“Okay. I was . . . umm . . . thinking . . .”
“About what? More ways to cause trouble?”
She smiled. “I was hoping we could stop at the roadhouse after work. Rowena’s bartending and it’d be nice to see some friends.”
“I don’t see why not. A beer sounds good. I’ll see you late afternoon.”
Surprised her request hadn’t turned into some kind of confrontation, she’d gone back to work, kept at it till noon. Donna went out for sandwiches and brought them back for lunch and they ate in the break room. Afterward she started making cold calls.
She’d just hung up, proud of herself for the meeting she’d set up with Ajax Furniture to discuss the company’s shipping needs, when the second line rang. Joe’s private number.
Carly picked up the phone. “Drake Trucking.”
“SeñoritaDrake. It is good to hear your voice.”
Her stomach clenched. El Jefe’s words made her blood run cold. “What do you want?”
“It is time to schedule a pickup. Very soon you will receive a text giving you the location and the time your truck is to arrive.”
She moistened her lips, steeled herself. “I’ve changed my mind. I’ve decided I’m not interested in your deal. You need to find someone else.”
A grating chuckle rasped over the line, zipping along her nerves. “You will do what you are told. You will make the pickup and you will tell no one—not even the rich gringo you are whoring for.”
Her fingers tightened around the receiver. “What I do is none of your business.”
“Sleep with Cain—I do not care—as long as you do what you are told. Fight me and you and Cain will both be dead. You understand?”
Oh, God. “Yes.”
“As I said, word will arrive very soon.” The line went dead.
Carly’s hand shook as she hung up the receiver and leaned back in her chair. She’d known this was coming and yet some part of her had refused to believe it.
A familiar knock sounded and she glanced up. When the door opened and Linc walked in, a wave of relief hit her so hard, she felt dizzy.
He took one look at her face and the scowl he was wearing went even darker. “What is it? What’s happened?”
Her voice shook. “El Jefe just called. He’s got a load he wants picked up.”
“Christ.”
“He didn’t say what it was, where he wants it delivered or when. He says I’ll get a text with the information.”
Linc ran a hand through his thick dark brown hair. “What else?”
“He knows we’re together. He says he’ll kill both of us if I don’t do what he says.” Her eyes burned. “I never should have gotten you involved.”
He caught her shoulders, drew her out of her chair. “You didn’t have any choice. I was involved from the moment Joe asked me to look out for you.”
Carly closed her eyes. She told herself everything would be okay; Linc was going to help. She took a steadying breath, worked to slow her pounding heart. “What are we going to do?”
“We’re going to consider our options, figure the best way to handle this. One of the reasons I went to Dallas was to talk to Quinn Taggart.”
Alarm slammed through her. “Taggart? You said Taggart was FBI!”
“That’s right.”
“You said you wouldn’t do anything we didn’t both agree on. That’s what you said!”
