Sworn to Protect (3 page)

“I’m here if you need another listening ear.”

Barbara washed her hands before stirring the pot’s contents. Must have been a huge argument. “Nadine is in her room.”

Was it choice or had she been banished? Even though she was seventeen, Jacob refused to allow her to date, and he restricted her girlfriends as well—just like he ruled the rest of his household. Toby had never been abusive. He’d been kind, caring, encouraging Danika to reach out to others . . . No wonder the two men argued.

“Can I talk to her?” Danika asked.

Barbara placed the lid back on the beans. “Lucy is with her.” She shrugged. “Praise God my dear friend has a way of calming her, or . . . I don’t know what I’d do.”

“I’m so sorry.” At least the girl wasn’t alone. Danika had no idea why Sandra didn’t like Lucy when she was always there for Barbara. The woman had a successful maid and nanny service, and she was intelligent and attractive. But then again, Danika didn’t work for her.

“Jacob’s getting worse.” Barbara drew in a breath. “Nothing any of us can do is right.”

“Is he still meeting with Father Cornell?” Danika placed her arm around Barbara’s waist.

“He quit several months ago. Said he couldn’t fit it in with work and family responsibilities. And he’s spending a lot of time away from home. I have no idea what he’s doing.” She didn’t have to say how his family suffered. Barbara peered out the kitchen window to where Jacob stood with Jake Jr. He was telling the boy something. He pointed his finger in Jake’s face. The boy stepped back. “Please, Jacob,” Barbara called to him. “I can’t stand by and do nothing while you browbeat our children.”

Jacob’s shoulders fell. He bent to the boy’s level and held him close and then kissed the top of his head.

“That’s my Jacob, not this strange man who is angry all the time.” Barbara’s words seemed more like her most intimate thoughts.

“He’s not happy with me right now about some work matters,” Danika said. “I’ll go talk to him.” She had no intentions of apologizing to Jacob for this morning, but she’d explain to him again what happened with Barnett. Shouldn’t his concerns be about a wounded agent?

Opening the door leading to the patio, she stepped into the heat. “How are the burgers coming?”

Jacob rose from talking to Jake and grabbed a large shaker of seasoned salt. “A few more minutes. Of course, you’re the one who eats the bun with cheese and the fixin’s without the meat. Jake, would you go get Nadine for me?”

“Sure, Dad.”

Maybe this was a step in the right direction. “About this morning, I—”

“I thought you’d been shot too.”

Now she better understood his fiery reaction at the hospital. “I’m sorry you were worried. But I had my hands full with the situation.”

“As I said earlier, I deserved a call.”

She inwardly groaned. “Jacob, when I’m working, my thoughts are on the job and what is required of me. Barnett didn’t look like he’d make it, and Livi needed my full attention.”

He pressed his lips together. “You are my brother’s wife, a member of the family. I have a responsibility for your welfare.”

“I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself.”

“Not if you’re dead.”

Danika heard his pain, the grief that he wore like a crimson bandage. “It’s not your fault Toby was killed.”

“I should have been able to protect my brother, to warn him about the dangers of keeping company with illegals.”

A mixture of pity and frustration whirled, sickening her with the memories of a life lost. Jacob needed to get some help instead of making life miserable for those around him.

“The whole Border Patrol can’t stop all of the illegals from infiltrating U.S. soil. So where do you get that Toby’s death was your fault?”

“It’s there, Danika. It sticks in my throat like a rock.”

“Didn’t your priest offer any help?”

He shook his head and lifted a burger onto the platter. The burgers and hot dogs smelled wonderful, even if she didn’t often like the taste of red meat. Danika waited for Jacob to reply, something she’d learned from her own counselor.

He blew out an exasperated breath. “You gave up on trying to talk it out, too.”

“I decided today to start again. It was foolish for me to stop, and my counselor really helped me cope with the pain and bitterness.”

“I’ll think about it.”

“Good. I love you and Barbara. You are all the family Tiana and I have. But Toby is in heaven, and—”

The door opened and Nadine walked out alone. A pretty girl, slim and tiny with full lips and big eyes. Time for Danika to exit, and hopefully father and daughter could patch up whatever damage had been done before Danika arrived.

“Hi, Nadine. I’ll see what I can do to help your mom.”

The girl lifted her head, and it took only one glance for Danika to see she was high.

Chapter 4

There’s more to the truth than just the facts.

Author Unknown

In the game room, Sandra listened to the Morales children fuss over which DVD to watch. Tiana was as noisy as the other three, voicing her opinion in little-girl squeals and pointing to her favorite movie. The closed captioning didn’t help a child who couldn’t read, but she no doubt followed the movie.

The youngest daughter, Amber, selected a Disney feature. Kaitlyn and Jake protested with all the vehemence of a fourteen- and a twelve-year-old.

“It’s only a few minutes until dinner,” Sandra said from her position on the sofa.

Their voices rose.

“Of course if your father hears the roar, a couple of kids may go to bed hungry, and those burgers smell real good.”

That did it, and the combination of her warning and the movie quieted all of them.

“Smart move,” Lucy said.

Sandra didn’t reply. She detested the woman who now stood in the doorway, even if she had fronted the money for Sandra to get across the border. For three years, she’d worked as a maid for free until Lucy decided the money had been paid in full. Shortly after Toby’s death, Lucy found her a job with Danika and Tiana. But the woman who owned a maid and nanny service cared only about herself and what went into her bank account.

Lucy sat on the sofa beside Sandra. “Are you and Danika still more friends than employer and employee?”

Sandra’s stomach nearly revolted. “My personal relationship with my employer is none of your business.”

“Where’s the respect I deserve for taking good care of you?”

“I spent it on toilet paper.”

Lucy gripped Sandra’s arm and leaned close. “I thought you liked your job, living in a nice house like you were a real person.”

Sandra pried Lucy’s fingers from her flesh. “Go ahead and fire me. Danika will keep me on.”

“Not if she learns you’re illegal.”

Sandra took a deep breath. She’d tolerated Lucy’s condescension long enough, feared what she could do, and avoided being alone with her. Sandra’s realization of what the law would do to Lucy changed things. “You don’t want to know the trouble I can cause. Think about it.”

Sandra stood and walked from the room. Her legs barely held her frame, and heat flooded her face. For three years, she had worked like a dog for free. She’d paid her dues and didn’t owe Lucy a thing.

* * *

Shocked to see the truth glazing over Nadine’s eyes, Danika gave her niece a hug and left her alone with Jacob.

The sound of ice chinking into glasses didn’t block the bellowing revelation slamming against Danika’s head. Where had Nadine gotten drugs? How did she pay for them? Was that the cause of the argument between father and daughter? Did the teen think she could hide drug abuse from her parents? The questions bombarded her senses, and Danika couldn’t pose a single one of them to Barbara and Jacob. Maybe Danika had misread the signs. . . .

Barbara lined the ice-filled glasses on the kitchen counter. A frosty pitcher of iced tea sat nearby. “Thanks for going out there. I could see Jacob’s face soften, and Jake said he asked for Nadine.”

“So they argued earlier?”

Barbara hesitated before pressing the button on the refrigerator for more ice. “She wanted to go out with friends tonight, and Jacob wanted to know if any of them were boys. Nadine said it was none of his business, and it went from bad to shouting from there.”

Danika watched Barbara fill three more glasses. She couldn’t allow the truth to go unchecked. After eight years as a Border Patrol agent, she knew what high looked like, but so did Jacob. Barbara couldn’t possibly be that naive either. Danika wanted to be wrong, so very wrong.

“Has she been sick?” Danika reached into the fridge for a pitcher of lemonade.

“A little. Allergies, I think.” Barbara stole a glance out the window to where Jacob and Nadine were talking. “She’s been a bit pale lately and not eating, but I think that’s from the constant quarreling with her father. Maybe I should take her to the doctor. She may have a summer cold with her runny nose and hacking cough.”

The more Barbara talked, the more the evidence stacked up against Nadine. “A checkup is always a good idea,” Danika said. “She shouldn’t have to suffer through not feeling well on her summer vacation.”

“I agree.” Barbara sounded better.

What a dysfunctional mess. If this weren’t Danika’s family, she’d stay away. But this
was
her family. “Hard to believe she’s going to be a senior this year.”

Barbara studied one of the many photos taped on her fridge. She touched Nadine’s second-grade picture. The cute little girl’s mouthful of missing teeth hadn’t stopped her from smiling at the camera. “Where have the years gone? Praise God Nadine and I get along fine. Jacob is the problem, and I’m afraid he’s going to destroy his relationship with all of his children.”

Danika’s cell phone rang, and she excused herself to the corner of the kitchen while pulling the phone from her jeans pocket. The caller ID showed Felipe. “Hey, what’s going on?”

“Wanted to let you know that Fire-Eater pulled through the surgery and recovery time. The vet says he’s stable—one lucky dog.”

“Both he and Barnett are lucky,” Danika said. “Thanks for letting me know.” She slipped the phone back into her pocket. “Fire-Eater pulled through.”

Barbara folded her arms over her chest, her face a mass of worry lines. “For a moment I forgot how terrible your day was, and then you walked into this mess. Jacob will want to know the dog’s okay.”

The back door opened, and Jacob carried in a tray of hot dogs and hamburgers. Danika studied his face, waiting for the big thermostat to set the temp for dinner.

“Thanks, Daddy,” Nadine said.

Danika seized the opportunity to study the girl’s eyes again. No mistake. Pupils were dilated. Nadine picked up a couple of miniature chocolate bars and smiled at her mom.

“Make sure you get permission,” Jacob said. A heavy moment passed before he rested his dark eyes on Barbara. “I told her she could spend the night with Lucy, but to ask her first. In case she has plans.”

The final word. Barbara couldn’t have objected if she’d wanted to. Danika didn’t approve of the way Jacob ruled his household, but thank goodness she wasn’t married to him.

“Naddie, would you tell the others it’s time for dinner?” Barbara said.

Before the night was over, Danika planned to confront the teen about drug abuse. What was this family thinking? Jacob, Barbara, and Lucy . . . and none of them mentioned the apparent drug abuse signs of one teenage girl. This was like tracking down a dozen illegals carrying stuffed backpacks, and a rookie agent asking them what they were carrying.

After dinner, Lucy helped with cleanup while Nadine scurried away to pack for her overnight trip. Danika gave the teen a few moments before trailing after her. Nadine had a clean pair of jeans and a T-shirt on the bed, along with a cosmetic bag. Could that be where she kept her drugs?
This has to be a mistake.

“Got a minute?” Danika plopped herself onto the other twin bed, where Kaitlyn slept. All the training in the world hadn’t prepared her for confronting her niece. She toyed with what to say while studying the colors of the bedroom. One side of the room was orange and yellow with huge butterflies on the walls; Nadine’s side was turquoise and brown.

“I’m kinda in a hurry,” Nadine said, tossing a hairbrush onto the mix.
Distant
didn’t begin to label her attitude.

“Are you okay?”

Irritation cemented the teen’s gaze. “I’m fine. What are you talking about?”

Danika hated what she was about to do. “You look tired. Your mom says you haven’t been feeling well.”

She smirked. “Are you going to diagnose me?”

“Why don’t you tell me?”

“I’m too old for games.”

“I agree. So tell me why your pupils are dilated, you’re pale, and your mother says you haven’t been eating. She says your nose is running constantly, and she suspects a cold with your hoarse cough.”

Defiance flowed from every pore of Nadine’s face. “She’s my mother. That’s what she does. So what’s your problem?”

“I’m concerned you might be sick.”

“Oh, please. I’m fine, just sick to death with all of the archaic rules around here. Daddy won’t let me breathe.”

“Nadine, I care about you. If you need help, I—”

“What I do is none of your business.” Nadine sealed her guilt.

Danika wanted to shake her, but she wasn’t a child. “Is it worth what you’re doing to your own health and those who love you?”

“You sound like a TV ad for vitamins. Leave me alone, Danika. You and your brat are here eating our food because your loser husband got himself killed doing something stupid.”

Heat anchored the ire in Danika’s face. Insulting her was one thing, but referring to Tiana and Toby with contempt made her furious. When had Nadine changed from a considerate and lovable young woman to such a . . . She refused to let the descriptor roll around her head. “You and I have always been close. I don’t understand why you’re pushing me away. This doesn’t make sense.”

“Makes as much sense as you sticking your nose in my life. If I need to talk to someone, it’ll be Lucy.”

“What gives you the right to upset my daughter?” Jacob’s voice bounced off the walls of the bedroom, dumping a hollow emptiness into Danika’s resolve to support her family.

With her ears ringing, Danika slowly crossed the room to face Jacob. “The right? Guess I don’t have one.”

* * *

Alex checked on Jon Barnett before leaving the hospital for the day, or rather the night. Jon slept comfortably while Livi rested in a vinyl chair beside him. She alternated her focus between her husband’s ashen face and the monitors hooked up to his wounded body. He drifted in and out of consciousness and was still in critical condition, but his vitals were good. Alex felt confident of the man’s recovery. Jon lived life hard—worked hard and played hard—and today he fought hard against the damage inflicted on his body.

Border Patrol agents filtered in and out of the hospital offering support, not just with statements but by putting their words into action. Livi said an agent and his wife offered to stay with the children for the night. Another agent handed Livi a list of families who would be bringing food for the next week. And another agent and his wife planned to spend the night at the hospital. Some volunteers attended the Barnetts’ church, but most of the support came from the Border Patrol family. BPs always rallied together when needed. Alex had learned that most agents stepped into their roles with a desire to serve their country and its citizens. Only after they’d been on active duty for a while did they realize the danger and understand the toll their careers could take on their families.

“I’ll be calling in to check on Jon,” Alex said. “He’s a fighter.”

Livi lifted her gaze from the monitors. “So many people have been praying for him and for you. Thanks, Alex.”

He bent and squeezed her shoulders. “I’ll be here early in the morning.” The few hours’ rest on the cot in his office wasn’t the same as eight solid ones in his own bed. Exhaustion had attacked him in full force, and his body and brain needed downtime to function.

He rode the elevator to the lobby and spotted Danika Morales entering through the hospital’s double doors. Catching her attention, he waved. “Good evening, Agent Morales.”

She smiled, and in jeans and a T-shirt, she looked more like a soccer mom than a BP agent. Curly hair hung almost to her shoulders, loose and free. The color reminded him of dark honey.

“Danika, please,” she said. “Hey, you’ve put in a long day.”

“Comes with the territory.”

“I understand. I’m sure Livi is overwhelmed with all of this, and I wanted to check on her before I went home.”

What a sweet gesture.
“She’s a soldier, just like Jon.”

“Well, I’m going to see about the Barnett boot camp. Have a good evening, Dr. Price.”

“Alex.”

“Okay, Alex.” Danika tossed another quick smile and strolled past him.

I’m an idiot.
He didn’t have a single intellectual, stimulating, witty, bachelor-like thing to say. He’d been married to the medical profession far too long. Next time he’d be prepared.

Wait a minute!
Hadn’t he decided that pursuing a BP agent invited a troubled relationship?

I need sleep.