“You’re acting too secretive.” Mama narrowed her eyes. “It’s a guy, isn’t it? You’re not doing a promo video or starting a bakery. You’ve gotten yourself mixed up with someone sketchy.”
“I, uh—” Leanna was about to deny it, but what was the point? Her mother would dig and dig unless she was thrown off the trail. “I didn’t want to tell you because I knew you wouldn’t approve.”
“Approve of what?” Her mother’s gaze centered on her lower belly. “You’re not pregnant, are you?”
“No, not pregnant.” Leanna warmed up the ovens while scrambling for another lie. “I haven’t had time to date. But I did meet a guy online, and we’ve been exchanging emails.”
“Ai, yi, yi! You’re going to go meet him? How do you know he’s not an axe murderer? Who is this guy? Where does he live?”
This was going from bad to worse. She should have quit at the marketing promotion or a cruise with a girlfriend. Why was she such a bad liar?
“I’m going, and you’re not stopping me,” Leanna said. “While I’m gone, Denton will be in charge of the storefront, and you agreed to manage the baking side. Please, Mama, don’t make this harder for me.”
“You have to give us your itinerary,” Mama said. “Who is this guy, and what does he do?”
“I’ll email everything to you,” Leanna said. “I actually have a plane to catch.”
She didn’t, but she couldn’t stand another minute of her mother’s inquisition, especially since she couldn’t get any news from Ana and Eduardo. No doubt about it, she needed to get to Mexico, bodyguard or no bodyguard.
She hurriedly kissed her mother, gave her a hug, and tried to exit out the back.
Mama was having none of it. She clung onto Leanna as tight as she could, not letting go. “I don’t have a good feeling about this.Mija, don’t go. There’s evil hanging over all of this.”
Leanna struggled with her mother, wrenching herself out of her grasp. Inside, her heart crumbled, and tears sprang to her eyes.
“Mama, please, let me go. You don’t understand what’s going on, and it’s dangerous if you try.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of.” Her mother held her with one hand while gripping the doorframe with the other. “Talk to me. I won’t tell your father, but don’t shut me out.”
“Promise me, you won’t say anything to anyone,” Leanna hissed between her teeth. “Papa still works for the Canos.”
“This is about their business?” Her mother let go and made the sign of the cross. “Leanna, you know we have to be discreet.Mija, leave their business to Papa.”
“Not this one. If you blow my cover, it’ll be bad for all of us.”
“How could any of their business have anything to do with you?” Mama asked. “You keep your nose out of it. You hear? You have a legitimate business baking legitimate products.”
“I have to go.” Leanna grabbed her keys from her purse.
“No, you’re not shutting me out. Stay away from the Canos. I don’t care how good they appear on social media, giving to charities, investing in companies, and running for political offices. You have to stay safe.”
“I’m trying to keep every one of my family safe,” Leanna said, unlocking the van. “I need you to act like I’m on a cruise with a friend. I’m going to be late for my flight to San Diego.”
“Stop lying to me!” Mama’s voice slapped her like a judge’s gavel on the bench. “Something happened. Last week, you were trying on frilly sundresses for the Bumblebee Splash into Summer Charity Pool Party with not a care in the world. Spit it out, or I’m shutting the bakery down.”
Mama charged in front of the van, blocking her escape.
Leanna’s gazed darted up and down the alley. Even though it was early, there could be a bum digging through the dumpster or a passerby walking his dog.
She wasn’t about to run her mother down, but at the same time, she couldn’t let her mother get her hopes up about Carmelita. Her mother had suffered a heart attack the day the tiny box of ashes had arrived in the mail.
How could she get her mother to back off without endangering Carmelita, Ana, and her family? They knew the score. Joshua Cano enforced all agreements with hitmen.
Leanna yanked open the sliding door and hefted her luggage. Since she couldn’t drive the van, she would walk away—fast. She dragged her roller bag and fumbled with her phone to bring up a rideshare app.
“Mija, listen to me.” Mama grabbed her arm. “What have you done? Are you involved with another one of those Canos? I thought you learned your lesson.”
“He thinks he left no DNA evidence,” Leanna whispered. “There’s a possibility he did. I can’t tell you more, but I’m off to Mexico to give Ana a visit.”
A motorcycle rumbled straight toward them. Mama screamed, pulling Leanna’s arm. A strong, sturdy arm like a tree branch slammed Leanna’s chest. She lost her footing and was flung onto the gas tank of the motorcycle, leaving her luggage strewn and her mother falling into a puddle of rainwater.
“Let me go,” Leanna screamed.
“I doubt it’ll work out well for you.” The gruff voice belonging to Axe Salvadori drew chills, both the good kind, but mostly the scary, bad kind down her spine.
The motorcycle bumped over every pothole, up and down the roller-coaster-like street. Everything in her brain scrambled into a long, howling scream as she held on for dear life.
Where was he taking her, and what was she going to do about it?
