“What about Scabby and Blue Skull? They might be protecting Gabriel.”
“They’re probably working for Cano and told to take me away from the scene. They failed, so they’re going to lay low. I just hope they didn’t take Gabriel with them, but I’m thinking they left him there to watch Ana and Eduardo’s house.”
“How will we get to Gabriel?”
“Food.” Leanna wiggled her shoulders. “And news about Carmelita. I’m guessing he’s worried about her but has no clue where Joshua hid her.”
“We’re assuming rather huge things here,” Axe said. “That Joshua is involved.”
“My father didn’t deny any of it, and if my father kills him, we’re home free.”
“You do realize what you’ve done.” Axe’s stomach lurched at the way she was so cavalier about snuffing out a man—although admittedly a pedophile who’d raped her repeatedly.
She made claws with her fingers and hissed like a pissed cat. “Don’t ever cross me, my Big Axe.”
“Ay, yi, yi, mi chulita loca.” He kissed her lightly, meaning it as a peck before packing up, but she bit his lip, and his dick shot straight up. “Ow!”
And then he was pawing her, and she pushed and shoved her tongue into his mouth, so he mussed up her hair, and then they tumbled onto the bed, fighting like cats and dogs.
Zero to sixty. Axe was burning and revved up. She wore his ring; she was willing and ready. So what if they had to take another shower? He mauled her breasts and sucked on her neck, kicking her back spread-eagled to take all of him.
And then his phone rang.
* * *
Leanna rode shotgun and scanned the streets for threats as Axe drove the nondescript Toyota Corolla into the check-in area of the love motel, Rancho Cumbres. Both fathers had agreed to meet them.
“They’ve probably already checked in,” Leanna said. “Separate rooms, of course.”
“Of course,” Axe said. “And they’re watching from the windows up there.”
“Right.” She patted his hand as he spoke to the woman in the check-in booth.
Her face flashed no sign of recognition. Good. She knew her job, but she bit her lip and kept looking over her shoulder, which meant something worried her.
“One room this time,” Axe said. “She said ‘yes,’ and we’re getting married.”
He chuckled as he handed over the money and jangled the keys, tossing them on Leanna’s lap. Patting her knee, he winked and rolled the car into the private parking space.
Leanna remembered to ham up the act. Giggling, she waited for him to come around and open the door for her.
“Showtime,” she said as she slung her purse over her shoulder and exited the car. She huddled into his tight embrace, and instead of walking up the steps, they turned around and walked out into the courtyard, as agreed, to parade in full view of all the windows.
She could feel Axe’s boundless heat and the tension in his chest and shoulders, but she kept her head against his neck, and he leaned so that his head covered hers. There was no way either father could take a shot without the bullet threading through both of them, or so she hoped.
“Shall we kiss?” Axe asked.
“No. It might separate our heads enough for my father to blow your brains away,” Leanna said. “They agreed to meet. We’re letting them know we’re here, so let’s go to the room and escort them in.”
“Your father’s a better shot than mine,” Axe said. “But then he’s a stone-cold killer. It’s not going to be easy to get my father on board.”
“I know, but it’s the only way,” Leanna said. “They have to work together. Let’s go in.”
“No, let’s do what they don’t expect,” Axe said. “Even if we tell them no guns, they won’t comply. We’re sitting ducks if one of them traps us inside the room, and if they meet in the hallway, they might take a shot.”
“What should we do?” Leanna asked, leaning hard against Axe to shield him as he shielded her.
“Drive away together. They’ve seen us. That’s all they need to know. We’re just going to have to accept that they’ll be tailing us.”
