Hidden Prey (Lawmen) (29 page)

Instead of trying to explain himself, he turned the subject back to what they were supposed to be doing. “We’ll arrange that call to your mom.”

He escorted her to his office. “Stay here. This is my office. I’ll be right back with a phone.”

“Okay.” She took a seat that was on the left side of the desk. “I’m not going anywhere.”

He met her gaze one more time. He felt as if he should say something comforting, like she’d be okay and they’d make sure nothing would happen to her.

The agency
would
do everything in its power to keep her safe, but the truth was the Jimenez Cartel was powerful, its tentacles reaching across the U.S.-Mexico border. It was uncertain just how far those tentacles went.

Considering the cartel had found Tori not once, but twice, Landon wasn’t so confident that they wouldn’t find a way to harm her, even with every bit of protection the agency had to offer.

He should have said something, done something, but all he did was turn and walk away.

Tori sat at one side of Landon’s desk, staring at the doorway long after he’d left. An irrational part of her was afraid he wouldn’t return, that she’d never see him again. It was as if everything in her life was disappearing piece by piece. Even if it was for a short time, Landon had become one of those pieces in her life.

But the man she’d fallen head over heels for had killed her brother.

Her brother.

She tucked her damp hair behind her ear. Her thoughts turned to the fact that she’d just agreed to be bait so that the agency could get Alejandro Jimenez.

A stronger emotion took hold of her, surpassing her fear.

Anger. It burned hot and bright inside her chest, like a flaming torch.

She turned her gaze from the doorway to the wall directly in front of her that was empty of photos or other pictures, and listened to the rain on the rooftop. She had meant what she’d said to Special Agent Aguilar. Tori was determined to help take down those men who had already destroyed so many lives from drugs, human trafficking, and murder. The people they’d killed—they’d all had families and friends who would never see them again. Would never hold them in their arms again. The men and women who’d died, including Gregory and her brother, were…gone.

She swallowed. Just gone.

A deep, soul-wrenching shudder came over her. It felt as if this nightmare would never end.

“Tori?” Landon’s voice had her looking back to the doorway. “Are you sure you’re all right?”

She straightened in her chair. “Yes.” Her gaze dropped to the phone he held in his hand and he set it on the tabletop. She met his eyes.

“Your mom is on the line.” He pressed the speaker button. “Mrs. Cox, you and Tori need to remember, no matter how secure we believe this line to be, do not give out anything that might reveal your whereabouts, or anything else in relation to this case. Understand?”

Tori nodded. “I do.”

“Yes,” came Josie’s agreement over the speaker.

Tori’s heart jumped into her throat as she settled her forearms on the table. “Mom?”

“Mija.”
The relief in her mother’s voice brought tears to Tori’s eyes. “You are all right?”

“Yes.” Tori barely got the word out, a tear rolling down her cheek. “How are you and Dad?”

Josie sighed. “Your father is slowly being weaned off the whisky, but once we’re home again, I don’t think it will last.”

Tori sniffled, trying not to think of the possibility of any of them not being allowed to go home and heading straight into WITSEC. “But otherwise you’re okay?”

She could picture her mother nodding. “Yes. Everyone is good to us.” Josie hesitated. “Are you someplace safe?”

Tori met Landon’s gaze and he shook his head. Another tear made its way down her cheek. “Nothing for you to worry about.”

“I miss you,
Mija
.” Josie had tears in her voice.

Tori wiped her own tears from her eyes with the back of her hand. “I miss you, too, Mom.”

Landon reached for the phone. “Time’s up.”

“I love you.” Tori got it out in a rush. “I’ll talk with you soon.”

“You have our love.” Josie’s voice cracked. “Don’t wait so long to call again.”

“I won’t.” Tori managed to get the words out right before Landon disconnected the call with a push of his finger on the “end” button.

Tori buried her face in her palms. Her emotions pinged all over the place, from one thing to another. People dying, Landon having killed her brother.

But mostly what she came back with was the anger that was still burning inside her. The Jimenez Cartel had done this to all of them.

When she raised her head, she saw that Landon was now sitting at the table, watching her. By the tightness in his expression, she had a feeling that whatever he was thinking couldn’t be good.

She wiped away the rest of her tears. “What’s wrong, Landon?”

He clenched the phone on the tabletop, his knuckles white. “I don’t like putting you in danger.”

“Have other witnesses done this before?” She knew the answer without him responding. “Of course they have. So what’s so different about me?”

“Because you’re special, Tori.” He spoke in a quiet tone. “You’re special to
me.
”

Her eyes widened a bit. Of all the things he could have said, she never expected that.

She reached for his hands. His fingers felt big and strong beneath her palm. “I will be fine. Everything is going to work out.”

He rested one of his hands over hers while she squeezed his other. “Yes. It will all work out.” He spoke firmly, but she couldn’t tell if it was meant to reassure himself or her. Maybe both.

“Thank you for being here.” She swallowed. “You’ve saved my life more than once. It’s a debt I can never repay.”

“It’s not something you repay.” He leaned closer to her. “It’s my job. I protect people.”

Then he cleared his throat before continuing. “But you will be going into WITSEC shortly, and I can’t be with you while you are in the program. You’ll be taken out of hiding for only a short time to get Alejandro Jimenez, but then you’ll go right back into the program.”

It was happening. A cold chill traveled over her skin and she wanted to scream that she didn’t want to go into the program. She wanted to say she’d be safe with Landon, but he couldn’t always be there for her. And as long as she was with him, he would be in danger, too.

Even though they might—would—get Alejandro, there was still his father. The head of the snake, El Demonio, would still be free somewhere in Mexico. So, more than likely she would end up staying in WITSEC, unless somehow Diego and Alejandro Jimenez were taken out. Dead.

The thought of being in WITSEC echoed in her mind and her chest squeezed. What if the cartel got to her family and friends once she disappeared. What if the cartel hurt Paula, Sue, and Janice while trying to find Tori?

An explosion ripped through the air.

Landon grabbed Tori, pulling her out of her chair. He landed on her back, pinning her to the floor as the breath was knocked from her. She heard his muffled shout of pain as the impact jarred his shoulder.

Debris rained down on them as the whole building rocked.

Terror filled her as she heard shouting and screams.

Oh, God.
The cartel had found her.

A piece of the ceiling dropped onto Landon, slamming onto his injured shoulder. He barely held back another shout of pain. His ears rang from the volume of the explosion and his head swam. The lights had gone out and everything was dark beneath the debris.

Tori was pinned beneath him and he tried to push himself up so his body weight wasn’t crushing her, but he would still be protecting her. His heart pounded. More debris rained down on them and he gritted his teeth to keep from crying out every time something hit his shoulder.

It seemed to last forever, but it was only moments before everything went still. An alarm blared, and it was all Landon could hear. He rose, feeling a little dazed, the debris on his back sliding off and falling away. He was lucky the panels that made up the ceiling were fairly light.

Emergency lighting came on, allowing him to see.

As he got to his feet, he felt unsteady from the ringing in his head and the pain in his shoulder. He looked at Tori who pushed herself to her haunches and held her head between her hands. She was clearly shaken, her eyes wide as she pressed the sides of her head. No doubt her ears were ringing like his.

The pounding of his heart was like thunder in his head and his adrenaline had spiked. His colleagues, his friends, were in the building. He had to get to and help whomever he could.

Jesus.
How many had been hurt or killed in the explosion?

He looked at Tori. Thank God she was all right.

His mind raced through the options and he had three choices. One, he could grab another agent and get Tori outside to the truck, and risk the cartel being outside waiting for them. Two, he could keep her hidden, stay with her, and protect her in here. Or three, he could have her hide while he found out whatever he could about what had happened, who was injured, or worse, and see if members of the cartel were in the building.

And pray there wasn’t another bomb.

His head ached and he shook his head. Someone had to stay with Tori, and right now that someone had to be him.

“Get under my desk.” He didn’t know if Tori heard him over the alarm, and he pointed to the kneehole as he crouched. She scooted into the space. He took his backup weapon out of the holster on his ankle, and handed the Sig to her. “Know how to shoot?”

Whether she could hear him or not, he wasn’t sure, but she seemed to understand and shook her head. He showed her how to hold the weapon and then put his lips close to her ear and spoke loud enough that he hoped she heard him clearly. “It’s fully loaded and the safety is off. Don’t point it at someone unless you intend to shoot. Keep your hand off the trigger unless you’re sure of your target. Got it?”

She nodded and kept the weapon pointed at the floor. He could see that her hands were trembling, the gun shaking.

“You’ll be fine.” He squeezed her upper arm as he yelled the words. “I’ll be close.”

Her expression hardened and he saw the same determination in her gaze that he’d witnessed earlier when she’d insisted she wanted to be bait for the cartel.

He gave her one last look before getting to his feet and drawing his Glock. He climbed over debris to the office door and peered out. He looked to his left, in the direction of the blast, then to the opposite end of the hallway and back.

The ringing in his ears was starting to lessen, but the blare of the alarm wasn’t helping. He saw movement and raised his weapon.

Sophia Aguilar limped into the corridor from her office across the hall. She held her weapon but pain twisted her features as she tried to walk. Her gaze met Landon’s and she hobbled to him. When she neared him, he saw a cut on her forehead that bled down the side of her face.

The alarm stopped blaring but the ringing in Landon’s ears seemed worse. He lowered his weapon, but not his guard.

“Got thrown across my office and I think my goddamned leg is broken.” Aguilar gritted her teeth.

Landon narrowed his gaze. “Sonofabitch.”

Aguilar’s expression was furious. “If the fucking cartel just bombed us, they’ve declared war. We’re going to come down on them so damned hard they won’t know what hit them.”

“Sure as hell.” Landon looked up and down the corridor as he spoke, keeping his eye out as he spoke.

Aguilar frowned. “How’s our witness?”

“Uninjured so far as I could tell.” He inclined his head toward his office doorway. “She’s in my office, under the desk.”

“I can protect her.” Aguilar nodded in the direction the explosion had come from. “Make sure no one from the cartel is in the building and help who you can.”

Landon hesitated a fraction. Aguilar was more than capable of protecting Tori, yet he felt as if he had to be the one to stay by her side.

“Go.” Aguilar gestured her weapon. “That’s an order.”

“I need to let Tori know you’ll be here with her.” Landon turned back into his office, stepped over the debris, and made it to his desk. He crouched near the kneehole, close to where Tori was hidden. “Tori.” He didn’t want to startle her, but raised his voice. “It’s me, so don’t shoot.”

“Okay.” She had the Sig pointed at the floor as he peered in at her. She looked both afraid and determined at the same time. “What’s going on?”

“My RAC will stay with you.” He glanced at Aguilar who was limping into the office. “She’ll make sure you’re safe.” He put his hand on Tori’s and squeezed. “I’ll be back as soon as I am able to.”

“Go help who you can.” She didn’t falter. “We’ll be fine.”

“Whatever might happen, do not come out from under the desk.”

She nodded.

He gave her hand one last squeeze before turning and walking to where Aguilar stood, just in front of his office door.

“Tori knows you’re staying with her.” He gripped his weapon, ever on the watch as he spoke. “She has my Sig, so don’t surprise her.”

“She’ll be fine.” Aguilar gave Landon a firm nod before he left the office.