Beneath the Secrets, Part Two (Tall, Dark & Deadly) (6 page)

“The Omni in San Jose. I wanted her
across the bridge and in something high end and secure where
Eduardo couldn’t get to her easily. It seemed the best option until
I could get to her until I could make other arrangements for
her.”

“Other arrangements,” he
repeated.

“Yes.”

“What arrangements?”

“I didn’t think that far
ahead.”

Smart answer, but he wasn’t buying
it. She knew what she was doing. He called Kyle and gave him the
rundown. “I’ll get the other girl and take her with me to pick up
Tami,” Kyle said. “We’re going to have to get them into protective
custody, Blake. You know that. We have to talk about what that
means.”

In other words, if they let the
feds know what was happening; Blake would get pulled out of the
cartel and investigated. He scrubbed his jaw, considering the very
real possibility he needed to get his brothers involved. They had a
soft spot for women. No matter how much they worried about Blake
and Alvarez, they wouldn’t blow a chance to break up an operation
selling woman off like shoes in a store. “Just keep the two women
safe tonight,” Blake said. “We’ll deal with the rest
tomorrow.”

“There’s something else you need to
know,” Kyle said, and something in his voice had Blake
stiffening.

A few seconds later, Blake had
listened to the news Kyle had to share and his gut was one big
knot. He ended the call and didn’t look at Kara. He couldn’t look
at her now.

“Who is that you’re talking to?”
she asked. “What’s happening?”

“That was a trusted friend. He’ll
make sure the women are safe.” He put the truck in reverse and
didn’t say another word, his mind and emotions racing, that dark
place he so often visited threatening to take control.

Kara must have sensed it because
she didn’t speak and barely made a sound, but as soon as they
pulled up to her apartment, she was out of the truck, as if she
couldn’t escape fast enough. At her door, he pushed it open and she
stared up at him, hesitating to go inside.

His eyes met hers, and he saw her
trepidation. She might not know what he’d found out on that phone
call, but she sensed something was up. And oh yeah—something was
up, all right. “I’ll pick you up and carry you in if I have to,” he
promised.

She inhaled, as if steeling herself
for what came next, and headed inside. He pursued her and shut the
door, shackling her arm and pressing her into the wall, his legs
shackling hers. “I know who you are, Kara.”

The third installment of BENEATH
THE SECRETS coming April 30
^th
…