Everybody’s got a gun.”

  The loud smash of a door hitting a wall and Audrey knew the men were inside. Angel moaned into Audrey’s neck. Mel pulled her weapon, aiming at the entrance to the kitchen.

  Mrs. MacGruber continued. “The backyard ends at a dry creek bed. If you go now, you can cross it.”

  “What!” Audrey whispered fiercely. “We can’t leave you.”

  No one moved a muscle as they heard the men enter the house, speaking in low tones. Please, Lord, get us out of this! Audrey eyed the back door — freedom. She turned her head to see Mel, poised to shoot. Mrs. MacGruber cautiously moved to the marshal’s side. What is that wailing? Audrey nearly gasped as the distant sounds of sirens grew louder by the second. Were they coming here? They hadn’t had a chance to phone the police. If the cavalry wasn’t for them, she hoped someone would see the broken front door and take a moment to stop.

  “¡La policia! ¡Vamos, ya!”

  Heavy footsteps faded away. Audrey lauded a silent prayer to Heaven. Whoever was speaking had decided to leave, but Audrey held on to her sigh of relief. Mel signaled for them to stay back. She peeked around the corner before disappearing. Mrs. MacGruber took a stance near the corner Mel vacated, her gun positioned to fire.

  “Clear to come out!”

  Releasing a relieved breath at Mel’s voice, Audrey surged forward with Angel in her arms. Just as she stepped into the living room, officers poured in the front door, immediately taking direction from Mel, who reached into her back jeans pocket and retrieved her cell phone.

  “I’ve missed a few calls from Alejandro.” She pointed at Audrey and Angel. “You two stay here.” She exited the house with the cell at her ear.

  “Are we safe now, Auntie Audrey?” he whispered in Audrey’s ear. She still had him in a fierce hold.

  Relaxing her tensed muscles, she eased the grip of her fingers, rubbing his back. “Yes, sweetie. I think we’re safe now.”

  I hope…

  ****

  “Mel, I don’t care. Get them to Safe House One.”

  Mel pinched the bridge of her nose and bit back a frustrated response. The second her cell rang Ale’s, he answered immediately, firing a barrage of questions. Did she spot the surveillance? Had the officers arrived? Where were Audrey and the kid? Were they safe? His voice had been absolutely frantic, and after calmly answering his questions, she still couldn’t get him to take a breath. Temporary insanity must have overtaken him, because he ordered her to go against protocol and move Audrey and Angel to Safe House One, a location specifically authorized for Ale’s use during his undercover assignment in case his cover apartment became compromised.

  “Ale, I’m not sure you know what you’re asking.”

  She could swear she heard his teeth grinding. “Mel, I don’t have time to repeat myself.”

  “Audrey didn’t want to stay at a safe house last night. What makes you think she’ll agree to stay in one now?” Mel persisted.

  “Because Trujillo’s men are on to her!”

  “Okay, okay,” she breathed, hoping her low, steady voice would bring Ale back from the brink of crazy worry. “I’ll ask her to come with me, but if she says no, then I won’t force her and it’ll save your hide from the boss, because when he hears about this—”

  “I’ll handle the boss. He can’t exactly do anything to me or my cover will be blown.”

  “Fine.”

  “Good. I’ll see you soon.”

  “You’re coming over?”

  “Yes, I’m staying there from now on.”

  Mel raised her eyes heavenward, letting out a sigh of frustration. “Ale—”

  “Mel, let’s not start this again. I just learned Trujillo’s after the boy.”

  Mel scanned the crowd of officers and onlookers. When she found Audrey’s nephew, she narrowed her eyes. “Angel? Why him?”

  “Trujillo thinks the kid is his.”

  Mel sucked in a harsh breath, the dark reality of the situation taking root. “Oh, boy…”

  ****

  Angel’s button nose twitched in his sleep. Audrey’s chest heaved. She put a hand to her mouth to stop the cry; her tired nephew needed to rest.

  Reluctantly, she agreed to accompany Mel to the safe house. After their experience at Mrs. MacGruber’s, Audrey couldn’t take a chance with Angel’s safety. Mel wouldn’t disclose specifics, but Audrey guessed what was unsaid. Someone was after them. Whether it had anything to do with the fact they were Penny’s relations, Mel refused to say. When the officers at the scene released Audrey into Mel’s care, they drove all around the city — to identify any tails — and then stopped to pick up some fast food. By the time they arrived at the safe house, it was barely twilight and by then, Angel had already fallen fast asleep.

  Mel had been on the phone ever since they’d set foot inside the small, renovated warehouse. The outside seemed as if the place had been abandoned: rusty metal door, dirty bricks, and a sign that hung on one rung instea
d of two. The perfect front. The inside sported an open floor plan, a kitchen furnished with the latest appliances, a small living room with a television, three sleeping rooms each with their own bathroom, and a rack of weights lined one of the walls of the loft where a punching bag hung from the ceiling above a thick floor mat used for physical training.

  “Yes, we’ll need a few of those as well.”

  Mel’s voice drifted closer, and then she appeared in the doorway. She raised inquiring brows, and Audrey offered her a small smile. They were okay — for now.

  Audrey followed Mel into the living room, who continued to pace around the open area, chatting with someone while Audrey took a seat on the black leather sofa. She ran all ten fingers through her knotted brown hair, her mind aching as it teemed with questions Mel had yet time to answer. How long would she and Angel have to stay here? What was being done about Trujillo? Why would Trujillo be after her and Angel? How did Trujillo know she’d be at Mrs. MacGruber’s, of all places? What had Penny gotten them into?

  Mel let out an exasperated sigh, throwing herself into the lazy boy chair near the couch. She crossed long, slender legs hugged by dark stretch jeans. Her smooth, dark features were twisted by a wiry smile. “Look, this place is stocked for Alejandro, so I’ve made arrangements to get some clothes and toiletries for you and Angel.”

  Audrey nodded. “Thank you.” Silence settled between them. The longer Audrey waited for Mel to clue her in, the more she thought the marshal would leave her in the dark. Patience worn, Audrey opened her mouth to speak, but Mel’s reluctant voice cut her off.

  “Okay, Audrey, I know you have questions, but—”

  The loud sound of metal screeching indicated the opening of the sliding front door.

  “And the man who’s going to explain it all to you…”