Framing Felipe (21 page)

“I’m
aware
of
that,
but
why
was
there
a
scuffle?”

“Can
we
talk
about
this
in
the
morning?”
He
clasped
his
free
hand
over
his
yawning

mouth.

FRAMING FELIPE
–
80
–
Holley Trent

“It
is
morning.”

“So
it
is,
but
how
about
let
us
wait
until
a
civilized
hour.
I’ve
already
been…what
is
the

word?
De
—”

“Debriefed?”

“Yes.
Debriefed.
I’ve
already
been
debriefed
twice.
Once
by
Dana
and
then
by
Patrick.”

She
sighed,
pushed
down
the
covers,
and
stretched
her
legs
beneath
the
sheets.
Once

she’d
squirmed
down
low
enough
that
her
chin
met
the
blanket,
she
said,
“Don’t
worry

about
it.
If
Dana
knows,
there’s
nothing
further
to
say.”

“What
is
this
about?
You’re
not
my
bodyguard.
You’re
off
the
case,
yes?
Right
now,

we’re
here
because
you’re
supposed
to
be
getting
some
sleep,
and
I’m
here
because
I
said
I

would
stick
around
and
help.
And
that
is
what
I
did.”
He
raked
hair
out
of
his
eyes
and
blew

out
a
breath.
“Although
we
may
have
made
some
things
worse
in
the
process.”

“Like
what?”
Now
she
turned
on
her
left
side
and
propped
her
head
up,
too.
The

annoyance
had
leeched
from
her
face
and
all
that
remained
was
concern.

Clearly,
he
wouldn’t
be
getting
any
sleep
until
he
quelled
her
curiosity,
but
he
didn’t

mind
so
much
as
long
as
she
stayed
that
close
to
him.
She
was
so
near,
he
could
feel
the

heat
from
her
body
beneath
the
covers.

He
cleared
his
throat
and
averted
his
gaze
from
the
low
dip
of
the
shirt
at
the
top
of
her

cleavage.
“Eric
snuck
onto
the
premises
to
scout
out
Fabian,
because
I
can
not
get
close.
Eric

recognized
the
sound
of
a
baying
were-‐cat,
and
found
a
pair
locked
in
one
of
the
campers.

Jacques
had
forced
them
to
shift.
That’s
what
he
does.
Makes
them
all
learn
to
shift
on

command
so
they
can
pretend
to
be
real
animals
in
the
shows.
The
crowd
loves
it
when
the

so-‐called
animals
go
wild.”

“Forced
shifting.
Damn.
It’s
hell
on
the
cells.
Patrick
avoids
it
as
much
as
he
can.
Most
of

the
cats
won’t
even
shift
in
a
fight
against
the
bears
unless
they
run
out
of
options.”
Her

forehead
furrowed
and
lips
slightly
parted
while
she
thought.

Lovely
.

Her
intelligence
did
it
for
him
nearly
as
much
as
her
looks.
This
was
a
woman
who

should
have
belonged
to
someone.
What
was
wrong
with
American
men?
Felipe
was
more

than
happy
to
be
the
brave
volunteer
tasked
with
pinning
her
down,
but
recognized
she

FRAMING FELIPE
–
81
–
Holley Trent

might
not
take
kindly
to
the
idea.
He
was
a
man
who
had
absolutely
nothing
to
his
name.

Nothing
to
offer.
He
wasn’t
even
sure
he
had
a
valid
passport.

He
drew
in
a
breath
and
cleared
his
throat
again.
“Yes,
Patrick
explained
that.
Anyhow,

I
was
standing
near
the
fence
waiting
for
some
news
from
Eric,
and
that’s
when
I
heard
the

bears.”

“The
bears?
Real
bears?”

“No,
querida
.
When
I
heard
them,
I
told
Eric
to
run,
thinking
it
might
have
been
some

Visas
doing
security
in
their
beast
forms,
but
he
signaled
for
me
to
be
quiet.
He
walked
to

another
camper
and
pointed
to
it,
then
hid
in
the
dark
until
one
of
the
circus
hands
went
in

with
a
box
of
supplies.
When
the
circus
hand
was
distracted
with
the
bears,
Eric
let
the
cats

out.
They
didn’t
seem
to
understand
what
was
going
on…”

“Hence
the
scuffle.”

“
Sí
.”

A
swath
of
her
black
hair
fell
over
her
eyes,
and
Felipe
reached
in,
tentatively,
and

brushed
it
back
from
her
face.
When
she
didn’t
draw
away,
he
let
his
fingers
linger
there,

looping
around
a
length
of
her
hair.

“Some
of
the
staff
ran
out
to
see
what
the
trouble
was,
so
I
had
to
run
in.
I
don’t
know
if

they
saw
me
before
I
went
invisible.
I
had
to
make
sure
Eric
saw
me
before
I
phased
so
we

didn’t
get
in
each
other’s
way.”

“So,
after
the
cats
recognized
Eric,
you
all
ran?”

“Yes.
I
didn’t
have
time
to
search
further
for
Fabian.
Jacques
will
catch
wind
of
my

presence
there.
I
suspect
because
of
that
the
circus
will
move
soon,
and
not
using
its

planned
itinerary.”

“Maybe
that
means
before
they
pull
up
stakes,
we
should
run
in
with
guns
blazing
and

rescue
any
other
folks
who
need
it.”

Felipe
shook
his
head
and
laid
it
against
the
pillow.
The
sun
would
rise
soon.
He

wanted
to
be
well
on
the
way
to
slumber-‐land
before
all
that
yellow
light
poured
into
the

room.
“Once
Jacques
secures
the
next
location,
they
pack
up
and
move
fast.
May
be
already

gone.”

“But
if
they
leave,
it’ll
be
harder
for
you
to
track
your
brother.
I’m
good,
but
if
people

are
intentionally
obfuscating
their
tracks,
it
takes
me
twice
as
long
to
catch
a
lead.
Confuses

FRAMING FELIPE
–
82
–
Holley Trent

even
the
best
psychics.
I’d
have
to
rely
on
the
old-‐fashioned
methods
which
can
sometimes

yield
results
too
late.”

“I’m
not
worried
yet.
After
all,
what
good
is
a
famous
two-‐man
acrobatic
team
if
one
of

the
men
is
absent?
Even
if
they
leave,
Jacques
will
want
me
to
catch
up.”

“You
do
realize
you’re
talking
about
walking
into
a
trap,
right?”

He
closed
his
eyes
and
took
a
deep,
steadying
breath
before
answering.
“
Querida
,
my

entire
life
has
been
one
dangerous
trap
after
another.
What’s
one
more?”

“Don’t
go
out
without
me
again,”
she
said.
It
seemed
more
a
request
than
an
order.

Whether
it
was
because
she
didn’t
want
to
be
left
out
or
that
she
maybe
cared
a
bit
about

him,
he
couldn’t
say.
But,
when
he
draped
his
arm
over
her
waist
and
pulled
her
a
little

closer,
she
didn’t
swat
him
away.

Didn’t
say
a
word.

FRAMING FELIPE
–
83
–
Holley Trent

When
Sarah
opened
her
eyes
again,
this
time
that
unsettling
feeling
wasn’t
riding
her.

Everything
felt
as
it
should.
She
tested
her
limbs
and
found
them
entwined
with
Felipe’s,

who
lay
in
a
near-‐plank
position
on
his
belly,
his
left
arm
still
pinning
her
waist.

With
some
effort,
she
turned
her
body
and
studied
the
alarm
clock.

Eleven.
They’d
slept
through
breakfast,
and
judging
by
the
gnawing
sensation
of
her

gut
and
the
slight
throbbing
at
her
temples,
refusing
dinner
hadn’t
been
a
smart
choice.
She

should
have
tried
harder
to
eat
a
good
meal
the
night
before,
but
she’d
always
found
eating

difficult
when
there
was
so
much
going
on.

Right
then,
though,
besides
her
empty
belly,
the
only
things
that
seemed
important

were
the
rise
and
fall
and
Felipe’s
back
as
he
breathed,
the
sight
of
his
hair
obscuring
his

handsome
face,
and
the
way
his
fingers
tightened
on
her
waist
every
time
she
shifted.
All

things
considered,
being
wedged
beneath
his
arm
wasn’t
that
bad
a
place
to
be,
but
her

bladder
had
other
ideas.

“Felipe.”
She
whispered
his
name
and
wriggled
beneath
his
arm.

He
smacked
his
lips
a
couple
of
times
and
groaned,
only
to
fall
right
back
into
his
sleep

pattern.

She
sighed.
“Felipe.”
Now
she
dragged
her
fingers
along
the
side
of
his
face
and
pushed

his
hair
away
from
his
eyes.

What
a
beautiful
man.

Of
course,
Fabian
had
been
attractive,
too.
They
were
identical—cut
from
the
same

cloth.
But
when
she
was
near
Fabian,
she
hadn’t
automatically
thought
Damn
the
way
she

did
with
Felipe.
Maybe
it
was
because
Felipe
had
stuck
his
neck
out
in
their
first
meeting

and
made
his
attraction
clear,
and
a
day
later
she’d
gone
from
ambivalent
to
flattered.
At

that
first
interaction
at
that
barn,
she
hadn’t
been
concerned
with
romance,
if
that’s
what
it

even
was.
She’d
only
been
thinking
about
the
job
she
had
to
do.
She
was
supposed
to
find

and
protect
this
man,
but
he
hadn’t
really
wanted
to
be
found,
nor
did
he
need
protection.

“Felipe…let
me
out.”
She
leaned
in
as
close
as
she
could
to
his
ear
and
whispered,

“We’re
going
to
miss
lunch.
We
need
to
get
moving.”

FRAMING FELIPE
–
84
–
Holley Trent

He
drew
some
air
in
through
his
lips
and
blew
it
back
out
in
a
sigh.
“Why
can’t
we
just

stay
here?”

She’d
be
lying
to
herself
if
she’d
say
the
thought
hadn’t
crossed
her
mind.
As
much
as

she
liked
having
a
high-‐octane
life,
there
was
something
gratifying
about
feeling
safe

enough
to
go
slow
,
too.
Felipe
somehow
made
her
feel
safe.
She
didn’t
try
to
understand
it,

but
maybe
it
was
the
same
reason
Dana
was
so
calm
in
the
presence
of
Patrick.
There
was

no
need
for
her
to
perform
around
him.
He
saw
through
the
act,
so
Dana
just
stopped

putting
it
on.
He
loved
her
whether
she
was
soft
or
hard
or
somewhere
in
between,
so
she

didn’t
try
for
hard
all
the
time
anymore.