Her Cowboy Protector (2 page)

She flipped on the lamp in the living room and headed to the door. Rising on tiptoes, she peeked out the peep hole. A man partially hidden by the shadows stood on the porch. She used the muzzle of her pistol to switch on the outside light. Instantly, the man on her doorstep was illuminated. He didn't look happy about it either, judging by the scowl on his face.

"You want to turn that damn light off? You're making me a clean target!"

His growled words penetrated the door. She hastily smacked the switch and plunged him into darkness.

"What's going on?" Carlos sounded anxious. "Is it Niall?"

"How the hell should I know? I've never met him!"

"Ask him what I was wearing the first time we met."

Cruz gaped at the phone. "What is this?
The Newlywed Game
?"

"Cruz!" Carlos spoke in that fatherly tone he'd learned to use so well when he'd become her guardian.

"All right. All right." She stepped closer to the door. "What was my brother wearing the first time you met?"

An amused guffaw pierced the door. "This crazy Chiquita Banana getup, high heels and fruit bowl hat included."

Cruz's eyes widened. She tried to picture her hard-ass older brother glammed out like a drag queen on New Year's Eve but her brain simply wouldn’t compute. She lifted the phone closer to her mouth. "So when were you going to tell me about this cross-dressing penchant of yours?"

"It wasn't like that," Carlos replied quickly. "It was a stupid bet. End of story."

Apparently Mr. Machismo was embarrassed. If it had been any other time, Cruz would have needled him relentlessly. Unfortunately there were more pressing matters at hand than her getting a good laugh out of making her brother squirm.

Cruz opened the door and stepped aside. Niall slipped inside and shut the door behind him, securing the deadbolt hastily. Their gazes clashed when he spun around to face her. The man towered over her, the differences in their heights increasing her discomfort. He had big, broad shoulders and mean looking hands, the knuckles scarred from war and hard work. She couldn't help but size him up, her mind going to some awful places as she considered how easily he could overpower and hurt her. Like every other man, he had weak points, she reminded herself. A knee to the groin, a thumb in the eye, a palm to the nose, and he'd drop like a sack of rocks.

Big as he was, Cruz didn't get a scary vibe from him. He seemed hesitant and uncertain but definitely not malicious. She relaxed a tiny bit and took the time to really look at him, not just size him up as an opponent.

He had a hard, angular face with a dusting of reddish-brown stubble on his cheeks and jaw. She thought she detected the slightest purple tinge of a bruise on his cheek. It definitely wasn't from a fight. It looked as if he'd run into a door or had a small household accident.

Those green eyes of his didn't miss a thing. His intense gaze raked down her body and lingered on her belly. She instinctively covered her bump with the hand holding the phone and took a small step back. His jaw tightened at the sight of her shielding herself. She bit her lower lip and wondered if she should explain that it wasn't personal.

Before she could speak, he snapped at her. "Are you planning on shooting me?"

"What?" Cruz realized belatedly that she'd been holding the gun on him and lowered it. "No! Of course not."

"Then keep that damn gun out of my face!"

"It was an accident! Besides, the safety is on." Cruz placed the gun on the nearby end table. She narrowed her eyes and put her hand on her hip. "And don't you dare use that tone with me again. I'll knock you flat on your backside if you do."

Niall's mouth twitched at her threat. His gaze moved up and down her body. "Oh yeah? You think you can take me, short stack?"

"Don't push me," Cruz warned. "My big brother might like to wear dresses and high heels, but he taught me how to throw a wicked right cross and left jab."

He regarded her for a long moment before chuckling and shaking his head. He lifted his palms in a show of surrender. "You're right. I shouldn't have been testy with you."

"Apology accepted." Feeling a bit generous, she added, "I'll remember to keep my gun out of your face."

His scowl returned. "See that you do."

"You two done squabbling?" Carlos interjected, his voice muffled by the phone's position against her thigh. "I mean, take your time. It's not as if there's a crazy killer headed your way."

Niall looked suitably chastised. "Your brother's right. We need to go."

"My stuff is in the bedroom. I just need to change."

"No time." He glanced nervously over his shoulder and headed for the window overlooking the parking lot. As he pulled back the edge of the wooden blinds, he said, "I'm pretty sure I was being followed."

Cruz's heart skipped a few beats. "By El Alacrán?"

Niall shook his head. "Looked like some low-life gangbanger types." He raised his voice. "Hey, Carlos, you forgot to tell me this place was being watched."

Cruz held the phone out so the two old friends could talk. Carlos's end of the line stayed silent for a few seconds. "I didn't realize she was under surveillance. There's no reason for that. Other than you and my handlers, no one knows we're related."

"Well El Alacrán is part of the De La Garza outfit, right? Maybe he has his goons watching her." Niall backed away from the window and moved closer to the phone. Cruz was struck by the hints of cedar and leather that clung to his skin. His body radiated heat that coaxed her closer. She backed away from him, her discomfort increased by her body's awareness of him. Her retreating movement earned another one of his frowns.

"Makes sense," Carlos reluctantly agreed. "If that's the case, you can expect trouble. That end of Austin is run by the DLG boys. If El Alacrán has them babysitting, you're going to have a lot of heat on your ass,
güero
."

Cruz wasn't all that familiar with the way the drug trade in Austin worked. That was Carlos's world, not hers, but she knew enough to know that the Reynosa cartel Carlos served were archenemies of the De La Garza cartel that controlled most of the traffic on this side of Texas. She didn't want any part of that nonsense tonight. The quicker they got out of her apartment, the better.

"I'll wear my jammies," she decided.

Niall snorted and graced her with a fraction of a smile. "Good choice."

She hurried into her bedroom with Niall hot on her heels. While she slipped on a pair of socks and some comfy Crocs for the car ride, he zipped up her suitcases. She noticed when he went still and followed his gaze to her bedside table. He slowly walked over and tapped the magnet attached to the bedside table. "You're sleeping with a gun?"

"You have a better idea for warding off crazy killers like El Alacrán?"

“Not really. You any good with it?”

“I’m a decent shot.”

“You legal?”

"I have a permit."

He touched the big circular magnet she'd attached to the table. "This your idea?"

"They sell the kit at the gun store. I guess there's a market for paranoid gun owners." Not wanting to talk about her firearm or the reason she slept with one so close, she quickly changed the subject. "Look, not to be rude, but I've got to visit the little girl's room." She made a beeline for the restroom, uncertain when they'd have time for another pit stop. "I'll be out in a sec."

When she emerged a few minutes later, Niall had already taken all of her luggage into the living room. She shut off her bedroom light and joined him by the front door. He dropped her gun in her handbag and thrust the phone back into her hand. With her purse on one shoulder and backpack on the other, she gave one final glance at the small apartment that had become her refuge and place of security over the last few months. She sighed heavily and caught his gaze. "Let's go."

It took them less than a minute to gather up her things and leave behind the life she'd worked so hard to build. She locked the door for what might be the last time and wondered if she'd ever be able to deal with the emotional fallout of leaving like this. Luckily, there wasn't time for a full-on emotional breakdown.

Niall's hand grasped her shoulder. She fought the immediate and powerful urge to shake him off and elbow him in the gut. The fine hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. Bristling, she rolled her shoulders and Niall instantly let go.

"Shit," he swore softly. "Sorry, Cruz. I wasn't thinking."

"No," she said hurriedly. "It's just…it's not
you
, okay? It's just instinct."

"I understand." The way he said it, she actually believed him. "I was trying to get your attention. I'll remember not to grab you like that."

"Yeah, that's probably a good idea."

"Stay close to my back. The SUV Carlos borrowed for us is parked in that space." He indicated the spot directly below them. "You hop in and put on your seatbelt. I'll deal with the luggage. Then we'll get the hell out of Dodge."

"Right." Cruz shadowed Niall down the stairs. When they hit the sidewalk, she started to move beside him but his hand shot out and gently shoved her back behind him. It occurred to her that he was deliberately shielding her with his body. This man, this total stranger, seemed willing to take a bullet for her. In that instant, she realized Carlos was right. Niall would do anything to protect her and the baby.

In two minutes flat, they were pulling out of the parking lot and onto the road running along her complex. She gripped her seat belt and anxiously peered out the window and windshield. Every vehicle sharing the road with them seemed sinister. Who lurked behind those tinted windows? Why was that car moving into the lane next to them? Was that car slowing down to turn or get a better shot at her?

"You need to breathe, sugar." Niall's gaze jumped from the windshield to her face. "You let me worry about the driving and any miscreants on our tail."

Cruz frowned at his use of a pet name. Before she could tell him to cut that right out, Carlos asked, "How's it going, Niall?"

"So far so good," Niall replied. "We've got company but they're staying back."

Unable to help herself, she twisted in her seat for a better look out the back window. She spotted a silver SUV and a small red car that looked familiar. "That car has been parked near the gym and laundry building at my complex for the last week, in the visitor parking section." She felt a little stupid. "I just assumed it was someone's boyfriend, you know?" A shiver rippled down her spine. "You think he was watching me?"

"Probably," Niall said as he merged into the right lane. "That's a good cover. The car blends in and the residents of the complex never give it a second glance."

When Niall slowed down and turned right at the intersection, Cruz's forehead scrunched in confusion. "Wait. Where are we going?"

"West Texas," Niall answered.

"Then you need to go straight so we can hit the interstate. This is the wrong way." Her gaze jumped around the dark street that skirted a bunch of abandoned buildings and an apartment complex that had been gutted by a massive fire. "Why are we going away from civilization? I want people all around me, Niall. It's safer in public."

"We've got to shake those two." He shot her a look of exasperation. "Like I said, you let me handle the driving."

Cruz rolled her eyes and considered their easterly route. "We'll end up in New Orleans at this rate!'

"You really think I'd come all this way without memorizing maps and coming up with some alternate routes with your brother? You think Carlos and I don't have a meet-up planned?" Niall's eyebrows lifted as he waited for her reply. He spoke in that patronizing tone that made her skin crawl. "Well?"

Cruz crossed her arms and glanced out the window. "Whatever."

"Exactly."

"Hey," Carlos shouted from the cup holder in the center console, "how about a little more cooperation between you two and a little less bickering? I swear it's like listening to a pair of five-year-olds arguing in the backseat of a minivan!"

Tension filled the cab as Carlos's admonishment filled their ears. The air seemed heavy and static. Cruz figured most of the back-and-forth was a result of stress. They'd been thrown together at a moment's notice (well, on her part, at least) and had drug dealing goons on their asses. She exhaled slowly and reached across the space between them. Wiggling her pinky, Cruz offered an apologetic smile. "Truce?"

Niall stared at her pinky for a long second. "Yeah. Truce."

Their fingers touched, and Cruz's eyes widened at the surprising frisson of white-hot heat that invaded her belly. She was still trying to process her body's unexpected reaction to Niall's touch when the first gunshot blasted by her window. Screaming, she threw her hands over her head and allowed Niall to push her down against the console. The odd angle of her body, with her head practically in Niall's lap and her lower halt twisted, made it hard for her to breathe. Felix kicked furiously. Cruz closed her eyes and put a hand on her belly. She said a silent prayer, her fear for her unborn child almost choking her.

Their SUV lurched forward as Niall gunned the accelerator. She could hear Carlos and Niall shouting back and forth at one another but couldn’t make sense of what they said. The
pop-pop-pop
of gunshots rang in her ears. The sound short-circuited her brain. She was taken back to that sensation of overwhelming panic she'd experienced with The Scorpion. It was her worst nightmare all over again.

"When you hit that intersection, gun it, Niall! And don’t stop. Whatever happens, you keep driving and you keep my sister safe."

"Carlos," Niall said, his tone tinged with warning.

"No, Niall. Just do what I say. You promised. Remember that."

"I do." Niall's hand cupped her neck, his thumb stroking her skin. As she cowered in fear, Cruz focused on the soothing sensation of his caress. She doubted he even realized what he was doing. As aloof and standoffish as he'd been in her apartment, his rather intimate touch didn't jibe. Not that she cared. With the chaos of gunfire and squealing tires, Cruz desperately needed his reassuring touch. Something about his warm hand made her feel safe.