For the entire trip down the hill to the scene of carnage, I was silently freaking out. I knew I’d have to face Cachi the moment he saw me and I didn’t know what my own reaction was going to be.
Was everyone going to think he was a criminal just because he was working for Luca Hernandez, cartel big shot?
I’d just told my team about Cachi at breakfast. Would they all question my judgment in going out with him? Had I completelymisjudged him? Was he connected to Luca Hernandez—cartel big shot—who’d hired him? No way. But still…I didn’t even want to think about what would happen to him and to what we’d started together, if they thought he was involved in drug trafficking.
I felt absolutely sick inside as Mars parked the Camaro on the street and when we got out, my legs felt like Jell-O.
I desperately wanted to check on Cachi but I took my time walking around to the trunk to retrieve the sniper rifle and put it in the BearCat which someone had parked on the street. Mars had been pissed as we stored our rifles, grumbling the whole time about how the back looked like a tornado had plowed through, since supplies were strewn all over the place. Apparently, someone had forgotten to lock the overhead cupboards which held a medical kit, extra changes of clothing, Kevlar vests, and various assorted paperwork. Since it was Mars’ job to drive and maintain the tactical vehicles, he knew he’d have cleanup duty.
“That was some good shooting, Clifford,” Candy said, coming up and slapping my teammate on the back.
“No problem, Captain. Just doing my job.”
Candy nodded at him and turned to me. “You didn’t have Castillion in your sights?”
I felt a shudder run through me as I stared at him. “I-I could have hit him, sir, but if I had, the round would have gone right through him and hit the civilian. I didn’t want to risk it.”
Candy frowned. “You said you knew the valet?”
“Yes, sir, and there’s somethin’ I need to say about—”
“Captain Sorensen, I need a moment of your time,” SAC Bradley said, walking over. Since he hadn’t been there earlier, I could only assume he’d just arrived.
“Of course.” He turned to look at me. “What were you saying?”
“Nothin’, Cap. We’ll talk about it back at the office.”
“Good enough.” He gave Mars one last pat on the shoulder before walking away.
Apparently, I was the fuckup, and Mars was the golden boy of the hour. When he figured out my relationship with Cachi, he might question my actual motives. I hoped not. I would have made the same call, no matter who the civilian standing behind Castillion was.
I knew I’d made the right choice and hopefully the strength of my conviction would see me through the interrogation I was likely to undergo once he found out who Cachi was—or should I say—had been, to me. Hell, after today and the horror of having his face spattered with the drug lord’s brains, Cachi would probably want to run away from me as fast as he could. I sucked up my courage, blowing out a long breath as I grabbed some wet wipes to remove the camo face paint I wore. After giving my face several swipes, I shut Mars in the back of the BearCat since he’d already started picking up the mess.
I rounded the side of our tactical vehicle and walked to the scene. All the valets had been lined up on the curb and just as I expected, they were being questioned by Agents Wallace and Steele. Cachi was with them, the only man whose white polo shirt was drenched with blood. His hair was sticky with muck which was starting to dry, making it look limp and overall disgusting. It was easy to see he’d been crying. Even though he’d wiped the majority of the criminal’s blood off his face, his neckwas still stained with it. As I got closer, more tears streaked down his face as he described how he’d gotten the job, looking over at another one of the valets.
It wasn’t until just that moment, that I realized the two men were holding hands, clutching desperately onto each other like they couldn’t bear to be separated. I swallowed, feeling sick to my stomach as I realized how good he and the other man looked together. They were the same age, and though, dressed the same, looked entirely different. The other man was strikingly beautiful, but his features weren’t nearly as refined and delicate as Cachi’s.
His hazel eyes lacked the amazing dark brown of Cachi’s and his lashes weren’t nearly as long. He looked me up and down and then whispered something to Cachi I couldn’t hear.
When Cachi turned to look at me, I watched his watery eyes go wide. They instantly teared up, making my heart squeeze in my chest. I prayed Candy and the others wouldn’t think he had anything at all to do with Hernandez, the cartel, or anyone else who hurt people for a living.
He was on his feet in a second, flying at me, closing the short distance between us a second later. I opened my arms and he flew into them, wrapping me up and clinging to me as he sobbed against my chest, muttering something in Spanish I couldn’t possibly understand. I held him to my chest, knowing my long-sleeved shirt was getting soaked with Castillion’s blood. The coppery scent of the drying blood in Cachi’s hair made my stomach do a slow roll. For a few seconds, I was surprised that the smell of Peruvian cartel boss blood smelled just like anyone else’s…not like sulfur from hell.
“Rex…Rex…you’re here,” he said, lifting his sweet face and gazing up into my eyes. I held onto him, feeling the urge to lowermy head and kiss him, momentarily ecstatic at the fact that he’d seemingly forgotten the anger he’d felt toward me last night.
I lowered my face and whispered into his ear, still holding him close, “It’s gonna be okay, sugar. I’m here now. Nothin’ to worry about, Cachi. I’m here.”
“Agent?”
Special Agent Wallace walked over with a question in his eyes.
I let go of Cachi but kept him close to my side with an arm around his shoulders as I held out a hand. “Agent Rex Monroe, Wallace. We didn’t meet because I was up on the hill.” I turned to look at the sniper perch across the street and pointed up.
He followed my eyes and then turned back to me with all his questions answered. “Oh, of course,” he said, taking my hand. “You’re the sniper who killed Castillion.”
I felt Cachi stiffen and start to pull away. I tightened my embrace and shook my head. “No, sir. I was up there with Agent Marshall Clifford. He’s the one who took the shot. I had the wrong angle.” I wasn’t about to explain how killing Castillion would have most likely resulted in killing Cachi an instant later. As I said it, I felt Cachi relax but only minutely. I didn’t drop my arm as I waited for whatever Wallace was going to ask next.
“Ah, I see.” He flicked a glance at Cachi before looking back at me. “And you seem to know Mr. Adams.” It was a statement, not a question.
