Framing Felipe (7 page)

around
the
circus
long
enough
to
catch
Fabian’s
signal.

Still,
he
wondered…

He
put
one
hand
up,
palm-‐out,
in
a
reassuring
gesture
and
pressed
the
other
to
the

floor
to
help
him
stand.

She
watched
him
warily
and
slowly
deposited
her
firearm
into
its
holster.

“How
did
you
find
me?”
he
asked.

“I’m
not
the
typical
private
eye,
Mr.
Castillo.
I’ve
got
a
network
that—”

He
shook
his
head.
Network
?
“Explain,
please.
Use
a
different
word.”

She
squeezed
the
bridge
of
her
nose
between
her
thumb
and
forefinger
and
blew
a

raspberry.
“I
hoped
you’d
be
better
at
English
than
your
brother.”

“I
am,
but
only…”
He
waffled
a
hand.
“…on
paper.”
Was
that
the
right
phrase?

“Right.”
She
switched
to
slowly-‐enunciated
Spanish.
“Look,
if
I
were
a
normal
cop,
I’d

never
find
you.
Wouldn’t
know
where
to
begin.
But,
I’m
weird
just
like
you,
so
there
are

people
I
can
go
to
for
help.
Even
when
you’re
invisible,
you
leave
a
psychic
trail,
and
I
have

a
couple
of
very
discreet
friends
in
the
area
who
helped
me
pick
it
up.”

Felipe
crouched
and
balled
his
clothes
into
his
bag.
Friends?
Time
to
go.
Having
one

person
on
his
trail
was
bad
enough,
but
to
know
that
several
had
a
clue
of
his
whereabouts

didn’t
exactly
instill
calm
in
him.

The
woman
closed
the
gap
between
them
and
rested
a
soft,
warm
hand
on
his
naked

shoulder.
Immediately,
he
stilled,
and
didn’t
know
why.
Any
other
time,
he
would
have
run.

He
dragged
his
gaze
up
to
watch
the
movement
of
her
luscious
pink
lips.

“They
gave
me
a
general
idea
of
where
you
were.
That’s
all
I
asked
for.
I
didn’t
want

them
to
have
to
lie
if
the
police
ever
questioned
them,
not
that
they
should
be.
You
didn’t
do

anything
wrong,
did
you?”

FRAMING FELIPE
–
24
–
Holley Trent

He
bobbed
his
shoulders
once
more.
Hard
knowing
what
was
right
or
wrong
with
her

standing
so
close.
At
that
moment,
right
seemed
like
unfastening
her
pants
and
letting
them

fall
to
her
ankles…pressing
his
face
against
her
feminine
warmth.

Jesucristo
.

He
swallowed
hard,
and
she
dropped
her
hand.

“My
name
is
Sarah
Miller.
I
work
for
Shrew
and
Company,”
she
said,
taking
a
step
back

and
squatting
with
her
arms
draped
over
her
thighs.
“We’re
private
investigators.
Lately,

we’ve
had
a
lot
of
clients
like
you.
Not
invisible,
necessarily,
but
not
your
typical
humans.

We’re
very
discreet,
and
we’re
usually
good
at
picking
the
right
side
of
a
conflict.
Your

brother
called
my
boss.”

“How
did
he…”

“Know
about
us?
Not
important.
Stay
focused.”

He
raised
a
brow.

“My
boss
did
some
research.
Found
out
some
rumors
about
your
boss
that
could
be

pretty
devastating
to
his
business
if
true.”

People
outside
the
circus
had
heard
about
Jacques?
If
Jacques
knew
he
had
a
secondary

reputation,
he’d
be
angry.
And
when
he
was
angry…

She
put
up
her
hands.
“I
don’t
know
what
Jacques’s
plans
are,
but
I’ll
find
out
when
I
get

you
somewhere
safe.
I
promise
you
we’ll
get
your
brother
out
without
so
much
as
a
hair

shed.
First
things
first,
we
need
to
move.
Can’t
stay
here
long.”

“Why
not?
Is
this
place
not
abandoned?”

“It
is,
but
the
north
edge
of
the
property
abuts
the
territory
of
a
group
my
company
is

not
too
friendly
with
right
now.”
She
let
out
a
little
giggle
that
made
his
cock
twitch.

Whoa,
there
.

She
turned
to
the
loft
window,
and
he
made
a
quick
adjustment
of
his
pants
before
she

spun
back
around.

“Of
all
places,
you’d
have
to
come
here.”
Her
lips
quirked
up
at
the
corners
and
judging

by
the
mirth
in
her
eyes,
she
found
the
entire
melodrama
amusing.
“Maybe
you
can
rest
for

a
while
longer.
Last
night
was
full
moon,
so
the
bears
are
probably
down
for
the
count
right

now.
They
go
hard
in
bear
form
and
are
pretty
much
dead
to
the
world
the
morning
after.

Sort
of
their
Achilles’
Heel.”

FRAMING FELIPE
–
25
–
Holley Trent

“But?”

“
But
,
I’m
parked
behind
the
barn.
They
always
have
a
human
scout
or
two
making
the

rounds
and
checking
on
their
holdings,
so
it
wouldn’t
be
wise
to
linger
for
very
long.
I
bet

you’re
hungry,
anyway.”

“Are
you
offering
to
buy
me
breakfast?”

She
shrugged.
“I’ll
write
it
off
as
a
business
expense.
So,
rest
up
and
I’ll
keep
an
eye
on

the
tree
line.”

She
poised
to
stand,
but
Felipe
wrapped
a
hand
around
one
of
her
knees,
stilling
her.

She
stared
at
his
hand,
but
didn’t
swat
it
away.

“What
if
I’m
too…
excited
to
rest?”

She
opened
her
mouth
as
if
to
speak,
closed
it,
and
narrowed
her
eyes
at
him.
She
must

have
been
thinking
it
over,
whatever
it
was,
and
after
a
moment
she
said,
“That’s
your

prerogative.”

“And…yours
too?”
He
let
his
hand
inch
further
up
her
thigh.
The
tight
muscles
beneath

his
fingers
tensed,
then
relaxed.

When
she
spoke,
there
was
a
rasp
in
her
voice.
“You’re
asking
for
trouble.”

He
nodded.
“I
am.
I
always
have.”

“Perhaps
your
sense
of
self-‐preservation
needs
re-‐calibrating.”

He
eased
forward,
placing
his
other
hand
on
her
second
leg.

She
stared
down
at
it.

“There’s
nothing
wrong
with
my
sense
of
self-‐preservation.”
He
leaned
in
close
so
their

noses
nearly
touched,
studying
the
dark
brown
of
her
eyes
for
a
moment,
before
grazing
his

lips
over
hers.

Soft.
Just
as
he
expected.

She
leaned
back
a
bit,
forehead
furrowed
and
lips
pressed
into
a
flat
line.
Her

expression
had
shifted
from
bemusement
to
annoyance.
“That
technique
usually
work
for

you?”

He
didn’t
get
her
meaning.
All
he
wanted
was
a
kiss.
And
maybe
a
bit
more,
if
she’d
let

him.
Naturally,
he
had
a
strong
curiosity
about
what
the
curves
hidden
beneath
her
jacket

looked
like.
Whether
she’d
be
all
muscle
or
whether
there’d
be
some
flesh
for
him
to
sink

his
teeth
into.

FRAMING FELIPE
–
26
–
Holley Trent

But,
if
she
didn’t
want
a
kiss,
he
wouldn’t
give
her
a
kiss.

Wearing
a
grin,
he
eased
away
and
reached
for
his
shoes.
“I
don’t
need
the
rest.
We
can

leave
at
your
leisure
so
you
can
buy
me
breakfast.”

She
shook
her
head
and
stood,
jamming
her
hands
into
her
pockets.
“Don’t
get
too

excited.
We’re
going
through
the
drive-‐through
and
you’re
sitting
in
the
back.”

FRAMING FELIPE
–
27
–
Holley Trent

He
must
have
thought
she’d
been
joking.
As
Sarah
carefully
navigated
the
winding

mountain
roads
near
Patrick’s
cabin,
Felipe’s
evil
glower
was
a
fixture
in
the
rear-‐view

mirror.
She
wasn’t
so
thrilled,
herself,
playing
chauffeur
and
babysitter.

They
didn’t
speak,
and
if
it
hadn’t
been
for
Felipe’s
glares
and
Sarah’s
eye-‐rolls,
they

would
have
had
no
communication
at
all.

When
they
approached
Patrick’s
gated
driveway,
she
slowed
and
patted
the
center

console
in
search
of
her
walkie-‐talkie.
She
activated
it
and
purred
into
the
mic.
“Where
are

you,
Shrew?”

A
shock
of
blonde
emerged
from
a
well-‐camouflaged
hunting
blind,
and
moments
later

Tamara
lifted
the
yellow
barrier
blocking
the
path.

Sarah
drove
past
the
gate
and
stopped,
waiting
as
Tamara
replaced
the
large
metal
bar

and
clapped
a
padlock
onto
it.
The
gate
wouldn’t
keep
out
anyone
who
wanted
to
walk
up

the
mountain
as
the
property
wasn’t
fenced
all
the
way
around,
but
anyone
ambitious

enough
to
make
that
long
trek
was
welcome
to
try.
Besides
the
private
road,
there
were
no

easy
paths
through
the
trees.
Much
of
the
journey
up
to
the
property
was
steep
and
riddled

with
rocky
terrain
in
some
places,
and
damp,
boggy
copses
in
others.
Shy
of
being
a

mountain
goat
or
certain
types
of
were-‐animal,
the
path
was
the
safer
bet.

Tamara
climbed
into
the
front
passenger
seat
and
immediately
turned
to
assess
Sarah’s

new
charge.
“Hello,
circus
freak.”

Sarah
put
the
truck
into
first
gear
and
observed
Felipe’s
placid
expression
in
the

rearview
mirror.
She
rolled
her
eyes.

“Hello,
rude
blonde,”
he
responded.

Tamara
narrowed
her
green
eyes
to
slits.
“You
smell
like
trouble.
I
don’t
like
you.”

His
expression
didn’t
change.
He
was
cool
as
a
cucumber…at
least
when
it
came
to

Tam.
“Already?”
he
said,
folding
his
arms
over
his
chest.
“
Bueno.
I
never
get
on
well
with

Russian
women.”

“I’m
not
Russian!”
Tamara
said,
her
voice
escalating
to
a
shriek
toward
the
end
of
her

declaration.
“I’m—”

FRAMING FELIPE
–
28
–
Holley Trent

He
crooked
up
an
eyebrow,
daring
her.
Goading
her.

Sarah
suppressed
a
laugh
and
was
maybe
even
a
little
impressed
by
his
quick
read
of

her
fellow
Shrew.

“Asshole.”
Tamara
growled.
She
faced
forward
and
slumped
in
the
seat.
“I
don’t
like

him.”