“Exactly—assuming he’s got the juice to make that happen. Whatever’s going on, we have to see this through.” Finding Chrissy Gallagher’s killer was no longer enough. The hunters were being hunted. He had to put an end to Los Besos before both of them wound up dead.
Music throbbed somewhere in the rooms below. It was late, dark outside the window. The men had moved Callie that morning, blindfolded her, tied her hands in front of her and shoved her into the back of a van.
The ride had been long, hot and exhausting. When the van doors finally slid open, she felt weak and disoriented, her stomach rolling with nausea as they half dragged, half carried her across the alley into a freight elevator and took her to a room up several floors.
She was in a bedroom, nicer than where she was being kept before, with plush dark blue carpet, a queen-size bed and a private bathroom.
But the door was locked, and though there was a window, it was three stories to the ground, too far to jump. She thought about doing it, though. Maybe dying would be better than what they had planned for her.
Curled up against the headboard, her legs tucked beneath her, Callie shivered in the air-conditioning. She was wearing a thin white cotton nightgown, no panties. Her small breasts protruded like tiny buttons against the fabric. She felt vulnerable in a way she never had before. She had never been more afraid, not even when they had first taken her.
So far the men had left her alone, but she knew that was going to change. She had heard them talking. The man who had bought her would come for her tomorrow night. Whoever he was, he was rich. They spoke about him like he was a god. He would be guest of honor at a lavish party, one of the men said.
Afterward, he would take her away with him, take her anywhere he wanted, do anything to her he wanted.
Her throat tightened and tears burned her eyes. The police hadn’t found her, and now she wasn’t even in Houston anymore. Did her mother miss her? Was she frightened for her daughter?
A shudder rippled through her. She would almost be glad when it was over. When the man had come and taken her away. At least she would know what she was facing. Maybe she could find a way to fight him. Maybe she could even find a way to escape.
Callie wished she could make herself believe it.
She felt like crying but no tears came. Crying wouldn’t save her. It was too late for tears.
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
Jase’s burner phone rang at ten the next morning as he sat at the breakfast table. Reese’s housekeeper kept the kitchen well stocked, so Kate had volunteered to make breakfast: scrambled eggs, bacon and toast. The delicious smells made his mouth water.
“Maddox,” he answered as he pressed the phone against his ear.
“What the fuck, Hawk? Tell me you aren’t hunting Rafael De Santos.”
Jason smiled at FBI Special Agent Mark Kingsley’s greeting. “I’m not hunting De Santos. I’m hunting Los Besos and about half a dozen other entities I haven’t got a handle on yet. De Santos is somehow involved.”
“Los Besos? You think De Santos is connected to Los Besos?”
“I’m surprised you don’t know. The guy’s in it up to his ears. We just need to prove it.”
“Dammit, man. You’ve got to stay out of this. We’ve been working this operation for months. We’re just beginning to make progress. You get in the middle, you’re liable to blow the whole damn thing.”
“Just hear me out, all right? That’s all I ask.”
Kingsley sighed into the phone. “Fine. Where do you want to meet?”
“How about the Mesquite Diner? Where we met before.”
“Not good. I don’t want anything connecting back to that operation. How about the Dolphin Café next to the aquarium?”
“All right, that’ll work.” Not too far from Reese’s fancy new condo in the Design District and the Blue Bayou on Elm, the area where Kingsley was probably renting a temporary apartment. “What time?”
“I can be there at noon.”
“I’ll be there.”
“What about the woman you were with last night? She in this, too?”
“Her name’s Kate Gallagher and unfortunately, yes. She’s in it till it’s over. Kate comes with me.”
“I’m sticking my neck out on this, Maddox. I hope you know that.”
