Page 58 of Her Noble Protector

She felt tears forming at the back of her eyes, but not sad tears, angry tears. Fierce tears. Goddammit, some gardener and his wife were going to hand her over to an evil bastard before she had a chance to get her life back on track? She bit her lip as she felt a snake of fear coil in the pit of her stomach, but she forced it down. She wasn’t having it. No more fear, no more depression. That good and handsome Navy SEAL had stopped his life to come and help her. Her, Lisa Garcia. He said she was special. They’d discussed Ender’s Game, and how the protagonist never let anything stop him. Even when the world was against him, he fought. She could fight, too.

No fear. Anger was okay. No fear.

She heard the door open and a woman stepped up into the trailer.

“Good, you’re awake. I was worried my husband used too much chloroform,” the woman said as she closed the door behind her. She had to be Nellie. She had smiled and spoken in English.

Lisa looked at Nellie. They were both Hispanic and about the same age, but that was where the similarities ended. She had to be about fifty pounds overweight, dyed her hair blonde, and was wearing a tube top that looked like it might fall off at any moment. However, this was the woman who had tried to convince Mel to call the cops, so she did have it a little bit together. Except for the part where she was in a relationship with Mel.

“I’m awake,” Lisa confirmed in Spanish. “You might as well speak in Spanish. I understood everything you and Mel said. I know that you’re going to turn me over to that man pretty soon, and when you do, my life isn’t worth anything.”

Nellie’s smile slid away, but she quickly rallied. “Then you also know I have to protect my kids.”

“Once somebody like this guy has his claws into your man, he’s all-in. He’ll never let him go. You know that, right?”

Nellie swallowed. She knew Lisa was right, but she didn’t want to believe her. She couldn’t believe her, because then her world would be shit.

“You must be hungry,” she said with a false smile. “Or maybe you need to use the bathroom. How about that?”

Lisa thought about it. If she was untied, she could easily overpower Nellie and get the hell out of here.

“I need to use the bathroom.”

Nellie turned and opened the trailer door. “Mel, come in here. The woman needs to use the bathroom. I need you to guard her.”

Lisa’s shoulders slumped. Mel walked in. Nellie turned back to her. “Since you heard everything we said, you know we have to turn you over in good condition. We’re not going to shoot you if you try to escape. But Mel here will definitely stop you, and he’s big, my Mel. It’ll hurt when he stops you. So don’t get any funny ideas.”

Lisa nodded.

Mel pulled a knife from his utility belt and cut the zip ties at Lisa’s wrists and ankles.

“The bathroom is there,” Nellie pointed down the short hall.

“I have to wait until the circulation comes back,” Lisa said.

Nellie nodded.

“How much more time until you turn me over?”

“Tomorrow,” Mel answered.

Raiden better hurry.

* * *

“Only two people actually have contact information on their landscapers,” A.J. said with disgust as she came back into the house. “The rest just wait for them to magically appear. One of them doesn’t even know the guy’s name. Said he doesn’t speak English so how was he supposed to know.”

“I don’t really care about that right now, A.J.,” Raiden said. “Just give me what you did find out.”

“I’ve been talking to a landscaper who was actually working today. His name is Jorge Torres, and he’s been working this patch for twelve years. He’d heard about the kidnapping, but he wasn’t around to see it. I told him we’re looking for someone who would know this area, probably worked it recently, and would have gotten involved with a bad crowd. Might have fallen off the grid recently.”

Everyone around the kitchen table perked up at her information.

“I gave him my number. He thinks he can have intel for us within the hour. He told me that it was a tight-knit community.”

Raiden pushed back his chair, knocking it over. He rounded the table and wrapped his arms around A.J.

She grinned. “Careful, big guy, I don’t think you know your own strength.”