Marie, Laura - Miss: Senorita and the Soldado [The Miss Series 2] (BookStrand Publishing Romance) (10 page)

“Oh my God! I can’t believe this is happening. I can’t believe she got this close and Elloisa could be one of the dead,” Teressa stated and began to cry.

“We don’t even know for certain if she was there. The intel could be all wrong,” Jack added, trying to calm his mother.

Mathew knew they were all thinking the same thing.

At that moment the phone rang.

Everyone focused on Mathew as he answered.

* * * *

“She wasn’t there, Mathew. Somehow she must have made it farther than the agents’ last check-in point because they are just miles from the border.”

“Thank God…hold on a minute.” Mathew covered the receiver as he told his family the news. They quietly cheered and thanked God for Elloisa’s safety and ability to have traveled so far.

Mathew began to ask John more questions.

“So they just need to make it across the desert and through the border?”

“They’ll do it. Elloisa escaped Sintorez alone, and now, with this agent, her chances of making it home improve immensely.”

“I hope so. Please keep us posted.”

“I will call you as soon as I receive more information.”

Mathew hung up the phone and relayed the information to his family.

“So she escaped Sintorez alone? Amazing!” Salvatore stated.

“But they don’t know where she is now?” Teressa asked.

“No, Mamma, but John said that the agent found her and hooked up with her in some village she was hiding out in. This agent is resourceful from what John has told me.”

“My God, Jerry. When will this be over? I just want Elloisa home and in my arms.”

Jerry hugged Teressa to him.

“I can’t help but be fearful. Until I can physically hold her, I feel skeptical,” Teressa whispered while her husband held her.

“She’s going to make it, Mamma. I just know she will,” Mathew added.

He was so relieved that his sister wasn’t one of the victims of the massacre that he felt weak. He grabbed the chair, sat down, and slowly calmed his breathing. His mother was right. When was this all going to be over? He just wanted to hold his sister in his arms and love her.

* * * *

Two more hours passed. No one felt like eating or even leaving the room a second in case the call came in. They were exhausted, but they just kept thinking about Elloisa and praying that she had the strength to endure the escape. Sometime closer to midnight, they heard from John that Elloisa and the agent were safe, in the US, and on their way to the airport.

* * * *

It was three o’clock in the morning when Mathew’s cell phone rang a third time.

“Yeah?’ he asked, trying to clear his mind. It seemed like he had only fallen asleep minutes before the phone rang. His eyes burned, and his throat was dry and scratchy.

“Mathew, they were ambushed on their way through town from the border.”

“What? Are you fucking kidding me?”

“Unfortunately, no. Three agents are dead, but Elloisa and Montoya must have made it out. There’s no sign of them anywhere.”

“Holy shit. Montoya’s the agent who has been with her all along, right?”

“Yes. He’s real good, just like I told you. They’re probably hiding out and trying to find a way to contact me. I wanted to keep you posted.”

“Was it Sintorez and his men who ambushed them?”

“A local gang, obviously working for Sintorez.”

“How bad was it?”

“They had semi-automatic weapons, shot up half the town, and injured multiple local police. A lot of arrests were made. Our local agents there have been onto some sort of illegal drug transport operation run by this gang. They usually work at night but obviously were called out by Sintorez. There’s a full-blown raid about to take place in that town and on that gang.”

“This just keeps getting better and better.”

“Yeah, well the agents needed the break. They’ve been trying to catch these guys in action. Listen, I know this has got to be brutal on you and the family, and I want you to know that I will do everything I can to get Elloisa home safely to you. I’m sure Montoya will call soon.”

“Thanks, John. I appreciate it.”

Mathew hung up the phone and rubbed his hands over his face.

“Who was that? What’s going on?” Jack asked, with Salvatore and their father right behind them.

“It was John.”

Mathew began to explain about the ambush and the gang.

“Son of a bitch!” Salvatore stated.

* * * *

They were in full disguise as Gustavo led her through the mall. After discarding their other clothes into a plastic garbage bin, they set out for a safe location to make a call.

Elloisa held Gustavo’s hand as they walked slowly past the storefronts, vendors, and tourists to blend in. Just as they approached the final set of stores, they noticed three gang members walking towards them.

“Just relax and follow my lead. They don’t know what we look like,” he whispered.

Elloisa swallowed hard and paused to run the silk fabric of a dress through her fingers as if she were browsing with intention to buy.

The sunglasses she wore covered most of her face, along with the decorative straw hat, handmade across the border in Heroica.

She never looked up but felt the men’s presence close by.

“Oh, that’s a real lovely color, darlin’. It’s au-thentic and downright pretty,” Gustavo stated loudly with a thick Texas accent.

“It does complement my skin and all,” she replied, giving a try at a Texas accent.

Gustavo laughed out loud then pulled her close..

“You all would be my Italianna-Mexicanna sugar pie!” he roared then hugged her to him, being sure to put on a show for anyone paying attention. Her heart hammered in her chest as his body pressed against her own.

That’s when she noticed the three gang members listening as well and eyeing them while they also glanced around the area.

“More,” she whispered to Gustavo and she nearly screamed when he pressed a hand against her backside, blatantly pulling her up against him while rubbing her butt.

“You should buy it, darling. Then when we get back to the ho-tel, I can rip it offa ya,” Gustavo teased then growled against her neck as he began tickling and kissing her.

Elloisa hung on tight as she giggled and laughed. The gang members just seemed to stare at them strangely, so Elloisa jumped up, wrapping her legs around Gustavo’s waist as she tilted her big straw hat to cover their faces as if they were kissing.

She heard people yelling, so she moved her hat to see the gang members move swiftly through the rest of the mall and farther away from them.

Elloisa tried to calm her breathing as she remained in place, holding Gustavo’s gaze.

The man was rock solid, and she could only imagine what he would look like undressed.

“Are you okay?” he whispered, his voice sounding deep and raspy. Her insides coiled up, and her heart pounded faster in her chest. This soldier was lethal when it came to sex appeal. Every inch of him was solid muscle, and if he didn’t remove the palm of his hand that remained flat against her backside, she was surely going to embarrass herself.

Gustavo held her gaze for an awkward moment. She heard his heartbeat.
Thank God. The man did have a heart
. As if sensing the awkward moment, he slowly began to release her and take a step away. She looked around then quickly grabbed his hand.

“We should stay close just in case they return,” she stated, hoping that he would agree. Any amount of time she could have him near her she would cherish.

He eyed her knowingly, and her stomach churned. God, this man made her act like a love-sick puppy. Exasperated and feeling as if the attraction was purely one-sided, she attempted to pull her hand away from Gustavo’s.

He held it tight. “No. Stay next to me. I saw a little place over there to make the call. I’ve got an old friend who can help us. Come on,” he stated then pulled her along with him through the crowded mall.

Chapter 7

Elloisa was grateful for the hot shower and the new change of clothes. She looked at herself in the mirror, hearing her heart pound against her chest as she envisioned Gustavo. He had told her over and over again to stay put and wait for him to shower. She wasn’t to move outside of the small building unless she was with him. He was adamant and aggressive as he grabbed her shoulders and ground his teeth. The soldier could do intimidation, big time. He had her shaking in her crappy boots so badly that she hadn’t moved from the chair by the bed. She was afraid to even breathe the wrong way. Then, of course, he left the bathroom door ajar so he could hear her.

She listened attentively as he undressed then stepped into the shower. Her imagination had her fantasizing about Gustavo, and she needed to remind herself that he was just doing his job. He was on a mission, and she was his responsibility.

He took a shower in record speed and immediately came back out with only a towel wrapped around his body. By the grace of a god who had seemed to finally make his presence known, she didn’t drool or ogle him. With much finesse and familiarity to seeing chiseled sex gods on display, she rose from the chair and entered the bathroom.

Once the door was closed, she released a long breath then panted for air as she laid her forehead against the wood.

Gustavo was beautiful.

She shook her head at herself in the mirror.
Don’t read into his attentiveness and sexual assets. He is taking you home and then he will disappear.

She dried her hair as best she could, allowing the sound of the hairdryer to drown out her thoughts of Gustavo. Then out of nowhere she thought about Armando. He had resources all over the world. Or at least it seemed so to her. The gang that attacked them was under his thumb, just as many gangs were back in New York. There was a great possibility that Elloisa would always be a target. That was unless Armando was killed. Her heart ached with regret for not doing the deed herself, but if she had the courage and hatred to kill him, she would have done it back in Mexico. She wasn’t capable of murder, even though he deserved to die. Now, as she pondered over her actions, she wished she had killed him. Then no one would come after her. This was all Armando’s doing.

Quickly she cleaned up the bathroom then opened the door as she gathered the towels.

“You can leave those. Rafael said he would take care of it.”

She jumped at the sound of Gustavo’s voice. She felt shaky and guilty, most likely from contemplating murder.

“What is it? You’re shaking,” Gustavo asked, taking a step toward her and removing the towels from her hands.

She stared at him as he took her hands into his own. She felt so safe with him. It was nerve-racking.

Her mind traveled in a thousand directions. But before she could stop herself, she blurted out the thoughts that came to her mind.

“How do you kill so easily?” she asked him, and his eyes widened in shock.

He squinted at her then looked her over from waist to eyes.

“I kill only when necessary, for survival and for the good.”

He released her hands and turned from her. Obviously he wasn’t cold-hearted or unscathed by his profession.

“I…I had the chance to kill him,” she whispered as she stood in one place and stared at the rug. She felt Gustavo’s stare upon her, but she couldn’t look at him. She felt weak for confiding in him and showing such weakness.

“What?” he asked, taking a step closer. She stared at his boots and the bottom of a new pair of dark camo pants.

His fingers were under her chin a moment later, tilting her face up toward him. When she saw his eyes, they looked somber and dark with emotion.

“I had a chance to kill Armando, but when I tried…when I struck him and he wouldn’t let go, I began to shake profusely. I couldn’t continue to hit him and kill him. I couldn’t do it.” She sobbed as her shoulders shook.

* * * *

Gustavo pulled her into his arms and held her close. He caressed her hair as she shook against him. The smell of her shampoo and the weakness she shared with him played on his heartstrings. Was she for real, or was she playing him? He wondered if that was how she got Armando. He was pessimistic and untrusting. His job trained him well, and his experience prepared him for just about everything.

“Not everyone is capable of seriously injuring someone, never mind killing another human being. You weren’t weak, Elloisa. You got away from him. You got out of there on your own. I will help you get to your family, and all of this will be behind you.”

He had to distance himself from her. His gut told him to beware, while his heart felt her pain and her regret. This was work and nothing more.

He released her and saw the surprised expression on her face. She thought he was heartless and cold. It was better for both of them.

“We have a plane to catch, so let’s get moving.”

* * * *

No one slept that night. There was too much anticipation. Elloisa was finally coming home.