Heart of Danger (19 page)

“You have to,” he understood where she was coming from emotionally, but her safety came first to him and going to a restaurant for food left too many opportunities for something to happen in the parking lot. At least this way there wouldn’t be an ideal spot for trouble to start. Special Agent Michaels had already told him he was going to be on scene at the funeral and at the post service gathering in case Diego showed up. At least he knew there would be somebody with law enforcement training on site.

“It is a better idea, Natalia.” Alex brushed his hand down her arm. Micah was feeling possessive and he didn’t like the action at all. He was jealous of a kid, he thought to himself. When had that happened?

“Okay. Okay I’ll do it, but…not for too long okay, Alex?”

“Not for too long,” he agreed.

Micah noticed the visible shiver that pulsated through Natalia’s body. He could understand her apprehension. She would be surrounded by Natalia’s friends and family knowing she survived when the woman they all loved didn’t. She had a hint of survivor’s guilt there and in his honest opinion facing it head on was a thousand times better than running from it.

“Okay, now that that’s settled, did somebody get me a dress or what?”

“It’s in the car,” Jet pulled his keys from his pocket. “I’ll be right back.”

Micah reached out and caught hold of her arm, pulling her into his embrace. Out of all of the missions he had been on this one was nearing the top of his fear factor list. He could lose her. He just connected with her on a level he wasn’t going to ever be able to relinquish and now he risked losing her.

He felt her wrap her arms around him and hug him even tighter than he was holding her. “We’ll just um…go,” Preston cleared his throat. Leaving was definitely a good idea for them because the fear he felt right now could only be calmed by connecting with her completely.

“Got it...” Jet’s voice trailed off momentarily. “We’re leaving already?”

“I think the love birds need to be alone,” Preston chuckled.

“Ooh, love birds. Maybe I’ll hang out for a while,” Jet laughed.

“We’re going, Jet—now,” Preston’s authoritative tone was loud and clear.

“Uh, okay. I’ll just set this bag with the dress in over here by the china cabinet.”

Micah didn’t bother to acknowledge, but he felt Natalia’s hand leave his back in what he was sure was a wave of acknowledgement. “Stop hugging her long enough to lock up, Micah.”

He pulled away, reluctantly, so that he could secure his property. After that was done he fully intended to take her upstairs and ravish her sexy body from dusk ‘till dawn.

He set the alarm, made sure all doors and windows were secure and then reached his hand out for her, and she willingly took it. “Let’s go upstairs,” he placed a soft kiss on her lips.

“Yes,” she whispered breathlessly. “I need you.”

“You need me how, honey? How do you need me?”

“Completely,” she kissed his chest through the fabric of his shirt. “I want you to make love to me.”

“And I want to make love to you,” he let his free hand travel down to her behind and give a gentle squeeze. She giggled. “The sooner we get upstairs, the sooner I can get started.”

“We don’t have to use the bed, Micah.”

“Honey, for what I’m planning to do we are going to need that bed.”

“Hmmm…do tell.”

“I’ve always thought it’s better to show than to tell.” He winked as he placed his hand on her low back, turning her to walk with him to the bedroom.

Chapter Twelve

“H
ow are you holding up?” Alex kept his voice low as to not alert the other attendees to their conversation.

“I’m trying,” she admitted. “I knew it would be hard, but I never thought I would be hanging on by a thread here.” She wished Micah was here beside her, but he and the guys hadn’t come to the post-service gathering. They had told Special Agent Michaels that they had some work to attend to. They had hinted at the need for another search and rescue mission, but they hadn’t given him details. She didn’t understand why they hadn’t alerted Michaels, but when she had asked Preston if he planned to have the feds on standby he had quietly told her the feds weren’t an option. She wanted to ask him why, but she didn’t have time, or the privacy to discuss the matter.

“Those were beautiful words you said for my baby girl,” Miriam said. “Hank was moved to even more tears you know? He rarely ever cries, but he cried today.”

Natalia exhaled slowly, trying to keep her own tears in check. She had spoken from her heart and the entire time she was up there she could hear her voice shaking while she was trying to hold back her tears. She held it together, despite the fact that the tears she had been fighting to keep within her had started to trickle down her cheek.

“Thank you for doing this,” Miriam hugged her once more.

“I’m so sorry,” she shook her head. “I am so sorry.”

“This wasn’t your fault. You wouldn’t even have been out there if it weren’t for her; you and I both know that. Kelly was always the adventurer and you were always just along for the ride. I think you were the anchor that helped keep her grounded and for that I thank you. She could have gotten into so much trouble growing up if it hadn’t been for you.” She took her hand in hers and squeezed gently. “Please don’t be a stranger? Your parents will always be our friends and we hope that you will always feel at home here.”

Natalia gave a gentle squeeze back to Miriam’s hand. Her parents were there at the funeral, and they were there now at the gathering making sure everything was in order. From restocking food to cleaning up the small messes, her mom was doing it all. “Thank you,” Natalia hugged Miriam again. “Alex and I are going to go. I’m not feeling very well.” She was almost an emotional wreck, not feeling well was an understatement.

“I understand. I’m surprised you held up this long. We all know the two of you were sisters of the heart. You get some rest. And come to dinner Sunday. We’d love to have you. And when you and your guy get married I hope I’m in with the mother of the bride.”

Natalia watched how Miriam eyed Alex. “Oh, no…Alex and I are just friends.”

“Oh, I just assumed,” Miriam nudged her. “Don’t put it off. If the two of you are even close to thinking of something more you should do it. You never know when tomorrow might not come.”

“I’m dating Micah, but it’s new,” she added. “We’re not at the walk down the aisle to wedded bliss stage yet.”

“Oh, the guy with the cute eyes,” she smiled. “Now that is something special. Don’t wait,” she said seriously. “Seize every second of every day as if it could be your last.”

What Miriam didn’t know was that it really could be her last. She had faith in these guys, but she also knew the reality of the situation meant that she could possibly not make it. She could die tonight, and that scared her.

She said her goodbyes to the rest of Kelly’s family and to her parents, promising Sunday dinner even though she wasn’t sure she would be able to handle it without Kelly being there. Sunday dinners, the ones she had actually gone to, always had Kelly sitting right next to her, nudging her leg every time something shamefully comical happened. Sunday was two days away so she would figure it out—provided everything went according to plan tonight that is; then she would figure out how to put a rope around her runaway emotions long enough to get through the first of their family dinners without Kelly by her side.

Alex walked her to his sleek black sports car and opened the door for her to get in. “Relax,” he told her as he pressed his hand to her lower back. As if she could relax. They were at the point of no return. It was too late to back out now and the closer she got to encountering Diego Valdez again, the more nervous she became.

The ride back to Alex’s place had been quiet for the most part. Even though she knew Alex was checking behind them the entire time. “Are they following us?”

“That they are,” he noted as he checked his rearview again. “Four vehicles back—the black Impala.”

She didn’t turn around because she didn’t want to give away the fact that they knew, but she tried to look using the side view mirrors.

“Relax,” he stressed the word this time.

“Yeah, right,” she laughed nervously.

“When you’re in a situation like this you must keep your mind clear and focused. Fear can get you killed.”

“Or save your life,” she mumbled. “I shall try, Alex. I shall try.” Although she wasn’t sure how successful she would be at it because she was beyond nervous right now. “Why didn’t you all want Special Agent Michaels to help?” Perhaps talking would help her, and if not it would at least assuage her curiosity.

“Micah did a little research trying to figure out how Diego got in the States and disappeared when the feds were supposedly watching.”

“They weren’t watching?”

“They were,” he admitted. “But the slip was too well executed.”

“Like he had been warned what to expect upon arrival.”

Alex nodded. “Plus we were trying to figure out how he found you so quickly. He could have easily bribed somebody in Australia to release your information, but with the Dallas incident we started thinking maybe there was something more. Or more like, Micah started thinking there was something more.”

“And you all narrowed in on Michaels?”

“I know it seems like a stretch, but Micah was a man on a mission yesterday. He uncovered some recent purchases that would be too much for a man on Michaels’ salary to make. Preston dug deeper and found some off shore accounts.”

“He has off shore accounts and the feds haven’t started knocking down his door sooner?”

“They’re in the name of his daughter, with him as executor.”

“Okay…”

“His daughter died seven years ago and the accounts were opened three years ago.”

“Oh,” she sighed. “He seemed like a nice guy—from what little time I spent with him anyway.”

“Nice…right,” he had a tone that told her he didn’t think Michaels was nice at all.

“Talk,” she demanded.

“When I say his daughter died seven years ago I left out that she died in the car with his soon to be ex-wife.”

“So what’s off about that?”

“Her car conveniently stopped on the tracks. Witnesses say she couldn’t get out. The doors wouldn’t open, and the car wouldn’t start. A man tried to help break the windows to get them out, but…he got killed too. And the entire time, witnesses recalled seeing a basic black SUV sitting a quarter of a mile back, and the man inside never moved.”

Okay, that was suspicious, she would agree, but that didn’t mean Michaels was a bad guy.