LUKE managed to get Marty into the passenger seat of the car. Although he had protested and claimed that he could drive, there was no way Luke was going to let Marty get behind the wheel of a car after what he just went through.
They hadn’t survived an attack by a cartel hitman to die in a car accident.
When Luke slid into the driver’s seat and started the engine, Marty’s dam broke again, and the emotions he’d held back earlier spilled over the walls. Luke grabbed Marty’s hand and squeezed it, reminding him that Luke was there. He hoped it gave Marty the comfort it gave him.
Comfort was exactly what he’d needed when he walked into the bathroom and saw Marty held at knifepoint. A tidal wave of fear had crashed upon Luke. He hadn’t felt like that since the night that had ended his childhood and ripped his parents from his life.
Fortunately, he had training to fall back on. When it kicked in, he switched to autopilot and did what he had to do in order to make sure Marty was safe.
“I’m sorry for being such a baby,” Marty choked out.
Luke ran his fingers through Marty’s hair. “You’re not being a baby. You’re being human.” He was actually amazed Marty hadn’t completely lost it sooner. It wasn’t like Marty’s life was chock-full of danger the way Luke’s had been for as long as he could remember.
Marty was innocent and softer, and Luke had to admit, he liked that about Marty. It reminded Luke that good people still walked the earth, and after everything he’d seen in his life, he needed to be reminded of that every once in a while.
“Are you going to be okay?” he asked after Marty blew his nose on an old Starbucks napkin he’d found in the console.
“I think so.”
“Think you can answer some questions for me?”
Marty blew his nose again and nodded.
“Why would the cartel be coming after you?” he asked.
Marty turned in the seat and stared at him. He reminded Luke of a dog that had been beaten by its owner one too many times. “I have no clue,” Marty replied with a sniffle. His big, sad eyes gazed down at his hands, which fidgeted in his lap.
Luke had questioned his share of witnesses who had been unlucky enough to find themselves in the crosshairs of a cartel assassin, and he watched as what he’d seen dozens of times before started happening to Marty.
His lips and chin trembled. He hugged himself as if he were sitting in the middle of a winter storm instead of a blistering south Texas summer, and his tanned skin lost all its color, turning an ashy white. The only difference this time was with Luke. He had never wanted to take one of those innocent people in his arms the way he wanted to hold Marty right now.
“I’ve never seen that guy you… um, took care of before today,” Marty muttered.
This didn’t make a damn bit of sense. Frack was Rogelio’s hired gun, and he only went after targets Rogelio deemed a threat. Luke was missing something here, and he had to figure out what that was before some other goon came after Marty. “Is there something I don’t know? Something that happened before you and I met, perhaps?”
Marty scanned the parking lot outside as if the answer could be found written on the asphalt. “Nothing that I can think of. I don’t really do much but draw in the apartment or run errands for my parents.” Marty’s mouth fell open as he stifled a gasp.
“What is it? What did you remember?”
“Something happened earlier this morning when I went to get tamales.”
“What happened?” Luke asked.
Marty chewed his bottom lip and averted his eyes. “I don’t really think it’s connected,” he answered. “It’s probably nothing.”
“Let me be the judge of that, okay?”
After blowing out a lungful of air, Marty said, “Like I said, it’s probably nothing. I just ran into my cousin.”
“Your cousin? One of the women I met last night?”
“No,” Marty replied with a firm shake of his head. “This one’s a he, and he was definitely not invited to the dinner last night. My mother doesn’t like him.”
“Where did you run into him?”
“In the alley next to the restaurant where I bought the tamales. He was talking to this guy I couldn’t see really well, and I think they were up to no good. You see, my cousin, well, he’s that car thief I told you about when we first met. The one we don’t invite to parties and such. They were probably doing business on the latest car he had stolen or something. He didn’t like that I saw him and his friend together, even though I really didn’t see anything other than an envelope exchange hands. He told me to forget I ever saw them. Well, it was really more of a warning.”
What connection could Marty’s car-stealing cousin have to the cartel?
“What’s your cousin’s name?” Luke asked.
Marty hesitated, clearly not comfortable with ratting out his own blood. “Roger.”
Luke didn’t recall anyone with that name working for El Dragón, but the organization was huge. Luke had only infiltrated a portion of the San Antonio operation, so it was possible Marty’s cousin worked a branch Luke wasn’t even aware existed. El Dragón had his hands in drugs and weapons. It wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibility for him to have several chop shops as well.
“He doesn’t go by Roger anymore,” Marty suddenly added as an afterthought. “That’s what I used to call him when we were kids. He goes by Rogelio now.”
Luke’s breath hitched. “Is his last name Sandoval?”
Marty gaped at him as if he’d just materialized out of thin air. “How the hell did you know that?”
“Fuck!” Luke exclaimed as he turned the keys in the ignition, threw Marty’s car into drive, and sped out of the parking lot.
“What’s the matter?” Marty asked. It was his turn to hold on to the “oh Jesus” handle as Luke accelerated into the turn.
“Rogelio Sandoval is El Dragón’s right-hand man in San Antonio,” Luke answered. “He’s the one who wants me dead.”
Marty didn’t say another word as Luke floored the accelerator once they hit the highway. The situation had gone from bad to worse, and if Luke was going to keep Marty safe, he would need help.
MARTY sat in stunned silence the whole time Luke talked to someone on the cell phone he had taken from the man who tried to kill Marty. Although he could hear the conversation, he had no clue what Luke was saying or who he was talking to. All he could focus on was the news that his cousin was working with El Dragón.
What had happened to the boy he used to run through the sprinklers with on a hot summer day? How had the Roger he remembered riding his bike with through the neighborhood turned into the man who sent a killer with a knife after Marty?
That wasn’t the Roger he knew. Hell, the boy who starred in the memories that flashed through his brain had peed in Marty’s bed once after they’d watched a slasher film. How could Roger and Rogelio be the same man?
Luke had to be wrong. There had to be another Rogelio Sandoval out there. That was the only way this could make sense, because there was no way someone in his family would have tried to have him killed.
“You’re wrong,” Marty told Luke after he hung up the phone. “Whoever your Rogelio Sandoval is, he’s not my cousin.”
“He’s five feet ten inches tall with a somewhat muscular frame for his build. He’s bald with black bushy eyebrows, dark brown eyes, and a goatee. He also has tatted arms. On the right arm, he has a hooded skeleton holding a gun in one hand and a knife in the other. On his other arm is a scythe with the word muerte written across the blade.”
Tears turned Marty’s world into a blurry blob. Those had been the scary tattoos on his cousin’s forearms when he’d grasped Marty’s head and warned him to forget what he’d seen.
Luke covered Marty’s hand with his. “I’m sorry about this, Marty. I can only imagine how rough this must be for you, but I promise I’m going to keep you and your family safe. On that front, nothing has changed.”
Even though fear and sadness coiled like a python around his neck, Marty slowly exhaled. He couldn’t lose it. They had to come up with a plan to stop Rogelio and keep his family safe. When all this was over, then he could have an emotional meltdown at his leisure. “What’s the plan?”
Luke pulled into the parking lot of H-E-B, a local grocery store chain, and parked along the side of the building. “We’re going to get backup.”
“But you said there was a mole in your department, someone who’s leaking information to the cartel.”
“And that’s true,” Luke said with a nod. “But the person we’re meeting is my partner, and I trust him with my life.”
A black Ford sedan pulled into the parking spot next to them, and a tall Hispanic-looking man wearing a dark suit exited the vehicle.
“And there he is,” Luke said after unlocking the car doors.
Luke’s partner immediately got into the car and took off his dark sunglasses. He carefully scrutinized Marty with his hazel eyes and an arch of his eyebrow that was the same light brown as his perfectly sculpted hair. Just like Luke, this guy could have been an underwear model too.
Was this some new hiring requirement the government had adopted that Marty was unaware of?
“Who’s this?” he asked Luke.
“This is Marty. The guy I was telling you about on the phone,” Luke answered. “I’ve been staying with him. Marty, this is my partner, Special Agent Crispy Aguilar.”
Marty raised an eyebrow. “Crispy as in ‘I like to eat crispy bacon’?”
Crispy glowered at his partner. “No, as in Crispin. For some reason, my partner insists on calling me Crispy even though I fucking hate that nickname.”
“You love it and you know it,” Luke added with one firm nod.
“How about we get down to business?” Crispy asked, motioning for Luke to zip his trap. “The two of you are in a bit of a pickle, aren’t you?”
“That’s an understatement,” Marty sniffed.
“So Rogelio Sandoval is your cousin, and you had no idea of his connection to the cartel?” Crispy asked.
“What kind of a question is that?” Marty asked. “Of course I had no idea.”
“And you’re certain he’s telling the truth?” Crispy asked Luke.
“Fuck you,” Marty said, shocked that the words came out of his mouth. He was used to stewing in his anger whenever someone pissed him off, instead of standing up for himself. Obviously almost dying had cured him of that. “I’d say the fact that my cousin tried to have me killed because I saw him with some man in the alley is all the proof you need.”
Luke gestured to Marty and nodded.
Crispy raised his hands in surrender and sighed. “I didn’t mean any offense, but I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t ask.”
Marty supposed that was true, but he didn’t have to like it. He crossed his arms over his chest to tell Crispy just that.
“Can you give us a description of the guy you saw your cousin with?” Luke asked as he untangled Marty’s arms and took Marty’s hand in his. Crispy’s eyes practically bugged out at the gesture. He obviously wasn’t used to seeing Luke be this compassionate with someone they were protecting before.
“I couldn’t really see him,” Marty answered.
“You couldn’t?” Crispy asked, cocking his head.
Why did Marty sense an emotion other than disbelief in Crispy’s tone?
“No. I couldn’t,” he replied. “It was early morning, so it was still pretty dark. He hid in the shadows, but I did see he was wearing a suit, kinda like—”
“The one Crispy is wearing?” Luke asked.
Marty eyed Crispy. He suddenly had trouble swallowing, and he couldn’t look Luke’s partner in the eyes. If Marty answered Luke’s question truthfully, Crispy might pull out his gun and shoot them both in the head.
“Hey!” Crispy said. “It wasn’t me. I’m the good guy here.”
Marty studied Crispy out of the corner of his eye.
“Marty, look at me,” Luke said as he hooked Marty’s chin with his index finger and dragged his gaze away from Crispy. “Remember, I told you there’s a mole in the department. The guy your cousin was with had to be the one who’s working for El Dragón. That’s why he was wearing a suit similar to Crispy’s. I can promise you the mole is not my partner.”
“How can you be so sure?” Marty asked. “My own cousin tried to kill me.”
“I know.” Luke’s voice was soothing and calm. It wrapped around Marty like his grandmother’s crocheted afghan. “I’ve known Crispy for a long time, and I trust him with my life.”
“Well, I don’t know him,” Marty said, turning his distrustful gaze to the backseat, where Luke’s partner flashed him a hard smile. “And I don’t trust him with my family’s life.”
Crispy threw up his hands. “Well, that’s just fucking great!”
“Crispy, will you shut the fuck up?” Luke glared at his partner. All the aggravation drained out of his blue eyes when he once again stared at Marty. “I know you don’t trust Crispy, and I get why.”
Crispy snorted.
Luke let out a long sigh before continuing. “But can you trust me?”
“Of course,” Marty answered without a second thought.
“Then trust my faith in Crispy, because we can’t protect your family without him.”
Marty turned to Crispy and locked eyes with him for several minutes. “If anything happens to my family because of you, I’ll kill you myself.”
Although the words sounded ridiculous to Marty and they were coming out of his mouth, Crispy didn’t laugh or even crack a smile. Instead he nodded and accepted Marty’s conditions.
“Can we get back to work now?” he asked.
Marty nodded. “So what’s the plan?”
“ARE you out of your goddamn mind?” Luke asked Crispy. He had foolishly believed his partner to be an intelligent man and an excellent strategist. He’d clearly been mistaken. Crispy’s plan was foolish and dangerous, and there was no way in hell Luke was going to agree to it.
“You have a better idea?” Crispy asked from the backseat. He shot Luke an even stare that communicated he already knew the truth.
Luke had no other options at the moment.
“I’ll think of something,” he muttered.
“And while you’re thinking, Rogelio and his men will be acting.”
Luke had never wanted to punch his partner in his face more than he did right now. Crispy was right. His plan made sense, but the risk was too great. If it was just Luke’s ass on the line, he would be all in, but he had someone else to consider. He had to protect Marty and his family. Nothing else mattered beyond that.
“We could leave,” Luke said. His entire body suddenly felt lighter, as if he could soar into the sky like a helium-filled balloon. “I could take Marty out of town, hole up in a safe house somewhere where Rogelio or the cartel would never find us.”
“I can’t leave,” Marty said. “My family’s in danger too. What is Rogelio going to do if he can’t find me? He’s going to go after my parents or my sister.” He glanced over his shoulder at Crispy. “Am I right?”
“You are,” Crispy said with a firm nod.
“They can come with us,” Luke said as a frantic smile spread across his lips. “We’ll pack them all up in the car and go someplace where all of you will be safe. I stayed at this safe house in Rockport a few years ago with a state’s witness. You remember that, Crispy? The Amir Patel case?”
Instead of answering, his partner regarded him with a blank stare and one arched eyebrow. Luke realized he was rambling, but he couldn’t help himself. He had to get Marty to agree to his plan. It was the only one where he could make sure Marty would be completely out of danger.
“It’s a pretty big condo, Marty,” Luke continued. He grabbed Marty’s hands in his and tugged him closer. “It’s on the waterfront, and it has plenty of room for your family. We could go paddleboat riding on the ocean or snorkeling. What about fishing? There’s plenty of that too.”
“What the fuck’s the matter with you?” Crispy asked. He sat forward in the seat and glared at Luke. “You’re supposed to be focusing on the job, not planning a weekend getaway.”
“I’m not risking Marty’s life,” Luke said through gritted teeth. “I told him I’d keep him safe.”
“You’ve lost your objectivity,” Crispy replied as he glanced between Luke and Marty. “We’ve been given the perfect opportunity to nail these bastards to the wall.”
“Perfect opportunity?” Luke asked. “At what expense? Marty’s life? I won’t risk it.”
“His life is already at risk,” Crispy pointed out. “Rogelio sent someone to kill him. We both know he’s never going to stop, and you have the perfect cover to be there when he tries again.”
Luke shook his head. “I said I’m not going to risk it. End of discussion.”
“Are you serious?” Crispy asked. “Where’s this shit coming from? If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were letting your emotions get in the way of your job.”
“You better watch it,” Luke warned. “I know my job, and my dislike of your dumbass plan has nothing to do with my emotions.”
“Really?” Crispy asked. He crossed his arms and sat back. “Is that why you broke a man’s neck without getting any information out of him? That’s not how we do things in the bureau.”
“Fuck you,” Luke barked, but before he could bite, Marty yanked his chain back with one caress of his hand on Luke’s cheek.
“Running isn’t an option,” Marty said. “And you know it.”
Luke locked eyes with Marty, an argument already forming on his lips, but the words refused to budge once he gazed into Marty’s eyes. Something had changed within him. A resolve he’d never seen before had replaced the tentative Marty he’d come to know. His gaze was firm, and even though fear still crept along the corners of his eyes, strength of will now dominated Marty’s vision.
He had made up his mind, and nothing Luke could say would change it.
“But it’s dangerous,” Luke whispered. “Crispy wants to use you as bait.”
“I know,” Marty admitted with a long sigh. “I don’t like it, but it’s time I stopped running and stood my ground. I have to face what life has thrown at me. Running away or creating some fake person to help me deal just isn’t going to work anymore, not that it ever really has. Look where it has gotten me so far.”
Luke couldn’t argue. They were both right. Crispy’s plan gave Marty and his family protection and also gave Luke and Crispy a shot at capturing Rogelio and maybe even El Dragón himself. That was really the only way Marty would ever be safe again.
So why was Luke so hell-bent against the idea?
Luke didn’t have an answer, at least not one he understood. His emotions were clouding his judgment. He could see that clearly now. But why? As Luke gazed into the deep chocolate well of Marty’s eyes, he suddenly realized he’d found a new appreciation for life. It was no longer a cesspool filled with pain and misery. Good walked the planet in people like Marty and his family. It filled his dreary world with hope, and that was a sensation he hadn’t felt in a long time.
“Fine,” he finally said. “We’ll do it your way.”
“It’s about damn time,” Crispy said with a sniff.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” Luke asked. He clenched his jaw so tightly it popped.
“No,” Marty said. “But it’s the right thing to do.”
“Yes, it is,” Crispy replied. “You need to go about your days as you normally would. Luke will stay by your side every moment of every day until we catch these assholes.”
“They’ll have to kill me first to get to you,” Luke said. He fixed his gaze on Marty’s. More than anything, he wanted Marty to hear the conviction in his voice, to find some safety in being used as the bait to catch the bad guys. When Marty grabbed his hand and smiled, Luke nodded for Crispy to continue.
“We’ll get some plainclothes agents we trust to trail you guys,” Crispy said. “They’ll be at all the wedding events but don’t worry. You won’t even notice they’re there.”
“What about the pool party?” Marty asked. “The one this afternoon?”
“I’ll tag along to that one,” Crispy said with a wink. “I’ll even bring a suit for Luke. You’ll be perfectly safe.”
Although Luke was grateful for his partner’s confidence, he wouldn’t feel good about this until Rogelio and El Dragón were behind bars and Marty was safe.