Page 96 of Honor ’N’ Duty

“Si.” With near-military precision, Rifleman about-faced and went out the door.

Unexpectedly, Colon stood, as if someone had instilled gentlemanly manners in the man. “Mrs. Sampson.” He dipped his head slightly.

Laia clenched her jaw. “After you murdered my husband, I reverted to my maiden name. So it’s Ms. Velez, now. Thanks to you.” Something she guessed he was already fully aware of. Calling her by her married name was meant to remind her of Josh, and it did. “I want to see my daughter,” she demanded through gritted teeth.

It was all she could do not to launch at Colon and scratch his eyes out. Through the haze of rage clouding her vision, she knew she wouldn’t make it to within three feet of him. Not without the other goon shooting her full of holes.

Ignoring her homicidal dig, Colon snapped his fingers, holding out his hand to the goon with the ledger. “All in due time.” He handed the ledger to the other man sitting at the table. “Put the case on the table.” After the goon had complied, Colon unzipped the bag and began pulling out bundles of cash, flipping through them. He did this with three bundles sitting on the top, then dug down to the bottom of the suitcase and pulled out another. After inspecting it the same way, he rezipped the suitcase.

Without waiting for a verbal command, the goon lifted the case and rolled it to one side of the room against a wall beside one of two closed doors.

The other man at the table had opened the ledger and begun flipping pages. He opened up another ledger she hadn’t noticed earlier and seemed to be comparing entries. It was anyone’s guess as to how long it would take before they figured out her ledger was comprised of approximately twenty pages of meaningless numbers.

Which meant time was running out.

“I want to see my daughter. Please,” she added. “You promised me that if I gave you the money and the ledger that you’d let her go.”

Colon stared at her for a moment, his face completely bland. Then he hitched his head to one of the closed doors behind him. The goon grabbed her arm, dragging her to one of the doors. He opened it, then shoved her inside.

Laia gasped. Asleep on a bed and still wearing the same purple shorts and pink tank top she’d worn over her bathing suit yesterday was Rosa.

For a moment, she stared, holding her own breath until she confirmed that Rosa’s chest was rising and falling steadily. Then she sat on the mattress and stroked a soft, shiny strand of hair from her daughter’s eyes. She inspected Rosa’s arms and legs for bruises or any other signs of abuse, but there were none. If they’d hurt one hair on her sweet little head, she’d have gone berserk and turned into a raving lunatic.

More than she already was.

“Rosa? Honey, it’s Mommy. Can you wake up for me?” When she didn’t respond, she pressed a hand to Rosa’s cheek. It was cool to the touch. Had they drugged her? “Rosa?” she repeated, gently shaking her shoulder.

Rosa’s lids fluttered, then opened, revealing sleepy green eyes. “Mommy,” she said on a yawn. “You came.”

“Of course I did.” Unable not to, she lifted Rosa into her arms, cradling and rocking her against her chest. Her daughter was alive and seemingly unhurt. Trying not to cry, she sat there, continuing to hug her daughter.

“Mommy, you’re squeezing me too hard.”

“I’m sorry.” She settled Rosa on her lap. “I’m just so happy to see you,” she said, drinking in the healthy glow of her cheeks.

“I’m happy to see you, too.” Rosa yawned again. “Can we go home now?”

“Yes, baby. We can go home now.” She hoped.

But as she gathered Rosa in her arms and turned around, her hopes were dashed straight into the ground.

Fernando Colon stood in the open doorway holding the ledger. His eyes were cold, dead. “Did you really think I wouldn’t figure it out?” He threw the ledger on the bed. “This is not your husband’s ledger. Now where. Is. The ledger?”

“I don’t have it,” she cried, praying he’d believe her and take pity on her. Not likely. He’s a cold-blooded killer. Pity wasn’t in his repertoire. “You have to believe me. I don’t care about the money or the ledger or anything. I just wanted my daughter back. If I could have given you the real ledger, I would have.”

“Where is the real ledger?” he asked in a voice edged with anger.

“Mommy?” Rosa whispered, her eyes frightened as she clutched Laia’s blouse.

“Shh, baby.” She stroked Rosa’s hair, wishing there was something she could do to take the fear from her eyes. “I don’t know,” she lied. If he killed her and Rosa, at least the federal government could still charge him with additional crimes. “And I don’t understand why you ever thought I had it in the first place.”

“That is of no consequence,” Colon said. “What is of consequence is that I have no further use for you.”

The other man who’d accompanied them inside pulled the gun from his waistband.

And pointed it directly at Laia’s head.

Chapter Thirty-Two