Chase stared down into Alana’s eyes.“I just got here.As long as Delgado’s people aren’t gunning for me, I’d like to finish my vacation before I start work.”
Alana met his gaze, a smile curving the corners of her lips.
Gina leaned close to Alana.“You need to get in touch with your father as soon as possible.I’ll bet he’s contacted the Mexican government, the US Embassy and the French Foreign Legion by now.”
Alana’s smile slipped.“He’ll want me to go back to Maui immediately.”
“You don’t have to go, you know,” Gina pointed out.“Carson said he’d take care of Delgado.I have no doubt he’ll make that happen.The man has some wicked connections.”
“I would like to stay,” Alana said.“We didn’t come all this way to turn around and go home after only two days.”
“I’ll be here all week,” Chase said.“I could use a good dance partner.”
Gina nudged Alana with an elbow.“You hear that?How can you pass up an opportunity like that?The man can dance.And it will give you all week to figure out how to annul the marriage…” Gina winked.“Or not.”
“I promised Lana she’d get to put her toes in the sand.I’m staying,” Trevor said.“I’ll be here as backup.”
Chase cupped Alana’s cheek.“What do you say?Want to hang out on the beach for the rest of the week?”He held his breath, hoping.After all they’d been through, he wanted to get to know this amazing woman better.
Alana glanced down at the ring on her finger.She touched his hand with the ring on it and finally looked up.“I don’t want to go back to the Maui yet.I’d like to get to know Cabo a little better, as well as a certain groom, who apparently swept me off my feet in a few short hours.Do you suppose we could take it slow…and sober?”
“What?And take all the fun out of it?”Gina laughed.“You really do need to loosen up, Alana.You only live once.Take a chance.”
Chase lifted her hand to his lips and pressed a kiss into her palm.“We can go as slow and as sober as you like.I’d like to get to know the bride who made me want to get married when I had no intention of ever doing so.”His heart swelled with the hope and joy of getting a second chance with this amazing, brave woman.He hoped the week didn’t go by too fast.He wanted more time with Alana than one week would provide.But he’d take all he could get and then work on convincing her to give him more.
Chapter12
They rode backto the hotel in Carson’s SUV, with Trevor driving since Carson was on the mission to deliver Delgado to his contact, who would take him back to the States to stand trial for a number of crimes.Hopefully, he’d be locked in jail for the rest of his life, without any access to his cartel.
A shiver snaked down Alana’s spine.What if Carson had been too cocky about being able to handle the cartel kingpin?What if some of Delgado’s men were, at that moment, waiting for Carson and Delgado to show up at the airport?
Seated beside Chase in the back seat of the SUV, Alana leaned into the man who was her husband, at least for now.Gina had called shotgun in the front passenger seat, where she helped Trevor navigate the dark roads out of the hills and back to Cabo San Lucas.
“Will you hear from Carson once he transfers Delgado into his contact’s custody?”Alana asked.
Chase took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.“He’ll notify us as soon as he hands off Delgado.”When his cell phone vibrated in his pants pocket, he pulled it out and stared down at the screen.“Speak of the devil.Carson just texted that he made the hand-off.Delgado is on a plane headed for California, where he’ll be met by the U.S.Marshals.His contact will text Carson when they complete that hand-off.”Chase slipped an arm around Alana’s shoulders.“Delgado is officially out of the picture.”
“Hooyah!”Trevor called out.“Now, we can get on with our vacation.Lana doesn’t need any more stress than she’s suffered already.We don’t want that baby coming any sooner than its regularly scheduled time.”Trevor’s gaze reflected in the rearview mirror.“Is Carson meeting us back at the hotel?”
“Not right away,” Gina said, her brow puckering.“He wanted to check on the men they’re releasing into enemy cartel territory before he comes back.”
Trevor shot a glance toward Gina.“In the Ferrari?”
Gina shrugged.“Apparently, the man likes a little drama.”
“Then he picked the right girl,” Alana said with a smile.
Gina’s lips twisted.“What do you mean?I’m low to no drama.”
Alana snorted.“You’re one kick ass female, which makes you all drama.I’m not sure I could’ve charged into a cartel compound like you did.”
“You were doing a damned fine job of trying to escape,” Chase said.
“If you recall,” she said, “I didn’t quite make it.”
Chase brought her hand to his lips.“You were holding your own.”
“Long enough for us to get there,” Gina added.
